May Update

Here's what my patch of dirt looks like this month.

On the left you can see my legumes - broad beans, peas and runner beans, all coming on nicely. Behind them the potatoes are breaking the surface. You can't really see them but trust me - the carrots and parsnips are germinating, as are the onions. The sweet corn and squash will soon be ready to go in and in the greenhouse I'll be growing melons, peppers and plum tomatoes.

I feel hungry already. :-)

Assembling the Trampoline

Hubby and I have just assembled the base for the kid’s trampoline and are about to start on the safety net when the loyal slave calls round and offers to give Hubby a hand.

So I head off to make the tea.

When I get back the poles are up.

“What are these holes for?” asks Hubby. “Should there be screws?”

“Nah,” says loyal slave. “That’s probably for a different sort of assembly.”

They carry on working.

“These are ever so wobbly,” says Hubby.

“Let’s just put the net up,” says his mate. “When it’s all tensioned properly it’ll be fine.”

The instructions are lying on the grass where they have been discarded. I idly pick them up and flick through the pristine pages.

Oh look, there’s a diagram – and aren’t those … screws?

“Guys,” I say. “There’s supposed to be screws.”

“Oh,” says Hubby. “Perhaps that’s what the holes are for?”

“You’re not reading the instructions are you?” says his mate with a look of horror on his face.

Yes I know. It’s such a girly thing to do. I head back up to the garage and – oh look – a pack of screws. I take them down to the boys.

At last the trampoline is assembled and I leave them jumping up and down while I take the kids in to prepare dinner.

Hubby comes in just as the sun starts to set behind the hills.

“The net’s inside out,” he says.

Rotations

My loyal slave calls round and I show him the progress I’ve been making with my veggie plot. I’ve been busy planting.

“Here are the potatoes,” I say. “And here are the broad beans and peas that I’ve just planted out.”

He nods approvingly.

I continue, “I’m using a four year rotation, so I’ve divided it into quadrants. I’ve just planted a row of carrots and a row of parsnips in that quarter and there’s enough room for a row of something else and I’m going to put sweet corn and squash in the last.”

“You mustn’t plant things in the same place two years running,” he says.

“Yes, that’s why I’m using a four year rotation.”

“It’s very important that you move things around. If you plant your carrots in the same place next year they won’t do well at all.”

“Isn’t that the point of a rotation,” I say.

“I think you should use a four year rotation here,” he informs me. “Next year you should plant your potatoes over there and your legumes over here.”

I give up.

“Thanks,” I say. “I’ll do that.”

Hard at work...

My little helper and me.

A Watched Seed...

….never grows!

It’s exciting having a greenhouse – with lots of little trays of seeds sitting there, waiting to grow …. and waiting….and waiting.

Every day when I get back from work I scurry down there to see if anything has happened – will there be any little shoots poking their way into the sunlight?

And then at last….a melon started to germinate – tiny and green…only to shrivel and die two days later. Oh dear. 

But all is not lost. I’ve bought a tray of broad beans from the local hardware store and those will be able to go in soon, along with the peas and the potatoes that are chitting nicely.

And now, at last, something else has started to grow – the first of the runner beans are sprouting, and the cauliflowers too.

So all is not lost – I will have some plants to grow in my plot.

Peas Please

"So what would you like me to grow?" I ask the younger child.

"Peas." She smiles at me.

Peas. This is a good start. I love fresh picked peas - straight from the pod - tender and sweet. It reminds me of my own childhood, sitting with my Gran in the June sunshine podding peas - one for the pot and one for me. The kids love peas too, although whenever I give them peas to shell I come back to find nothing but satisfied children and a pile of empty pods.

"Good I'll grow a row of peas," I say. "What else."

"More peas."

There seems to be a bit of a theme here. It's fine though - I've already got some peas going in the greenhouse - I picked up a tray of them at the local hardware store a couple of days ago.

"Okay, two rows of peas then," I say.

"No, three rows."

Hmm, could be tricky. I don't just want to grow peas. Some other things would be nice. I decide not to press the issue.

A bit later I pop down to my greenhouse and I find that someone has been busy. There are lots of little pots rowed up inside that weren't there earlier, all filled with soil and each bearing a neat little plant label.

I look closer to see what she's been planting. Yes, you've guessed it.

Looks like I'm going to be growing lots of peas this year.

Sow by Dates

So how set in stone are these sow by dates on packets of seeds? They always seem to contain far more seeds than I actually need, and I do so hate waste - but with only a small patch like mine I'm hardy going to be growing 300+ parsnips, am I.

Anyway, I have several packets of different varieties of winter squash left over from various failed attempts to grow these in previous years, so I thought I might as well give them a go.

So, now that I have glass in my greenhouse I've been planting:

Pumpkin (no idea how old these seeds are)
Trombone squash, (last year's seed)
ordinary courgette (last year's seed)
Italian round courgette (new seed)
Another sort of squash but I can't remember what it's called. (last year's seed)
Some very old spaghetti squash seeds (don't hold out much hope for these)
And melon (new seed)

I've also started off some cauliflowers and brussel sprouts (Why on earth did I plant the devil's vegetable? Everyone in the family hates them. Oh well.)

And finally - runner beans. Oh, but I've had a right muddle with these. You see I bought a load of loose seeds, in a brown paper bag. When I got home I found that mice had been at one of my old packets of runner bean seeds from last year and they had spilled all over the place. So I picked them up and put them in another brown paper bag.

Yes, you've guessed it - when I went to plant the runner beans I had no idea which were last year's seeds and which were this year's seeds. Great! Well I suppose if nothing grows then I'll know I planted the wrong ones!

Anyway I'll let you know what comes up.