February Colours

Today was a beautifully bright but cold day so I took the chance to take a wander around the garden and take in some of the sights. February is not a time when you would expect to find much in the way of colour in the garden but here are some of the highlights:

First Harvest

I managed to get out to the veg patch this morning and examine the rhubarb. We have two plants, both of which had already started to show signs of life earlier this month. In a bit of an experiment I decided to try and force one of the plants by placing an upturned black plastic bucket over it. So today I was pleasantly surprised to see that the bucket was being lifted by the plant. A comparison of the two plants clearly showed that, whilst the untouched plant had put on some good leaf growth, the forced one had already developed some nice juicy shoots.

Forced Rhubarb

Unforced

Well, the temptation was too great and it wasn't long before I had harvested the first produce of the year and had a handful of the sweet smelling stalks.

From there it wasn't long before a fresh rhubarb crumble was on the table.

Rhubarb Crumble!!

Delivery

Got home from work this evening and look what was delivered today:

Having filled the propagator last weekend and still having plenty of seeds to get going, I was considering the option of investing in another one. Then we saw this, designed to sit on a windowsill and just couldn't resist. The internet is a wonderful thing and so, within a couple of clicks, it was being dispatched. Now all we have to do is decide what to put in it...

Also waiting for me was a gorgeous steak and Guinness casserole in need of a parsnip to finish it off so it was on with the wellies and down the garden to dig up the last of the harvest. This was definitely the last of the vegetable crops from last year so now for the long wait for this year's harvest. So, where did I put those seeds...?

February Prep

The first weekend in February saw the sun come out, at least for one day; so, taking advantage of the weather, I got some more of those odd jobs done in the garden. This included clearing, weeding and lightly digging over the last of the beds. Now they are covered in a mixture of cardboard, black plastic, weed suppressant and, in one case, a custom made cloche cover. This little lot should not only keep the weeds down but should also help to warm the soil in preparation for some early planting.

I also dug over what will become the squash bed. Hopefully we'll have better luck than last year when all we managed to grow was fresh slug food.

The last job in the garden was to dig up what will be almost the last of the parsnips. These were a real experiment last year but at about a foot long, these have done us proud.

The weather on Sunday was not as good so it was an opportunity to visit one of the many garden centres on the Island. We only wanted to pick up some potting compost but, of course, we came away with a few more 'essential' items that we didn't realise were missing from our lives, including this nice new planting tray:

I know, I could have made one from scratch but it would have taken me all summer and probably ended up costing more than the £6.99 that we splashed out for this one. At least now I can do my sowing at the dining room table without getting into too much trouble.

So what to sow? Firstly, some flowers for the propagator: Agastache 'Golden Jubilee', Pyrethrum 'T&M Superb Mix', Salvia Lyrata 'Purple Volcano' and Chrysanthemum Heteropappus 'Blue Knoll'.

I also like to get the sweet peas in early so planted 'Fragrantissima', 'Statesman Mixed' and 'Fragrant Ripples'. Unfortunately there's no room in the propagator for all this lot but the warmth of the utility room should help them along.

Finally I managed to get some 'Cayenne' chillies and 'Stereo' broad beans in for planting on later, as well as some coriander and peas. These last two are a bit of an experiment, intended for growing on the kitchen window sill and putting into salads when they reach a few inches high. Even I'll admit that it's still a bit too early to sow these for growing on to maturity. Maybe next week...