Spring was so late this year that everything started growing like there was no tomorrow as soon as the soil thawed and the night temperatures got above +2C. In the UK, we are used to say 'OK, that needs doing/pulling up/cutting down/layering etc, I'll do it at the weekend'. Here, honey, if you do that, say on Tues, you won't see whatever it is for the other plants or because it's grown 10m and you have no idea how to use a chainsaw. So the lesson I've learnt from this year is 'do it NOW'. Probably not a bad lesson all round actually, and would cut down the number of piles of stuff dotted around, especially in the office - just saying.
I've cut out 4 diamond shaped veg beds in the bottom lawn. Well, I say 'I'.. bless Graham's little cotton socks... Each took 4 bags of soil, the compost bin not being far enough advanced yet, so I've only got 3 earthed up (ran out of money!). I've planted peas and beans in one, broccoli and cabbage in the other and spinach and parsnips in the third. And I fuss over them like a hen over her chicks. After one leaf of a broccoli seedling was nibbled, there were no longer any snails in the garden and the ground is now not brown, but blue (slug pellets for you non-gardening types). I'm just waiting for the hares to discover the plants!
Graham built me a greencottage (too small for a green house) and I've got 5 tomato plants in that, there are 4 chilli plants on the window sill and I've cleared around the wild strawberries, so not doing too bad for a first year, so far. This afternoon, I'll have to go out and get some birch branches for the peas. There was a frost last night, so excuse me, whilst I take the blankets off the beds....
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