I have been inspired by the little bit of brightness we had today to get out ... And get organised. We have been in our new house 18 months now, so I am still learning what grows well here near Dunkery Beacon on Exmoor, we are quite high up so about two weeks behind the local lower levels such as Minehead.
Richard's post made me smile - I must take my camera out next time and will have a look at attaching photos as the girls were so excited. Our hens arrived in June, and have taken some time to fully cover in feathers as all rescue hens, but boy they intuitively knew that digging meant worms ... They so enjoyed it and seemed to pur a lovely noise! Yum yum they gobbled them up, but I am sure there are enough for all of us.
I have drawn out my beds today, and planned my rotation, so broad beans next week, as long as not too cold, and must get some potatoes ... Watching Bill's suggestions with interest, thanks Bill, you will inspire us all.
So, parsnip bed cleared about forty in all, so made a huge batch of parsnip soup ... In the freezer and some ready for taking to work tomorrow - yum yum. Girls enjoyed the peelings cooked up too. Just settling to watch the rugby and get on with finishing OH kilt socks - lovely pattern and brilliantly warm socks ...
Seed swop sounds interesting! Bye for now.
Clucky Carol

A few weeks of ... Can't do very much .... Mostly due to family commitments and work. Very busy Hospital but at last have a day to potter, once a few jobs are completed! A few trays of broad bean and pea seeds have been started, and all three patches dug over and composted, so feeling like I should be able to start a bit earlier than last year, and I'm hoping that my planning will also be helpful. It's a cracking day here with a very sharp frost, but I am sitting in bed, windows wide open, and a little wren eating some crumbs on the window sill, it is beautiful.
Planning for another veg bed this year, but need to make sure I have progressive sewing a this year as suffered a lot with "gluts" of things. Celeriac a definite success last year, so will do again, but not quite so many ....!
Would love a poly tunnel, have been admiring Bill's, but know that as I work full time, plus on calls, I am unlikely to have the time just yet, so better to not overstretched myself I think, but enjoy and make full use of what I have!
Will try and take some pictures though, so enjoy seeing others plots and chooks. Thanks for sharing.
Carol

Polly tunnels like mine are not expensive
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FoxHunter-Ful ... 2c7a8f42dd
The linc above is the same as mine just replaces cover after 4 years use so not to bad .They give you the option of earlier crops and growing later crops ,i had lettuce in mine through the winter and they stopped growing after christmas when the weather turned really cold ,still have 3 left we haven't eaten yet will leave them to grow on now for an early spring lettuce.

Another grey day, but fantastic to see my broad bean and pea seeds coming up, we have a glass link which makes a great growing space .... I just wish I had more time. However, it's what you do with the time you have .... So cracking on! Successional beans in today, sweet peas are up along with peas and planted beetroot seeds, early courgettes and sprouts and onions are up .... Ooh exciting. I do need although OH would say don't need it ... I do need a poly tunnel, although it might have to wait until I have a bit more time!
Bob anything else I can get in?
Enjoying this year's early start. xx

What a beautiful weekend, having spent a couple of days in London, it is so lovely to come back to Exmoor, where I can hear the birds, cows, sheep and nothing .... Hearing nothing ... Beautiful.
I spent a fabulous afternoon potting up broad beans, they have grown so well from seed. I have put eight out under cloches made out of lemonade bottles. We will see how we go, it's a little early, but always good to try. I have potted up all the beans, sweet peas, onions and sprout seedlings. Beetroot seeds and in and courgette, all in the link though, wonderful greenhouse environment. I know I would like to grow celeriac again, and the fruit bushes look good. Rhubarb is looking a bit weak, might have to put some more in, I love rhubarb but my crowns are very small.
The chooks are doing a great job of turning over the earth ...
Still haven't quite planned the beds out, but that will all come ....
Off to read Bill's diary and Lancashire Lass's for inspiration ... I'm still learning ... A true novice! Xxxx

Clucky Carol wrote: I spent a fabulous afternoon potting up broad beans, they have grown so well from seed. I have put eight out under cloches made out of lemonade bottles. We will see how we go, it's a little early, but always good to try

actually, broad beans are very hardy and early sowings are not unusual - you can sow them in autumn outdoors and leave them over winter. During mild winters they are fine and do exceptionally well but I had a run of bad weather (remember the really cold winters a couple of years ago?) which put me off autumn sowings after that. I'd take the cloche off although maybe protect them from wind and severe weather (especially hail) until they harden off properly

Thanks Lancashire Lass, will remove the cloches - will they be fine with snow or ice, we live quite high on Exmoor? Lots growing well though! Thank you so much

So frustrating ..... Wanted to get out today, but sadly on call for a busy hospital and such a lot going on so no time to get outside .... Hoping the rest of the weekend will be a little more Q but ... I bet it won't! Desperate to get some more broad beans in, some early peas are coming along nicely and some beetroot .... Love to get them out. Please keep your fingers crossed too .... Bill, what have you been up to? More than me I bet!

Clucky Carol wrote: So frustrating ..... Wanted to get out today, but sadly on call for a busy hospital and such a lot going on so no time to get outside .... Hoping the rest of the weekend will be a little more Q but ... I bet it won't! Desperate to get some more broad beans in, some early peas are coming along nicely and some beetroot .... Love to get them out. Please keep your fingers crossed too .... Bill, what have you been up to? More than me I bet!

Very little Carol ,waiting for the weather to break and warm up a little ,i prepare my beds in the autumn and cover with black plastic so when i am ready its just uncover and plant .Tomatoes ticking over nicely ,caulies doing ok ,leeks not ready to go out yet ,spuds planted,onion sets planted,carrots red beet radish lettuce all through in polly tunnel .Probably another couple of weeks then should all kick off

Well, I don't mind saying I feel quite smug! Up with the lark this morning, and what a morning. Warm and bright ... A very Happy Easter to you all. I walked the dog at six, let the chooks out and then cracked on with the veggie beds. Have been desperate to plant up the broad beans which have grown enormously over the last two weeks. I hardened them off for a week, bringing them in at night, but today was the day!
The chickens joined me, I love the way they purr when you throw them the odd worm or two. The garden robins were nearby singing joyfully and out came the sun. What a super, super day. All broad beans are in, probably planted a little too close together but we will see, about 9 inches between rows, and about 6 inches apart, maybe a bit more. I have protected the entire bed with netting, I could see the chooks looking at it excitedly!
I then did a row of carrot seeds, salad leaves, and finally beetroot. So all in all a lovely, lovely day. Not sure if carrots and broad beans should be next to each other but .... Well, I have to start somewhere!
The dog was hilarious, she took a great liking to the rake! She's only a year old, and our Daughter's dog, boxer crossed American bulldog, and was rescued from being a bate dog and kept in chains, so she is rehabilitating with us, still very nervous, but loves being here in the great outdoors, but still learning to trust humans .... And who can blame her!
Beds watered in this evening, all looking good, nets around the bed, so we shall see tomorrow .... Mrs Smug might not last very long !!
Bill, hope you had a lovely day, not tried tomatoes - do you keep them indoors?
TTFN Clucky x

Hi Carol
Yes keep them indoors until warm enough to go into greenhouse ,put mine in big pots and grow on in greenhouse ,can be grown outside once warm enough and all chance of frost are past

Thanks Bill, sewn some seeds indoors and have a glass link between the house and Annexe (was an old stable, converted into self contained space for Daughter) so will keep out there - have spent a good morning potting up sprouts, they look good although a few have one leaf going limp - wonder if they got a little too warm in the sun?
Courgette seeds yet to pop up but beetroot doing well, tomatoe seeds in, leeks ready to go out - tomorrow's job, and need to buy some parsnip seeds this year too.
Rhubarb is very slow this year .... Can you over pick rhubarb, had masses last year and wondering if I have taken too much and killed the crown?
I love rhubarb ... Great recipe for rhubarb and custard cake too!
Hoping the weather will stay warm, off to Glasgow for a few days from Wednesday with work, large conference and not back until Saturday ... Will miss my garden!
Happy Days to all. xxx

Clucky Carol wrote: have spent a good morning potting up sprouts, they look good although a few have one leaf going limp - wonder if they got a little too warm in the sun?

a good possibility it was too warm - especially if you still have them indoors. If possible, you should start to harden them off (maybe when you get back from your trip) and gradually move them outdoors as they are more a hardy "cool" weather plant than a tender summer crop so dislike heat.

Clucky Carol wrote: Rhubarb is very slow this year .... Can you over pick rhubarb, had masses last year and wondering if I have taken too much and killed the crown?

patience LOL Despite the recent warm spell, this winter and early spring has been on the cool side - things don't start emerging until the soil temperature is at least 10oC (a good indication is whether weed seeds are germinating - if there is a lack of these, then clearly still too cold for perennial plants like rhubarb and asparagus to start growing again)

Dear LL,
You are such a wise woman .... Thank you - seems so obvious about the sprouts ... I have a Daughter at home this week, so out and in it is ... They are looking better in larger pots.
Great point about the rhubarb - no weeds yet, we are always about two weeks behind as nearly highest point in Somerset, so always a bit cooler.
I need a large dollop of patience me thinks!
Thanks again, very much appreciated.
Clucky xxx