In the veg patch

It's certainly easier to blog in the winter than to find the time during the growing season! Not much to write about just yet regarding what little I have already planted or sown. I keep feeling that I am way behind but that's because we have had some fine sunny weather recently. Many years I don't even start until April because the soil is cold and soggy.

However we are enjoying eating the last of last year's vegetables. We've had our first meal of PSB (Purple Sprouting Broccoli) but it's odd because at least four of my plants aren't yet showing any signs of florets forming, which is doubly surprising given the recent warmth as I thought they'd have gone to seed in no time at all. 

First florets forming on the PSB

Hopefully these plants will come to life soon! We've been eating lots of purple curly kale as it has put on much fresh new growth including flowering tips, but unfortunately these are covered in aphids so I'm not bothering with those bits. And where are the ladybirds now? Eh?

Purple curly kale. I love purple veg!

The leeks are now all harvested and the last ones in the fridge as I needed to get the early spuds in. Here's a cheating photo from last year when the PSB was earlier so the two veg coincided.

There are plenty of self seeded edibles in the veg patch already but most of these will have to be hoed off but I was pleased to see some sunflowers self seeded from last year's two plants. I'll be moving them to a different more out of the way position as they certainly brightened up the place and various birds enjoyed eating the seeds.

My edible 'weeds' - borage, dill and magenta orach.

As usual my coriander 'lawn' is emerging everywhere! I rarely need to sow any and still have a few clumps that survived winter which are near to flowering now, and so the the cycle will start all over again.

Oh and I do have some peas just about worthy of a photo..... and my strawberries have started to flower. All we need now is some rain! But that is another subject.... the dreaded D word. :-(

The weather has changed although not to the extent of the snow I was hearing about on British radio but I do need some better blue sky to take photos of the blossom on my plum trees! In the photo are greengage, which is the big tree, unknown purple plum in the foreground and spindly, barely noticeable damson in the background. My big disappointment is that my newish, planted 2 years ago plum trees in the orchard across the road, where the soil has clay in it and is much moister, have hardly any flowers. Last year I got a handful of Quetches and not a single Reine Claude Violette despite them being covered in blossom; this year, no chance. But such are the joys, and sorrows, of gardening!