Coriander

My first sowings, planted out, just went to seed with no substance worth cutting. I have potted up my second sowing into 3 inch pots but they look like they are going the same way. I found on the internet today that you should not try transplanting coriander! And they seem to sow it thick in situ without any thinning. So I have sowed a couple of big pots with the rest of my seeds today. I will be interested to see the results. They also seemed to feed a lot so I will try that too.

Biennial futures

Hesperis and foxgloves sown on the solstice had germinated yesterday. (I think.) Certainly the hesperis are there but the foxglove seed is so tiny it's difficult to see the first sign of germination. Higgledy gardener says they should be planted out well before the equinox. (Foxglove definitely up on Sunday 28th. But they are so TINY! I've never seen them at this stage before. )

Hay bale

I planted a squash (Metro) into the hay bale today. The trowel slipped easily into the bale. It seems to have composted inside OK - but then out came a million ants! They have decided it's a good place for a nest. I don't think they are very pleased about the soaking I gave the new squash plant. I await developments. What else will go in the hay bale? - Answer: A couple of days later, another nasturtium and a butterpie squash.

More veg.

The chard seemed ready so I planted it out today - hottest day so far! The second sowing of spring onions also went out. Chard is in the bed near the hedge. I think it can stand a bit of shade. The shelter may be useful for an overwintering crop.

New Garden Plot

I weeded the patch around my apple tree on Tuesday and started to make it into a flower patch. One large catnip and 5 small ones in the front row, with 5 or 6 marigolds growing behind. There's still room for more flowers to go in. It could become a nice plot in the future. Picture needed!

Hollyhocks added to this patch on Sunday 28th.

Try again!

On Thursday I potted up my late sowings of courgette (Golden Zuccini) and the first Butterpie squash into large pots for the summer outdoors. Must remember this next year. The early ones were hopeless. I still have some small things trying to get going. It seems there is no recovery from an early check to growth. I used a 50:50 mix of the growbag material with my leaf mould as the medium for these.

My potatoes look fairly good. I saw some peeking through the surface today so I did a topping off with sandy garden soil to keep the tubers in the dark.

Cosmos and larkspur out.

Planted them in the garden today. Now to see if they can survive all the beasts of the garden. Little fences should keep my greyhound off but it's the slow, slimy ones I'm most concerned about! But good news! 6 out of 8 of last week's larkspur are still there!

Basil plants are about a foot tall now and five are in the greenhouse as companions to the tomatoes. The other one is still in the conservatory and provided the herbage for tonight's dinner. The second sowing is nearly ready to pot up now. I think we are going to be overwhelmed in basil!

More salad

The sowing of purslane and the second sowing of mizuna were both up this morning.

Eating rocket, mizuna, parsley, leaf beet and beetroot leaves in tonight's dinner.

Salad days

On Monday I planted out my third sowing of rocket and my first of mizuna. I sowed another set of each in the conservatory along with a tray of purslane. I added my outdoor San Marzano and Gardener's Delight tomatoes to the beds too. Black Russian is already in the broad bean bed.

The salad bed is beginning to look productive now but growth is still limited due to the persistent cold weather.

Some of my weakest larkspur have been planted out by the greenhouse along with a border of trailing nasturtiums. Other nasturtiums have been planted out the front on the garage bed and some in pots to trail down the "pillars" in the back garden. One of these pots has some of my white cosmos in as well.

Broad beans, both whole pods and shelled beans, along with carrots and leaf beet in tonight's dinner.

Cucumber potted

On Thursday I put the cucumber into its final pot. It's got leaf mould and garden compost (1:1) and has moved to the greenhouse. It has a male flower fully open and a couple of female flowers beginning to open with their mini-cues behind. It seems to be going well!

I planted out the marigolds among the veggies and  around the apple tree today. A few moved into large pots to be used later.

Second tries!

My second sowings of courgette (Golden Zuccini) and squash (Butterpie) came up this week. My first sowings have nearly all failed completely under the assaults of slugs, snails and cold, wet weather. The extra sowing of chard in modules has germinated too. At the same time a few have come up in the outdoor bed! The next sowing of spring onions is just beginning to show as well in the greenhouse, while acouple of the previous sowing have come up in the bed.

My second sowing of cucamelons is doing well in the conservatory. I potted them on today and am keeping them in the conservatory birdcage. With luck that should make a good picture later.