Bright but windy on the island today and sitting in my studio the wind came from the south and the whole thing nearly took off. It needs to stay put, at least until the official opening in less than two weeks time.
Today is all about growing as I attempt to take stock of where I am in the season. The answer to that would be 'behind.' I am not behind but the plants are due to the very cold early spring. It is always a lottery of excatly when to plant out and by now I am usually hardening off my little plants ready to plant out. I am no where near that stage but, over the years, I have learnt to go with the flow. I have given everything a good water and a bit of tidy up and will leave the hardening off until I return from my week away. Everything indoors is making the most of the longer days and pushing on quite well.
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| Inside plants |
It is the little tomato plants that are so behind. I think I will buy some plants in when I am away and make those my first crop and my own the second. But on the whole everything inside looks good and as long as my family remember to water them when I am away I should be able to start hardening off on my return.
In the polytunnel everything is behind as well and I have had more than my fair share of frost casualties despite fleecing the most vulnerable plants. My lavenders have either done badly or really well which makes no sense. I now have an official 'sick bay' for about 12 of them but I sense they think they are in the mortuary. I think I will have to accept failure with these. When I am back I am going to take some cuttings from the healthy ones and see where that gets me. I have never had any success at growing lavender from seed so now I don't even try. Typically, my alpine strawberries have done the best so far. I see from Katy's blog she is planting her alpine strawberries out into raised beds. Katy lives in Switzerland so what does that tell us about our spring in the UK?
My little darlings are fine in the tunnel for now but they do take up too much room to be there all season.
The main crop strawberries have completed their die back stage and are now pushing on with new growth. Well, most of them are as I may have some casualties there as well. It is important to cut away all the die back growth so that the plant is not wasting energy trying to support that dying growth. Sometimes you are not left with very much but fear not because that tiny bit of bright green will do you proud.
The herbs are all at varying stages. I have some that are absolutely top of the class and others that might need a little extra help. The chives are storming on thanks to my radical hair cutting earlier in the year. They will be due another one in May which always seems a shame but it is for the good of the plant as they will reward me with even more stunning growth including those wonderful flowers they burst open with.
I potted on some more dwarf sunflowers this morning and they only really filled half a tray with the individual pots and it is on the table beside me. My cat is now in the other half of the tray! Cats and small spaces.
With my absence Max and George will be working without me for a week which is always so good for them. They will be focusing on their spring journals and deciding which pieces of work to do when. They never let me or themselves down and are always keen to update me when I am back.
Harry completed his first day of his job trial and returns tomorrow for another day. He is working with the most amazing man who runs his own niche horticultural business but he is also a chef. Harry is our best grower and he is getting to use all those skills and that knowledge he has built up over many years. It is hard physical labour but that suits him and I think this might work for him. It will be a busy time during the season and then much quieter in the winter so he can pick up another level 3 diploma in nutrition and sport at that stage. It does mean we need to charge on a bit with this current one but we are well through it so it shouldn't present a problem. If this job works out for him it is a great opportunity for this stage in his life. In due course Harry will probably leave the island but as a young man he needs a job on the island and this one seems to fit well. I am still keeping everything crossed though.
Molly is back in Lincoln after a very demanding field trip so she is exhausted. I can guarantee you that student house will be cleaned within an inch of its life tomorrow in anticipation of my arrival! She is so like her mother. We are both looking forward to some serious girly time and it is a sign of the times that I have started visiting her....
I will be blogging while I am away and telling you all about the charms of the city of Lincoln. The cathedral is my favourite place and it is so on the list! I am taking work away with me to do when Molly is revising. In fact my little bags has barely any clothes in it but does have tulle, wire cutters and beads! I am also re-reading the book 'The Dalai Lama's book of transformation'. This was the book that led me to the Buddhist path. I had read lots of books before but this made the most sense to me. I am re-reading it in case I have taken a wrong turn since my first reading of it! I am prone to wandering off.
I do hope that your week ahead looks bright. As I am heading further south I expect to find spring sunshine lurking round every corner. The plan is to propagate some and bring it back to Arran in time for my studio opening. Good plan.
Until tomorrow. xx
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