March 2017 - blossom time

March is blossom time for our cherry plum, damson and pear trees. Sharp overnight frosts are still common and we carefully monitor the weather forecasts for signs of overnight drops of temperature so that we can try and protect at least some of the blossom with horticultural fleece. The pear is easy enough to cover as it is on growing on dwarf root stock, but we can only protect some of the lower damson branches and the cherry plum has to look after itself. At the moment it looks as though all three have fruits that survived this first of the weather challenges.


At the front of the house the crocuses have finished flowering but the grape hyacinths have taken their place and the daffodils are now open.

The rosemary bush loves it in the full sun but could do with a bit of pruning. We have plenty of recipes that have rosemary as an ingredient and now is also a good time to take some heel cuttings for propagation.



In the main back garden we have plenty of winter and spring greens: swiss chard, cavolo nero, curly kale (mostly red ursa), leaves from cabbages and brussel sprouts, a few brassica florets, and the ramsons (wild garlic) are flourishing.

The nettle patch at the back of the garden next to the fence and compost heap is rampant, but rather than pull them up we shall be eating the tender, young leaves over the next few weeks. I'm thinking nettle tea, nettle and squash soup; nettle, ramson and Babington's leek risotto; nettle, ramson and cheese tarts.... mmmm.

Having made several bids for freedom through the bottom of its growing bag, which had been on ground next to the strawberry patch, the horseradish has now been banished to the concrete path. Ha Ha! Try and get out of that. Horseradish leaves are still popping up amongst the strawberries and I am regularly pulling out roots. These have been taken up by members of various local veg growing and allotment groups, although one person subsequently decided not to plant them after learning how invasive they can be.

And finally, the birds are now in full song and a true delight to have around the garden.

February 2017 - garden ticking over

February is generally a quiet month in the garden with most things ticking over quite nicely on their own. Adding to and turning the compost heap is just about the only regular job at this time of year and we are usually joined by some of the birds hoping to get an easy meal from the disturbed pile. This cheeky little robin was one of several regular visitors.

The winter greens are still producing but some of the cavolo nero was starting to sprout. We picked some to steam along with the leaves but we generally leave a few to flower so that we can collect seed from them in later months. As we start most crops in seed trays indoors we don't need need to free up the ground straightaway for the new seasons plants.

Indoors, one of my tasks is to test the viability of the older pea seeds in the Reading Food Growing Network's seed swap boxes. Once they have germinated I plant them in seed pans and put them on the kitchen windowsill for pea shoots. I usually get about three cuts from them before the stems start to toughen up. By that stage, the weather is often about right for planting them out into the garden to grow as normal pea plants.

I went on a willow weaving workshop run by Five a Day Market Garden in Englefield. I attended a similar event last year. The willow wigwam I made last year has lost its colours (see the photo below on the left) but is still good for another year at least. I was more adventurous with the design for this year's effort (wigwam on the right). I'm still not sure where I am going to put it but I'll have to make my mind up soon so that I can plan the plantings around it.

And meanwhile, at the the front of the house, the daffodils are about to burst into life and the crocuses are adding a welcome bit of colour as well as providing food for the insects.