Seeds, seeds, and more seeds.

As the weather starts to pick up I guess it's time to start thinking about what to plant and when.

Over the previous few months I have amassed a fair number of seeds, and they have all been quite happily sat in my biscuit tin waiting their turn for planting out.

I though it might be a good time to list what I have - if to serve no better purpose other than to remind me next year what to do and what not to do.

Here's what I have still in packets (in no particular order):

Runner beans (saved from last years plant)
Broad Bean - Aquadulce Claudia
Kohl Rabi - Blusta
Celery - Lathom Self Blanching Galaxy
Spicy Mixed Salas Leaves (freebie on GYO magazine)
Brussels Sprout - Falstaff
Calabrese - Marathon F1
Cauliflower - Atyr
Cabbage - Derby Day
Onion - Ailsa Craig
Beetroot - Boltardy
Broc Pse - Red Arrow (no, me neither, but that's what it says on the packet
Climbing Bean - Blauhide
Leek - Musselburgh
Carrot - Early Nantes
Parsnip - Gladiator
Parsnip - Cobham Improved Marrow
Thyme
Sage
Rosemary
Oregano
Carrot - F1 Maestro
Melon - Emir F1
Pumpkin - Aspen F1
Garlic Chives
Broccoli - White Eye
Broccoli - Late Purple Sprouting
Sweetcorn - Conqueror F1 Hybrid
Winter Squash - Barbara Butternut F1 Hybrid
Squash - Avalon F1 Hybrid
Celeriac - Monarch
Corn Salad - Cavallo
Organis Spinach - Palco F1 Hybrid
Tomato - Gardener's Delight (another GYO freebie)
Brussels Sprout - Bedford
Asparagus Pea
Pomodoro (given to me as a present - they're the Franchi ones so it's all in Italian)

I also have some seeds from the Heritage Seed Library (who do great work keeping varieties going that would otherwise disappear). They are:

Pea - Stephens (chosen as that's the name of my father-in-law, Stephen that is, not Pea!)
Tomato - Tiger Tom (chosen as Tom was my late Grandfathers name)
Pepper - Traffetti
Achocha (also known as slipper gourd apparently)
Leek - Early Market
Broad Bean - Martock
Dwarf French Bean - Negritos (these where my "lucky dip" seeds)
Lettuce - Stoke (these are the seeds I was given on joining the HSL)

The only problem with the HSL (Heritage Seed Library) seeds is that there are no instructions regarding planting them. I'll just have to do a bit of research.

Now all I have to do is sort out what to plant and when...

I've got three varieties of potatoes chitting, some Aran Pilot 1st earlies, some Kestrel 2nds, and Sante main crop. As per last year I'll probably plant them out around St Patrick's day.

Beds, birds and getting dirty

Sounds like a standard night out for Russel Brand, but alas no, just another day down at the HayWayne - or plot 35 as it's known locally.

Following on from my previous post, I thought I'd just try and explain a little better how the raised beds were made...

1. To make the corners, simply make a cut on opposing lips of the "channel" (I think I'm going to resort to usin tin snips as a hacksaw makes a hell of a racket, and it's bladdy hard work!)



2. Fold one edge "inwards" and the other "outwards" - repeat on both sides of the cut. After doing several of these the heels of your hands will start to hurt, mine did!



3. The next bit is probably the easiest bit. Simply bend the whole thing until it forms a 90 degree angle, like so...



5. To form the long straight edges, just simply bend one lip in, and the other out, as per step 2.



6. Lay them on the floor, position them until they form the size/shape of bed you want, then simply tap them into the ground until they are sturdy enough to stand unsupported. Et, viola!



Having now discovered a better material to make my raised beds (and so they don't look like graves!), I had some left over paving edges, so decided to use them and make a flower bed on a bit of "spare" land. At the front of the plot - outside the fence, where the defunct water tap is, and my boot scraper.



My intention is to plant it with meadow plant/flower seeds that I picked up last year at the Eden Project. Hopefully to brighten it up a bit and provide somewhere for pollenating insects to visit.



Whilst on the subject of insects, I mentioned a while ago that I had been nominated Member of the Month on The Grapevine. Well, as part of my prize, I was given a bug box - something I had been planning on buying myself anyway. I've fixed it to one of my fence posts where it will hopefully provide somewhere for aphid-eating ladybirds and perhaps lacewings to nest. It's also supposed to provide a place for "solitary" bees - who will help with pollenation. No idea if it's in the right place, time will tell I guess.



Speaking of bugs and wildlife - I'm sure I've mentioned Mildred my resident "starling". Well, as I had my camera with me I managed to actually get a photo of her (she was quite happy posing with me no more than 6ft away). As those of you in the know will undoubtedly notice, Mildred is in fact a female blackbird (or so one of my neighbours informed me). Every day's a school day!



In between breaks whilst making my beds I had a bit of a poke around some of the other beds to see how things were doing. My neighbour Lester gave me some over winter peas to plant a few weeks ago and I'd seen no sign of them, so had pretty much given up the ghost. However, I was pulling up a few weeds and noticed that there were two little plants at the end of one of the rows.



Along the rows I also noticed a series of "holes" that are suspiciously spaced at intervals which I'm pretty sure match where I had planted the seeds. Mices! Oh well, looks like I'll have to invest in some form of hawk nest too?!

Before I sign off, here's a quick overall look at the plot in it's current state from the gate end.



..and the opposite corner (you can just make out the garlic in the edged bed nearest to you)



I don't know about anyone else, but I do find the auto-save thing that blogger does a bit annoying. My typing isn't great at the best of times, but as you type blogger autosaves and when you're on an archaic PC like mine at the end of a rural version of wideband it makes the machine stutter, and results in typed words with missing letters - most annoying! It's just taken me 3-4 minutes to go back over this post and check forspelling mistakes - of which there were a few!

Until next time!