I had intended a week of intense sowing and planting and weeding activity - well best laid plans and all that, something else came up, but having said that, we aren't doing too badly. The first 27 potatoes I planted at the end of March are now all showing above the weed suppressant mat, while some of the second batch of 18 are also showing signs. The final dollop planted last week won't show for a while yet - or so I assume. The rows of garlic, shallots and onions are doing OK despite being rolled on from time to time by itchy cats - the shallots look very vigorous while the onions are slowly starting to show growing shoots. They went in rather later than the shallots and have suffered more from cat attentions and being picked out by birds.
The broad beans all now have pods set, and as they have stopped flowering and are starting to show signs of blackfly, I have taken out the tops and they can concentrate on filling out those pods. The speedy cabbages aren't really proving to be that speedy, despite a month with a cover on them, but are starting to look more convincing now, while the radishes sown among them will be ready this week, particularly if we have a bit more rain.
Today was really devoted to sowing. I carried on cleaning up the rotavated potato bed, although we aren't planting any more spuds. Instead, while investigating my seed stash, I found an old packet of purple mangetout seeds, so I bashed in three poles, surrounded them with three former tree guards, and sowed a circle of peas around each. I finished off that bit with a dense row of very cheap parsley seed - either they will grow, or they won't, we wait and see.
John rotavated a bit of the potato bed from two years ago, cleaned it up a bit and spent a happy while sowing half of a cheap packet of dwarf french beans and half a packet of radish (18 jour variety) seeds. If even half the seeds we sowed today come up, we will eat well in between 3 and 10 weeks time!
The wildflower meadow is getting ready to burst into flower, so John took the opportunity to mow a path around the edge and along the line of fruit trees. At the edge, under a cherry tree there are two early orchids flowering beautifully, but the main show of bee orchids won't start for two to three weeks yet. The lizard orchids are starting to send up spikes, but they will be in full splendour in three to four weeks. In the meantime, the ox eye daisies and clovers will put on a magnificent show, while the field scabious prepares to take over from them. The better soil of the garden has a wonderful undercurrent of deep blue speedwell in it, while the bathroom orchid has finally bloomed again.
Not much activity on the trail camera front this week - well lots of activity but too speedy for anything interesting. The badger passing through was the best shot. The camera has moved on - we are hoping for film of young badgers putting their noses out of the set, but realise it is a long shot (in every sense). There was an Easter Sunday Excalirock festival at our local pub, so we went along - great to see people out and about again, and to enjoy the punkabilly of D-Track - a local group of people old enough to know better, but who are really energetic and fun. My camera just about managed a photo of that, but wilted at trying to get a video!
Have a good week!