Surprise visitor in the potager

Snow. Yes, it’s the end of April, and it’s supposed to be warm. Today however the temperature plummeted to 5 Celsius and this afternoon it stopped raining and began snowing. Amazing.

It wasn’t the Minnesotan sticking sort, but it was incredibly annoying.

I was forced into the potting shed and pricked out seedlings and potted on like mad.

My runner beans are just bursting out of their root trainer pots.  But I don’t dare subject them to this sort of weather.

At least I was able to move all the kales and brassicas up a size.  I’m getting ready for my annoying two week absence next week.  Everything has to be in a big enough pot  and to be moist and able to cope with life in the barn for that time.

I move everything out of the potting shed which can get incredibly hot (hah!) and place things on the ground on the gravel in the open sided barn.  They get light and a bit of warmth but not real heat.

And if Elodie can water once in the two weeks things usually survive.  It’s just trickier for the just sprouted seedlings.  So despite the cold I could at least let them have lots of light.

But I am erring on the safe side: everything is covered in a light layer of fleece.

I  had to wrestle the cloth from Artur’s box (he was not pleased) but I replaced his happy snoozing spot with a cashmere jumper instead.  It’s a bit princess and the pea, but at least someone was enjoying the cold weather.