The promise

A few of the poles are in and this potager is staring to take shape. It is definitely the fun part of the early spring: where to put things this rotation?

The brassica bed I shall not touch until I lift the leeks. But the beans and peas is sorted.   Climbing beans at the back, peas in the middle and the broad beans to the front.

I have to buy a few more tomato stakes for the ‘other’ bed. One for brassicas, one for legumes, one for onions and garlic and one for the others.   My other bed will contain aubergines, tomatoes, salad and one row of Charlotte potatoes.   That’s the plan anyway.   I have no idea where to put the corn.   It wasn’t a success last year – but I mainly use it as a physical barrier against ruminants.   So it may go somewhere up the back of the brassicas.

I don’t think I need cloches over the new garlic and onion shoots. But they do well in place now and I shall add them to the broad beans when they start to appear.

All this lovely work was done in a spookily warm day: 10C or even more, it was just a day full of promise that I couldn’t stop.

I’m going to mulch around the hungry plants more this year. And have made a start on the future tomato plants: mulch from the compost bin.   It was a battle to get it out, but on one’s knees and with a small trowel you feel that you earn a good harvest from all the work.   Not that the formula ever works that neatly. But on a sunny day like this you can believe anything.