Poultry sorting and gardening

The weekend weather was glorious despite the frosty start and most of our time was spent sorting out the poultry, working on the new poultry pen and tending the gardens.

In the vegetable garden we now have potatoes, onions and shallots. The broad beans plants have been transplanted. Sown are leeks, carrots, turnips, beetroot, lettuce, spring onions and radish. The rhubarb and parsley survived the winter and are growing well, although we will sow more parsley soon.

In the greenhouse are four varieties of tomato, chilli and peppers, cape gooseberry, spring onions, radish and mixed salad leaves. Also sunflowers and sweet peas.

This year we are trying mushrooms for the first time. A box has been made, filled with compost from the dung heap and the spores added, wet newspaper placed over the top and the box put under the work bench in the shed. In two weeks time we should start to see some growth, the paper will then be replaced with soil from mole hills and several weeks/months following we may have mushrooms. We have also sown a packet of 'Christmas tree' seeds we found in the the seed tin, courtesy of the National Trust.

The 'not so boggy' bog garden has been weeded, the back flower border sorted and the grass cut. Seeds and fruit trees were watered. I hate to say it but we could really do with a little rain!