Starting the Year

Right, first day this year when the weather seems to have been good enough to think about being out in the garden. The ground seems to have been so soggy this year that walking around will do the grass harm and there’s no point in digging the ground as it will be in clods and never do anything.

Anyway, today was sunny, warm and just windy enough to feel that the ground will benefit from working a bit. I decided that the polytunnel was the thing to do. What I wanted to do was to till over the ground but the Mantis objected, its completely jammed up so I think I’m going to have to send it away to be serviced. However, the ground in the polytunnel was friable and hoeing was all it seemed to need. So I tidied it through and the result was:

Tidied Polytunnel

A few strawberry plants on the bench at the end, waiting to be hung from the framework and some swiss chard which is showing new growth and will be good for the early part of the year.

I also sowed the first of the lettuces and tidied up the outdoor strawberry be in which I found:

Caterpillar

Which shows that the bugs and beasts are still about and being a nuisance.

The birds were active all the time I was outside with Blue Tits looking in the birdbox and lots of things eating from the bird feeder.

The spring seems to be starting in the wrong order, we’ve got crocuses up and showing before the snowdrops are established. I don’t remember that ever happening before. Anyway, the year feels like its starting.