Beantalk

The early broad bean crop is in flower, but the growth of both the early and late plants appears to be a bit stunted and the early ones have started to get blackfly: The whole point of an early crop, sown in November, is that they're supposed to flower before the blackfly are around. Marigolds / calendula, which deter blackfly, aren't in flower yet and there don't seem to be as many ladybirds around as usual. It's possible that they all flowered early on short stalks because of the unseasonally warm and dry spring. As usual, the leaves have been chomped by weevils, although it never causes a problem with the crop.

Thirsty for a brew

The strawberry bed's not as packed as it's been in previous years. Quite a few of the plants are in flower and like everything else, they need a good watering a couple of times a week. They would probably benefit from some potash to encourage fruit formation or some of the first batch of comfrey fertiliser, which is brewing in a bucket.

Clinging to bristles

The peas seem happy, although they're not keen on climbing old raspberry cane sticks because of the bristles. Scattering a few fennel leaves deters slugs and snails, although it's been so dry, and cold, that there's been no major mollusc appearance yet.

Waiting in the wings

The runner beans germinated quickly on a window sill and are raring to go. Need to gradually accilmatize them to being outside and then plant them out once the cold snap passes.

The north wind doth blow

 

The dry spell continued for most of the month and then, just as the potatoes pushed through the soil, a cold snap blew in on a north wind and ruined them. Should have given them some protection, but the temperature wasn't supposed to drop so low - and hasn't done at this time of year for at least a dozen years. Just as well there are a few seed potatoes left over with which to have another try.

Bloomin' early

The Cox's apple tree is in blossom early and unlike in previous years, the weather's good for flying pollinators.

Yum

Loads of lovely purple sprouting broccoli around now, hidden away from the pigeons all winter under nets and wire mesh. It grows back after harvesting if you leave a few young shoots and produces more if you give it lots of water.

Truly tulip

Ribes sanguineum

After the delicate perfume of the late winter flowering Daphne, the vibrant early spring flowers of the American currant - Ribes sanguineum - have a rather pungent smell.

Ambient Allotment

Sprung Greens

The start of the purple sprouting broccoli season and the last of the leek and kale harvests (apart from a few leeks left to fatten during the coming weeks, or left to flower and seed).

Early buds

                                              Gooseberry

                                             Blackcurrant

                                              Apple (Cox's)

A warm spell has encouraged fruit bushes and trees to bud about ten days earlier than last year.

The Sower

Came across a postcard of Van Gogh's 'The Sower' this week, apt for this time of year, when so many seeds are crying out for compost, pots, modules, seed trays, sunny window ledges, an airing cupboard or a well-tilled soil.

Already on the go for the veg garden :

• Tomatoes (Roma & Costoluto)
• Chillies (Cayenne)
• Courgettes
• Peas (Kelvedon Wonder)
• Broad Beans
• Celery
• Lettuce
• Spinach 
• Coriander
• Parsley

And a few flowers :

• Sunflowers
• Sweet Peas 
• Antirhinnum
• Osteospermum
• Cosmos
• Rudbeckia
• Phlox
• Sweet Rocket
• Black Eyed Susan
• Calendula
• Tagetes
• Coreopsis

Better not have forgotten anything!

Early bee on an anemone

Grubs up

At first glance it looked like cat shit, but on closer inspection it was a frog nestling in the soil at the base of an olive tree growing in a pot. The olive leaves have been nibbled by vine weevils in the past couple of years and although it doesn't affect the tree, the small white weevil grubs that live in the soil and attack the roots do. Fortunately, frogs and toads like eating the grubs, so this one is providing an important service.

Swelling underground

Garlic looks healthy, on top, but it's what's under the soil that's important and whether it gets too wet over the next few months in the heavy clay soil.

Protection

Ain't no pesky varmints gonna trample on these broad beans, for now.

Early doors

Always a good sign that winter is nearly over: You can smell the sweet lemon scent of this daphne odora several metres away. A shame it's not mine and that cuttings are difficult to root, but it's next to a path, so many people benefit.

Ratty and friends

It seems a longer, darker and colder winter than for a while, despite there being no snow or severe prolonged frost. Foxes, or badgers, have trampled on some broad bean plants that had made a good start in the autumn and a couple of storms have battered most of the others. The dwarf kale plants and leeks have grown very little and rats have got into the shed and eaten most of a marrow and some apples.

All Hallows' Eve