a timely reminder...

Awoke this morning to see snow on the Scottish border hills and Lakeland fells. Mid morning we had a heavy shower of wet sleet...a timely reminder that winter is far from over yet. At least between showers the sun is coming out and temps in the greenhouse are well up into double figures. It was quite pleasant working in there and I managed to squeeze in another large container with four Maris Bard potatoes but that is definitely it for the indoor crop...unless I can persuade Cath to let me bring them into the house. Fat chance of that, though.

Also sowed more leeks and some peas and broad beans in containers. I usually grow at least two varieties of leeks in order to get a succession of pickings through the winter. With an early variety like Zermatt you can actually be eating baby leeks in August from a February sowing. A new one for me this year is ‘Porbella’ which is supposed to be very hardy and should stand till March. For the months when fresh leeks are not available there’s the frozen ones to fall back on although we don’t eat so many in the summer months as there’s plenty of other veg. available.

I did a sowing of AYR lettuce last October which germinated and then sulked all winter in the greenhouse. But it survived and is now storming away. Trouble is I’ve no space to put it all so it will probably go as hen food for my neighbour.

leggy lettuce waiting to be transplanted

 

 

from the same sowing but potted on a few weeks ago. I also put some out on the plot under a cloche

The broad beans sown in individual pots are coming along nicely and will soon be ready to go out into the open ground. The last two years I've tried overwintering some 'Aquadulce Claudia' but lost the lot to the frosts. This seems a much better idea and should give an early crop.