The weather is good and I have the Spring itch. Well, nothing for it but to head out to the lottie and get stuck in. The strip along our side of the fence between the neighbour man and us needs the first cleaning/schoffeling of the season. The first time is typically work-intensive, but turned out not so bad. Next, the mulch had to be peeled back off of what will be the potato bed this year. We did that and raked the topsoil level with a claw rake. After that, I pulled out my hand-furrow maker and made three trenches for the chitting spuds. Perhaps they will go in net week. The trenches remain open to warm up the soil before planting. Then the sugar bon peas went into the ground. The peas were germinated in plastic guttering, so first The Bride dug a rough trench and I went in behind her and scooped out the loose earth, making the little trough tidy. Next, she slid the germinated peas out of the guttering into the waiting trench. It took two rows. Afterwards we put netting over the peas for a bit of extra protection. Then more schoffeling along the paths to give an appearance of tidiness. Time to admire the Frits: And then this large queen bumblebee on a daff. Rain is forecast for tomorrow—just as well, I am feeling a bit stiff.
I am speechless after the garden tour of Sjoerd’s garden . His energy is incredible. All that in one day. So many things I learned from each of the pics. Your soil is so soft and rich a good sign for a good crop yield. The gutter idea to slide the seedling right into the pre dug rows is only something Sjoerd could think of, how clever was that!Tthen the clever netting system and pvc pipes to guard the new seedlings. And the curved stepping stone pathway added a whimsical touch. And the fritz. I just can’t explain how happy I was to see them. They are a fav and can’t grow them here. Then to tidy up with the Bumblebee showing the perfect perch on top the double daff .
Looks so lovely Sjoerd. Happy to see you out in the garden. Did the Spanish Helmet help with those potato furrows? Can I ask, your white pipe that you use to shelter your seedlings...do you have to anchor it with a stick or something and slide the pipe over it, or does the soil do the job with keeping it grounded and bent? I'm really liking these for keeping the deer out the strawberries until the rest of the world greens up.
Oh my who's been a busy boy then? Everything looks so neat and tidy. We're fighting against Sycamore seedlings as they are popping up everywhere at the moment. The high winds we had blew them all into our back garden. We are getting ready to do some seed sowing though so I can look forward to that.
Hey Mel— yes, I use that thing every year for this job. Works like a charm. Did you ever get one? About that white tubing: we just shove the ends into the ground. The ground is so soft and loose it is simple to do that. It would also be possible to shove sticks or lengths of metal into the ground and then slip the tubing over them. I have even seen where folks attached metal rods onto the timbers of a raised bed and slipped the hoops onto these. I wonder if you can use this technique there. Hiya Eileen— it is getting to be time for you to begin planting. Are the Sycamore seedlings giving you a lot of grief? Oh no Pac— you can’t go speechless on us now. We would all miss your perky commentaries. I am so glad that you could get something out of the piccies. i couldn’t do without the PVC pipe-ies and netting. I use them every year. Thanks for liking the paths and double daff with bee fotos. your compliments made my day. Haha. That is how shallow I am.
What a beautiful garden. And a perfect update. Potato and pea planting time in the garden. Such a wholesome and optimistic moment! I should get some of that netting. I'm not confident about my makeshift bird protections.
Cheers Daniel. About the netting. That is not just any netting, it is what we call here “Enviromesh”. It was developed especially for this agricultural use. It is resistant to gamma radiation from the sun and the meshing is enormously small to keep out the tiniest of beasts. It is tough and will last a very long time. Usually the sun and weather degrades plastic, but this is especially treated the netting you see there is about 17 years old and the only holes I have were made by a rat and voles. It is absolutely worth the money, seeing how long it has lasted. Certainly value for money. My advice would be to research thoroughly before buying. These days there may be an improved product. I wonder what this type of netting is called in your neck of the woods. Sun resistance and hole size are for me the two most important factors to me. BTW— on that foto above no netting is shown over the newly planted peas. Right after the foto was taken, we right away spanned a net over them as well.
