Tiny parsnips

My first visit in a couple of weeks. Not much happening at this time of year. I decided to pull a few more parsnips up but they haven't grown anymore, they look good but they're tiny.

The garlic is coming along well, some strange footprints through the bed they're in, who's been walking on my garden?

The broad beans are well beyond expectation for January, most plants have well over twelve leaves each already.

They make a very good double row and are just about the only new growth on the plot. I will plant some more at some point but it's still to early, we're expecting some frost this week.

Around the bottom of my plot sign the new daffodils are sprouting, these should look good when they come into flower.

The old daffodils are doing nicely as well, I gave some of the herbs a major trim to give them some room to grow. My rhubarb shows no signs of sprouting yet but I expect it'll come along eventually.

Happy New Year!

Not much going on but the rent. It was time to pay membership again, the best £25 I'll spend all year!
Meanwhile the broad beans are coming on nicely, a healthy looking double row there. They're well in advance of last years effort, lets hope they produce as many beans.

A close up reveals the plants have about a dozen leaves already. I'll put a second planting in of them sometime later in February or March.

Not looking so happy were the broccoli plants, having been left uncovered they've been shredded by the birds and buffeted by the wind. I decided to pull them all up, although they're still producing purple sprouts they're very hard and woody and not good to eat. I won't grow them again this year.

The artichokes have fared much better with the mild winter so far. Lat year they were frozen back into the ground and I lost some of the plants. The remaining ones bounced back in the summer and we had a few globes to eat which were delicious. I might plant a few plants ones in the gaps this year.

The later cabbages are still rather small but they're soldiering on, it'll be at least a couple of months before I can eat them.

Last and first picking

Another heavy frost which didn't clear all day. These cabbage leaves are on the compost heap which is in the shade of the hedge. I picked the last of my first cabbages today. I then took down the netting leaving the broccoli to fend for itself, I'll soon see if this was a mistake. The second cabbages are getting bigger but it'll be a while yet before they're worth picking.

The broad beans and garlic don't seem to mind the frigid weather, they're the only bit of new greenery showing in an otherwise mostly clear plot. I also picked the first of the second parsnips, they are all rather small, I might have to buy some for Christmas dinner after all. I also covered the rhubarb plants with a bag of matured manure, maybe a bit late but I'm sure they'll appreciate it.

Frosted

The nasturtiums are over, it's been quite cool for a few nights. About a month later than last year and we haven't had a heavy frost yet in town.

Picked another cabbage and a few more parsnips. Only one big cabbage left now but a whole row of parsnips to go. We finished the last squash this week. Took home more garlic and I still have loads of potatoes.

The broad beans are much bigger than they were this time last year, In fact they were covered in snow this time last year!

Sunny Saturday

Although I went to the plot on Saturday I've only just had the time to put a post up. It was lovely, sunny and warm, nice to be outside but I was in a bit of a rush.

There hasn't been a proper frost yet and so the nasturtiums are still going strong. The dew hadn't yet burnt off the leaves at almost midday. I love they way the leaves turn blueish and the flowers much paler this late in the year.

Here's the double row of broad beans and you can see the garlic to the left of the picture, they're enjoying the mild november we've had so far.

A good four leaves on this bean plant, I think they've grown quicker than last year when it got very cold with snow by the end of the month.

This is a second cabbage, although they're beginning to ball up they still very small really. I picked a first cabbage which means there are now only three left to go.

Despite not having had a frost I wanted to see how the parsnips were doing. Very well as you can see, we ate these last night for dinner and they were very tasty too.

New season starts

The beans I planted a couple of weeks ago have already popped up. It's always exciting when something new begins to grow. I planted two rows of broad beans, one Aqua Dulce and the other Masterpiece Longpod. They have just about all sprouted, I think the Masterpiece have the edge on the Aqua Dulce for the moment. I grew Masterpiece last year and they did very well, they're not supposed to be an autumn planting bean. The Aqua Dulce is a traditional autumn planting bean so it will be really good to compare their growth rates and yields.

The garlic I put in the ground has also begun to sprout, it doesn't look much right now but I'm glad it's got going before the cold sets in. I do keep finding other garlic left over from last season that has begun to sprout as well but if it's in the wrong place I have to pull it up.

The final raspberries, I know they are the last because I had a big tidy up at the top of the plot and cut the canes back down ready for next year. It's all much smarter now. I had a look at the parsnips today, I think they're ready to pull, I didn't pick any this week because we bought some.

Bonfire night special

Hollyhocks in flower isn't what you expect for the 5th of November, but that's what I've got and the nasturtiums are still going strong as well. There isn't really all that much else going on. I have parsnips but won't pick any until after the first frost and I also have cabbages and the purple sprouting broccoli.

Just picked cabbage, the excess leaves go on the compost heap and it's getting a bit whiffy. The ground is quite damp so that was my excuse for not sorting out the rest of the strawberry bed. It seems the raspberries have finally stopped fruiting now. The rhubarb has died back but the artichokes look stronger than ever at the moment, both will need covering when the weather gets colder.