She's back!

Having walked the dogs early this morning in a warm and moist forest I could feel the longing to get into the garden when I got home. It has been months since I have done any big work in the vegetable patch as I have been delegating the work to Sam, our Friday gardener.

A combination of the wet cold weather, worrying about putting my back out again and a very busy Saturday each week has left little time to just enjoy working with the earth, plants and seeds. But today that stirring was within me to feel the soil on my hands and get back in touch with where the garden is at.

Tiffany sitting right where I want to sow seed and cover with compost

Like with any living thing, a garden thrives when it gets attention. When the gardener keeps an eye on what is going on, what is struggling, where the weeds and pests are choking out life. This is the connection that I have lost.

Newspaper pots filled with homemade potting soil waiting for seeds

I started with sowing the first batch of seeds for spring...25 each of broccoli, cauliflower, sweet peppers, Roma tomatoes, Beefsteak tomatoes and cucumbers. This week more newspaper pots will need to be made for next weeks seeds.


Sam has turned our compost heaps and had some bags of compost ready for me and a large wheelbarrow full of the most delightful compost...rich, black, earthy. I used some bucket loads on my lovingly nurtured asparagus plants. I started these from seed in 2008 and they deliver up loads and loads of spears now in the spring.

Toby and Teddy playing in the asparagus beds

I spread the compost around the crowns which was quite difficult because it seemed to be the best place for kitty cats to play.

As I was working there I saw some new spears peeping through! Already!

First spear of the season

I also want to have lots of flowers in the garden this season to aid in pollination by attracting bees, so I planted some sweet peas and calendula in odd spaces. I will also put in my traditional sunflowers by the end of the month.

Within this month I continue to sow seeds of peas, onions, carrots, more tomatoes, squash, butternut (in the compost heap), melons, salads, sweet corn and chillies.

What are you planning for your spring garden?