It’s just gone the month of February, maybe it’s because I’m a little bit impatient and I have a touch of the twirlies but there’s already some spuds chitting and seeds sprouting indoors. Also if I get a minute this week, I’m going to stick a double layer of fleece over a couple of patches of the garden to warm the soil up for the big kick off in the next couple of months.
I bought two types of spuds from Shannon’s, who have loads of varieties in stock from the different cropping types (first earlies, second earlies, main crop and second/late main crop) the terms of which used to confuse the hell out of me. A simple explanation about all of that is here. The ones “chitting” in the back room (above) are Sharpe’s Express (first early) and the good old Maris Piper (main crop.) 
Also in the back room near the window, is a covered propagator with tomatoes (Moneymaker) and sweet peppers off to an early start, which will be no doubt be leggy as hell before they’re ready to go out.
And talking of Shannon’s, this is where I bought the Eremurus aka foxtail lilly or desert candle bulb from and it looks like the monster is ready to resurface again for it’s year long reign of terror (above.) It might be not even be an inch at the moment but before you know it, it’ll be 6 foot tall and will be sending up a lovely flower spike like last year (below.)
But be warned, don’t get on it’s wrong side as it might come into your home and take over your life! 
A big thanks to everyone on the 
We’ve a few pots of various herbs that have attracted a load of those pesky gnats of late. Now after posting on the group, there’s a combination of grit on the top of the pots, yellow sticky traps, a sprinkling of cinnamon, a lack of water and finally a trap of cider vinegar with a couple of drops of washing up liquid in it. If this lot don’t work, the pots will be forced outside as we can’t take them damn midges any longer!
On one page it features some great gadgets in a “I’m skint but I used to watch Blue Peter and have a jam jar full of screws and some old wood knocking around the house though” stylee.
And some gardening “don’ts” that even after all these years still apply. Brilliant stuff.
Go out and get a copy, it’s worth it even just for ripping off his great gardening look!
Looking out into the garden this morning it could have been March seeing those daffodils a sprouting and the sweet peas making a gallop to get up those canes. Pray tell me, what season is it?
Weeds up to me knees 