Tuesday 7 April 2015

Easter Weekend

I thought Easter was going to be a washout weather wise this year, how wrong I was. We've had two glorious days, Easter Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday, and the warmth and sunshine looks set to last for the rest of this week.

We spent the majority of the weekend decorating our bedroom, that's the royal we. I usually leave all the decorating tasks to Mick, though Eleanor's a competent painter so she helps. I did manage to get some more seeds sown though.

I decided that now we're in to April, it isn't too soon to get my cucurbits underway so I got out my new seed tin which Eleanor bought me for Mother's Day this year.


It isn't big enough to hold all my seed stash but it's just the right size for the seeds I'll be sowing this year. It came with monthly dividers so the packets have been sorted according to when the seed will be sown.


I sowed courgette - Dundoo and Tricolour, cucumber - Mini Munch and Crystal Lemon, squash - Winter Golden Hubbard, Waltham and Custard White and I also sowed some spring onions - White Lisbon and calabrese - Autumn Spear.


Seeds were also sown last weekend, brussels sprout - Evesham Special, another couple of pots of leeks - Musselburgh, a few more tomato - Maskotka as I had poor germination with the first lot of these, sweet william - Pinocchio, stock - Dwarf Ten Week Mixed, sunflowers - Big Smile and Pastiche and some living rabbit food. Most of these seeds have already germinated now and I've had better success with the Maskotka seed than I did the first time round.


We also got a few other jobs done in the garden in between the decorating. My two apple trees which I've been growing in pots have been planted in the ground, here is the Golden Delicious, it's only a small tree growing on dwarf rootstock, the Gloster which is slightly bigger has been planted next to it. I'm hoping that they do better now that their roots aren't confined.


My first lot of potatoes have gone in to buckets. I'm growing two varieties, Arran Pilot and Anya, as well as three tubers each of Sherine, Vales Emerald and Bonnie. I started off the three extra varieties as well as two containers each of Arran Pilot and Anya. I kept a note of when I'd planted my potatoes last year and the ones planted in March didn't do very well at all. The ones planted at the beginning of April did the best of all, even better than those planted towards the end of April when the weather had warmed up.


We also got round to sorting out all my container grown plants, potting on those that needed it and replenishing the compost in those that didn't. My three blueberry plants got topped up with ericaceous compost and I gave them a bit of a trim, pruning out all the dead wood. Their buds are just starting to break now. This is my oldest plant which I bought eight years ago, I've got another two, one bought seven years ago and the third one must be about five, though I can't actually remember when I bought it.


Mick's gone back to work today for a rest, it's been a busy weekend for him, but we managed to get lots of things done.

Don't forget, if you haven't already entered my giveaway, you've got until twelve noon on Friday the 10th of April 2015 to do so. Just leave a comment on my It's Giveaway Time post.

38 comments:

  1. It is that time of year....busy, busy, busy.

    Good to see the apples in the ground. I grow a lot of trees in pots but am really not keen on seeing them there, if I am honest. I am often too lazy to plant them out when they become large, as I have so many other things to do. Now I have seen yours in the ground I must make an effort :)

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    1. It's a very busy time of year, but I love it like this. The better weather arrives and I love to be out doing things. I'd made the decision to plant my apple trees in the ground last year but it's taken me this long to do it. I'm hoping that they like it better than they like a pot, only time will tell.

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  2. I love that seed tin, what a great idea. It was glorious over the weekend wasn't it, a welcome surprise!

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    1. I'm pleased with my seed tin, my kids know exactly the type of gifts I appreciate. I wasn't expecting such a lovely weekend so it was a real surprise and it's wonderful that the good weather is continuing this week.

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  3. I'm way behind and haven't sown anything yet. I bought courgette - Dundoo and Tricolour a couple of weeks ago too. Your seed tin is lovely, just what I could use instead of having them in kitchen drawers and everywhere is

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    1. Don't panic, there's loads of time yet, we're only at the start of the season. I've grown Dundoo before but not Tricolour. I wouldn't have bothered growing a round courgette but Mick prefers round ones when I make stuffed courgette. I grew One Ball last year.

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  4. The weather was the same here. I've been planting my potatoes on the plot.You're ahead of me with sowing seeds in pots as I hope to be doing mine later this week.
    Happy gardening! Flighty xx

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    1. I wouldn't have got my cucurbits going yet if the weather wasn't as good over the weekend, it spurred me in to action. I'm still undecided whether I'll grow potatoes on the plot or not this year, they certainly didn't succumb to slug damage on my new plot like they did on the old one last year but I do like a good, clean spud like you get from containers.

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  5. Happy Easter to you to Jo. We were also planting seeds yesterday, theres something so hopeful about the process isn't there, so full of potential :)

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    1. Thank you, Happy Easter to you too. I'm sure there'll have been lots of seed sowing going on over the Easter weekend, especially as the weather was so good. I do love this time of year, it's a time we're all looking forwards with lots of hope.

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  6. What a beautiful tin! You definitely had a very productive weekend - I do love when that happens and you're able to get several tasks crossed off the list.

    We could use some nice, spring-like weather around here...there have been only a couple of "good" days so far, much too few for my liking.

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    1. I'm thrilled to bits with my tin, I'm going up in the world, graduating from carrier bags to hold my seed collection. I think the good weather not only allows you to get on with jobs which need doing but actually lift your spirit so that you want to get on with things, well, it does me anyway.

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  7. Busy time inside and out, it was lovely weather, soon be time to dust off the BBQ

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    1. It's been a very busy weekend. It would have been nice to get out and about with the lovely weather we had, but it's good to have some jobs done.

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  8. All very exciting for an avid gardener!! xx

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    1. It's a busy, but good, time of year for a gardener.

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  9. It was lovely weather here for quite a lot of the weekend too so I managed to get a lot done too. Not planted cucumbers etc yet though, must do that soon!

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    1. It makes such a difference to what we can get done when the sun's shining. I wouldn't have planted my cucurbits yet if it wasn't such good weather, I'm hoping that it doesn't turn cold again now and hold them back.

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  10. It's been perfect weather for doing - pleasantly warm but not too hot. Another lovely day here too Jo though it took a while for the fog to lift. You are certainly flying now with your seed sowing and what a thoughtful Mother's Day gift from Eleanor.

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    1. I was surprised by how warm it got yesterday, it's been lovely again today too. I think I'm ahead of the game where seed sowing's concerned at the moment, I'm further along than I usually am. Both Daniel and Eleanor know they're on safe ground buying me gardening items, I'll always appreciate useful items.

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  11. I reckon that all round the UK most gardeners were doing tasks like the ones you described! The 4-day holiday was an ideal opportunity for this. Sorry to hear you had a slow start with Maskotka - a favourite for both of us now, I think? I had really good germination rates this year - in fact I think it was 100%. BTW it's good to see that your seeds come from lots of different suppliers. I like that. It spreads the profits around!

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    1. I think Easter is the time when every gardener does something or other in the garden, even if they're busy doing other things like we were, we can manage to fit something in, especially when the weather's so good. If I could choose only one tomato to grow this year it would be Maskotka, it's a firm favourite now. I don't know what went wrong with the first sowing but the second lot came through ok, perhaps it was still a little on the cool side for them as I didn't cover them at all. I'm not loyal to one seed supplier and to be honest, I've never really found one to be better than another so I don't mind which company I buy from, it's a case of who's selling the seed I want.

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  12. Oh now Jo I've been trying to sort out my seed tin - I really need to ban myself from buying any more until I've used them all up ( but then I say that about fabric and wool as well and it gets me nowhere!) I have been fretting about that mint - I think I'll take your advice and sink it in a pot to be on the safe side! Glad you've got lots of sowing done - now it's time for the seeds to do the hard work - I love it! Enjoy the garden while this weather is so lovely x Jane

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    1. I think all gardeners are the same, we just can't resist buying that extra packet of seeds when we see them, even if there's nowhere left to fit them in. I think sinking your mint in a pot would be a good idea, I'll always err on the side of caution where mint's concerned since I saw what happened on our first allotment plot. I don't think anyone will ever get rid of it now that it's got a hold as it has. The seeds are doing well so far, just about all the ones I sowed last weekend are up, I'm just waiting on the leeks and I don't think the ones sowed over the last few days will be far behind.

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  13. Gosh, you have been busy, you've reminded me of all the things I need to do. It's lovely to put pot grown trees into the open ground isn't it, I always think they'll really appreciate it. I have a couple at the allotment that were grown in pots until recently, I have high hopes for them this year. CJ xx

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    1. Some jobs have now been ticked off the list but there's plenty more still to do. I'm looking forward to seeing how the trees do now they're in the ground, they must appreciate a free root run rather than being confined.

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  14. That's a lovely gift for you useful too! It's been a great weekend for garden jobs hasn't it, unfortunately Mike concreted over the little bit of space I had left for planting trees into the ground so they will have to stay in their pots x

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    1. It's a shame that my new seed tin won't hold all my seed packets but I may just get a second one at some time in the future. I've kept my plum tree in a container for now and I'll see how it goes. I think I'm going to plant my cherry in the ground but it's a bigger tree than the others, I just hope it doesn't take over.

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  15. hello jo,
    what a wonderful gift......i love it.
    enjoy the garden while this weather is so beautiful!!!
    have a nice week,
    regina

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    1. I'm very lucky, my children know me so well and know the things I like. The weather we're having this week is unexpected, but very nice.

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  16. That has to be the shiniest seed tin in the history of seed tins! Isn't Easter a busy time of year? 4 whole days off to catch up with all those jobs. I reckon you managed about 6 days worth of work in your Easter weekend. No wonder Mick went back to work for a rest.

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    1. I'm sure it won't stay that shiny once it's been out in the garden with me. It's good to get four days together in order to get some jobs done and even better when the sun shines too.

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  17. It's all systems go now isn't it?

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    1. It is. It's always so busy at this time of year.

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  18. This is always a wonderful time of the year....soon you'll be madly potting on seedlings! Good to see your apple trees in the ground, I'm sure they'll romp away now! I planted mine out last year and they really shot up!xxx

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    1. Some seedlings have been potted on already but there's lots more to go. I'm hoping that my apple trees don't grow too much, they're only small trees at the moment as they're on dwarf rootstock and I know they'll grow to some extent now that their roots have room to spread, but I'm hoping they still make compact trees.

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  19. I think if the weather is fine at Easter we do use the few days to do lots of jobs. It may be decorating, gardening, sewing ......we keep busy and the days zoom by.

    All the best Jan

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    1. It's good to have two bank holidays either side of the weekend to give us a nice long break. We got quite a few jobs ticked off the list.

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