KW-17 April showers make May flowers

Also, cold piggies, wet feet and frozen seedlings

This week at the barracks, we have a lot to do. In fact, from here on in, as soon as the weather stops being all Aprily, it’s going to be all hands to the deck. Or dreck¹ if you prefer.

I do feel sorry for them when it gets all waterlogged, but we’ve been working on Mk III of the piggie summer house. And they really don’t mind all that much. Don’t feel too made for them!

It’s semi-mind blowing how much there is to be done, but also extremely gratifying that, in the breaks of the grotty early spring weather, even if I might sometimes tend towards a sloth-like apathy and a bear-like attraction to my winter bed before we hit a steady 14, 15 degrees, I have actually made some pre-season progress in some useful areas of prep.

The grass isn’t too wild, the soft fruits are mostly in order (and the expansions have mostly been dug). The vineyard, pumpkin patch and vegetable garden have all been gently massaged with the racks of 10-inch knives under the loving wheels of Mr Rotovator. This week, I got the rest of the summer wheat into the pumpkin patch, and the vineyard has been at least partially spread with muck. Most things which should have made it into pots by now are in pots. It’s all looking actually ok for this time of year, but now it’s time to really get cracking with some proper hard work. Just until summer. In summer we take it a little easier, especially if we got enough prep done in spring.

This year, we’re making the summer pig house pig proof. lol. Of course we’re not. There’s no such thing. But we’re giving it a good go. More screws, nurse!

It looks like tonight is going to drop to about -5 again, so first priority for today is to make sure that everything in the polytunnel is suitably protected. I have large amounts of cardboard, expanded polystyrene and bubble wrap which will all be put to good use. After tonight it looks like we might have a couple of warmer, rain and snow free days. Which would be lovely. If that happens, then so shall this:

First rain free day:

• plant out the lettuces to the polytunnel

• sow in pots all the rest of everything which needs to be sown in pots (mostly greens and cabbage family)

• final touches to the Pig House Mk 3

• build a base for the bee hives

• add rocks to the tomato house foundations

Second rain free day

• mow everything. I’ve never actually mown the entire barracks in a single day before. It will be fun to see how long it takes (including breaks for cups of tea)

• pour the concrete foundations for the tomato house

Third rain-free day and onwards (optimism central around here!)

• sow all the rest of the potatoes

• choppy chop the vineyard again.

• sow many thousands of sweetcorns and fodder mangold seeds

• clear the bean-break, build the bean-gate

• build a tomato house

By which time it will be May.

I know I always call for restraint in spring (it is another three weeks until the Ice Saint Saint’s Days after all), but it is awful tempting to not get left behind. Also, this year, in stark contrast to the hindrances of last year, it really feels like the year where much pushing into the future will be achieved.

So, I guess I had better go and get on with it.

Until next time, much love to each and every one of you, and I hope to see you at the barracks some time this year

Your Pirate Ben

xoxo

I made a standing potting bench. I should have done it years ago. Necessity is not the mother of invention, old age is. No more bending to sieve compost and fill pots. Why have I been doing it any other way all this time?

1. German for dirt, muck, mud. Time to get grubby and stay that way. Oh, except, we are also going to be making some progress with (whisper it) hot showers this week. I forgot to mention that in the main thingummy.