KW-24 It's beginning to look a lot like gardening

In which the sun comes out and things start to grow

Well, this is a late one, and there are two very good reasons for that.

Firstly, over the weekend, I decided that because of the amount of work I have to do, taken into consideration with the amount it heats up already by late morning, I should start much earlier in the day. So, I have been out digging holes since 6am.

This is John Grieve, but basically all of the apple trees look like this. And you should see the plum!

Secondly, I forgot it was Monday. Or at least, my brain was so concentrating on “get up early and get to work” it didn’t also have room for the “Monday, write newsletter” thing.

This morning, then, I got into work-mode super early. Just like a real country folk. I decided that the piggies need an extension to their pig field house - more lounging around in the shade space. It was plenty big enough to provide them all with shelter and shade when they were all tiny and cute and all that, but now that they are bloody massive, it’s really time to move them up on the property ladder.

This is how far I got this morning. In two hours.

A mansion fit for a family of piggies (in progress)

I think you can see already, it’s going to be spectacular.

For the rest of the week, the traditional focus on the potatoes-tomatoes-beans triad, but also:

• The carrots, turnips, swedes and mangolds have all started showing. They are going to need a hand-weed.

• Some exciting potato stuff - I’m going to earth up the main crops and sow the super earlies. This makes no sense, I know! It’s so exciting, I’ll probably write a blog post, an IG post and a TikTok about it. It will be unmissable. In the “oh just shut up about your damn potatoes already” sense of the word “unmissable”

• The final set of beans are to come out

• I’m going to move the goji bush. I know, I know…. Totally wrong time of year. Let me be. It’ll be fine! This, no doubt, will also be widely reported amongst the socials

• More thoughts and prayers for the pumpkin family. They are mostly all germinated now, but we do need them to hurry it along a little, thankyouverymuch

• The apples need thinning. The significance of this is amazing. My orchard is finally starting to orchard.

the brassicas are now so huge, you can see them on photographs!

Also in orchard news, I spent some money this week.

On an IG post a while back, I said that I had a contact in the hose-making business. Well, that turned out to be vapourware, but I did get a super lovely donation from one of my super lovely newsletter readers, so I went right out to the shop and bought another 40m of 1-inch garden hose, and a bunch of connectors, and for the first time ever, I can water all of the trees in the orchard with a hose, and don’t have trudge back and forth with watering cans. I still can’t reach the soft fruits, but at least all of the water in the 1000 litre rain butt is now theirs, and it doesn’t need to be shared with the trees. So all round betterment of the fruit prospects.

The climbing beans are starting to climb. As soon as they decide what they are going to do, and where they are going to go, it all happens quite quickly. They should be shooting up the poles now.

gojis gone wild

And finally, a request. Now that we are demonstrably into growing seasons, perhaps you would consider sharing this newsletter with other people. Growing an audience is tough, and I seem to have hit a brick wall. If everyone manages to add one person, then we double in size! Quick Maffs!

Until next week, much love, get in the garden, and be excellent to each other,

The Pirate Ben

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