OUTDOORS 17

Down the allotment plot, as March commenced, much of the fall planting of garlic, onion, and broad bean had surfaced and was growing - although not as avidly as last season. I planted another 2 bulbs of garlic, 25 shallots/50 onion sets. I filled the patch in view above, apart from the small clump of last years rocket, which is still pickable - just. I also planted some further back, beside the raspberry canes, in front of the cauliflower seedlings that I brought along from the poly tunnel.

As you can see above, my old rhubarb plant is doing well - with plenty of nice thick red stalks shooting out. I have contemplated the possibility of entering a few stalks in the local garden show this year, just for fun, if they continue to grow so well. Regular readers may recall I transferred a lump of the plant to the other corner of my plot - and this too is sprouting out now, though not as strongly. I will leave it this year and pick only from the old plant, which I aim to remove at the end of the season.

The day after I planted all my garlic/broad beans/shallots/onions for spring, I went back and planted my potatoes. I am not doing as many as last year, as I hope to purchase some sweet potato slips and grow these this coming season.

As you can see in the photo, I positioned the spuds where my former fruit patch had been situated. I do not use the traditional method of rows and ridges, but my own personally preferred method as shown above. I dig a deep hole - at least a foot down and pop the spud in the hole, covering it with just a little soil. As it grows, I fill in the hole to level the ground. If I run short of soil, I use compost from my bin or horse muck to top things up. I find this method breaks the soil up better for the next crop when the spuds are grown and harvested, than the normal 'ridge n row' method.

This is a primrose. Liz and I trade plants from time to time and a primrose is a plant I did not have in the yard and she does - so, it was just a case of time and interest before I was offered one and popped it in place along the back yard fence. You can see its position in the next photo...

...compared to the roses, yew, bulbs, and other bits n bots. My plan is that as the hedge grows thicker and wider, the other plants will be in front of it or peeping through it. I aim to chop back about a foot off the path over the coming year as I reshape the garden. So the primrose that is now on the edge will have around 12-14 inches in front and space to spread.

Here is the view from the other end, as seen from the house.