March

We are all very excited to be getting ready for spring. We have sown up the polytunnel with early carrots, potatoes and lots of spring salads and added manure in preparation for tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet potatoes and melons. Leo has been very keen to help out!

planting potatoes

sowing broad beans

We have also planted a living willow yurt and tunnels in a lovely spot by the wildlife pond, across from the yurt. It was lots of fun to make and everyone got involved. It was lovely listening to the frogs in the pond whilst weaving the willow.

living willow yurt

Outside in the vegetable terraces we made the most of the fine weather and sowed parsnips (tender and true) and planted onion sets (Sturon and red baron) and early potatoes (charlotte).

covering the parsnip seeds with soil

Leo sneeked a peak at the broad bean seedlings which have been slowly growing under fleece over the winter

Leo checking the broad bean seedlings

May

What a busy month! We celebrated the bluebells in Holyford woods by having a campfire cookup of nettle soup and toasted damper bread on sticks served with wild garlic butter – yum!

We have been having a few pest problems with rabbits (and Leo!) eating lots of our vegetables…

The gardens are full of blossom and flowers beautiful to look at and they smell heavenly.

Magnolia blossom

We have been planting up all the vegetable terraces. Here are the leeks being planted with Leo making the holes for the leeks

planting leeks

We are already enjoying some early harvests from the polytunnel, lots of little gem lettuces, strawberries, carrots and new potatoes

early harvest

..and with all this sunshine there is lots of mowing to do…