Storm Dora, (or was ir Doris?) spared us a visit and was content to just waft her skirts at us` as she passed by further south. Nevertheless, the week was still generally windy but it didn't stop us from carrying out quite a lot of work on the plot and in the garden.
The garden was mainly light duties
The sarcococca bought on our visit to Hodsock was planted in a pot so that it could live on the patio where we can benefit from the full effect of its perfume. The pot chosen is deliberately overlarge to allow growing room. Until the sarococca grows some flowering plants, maybe pansies or viola, will fill the empty space.
Martyn set out the potatoes as they had decided to begin chitting and would continue to do so whether we wanted them to or not. As a precautionary measure they have been covered with fleece.
Whilst he concentrated on the potatoes, I cut back most of the ferns in anticipation of the emergence or the new, coiled shoots.
On the plot the level of activity was turned up a notch or two.
Martyn's main task was to move the weed control fabric from last year's brassica bed to the one where the brassicas will grow this year.
My main task was to complete the tidying of a bed which was in part occupied by extremely mature rhubarb roots. It was another patch of land that had needed to be cleared for some time.
The end where the rhubarb roots were planted was hard going and reinforcements were drafted in. The huge roots were split - you can see some of the retained pieces along the edge of the bed waiting to be tidied up and planted when we find a spot for them.
Our early rhubarb planted in other beds is well in the way to producing some pickable stems.
Less physical work was to clip back the lavender to keep it bushy. The smaller plants in rows were planted last year and will hopefully replace the older plants either later this year or next.
Although the strawberry beds are covered with weed control fabric they still needed a little TLC. Weed seedlings do manage to gain a foothold in the mulch that is spread over the fabric and some perennial weeds will nudge their way through weak points. If these are dealt with whilst still quite small they are easily removed, This was my final task of the week along with rubbing the dead leaves away to allow new growth unfettered growth.
The second strawberry bed will receive attention on our next visit.
Martyn shot a short video of my hands in action. Forgive the quality of the commentary my throat was a bit dry.
I posted a photo of the state of my knees a while ago and was told that I should use a kneeler. As you can see from the video I do use one - two in fact! This doesn't help at this time of the year.
Martyn posted a longer video showing more of the weekly work here if you are interested.
