There are two versions of when spring actually begins which depend on whether you are a meteorologist or a astronomist. If you favour, the former then spring commenced on Sunday 1 March. If you lean towards the astronomical viewpoint then you will have to wait for spring until 20 March this year, which is the date of the spring equinox.
It depends on your viewpoint whether our latest harvest was the first one of spring or one of the last harvests of winter.
On the plot there are signs that spring is unfolding although it's still far too wet to get much done.
If that wasn't bad enough, we seem to be treated to one gale after another. The winds are bitterly cold too, making visits to the plot rather unpleasant. The weather however, doesn't seem to be putting off the fruit trees and bushes which are coming into growth.
The fruit trees are usually given a winter wash but the windy conditions this year haven't been conducive to spraying, and now that the buds are breaking it's too late. I just hope that this isn't an invitation to the myriad of fruit tree pests.
I was happy to see that the raspberry canes are shooting, as raspberries don't tend to like waterlogged conditions. We planted lots of new canes last year and most have new shoots. One variety, that never looked as though it was going to grow, is obviously dead so we will need a few more canes to fill the gap they will leave.
The rhubarb continues to thrive, so much so that we pulled a few stems from one of the clumps of Early Timperley.
The conditions aren't deterring the spring flowers. Daffodils are in bud and crocuses, or if you prefer croci, are opening to take advantage of any tiny glimmer of sunshine. I have never planted any crocuses on the plot, but a few years ago one single flower appeared in the pear trees bed. Since then, more clumps have appeared which presumably seeded or multiplied from the original bulb.
Native primroses are doing their best to put on a show but their delicate petals show signs that they haven't really enjoyed the inhospitable conditions.
We cut a Kilaton cabbage and also picked a decent amount of purple sprouting broccoli. Of the two varieties that we grew, Rudolph has produced most of our harvest, although that could be attributed to the fact that it has suffered less from the attentions of wood pigeons.
This week I am linking to harvest Monday hosted on
Dave's blog Our Happy Acres
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ReplyDeleteVery nice! We have had no measureable rain for over two months and this is our rainiest time. So good to see the usual stuff doing the usual thing ... naturally.
ReplyDeleteI think we must have had your share too, Jane
DeleteThe wood pigeons are really hungry at this time of year aren't they. Lovely to see the first of the rhubarb. No signs of life on my fruit trees yet, although the blueberries are up and running.
ReplyDeleteOur apple trees are still sleeping, CJ
DeleteI'd say you can definitely count that as the first spring harvest. Here we are firmly still in winter, but the depth of the snow is decreasing.
ReplyDeleteRhubarb is a beautiful plant, both in the clump and individual stalks. :)
We haven’t really had any snow this year tpals.
DeleteSome years ago we were amused to hear a new neighbour commenting on the rhubarb in their new garden. They were musing over what it could be. I think they thought it was something exotic. Strange that they hadn’t noticed the large fields of it growing around our area.
It's been so wet here I couldn't get anything done outside in the garden. Thankfully it's dry inside the greenhouse!
ReplyDeleteWe’re going to start potatoes and carrots in tubs in the greenhouse, Dave as the ground is rar too soggy to plant anything outdoors.
DeleteWhen crocus start blooming I feel like it is spring. They know.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly looks like spring, Lisa but as for feeling like spring, well that’s a different story.
DeleteWe have taken the brunt of the storm force winds here in the west. It's been almost impossible to do anything other than clear up each aftermath, and today is the first day our winds have dropped below 20mph!
ReplyDeleteI’m sorry about that, Deborah. Let’s hope we’ve had the last for this year.
DeleteI love first vernal flowers, Sue. Your purple crocuses are pretty.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you do with purple sprouting broccoli? Why you don't let them grow further?
So do I Nadezda. If the sprouting broccoli goes further it tends to flower.
DeleteSpring to me is the latter astronomical date so still a couple of weeks or so to go 😄 Those winds have been decidedly chilly here Sue despite slightly better weather for the last few days. Do you have a theory as to why 'Rudolph' isn't as appealing to the wood pigeons as the other variety is?
ReplyDeleteI certainly has been chilly, Anna. As for why Rudolph is less affected - it could just be down to the position on the plot and the accessibility to the plants. The wood pigeons tend to be fickle. They strip the leaves on our cherry tree but would leave a cherry tree growing on a vacant plot untouched.
DeleteLovely to see your spring/end of winter harvest, that is indeed a mighty fine cabbage! good to see all the spring flowers too, they are always so welcome aren't they?xxx
ReplyDeleteIt is, Dina. Unfortunately there’s a lot of waste on the cabbages courtesy of the weather
DeleteThose infernal pigeons have started standing on top of the nets. You need a fruit cage to keep them off tall brassicas!
ReplyDeleteYou do, Mal which would make the brassicas rather expensive
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