My Garden: 11th February 2015

It's been a while since I've posted an photo diary of my garden. The last month has been cold and uninviting and my trips to the end of the garden have been fleeting and only when necessary. Now the first flashes of spring colour are erupting and suddenly the garden is a comforting place to be, once again.

These delicate crocuses will be my first flower of the new year:

Hyacinths are another bloom I am looking forward to witnessing in full flower:

My daffodils and narcissuses have multiplied over the last few years developing into little bunches of flowers where originally only one flower stood. As you can see, I am not lawn proud although the grass has yet to be cut this year:

Now to the back garden where the good stuff stands. Even though I haven't been very productive outdoors over winter, I still have quite a bit going on from plants that are producing food for us to eat at the moment, to plants that won't be mature for another few months.

One lonely leek remains:

Back in the Autumn I covered the neighbouring onions (Senshyu sets) in a layer of seaweed that had washed up on shore after a storm:

As you can see, the seaweed has completely decomposed into the soil:

My garlic is coming up strong. I bought four seed bulbs for planting last autumn (Provence Wight, Iberian Wight, Early Purple and Solent) along with one bulb of Iberian saved from my own harvest. By planting that amount I was hoping for a harvest of one bulb per week for the following year, plus some left over for planting next season. Finally, I would be self sufficient in one crop!  I planted my own bulb and the Solent, keeping the others for later planting....and I lost the damn things. I've searched the house with no luck. I couldn't bring myself to pay for more bulbs and resigned myself to the hope that they would turn up in time for late winter planting. Well it's February now so I think that ship has sailed.

Finally after almost a year after sowing the seeds, my purple sprouting broccoli is starting to produce a beautiful colourful head:

I have eight plants, far too much for one family, but they are not all looking quite so healthy. Fat pigeons have been perching on top and dining to their hearts content. It's time to pull out the netting again:

Finally, my broad beans have been coming along under cover.  I took them out for a breath of fresh air today. I have only two plants out of about six seeds planted. I should have planted more.