We think that this winter has been the longest ever! Certainly we’ve had sufficient cold to kill off all the unwanted bugs, we hope, and rain to wash everything away, don’t think it has ever been so wet before! Now finally some spring-like weather at last. Things are actually starting to look greener, the grass is growing, lambs are arriving and much of the planting which we have been undertaking in the poly tunnel is shooting into life.
We hope that we have successfully finished our ‘winter’ jobs, 2 of our 3 poly tunnels have been re-covered since Christmas, so hopefully this will aid the crops to be planted in them shortly. Already we have french beans which are just starting to climb up their pole supports, and the indoor salad is looking good. Our experimental trees, apricot, peach and nectarine, have all blossomed well, hopefully pollination has been good and fruit will form in abundance.
Outside in the fields, understandably, things are very behind as it’s just been too wet to get onto the land. The new potatoes were planted in a ‘dry window’ in February, before the snow, so hopefully they will soon appear. We’ve also got some good lines of broad beans and sugar snap peas so are looking forward to these.
Of course at this time of the year the great interest is in the asparagus, it’s been far too cold for an early crop here at Bothen Hill! However,at the end of last week, I am reliably informed that two very tiny shoots were seen, so watch this space, the web site will be updated as and when it arrives.