Planning ahead

Just a little post to share my new resolve to become more organised. With cold days and the inevitable waiting around for workmen (only repair and servicing work this time) we have had numerous inside days and this has been the ideal opportunity to catch up on some administration. I've also been trying to finish off some cross-stitch but that is slow going so you'll have to wait for a photo.

For the past couple of years I have kept a diary, not a full blown account of my life but just a simple record of what we have been up to. My memory can be pretty rubbish at times and so I find it's really useful to be able to look back and see what happened when.

I received this beautiful Country Living diary for my birthday and as I had already ordered my Dairy Diary I decided that this one would become my planning journal. I'm hoping to create some form of order in my fruit and veg planting by combining what worked well last year with a new batch of seeds and their associated sowing advice.

   

Hardy Annuals

Half Hardy Annuals

  

Hardy Perennial             Half Hardy Perennial

So, as a starter, out came all the flower seeds. I couldn't believe I had so many, some were used last year and the rest were bought in the sales at the end of the summer. It probably sounds a bit nerdy but I have diligently put together a database of all the flower seeds we have which includes planting and flowering dates along with positioning (baskets, pots, rockeries etc) and a brief description. I'm hoping that I can, in the comfort and warmth of the lounge, sort through the seed requirements and find out what I should be sowing and when.

So all I need to do now is sort out my seed store, make a few more labels and then sort through the fruit and veg seeds. 

  

Seed Potatoes Onion Sets

As I was in the midst of my database world these beauties arrived. I had almost forgotten that we ordered them last year. So another job for this week is to get the potatoes chitting, ready for planting out in late March or April - weather dependant of course. The seed potatoes are Casablanca - Extra Early, Charlotte - Second Early and Cara - Main Crop. The Onion Sets are Hercules, Centurion and Sturon, along with some Golden Gourmet shallots. I don't think we planted these onions last year but we have chosen them as they are recommended as good storers.

The potatoes are now laid out with eyes upward in a light dry cool area where, hopefully, in a couple of weeks they will start to show signs of shoots emerging. M has been busy building some potato planters in the hope that this year we won't lose quite so many to the slugs and wasps.

One last job we managed to complete was finally covering the rest of the big veg beds on black plastic. This should warm the soil up and prevent it from becoming too water logged before we can start planting out in the spring.

We've had some wonderful early morning frosty walks around our local park, Jess and Finn love the woods and the lake and of course meeting lots of other dogs to play with.

M and I both got Fitbit activity trackers for Christmas and so each morning walk has the advantage of adding to our steps for the day while we enjoy the lovely views.

A few wet days has turned the pig enclosure pretty muddy but Ginger and Spot don't seem to mind too much. The days are now starting to lengthen and we are enjoying the extra daylight to get out and about. Even the chickens are starting to lay again and we're averaging a total of 2 eggs a day. Spring is just around the corner - we can't wait.