Shades of spring

Over the Easter holidays, to every Irish-person's amazement and delight, we have had an extraordinary bout of glorious sunshine. It was similar to those few days in the middle of July where Ireland sometimes stops being rainy and cloudy and everyone gets sunburn. During this time, my planties have really come on, producing leaves and getting all tall and doing their photosynthesis. Its really great to see. And the best thing happened: one of the tulips of those I bought in Amsterdam has flowered! They have been quietly growing away since my first blog post way back in February.

                 

Tomatoes re-potted
and doing well

Sweet peas are germinating!

Tulip success  story

  

In the time since my last blog I've mainly just been watering as its been so hot, but I have also repotted all of my tomatoes that are currently in my mother's bedroom (because its the lightest room in the house), and I sowed seeds of flowers including sweet pea, cosmos, lupins, marigolds, cornflowers, honesty, and some other mysterious seeds which I were given to me by a neighbour. A few of the seeds have germinated already so I am hoping flowers will be blooming in no time.

Lettuci

Sheep(ish) dog
eyeing up the peas

The beans are alive with
the sound of music

Baby basils (I hope)

And remember those sad beans that wouldn't germinate? I ordered new organic bean seeds from the internet (Tamar Organics) including a Dwarf Bean (Maxi) and Climbing Bean (Blauhilde). It seems the instant I did this, the sad beans suddenly started getting on with things and a good number of them have germinated. They are getting a bit slug eaten at the moment though so I might have to find a method of getting rid of slugs. Maybe someone can let me know if they have a tried and tested process?

The lettuces have been steadily growing up, although there were a few cold nights and there were a few fatalities to my seedlings. I am hoping the cold nights will end soon so I can plant out my pea plants which are getting a bit crazy and will need to be put out soon, or into bigger pots. 

The blackcurrent, gooseberry and raspberry bushes have started to produce leaves so its good to see they are all alive. I haven't seen any evidence of life from my Aldi loganberry yet but there is still time. Also I think rhubarb leaves have been popping up in some of the tires between the daffodils. Didn't know they were in there so that should be a yummy treat later in the year.  

The rocket is really
taking off

Rhubarb?

Infinity spinach

First harvest: Rocket, parsley
and perpetual spinach.

The rocket is near fully grown now so I have been having some lovely salads and the perpetual spinach is really growing now and producing new leaves all the time. Its turned into a small bush! In fact I have already had my first harvest from the polytunnel, with rocket leaves going into my salad for lunch and I cooked up some of the spinach for dinner. 

  Thats all for now folks,

Hannah