This weekend wasn’t as hectic as last weekend, but there was still a lot to do. Saturday was the usual shopping, bell ringing for someone’s wedding and then a bell ringing striking competition. There were 7 bands (teams) ringing and you get judged on how many mistakes you make. The fewer the better. I am pleased to report that the band I was ringing in came 1st!! Yay!! We got 37.5 faults, the band that came 2nd got 40 faults, so it was close. We get the special cup for a year.

Sunday, after a little bit more ringing…well it is Sunday morning…, I was back home and back out in the garden to unwind. I need some time in the garden at the weekend, it re sets my brain for the coming week.

I got loads done. Firstly I let the chickens out in the brassica cage and all 7 of them started to have dust baths. They huddle together in little groups. It’s bizarre as there is all that room, but they end up together.

I then watered the greenhouses where most things seem to be growing really well this year so far. More beans are popping through the compost so that’s great.

My parsnips this year, not one germinated. I’m not sure why. The seeds tend to only last a couple of years, so maybe they were old. So in their place I planted out some more Lettuce and some Spinach.

I planted out my Chard in a row next to some onions.

Lettuce, Spinach and Chard all need planting out in exactly the same way, so here’s a video on how I do mine….

And most of my Italian ParsleyI planted out in pots next to the herb patch. I still have a few plants left, but will plant that out somewhere else, most probably in a trough, as I have one in the greenhouse. The more you pick the more will grow.

A little bit more weeding and watering and then it was time for lunch.

After lunch it was then time to get my brassicas planted outside in the cage that the chickens like to play in. Now if the chickens had their way then they would eat all my brassicas in about 5 minutes, but I clearly don’t want that to happen. So the chickens are now back in their large run which is attached to their house, and the brassicas are playing in the playpen now.

Give the chickens a load of credit, the soil in that bed is so fine and beautiful. They’ve scratched it about and pooped a load of goodness on the soil, so that’ll help the brassicas grow. I got all my brassicas out the greenhouses and placed the trays in the cage before deciding where they all should go.

All brassicas need to be planted out in exactly the same way and here is a little video showing you how I do mine….

After tying the peas to their canes and a little more weeding and tidying it was time to start the BBQ. It’s our first one of the year and we were having sausages, chicken and ribs on it.

I’m planning on having loads more this summer, and eating outside in the garden when we can. The weather stayed dry right up to the very end when I was cooking the last slab of ribs. But it was only a few big blobs and nothing too heavy. Still I put on a light jacket just incase.

We are supposed to have rain and maybe thunder later tonight, but knowing the clouds they’ll decided to forget about us and float on by. I don’t know what it is about where we live, maybe because we’re right by the coast, but rain tends to miss us a lot of the time. You see it drifting over and get really excited, but them it goes “No, nothing for you today.” As long as the little we get tops up some of my butts then I don’t mind. It doesn’t take that much to fall as the roof is very large and it’s surprising how much collects.

FYI we didn’t get any rain over night, not even a drop, and therefore no thunder. We might get some Tuesday night instead.

Happy gardening and BBQing!

See you soon xxx