why does it always rain on me ...

Another bleak, cold and miserable day in Sheffield ... is it too much to expect a bit of sunshine ??

The grand plan - phase 1 !!

- Get rid of the strawberries from the greenhouse bed - check !
- Remove the hinged boxes.
- Add manure to all of the beds (somewhat lacking)
- Convert into a squash bed



The blueberries are budding up again:



Remember our friend with the potato mountain - I've dug up some Jerusalem Artichokes to give to them ... might not mention the windy aspects he heh. Hopefully they can squeeze them in somewhere.



This is the rhubarb that I left uncovered:



and this is the rhubarb that I've been forcing for the last week - what a difference .... so I've decided to force it all .... what with us liking rhubarb an' all hahah. Looks pretty. Wonder if it'll be sweeter ?



As the frogs don't seem to be back yet, I took the opportunity to thin the pondweed in the pond - it's been 'draining' for a week, so I'll probably add it to the compost heap tomorrow. Sadly I discovered a dead frog in the pond - can only assume it drowned under the ice :(

The yellow flag iris really need splitting - now would be the ideal time, as I don't have any frogspawn yet. Soooooo many jobs, soooooo little time !



I'm rather surprised to see a water lilly about to burst into life ... maybe it's decided to flower early to beat the tadpoles



The only thing growing in the greenhouse currently is a mint plant, so I've potted up some of the new shoots. I've resown the artichokes and broadbeans that the meeces have scoffed. Also sown some cat grass and spinach. I need to get organised and have a serious sowing day - gotta get the broken pane of glass replaced in the greenhouse (got a piece, just need OH to come and do it for me) and as I have a resident mouse, I need to think about raising the trays off the ground. Really wish I had the other greenhouse up :(



Here is grand plan phase 2. I've decided to change my bed layout. I spent a couple of hours today taking up the paths and digging over the beds - frightening how much bindweed there is. I've now got a big square bed at the back of the plot and a long narrow bed at the front. The narrow bed at the front will be my new strawberry bed - seems to make sense as the few strawberry plants that are already in residence gave me more strawberries that the dedicated ones. I might have to take a day off work to get my manure delivered / shovelled, then I can get last year's strawberry runners planted up. Hmm, still deciding whether to plant them through landscape fabric. I definitely need a strawberry cage this year ! Another job LOL.



Thoroughly saturated with the horrid drizzel, I left the lottie mid-afternoon and headed for my favourite pet shop only to discover that this year they are not stocking Pink Fir Apple, International Kidney or Roosters ... what is the world coming too ! Looks like I'll have to have a trip to New Leaf (Garden Centre) instead.

and finally, a little kitten heaven ... Fergie is gradually growing in confidence and purred the night away when she found herself part of a Loki / Kinder sandwich earlier in the week on our bed :)