Planning and preparing the Vegetable Patch for the coming growing season

I managed to get a few hours out on the plot on Sunday, I admit in the afternoon when the temperatures had lifted slightly, but even then certain parts of the Vegetable Patch were still frozen to a depth of an inch or so from the frosts we have been suffering for the last few days. I have a store of wood from the Cherry Tree, pruned each year, and a few logs were thrown on the Chimenea whilst I was working away. The occasional coffee break was taken whilst standing in front of it to warm the cockles, and, of course, the ash is great as 'pot ash' and I have a bucket in the Potting Shed for emptying the content of the Chimenea into once cooled. 

I was able to get a spade into the bed where I have grown the Runner Beans for the last couple of years and that was given a thorough weed and digging over as part of the process of preparing for the upcoming growing season. This year I am thinking of growing Tomatoes on that particular bed. my Greenhouse isn't that big and can really only house seven maybe eight Tomato plants and in 2023 I have plans for growing several more than that. I have spoke of the successes I had last year with Buffalosteak, an F1 variety, and the American Heritage variety Pink Brandywine, both of which will be grown again this year, these probably being the varieties I will house in the Greenhouse. I have mentioned in a previous post that I will be trying a new variety to me, another heirloom, this time from Germany, in the shape of Tomato Bloody Butcher. Another that has Potato like foliage (as Pink Brandywine) my research into this one suggests it will produce crops of golf ball sized fruit with a dark 'blood-red' juice. It reportedly is one of the first varieties to ripen, ripening in only about 60-days, and continues all summer long so hopefully will be perfectly at home outdoors on the Veg Patch, the be being south-facing and in the sun for hours every day. I have been gifted some seeds from an old mate of mine down the pub as well and can't resist trying them out hence the plan for an extra 'Tomato Bed' in 2023. One of the varieties is another American heirloom beefsteak called Big Rainbow which as you might have guesses has 'rainbow-coloured' skin, with yellow and orange in the middle, green shoulders, and red marbled streaks, I simply can't resist trying that. Also in my envelope of goodies is Tomato Black Russian, another heirloom this time from Russia, described on one site as deep red to shiny black fruit with heavy green shoulders, looking almost like a conker. It's like a United Nations of Tomatoes for 2023..............

I have purchased a couple of Red Currant bushes, I have never grown them before and always fancied doing so. They are the variety Jonkheer van Teets. Apparently, it is a modern Dutch redcurrant. It’s one of the earliest varieties to ripen according to the marketing blurb, bearing heavy crops of sweet-tasting fruit from early July. They have taken up residence in the bed used to grow Strawberries for the last few years so it is pretty decent ground but manure, chicken manure pellets and some pot ash from the Chimenea was added prior to planting to give the new bushes the best possible start. For now they have a makeshift chicken wire fence around them to stop and visiting Foxes, or family and friends dogs, having a dig about. 

There is still plenty to do and with the forecast for slightly warmer weather in the coming days hopefully I can get out on the plot again for some more winter digging and a general tidy up of the flower beds. The Cordyline that took a beating from the snow and cold continues to rehabilitate in the Greenhouse but is looking okay and hopefully I have saved that. 

Finally, the first seeds have been sown. I sowed some Leek seeds into an old trough on the 8th January and they currently sit in the Conservatory. I am happy to report pretty good germination and there is a certain excitement from the first tiny signs of life popping it's head above the compost. I will be sowing some of the Tomato seeds soon to be germinated and brought on indoors and suddenly, as the days lengthen sever so slightly and some sunshine bursts through every now and again sprint and summer no longer seem that far away. 

Cheers 🍺