Fools Spring, beware the cold snap forecast and resist temptation to outdoor sow!

With the weather really rather nice, and a cheeky day off from work having been booked, I was able to get on and do some jobs on the Vegetable Patch last Friday. First job was to harvest some Leeks, Parsnips and Carrots that have been sitting happily in the ground despite the inclement weather of the last few weeks. I have mentioned before how impressed I have been with the Eskimo Carrots this year and they certainly lived up to their name, none the worst as they are for having been under about 4 inches of snow at one point. 

The main job undertaken on the plot was hammering in a number of six-foot tree stakes that I have purchased to be used as fence posts around the Vegetable Plot holding up the chicken wire fencing. This should, all being well, make the 'fencing' considerably more stable than it was and insure visiting squirrels, cats, foxes and pet dogs of friends and family are unable to get on the patch and have a good dig around! Having had quite the workout securing the stakes in place in retired to the potting shed and got on with some sowing of seeds and planting a couple of Hellebores that I had purchased into pots. I like a Hellebore, or Christmas Rose as they are sometimes called, providing as they do a splash of colour in the garden during winter; mine have a number of white flowers on them. Apparently they do not like being moved so I have planted them in decent sized terracotta pots, rather than in a border, allowing me to have them placed on the gravel garden and visible from the conservatory for now. Come summer I will simply moved the pots to a shady corner where they can sit until it is their time to shine again come December. 

I have talked before of 'fools spring' and the weather forecast for March this year looks like proving the old saying. Many gardeners refer to 'fools spring' when a few sunny afternoons lull you into the belief that spring has sprung only for old Jack Frost to show up and burn your fingers, and any seedlings, in the blink of  eye. We are likely to have temperatures below zero overnight even where I am on the outskirts of London, and in fact at this time the Met Office are forecasting a potential Beast for the East II with very cold temperatures and even snow likely between March 13th and March 27th. 

The obvious answer for those of us that simply cannot wait is to sow seeds into seed trays and pots for germination and growing on indoors. As I write I am looking at a host of biodegradable pots containing Barbara Butternut Squash seeds, Runner Bean seeds and four different types of Tomatoes sitting on windowsills around my house; I will be sowing more seeds over the coming days and will be jiggling things around on the windowsills to find enough space. The Geranium cuttings remain under glass in the Greenhouse along with the various Agapanthus and the French Lavender and it looks likely they will stay there for a good few days yet. 

Sadly, if only to confirm what a rough winter we had, the Cordyline and Canary Island Phoenix Palm appear to have suffered worse than first thought and the tops of both plants are rotten - the cold and snow from December taking it's toll. I am happy to report the Olive Tree is fine and in fact has now been joined by two more taking their place in the large terracotta pots vacated by the Cordyline and Palm. The top patio in my garden is already, rather grandiosely with just the three trees, being referred to as the Olive Patio. It should though provide a lovely place to sit with a drink come summer. 

Cheers 🍺