Preparation for the new season.

Last year we decided to cut down on the quantity of vegetables that we grow, there are only two of us and we do not need beds sixteen feet long, eight feet is plenty, but what we did need was for the beds to be higher than ten inch , so the vegetable garden is undergoing a make over.

We now have five raised  beds and one more to go, eight foot by three foot six and twenty inches high. With pathways wide enough to get the wheel barrow between with ease.

Just one more bed to go.

This should make life easier and will certainly help our backs, I should even be able to sit on the edge of the beds for weeding. We still have two long beds, one is the asparagus bed, the other was last years root veg, this will be planted with peas and beans which will help to fix the nitrogen in the soil, the following year it will be planted with leafy things such as spinach and chard. We will still have to do some growing on the flat, potatoes, which need a lot of space and some of the brassicas, which don't like a light and free draining soil.
The broad beans which were planted in the root trainers two weeks ago have now all germinated,  our own seed saved from last year, these will get planted out in March, possible covered with crop cover depending on what the weather is doing. This time next month seed sowing will be in full swing, where did the winter go?

The rhubarb is looking good.

The rhubarb is coming on well we should have our first picking at the start of March, again this depends on what the weather does.

We always look forward to the first of the rhubarb, a real sign that the new season has started.
One thing we are never short of is fresh veg,

Leeks, swede and parsley.

we still have plenty of leeks, swede, beetroot, parsnips, turnip, artichokes, herbs and some cabbages as well,

1st of the purple sprouting broccoli.

the Brussels sprouts should last out until the end of the month and the purple sprouting broccoli has  formed it's flower heads, the Swiss chard is starting to show  new growth.  We  also have curly kale growing but this has rather been overshadowed by the sprouting broccoli, you can't win them all.  We should last out with the onions ,

Sarpo Mira.

we have plenty of potatoes but a shortage of carrots, we lost one entire bed to mice so will have to buy some before the new seasons are ready.
Winter flowers are now starting to bloom, the first of the Helleborus is about to burst out,

I think this one is Helleborus Orientalis, it's very pretty when it's fully out.

Snowdrops are growing all over, even in places that I don't remember planting them, it must have  been the fairies.

Tommy trying to control Meg.

Meg the puppy is now a fully integrated member of the family but shows little respect to any of the cats or even Tess.

The face off.

Tommy our eldest cat tries to control her

she has now found out that cat claws can hurt. Tess today however had had enough, the pup would give her no peace, Tess's solution? Pick up Meg by the scruff of the neck and dump her into her bed. Unfortunately I didn't have the camera at the ready so missed the shot, maybe next time.