March sky

Wonderful lenticular clouds on March 15th.

 

March garden and Polytunnels.

The nectarine in the big tunnel has had spectacular and long-lasting blossom this year.

Asparagus is cropping well in the tunnels.

Potatoe onion on March 9th. It is a small onion but grows like a shallot. Each bulb grows into several so it is easy to keep a few of the best for planting next year.

Potatoe onions in the big tunnel on March 26th.

Sweet peppers being potted on, they will go in the big tunnel next month.
 

Outside the small tunnel some perennials are growing on in pots to fill in gaps later and to share.

Purple sprouting broccoli is cropping, March 27th.

Giant garlic on a frosty morning, amongst ground cover of phacelia and dead nettle.

March 12th.

Kale on a frosty morning

Cauliflower on a frosty morning.

First early potatoes in the small tunnel on March 11th.

Early potatoes are now well up. Leeks are growing in modules for planting out later.

Alfie playing while I potter, (and take photos!).

Little helper raking and digging.

A big pile of soil is a lot of fun, for Alfie and me....

....and for the hens!

 

I had help to dig a drainage trench outside the barn....

....and Angus had help to empty the trailer.

2 weeks later still digging, (we had a break!).

The woods in March.

 Primrose.

Hellebore.

 Lichen on willow.

 Lichen.

 More Turkey tails.

  Horse tail.

Every year I lop hazel rods from several hazel trees to make a frame for the runner beans to grow up.

 Lopping encourages more to grow.

Nearer the house the White Sussex hen takes a break from scratching up the garden.

White Sussex cockerel, this stone beside the Camellia is a popular perch.

Newts

On March 12th, as I was working in the garden, I lifted a small piece of slate and found this group of hibernating newts. They are the smooth newt or the common newt, the only species of newt in Ireland.

After we all had a look we replaced the slate.

 

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The following photos of Newts were taken here in previous summers.

Newt.

 

Newt on raspberry.

Honey bees on Apricot, Peach and Hellebore.

On March 1st the first few Apricot blooms opened. By March 3rd, a warm calm sunny day, it was covered in bees and has been every day since, weather permitting. The apricots and peaches grow in the polytunnels.

Apricot blossom.

 Peach blossom

By March 10th the peaches and nectarines are also in full flower.

 Nectarine blossom.

The Hellebores are finally receiving attentions from the bees.

The purple crocus are fading and the primroses begin. Most of our primroses are the pretty yellow one, but Angus propagated this pink primrose from one he found in one of the farm hedges.

Bracket fungi.

February 24th

This very pretty bracket fungus is growing on a dead willow stump near the big pond.  I am guessing it is a  Trametes versicolor, commonly known as turkey tail.

Over wintering Sweet potatoes to grow in the polytunnel.

 A few years ago Wendy gave me a couple of sweet potatoe plants. There were 2 varieties, the white variety did poorly for me but this pink one has been good so I have kept it going.

It grows in the big tunnel in a sunny position.

Last year I dug it up on November 9th.

The sweet potatoe needs sun and heat to do well. I only grow a couple of plants as I find they take up a lot of room for the return they give. They would be an ideal plant for someone with more poly tunnel space than they knew what to do with, as they do provide good groundcover.

I took one of the tubers to make next years plants by submerging it partly in water.

After a few weeks it had lots of shoots.

I broke some off ...

...... to plant up in pots....

They will also root in water on a sunny windowsill.....

..... 2 weeks later there is good root growth.

The tuber continues enthusiastically to sprout more shoots.

4 more shoots rooted in water ready to be potted up.

The tubers could be cut to make more plants or just potted up the way they are.

This was the sweet potatoe in the poly tunnel last year on October 15th.

The over wintered plants have been potted on. I will keep them in the house and plant them out  in the tunnel in April.

I have spare plants if you live nearby and would like a couple (and have the space!), contact me by e-mail or leave a comment.