Spring is sprung

At last Spring is here-managed to get the potatoes in the ground over Easter. I've got tomato/cucumbers/aubergines and peppers sprouting in the greenhouse.

Won't be long until I can get seeds straight into the ground and about time too.

The strawberry plants are coming on and the perennial herbs such as oregano, thyme and lemon balm as well as rosemary are all doing well but I'm a bit concerned about the olive tree. I think the frost has hit it hard but the small trunk still has green life under the bark so there is hope!

I'm still using leeks that I had in the freezer from last years harvest as well as parsnips and onions. I have black kale and spinach growing in the garden and there are chillis in the freezer so all in all we're still pretty self sufficient. Won't be long until the salad leaves are ready so I can stop buying those awful plastic bags of leaves from the supermarket :-)

Roll on spring

How fed up are we with this winter? The snowdrops are fabulous and now at last I can see crocus peeping through the lawn. The daffodils are timidly showing their leaves and only now are the buds of the hellebores showing any sign of colour.

Compared to last year I am weeks behind and have only just started chitting potatoes. Sowed a few salad leaf seeds in the greenhouse as well as some leeks but otherwise the rest of the seeds are still in packets!!

We've removed more lawn and made a new patch for vegetables so this can be the potato bed. Still picking the odd kale leaf and the parsnips from last year will be dug up this week, they've been wonderful and so useful in stews and soups. This week I made a whole pan of spicy vegetable stew with black lentils, I used the last of last years onions and some of my own parsnips and chillies, which I had frozen whole last year. I made some simple dumplings with it the first day but today made spiced rice to serve with it, there is still enough for tomorrow's dinner so a marvelously economical dish.

More recipes will be added next week I hope but any comments you have or questions about vegetarian meals let me know.

Snow

Spotted snowdrops in the garden yesterday but now the snow has returned and the por things are buried!! The squirrels are driving me 'nuts' they have wrecked most of the bird feeders and the birds are going hungry. Squirrels are not my bestest friends at the moment and it's war :-)

Spring is coming hurrah

Thought I'd investigate the garden and see what signs of life there are and found all sorts of buds appearing, especially the camellias. Hopefully they will soon be covered in lovely red flowers.

In the veg patch the kale and broccoli will soon produce lovely new shoots so I can get out there and pick some fresh greens, yum.

Haven't spotted any snowdrops yet but now the snow has gone I'm sure they'll be up soon and then Spring will definitely be here before we know it.

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Anyone looking for a live gig on Saturday night 9th January 2010 then head to The Chelsea in Easton Bristol- The Wrongtourage headed up by Bonnie Wrongford are performing at an open birthday bash for guitarist Anil

Great start to 2010, I actually entered a short flash fiction story on one of the forums and was shortlisted. It made my day and at least I'm listening to my own advice to make that extra effort. Well done me!

New Years Eve hard to believe it's 10 years since the 'Millenium', where did that go then? What had I hoped to have achieved by now? So much has changed-moved house-gained a degree-still in the same job though so maybe that's the next big change I need to make.

Happy 2010 to anyone that strays this way hope you dreams come true x