A kind neighbour delivered a few tonnes of rotted manure recently. It’s quite lumpy and is maybe a year old, but should still do the trick for the large new no-dig growing area we’re developing. We suppressed grass and weed growth under agricultural plastic for several months, then laid a layer of cardboard on top of which we’ve been spreading the manure. So far we’ve planted two beds of early potatoes in the new plot. We’ll plant the rest (alliums, legumes, brassicas, courgette, pumpkin and a perennial patch) as seedlings over the coming months.On the other side of the garden, we’ve so far planted a bed of potatoes, a bed of carrots, and several raspberry canes. And we still have winter/spring cauliflowers to harvest in the coming weeks.As well of lots of cutting back (now on pause till the end of the nesting season), we’ve been cleaning pots for the upcoming growing season, changing the polytunnel layout and setting up a large new grass and bush cuttings-compost area.In the polytunnel we have onion, leek, peas, herb, tomato and flower seedlings on the go. And the next round of heat-loving seeds have been sown in pots in the ‘germination cupboard’ above the hot water boiler – aubergines and peppers amongst them.Finally the first early potato leaves have poked through the soil in the polytunnel. We were starting to worry about them!To eat from the garden at the moment, we have mountains of parsley, a few beetroot and one unexpected calabrese floret.Our over-wintering onions and garlic are doing well in raised beds…And amongst the spring daffodils and primroses a surprise rose has bloomed, and a cabbage flower is about to open.We trimmed off some cauliflower leaves and gave the stalks to the dogs which they’ve happily devoured.
Ballyer Backyard 