Monday, February 16, 2009
A spiny tale
Hmm why did I choose on the same day to 1) trim the raspberries and 2) cut down a blackberry vine that keeps rearing back its ugly head? On a day when I didn't have my proper work gloves with me? Needless to say I got ripped to buggery. Just this morning I squeezed the last reluctant bit of thorn out of a throbbing end of index finger. Feels champion now.
Spring being almost upon us, I did a bit of a tidy up down the lottie, with my new secateurs (lost the other ones, probably find them in the compost bin next year). I hacked down the lemon balm and lemon verbena stalks, the dried parsley stems, the enormous rocket stems that had sprung up wild, chopped down the marguerite stems and trimmed back the rasps and gooseberries that are rapidly starting to bud. The strawberries also got a haircut, revealing budding crowns that will soon start flowering methinks.
I love spring, the rhubarb is making small pink spheres that will spring up to be rhubarb stems soon enough, the artichoke is starting to spread out and the parsley and thyme are starting to come back to life.
I planted a row of Aquadulce broad beans, didn't overwinter them this year, so I will see how they do.
Next week, I will start the onions. A friend wants to swop some leftover garlic with some yellow onions so I am happy to oblige, it will always supplement the overwintered garlic and it is quite nippy still, so it should be cold enough for it to still bulb.
Spring being almost upon us, I did a bit of a tidy up down the lottie, with my new secateurs (lost the other ones, probably find them in the compost bin next year). I hacked down the lemon balm and lemon verbena stalks, the dried parsley stems, the enormous rocket stems that had sprung up wild, chopped down the marguerite stems and trimmed back the rasps and gooseberries that are rapidly starting to bud. The strawberries also got a haircut, revealing budding crowns that will soon start flowering methinks.
I love spring, the rhubarb is making small pink spheres that will spring up to be rhubarb stems soon enough, the artichoke is starting to spread out and the parsley and thyme are starting to come back to life.
I planted a row of Aquadulce broad beans, didn't overwinter them this year, so I will see how they do.
Next week, I will start the onions. A friend wants to swop some leftover garlic with some yellow onions so I am happy to oblige, it will always supplement the overwintered garlic and it is quite nippy still, so it should be cold enough for it to still bulb.
Labels: broad beans, pruning, winter
# posted by antipodesgirl @ 5:19 PM 
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