We have had a couple of days down at the patch this week breaking up the soil to create new beds for Spring and Summer plantings.

Beyond the trenches that were dug for Potatoes, a series of mounds have been created where Corn, Beans and Squash (Three Sisters) will be grown.

The pictures shows the next bed being dug over. This is where we will grow Onion and Leeks. We are conducting a trial : Seeds from two types of Leeks have been sown under glass and the same two types will be sown in a nursery bed in March. We will transplant them when they reach the thickness of a pencil and decide which method has been most effective.

Up from the Onion beds we have marked out where we will be planting our brassicas and this will be dug over during the next week or two.

Back to work...

It was our first opportunity to get down to the patch after all the snowy and icy weather. Fortunately everything seems to have survived, although our winter sown Broad Beans and Peas are looking a bit sad !

We spent most of the morning marking out where our new beds are going to be dug, ensuring that there is a strip left as a path between us and our new neighbours.

I then prepared a permanent bed which will be used to grow Asparagus. A trench was dug and filled with well seasoned stable manure ready for planting the crowns which will be delivered in April. I will be growing the variety Dariana from Simpsons Seeds .

Expanding horizons...

We have just taken over an additional plot that runs alongside our existing patch and braved the freezing conditions to measure out where the new beds will be dug.

I then made a start on the trenches where our potatoes will be planted in March.

There are nine trenches : Four will have Desiree planted, three will have Cara and two will have International Kidney (otherwise know as Jersey Royals).

The raised soil either side of the trenches will be used for earthing up.