And sow it begins.

[jansman]

It seems everyone's tomato plants are slow this year.

[ukpreppergrrl]

My tomatoes and chillies put on a spurt during the warm weather last week, but they seem to have become subdued again. I really need to plant out the beans and peas: they're still in their root trainers and are starting to look sad. Entirely my bad. The onion sets are sprouting (apart from where the local moggies have dug them up - I have some spare sets so I'll plug the gaps with those). The spuds are nearly ready for their first earthing up. The Jerusalem artichoke is taking off. The gooseberry (a Poundland special which produced only two, but absolutely delicious berries last year) has a number of tiny little gooseberries forming Even the achocha is starting to wind its way up the trellis. The really slow one is the Tenderstem. I've not grown it before so I don't know if this is normal! Nearly two months it's been up but is still only 2 inches high and about 3 leaves. The apricot flowers got caught by the cold spell before the warm spell and looks like it's not going to set any fruit this year. But finally, after 4 years of nothing but healthy leaves, I think the redcurrant is going to have some fruit this year - I did give it an ultimatum in March: get some fruit this year or up you come!

[Clarebelle]

I am revamping my whole veg bed this year and only managed to get one bed finished on time which will be brassicas. I've designed the new beds to have an outer edge of perennial/self seeding herbs and pollinator friendly edible flowers so as well as sowing up my cabbages, sprouts etc. ive got chives, welsh onions, chamomile, yarrow, marigolds and lots more. I'm really looking forward to this growing season.

[jansman]

Not the best angle to take the picture from,but...These were all sown on the same day.The larger ones are good old Gardeners Delight,always reliable.In fact,they would be my choice of there was nothing else.The rest are only half the size.However,they have moved on a little since Monday,so all will be well.

[Arwen Thebard]

Harvested our first asparagus stems this afternoon.

Amazing how quickly they appear and then grow.

[Zunzuncito]

I'm rather excited as this year I've increased what I'm going to be growing (but tried not to get too over the top).

This is going to be my first year growing my own potatoes, carrots, basil and strawberries. Going to continue with my dwarf apple trees and my rhubarb which I've grown previous years.

So far so good - though I did end up planting some stuff only last weekend due to the shocking weather in March.

[Brambles]

Sowed some dwarf french beans and summer squash this morning to grow on in planters just to keep my hand in while I'm plotless. The Garlic I transplanted into the Wilko planters has taken off like a rocket! I put some mint and chives in another at the back end of last year and they have come through the winter well.

[jansman]

Sowed some dwarf french beans and summer squash this morning to grow on in planters just to keep my hand in while I'm plotless. The Garlic I transplanted into the Wilko planters has taken off like a rocket! I put some mint and chives in another at the back end of last year and they have come through the winter well.

Are you having a go with the Marmande?

[Brambles]

Sowed some dwarf french beans and summer squash this morning to grow on in planters just to keep my hand in while I'm plotless. The Garlic I transplanted into the Wilko planters has taken off like a rocket! I put some mint and chives in another at the back end of last year and they have come through the winter well.

Are you having a go with the Marmande?

Things were so up in the air at the start of the year that I haven't sown any toms and such as I didn't know what was happening. I have the seed safely stored though for next year. I'm just sowing a few things that are quick to mature.

[Brambles]

Back in the autumn I ordered some Sweet Potato slips to try in the polytunnel but as the polytunnel is till in a box and I no longer have an allotment, I'm going to use the Wilko large fabric planters and put up the little greenhouse to protect them.