A new year

I took an extended break from the blog but it's a new year and things are starting again. An unexpected snow day has provided me with the perfect time to get organised for the growing season ahead.

While the snow falls outside, my amaryllis bulbs look ready to burst into flower.




They were potted about 3 weeks before Christmas, and while they seemed to take longer this year to sprout their promising green shoots, they've done well on the sunny windowsill of my dining room. I've found it helps to rotate them regularly to keep the stems straight, and as little water as possible to avoid them growing too tall and then flopping miserably.

Although you can't see them, the front garden has hundreds of tiny green heads popping up from bulbs. In October last year I planted daffodils, tulips and Iris and I can't wait to see what they deliver. They are somewhere under all this!



So what's on the menu this year? All this!!



I've opted again for some interesting varieties of the good old classics, including purple carrots, yellow courgettes and a 'fruity, mulled wine' basil. In the greenhouse this year will be poblana ancho chilli peppers and a rainbow blend of tomatoes. I hope we have a lot more sun this summer to really boost the yield...last year was a bit of a let down.

There are some things I've decided not to grow again this year. Potatoes proved to be very difficult to maintain in my raised beds and although I did get some very delicious king Edwards, I didn't feel they were worth the effort. I'll stick to buying from supermarkets. I'm also not attempting the pumpkins this year. Although I have a dream of a small harvest festival on my kitchen counter, with numerous different bumpy pumpkins, the patch I have just doesn't get enough sun or warmth for them. Perhaps I'll try one plant this year and see if anything comes of it.

So here's to 2013!!