Grow time

Although the weather has been beautifully sunny lately, the wind chill factor is a constant reminder of the time of year. It is still a tad bit early , I feel, to get much in the ground, but the greenhouse and kitchen windowsill are brimming with seedlings waiting for the ground to warm up a little. In the greenhouse I have, Aubergines, Cucumber x2 Tomatoesx2, French beans, Broad beans, Leeksx2, Scented peasx2, Lettuce, Courgettes, Cauliflowerx2, Kale, and Red cabbage! On the kitchen windowsill I have Lemon Grass, Jalapeno Peppers, Sweet peppers, and butternut Squash which has yet to put in an appearance! I think I have bought a duff packet of seeds. Can anyone give me some hints on the best way to grow cauliflower. I tried last year, but didnt have much success. I had to pick them when they were really small, about the size of a tennis ball, otherwise they just seemed to want to go to seed, or went a funny colour! Also, anyone know how to grow a monkey puzzle tree from seed? I picked up a few seeds, they are huge! I planted a couple in compost in a heated propagator, but nothing has happened. Any ideas anyone?

Bottoms up Girls!

It has been a lovely springlike day today, so I thought I would let the girls out for an hour or two to have a wander around the garden. This is Rosie enjoying a dust bath. She needs it too, she had a little mishap in the week which caused a little trauma to her comb. It kept bleeding, and the other girls wouldn't leave it alone, so there was rather a lot of blood everywhere! I had to ring Ronald Grover, the chicken man, and he told me to clean the wound, and to put an antiseptic ointment on her comb and to isolate her overnight! Have you ever tried to put sudocrem on a nervous chickens comb!! Not the easiest of tasks, but the treatment worked and next morning she was back with her girlie friends! That day she laid the biggest egg I have ever seen!!

OMG!

So today I thought she deserved a treat, so I let all the girls out for a while,

This is Peggy, looking for tasty treats,

and Lucy, my favourite already, such a calm bird and so pretty. The three amigos having a whale of a time going through the compost bin!!

Bottoms up Girls!