Gardening in the cold

We've had another polar blast come in from the south. Over the last few days, the balmy glimpse of summer we were enjoying has disappeared, and now there is snow on the back hills again. Brrrrr!

No snow where we are, but touches of white ice the top of nearby hills, and it is too cold to garden. I'm checking no pots have fallen over in the wind, and that's about it.

Despite this, I realised it was time for a garden update.

First casualty

Chuck Norris, my super survivor lettuce, is dying.

Chuck dying, but Son Of Chuck can be seen to the left of the frame.

I can't even blame myself for his untimely demise. Despite the fact that Chuck is so fast he can run around the world and punch himself in the back of the head, he was no match for a two year old insistent on dragging him around by the stem.

But! Wait! What can I see next to him? Yes, it is! Look closely in the photo, and you can see that Chuck may live on in his super-spawn! Son Of Chuck is growing and spreading primary leaves in the corner of Chuck's pot. Which proves - nothing is tougher than Chuck. Not even a preschooler!



Expanding varieties and species

Apart from Chuck, everything is doing well. My strawberries are all flowering, the comfrey, elephant garlic, rocket and garlic have all doubled in size, and the raspberries are going bananas, if such a thing is possible.


The garlic has doubled in size.

I've added to the garden since my last post. I now have three varieties of raspberry growing, I've doubled my strawberries, and I've added to my blueberry numbers too.


The raspberry is getting pretty big!

The seedling nursery in the kitchen windowsills seems to be doing well. I swear I can see the tiny leaves of tomatoes, lettuces and cucumbers starting to make their way above the soil. No sign of the pumpkin yet. I really need to start keeping lists of the species I'm growing too, because I'm forgetting already which is which.

Buying seeds online

I've been buying seeds online, and as soon as the current load of seedlings is out in the fresh air, the next load will go in. Our problem is space - I've run out of windowsills, and the weather is just too wild for direct sowing of tomatoes and suchlike yet.

Online, I've bought Kamo Kamo pumpkin seeds and a microgreen mix, and am looking forward to sowing them. The nasturtiums and echinacea seeds are on their way in the post as we speak. I've still to go get some strawberry runners that have been very kindly offered to me by another blogger. All of them will grow inside, and be transferred outside when they're at least an inch or two tall.


Heirloom rocket, doubled in size the last week, despite the cold.

Our last frost in these parts is supposed to be September 20th, but we were frosty yesterday morning (the 24th) and it has been so cold that I wouldn't be surprised to see another frosty morning tomorrow. I'm not game to risk my seedlings outside yet, so they're on the windows, soaking up the warmth.
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