Seeds growing everywhere!

I've broken my camera but couldn't do a post without pics so these are from my garden last week. I'd already planted potatoes and shallots in the garden before we got the field htis was a week ago and now they are twice that size.

You can just see the shoots of one of the shallots here next to my Jerusalem Artichokes, these have spread from one left in the ground last year.

Down in the field we have put up a fence of 1'' chicken wire to, hopefully, keep the rabbits out. I've planted my rainbow chard, garlic and broad beans and sowed lettuce, radish, rocket and chive seeds. At the weekend I'll be planting the courgettes, squash, marrow and tomatoes as I've hardened them off at home the last few days. I'll also be putting up the bean row but I won't put the beans in until June, they're about 6 inches high now so should be just right by then. Today I've potted on my sweetcorn, brocolli, cabbage and sprouts, there was rather a lot of them! All the other seeds, apart from the peas, are coming along nicely and my house resembles a garden centre! I'm hoping to get a new camera at the weekend so I can take some more pics especially as there's a beautiful pheasant who comes fairly close by and watches us.

Another photo from my garden, gorgeous gooseberries, not ripe enough yet though.

In comes the JCB!

A couple of problems with our little patch - number 1 it's a mainly unused field so it's rather overgrown, number 2 there is an abundance of greedy rabbits in the vicinity! Luckily number 1 was sorted last night. We happen to know a man with a JCB who very kindly cleared the area and dug two 9ft by 32ft strips out for us, he did it so well that we have no need to rotovate yay!!

The soil is beautiful and apparently very good for growing, so no excuses then, that's if the rabbits don't get the veg first.

Lily has inspected the soil and is looking forward to digging it, hopefully with a spade not her hands next time.

And problem number 2 - well we'll try and stop the rabbits with a chicken wire fence and I'm trying to research any other deterents but I think they are the bane of many an allotment holders life!

These are the 'neigh'bours so I don't think there will be much gossiping going on at this allotment. There are also 20 ish chickens kept at the other end of the field so plenty of company.

The beautiful bluebell hedge.

A friend popped in today with these plants - tomatoes, cucumber, basil, coriander, chilli and aubergine, all of which I hadn't sown already so that was very handy.

And all of my seedlings have had a growth spurt in the last few days and will really need to be planted soon.

The beginning

Although we live in the North Cornwall countryside we have a very small garden so for the past few years we have been trying to buy a field to use as an allotment and to keep chickens in. But this was to no avail as the farmers either don't want to sell or they want astronomical prices for it! Luckily for me, last weekend a lady we know offered to lend us a field. So now it's all systems go, it needs to be dug over and plants need to be in very soon. This will be my diary so that I can look back and see what worked/didn't work.

Courgettes

Butternut Squash

Broad beans

Luckily I have many plants growing as I always manage to squeeze alot into my tiny garden now they will have plenty of room.

No I'm not planning on keeping sheep but I couldn't resist taking this pic on route to the field. At the weekend I will hopefully remember to take some pictures of the field.