Here we go again! It’s that time of the year when work starts in the garden all over again. It’s no different to farms across the country, with ploughing and sowing slowly getting underway where ground conditions permit.

The terrible snow of a few weeks ago certainly held things up. However, spring is a busy time and we hope the weather will be kinder from now on. We deserve to get a good year after a few really bad ones.

Gardeners and farmers depend on rain and it needs to be favourable throughout the seasons. We cannot do without rain at the right time, especially during the growing season. We especially need warmth to get the soil ready for planting. Warmth also helps dry out the soil, but not too much. You need to watch this in the garden, particularly with young seedlings and plants that have been transplanted.

I love when the springtime comes and I can get out into the garden and get things sorted and going again after looking at it all winter long.

Remember: you are never too young to have a love of gardening, even if it is just a few flowers in a bed to tend or some patio pots. Getting out into the fresh air is the best tonic, so if you want to be happy for life, be a gardener.

Back in the garden, the first job to do is to use the garden cultivator to get the soil stirred up so it can dry to a fine tilth before anything can be done. Sam usually gets this job, as some plots need to be dug deeper than others.

Once this job is done it is easier to open and make up drills and ridges when they are needed, as during the growing season different plants and seeds need sowing.

Most of the seeds have been sown indoors in containers under glass and in some heat. The tomatoes were sown mid-January and are nice, strong plants now. They are ready to plant out in our little glasshouse.

Cauliflower, cabbage, scallions, lettuce and some flower seeds were also sown in the glasshouse, as when the sun shines the glasshouse gets it all day. They are almost ready to plant out – but a lot still depends on the weather.

It is a good time to check seed potatoes, as the early varieties are sown in March. The soil is still very wet from all the snow and rain, so it’s time enough to be sowing peas and beans as, if sown now, they would only rot in the ground.

So to my readers, get the wellies out and make plans for the coming season.

Good gardening for 2018. CL

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