Bees and Broccoli

 Regular readers will know that 'Matron does not do flowers' but there are exceptions to every rule.  It is becoming increasingly important to encourage bees and pollinating insects, so I always leave some of my veggies to go to flower.  The bees just adore these Broccoli flowers.  Just leaving 4 or 5 plants to go to flower with the last little florets creates a whole row of thousands of lovely flowers.  You can do the same with most veggies.  Leeks and Parsnips do particularly well in flower.

 Meanwhile my Gooseberry Invicta bushes are showing signs of life too.

 and my potatoes are up too!  The soil has been warming up nicely over the past few weeks, and although Good Friday is traditionally the time to plant potatoes, Easter has been late this year so I popped them in a few weeks ago.  Did you know that a traditional way that farmers used to test if the soil was warmed up was to pull down their trousers and sit their bare bottom on the soil to see how warm it was!  You will be glad to know I don't do that!   We've had some lovely rain this weekend, so they are going great guns at the moment.  This little one is Red Duke of York.

 Peas planted in toilet rolls are well away now.  I need to plant them out because the root systems are now coming out the bottom of the tray.

Tomato seedlings are doing well too.  Mainly in the greenhouse, but I take them outside during warm days to gradually start the hardening off process.