... greater than spuds ...

Having seen how wonderful the double dug and well manured soil now looks and feels we are moving away from our policy of "spuds and only spuds" to a multi-culture of ... peas (Kelvedon Wonder), broad beans (Masterpiece Green Long Pod), spinach beet (Perpetual), sweetcorn (Kelvedon Glory), parsnip (Improved Hollow Crowned), beetroot (Boltardy), cabbage (Ormskirk Late), brussels sprouts (Wellington), pumpkin (Invincible), cougette (Jaguar) and nasturtium (Dwarf Compact). Hopefully not biting ogg more than we can chew in the processs.

So this weekend Matty, Olly and Johnty will be getting busy with making newspaper plant pots and getting this little lot to germinate on windowsills across the whole house.

... triple diggers equinox ...

A totally wonderful day of housebreaking back breaking work in glorious early Spring sunshine.

Many thanks to all those that turned up to sing, dance, dig, pray, litter pick, cook and crowbar their way into the unopenable outhouse.

We managed to plant 13 Pentland Javelin potatoes (one for every week before we all meet again at the Summer), and all planted, covered, banked up, watered and top dressed in the time it took us to sing all 12 verses of the Diggers' Song, which is quite some time.

We also managed to dig half of another circle. But this time it wasn't double digging but triple digging. Dig 1 = 6 inches of topsoil. Dig 2 = 4 inches of brick and builder's rubble. Dig 3 = very heavy clay. Which could lead one to wonder if it is really all worth it. The answer is a resounding yes. The soil in the bed we planted in was double dug back in November, and now it's wonderfully crumbly, moist and full of worm. Wonderful stuff.

A beautiful day. Some even had time to stand around modelling this season's knitwear.

CLICK PICS TO ENLARGE

... we are almost ready to plant ...

On Saturday 21st March it's the Spring Equinox and time to plant our first crops of the year. At the moment when our journey around the sun and our tilted planet give us 12 hours of night and 12 hours of day we will be entrusting our first 12 potatoes to the soil. 6 Charlottes and 6 Pentland Javelins a few prayers and some singing and dancing and then we wait. In 13 weeks (another quarter of a circuit - and hopefully right on the Summer Solstice) we may be eating our first spud feast.

If you'd like to join us on Saturday, and are prepared to get your hands dirty, email me johnty7@hotmail.com