Here we are extending the vegetable garden. P. removed the top layer of grass (after the man came to repair the hydraulics on the Avant) but it's solid clay underneath.  So, we need to improve the soil: sand, compost, manure... lots of. 

Butternut Squash Sprinter F1, sown 29.March, indoors
Squash Uchiki Kuri; sown 29 March, indoors
Pumpkin Small Sugar, sown 29 March, indoors

Also:  Tagetes (to keep the carrot fly off - and for the colour they add to the vegetable garden)

We are not planning to grow many large pumpkins this year.  One or two plants is all we need because they do look nice on the the market stall and even the supermarkets are quite keen to buy them for display in the autumn.  But, in our experience, few people are interested in buying them to eat.

Time to get started.  

This year I am trying a couple of new things: globe artichokes from seed.  I am hoping they are hardy enough to survive the nordic winter, they are perennial plants so seeds from this year should produce globes next year, maybe a few small ones in late summer this year.  We are going to extend the vegetable garden so I will put them in a permanent position, probably next to the rhubarb where I used to put the jerusalem artichokes.

The other new thing will be aubergines.  They will go in growbags in the polytunnel.  I don't think they store well (though I can always make ratatouille and freeze that), so I'll experiment with half a dozen plants.

I have also sown some sprouts.  A bit of a waste of time, I have never had much success with brassicas, but it's so nice to have a few for Christmas and they look so weird sticking out of the snow in November, December! 

So far:

Aubergine Moneymaker No2 F1 sown 10th March, indoors
Artichoke Green Globe sown 10th March, indoors
Brussels sprouts Jade Cross F1 sown 22nd March, indoors
Basil sown 22nd March, indoors 

It would have been the perfect day for raising the plastic over the polytunnel frame, but being a Thursday we didn't have enough pairs of arms to help us.  The sooner we get the polytunnel up again the better, the ground will heat up quicker and we will gain a week or two in the growing season for the butternut squash.  

P has fixed permanent plastic doors at either end of the tunnel.  This will help us to control the temperature and also keep the wind from gusting through. 

By the way, we still have about half a dozen butternut squash left over from last autumn.  We had some roasted a few days ago and they taste as good as ever!   What an amazing vegetable.

We still have parsnips and carrots in the root cellar and a few French beans in the freezer, and strawberries.