Orla planted, Colleen to follow

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“Orla planted in rt. bed” we scribbled in our wee gardening notebook the day before yesterday, before hastily adding “potatoes!” to the line, just in case anyone thinks we are up to a spot of skullduggery.
We are putting the orlas into the polytunnel, and the Colleens will be planted into one of the vegetable beds, probably later today. We will also try with carrots – again! – having had nothing but a dismal series of failures with them over the years, including one year when our mighty harvest amounted to a single carrot. Still, we have unquestionably happy slugs and blissfully well-fed carrot fly. Fortunately, they don't go for the purple-sprouting broccoli, which has produced a fine early spring crop.
Anyone who wants to know how to do this planting thing properly should get along to Hosford's Garden centre this Sunday, April 6th, for the Slow Food afternoon, when John Hosford will show kids just how easy it is to plant and grow pumpkins, courgettes, peas and tomatoes. Denis Cotter of Café Paradiso cuts the ribbon at 2pm, before demonstrating some of his delectable dishes.