Onions, Potatoes, Gooseberries

We've had a day of mixed maintenance (that's probably the best way to put it). The first of the summer onions (Fen Early) have collapsed, which means they're ready to lift, so up they've come. They're not particularly big, unfortunately, and there's only about 65 (I planted 100 sets), but there you go. I think the cats walk over that corner of the beds, which probably hasn't helped them.

The cats' garden skills are not impressive: Chess 'incubating' seeds (© Ian 2012–13)

They went onto a rack in the wood-shelter (a great secondary use for it!), replacing the Radar onions which came up three weeks ago. The garlic is probably also dry, when I have time to plait it.

We then put stakes in alongside the Brussels sprouts and kale (which don't like getting rocked by wind, of which we get plenty), and planted out some spare January King cabbages. I sowed a tray of Frostie spring cabbages earlier in the week, which will fill that bed.

These went straight in where the second early potatoes, Kestrel, had been, which we lifted his morning. They've yielded about 15kg, which makes them slightly more productive than the Lady Christl. Fortunately, they show no sign of blackleg, which lost us about a quarter of the Lady Christl tubers shortly after lifting.

After that, we had a mammoth fruit picking session: I've picked the rest of the gooseberries (barring a few handfuls), and Liz collected another big bowlful of blackcurrants. There's still the same again to ripen, and many more blueberries, which are gradually colouring up.

Once we'd had lunch, we planted a few things in the copse bed: our hydrangea (H. aborescens) 'Haye's Starburst', the three heucheras we bought at Tatton Park, and another that we had previously, along with a handful of stipa (S. tenuissima), a winter box, and a 'Pink Lemonade' blueberry (which has pink coloured fruits). Two more pinkberries went into the quince bed, which already has heucheras, stipas, and winter box, which means the two beds should feel coordinated.

Lastly, we've started clearing a few spots in the long border, taking up spent foxgloves and Lady's Mantle, in order to make room for the other perennials from Tatton Park: we hope to get them in the ground next weekend.