Easter

Easter was spent either gardening or out and about around Cheshire with the buggy and a picnic. The best day was at Tatton Park for their Alice in Wonderland event (an obsession of mine).

Since getting my allotment this is the first time that I had revisited the kitchen gardens at Tatton so with a head full of vegetables I whooped and skipped around marvelling and informing Daddy Bird of all my new found knowledge.

I'd love one of these even though I don't think I'd use it for fear of weakening the plant. My crowns of rhubarb at the plot have suffered after being moved in the reshuffle and are half the size they should be. This year I'm not harvesting any sticks and nurturing it. Grandad Bird has rhubarb on his plot that's absolutely massive so I'm relying on his generosity.

Obviously it's still early in the season so there was little to see but I loved the raised beds with their lovely rows of lettuce, radish, spring onions and beetroot.

I'm also growing turnips (Purple Top Milan) at my plot, part of the brassica family and as I've found out with my radishes are prone to Flea Beetle - even those at Tatton. However, up to now they have not affected the root, just the leaves. Apparently they prefer radish so if you chuck a line of them in alongside your other brassicas they should just munch circular holes in the radish. I am now trying this experiment.

For the last couple of years in my garden we have made a scarecrow for the pure fun of it and this year will be no exception. Tatton's kitchen garden had a few jolly ones dotted about and I particularly like this one with a plant pot for a head.

Hope you all had a great Easter.