Garden Update: St Patrick's Day

It's too early in the season to plant seeds in the ground - at least, here in Ireland. But it's St Patrick's day, and as the proverb says, Patrick turns the stone. The weather should start to warm up now, and we move into the new growing year. (It's no accident that the second half of March was traditionally New Year in European cultures.)

But the ground is warm enough for some of the perennial crops to start springing back to life. Wild garlic is showing through the mess of last year's foliage, and the prostrate rosemary is covered in delicate pale-blue flowers. The chives in the herb bed are vividly green and springy (though the parsley and marjoram look a bit the worse for wear...

A few things have been started under cover, and hopefully now that the stone's turned they can be planted out soon. Here are some lettuces just germinated.

Hopefully the peas, beans, courgettes, and cucumbers that I sowed at the same time will germinate shortly. And garlic planted at the start of the winter is promising a good crop.

Another role for St Patrick in the garden is to signal the planting of the early potatoes. It's too wet today, but I'll get some into grow-bags in the next day or two. In Irish tradition, spuds planted on Paddy's Day will be ready to lift on the Twelfth of July.

And the early rhubarb is coming on in leaps and bounds.

That will soon be ready to take a stalk or two for a crumble - and the rest harvested for winemaking.

Roll on summer!