Spring Sowings

I bought some Yorkshire forced rhubarb this week. Early stems of rhubarb are sweeter and contain more water than those picked later in the year. Well worth the extra cost for just a few bowls of lovely, sweet rhubarb.
It annoys me therefore, that Sainsburys and Waitrose are selling forced rhubarb which comes from Holland! Grrrrr! The best rhubarb comes from Yorkshire!
A sad sight awaited me when I went into my garden shed this week. My seed potatoes were unable to cope with the freezing temperatures we've had in the past few weeks. These Rocket early potatoes are soft and mushy. Fortunate that I hadn't bought any others yet, I will be replacing them in the next few days. Varieties will be Epicure, Rocket and Red Duke of York.
I planted my first seeds in a heated propagator in the greenhouse this week. I have always wanted to try growing Pot Leeks. This year, I have been able to obtain some F1 Cairngorm pot leek seeds. Pot leeks have a much thicker shaft (Oooh Matron!) whereas blanch leeks have longer thinner shafts.
Chilli seeds are best planted as early as possible. As long as you can protect them from extreme temperatures they appreciate a much longer growing season. These Black Pearl Chilli were given to me last year by a very kind fellow blogger, as part of my Black veggie collection.
I haven't grown these Joe's Long chillis for a few years either. These are a hot Cayenne pepper, the plants can grow 4 or 5 feet tall, and the chillis can reach 10 or 12 inches long.
Here are some that I grew a few years ago, they ripen to a stunning scarlet red. They made fantastic Christmas decorations strung together. At last the growing season has begun.