Easter weekend

A good weekend, by and large.  Kenneth came home from university for the holidays and five weeks study leave.  (Five weeks!)  It was good to have him home, and before long the house was buzzing with his music.  Really, that boy's musical taste just gets better and better - and more eclectic. The Who, New Order, Grace Jones, KC and the sunshine band. Johnny Cash, Tears for Fears, Bobby Dylan and Asia were just some of the artists regaling us from his playlist. 
I made some hot cross buns (how did that snake like spiral one get in there?) - really, these must have been the slowest hot cross buns ever.  I used Andrew Whitley's recipe from Bread Matters, which involves starting a ferment, then rising the dough, then proving the buns, then baking.  We did manage to eat them for a late supper snack on Good Friday, but they were worth waiting for.  That slow fermented taste is so superior to anything you would buy.  I'll just make sure I calculate the timings a bit better next time.

Into the garden on Saturday and got the potatoes planted.  Don't they look gorgeous sitting there in the earth with their strong dark shoots sprouting? - like breasts of the Great Mother herself.
We planted International Kidney, Orla and Maris Peer.  All earlies or second earlies, as I don't have decent storage to keep maincrop tatties in the winter.  Also, the local organic box company provide excellent spuds to keep us going then.  I started off trying to dib them in, but the ground was too heavy, so I ended up digging trenches, which was  much quicker and easier.
Traditionally in Scotland, Good Friday is the day to plant potatoes.  This contrasts very much with the Biodynamic way which says no planting of any kind should be done over the 3 days of Easter.  It always puts me in a bit of a dilemma, as I do like the Biodynamic idea, but I am lucky to be able to get out at all some days, never mind plant or hoe things at specified times. As for spending 2 hours stirring my liquid feed - much as I would like to, I just have to take my chances.  The Scottish tradition is really because Good Friday was the bank holiday (not Easter Monday) and would be the only spring day folk would have to get their potatoes in.

So here we are now - back into the swing of things.  The garden is fenced off from the hens now, so lots of seed sowing can go on.  Many little shoots are up already in the greenhouse - brassicas, peas, chard, spinach beans and lettuces.  The pumpkins, peppers and chillis are through in the propagator, and the tomatoes are looking strong.  I have lots more seeds to sow this coming week, including an exciting old kale!
Do you think I need to get out more?  Maybe - come on, lets have a  dance!



 Easter Blessings. xxx