April - a bit of spring sumshine

Our hens have started to lay loads of eggs, there was 13 today.

It's been pretty hot in the poly-tunnel over the last few days, the vine has started to bud and today some of the leaves had come out.

Tomato seedlings.

I think this is Mizuna which is a salad crop.

Baby courgette plants

Something has been getting into the poly-tunnel and digging around in the trays? Its not one of our ducks, we have made it impossible for them to get in.

Little borage plants.

Some of our plants have suffered in the heat today, hopefully they will recover over-night.

Apple blossom, just ready to burst.

Some spring planters.

Some blossom in our little orchard.

One of our new plants in the sensory garden, just starting to bud.

Spring daffodils and tulips.

Our spring raised bed in front of our classroom.

 

Seedlings and a nest of duck eggs

Tomato seedlings potted on from trays - we are trying a few different varieties this year.

Cucumber seedlings.

Sweetcorn seedlings, at the moment they look quite like little blades of grass.

Potting some herbs inside the poly-tunnel.

Little bay cuttings, which have been potted up.

Our poly-tunnel is beginning to look rather full already.  We have had some cold days recently - but on Friday it was about 30 degrees.

Our hens enjoying a variety of fresh produce discarded by a local supermarket.  They love the fresh salad bags, cherry tomatoes and strawberries.  Sprouts, carrots and broccoli tend to be eaten last!

Our purple sprouting broccoli is just beginning to form little florets and should be ready for picking very soon.

The ducks have started to use the duck house, they have been sleeping outside all through the winter.  We found a nest today with three eggs inside - all cold, so the ducks are not ready to try and hatch any eggs just yet.

Building sheds and watching things grow.

Our potatoes have been put into a box to 'chit' in the light - we will plant them in the soil in a few weeks.  One of our students watered them by mistake - so they have all been carefully dried, hopefully they won't go mouldy. 

The Scholarship shed under construction - the walls are up.

The doors are on - it just needs a roof.

The finished shed, complete with roof, felting and a storage box for the scholarship equipment.  The student should now be able to access their tools next to their raised beds.

We were also lucky enough to be given a damaged shed from B&Q, it was destined for the skip, a bit of TLC from our Technology teacher and it will be as good as new.

Last year's wild-flowers have been moved onto the compost heap - the ducks enjoyed eating all of the seeds.

Our ducks had been hiding their eggs underneath the straw in their house - they are not nesting yet as they leave the eggs during the day.  We are thinking of trying to hatch some when the weather warms up.

Our ducks have been very naughty the past few days, we have had them in the garden for about 6 months and they have never tried to escape - 5 times today they squeezed underneath the perimeter fence and waddled out into the car park and the football pitch.

Our little orchard - the fruit trees are just beginning to bud.

Primulas for Mothers Day

The Primulas were potted up into re-cycled tin cans and were sold to students on one of our stalls.

Miniature tulips growing in the poly-tunnel - these were planted by students when they were learning about co-ordinates.

The forced rhubarb.

Seeds germinating in the poly-tunnel

Borage seems to be growing really well

Okra and onion sets.

Tomatoes potted on inside EPICC

Cucumbers and baby chilli plants

The sweetcorn has germinated really fast this year.

Herbs - the herbs have been taken out of the raised beds and put into pots.  We need the room for all the plants we have germinating in the poly-tunnel and inside EPICC.

Small Bay plants.

The Scholarship group have been working the soil in their raised beds, top soil has been raked smooth.

Students have been learning how to use a garden line to ensure that rows are planted straight.