Planting Out

This weekend has been the warmest and sunniest this year. It has been ideal weather for working in the garden, so I have planted out the greenhouse and the raised beds.
This year I have removed some of the beds from the greenhouse and that has given me better access to them. I have also removed the old soil and replaced it with sterile compost. The tomatoes are in and I have lots of lettuce plants, all grown from seed this year. There is also radish, cucumber and spinach. As the plants are harvested, more will be planted out. Pots of unusual tomatoes and edible flowers are still to be added on the other side of the greenhouse.
The raised beds are essential since the soil in our garden is pot clay. We already have established beds with Gooseberry, Blackcurrant, Rhubarb and Raspberry. The two larger beds have been planted with seasonal vegetables. To plant out the potatoes I ridge the soil and plant in the furrows. as they grow, I will pull the ridged soil over the plants to increase the crop yield. The other bed is marked out with sticks. Carrot, parsnip and beetroot are overcropped with seedling lettuce and cabbage. They top crops will be harvested whilst the under crop seedlings are still very small. I have one corner with French beans and another reserved for my courgette plants, which are still indoors until I am sure that the last frost has passed.
It is satisfying to have the crops in the ground.