A day or so ago the Moneymaker tomato plants stood about eight inches tall and looked in fine fettle. Seed sown in late February, they were ready for planting out in one of the raised beds in the new garden in the churchyard.
I showed them to Kristy in the greenhouse last week, who agreed that they were ready and I was to take them to the garden next Saturday. Early this week I took the tray of pots out into the garden to harden up. Snd with the odd shower of light rain, I thought this would do them a power of good. What could I have been thinking?
Now why did I not listen to the late Farmer Rudge! I can see him now, in his check cloth cap or trilby, with his farmer’s outer garment and his wellie boots, waging a finger at me as he reminded me that the earliest you should plant out young stuff is the 19th of May when the last frosts will have been and gone. Not before. No, not never!
Last night, Wednesday 26th April 2017, we had a frost - not a heavy one but a light smattering. This morning, ere it was light, I was down the garden in my jim-jams and summer dressing gown (and it was mighty cold, I can tell you, but we gardeners have to suffer for our craft!). There was a warm sun so I put the tray near the house with the sun on the plants. They did look a bit sad in places. They are now back in the greenhouse and I hope they will survive. Some of the top leaves are a slight bit black but in the main I think they might just pull through. I gave them a few encouraging words - as you do - and I will go down again later to apologise and to chat them up a bit more. (If you have the time to do the same, please call round.)
Why did I not listen to Farmer Rudge, I ask myself? Even at Matthews Plants on Tuesday (when Linda and I went to suss out things for the May Day Plant Stall) there are notices everywhere warning of frosts.
See what you make of them here - the second shot is of Minibel and Tumbling Tom Tomato plants which will stay in the greenhouse till the 19th of May - come what may! And there are two more trays of these below!
The cuttings in Vermiculite are doing well, the wildflower garden is coming to life, the lavenders and herbs are now bedded down on their refurbished logs and the Arum lily is starting to bud!
Regards - with my tail-between-my-legs and my head-bowed-in-shame!
