A warm spring day...for a while.

Today was a lovely spring day for the most part.  It started off cool, not to say cold, with the pair of us out in the tunnel in lots of layers of clothing.  As the morning progressed, however, we had to remove many those layers as it became quite warm indoors.

Today was a leaf day and the plan was to reinstate the repaired soil-warming cable and continue our sowings.  On top of this, I wanted to check to see if there was any life in the moribund Moringa.  This had continued to sport green shoots throughout the winter, despite not being looked after.

The repaired soil-warming cables were duly switched on.  This makes them more pliable and allows them to be manipulated into the desired pattern.  In places, they had to be pinned down to keep them from springing up out of the sand.  Once the were re-interred, I watered the sand and rolled back the plastic cover.  I set the thermostat for 40 degrees C for starters, just to get the table warmed.  At the end of the day, I turned the dial back round to 23, or so.

First job done, we checked for new germinations in the chilli propagator.  Cajamarca, Numex Vacquero and Orange Habanero are all on their way.

Naga Jolokia germinated from our own seeds.

We spent a while sowing the free Mazur lettuce that DT Brown sent us, broccoli, calabrese, Hispi cabbage and two red varieties. Clary Sage seeds gleaned from healthy-looking plants in a medieval garden in Saint Antonin Noble-Val during our holiday in September were sown, three to a module, in a strip of ten modules.

Once enough sowing had been done, we started on rosemaries.  T had taken cuttings in June which had all produced healthy new plants.  They've now been potted on.

New rosemary plants from eight month old cuttings

Tricia also took fresh cuttings from rosemary and two varieties of lavender.

The Moringa incidentally looks moribund indeed.  I'm not sure I'd right it off altogether, all the same, as it's a remarkable plant.

When the sun went in after lunch, it became quite cold.  The range has been stacked up and the wee stove lit for the evening.  Keeping toasty warm.

Before I clock off, here are a couple more progress pics.

This year's first broad beans

Inside the tomato propagator.