We can all now look forward to increasing day length until the middle of June. With increasing daylight and warmth from the sun, plants will be encouraged to start their new season’s growth. Most plants need warm soil conditions to grow, a few plants like snowdrops, crocus, daffodils are already showing signs of growth.
Although there is little garden activity here at Bell Plantation we are as busy as ever getting ready for, hopefully, a busy spring. Last year the sun didn’t really shine until the end of April, we are obviously hoping this year that spring comes early.
Our seed potatoes arrive at the end of this week, so you gardeners that like to chit your potatoes – they will be available early next week.
As we speak Freddie is having a meeting with a potential new kitchen supplier. As you may or may not know, we received planning permission to build a new kitchen and retail area on the site of our existing glasshouses. We hope to occupy this new building by the end of this year.
Luke, one of my other sons, and his team are currently building a new poultry area adjacent to our new plant area. We are constructing new pens for hybrid hens, ducks, quail etc. We are also going to install breeding pens for rare breed poultry.
I hope you enjoy our smooth new surface in the courtyard. We now have a smooth car park, smooth courtyard, smooth shop and by March Luke should deliver us smooth paths in the plant and poultry area, shouldn’t you Luke?
Long cold dark evenings are a great time to plan imagine the great gardening days ahead.
Have fun
Ashley
Ashley Warren
Ashley Warren has lived and loved horticulture and agriculture all his life; he had his first greenhouse at the age of 10 and his first cow when he was 16. He started landscaping in 1984 mainly in Milton Keynes and then all over the country. He moved to Daventry Road Farmhouse in 1987 and has developed Bell Plantation Garden Centre in Towcester, Northants over the last 30 years.
