As we settle into February, Clare’s Farm is in the grip of winter’s final stretch. The fields are wet and muddy, and the air is sharp and cold. Everywhere, life feels dormant. Our animals are feeling it too – there’s no fresh grass yet, so they are subsisting on hay, day in and day out. I’m keeping their hay racks full, but I know they’re craving that first taste of new green shoots.
Despite the seeming stillness, the promise of Spring is quietly stirring. Beneath the sodden ground, roots are feeling their way out and above ground leaf and flower buds will soon burst through. This is the time of year when I turn my attention to the garden, looking at its bare bones and planning for the season ahead.
One of the biggest challenges I faced last year, and continue to grapple with, is the relentless presence of moles. They’re a persistent problem in the vegetable garden, tunnelling through beds and disturbing roots. This year, I’m considering putting in a barrier around the vegetable patch – something to discourage their digging where it causes the most disruption. Outside of that area, perhaps its time to find a way to live alongside them.
Meanwhile, I’ve jumped ahead of my schedule and sown my first seeds of the year – tomatoes, aubergines, chillies, peppers and zinnias, along with some hardy annuals. Normally, I’d wait until mid February but the urge to get growing was too strong to resist.
So, while the fields are still quiet and the animals wait patiently for Spring, there’s plenty to be done in them garden. The season of growth is just around the corner, and preparation is key. I always find that when faced with a mountain of tasks, its best to tackle the one that weighs heaviest on your mind. For me, it’s moles. What’s your biggest gardening challenge as we head into Spring?