Well, what an extraordinary spring it’s been! Wall-to-wall sunshine here on Dartmoor, and not a whisper of the usual late frosts. It’s the kind of weather you dream about all winter—but, as ever, nature has its balance. While the skies have been blue, the rain has been all but absent. So although the grass is growing where the animals aren’t nibbling it down, it’s not growing quite as it should. It means I’m still keeping a close eye on the ponies, Mooney, the donkeys, and the sheep to make sure no one’s going hungry. Grass is life here, and without rain, it’s slow to come.
Still, with the danger of frost finally behind us, the garden gates have burst open. Everything can now go in! Summer bedding plants, zinnias, courgettes, sweet corn, runner beans—they’re all ready for the soil. The vegetable garden may still technically be in the “hungry gap,” that awkward pause between the end of winter crops and the arrival of summer gluts, but you can almost taste what’s coming.
The broad beans I planted back in the autumn have overwintered beautifully and are now podding up nicely. The first carrots are on their way, and the new potatoes are swelling in the ground. It won’t be long before the very first harvest: a plate of baby carrots, tender new broad beans, and buttery new potatoes. A meal worth waiting for.
In the greenhouse, the tomatoes are flowering and starting to set fruit, and the cucumbers are catching up fast. I’m practically counting the days until I can start eating them at every meal.
Outside, the sheep are feeling lighter now they’ve been shorn of their winter fleeces, and the ponies are just about ready to be turned out onto the open moor. Soon they’ll be galloping across the vast green stretches of Dartmoor National Park, enjoying their freedom and the wide horizon.
If you’re growing along with me, remember to keep up the sowing—little and often. Successional sowing is key, especially with things like lettuce, carrots, and sweet corn. That way, when you’ve eaten the first crop, the next one isn’t far behind.
Now’s also the time to sow your winter brassicas—Brussels sprouts especially, as they take their time. Autumn broccoli should be planted now too, if you haven’t done so already. If you can get hold of plug plants, pop them in now—but don’t forget to net them! Use a mesh with holes no larger than 7 millimetres to keep out the cabbage white butterflies. If they get in, you’ll be squashing caterpillars all summer—a miserable and never-ending job.
And if you’re planting carrots and you’ve had trouble with carrot fly in your area (they can absolutely decimate a crop), you’ll need to protect them too. Use a fine carrot-fly fleece, ideally draped over hoops to keep it off the plants. It’s a bit of faff but well worth it for a clean, fly-free crop.
So while we all bask in this glorious weather, don’t forget to water—everything. Especially any bare-root trees or hedging you planted over winter. Without regular watering, they’ll really struggle to get established. And though you may not be needing to cut the lawn as often (a silver lining!), the lack of rain is starting to show on the pasture, so here’s hoping for a good soaking soon—for the animals’ sake if nothing else.
Lastly, keep an eye on Donkey Works—we’ve got some really exciting new products just around the corner. Watch this space.
Enjoy every minute of the sunshine, keep sowing, keep watering, and protect those crops.
Until next time, from all of us at Clare’s Farm.
Regards, Clare Cooke