One Frosty Morning....

Baby lambs surround us in the fields and I am delighted by them. Their first few days, when they are so wobbly and dependant is a magical time.  There is such a peace surrounding the new mums as they chew the cud in the evening sunshine, their lambs lying peacefully at their sides. Pastoral and idyllic. Then within days the fun begins! Growing sturdier and more vocal by the minute our lambs are now careering about like anything, playing 'King of the Castle' on the hummocks of grass and tearing about in much the same wild madness that kittens experience - play fighting, chasing and posturing. The mums look a bit less peaceful, slightly more ruffled, taking it in turns to 'watch over' the crowd of young hooligans....

Frost on cabbages - we had one very cold night last week and the Patch was covered in frost. The broad beans seemed as if they were playing musical statues, all growth stopped and held in limbo until the sun's warmth could be felt and they could return to forming their pods, white flowers undamaged. The sun was warm and the cabbages were so beautiful with the light behind them I could not stop taking photos...

Bronze tipped and crinkled leaves literally glowed in front of me...so beautiful.

This one is hearting up nicely! We have already had a couple of these Spring Hero cabbages, but as they grow their hearts they will be even sweeter. This is the time of year that I want cabbage, when there is less else to eat from the Patch.

The first spear of asparagus is poking through its mulch of manure and straw! What a sight. I planted ten crowns of Glinjim Asparagus last April and it was tantalising to see the shoots come up, turn into ferns and not be able to pick any! This year we will be allowed to pick a few for three weeks, next year for up to six weeks and the year after that for a full eight week season. I can't wait to taste them!

So beautiful with the melting frost still clinging to the rosy tip. I put down some slug pellets when I saw this...the little blighters live in the mulch and this is too precious a prize for them...

Meanwhile back in the cosy greenhouse the frost goes unnoticed....seedlings continue to thrive. Here is a Gros Vert de Laon artichoke getting sturdier by the minute. I have sown a whole lot more as germination has been a bit sporadic. I am looking for six seedlings of the three varieties, Gros Vert de Laon (an old French variety), Violetta di Chioggia (purple Italian) and Green Globe Improved. They probably won't all fruit so I want to have enough.
Within an hour the frost had disappeared and the sun shone all day. I am glad I caught its beauty with the camera.