The great chilli give-away

With the chilli plants rapidly overrunning the house it was time to thin their numbers. So friends, family, colleagues and even random passer-bys have had chilli plants of varying pungency thrust upon them.  All in all, within this last fortnight I’ve given away over 50 plants in an attempt to free up some space at home.

So why the need for more space? Well, other than wanting to actually see out of the windows once in a while, I’ve had other veg seeds on the go.  Whilst growing chillies may be the current obsession, it’s difficult to survive on a diet of them alone.  So with the windowsills now cleared I’ve been able to get the tomatoes, sweetcorn and sweet peppers on the go.

The inevitable sunflower race is under way. Needless to say, I'm currently losing. 

Carrots and peas are already sprouting in the raised beds, safely protected from the frosts by a cloche and French and Borlotti beans are just about to join them.

Along with a colleague of mine we’ve take ownership of a small allotment patch close to work in which we’ve already planted red onion sets, a vital ingredient in all the chutneys I’m planning to make. With more peas and beans soon to go in we can look forward to a summer of fresh veg.

Meanwhile, not wishing to neglect the chillies at home, I’ve been potting on some of the more vigorous growers and moving them outside into the heated cold-frame/mini-greenhouse.  The 135w heater is performing well, heating up the small space very quickly and efficiently. Even on the coldest nights it’s not dropped below 15 degrees and with the weather getting milder it will be needed less and less.

No longer a cold-frame, more of a hot house.

Meanwhile the various chillies at work have been flowering and tiny fruit have already appeared on the Orozco plant that I overwintered from last year.  As soon as there's a few more I'll get some photos taken.