This coming week, here in the Northern hemisphere, we are welcoming in the spring equinox on Friday 20th - also known as Ostara in the Wheel of the Year calendar.

Equinoxes mark a seasonal threshold, where day and night lengths are equal and we sit in a moment of balance between the seasons. Here in Devon, the sun will rise on the equinox at about 06:30am and set again at about 18:30pm.

Spring is gaining momentum, and winter is gently releasing it’s hold.

Our activities here on the farm are reflecting this seasonal shift - we are venturing out into the field now and our sowings are off to a strong start.

We've been busily clearing beds, planting our first sweet peas in the tunnel (Enchante and Restormel), and packeting up lots of your favourite seed varieties which are flying off the shelves! It's always wonderful to think about where each packet is going.

March is the busiest month for seed sowing - so if you haven't got your seed order in yet then click below:

We’ve potted on all of our chillies, tomatoes, peppers and aubergines this month, and we’re getting on with most of our remaining veg and flower sowings in the next few weeks.

Our prop benches are going to get busier, and we’re eagerly anticipating all the growth to come this year.

Seasonal Recipe!

Fennel and Wild Garlic scones

In the woodlands surrounding the land here at Baddaford, life is returning, and a carpet of wild garlic is creeping joyously across the ground, lining the riverbanks and hedgerows. Here’s a recipe we've been enjoying, based on the Riverford one, to showcase this bounteous spring crop - wild garlic scones!

Recipe:

Makes 6-8 scones

• 150g rye or spelt flour (we like to experiment with different grains - Hodmedods have an excellent selection)
• 150g self raising white flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 80g cold salted butter – diced
• 100g grated cheddar cheese
• 50g wild garlic, washed and finely chopped
• 1tsp toasted fennel seeds
• 1 egg
• 130ml organic whole milk

Method:

• Preheat your oven to 220˚C/Gas 7.
• Gently toast the fennel seeds in a pan, until aromatic.
• Sift the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the chopped wild garlic, two thirds of the cheese, and the fennel seeds. Mix until everything is evenly distributed.
• Crack the egg into a jug. Add the milk and mustard and whisk them together. Now pour the liquid into the bowl of dry ingredients, leaving about 2 tbsp in the jug for brushing the tops. Gently bring everything together into a soft dough. Try not to knead it heavily, it just needs to come together.
• Lightly flour a work surface and turn out the dough. Pat the dough out into a rough circle, about 2-3 cm tall. Use a large knife to cut into triangles or use a cookie cutter.
• Lift the scones onto a lined baking tray and space them out evenly. Brush the very top of each one with some of the remaining egg mix. Scatter the remaining cheese on the tops.
• Transfer to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden and risen. Cool on a rack.
• Enjoy! Keep the scones in an airtight container, or freeze for another day.

​https://www.riverford.co.uk/recipes/wild-garlic-smoked-cheddar-scones?srsltid=AfmBOoqzGNu9tLRFmhWv7Mboyuzh1p0ruijKJEzOxtqjyQJyZK8e0c2z​

​https://hodmedods.co.uk/collections/flours?srsltid=AfmBOooI-CjZVqSD1oXsLccpfcOSr-5eYsf2EwZrhv8QyTABzaSXJ2-T​

We hope you are enjoying the longer daylight hours and getting out in the garden more now, relishing in the birdsong and moments of sun that come our way. We can’t wait to see what you’re growing this season!

With warmth,

Izzy and the team at Vital Seeds

P.S. if you have a polytunnel then remember to open and close it on hot days at this time of year, the nights will still be cold and frost is very possible