Winter Time

As the cold weather returns, I'm reminded how spring is still just a little further away than I sometimes hope...

Winter-Time

Late lies the wintry sun a-bed, A frosty, fiery sleepy-head; Blinks but an hour or two; and then, A blood-red orange, sets again. Before the stars have left the skies, At morning in the dark I rise; And shivering in my nakedness, By the cold candle, bathe and dress. Close by the jolly fire I sit To warm my frozen bones a bit; Or with a reindeer-sled, explore The colder countries round the door. When to go out, my nurse doth wrap Me in my comforter and cap; The cold wind burns my face, and blows Its frosty pepper up my nose. Black are my steps on silver sod; Thick blows my frosty breath abroad; And tree and house, and hill and lake, Are frosted like a wedding cake. Robert Louis Stevenson

This time last year

Sometimes I forget this is only my second year on the plot as it feels like I've had it forever already!
Here are some pics of this time last year, it's good to look back at all the work I've put in and feel proud. I know if I didn't have a young family to look after I would be able to do much more, but under the circumstances, I think the results so far have been positive.

I love looking at the long shadows and washed out light at this time of the year, knowing the warm spring days are just around the corner. I remember days last year in April that it was so warm I got sunburn!

Roll on that asparagus....slurp!

Sunshine Elixir

Today was gloriously sunny, but bitterly cold. I sat inside by the fire for most of lunchtime before persuading myself to get down on the plot. Normally I don't need much persuading but I've been a bit poorly this week and my energy levels are a bit low. Despite this, a couple of hours in the sun proved to be the perfect elixir for both body and soul.

I couldn't get much done as I hadn't planned my visit, so I just weeded and dug the bed which will house all my roots. It's proving to be a trickier job than I anticipated as I forgot that this area had been left fallow last year, so there are a lot of thistle roots deep down. Last year I had a nightmare with young thistle shoots pushing up my carrot and parsnip seedlings, I'm slightly worried this might happen again. Perhaps I can strategically plant a load of spinach and chard in the middle as I'm not so bothered about loosing them!

After a couple of hours, my husband and children arrived for a quick mooch. I put them to work while I sat and drank tea, in fact if I could only persuade my husband to come down more often it would certainly make life much easier! (wishful thinking though, he does not have green fingers).

Mud Glorius mud

Hopefully anyone reading this isn't becoming too bored of digging anecdotes and pictures of mud. Unfortunately I could stare at these pics for hours!!

Today I went to the plot but didn't achieve as much as hoped as I think I'm coming down with something and didn't want to overdo the digging. I dug an area which had been covered all last year, it was quite crumbly but still had a lot of thistle roots and couch grass. I spread home made compost and blood, fish and bone over the top and covered up. I'm anticipating this bed to be for my first broad beans which I'll plant in about a weeks time, then perhaps two or three more rows in succession every couple of weeks. I have two varieties which I'll mention in my seed inventory which I'm due to list soon. 

Other than that, I planted a gooseberry bush that I've kept in a pot in the garden as it was  a little late to plant last year (variety is Whinham) I couldn't resist a picture of the blackcurrant bush which is full of buds

After a bit more digging on my roots bed, I couldn't resist putting in some onion sets, it's very early, but they were shooting in the bag, and it's no great loss to me if they don't take. I netted them well as there are a lot of pigeons about, and even the odd hungry pheasant!

A overall view of the plot

Chitting pots

I got my potatoes about a week ago, and left them in the kitchen and now there are sprouting like mad. So I've put them in boxes to chit away, and will probably keep them in the bathroom as it's pretty cold in there (ground floor rear extension). I may have to put the Desiree in the shed as I don't want them to get too ahead as they are maincrops, not sure my greenhouse is frostproof yet though?

First Earlies are Sharpe's Express

Second Earlies are Cosmos

Early Maincrop are Desiree

Slow progress

Today was clement enough to visit the plot for a spot of digging. Even though in retrospect I achieved quite a lot, looking at the plot it seems like slow progress. It's times like these that I realise how big the plot actually is and how many weeds have managed to take root over winter!

Today I:

1. Dug the area behind the asparagus, making a new herb bed which will also house my strawberries.
2. Make a timber surround around asparagus and infill with compost. Same with the herb bed (see below)

3. Weeded in the potato bed
4. Planted strawberries
5. Cleared out compost bin (being used as tool storage)

At this point a friend turned up with a flask of tea and biscuits and production inevitably slowed! Still got quite a bit done. Although didn't get around to planting onions and broad beans this time. Not sure what to do with my onion sets as they are sprouting already, keep them cool or plant them?

Passiflora

This spring, if we haven't sold our house, I will plant a passion flower. According to this article they are very vigorous , so it would be perfect to cover the other side of my shed. I have a spare bed next to the shed which I have left for the children to play in, but they may be lucky to keep it this year! mwahahaha.

Don't be shy, get planting!

Most advice online and on seed packets suggests waiting to plant seed indoors and out, until at least February. But then quite often I hear people have seedlings on the go before then. I am really impatient and in my experience my mum grows her seem much later than me and more often than not, her's do better. Anyway, I will always try to plant early, as sometimes it will work and this Telegraph article supports me!

Have a go garlic

I was so impatient to do something in my newly cleaned greenhouse, I planted some shop bought garlic cloves as I know they have to go in pretty soon otherwise they won't get enough of the cold snap to get growing.

More tidying

Today I had a good clean of my greenhouse, I didn't do it well last year so I felt it needed a scrub down. I also washed all my pots ready for sowing. I feel excited now to get started, although I've probably got a couple of weeks before I can do that.

It was beautifully sunny today, the late afternoon sun was hightlighting all the stems in the garden, even my robin came to look. If you look closely enough, he even inspected inside the greenhouse.

Can't quite believe I fitted all that 'stuff' inside

Great tit sounds the beginning of spring

Every since I can remember I'd hear the call of the great tit early on warm spring afternoons while out in the garden with dad, or playing in the woods. Each year for me it heralds the beginning of the new year, and today while at the allotment I heard it loud and clear. A wonderful sound.

Today I only ventured out for a couple of hours as I'd taken the kids for a long walk this morning. If I haven't mentioned it before, I am 4 months pregnant, so this year's alloting will be a bit more challenging! Everything will have to be done in short bursts with lots of sitting down in between. But I thought with lots of planning there is no reason to give it up this year. 

It was a blustery day, but dry so I dug out some of my compost from the garden and covered my asparagus and fruit bushes with it on the plot. Then I tackled some of the couch grass that has already invaded my plot a lot over the winter. I couldn't do too much as it was tough stuff to evict, my belly aches as I write. I also took out my wild strawberry plants for rehousing (I think in my herb bed) I just need to get the planks from my mums to edge the plots to keep the grass out.

Soon I will begin planting seeds, tomatoes, carrots, parsnips, herbs, that sort of thing. It's mid Jan now so plenty to get on with.

Here are some pics from today

 Asparagus below

This will be the broad bean/pea bed

Taken from the rear of the plot

Great plans

I have been at the allotment twice since the New Year passed, I have taken down all the old netting and bean supports, pulled out as much old vegetation as possible and weeded the asparagus. I have high hopes for my asparagus, despite pretty much neglecting it all winter! I will try and get some compost on them soon to give them a little boost before spring. I also pruned my raspberries rather haphazardly.

Before tidy:

 After tidy:

 Plan for 2011

September & October 2010

August 2010

Just look at the sea of thistles in the background!

July 2010

Been away but back for 2011

I've obviously been absent for a fair few months. The allotment kind of took care of itself from June onwards and I let it run away for a while! I have some pics below showing the plot from June to October. Here is a list of successes and failures of 2010:

Successes:

Carrots (early Nantes 2) and late variety (need to look up)

Onions

Pea, dark skin perfection (italian seeds)

Parsnips

Squash, butternut Avalon F1

Salad leaves, Suttons speedy cut and come again

Rainbow Chard

Maxi Dwarf Bean by Duchy Originals

Red Potatoes, Desiree

Failures

Early Broad Beans Aquadulce

Cauliflower

Early potatoes Pentlin Javelin

Sweetcorn

Things I wouldn't bother with again

Asparagus pea

Spumina Greens? very bitter

Romanesco Courgette (italian seeds) ridged, very dry