A date with the crouch grass

A sunny day so I did a bit of digging,the trench was filled with crouchgrass,brambles and tree roots.Oh what fun it was.Still 2 hours later and I can see a bit of soil,hopefully tomorrow I can de weed it and bag it all up for the tip.I ran out of bags today.
The garden is getting some colour a few daffodils are peeking out and I have more irises showing.
The blackfly seem to have found their way into my greenhouse and are feasting on my broad beans.They will be nuked tomorrow.
My seeds are progressing and a few are peeking out of the soil soon to be potted on.

My first hellebore

It's not properly in flower yet but it is another sign that the garden is coming to life.
Planted some Sungold,Koralik and Nasturtiums and have had one of my winter Broad beans eaten even though it was covered up.

A surprise this morning my first Iris Reticulata of the season,in fact the first one I have ever grown.
I have started some cuttings of Jolly Nantes fuschias in a jar covered with tin foil.
My Feb sown broccoli is already up and the cauliflowers need potting up.
This afternoon I went to the allotment armed with my Contractor's fork,a christmas present from the wife to replace the one I broke last year.It's very good and an hours digging provided two bags of crouch grass,tree roots and an evil bramble root.
The garlic and Japanese onions seem OK and still relatively weed free.The groundsheet hasn't been nicked yet so that will be my next planting area probably carrots and onions but that won't be for a couple of weeks yet.

Beans

Today I have realised what makes gardening such a great hobby.
I wanted to grow something different that I couldn't find in any of the seed catalogues and managed to find it on a forum called Allotments 4 All.A Dutch chap had grown them and rather than tell me where he got them he sent me some as well as 2 mystery packets.He wanted nothing in return but finally settled on some Cauliflowers and Broccoli.
So for the sake of a couple of seeds I received a fantastic package.
Gardeners's generosity never ceases to amaze me and I only hope that I can reciprocate in the future.

Tomatoes

Whilst perusing various blogs and forums a quick garden tidy up and turning compost using my newish compost turner I succumbed to planting fever.
The kitchen ledge was emptied and replaced with San Marzano,Sweet Millions,Gardeners Delight and for some reason Minbel tomato seeds.
I am leaving my decent seeds until next month (Sungold Koralik etc)
It's a bit early but they will go in to the greenhouse later.If they fail its not too late to plant some more.
I uncovered my Bedfordshire Onions and about 20 are up and ate some spring onions from the garden.
The Picassos are in egg boxes chitting away.
The conservatory is pretty full and space is going to be at a premium,next job will be taking fuschia cuttings.

Allotment shop

Open on Sundays from 10 to 12,discount with a card.All advice is free.They are looking for volunteers so I might do so.
Also AGM is on the 11th March so i will show willing and attend.
I purchased my seed potatoes 1 bag each of rocket early and picasso maincrop as advised by the site rep.A bit of a bargain at £4.80 with no postage,I have put the rocket into eggboxes and have 28 good sized potatoes.
Some will be planted in containers in the garden and the rest will go into the allotment.
This gives me more incentive to sort my beds out.

Starting from seed

I have listed all of my seeds and started a planting book and finally something has been planted.
The Jan sown All YearRound Cauliflower are already up as are some broad beans.Some of my early sweet peas are up and now have to fend for themselves in the plastic greenhouse.
Now I have planted some homegrown Verbena,Cosmos,Dahlias,French Marigolds,purloined Yellow Marigolds,Cherry Brandy and normal Rudbeckia,Verbena Bonarensis,Broccoli and Basil.
I have also done a batch of out of date Lemongrass which I hold little hope for but if you don't try you will never know.
I have still got some Pansies,Primulas and Violas in trays that I must find space for.
I already have 2 small hanging baskets and 2 flower planters filled with them.
In the garden things are bursting into life the crocuses are up and there are bulbs everywhere if only I remembered what half of them were.The broad beans are growing steadily as are the garlic and japanese onions.
The Hellebores that I planted last year are showing signs of lifeand one is nearly in flower.
The daffodils in pots are nearly in flower and the hyacinths and tulips are showing signs of life.

More weeding

One nice day this week and i'm stuck at home waiting for someone to fix the washing machine,at least the garden veggie patch got a weeding.Next day the sun has gone but the allotment beckons.Took a spade to make turves of grass v unsuccessful so weeded the japanese onion bed instead.The number of weeds in a week was amazing.Still an hour spent weeding now will save me 2 or 3 in the future and next time I must take my new heavy duty fork.

First work of the year

With the sun shining I thought I would go down to the allotment.One hour later the winter garlic bed had been weeded.The Japanese wintering onions are also up and will be the focus of my next trip.I was amazed by the number of weeds and now realise the work involved in taking over a derelict plot.

The bottom end of the plot was debrambled today and I used a Christmas present of a mini saw to cut down an overhanging branch. There is going to be a lot of digging to be done.