Straw trip

 I would like to thank The Hope for the strawbale and my allotment neighbours for the use of their wheelbarrow for transporting it back to the allotment.

I have only got 8 Marshmello Strawberry plants at the moment but two are already flowering and hopefully the straw will help against slugs.
I have planted out one row of Charlotte potatoes,one row of Rumba Onions and one row of Red Baron Onions,12 Early Onward Pea plants and some Borage.
In the garden I have planted Violetta Broad Beans,Swallow Peas,Early Nantes Carrots and Ishikara Spring Onions.
On the seed front I have started pots of Principe Borghese,Mortgage Lifter,Zinnia Elegans Queen Red Lime,Marigold Galore,French Marigold Golden Winner and Pansy Giant Fancy.
I have potted on Gazania Sunshine mixed,Zinnia Elegans Queen Red Lime and Slovenian Black Tomatoes.
I have also managed to cook my Piccolino Cucumber and some Black Hungarian Chillies.

Weekly update

Another picture of dirt but this contains my newly planted Red Baron and Rumba onion sets as well as my overwintering Shallots and Onions.
I have also planted another 2 rows of Pentland Javelin.Only Charlotte and Pink Fir Apple to go.This week this weather has been glorious so a couple of hours pottering about weeding and digging has been the order of the day.
On the seed front I have planted another batch of Early Onward Peas,Losetto Tomatoes,Garlic Chives,Sungold,Primo Cabbage,Harbinger,San Marzano,Falstaff Brussel Sprouts and Koralik Tomatoes.
I have potted on Early Tanana Tomatoes,Marigold Galore,Napia Early Pointy Red Peppers and Zinnia Queen Red Lime.

Weekly update

 My allotment neighbour kindly took an axe to my tree stump.I just have to dig around it now to trace where the roots are and get them out.

I have finally planted something on the plot this year,6 Aquadulce broad beans  together with 10 Pentland Javelin early potatoes.The rest of my time has been spent digging and weeding the plot.
The garden vegetable plot has been dug over ready for some peas and beans to be put in.
I have planted some more seeds Nasturtium Trailing Single,Nasturtium Dwarf Compact,Lavatera Silver Cup,Zinnia Elegans Queen Red Lime and a Piccolino cucumber.needless to say the windowsills are full up.
I have potted on my Black Hungarian Peppers,Cheyenne F1 Chilli and French Marigold Orange Winner

Nice weather for a change

After the last week of horrible weather it was nice to finally get down to the allotment.I planted some marshmello strawberry runners kindly given to me by Manicscousers that I have had lounging about in the garden.I also harvested some volunteer Gladiator parsnips and a meagre amount of Brussel sprouts.I then dug over this years potato bed so I can get a row of Pentland Javelin in and moved my groundsheet off of the legume bed,the soil there looks lovely,after a bit of rain I will start to plant out my Aquadulce broad beans.
At home I have started some Early Onward peas and potted on some beefsteak tomatoes for a forum competition.

March update

All of the chillis and tomatoes are doing well on the windowsill.
The recent weather hasn't enabled me to visit the allotment so I have had to make do with more seed sowing.
In the heated propagator now Aster Chinensis 'Pink tower',Aster Duchess and Gazania Sunshine replacing the Cosmos,Amaranthus and Marigold Galore which are now sunning themselves on the windowsill.
I have planted up some tomatoes Riesentraube,Slovenian Black,Alpatieva 905,Monkey's Ass,Latah and some He-man rootstock.
In the garden I have brutalised my Honeysuckle in the hope of getting a better structure later in the year.

Leap Year

 With the extra day this year I thought I would use it to refill my heated propagator.My Alberto's Locoto began showing yesterday,the only failure so far is Cayenne pepper which I will give another week.The windowsill is currently Pepper heaven with about 5 types on it.
I have refilled with flowers that are Feb/March sowing on the packets.Thus today I started pots of Amaranthus.Marigold Galore,Rudbeckia Cherry Brandy,Cosmos Brightness and Verbena Bonariensis.Finally I have started my tomatoes with a pot of Early Tanana.Only another 30 types to go.

The small plastic greenhouse is currently home to my Broad beans.So far the Bunyard's Exhibition have yet to show but the Aquadulce are sprouting.Another couple of weeks and they will be on the allotment.

The recent decent weather has seen me down there digging and weeding.

The garlic is coming along strongly as are the shallots,unfortunately a weeding of my onion patch has left me with a number of gaps.The manure has all been dug in in my legume bed and I am making a start on removing a tree stump and my plastic path has been completed.

A lovely day today

I probably didn't need a jumper and a fleece since the weather was glorious.I finished off my path and did a bit more digging and weeding.
I also planted 3 raspberry canes that I got from Wilkinson's Mailing Seedling,Glen Ample and Polka.They all look like twigs at the moment.
I harvested my final 4 leeks and turned over the compost heap,some of it even looks like soil.
I lifted up a covered area that I manured last year and it seems to have broken down so a mass dig in session will follow later.
Thompson and Morgan have surpassed themselves by sending me my In the green snowdrops so I planted them in the garden after I came home,
I have potted up my basil and broccoli in the conservatory and am chitting my Pentland Javelin,Charlotte and Pink Fur Apple potatoes in egg boxes.
As ever space is at a premium.