tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81633971041575836362012-03-10T20:20:44.328ZMy name is Anne and this is my allotment in the north-east of England. I love to be there. So that I can keep track of what I am growing and where I am growing it, I am keeping a diary.Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.comBlogger1021100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-17667195051932344062012-03-10T20:20:00.000Z2012-03-10T20:20:44.337Z

Sowed seeds in the greenhouse; cosmos(pied  piper), unfortunately I then dropped the tray so had to sow some more! Splat! wet compost everywhere. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Also courgette(zucchini) and basil, managed not to drop those. There was still some daylight left so I went to the plot and did some weeding and tidying. My new raised bed is still holding up. Lots of frogs in next door's pond,

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-84054455048130298342012-03-02T17:43:00.000Z2012-03-02T17:43:43.919Z

And here is a picture of the new raised bed. It was hard work, harder than I expected, those planks are so heavy, and I'm definitely under-endowed in the muscles department. It took both hands to hold the planks together, but then I needed another hand to screw them together. I thought I might have to draft in some help, but I managed (complaining all the while) after all and it looks okay.  

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-33524313850692456582012-03-02T14:08:00.000Z2012-03-02T14:09:13.114Z

The weather is looking good. The temperature hit 16C briefly a couple of days ago.                         It may be too soon to get overly excited but the England's weather seems to be falling into a pattern of warm spring and early summer.  Let's hope it isn't followed by cold greyness like last year. Above: Red Kamen, onions grown from seed planted at Christmas. Right: sweet peas

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-14312133378324324582012-02-20T22:33:00.000Z2012-02-20T22:34:42.856Z

Today I bought my new seasons onion sets from my fave stall in the Grainger Market. (1lb of red shallots and only half a pound of turbo onions, I had too many last year.) Coincidentally, I used the last of my onion crop today for vegetable soup. They haven't done too badly, I stored them in the house this year, as last year they got frozen in the garage, and they have kept much better. I have got

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-2610464481808469162012-02-13T18:28:00.000Z2012-02-13T18:29:29.465Z

The days are getting a bit longer now. Spring is just around the corner.  There is going to be a plant sale soon so I have sowed some trays of tomatoes and peppers in the greenhouse.  Some for me, some for sale, but have now run out of compost.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-50577661665039420302012-02-03T22:56:00.000Z2012-02-03T22:56:22.288Z

Bright and bitter cold (-4C) this morning.  Tested the ground today and bent my fork the ground is so hard. No gardening for a while yet. I've got a pulled hamstring anyway. The red onion seeds I planted in a seed tray in the green house are coming up, little green loops appearing. Despite saying I wouldn't be doing potatoes this year, I bought 5 rooster (bakers) and 5 nadine (salad).  I'm

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-45612961525890971052012-01-15T23:11:00.000Z2012-01-15T23:11:58.096Z

-4C this morning.  The first really cold day of the season.  the field beans are now green manure The birds have been enjoying the apples

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-47848278095848210172011-12-28T13:18:00.001Z2011-12-28T22:25:06.554Z

Sowed red onion seeds (Red Kamen) in modules and put in greenhouse. Took some sideshoots from the carnations in the Christmas flowers, dipped them in hormone rooting powder and stuck them in a pot full of compost. Tidied greenhouse, chucked out old tomato and pepper plants. A bit too chilly to stay out there too long, the wind is blowing a gale and rain with it.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-2588650288650353772011-12-07T15:30:00.001Z2011-12-14T18:55:51.773Z

The weather has turned wintry and the allotment has been put to bed for the season.  I've taken home my beautiful new wheelbarrow and various implements that I value, until the growing season starts again.  We gardeners, we are such optimists! I might go on the odd not so freezing day to check my netting hasn't blown down etc, and burn some hedge clippings, but I have got rid of most of them.  

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-68503070022021671862011-11-17T17:36:00.001Z2011-11-17T17:41:41.558Z

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-32607701327547066442011-11-07T14:17:00.000Z2011-11-07T14:25:04.694Z

 First frost last night and a chance to burn the old hedge trimmings and cabbage stalks. I've been saving them all year in a dry(ish) place hoping that my first bonfire wouldn't be so much of a damp squib as last year's. And it worked!  Got rid of loads of stuff.  I've got lots more but it is fairly green stuff and won't burn so well. But I'll have fun trying. Pruned gooseberry and

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-22531975086225622042011-10-28T17:27:00.000+01:002011-10-28T17:27:10.201+01:00

Its a lovely day so I had a walk around and took some pictures

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-82732905659300871932011-10-22T00:14:00.000+01:002011-10-22T20:58:16.049+01:00

Dug over the part that David had garlic in last year. Worked up quite a sweat.  A huge frog jumped out of the long grass and gave me the fright of my life! I probably gave it a bit of a funny turn too!  And a robin came right down beside my boot, snatched a worm and dashed off again. I was going to take the sweet peas down, but they are still flowering beautifully so I'm keeping them for a while

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-53311001412790248662011-10-19T17:07:00.000+01:002011-10-19T17:07:01.870+01:00

Another lovely clear day, but cold.  I cut the autumn fruiting raspberry canes down.  There was a few berries still left on but just the odd one or two. The apples still aren't ripe yet,  they are supposed to come off in the hand without having to pull them.  They manage to blow off in the wind though. Put a cloche over the courgettes to see if they will produce for a bit longer.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-7946848939922857562011-10-15T19:04:00.000+01:002011-10-19T17:16:32.199+01:00

  Lovely autumn day, clear blue sky and the sun is shining. I have planted my garlic this morning. I used the biggest cloves from last year's crop.   Dug up some leeks for Leek and potato soup for lunch tomorrow.  I used the ones that had gone to seed. The sunflower looks a bit moth-eaten, but some tasty seeds for the birds

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-88152460694922999552011-10-13T19:17:00.002+01:002011-10-13T19:18:47.584+01:00

I saw a fox! I was working away (or standing gazing into space) and I turned around just in time to see a ginger bushy tail disappearing out the gate. It must have gone right past me without me seeing.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-26299545871183988042011-10-11T17:32:00.000+01:002011-10-18T23:16:15.518+01:00

Sue's globe artichokes looking not exactly pretty, but interesting. The rosehips and clematis seed heads have a christmassy feel about them.   I have taken down the bean wigwams and now I can see the winter onion beds better, the right-hand bed with the red onions has come on much quicker then the left with the brown onions.  (At least I think thats the way I put

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-75569602628667091752011-10-06T23:58:00.000+01:002011-10-07T00:11:27.105+01:00

They look good from a distance, but a lot of them are marked on the skins, quite badly too. Last year I sprayed them with an anti-fungal three times in the spring and there was hardly any marks on the fruit, but this year I only got around to spraying them once and the fruit is badly marked. So I can only come to the conclusion that the spray helps. But it could be the weather conditions, or

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-70539593076430378072011-09-30T23:23:00.000+01:002011-09-30T23:35:09.401+01:00

   Phew! what a scorcher! Two whole days of hot weather!  Unseasonably warm for late September in north-east England .  Temperatures at 26-27 C!  We would normally be looking for hot soups rather than ice lollies.   Nothing much to do except digging over and extracting buttercups, so I brought my book with me and sat reading in the sunshine in between leisurely spells of digging. This is

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-21030342969741439022011-09-25T00:18:00.000+01:002011-09-26T14:01:29.284+01:00

Not much doing at the moment.  Weeding, forking the soil over, digging up the compacted bits where my paths were.  Trying to tell the difference between perennial and annual weeds. Runner beans and courgettes nearly finished, sweet peas nearly finished,  raspberries nearly finished.  The french beans never even started still less finished. Everything is winding down for the winter. Autumn equinox

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-63319237933031712152011-09-19T09:11:00.000+01:002011-09-19T09:13:10.492+01:00

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-39929670868366458152011-09-17T23:22:00.000+01:002011-09-17T23:22:56.087+01:00

Pumpkin "Jack be little": sown 4/4/11 in greenhouse planted out late May first flower mid June downhill all the way from now on.  Several pumpkins formed but either didn't thrive or were eaten by slugs.  One was looking promising so, on advice, I nipped out all the other leaders.  Wrong! The winds then blew and must've damaged the main stem and the rest of the plant just withered away.  So

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-46766392464227513542011-09-13T23:19:00.000+01:002011-09-16T00:18:02.247+01:00

Another day of high winds.  The wigwam is withstanding the battering, surprisingly. Planted some of my winter onions, but I've got loads left.  You get an awful lot of little onions for 1lb. It was a struggle in that wind, my bag of onions kept blowing away every time I put it down and the back of my jacket kept blowing up over my head when I bent over to plant the onions. Some of the cabbage

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-74398445154898501082011-09-12T18:01:00.000+01:002011-09-12T23:22:27.408+01:00

 Wow! It's wild out there! The bean wigwams have taken on a severe list! I tried to straighten it but it just goes wonky again as soon as I let go.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-63733014764193700232011-09-11T11:54:00.001+01:002011-09-11T11:54:46.918+01:00

I think.... I reckon it is Viper's-bugloss, "an infusion of the seed is said to drive away sadness and melancholy, promotes milk flow in nursing mothers and is effective against lumbago"(Reader's Digest Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of Britain).  So there! Got to be a useful plant to have in your garden.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-9318521636177064202011-09-10T17:50:00.002+01:002011-09-10T17:50:47.987+01:00

Planted my red onion sets for next year.  The brown ones (turbo) to do next. Took out the savoy cabbages as, peering through the mesh, it seemed that two of them were looking very fine indeed, notwithstanding the club root.  The city's annual allotment show is on tomorrow so I wondered if one of the cabbages might be worthy of entry.  But when I had a good look at them they were full of little

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-11867148242342675502011-09-09T18:27:00.000+01:002011-09-10T17:27:06.891+01:00

 I found these growing in amongst the creeping speedwells.  There is one white one and ....                                                         a cluster of blue ones.                                                    They could be viper's bugloss.....I'm pretty sure the blue one is a bugle of some sort. Or the white one could be a Clustered Bellflower.... Doesn't fit

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-77442927305251977962011-09-06T21:49:00.001+01:002011-09-10T17:51:14.162+01:00

Plot plan 6/9/11

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-53965742996463571712011-09-06T21:16:00.000+01:002011-09-06T21:16:48.164+01:00

The top picture is Sunday morning's harvest (the peas didn't make it home) and the other is just a nice picture. Pricked out the spring cabbage seedlings.  They looked quite big when they were all grouped together, but when I separated them and planted them in a big space, they look awfully little. Not big enough to leave home really.  I dusted plenty of lime around and am hoping that

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-31280021288046067532011-09-03T10:41:00.002+01:002011-09-06T21:23:39.085+01:00

Got some lovely lilies flowering in the back garden.  My peppers are ripening but they are a funny shape. And that is the last outdoor cucumber, looking a bit weatherbeaten.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-67172592484674607582011-09-03T10:31:00.001+01:002011-09-03T10:31:42.531+01:00

It's official...the camellia is dead.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-22478480603122897872011-09-01T20:33:00.000+01:002011-09-01T20:55:13.099+01:00

I've been weeding and clearing beds. Dug up the old paths between beds, lots of calories burnt as the grass and weeds were pretty well entrenched. Its hard to realise that they have only been there for a couple of seasons. My Spanish digging hoe and digging fork did good work against the buttercups and matted grass. Unhoming lots of little frogs, poor things. All the potatoes are out and

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-25414973516735871522011-08-29T12:41:00.001+01:002011-09-06T21:21:09.113+01:00

Harvested all my sweetcorn yesterday. 5.6 ounces of corn kernels. Each cob only had a few usable kernels, poor pollination I think. Also the very dry spring probably didn't help. I must admit that I hadn't realised that you have to tap the plants to shake the pollen fron the top tassel to the side tassels. Tsk tsk, hadn't done my homework. But some of them were so stunted that they didn't

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-45501133309992265642011-08-27T20:27:00.000+01:002011-08-27T20:27:05.972+01:00

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-26719740840194107602011-08-27T18:15:00.002+01:002011-08-28T21:06:34.125+01:00

Dug over the bed that the winter onions were in, they are all out and drying, and planted field beans as a green manure. Also put some in the next bed, beside the spring cabbage seedlings, where the potatoes were before they were stolen. Thinned the spring cabbage seedlings to 2inches apart. There is a bean on the climbing french beans at last - yes, a bean, one... Picked some more

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-48075880644943956802011-08-23T20:43:00.001+01:002011-08-23T20:55:22.577+01:00

The weather is turning quite autumnal. The laburnums are turning yellow, they are always the first. There is an odd day when it feels like the summer it ought to be in mid-August but it has mostly been pretty cool this month. I put some old carpet over my compost heap and will leave it to cook now. It will probably be next year by the time I can use any of it. In the parts where I have

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-58476716543709882872011-08-14T10:11:00.004+01:002011-08-15T20:43:11.609+01:00

There is a thistle! (Ivor Cutler, C1976) And the potatoes grown in the growing bag, small but beautiful. A few scabs on some but most unmarked and perfect.Haven't worked it out but I guess it is an expensive way of getting potatoes, but they are very nice. (Cost of bag, £3.50+3 seed pots, 75p+2 bags compost,£8=approx 9lbs/4kg of prime quality pots.)Mmmm, I'll have to think about that

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-69279282311682651592011-08-13T18:01:00.001+01:002011-08-13T18:03:18.566+01:00

I pruned the leaders off the apple trees as I do not want them to get any bigger or I won't be able to reach all the branches. John's broad beans are producing really nice beans, not too big, but with about three stalks per plant. They are much better than the earlier ones. Mind it was very dry then, and the first ones struggled, so maybe not a fair comparison. Planted the young strawberries out

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-2182218688873452652011-08-09T20:21:00.006+01:002011-08-20T00:55:27.372+01:00

Finished sorting out the compost heap. Emptied the oldest compost onto various parts of the garden and then turned one bay of newer stuff into the next, now empty bay. When I have more energy I will add a third bay so I can have one bay of compost ready to use, one bay of compost that is "cooking" and one bay of new material which is being added to all the time. Bumble bees were busy at the

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-54548623677899618812011-08-08T16:39:00.002+01:002011-08-13T17:30:05.150+01:00

Sowed some spring cabbage seed - Durham early. Pulled some more of the chantenay carrots that I'm growing in a salad bag in the back garden, and they are lovely, I'm such a proud Mum. And I'm having a go at pickling the small shallots, not very many but enough for us

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-39276001704725788152011-08-07T12:00:00.002+01:002011-08-20T00:57:44.190+01:00

Some robbers have stolen my potatoes! And some onions! Grr! Didn't take my lovely new wheelbarrow though. Obviously just after food. Courgettes cropping well still, another two this morning. I'm having slimming nutritious lunches using stir-fried courgettes, onions and tomatoes. Well, somebody has to eat them and I seem to be the only one who likes them. The second sowing of broad beans

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-69618454114702555682011-07-30T23:23:00.001+01:002011-08-07T12:03:05.173+01:00

Got a couple of old pallets which some fly-tipper had left at the gates, and I'm going to add another compartment to my compost bins. So, spent a hot afternoon riddling the oldest compost and putting it on the garden. Then when I find some more energy and another fine day, I will turn the freshest compost material into the next bay. Dug up some cabbages, well didn't need to dig them they just

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-34608925774714972492011-07-27T23:47:00.001+01:002011-08-13T17:34:00.147+01:00

Trying to keep up with the weeding, but not doing very well. Since the rain the weeds have doubled. The winter onions are done now and as the tops are turning over I'm digging them up and putting them to dry. The sweetcorn tassels are starting to turn brown, but the plants are weirdly stunted (that pink bush in the middle of the photo is a fuschia, flowering its socks off, bless)I can only guess

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-13541063465865824292011-07-22T00:11:00.002+01:002011-08-13T17:38:40.034+01:00

Have taken the broad beans down. There is a second lot coming on in another part of the plot. These ones are a different variety, these are John's special beans. He gave me two or three beans last year and I saved some of their children for seed. Each bean has produced multiple stalks and lots of pods. Still small yet, just the size of a finger. Got cucumbers! Strangely only on the outside

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-2808240237793763962011-07-18T23:58:00.002+01:002011-07-19T00:07:05.442+01:00

Haven't been able to do much since I got back, it has been so wet. Picked and discarded some broad beans which have grown too big. Some of them are so hard they could be used to knock somebody out! I tried cooking some of them but they are pretty labour intensive... first to get the beans out the pods (a struggle)and then part cook the beans so that the skins are loose (tedious)and then pop

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-37650616420202212342011-07-09T00:09:00.001+01:002011-08-13T17:36:29.635+01:00

Dug up the small shallots (Pesandor) I'm sure they are smaller than the sets I planted. I thought they were supposed to be bigger. Have put them to dry on the shelves. There has been plenty rain so they were a bit claggy. A few more onion tops have turned over. Took the net off the strawberries, there are only a few left and the birds can have them. I'm leaving the plants all on their own for a

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-83748558034337195942011-07-08T00:14:00.002+01:002011-08-13T17:37:44.569+01:00

Picked about seven and a half pounds of gooseberries from a friend's plot (with his permission!) and that was less than half of one bush picked - it has been a really good gooseberry year, except for the fact that the pigeons think its good too and have stripped my one bush completely! I froze 3lbs and made some chutney with the rest. I tasted it and it seems like it might be good, but needs 3

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-90519625511441354392011-07-06T23:37:00.000+01:002011-07-06T23:37:25.651+01:00

I have found some caterpillars on my peppers now! They are all over the place! These ones are whitish and a bit bigger, about 2mm long. Well they were...

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-50228285252513765252011-07-05T23:23:00.000+01:002011-07-05T23:23:20.518+01:00

I kept a pea pod and its passengers in captivity for a day and it is the larvae doing the damage. Sadly the larvae seem to have died, they do not seem to be adapted to survive tupperware.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-29993244161266910162011-07-04T17:37:00.004+01:002011-07-04T21:53:53.930+01:00

There's the little critters. (This is the best picture I can get, my camera doesn't do close-ups)Orange with black head or tail (difficult to tell as they moved either way quite easily)and about 1mm long. I can't tell whether they created the damage on the pod or they just took advantage of slug damage. But every pod with that kind of damage also had some of those larvae. There was no

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-60156516637548084042011-07-04T09:05:00.001+01:002011-07-04T09:05:54.342+01:00

The peas have got something wrong with them. Some of them are misshapen with greyish marks on the pod. And on the grey patches are some tiny orange larvae, each hardly a mm long. I've cut the affected ones off and put them in the sin-bin. The sin-bin.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-81065568569126167202011-06-26T13:37:00.002+01:002011-06-26T13:47:58.623+01:00

Red hot today! Picked more broad beans and some peas and another 3lbs of strawberries.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-87076359143772692152011-06-22T17:55:00.000+01:002011-09-26T09:37:13.520+01:00

Picked broad beans, and more strawberries, over 13lbs now. Dug up two huge garlics and the outer skin has split exposing the cloves inside. I wonder if that could be the result of lots of rain after a very dry spell. Presumably the cloves will still be usable Also dug up the first two beetroots. The rain has been good for the runner beans, they've started to wrap around the canes at last.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-12518922223367211332011-06-19T23:40:00.000+01:002011-06-19T23:40:49.334+01:00

Pics so far this year

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-23699210681252332412011-06-19T18:07:00.001+01:002011-06-19T18:07:20.382+01:00

Greenhouse June 2011, a photo by ennaelbn on Flickr.tomatoes, peppers, cucumber

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-59997931022140748502011-06-18T21:13:00.000+01:002011-06-18T21:13:00.381+01:00

Picked another couple of pounds of strawberries today and a carrier bag of broad beans. We had some tonight. Delish, they took only 3 minutes to cook. Very wet today. The weather is doing some catching up. We were supposed to be strimming the paths today, but got rained off.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-56566590626308542152011-06-17T17:19:00.006+01:002011-06-18T21:07:59.492+01:00

Talked to various wise old gadgies about club root, and it seems that I may not have it after all, there's hope yet. Apparently there's a nasty smell associated with club root, and mine didn't smell of anything that I noticed. But there is a fly which lays its eggs on cabbage roots which has a similar effect on the plant. The only thing about that is that I didn't see any tunnelling such as is

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-72835692271898005722011-06-15T21:03:00.001+01:002011-06-17T17:24:26.877+01:00

Picked another 3lbs of strawbs today, that's nine pounds so far. I think they are getting a bit smaller, although that rain a few days ago will have helped. Pulled up some of the winter onions which have grown flower spikes, they won't keep very well. I used one tonight for supper and most of it was stalk, about a third was usable onion. There are a few broad beans big enough to pick, so we'll

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-69991387721766443602011-06-12T21:15:00.004+01:002011-06-12T21:17:34.634+01:00

Is this the ugliest vegetable you've ever seen? It's a white radish, by the way.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-6926136070853234212011-06-11T15:55:00.000+01:002011-06-11T15:55:22.142+01:00

It has rained at last! Not for long, but at least it was proper rain. It would have been better if I hadn't been out in it, but I won't complain. Picked some more strawbs today (in the rain), thats nearly 6 lbs so far. Picked first broad beans yesterday, they were very cute. Some of the garlic is ready to use, and the winter onions are getting quite big, but the tops haven't turned over yet.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-22602618282473385362011-06-04T23:55:00.000+01:002011-06-04T23:55:42.297+01:00

What a change in the weather in one day! It has gone from sunny and warm, to grey, cold and windy. Mind you,the garden has perked up no end even though it still hasn't rained. Picked another punnet of strawberries, that's two and a half pounds so far. But I've got no rhubarb for the freezer this year, which is very unusual. Just too dry. The biggest broad beans are about six inches long now,

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-7016934769116439662011-06-02T22:17:00.000+01:002011-06-02T22:17:28.522+01:00

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-46816731048075986942011-06-02T22:06:00.001+01:002011-09-17T23:01:48.725+01:00

Hot, hot, hot! Half the time is spent watering and the rest trying to dig weeds out of baked soil. Picked a punnet of strawberries today, first of many, I hope. Some broad beans, but they need to grow some.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-20047682567482077042011-05-28T23:20:00.000+01:002011-05-28T23:20:21.214+01:00

Picked four strawberries and 2 radishes. My first harvest of this summer. The strawberries were delicious(only 3 of them made it home), much better than shop-bought, and I've never known home grown strawberries ripen so early in the year. Its not even Wimbledon week yet. And the radishes? They tasted like...radishes! There are a few small pods on the broad bean, but a lot of the flowers don't

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-48040952780195484122011-05-26T23:43:00.000+01:002011-05-26T23:43:34.953+01:00

Its not going to be a good bean year. The broad beans look ok but small, but the runners and the climbing french beans a looking very poor indeed. Yellowish and badly damaged by slugs or something. The sweet peas look almost as bad. Garden still dry, its going to take a week of rain to rehydrate the soil. Brassicas looking good though. The mesh tunnel is really working well and they must have

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-74095184510891898222011-05-17T23:36:00.002+01:002011-05-17T23:49:34.251+01:00

Planted out baby sweet peas, they look pretty puny, but they've been in their cardboard rolls too long waiting for warmer weather. Must remember next year, don't start plants off so early. I say this every year... Talking cardboard rolls, I don't think they work very well. They are good if you are careful not to let them dry out, you can plant them, cardboard and all, without disturbing the

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-2760930043850680592011-05-13T23:45:00.000+01:002011-05-13T23:45:45.352+01:00

Planted some Little Gem lettuce seedlings, got from the market, they look good and healthy. The rain has brought up loads of teeny weeds, and saved some of the nasturtiums.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-23409744278460742112011-05-07T22:11:00.000+01:002011-05-07T22:11:53.637+01:00

Rained at last, just a couple of showers, but it has perked the plants up. There def was a frost the other night, some of the potato tops have gone brown and some of the leaves on the climbing french beans are brown. I think they'll be ok though as it just seems to be a few leaves damaged not the whole plant. Took out the psb (one last picking)so I can use that space for the baby leeks. Just

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-91847887615034288892011-05-06T20:58:00.000+01:002011-05-06T20:58:06.367+01:00

I think there might have been a frost after all, because though the beans look ok (just ok, not happy) quite a few nasturtiums have died. Nothing is looking happy, just too dry. Planted out the sweetcorn and the courgettes. I had to decide whether to pot them on or plant them out. The forecast is warm and wet for the weekend so I decided to plant them out and trust to luck. I only planted 12 of

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-74980552044369100022011-05-04T17:37:00.000+01:002011-05-04T17:37:26.861+01:00

Wigwam wrapped! There wasn't a frost after all, but some of the nasturtiums look pretty sick, a mix of cold and lack of water. Beans look ok.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-49276224786627298942011-05-02T20:52:00.006+01:002011-05-02T21:05:29.313+01:00

Took a chance and planted out the climbing french beans, course, natch, immediately the weather forecast says frost on Tuesday night! I have no idea how to wrap a wigwam in fleece,I think they are just going to have to tough it out. The broad beans have quite a lot of flower on, but still a bit yellow - see below Sowed some of John's broad beans which I saved from the 2 beans he gave me last

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-76850677984323742772011-05-01T22:45:00.000+01:002011-09-17T22:47:21.669+01:00

Planted out the baby leeks in the bed where the broccoli was Berries on the strawberry plants.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-7014435627262829542011-04-29T10:24:00.001+01:002011-05-02T21:02:48.105+01:00

Nothing much to report since last blog, just watering, there was a day of rain, but not enough, and weeding. Oh - I've got potatoes coming up! First leaves showing, it always seems a shame to cover them up as soon as they have managed to struggle to the surface, but you have to, so I earthed them up. Some of the seeds I put in last week are showing dotted lines of green. Everything else is

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-51263404346029573262011-04-22T22:12:00.002+01:002011-04-29T10:13:13.944+01:00

Sowed red onion seeds, never grown onions from seed before and its a bit late in the season to start but with luck they might catch up. Sowed some dwarf french beans to put in the empty tubs in the back garden (the tulips that were in them are finished)and sowed some red nasturtium seed in the front of the tubs to potentially give a bit of colour. Practical and beautiful. Allotment: watered,

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-5989706536224093472011-04-20T19:24:00.000+01:002011-04-20T19:24:59.182+01:00

Watering, watering. Will have to sort out my hosepipes. One of them is in the hut, but I can't find the other one, and I need 2 joined together to get all the way up the garden. Sowed seeds today: Salsify, Parsnip, turnip, radish, spring onion, round lettuce, at the top beside the peas. Just a little of each otherwise I end up with too many coming all at once. That's the theory anyway. Usually

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-77391120633253444512011-04-19T18:42:00.002+01:002011-09-17T22:43:08.052+01:00

Another lovely sunny day! Could get used to this. Unfortunately it's not too good for the garden, it really could do with a couple of days of rain. Didn't go to the plot until later today because it was so hot, so it was just nice by the time I got there. Spent the morning pricking out the basil and the 42 zinnias I bought. Put some more runners in pots as the other ones didn't germinate.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-62191001408160425072011-04-17T21:04:00.002+01:002011-09-17T22:40:53.524+01:00

Sad camellia much reduced! Had to water the beans and peas today, garden very dry. The bean babies are not drooping but are looking a bit yellowish, so I sprinkled on some growmore to give them a boost. It could be lack of water or it could be that because they are white beans, the leaves might be a bit lighter green. Variety "Witkiem Manita". Major works this afternoon, I put my lovely

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-76013936453892164682011-04-16T22:31:00.002+01:002011-04-16T22:35:57.289+01:00

With regard to the camellia: I managed to heave it out of its pot and saw that all the roots were confined to the top four inches of soil, the bottom two thirds was densely compacted soil, wet and smelly. No wonder it was looking sick. I think what has happened is that it has been damaged by the long freeze in the winter and hasn't had enough viable roots to absorb the water, and it has just

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-16143320439562274482011-04-14T21:01:00.002+01:002011-04-15T16:16:51.347+01:00

Took the strimmer and cut the weeds down on my bit of communal pathway before they get too high. Very satisfying, it makes mincemeat out of them! Just as well there isn't much to do, the charge on the strimmer only lasts about 20 minutes, and I notice that it's going to need a new string soon. Dug up the last of the leeks, all except a few baby ones which were growing out of the bottom of the big

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-1562921653163516882011-04-11T23:55:00.001+01:002011-04-11T23:55:48.278+01:00

Forecast for a possible frost tonight so I have put some fleece over the bean babies. The peas still have their fleece tunnel on. Its pretty windy so it probably won't frost but the wind might blow the fleece away. Some sweetcorn seedlings germinated. French beans sprouting but no sign of runners yet. Cabbages need to go into the ground asap but I'm waiting for the anti-whitefly mesh to come

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-21410606834305212642011-04-08T22:24:00.003+01:002011-04-08T23:33:48.171+01:00

Another lovely day. Went out with no coat on! Wow! The wind has dropped at last, enough to be able to give the apple trees a fungal spray without getting a faceful of blowback. So after a struggle with various non-functioning spray bottles, eventually one worked. They say that allotment gardening is good therapy, but I think it is all the cobbled-together bits and pieces we choose to work with

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-52843361834445915482011-04-06T20:30:00.000+01:002011-04-06T20:30:34.161+01:00

Took my lovely hoops to the plot and fiddled about for about half an hour trying to get them set up. Put one side in and the other was too high/low etc., but I got there in the end. Looks good, now I know how much mesh netting I need. Just hope no scrap metal dealers spot them. Didn't have a camera with me but will get a pic soon. What are they for, you might ask? They are so I can keep those

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-63379245025436316772011-04-05T00:22:00.003+01:002012-01-15T23:18:41.976Z

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-77095492710944957342011-04-04T17:10:00.003+01:002011-04-05T00:41:26.266+01:00

I am stuck in the house for the next three days because we are getting double glazed. Never mind, I used the time to sow seeds. (What am I going to do tomorrow?) Sowed Sweet corn "F1 Sweet Nugget", a yellow climbing french bean "Corona D'oro", runner beans "Streamline", courgette "Green Bush", pumpkin "Jack be little", cosmos "pied piper". I put the beans in root trainers, the pumpkin and

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-43217646321597176032011-04-03T20:16:00.002+01:002011-04-05T00:55:16.989+01:00

Helped out in the trading hut at the allotments this morning. Mega busy! Big business done in old scaffolding planks. The plotholders use them for edging their raised beds. I'm not a great fan of them (the raised beds that is, not the plotholders), but I am mulling over whether to buy some planks for edging the path to stop the weeds and soil from falling over the paving. They are also very heavy

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-29034750226153483712011-04-01T18:59:00.000+01:002011-04-01T18:59:43.276+01:00

Grey day and still a bit breezy, but it is not raining yet.  The wind yesterday wrecked the fleece tunnel I had constructed over the bean babies, but they were ok and tough enough to survive most conditions now except snow. The wicker chair was upside down on the spring cabbages and the lid had blown off the compost bin. There was a heavy piece of wood on that too - the wind must've been pretty

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-76845133194569506242011-03-27T19:25:00.001+01:002011-03-27T21:22:55.900+01:00

Super day, not too hot, not too cold, soil neither too wet nor too dry. Not often that happens. Put some of the seed trays outside to harden off. Went to plot early as I wanted to set up an asparagus bed. Got some plants from Wilko's £1.98 for 3. Turned out to be 4 but I think one might have fallen apart. The bed that I had the courgettes in last year is quite deep and seems to be pretty well

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-57245166206655791112011-03-25T21:12:00.000Z2011-03-25T21:12:45.435Z

Planted Gladioli Blackjack in front garden by the fence. Weeded plot a bit - those buttercups have got some healthy roots on them.  Bean babies still looking ok, but cold forecast for this weekend. Some of the shallots are showing, but I dug one up by accident and it hadn't grown at all. Still no sign of gardeners delight germinating, but garden pearl looking good.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-66203605748224447672011-03-25T21:05:00.000Z2011-03-25T21:05:18.758Z

Popped up to plot to check fleece on bean babies, still on

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-28000439027008193292011-03-23T18:28:00.000Z2011-09-26T09:40:33.937+01:00

Spring has def sprung, saw bees, both bumble and honey varieties and a peacock butterfly has been spooted already. Planted out the broad beans. I used root trainers for them this year and they've got really good root systems. Rigged up a fleece protection but it looks a bit  femma, so I doubt it would stand much weather. Its only till they get a bit bigger.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-52362792395070683682011-03-21T16:48:00.000Z2011-03-21T16:51:00.151Z

A lovely day! Put my potatoes in. (Kifli)I wasn't going to, but I got carried away by the sunshine. Did some tidying up, weeding, took out brussells sprouts. David and Fred planted their garlics and forked over the bit of garden I've lent them. The ground is drying nicely.  Had to take the glass off the cold frame because there are some english bluebells coming through and they are getting too

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-61573023245437105912011-03-16T22:45:00.000Z2011-03-16T22:45:48.262Z

Wet, wet, wet. Misty,  cold, wet. Reminds me of a day at the top of Bowfell. Soil too sticky to dig. Broad bean babies in the greenhouuse looking nice and sturdy, time to harden them up a bit. Have had a cloche on plot to warm the soil up a bit. Some hope! Dug up some leeks, made Leek and potato soup this afternoon...delish.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-68620524512469369932011-03-11T20:41:00.000Z2011-03-11T20:41:57.478Z

Went to the plot today.  Forked over the patch where my sweetcorn was last year, ready to put some onion sets in.  Found some parsnips! They look pretty rough but I scrubbed and peeled them and they are ok.  There are quite a lot and I'm the only one who likes them, so I've made some parsnip soup.  I tried a little bit and it is delish! We'll have it when the kids come around for sunday lunch.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-25439153386071330542011-03-08T23:19:00.000Z2011-03-08T23:30:10.743Z

Lovely day today, bright, sunny, light breeze.  Perfect drying day, got my washing dried outside for the first time this year.  Oh to be in England on days like these. Sowed French marigolds, nasturtium and poached eggs seeds, in part compost, part perlite in seed trays for companion planting with the brassicas.  But since I said I wouldnt bother with them this year, I'm not quite sure why. 

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-38679449070955888182011-03-06T18:41:00.000Z2011-03-06T18:41:22.842Z

Still pretty cold, but it hasn't snowed any more since our early winter.  Planted shallots about 2 weeks ago- Golden Gourmet, a round bulb and Pesandor, a long bulb.  Sowed broad beans in root trainers in the greenhouse, last week and they've all except one come up.  One seems to be upside down, but its still going for it. Looks like it might be 100% germination. Sowed 8 tomato Gardeners Delight

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-11161866575328000532011-03-06T18:18:00.000Z2011-03-06T18:18:26.436Z

10C.  Snow gone for the moment.  Garden still squelchy.  Dug out some leeks but the garden still too wet. I'm walking tall with inches of soil stuck to my boots.  Milder.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-53193734139314964622011-03-06T18:14:00.000Z2011-03-06T18:14:55.990Z

5C.  Thawing nicely, most snow gone, but water butts still like giant ice pops. Dug some leeks out, stripped off the tatty outside leaves and they were ok inside! Wow! I think every thing else is a goner. Very muddy, the leeks squelched as they came out. The mildness of the weather makes me think of seeds and stuff, but it is too soon, its not January yet.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-67010937117897545762011-03-06T17:49:00.000Z2011-03-06T18:08:40.036Z

After a brief thaw it all froze up again! Snow and lots of it. -5C today and was down to -7C a couple of nights ago.  Nothing to do at the plot, everything is frozen.  Saw a foxes tracks through the plot.  Obviously stopped for a rest and sat on my winter onions. Grr. Went this morning and carved out a red cabbage.  It was frozen solid, so we'll see what it thaws out like. (It was smelly mush

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-81758955984221876982011-03-06T17:45:00.000Z2011-03-06T17:45:59.283Z

It has started to thaw very quickly.  Plot is under water, have to plodge to get to the sprouts.  Cage around the cabbages has collapsed with the weight of snow

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8163397104157583636.post-52950199374621017412011-03-06T17:43:00.000Z2011-03-06T17:43:01.926Z

Plot still knee deep.  Somewhere under the snow are some kale, red cabbage and leeks, but too difficult to get at.  The ground is probably frozen anyway.  Had to wait for the trading hut opening  to get in to the allotment site 'cos the padlocks were frozen each time I tried.  Thawing slightly, up to 2C today but forecast for more frozen stuff.

Annenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01143070953582389534noreply@blogger.com0