Tales and Tips from the allotment

Above is my (very small..!) allotment all bedded down for the winter, November 2009, below is the same plot at the beginning of Spring 2010

After what seems like a long-long winter it's time to get back to planting and growing again. I've cobbled together a cold-frame and seeds are already sprouting. I need to improve the quality of the soil in general and so today (Sunday 25th April) I'm on a mole-hill hunt. The field next to the allotments usually has a fine crop and I'm hoping I'm not too late to fill a wheelbarrow with lots of spadefuls of beautiful soil - broken down to a fine tithe by those hard working little critters...! It'll take a few trips over the next few days to collect enough to improve what will be my beetroot bed. Meanwhile... it's on with the boots and down to the garden I plod...

On the left is a picture taken at the beginning of Spring 2010. My allotment was a virgin plot this time last year so I feel this is the real beginning of my attempt to grow some nice things for myself. The strawberry plants look good and have come through the winter well. The raspberry canes are beginning to send up new shoots and the blueberry bushes have survived the snow and sub-zero temperatures. There's lots of planting to do, especially dwarf beans, onions and shallots. I'm hoping to grow a small number of cauliflower and Brussels sprout plants. I've planted courgettes and potatoes in containers as there's not enough space to plant directly into this little plot - and I also plan to plant out one or two tomato plants when the weather is a little warmer.