Got some more seeds through post today. Swiss Chard 'bright lights', Baby Leaf salad mix ' californian, provence and tuscan', Carrot 'parmex' Strawberry 'rugen improver' Spring Onion 'red beard'

Hedges

Did a couple of hours today. The weather is slowly improving and things are starting to show signs of life. Cut back some privet hedges from the next allotment and hawthorn trees next to the road. Used cuttings to create a barrier next to fencing. Planted two redcurrant bought for £1 each! I have put them in the nursery bed to grow on a little.

Seed and Plant Sowing

21/2 Sowed: coriander, basil, chilli cayenne, land cress, cutting celery, rocket, salad bowl, pak choi

24/2 Germinated: rocket, pak choi, mustard, salad bowl

25/2 Sowed: tomatoes- harbinger, sub arctic, garden pearl, garden delight. Leeks- musselburgh, lyon prizetaker

27/2 Sowed: Talnium, aqualegia, red hot poker, lobelia, begonia, geranium, marigold, rudbeckia, penstemon, geum, delphimium. Broad beans into modules

1/3 Sowed: Early nantes 2 & 5 in pots, greenhouse. Sweet peas- 1/2 in modules and 1/2 in paper pots

3/3 Germinated: coriander, sub arctic, garden pearl, garden delight, chilli cayenne

4/3 Sowed: sweet peas
Germinated: marigold, harbinger

5/3 Sowed: spring onions, alpine strawberry, cauliflower, rudbeckia

6/3 Germinated: chocolate daisy

8/3 Germinated:penstemon, onionsx2, leeksx2, geranium, rudbeckia, lobelia, sweet peas in modules

11/3 Germinated: broad beans, sweet peas in paper pots

14/3 Sowed: sub arctic, garden pearl, garden delight, pak choi, coriander, cutting celery, salad leaves, mustard, landcress, asparagus Pricked out: leeks

15/3 Sowed: hardy geraniums, butternut squash, courgettes- bianca de trieste, golden zucchini, defender, kojac, dundoo.
Germinated: french marigolds

16/3 Pricked out: brunswick onions

17/3 Germinated: mustard greens, rocket, sweetcorn, salad bowl

19/3 Sowed: primulas, evening primrose, astilibe, saphonaria
Germinated: lemon basil, pak choi, red hot poker, spring onions, basil opal and genovese.
Pricked out: Tomatoes- gardeners delight x7, sub arctic x10, garden pearl x10, harbinger x9, rocket x12, pak choi x12, cauli x12, geranium x12, salad bowl x12, mustard x12

21/3 Germinated: Tomatoes- sub artic, gardeners delight, garden pearl, corinader

22/3 Sowed: Potatoes, white onions 'snowball'

23/3 Sowed: Carrots 'gonsenheimer' into pots

25/3 Sowed: Chives, garlic chives, thyme, mixed herbs, southport red onions, marigold, butternut squash, pumpkin, geranium phaeum, spring onion, Brassicas:kale- dwarf green, cavalo de negro,green calabrese,italian,early and late purple sprouting (5 per module) Germinated: courgettes, cutting celery, celery, southport red onions, celeriac. Pricked out: marigolds, cutting celery, delphinum x2, chocolate daisy Potted on: asparagus into 5" pots

27/3 Sowed: Early nantes 5 carrots and sparkler radish in pots into greenhouse. Planted: turbo onions, 3 rows.

30/3 Germinated: Marigold, geranium thunbergerii, tellima.

1/4 Pricked out: lobelia, pak choi, rocket, salad leaves, mustard, cutting celery, celery

2/4 Germinated: pansy, brassicas, lemon balm, thyme

4/4 Pricked out: tomatoes- sub arctic, garden pearl and gardeners delight (3x8)

5/4 Germinated: asparagus, garlic chives, peppadew chilli ans sweetcorn

6/4 Sowed: calendula, wildflower mix, poached egg, flanders poppy, cornflower x2, foxglove x3, runner bean, french beans 2x12, climbing beans 3x8, peas- meteor x20, kelvendon and mange toute x10, beetrott- cylindra and boltary x12, swiss chard, perpetual spinach.

7/4 Sowed: carrots- nantes 2 & 5. Pricked out: geranium

8/4 Sowed: fennel, lemon basil, spicy leaf mix, mizuna, astrantia, basil, rocket, pak choi, sald bowl, mustard greens, corinander, basil dark opal, cutting celery, mint, land cress, celery, lettuce- ultimate mixed and lollo rossa, salad mix-provence, californian, tuscan, spring onion- red beard and white lisbon. Potted up: courgettes ans squash (6x1 each)

10/4 Sowed: achilla 'cerise queen', penstemon 'mixed colours' and echinaea '?'

11/4 Germinated: pointed pepper, salad bowl, spicy leaf, rocket, mizuna, pak choi, mustard greens

12/4 Germinated: lettuces- lollo rosso and ultimate mixed and basil

13/4 Sowed: baby sweetcorn, chinese cabbage, lettuce-'little gem', pea 'celebration', turnip 'oasis', french bean 'creso'. Pricked out: geranium 'phaeum'. Germinated: calendula, cornflower x2 and night scented stock. Basil

16/4 Germinated: peas kelvendon, meteor, mange toute, spinach beet, french bean (1st sowing) swiss chard, cylindra beetroot and achilla. Pricked out: sweetcorn 3" square pots

17/4 Germinated: fennel, corinader, dark opal basil, lemon basil, basil and land cress (all these germinate quickly with the heated propagator but grow very leggy. Perhaps not enough light in conservatory?) Pricked out: southport red onions and celeriac. Potted up: courgettes

18/4 Potted up: sub arctic plenty x6 in 12" pots, pumpkin and geraniums. Planted asparagus 2 row ginjlim and 2 row backlim

19/4 Germinated: turnip, spinach, little gem, penstemon, achilla and echinaea. Potted up: harbinger x6 in 12" pots, garden pearl x6 (3 per large tub) Sowed: row of carrot sugarsnax, boltardy beetroot and sparkler/french breakfast radishes in raised bed

25/4 Germinated: celebration pea, mini sweetcorn, bean cresto. Pricked out: salad bowl, ultimate, lollo rosso, teasel and fennel

26/4 Germinated: salad tray Pricked out: Brassicas

2/5: Planted out: turnips, spring onions, cylindra beetroot, sweet peas, delphinium (into seed bed) Sowed: radish french breakfast/ sparkler

3/5 Planted out: tray of onions? runner and french beans (too windy!)

4/5 Sowed: beans-tendergreen, cobra, borlotti, blue lake, streamline (8 0f each in modules) pea-meteor, sugar pod, kelvendon. broad bean, foxglove alba and excelcior, astrantia, 3x salad mix, early nantes 5, paris market (carrots in containers)

5/5 Planted out: peas (from 6/4 sowing)

9/5 Sowed: carrot nantes 5 and autumn king, ultimate lettuce, radish rainbow, outdoor in bed

13/5 Planted out: sweetcorn, courgette, pumpkins, squash

14/5 Potted up: Tomatoes

16/5 Sowed: spring onion, white lisbon and ishikura. Butternut squash, hunter. Potted up: salad tray. Germinated: salad tray, peas. Planted out: marigold, rudbeckia.

17/5 Planted out: alpine strawberry, grenn calabrese, dwarf kale (in final positions 12" apart) Early, late and italian PSB (in seed bed to transplant later) Sowed: mixed mesclun.

19/5 Planted out: peas celebration and delphinium.

21/5 Sowed: radish. Germinated: peas, beans, salad tray, lupins. Planted out: cutting celery

22/5 Sowed: thyme, lovage, oregano, bob sunflowers 'lemon queen'. Planted out: asparagus 'connovers collosal' and flanders poppy.

28/5 Sowed: radish french breakfast. Planted out: 2nd sowing of beans (first sowing planted out too early and dont look so good)

29/5 Sowed: Artichoke 'green globe' Planted: Peas, 'meteor' kelvendon wonder' 'sugar snap'. Dwarf beans 'ferrari', 'tender green' and Fennel.

1/6 Germinated: mesclun mixture, sunflower 'bob the builder' Planted: teasel, achilla, tellima. Potted on: pointed pepper

2/6 Sowed: carrots 'paris market', 'early nantes 2 & 5'

5/6 Pricked out: Lupins.

6/6 Planted out: lettuce Potted up: chillies

7/6 Sowed: dwarf bean 'valour', pea 'kelvendon wonder', 'meteor' and green primrose seeds. Planted out: Fennel and broad beans

14/6 Germinated: Peas and beans as above

18/6 Planted out: Fennel and chard

26/6 Pricked out: Artichoke

27/6 Planted out: Peas and beans from 7/6 sowing

Fruit Bushes

Managed to get an hour up the allotment today. Tidied up Plot 49d and sorted through aqualegia seedlings that where sown last year. Planted some more soft fruit; raspberry 'glen cova', gooseberry 'careless', blackcurrant 'ben lomond', redcurrants 'jonkheer van tets', blackberry and tayberry.

Redcurrant 'jonkheer van tets'

Gooseberry 'careless'

Blackcurrant 'ben lomond'

Raspberry 'glen cova'

Seed List

A bit bored at work so decided to list all the seeds i have for this year

Flowers

Perennials

Achilla 'cerise queen'
Astrantia 'red'
Aqualegia 'mckana giant hybrids'
Chocolate Daisy 'berlandiera lyrara'
Delphinium 'pacific giants mixed' , 'new zealand hybrid'
Echinaea
Geum 'blazing sunset'
Geranium 'thunbergii', 'phaeum', 'pyrancium'
Pansy 'swiss giant mixed'
Penstemon 'mixed colours'
Red Hot Poker 'mixed'
Talinum 'kingswood gold'
Tellima

Biennials

Foxglove 'alba', 'excelsior hybrids', primrose carousel'
Teasel

Hardy Annuals

Calendula 'art shades mixed'
Cornflower 'tall mixed', 'blue diadem'
Poppy 'flanders'
Stock 'night scented
Sunflower 'pastiche'
Sweet Pea 'old fashioned mixed'
Wild Flowers 'cornfield mixed'

Half Hardy Annuals

Begonia 'scentsation mixed'
Geranium 'f2 mixed'
Lobelia 'rainbow cascade'
Marigold 'disco mixed'
Rudbeckia 'cherokee sunset'

Vegetables

Brassicas

Broccoli 'extra early', 'early prurple sprouting', 'green calabrese', 'late purple sprouting' , 'italian sprouting'
Cauliflower 'all year round'
Kale 'dwarf green curled' , 'cavalo de negro'

Root

Beetroot 'detroit 2', 'boltardy', 'cylindra'
Carrot 'autumn king 2', 'early nantes 2', 'early nantes 5', 'gonsenheimer', 'paris market', 'purple', 'parmex', 'tendersnax f1'
Celeriac 'prauge giant'

Legume
Broad Bean 'bunyard exhibition'
Climbing French Bean 'borlotto lingua di fuoco', 'blue lake', 'cobra'
Dwarf French Bean 'ferrari', 'tendergreen'
Runner Bean 'streamline'
Pea 'kelvendon wonder', 'meteor', 'oregeon sugar pod'

Other

Asparagus 'martha washington'
Squash 'butternut'
Courgette 'bianca di trieste', 'golden zucchini' ,'defender', 'kojac', 'dundoo'
Leek 'musselburgh', 'lyon prizetaker'
Onion 'brunswick', 'southport red globe', 'white spanish'
Chard 'silver', 'bright lights'
Perpetual spinach 'spinach beet'
Pumpkin 'hooligan f1'
Sweetcorn 'incredible f1'

Greenhouse

Chilli 'cayenne' , 'peppadew'
Tomatoes 'gardeners delight', 'garden pearl', 'harbinger', 'moneymaker', 'sub arctic'
Pepper 'summer salad mixed',

Salad
Celery 'full white'
Cress 'american land'
Lettuce 'salad bowl mixed', 'red salad bowl', 'ultimate mixed', 'lollo rossa'
Onion 'white lisbon', 'red beard'
Pak choi
Rocket 'cultivated', 'wild'
Salad leaf mixes 'mustard greens', 'spicy leaf', 'californian', 'provence', 'tuscan'

Herbs

Basil 'dark opal', 'lemon', 'sweet genovese'
Coriander
Cutting celery
Fennel
Garlic chives
Lemon Balm

Seed Potatoes: 'belle de fontenay', 'charlotte', 'juliette', 'pink fir apple', 'nicola', 'royal kidney' , 'hunter' , 'dunluce'
Onion Sets 'red baron', 'snowball', 'abs 101' , 'red karmen'

Not Much

Not much happening these past few days. Got some new seeds. Butternut squash, cutting celery, penstemon 'mixed colours' and delphinium ' pacific giants' from the online seed swap and a packet of 6 in 1 seeds' basil 'dark opal', coriander 'coriandrum', mustard greens 'mixed', chilli pepper 'cayenne', sweet pepper 'canape' and oriental leaf mix. Also bought some fruit bushes; bluberry, raspberry, redcurrant, tayberry, black currant.

Cleaned out the conservatory/ outhouse ready for starting seeds in propagators

More Seeds

Back today after a weekend away. Had some seeds in the post delivered. Carrot 'early nantes 2', broccoli 'early purple sprouting' and rudbeckia 'cherokee sunset'. Look forward to sowing these with the others.

New Seeds

On one of the web sites i look at there is a seed swap forum. As it suggests people can swap unwanted seed with other people's unwanted seeds.

Received some green beans 'cobra' and tomatoes 'gardeners delight', 'moneymaker', 'roma vf'
So far i have sent out some mini peppers, fennel, garlic chives, aubergene

Hoping to get some grass seeds and peas in return

Also got some seeds from thompson and morgan too. Special offer 5 packs for £1.99. Got cauliflower 'all year round', tomato 'gardeners delight', lettuce 'ultimate mixed', brussel sprouts 'falstaff' and peppers 'summer salad mixed'. Some i will use and some i will swap. Hoping for some celeriac or lovage. I wanted to try celery this year but by all accounts very difficult to grow!

Tidy Up

After picking my sister up from the airport i managed to get a couple of hours up the allotment.

Plot 49f(1) Had a tidy round in both plots. Put plant pots etc in shed, checked over plants overwintering in the green house. Most seem to be ok but i think the fucia's have had it. Potted up some 'jacobs ladder' that i sowed last autumn after collecting seed from my plants. I also potted up some 'catanche' seedlings. I thought i would try to force some rhubarb this year so a black dustbin and a big stone have been used. I have read that straw needs to go un the bin to keep the young stems from cold so will sort that out later.

Forcing rhubarb

Seedlings

In plot 49d Planted the two fruit trees in the west facing bed. These should be fairly sheltered and get some sunshine. They will need staking soon to give them support.

Cherry 'stella'

Plum 'victoria'

Strawberries and Asparagus

Bought 20 strawberries 'aromlel', 10 asparagus 'gijnlim and 10 'backlim'
These should be delivered sometime in march. This gives plenty of time to get the beds ready and the weather to warm up a bit. Also been looking on growyourown forum for some seed swaps. Hopefully got some tomato's, ornemental grass and beans.

Cuttings

Managed to get an hour in between snow showers.

These are some cutting that i took in late summer. Quite pleased with the ones that rooted. Here are 4 laural, 2 hebe, 5 clematis 'elisabeth' and 5 buddleja. I will grow these on for a while then put them in the nursery bed. I love plants for free!

These are some seedlings that i sowed in late summer and have overwintered at home in the conservatory. I tend to put the seedlings in groups of three per pot to make a larger plant when mature. They can always be divided in the future.

Finally i potted up the asparagus 'connevers collosal' that i got from ebay. A little smaller than i expected but they were only £6.95 for 20 delivered! These will grow on until spring when the soil warms up.

Walked To Pen

Managed to get up the allotment today. It's only a 10 minute walk from home although with kids in tow it takes twice as long. Still plenty of snow and ice around.




Me and the kids had a fire to keep us warm




These are the soft fruit i bought the other day, potted up waiting to go in when the ground has thawed. They are Raspberry: Glen Prosen and Tulameen. Gooseberry. Blackcurrant:Ben Lomond. Tayberry and Blackberry.





These were taken in my other allotment (49d). The snow drops are the only signs of life.
But soon when the weather warms up and the days get longer all the plants will start to grow again, i hope

Fruit Trees

Bought two fruit trees tonight from lidl

cherry- stella and plum-victoria for £3.99 each
In allotment 49d i have an apple tree-gala which does quite well each year
so these two will be a welcome addition.

Too Cold

Still too cold to anything. Bought some fruit bushes at our local aldi store

Gooseberry, redcurrant and blackberry in one pack and raspberry, blackcurrant and tayberry in the other. At £2.35 a pack its worth trying out. I bought some of their climbers a couple of years back and they have come on really well. I know you get what you pay for but as they are living things even expensive plants can die or suffer disease. I will see how they get on and report back.

Not Working

Not working today but can't get out to do anything. I have been looking at asparagus crowns and strawberry plants on ebay.

Good News

Good news. Have been to the hospital today. They have taken off the cast and said it should be healed within two to three weeks. Looking forward to getting some jobs done.
Still need to tidy up plot 49d (thats my first allotment. i will report on that one later.)

Back to 49f(1)
Need to order and plant some strawberries and asparagus.
Get some fleece down to warm up potato patch. Seed potatos already chitted
Too early to start any seeds just yet. I have 3 heated propagators which get them off to a good start but i quickly run out of space to grow them on. Our outhouse/conservatory is now home to two cats who have no interest in gardening, only fertilizing the soil!
I do have some perennial plants that i sowed/ took cuttings in late summer that have survived the winter so they can be potted on and kept in the greenhouse.

Hope this snow and cold weather pass soon. Good for getting rid of pests but not so good for anything else. It does look nice though.

First Post

hi. this is my first post. so far so good! soon i will be uploading pictures and details of my two allotments. normally i would be out and about working on my allotments but a game of football and a broken hand later means not very much to do for 6 weeks. most of the hard work is done but still frustrating to be stuck in. the cold weather doesn't help much but it can only get better
bye for now

n.b. although this is my first post i have now been able to create posts in previous years so as well as a blog from now onwards i can also show what has been done before this point to give a picture of the progress me and my family have made