So cold......

                                   ...even the daffodils and snowdrops are frozen!

Back to Winter

I woke up to snow on the ground and sun streaming through the window this morning! All day the weather has veered between two extremes of warm sunshine and icy snow showers. With low temperatures of -3 predicted for tonight and Wednesday, I've spent the day so far bringing seedlings into the house from the greenhouse.

the rather crowded worksurface in the back porch!

 Anything I couldn't move -  radish set in the floor or french beans in an enormous pot - and those plants I thought hardy enough are still out there with a triple layer of fleece to keep them warm.

Hoping for a return to Spring soon!

Sowing time

In last week's sunshine we got lots of seed set down at the allotment - peas, broad beans, carrots and beetroot under plastic. This week, which isn't so pleasant, I've concentrated on the garden - that way I can go back inside for coffee when I get too cold :)

I dug over one of the wedges of my veg patch with the intent of sowing early peas there.

On the left are clumps of American land cress and on the right, winter onions, with flowers here and there among them.

I had some homegrown seed in a pot clearly marked as peas but hubby doesn't believe the label so won't set them at the allotment. They look particularly odd in the photo as they've been soaked then rolled in chilli powder to deter mice! Anyway I'm hoping they grow nicely and I soon have peas for dinner!

Fingers crossed.

March coming in like a lamb

 February has ended and March begun with lovely warm spring-like weather.


There were no daffodils for St Davids Day though - and no crocus or forsythia yet.

The colder start to last month means lots of things are delayed and snowdrops are still the main feature.

There are some polyanthus flowering ..

... bergenias 










...and wallflowers in bud.

March beginning with settled weather is not necessarily a good sign though. I'm hoping it doesn't go out roaring 'like a lion'.

Picked this week 3rd March 2013

  Two batches of salad leaves this week - lots of american land cress ready to pick plus some small lettuce leaves from the allotment cold frame. I've now pricked these plants out so won't be able to pull any for a while.

I also managed to find a small amount of kale. It isn't really growing back properly after being eaten by birds. Hoping that the cabbages will grow quickly now for some veg.

Also lifted a couple of leeks from the garden - not as large as the allotment ones and with more beetles so not a lot to eat from them

A green sort of day at the allotment

 

Had a busy day at the allotment today with lots of digging - but the sun shone, the robin and frogs hopped about and I picked a handful of land cress for lunch.

 

 

 

 Assisted as always by our dog - maybe he's measuring the length of the row?

It wasn't very kind to my green fingernails though :)

Picked this week and the return of winter 24th February 2013

After a brief interval of sunshine and warmth at the beginning of the week, the weather's turned icy again. Temperatures are barely above 3 or 4 degrees by afternoon and scrappy snow is trying to fall - the good side is that none has settled yet!
At the beginning of the week, we moved some strawberry plants from home to the allotment and planted out some brassica seedlings - a mix of kale, cabbage and cauliflower. I'm hoping these will be ok now the weather's so much colder.
The only lifted crop this week was a couple of leeks from the garden and sadly they were badly damaged by leek beetles.
We've now moved on to our last sack of stored potatoes so could ideally do with a few more this coming year - though as we've bought lots of reduced-price seed this week, that shouldn't be a problem.