Progress report for April

What a crazy month its been, at the beginning I was so worried about the broad beans that I resorted to exhaling over them in an attempt to thaw the snow cover and by the end of the month I was blistering in the sun.

I’ve planted out loads of the over zealous seedlings from the front room nursery and so yet again I am watching the weather with crossed fingers. Surely we can’t have a frost in May? I have the feeling that April is the pivotal month in the gardening calendar, we are so vulnerable and yet the temptation to get a head start with the tender crops is almost irresistible.

Here’s a quick spin around the plot (as at 27th April 2007) so I can compare progress this time next year.

Starting next to the shed we have the spud bed, most of these have peaked through the surface but I am still able to keep on top of the earthing up process.

Spin to the right and you get the fruit area - strawberries, rhubarb, gooseberries and blackcurrant.

Then the second sowing of peas are coming though.

These are the cabbages I planted way back in week 1, I’m not terribly impressed with them. The blue ones are incredibly strong and need boiling for about a week before you can serve them. Some are riddled with white fly and most have juicy slugs living in the cosy hearts. I imagine I will compost these soon.

Next to them I have a few onions left but I’ll have eaten them all in a couple more weeks. As they go I am planting parsnips and carrots in their place, not having much success with either of these though, the carrots won’t germinate and something is eating my parsnips.

Here are the broad beans I’ve been so protective over. They seem to have survived although Ive probably lost some flowers and therefore productivity with the snow but I’ve eaten all the tips so far and started on the small pods.

Next to these we have the garlic - 2 forgotten varieties and the 2 overwintering onions.

I’m happy with this section.

Under the cloche are the ruby chard plants which are beautiful and tasty and productive which makes them number on my list. Next to it are my second sowing of broad beans, also now in pod.

Right at the bottom of the plot I have the first sowing of peas with a backdrop of pear and plum trees and a selection of holes awaiting my squash plants.

On the other half of the plot we have the pond, a predominantly empty bed with sowings of french bean, kohl rabi and turnips.

Under the cloche are transplants of greyhound cabbage, they are pathetically small though.

Finally we have the bed with the 99p cloches. I’ve mostly got salad crops in here - mustard, rocket, radish, lettuce etc.

Progress report for March.

March has been a wash out weather wise and we even managed a bit of snow. A little creative jiggery pokery with my annual leave arrangements has enabled me to make the most of the very occasional dry spell to get on the plot and the results have been satisfying:

• All spuds are now planted. Heaven nows how I am going to eat them all but that’s a problem for June, not March.
• Copious quantities of broken paving slabs were collected from a freecyclist, a job that took the best part of a day due to me nursing the worlds worst hangover.
• Paths were laid a few days later when I finally recovered.
• Broad beans seem to be surviving despite doubtful glances from the old timers.
• Shakti seems to be doing wonders with the seedlings in her care and has happily turned her front room into my nursery.
• On the second to last day of March I completed digging the entire plot. Not one inch remains untouched. I am shattered but content and perhaps wondering what on earth I am to do with myself now.

March marks the end of my first 6 months with the plot so here’s the before and after shot:

Progress report for February.

The weather was remarkably mild and I enjoyed a good few sunny weekends on the plot.

• The peach was planted and tentatively pruned to within an inch of it’s life.
• Paths and a seed bed were constructed in a fashion.
• The Hellebore flowered beautifully and provided a lovely welcome to all frogs that were considering setting up residence in the pond but none came.
• The broad beans were exposed to the elements as they were growing too big for their toasty covering.
• The peas were staked.
• First row of spuds were planted - Swift.
• Aubergines and tomatoes were sown and promptly shipped off to Shaktis for nurturing on the window ledge.

This month was all about the shed, I fell in love with this place - a true room of my own. Most of my plotting time was spent inside looking out but I did manage to complete a few shambolic construction projects, and sow some early seeds in between brewing the tea.

December was taken up by the stress and joy of the shed!

It was also the month that the allotment actually began to warrant its name. Cloches and crops were popping up, left, right and centre.

I took the plot on in mid-September and worked hard to clear enough area to get some crops in before winter. Thanks have to go to my parents who came down and worked liked Trojans for a week.