Transition

Just before I head off for just over a week to admire my sister's as yet unborn child, some updates on my allotment. Not that there is anything to show, but I have done ever so much work to it, and it want to show it off!

First of all, there is what's going on inside. This is a picture taken a few days ago of the sprout seedlings desperate to get out of their shared tray:



I was putting off the potting process, as my mum had warned me that ten sprout plants were just too many, and I couldn't bring myself to discard any. Eventually I worked up the courage, though, and eight sprout seedlings made the transition successfully. Here they are, together with some tomatoes:



I was a bit worried about the tomatoes, as I seem to have hacked off quite a bit of their tiny little roots in the potting process, but they appear happy enough. Here is another bunch "toughening up" in the spring breeze:


Onto the garden itself, then. Now, it's been looking pretty dull and bleak, but yesterday I did enliven it considerably with the erection of a wigwam for future beans:



See? Now at least there is an expectation that something will be happening at some point. That dark line on the right marks the position of the rainbow chard, which I sowed this morning. I've also sown sweet pea around the wigwam, while we're waiting for the beans.



I hope there will be at least a few bits of green peeping out of the clay when I return!

Easter (belated)

Well, we weren't going to be doing much egghunting with the weather like this. Blizzard, sun, blizzard, sun, wind and biting cold.



I've been a bit annoyed about Easter, since I couldn't go out to do all that work on my plot that still needs doing, and Alan is away for ten days, so I'm a bit lonely, too! Luckily, I had invited some friends over for Easter brunch, which was extremely civilised. I made some rolls:



As well as cake and French toast, and I had all the usual Easter goodies. Here are my guests, Glenn, Simon and Sarah, about to embark on an epic Easter eating adventure. This was at 11am, and they didn't leave until 12 hours later!

Sprouts!

This was the surprise that greeted me this morning when I opened the curtains. The Brussels sprouts, which I sowed only a week ago, had shot up, seemingly overnight, and with such force! One had lifted a whole clod of earth in its eagerness to see the light:


And all this happened while my attention was fully fixed on the exciting goings on in the bathroom, where the tomatoes were also reaching for the light:


So exciting! Of a similar magnitude to the impending birth of my sister's baby! Well, it is March now, and I've received almost all of my seeds. Check out my riches:


I've been compiling lists of when to sow what, and where. Lots to do in March, and still so much digging and pulling up of grass roots to be done! I've also made a new plan:


By the time everything starts growing and ripening, I will be able to bring my harvest home in this fantastic and appropriate bag my mum sent me:


I can hardly wait. I just hope it stops raining so I can get on with it!