New season.

[Pumkinpie]

Went down to check the plot out today.
Not to bad after the winter.
Had a good tidy up but lots to do.
Big comitment as need to get down and get stuck in.
Aiming for 3 to 4 times a week at 2 to three hours a session .
Staring at the top aim for clearing and preparing and planting 1 to 2 beds a day ( small ones approx 1-2 by 1 m each bed). That means all the veg beds should be cleared and planted up in approx 24 to 48 days ie by Easter or by May spring bank holiday at the latest. Then I can go back to bed one and start again! Oh first three rows of beds have stuff over wintering ready for harvesting soon. So off to a good start thanks to the hard work in the autumn.
I am ready for some decent spring weather now to get rid of the winter blues!
Oh am I the only one who has vegetable seeds in handbags, jacket pockets and the most ridiculous place of all . My bed side table!. Rocket, French beans pumpkin, mixed lettuce, cosmos, fox gloves!
There . Got a plan for the veg half of my plot.
I will potter and tidy the fruit side up inbetween.
Feel so much better for putting it in writing.
I hope you lovely people don't mind.
I aim to provide most of my veg and salad stuff this year.
I need luck , good health and good weather along with selfsufficient determination.
Feeling grateful I have a lovely allotment that is structured and ready to go complete with a shed and greenhouse.

[Flo]

It all sounds good Pumkinpie. It's a great feeling when you can get down to the allotment and get stuck in. Especially when the weather turns out so nice. You are right about a little and often gets more done and done better than one backbreaking clearing up because you left it so late.

I had a good autumn and early winter when I managed to clear up after last season, get the winter onions in place along with the elephant garlic and some ordinary winter garlic. Also moved the strawberry bed - bit of a pain that as there were a lot of new plants to go out that had been in tubs for a year. The final job was recently to clear the last of the brussels and the parsnips. Grandson set up the new hosepipe system back in January before he went back to university.

I have a drawer full of seeds awaiting my attention - a lot of things like you but no pumpkin. Plenty of peas and broad beans though.

[Odsox]

It's great isn't it when you can see that spring is springing and you can actually get on and do things.
I spent most of yesterday sowing seeds in troughs and pots and today I have been clearing a plot of grass that I have got to dig in the next week or so for my maincrop potatoes.
The weather forecast is for rain tonight but the weekend is looking good at the moment, so hopefully it will be dry enough to dig then.

No, I don't keep packets of seed in my handbag, nor my bedside table, so yes you are the only one to do that (so far)

[Pumkinpie]

Yes, garlic, onions leeks and elephant garlic were all looking good today.
House siting for daughter tomorrow hope Mr gas man and Mr alarm man are early so I can get down to the plot.
I am hooked now.
Just ordered my compost from the milk man.
Two bags, saves hastle as they are delivered to the door.
Definitely got itchy planting feet.

[Pumkinpie]

On track at the plot today. Lots of clearing and bed preparation.
Aching all over but feeling good about what I got done.
Roll on next week for more lotty time..

[Flo]

We've had a bit of frost on a couple of mornings this week so am taking things verrrrrrrrrry slowly.

[Green Aura]

Well we've not had the best of starts to 2015.The storms in January blew away half our polytunnel, my mother died and so did her cat. They're together in a very quiet corner of the garden, with a few acorns, so hopefully we'll soon have the start of the TroutJack Oak (Jack was the cat and the old trout was usually a term of endearment for my mother - occasionally less so ).

So we're very much looking forward to the new season. The garlic is looking fine and the kale, which survived 100mph blasts, is full of new growth. When the winds drop (we've had 80mph gusts in the last few days) we'll be able to fix the polytunnel and start the dome, which may help protect the tunnel from future blasts.

In the meantime we have some lovely tomato plants ready to transplant.

[diggernotdreamer]

Lets hope 2015 is a good year for everyone. In the big tunnel, the early potatoes have shown their tops above the hay mulch, so they will have to be kept an eye on and covered if frost threatens. Some very nice lettuce growing in there and the smaller tunnel, so I am planning to do salad bags this Sunday, the first of the season. Outside has been completely awful, peeing down, storms, hail, brilliant sunshine, it seems a bit mad that I am just going out to do watering in the tunnels when outside is flooded. I am going to plant the outside spuds in the next few days, all the onion sets went in two days ago. I too have some huge, floppy tomato plants from the failed tomato experiment so they will have to go outside at some stage. In the big propagator are tomato, pepper and aubergine plants. Much to do now, better get on and do it then, can't stand around chatting to you lot

[ina]

I'm still at the stage of packets of seeds on the kitchen table... Bought some onion sets, too. Must get something done Sunday morning - lets hope the weather plays ball... At least it's light again before I leave.

[Flo]

It snowed locally yesterday but at least not over my plot. Says a lot about the weather though.

[Green Aura]

It's been absolutely glorious today, unfortunately we wasted most of the morning waiting to do something else, then decided we couldn't waste the entire day.

So the polytunnel is nearly repaired.

Fingers crossed for no more high winds overnight.

[Odsox]

All just waiting for the overnight temperatures to improve a bit.
Raring to go and being a bit miffed to be put back in the heated propagator every night

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[Pumkinpie]

They look good .
A light frost here tis morning though.
Patience is needed.
Is it a bit milder in cork than the centre of sunny England.

.

[Flo]

A useful day. Only the vaguest suggestion of wind, dull and overcast but no rain. What not to like if you are going to spray the weeds around the feet of your allotment hedges? There were dandelions and creeping buttercups growing well and a large crowd of Jack by the hedge. Not things that you can dig out because the hedge roots are solid.

Maybe not planting weather but definitely a job done. Yes the dandelions are beginning to flower, the hairy bittercress is rampant (as ever at this time of the year) and things like chickweed are peeping out and laughing. When the weeds start to grow it's almost gardening time.