Thursday 16 February 2012

First signs of spring?

Sorry for the absence from this site. It has just been too cold and frozen to even contemplate going to the allotment. But today I did, and picked a good number of lovely Brussels Sprouts. The freezing cold has taken its toll, and the Swiss Chard looks decidedly sick, but now that the ground is thawing I shall go back to dig some Parsnips and Jerusalem Artichokes, and pull a few leeks, ready for the weekend. Soon I shall have to think about what what I want to grow again this year and decide what seeds to order. I hope it's not too late to put some garlic cloves in. They really benefit from cold weather, which they need to stimulate division into smaller cloves. Since a cold snap is forecast again in the next few days, I should be OK if I don't waste any more time!
I just really hope it warms up soon though!
Listening to the news today it seems that we are in for a serious drought this year, so I must cart as much manure as I can over to my plot from the communal heap so I have a good supply of mulch to spread around plants in due course to keep any moisture around their roots.
Spring must be just around the corner - the daffodils are breaking into bloom on the church bank, blue tits seem to be preparing to nest in the box, the green woodpecker is enjoying digging for ants in the lawn and I have heard the drilling of the greater spotted woodpecker somewhere in a nearby tree.
Hooray!!
At home I must make sure all the water butts are properly connected up to drainpipes so I save every drop I possibly can of any rainfall we have.