New Year bits and bobs

[Geoff]

I agree - what a difference a day makes.
Replaced the greenhouse glass. Filled first batch of pots and trays, watered with Cheshunt and put in the propagator to warm up for sowing tomorrow. Had a delivery of a dozen Christmas trees, 6 Norway 6 Caucasian, and planted them with 4 Scots Pine grown from seed; also planted a Black Mulberry. The grass seemed to have started growing so raked down all the molehills so it could grow through. Birds singing and tapping away at nesting boxes (though no drumming yet). And a pretty sky to finish with made it the best day of the year so far by quite a bit. Only thing missing was the Redpolls we have had for the last three days.

[Shallot Man]

Out with the mutt this morning, lower Hawthorne buds on the point of bursting out, thrush singing his socks of.

[Monika]

First sowings today:
- sweet peas, now on the windowsill in an unheated room in the house
- onions and shallots, now on the windowsill in a slightly warmer room
- sweet and chili peppers, now on the boiler in the kitchen
Looking forward to them poking through the soil and being moved on to cooler conditions when the time is right.

And in the cold greenhouse, iris danfordiae is flowering!

[oldherbaceous]

Things seem to be on the move, quite a dawn chorus outside at the present, very nice to hear.

[alan refail]

...whereas here it's just Glaw, glaw a mwy o law - Rain, rain and more rain

[Geoff]

Rain had blown away to a bright fresh morning. Went out to feed the birds and there was a Thrush on the top of a pine tree singing it's heart out to its Valentine. Regrettably a sleet shower has just passed through, must be because my wife pegged the washing out.

[Parsons Jack]

Very pleasant morning here. Nice to see the sun

Dug some carrots from the plot. Eskimo variety from Suttons, which I can heartily recommend. Grown under fleece since sowing last June, and they are in perfect condition still.
Dug up the last of the swedes. Must grow more of those this year
The garlic is looking good and about 6-8 inches high now.

My other plot is now cleared. The mound of soil at one end, which has been there for years, has been mostly spread over the rest of the plot to raise the level up. Just a bit more still to do. The bulk of the plot has been dug now, with my recently purchased 'Backsaver spade'. What a wonderful tool that is. Worth it's weight in gold
Four compost bays built, two of which are full of horse manure already.
All in all, it's been a busy winter on the plots

[oldherbaceous]

Gosh P.J, you put me to shame, i suppose i better get over there soon and have a little scratch about.

[Parsons Jack]

Just make sure you don't overdo it OH

[Monika]

Everything is rather sodden a the moment, but I was pleased to see the garlic is coming through on the allotment, at last. It (variety Solent Wight) and onions Senshyu were planted last October. The onions came through very quickly and don't seem to have been affected by the frosts but the garlic sulked until now. However, they are off now. And last year's harvested garlic is still as firm and un-sprouting as the day it was dug!

Sweet peas, peppers, onions and shallots (see my posting above) are now germinating like mustard and cress.

Snow forecast for tonight - well, it's only February.

[alan refail]

Still sodden here too.

But spring is round the corner. The daffodils which I thought were very late have now shot up, nearly in flower, and earlier than previous years. They have to be ready for Dewi Sant next Tuesday.

After weeks of frozen-solid hibernation the polytunnel salads are firing on all cylinders. Last night enjoyed a huge mixed salad of red chicory (Orchidea Rossa), Frisee, variegated chicory (Variegata di Lusia), mizuna, mibuna and claytonia, all dressed with extra virgin, lemon juice and pepper.

All we need now are the nettles and ramsons for soup and winter will really be out of the system.

[Monika]

That variety of salads sounds lovely, Alan. I don't think ours would have survived over winter, but I am just on the point of sowing a salad mix in the greenhouse.

The lettuce 'Winter Density' seemed to be ok in the greenhouse until mid-January, then suddenly collapsed and rotted away ...... Well, you win some, you lose some.

[oldherbaceous]

Well done on your salad feast Alan, this is something i must really get to grips with, as i'm rather quite jealous.

[pongeroon]

A good day today
Trench dug around new tunnel, ready for skin tomorrow.
And I had some moments of enormous wellbeing (to quote Blur....or was it Pulp?) in the greenhouse, sowing seeds while listening to some Viking-inspired heavy metal and drinking gin and tonic. And that doesn't happen every day.

[Monika]

Snowed all morning, wet, sloppy stuff. Much of it has gone by now, but it was thick enough for me to brush it off the greenhouse because it was very heavy. Foggy now, instead.