Saturday, 31st March

Beautiful sunny morning today, just right for a bit of allotmenting but no, what's this I hear? "Help! Come quick! There's a leak in the airing cupboard!" Great. I'm useless at plumbing, even failed a course in it once. So I ring up my friendly plumber, it's Saturday so he's not answering the phone, leave a message on his answerphone, still not had a reply. Tried a friendly neighbour who advised going to the hardware store and buying a "bandage" (?!?) as a temporary repair. Well, I did but it still took me all morning and I've still heard nothing from my plumber friend so I hope it holds till I do. Did a bit of tinkering in the greenhouse and some paperwork this afternoon and the day has just flown by with very little achieved. Perhaps it was fate's way of keeping me from overdoing it when I'm not feeling brilliant and of protecting my emerging cold sore from the damaging rays of the Spring sunshine. Still it's nice the days are getting longer. Perhaps I'll fit some digging in tomorrow.

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Friday, 30th March

Neither I nor the weather any better today although I did manage to plant out some Thompson and Morgan geranium (pelargonium) plugs into trays. I don't normally buy from T&M as I find them a bit on the dear side but I had some vouchers for Christmas which I hung on to for a bit. I know people think geraniums are a bit common but they give a good show and they manage quite well on neglect. You don't have to worry about getting someone to water them while you're away on holiday. In fact the only thing likely to spoil them is too much rain. Begonia semperflorens also look after themselves quite well and cope well with shade whereas, it has to be said, geraniums do prefer plenty of sunshine. So, yes, I spent my remaining vouchers on begonias.

Thursday, 29th March

Neither I nor weather fit for much at all.                              

Wednesday, 28th March

What a gorgeous day of shirt-sleeved digging sunshine on the allotment today, although I must admit I was only there in the morning. I seem to have caught a stinker. How is it possible in this lovely weather? I did manage a walk this afternoon with my dear wife and the walking group but haven't felt like much else so this will be a short entry, you'll be glad to know. Even had to cancel my dentist's appointment for tomorrow. What a shame!

Tuesday, 27th March

Lovely, warm sunshine on the allotment this morning. Almost made digging my heavy soil a pleasure, almost. Chap on the next allotment was using a rotavator and I did wonder if it might be a good investment but I need the exercise really. And it beats the object of providing cheap food a bit if I have to fork out for machinery as well as the £25 annual allotment fee, doesn't it? So I'll carry on digging while I'm fit and able.

Couldn't do anything much this afternoon as I had to wait in for workmen (no sign of them yet as I write this) so I just did a few tidying jobs in the garden, cutting down fuchsias, removing dead branches from the viburnum, pulling up a few weeds, etc., oh, and gassing with the neighbours. If these guys don't come soon I'll be eating my dinner (why do people always ring or drop in when you're eating or in the loo?) and then it's off to the North Star with my lady wife for some libatory refreshment and some gardening talk, well, talk at any rate.

Monday, 26th March

Of course I didn't get round to sowing those seeds last night but I did this morning. Amazing what encouragement a bit of sunshine brings. I sowed basil, French marigold, tobacco plants and parsnip. I used to grow really nice parsnips but for the last three years they've been rubbish. I've had patchy germination or none at all and then when they've reached half an inch something's gobbled them up. What eats parsnips? My kids never would. So I'm experimenting this year; I've sown them in seed trays in cells about 2 to a cell. They say you can't transplant parsnips but I'm going to give it a go, doing by best not to disturb the root by planting them like plugs. This is what they look like at the moment but I'll thin them to one to a cell when they germinate.

It would have been nice to go to the allotment this afternoon as the weather was so good but we had workmen here so I was stuck at home and just pottered in the garden and greenhouse. It was nice to watch somebody else work although I suppose they'll have the last laugh when I get the bill. Still they say it's going to be warm and sunny again tomorrow so perhaps I'll get to the allotments then. Should I start my bean trench? I'll see how I feel tomorrow. I bet something crops up but I shan't miss my other engagement tomorrow - it's the last Tuesday of the month so it's off to the North Star for a few jars with the rest of the allotment bunch.

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Sunday, 25th March

Well, I did get to the allotment for a bit of digging this morning and it was quite pleasant for a change, even a bit of sunshine. Quite a surprise then to see so few people there; perhaps they were at church or maybe it had something to do with the clocks going forward an hour last night. I also gave the gooseberries a bit of a trim and a dose of Growmore. I know it's not very organic and green but it is cheap and effective. Then I cut a cabbage and pulled a few leeks for lunch. The squash are getting a bit tasteless now so I might bin the few remaining - compost bin them, that is.

This afternoon I washed a few more seed trays ready for the next lot of sowings. How do the trays get so dirty over the winter? What do they do? I'm considering sowing some marigolds and basil this evening but we'll see how it goes. I don't think there's anything on the telly - no change there then. Some of the local yobs have had to make their own entertainment; we found our front garden had received some attention this morning and had to retrieve bits from the road but some poor soul further down the street had suffered worse, container with plant removed from garden and smashed to pieces in the middle of the road. Why do they do it? Can't they be put down or something? Now then, mustn't go on a rant so I'll sign off.

Saturday, 24th March

Actually got round to buying some compost and got some Growmore from the Humber Store as well. Didn't make it as far as my allotment though, that sneaky cold wind just did enough to keep me away. And I had to go shopping as well, do I not love that! Still, at least the check-outs weren't too bad today. (Always head for the tills with middle aged women, I say. If you get one with some young trainee it can take ages but these older women know what they're doing)

I did some indoor gardening as I was too chicken to brave the elements; sowed some flower seed (petunia, cosmos and lobelia) and some tomatoes, Gardener's Delight. They only make small tomatoes but their taste puts those supermarket jobbies to shame. I grow most of them in the greenhouse. The few I do grow outside produce bigger tomatoes but those under glass don't get blight.

My forsythia has deigned to flower at last but not as well as normal so I think I must have given it too much of a haircut last time I pruned it. Some of the daff's are now going over but there seem to be plenty more coming to take their place. I'm afraid the osteospermums had to go to make way for a new concrete path even though they were in full bloom but I bet they come back. I thought I'd removed them from another bed altogether last year but they're back again this year.

In the greenhouse I think I may have lost a couple of fuchsias but the orange tree is covered in oranges. Some things I left outside this winter as I was getting fed up with them (Bird of Paradise and Datura) seem to have defied the odds and survived so far. Isn't nature cussed wonderful?

Friday, 23rd March 2007

Nice to see the lettuce and the cabbage seeds have germinated in the greenhouse but I bet as soon as I put them out, whenever that is and whatever the weather is like, something will nibble them down to the ground. I shall do my best not to put down the horrible, little blue pellets because I know I've got hedgehogs. I haven't actually seen the hedgehogs yet but I've seen where they've been all right - little black squirts on the lawn and garden path. And I do like the little chaps and they do eat up some of the more unwanted garden wildlife. Wish they could eat up my squirrels as I'm getting fed up of replanting the onion sets and I'm sure there's less every time.

Finally got round to pricking out my begonia plugs today although I'm not sure how happy my wife is to see the trays of little would-be flowers littering her kitchen window sill. I've promised I'll move them (where?!!?). Ran out of compost as soon as I'd finished. Must get some more so I can do some more sowing over the weekend - don't really fancy the allotment if it's going to be this cold but I don't suppose it will do itself.

Ah, well must go as dinner calls. Back tomorrow.

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