Hello everyone!

I have just realised how long it has been since I have posted to the blog.

It was such a wonderful summer last year, I think I just forgot!

Well, winter is almost over, hopefully, and we are preparing for spring. First into the pots this year has been an old packet of sweet pea seeds - a little test to see if they'll grow - if they do - brilliant - if not - no loss but a little time.

I also sowed some dahlia seeds in trays that I had collected from a public garden near Paris last year. I have no idea if they will grow - or what they will turn out like - but that is all part of the adventure.

As usual I have been clearing the beds at the plot. Gradually returning them to a nice healthy tilth for this year's growth. It is a waiting game now.

Today was lovely. Bright, sunny and calm. reasonably mild too, for the time of year. I was hoeing a bed when the little robin above joined me. He didn't leave all afternoon and was so relaxed in my company he stayed within a foot or two of the digging.

This little primrose is quite special. Not only because I haven't seen one like it in a garden centre, but also because of its history. Many, many years ago my great aunt Mary had some of these growing in her garden on a small farm in Galway. She gave a few young plants to my mum and they grew in our garden in Dublin when I was growing up. Then a couple of years ago mum gave me couple. Here they are now, in Co. Antrim. Three human generations and a few plant generations later !

... and dare I say it, but it was actually warm today. I have been to the plot this week, twice already. The broad beans that I started back at the start of March really needed to go out, but with all that snow and then cold soil to follow, I had to wait. They are in now, about thirty plants in all.

I checked up on them today and there were no signs at all of slug damage. Last year my young broad beans were tortured by slugs. I wonder has the late, harsh snow and cold killed off a few slugs... maybe a silver lining? ?

Along with the beans, I did some mild weeding and today,  in some quite warm sunshine, I was able to put out a good few lettuces. It is nice to finally have some young plants on the plot!!

Here's to many more warm days!

I notice that in my last post, over three weeks ago, that I commented on how the weather had changed for the worse. It certainly did! As you will know from the news, we had a bout of very extreme and unusually cold weather for the second half of March. Blizzards swept in and counties Down and Antrim were severely hit. The farmers will have a very difficult year, twelve foot drifts at lambing time. Poor creatures.

So, as you might imagine, nothing at all has happened on the plot. It has been under snow for almost two weeks now. Thankfully, apart from some onion sets and garlic, I had nothing out early this year. A thaw set in today.

My potatoes have been chitting for so long now, that I wonder will they be ok. There will only be one way to find out, I suppose!

I also have some large broad bean seedlings in my little greenhouse that could do with going out. I will start to harden them off in the thaw, then get them put in an about a week. It will feel good to have a few plants out!

Apart from that, I used a spell of not so cold weather today to sow a few trays of seeds for the mini greenhouse. Nasturtiums (easy, edible flowers); Turnips in modules (to give them a head start); Red Cabbage (did ok last year) and chives. That'll keep me busy!

I checked on everything else. The melting snow has topped up my water butt nicely. In the mini-greenhouse, I have some fairly decent Greyhound Cabbage seedlings now. Lettuce seem a bit leggy and slow. Marigolds ok. Cornflower ok. Hopefully we get a little heat now during April, so that everything gets some strong spring growth!

My last post had been a draft post from last weekend. I decided I would post it anyway -  because the weather has changed so much in the last couple of days! It is snowing now and has been bitterly cold. March is such a changeable month. Must Remember this next year!

This is a photo of my mini greenhouse. A while back, friends of mine were having a renovation and had this PVC double glazed window left over... so I cheekily asked if I could have it and put together this lean-to mini greenhouse around it. Today I added a water butt (that was a real bargain in a supermarket at the end of last summer). I am ready to grow now

On the first of March, this guy opened up, as if to prove that indeed it was spring.

There has been a lot of talk on tv about it not really being spring yet until the equinox. That may be true, but this week the prolonged dry weather and gradual warming is certainly fooling me!

I have done plenty and have plenty more to do.

This time of the year can be hectic - all of a sudden you can start off a lot of seeds.

When I started to garden, I almost ignored the need to prepare the soil thoroughly. This was partly due to ignorance and partly to impatience. It can take a great deal of effort to turn an area of rough, weed stricken land into usable garden soil.
But now, I find this area of gardening particularly fulfilling. After a couple of seasons of tending, the soil is looser and has less weeds. The perrenial nightmares that are creeping buttercup and couch grass are a lot easier to pull out, stringy roots and all!
I have also been eyeing up a few leeks - I think I'll make a bit of potato and leek soup this week!
It has been both snowy and wet in equal amounts. There is an awful lot of standing water.

In a little tray, in the corner of the kitchen, my first seedlings of 2013 popped their heads up today. They are an old fashioned scented variety of sweet pea. Hurray! If the weather is to be reasonable, I'll pop them out into my little lean to greenhouse in about a week. Let the growing begin!

Pot, or English Marigolds are known by the name Calendula. I remember reading that they acquired this name because they can remain in flower on every day of the calendar year.

Well, here is a great example - after a couple of weeks of freezing January weather, a single flower remains. A little, brave reminder that spring will come.

Calendula are easy to grow, and look great sown freely in rows or swathes. I like to pop in a row or clump here and there to brighten up the allotment. Bees, our freat pollinators, also love them.

A winter's evening at the allotments

Well the heavy snow that has descended on the Antrim Hills and Glens has killed off any chance of a trip to the allotment this week.
Lately, I've been clearing out the shed. An overdue job. I found an old packet of pea seeds going mouldy at the back of the shelf. I had a good clear out so that I didn't attract any mice!

I have also been planning the plot and thinking about seeds for the year.

This year, I am going to grow a few rows in the traditional veg plot style, along side my usual beds - just for a change. I'll grow my onions, leeks and a few other things in rows this year.

I had some rogue raspberry plants that came up from my neighbours plot. I was going to leave them there, but I think I would like to move them. I will do it after the snow thaws.