We’re in that maddening time when things are starting to happen but it’s all happening very slowly..

The weather is warming up and the days are longer, so things are greener. The gooseberry bushes have tiny flowers on them already. But it’s not quite warm enough to plant out and there is a while to go. Last year because I got the plot in May, it was a mad rush to get things in the ground, this year I have to be more patient and it’s not really a core skill of mine.So this weekend, we weeded, mostly the raspberries. I said it was going to be a fight with the weeds there and I don’t know what the raspberries thought of the compost and woodchip mulch but the weeds are loving it. We also put some compost on some beds and planted up the potatoes in a bag. Aparently, you should have potatoes in the ground on St Patrick’s Day and as mine are second earlies and Joe next door planted his this weekend, I decided to get on with it. We’ve also had a slight rearrange of planting plans because Joe has put his potatoes right up close to my herbs and the raised beds that were going to have tomatoes in them. I had blight last year and don’t want to have my tomatoes so close so we’re having a shuffle. In other news, my rhubarb is coming on but not as much as Dennis’ next door, his is a monster already! Look at that!While we were buying compost this weekend, I was powerless to resist the lure of the reduced grape hyacinths. I’ve planted them up by the plum tree and while they don’t look great at the moment, they’ll be brilliant next year (hopefully)There is a list of jobs for next week and the possibility of a bit more space somewhere else on the site. The allotment committee has been told that it can’t let any plots that have been given up because Pathways want to keep them free for the plot holders who will be forced to relocate if the planning permission for development is granted.  This means that those plots won’t be cultivated and the site will look untidy and unloved when the council comes to inspect the site. So there’s a list of people who would be up for taking on more space until we have a decision and I’m on it. I’ll know in April and my current working idea is that I’ll dig it all over have a go at three sisters planting because I’ve had to abandon sweetcorn on my plot this year due to lack of space. Mother is a bit horrified by the idea but we did set up the plot to be fairly low maintence we are set up really well for the year and in October/November time there will be some work to perhaps set up some new beds but nothing like the work we did last year, so I have some time and the extra space is not a space I can keep so I can’t make plans that cost money. Digging over, weeding, planting and watering. Keep it growing things and then in October, I can dig the vegetation into the soil and cover it with cardboard for the next person to take it on. Of course all this assumes that they’ll be space that needs looking after….