The allotment is starting to burst back into life and hopes of Spring are appearing around the plot. Everytime I pop up to the plot I have a peak inside the trough to see if any bulbs are poking through the soil and I couldn’t contain my excitement when I noticed not only some tulips but the Ranunculus were showing signs of life too! It’s my first year growing these stunning flowers from bulbs and I am so excited to see them bloom. The comfrey is growing back and the snowdrops and crocus are also peeping out of the soil in the two containers by the entrance… Soon the allotment will be bursting with colour!
Even though signs of Spring are starting to pop up around the plot the allotment itself isn’t quite ready for the season ahead. I haven’t touched any of the beds at all and there’s so much work to do. The perennial flowers in the flower patch need moving over to the wildlife area and then the border needs weeding and digging over. The vegetable beds need digging and that pile of rubbish is still on the brassica bed waiting to be taken to the tip… The fruit cage needs weeding, the bushes need mulching, the wildlife patch also needs a good tidy up and the pond needs cleaning. Then there’s the manure bin to make, rhubarb bed to prepare and grass seed to lay down as well as the guttering to attach to the shed. Oh and I forgot to mention that I have yet to prune the perennial flowers, roses, fruit bushes and grapevine…
On the plus side the swiss chard continues to brighten the plot up. We’ve been harvesting the leaves a lot lately so I need to give them time to recover before picking any more, they are looking a little sad so I popped a cloche over one row to give them that little bit of extra heat. The leeks (which were planted out back in August) didn’t grow very big so I’m leaving them be a little longer, I’m hoping the slight rise in temperature will help them grow a little more and if not then it will be tiny leeks on the menu!
It’s going to be a busy month on the allotment but one thing is for sure, I’m going to enjoy every second of it! You see to me this isn’t hard work, it’s a labour of love and one that I enjoy so much. Gardening is therapy for the soul and I just know the allotment will be paying me back with beautiful flowers and bountiful harvests later in the year.
