A new year begins.

This weekend isn't the first I've spent on the allotment this year, but it was the most productive. Last week I popped in for an hour on Saturday to buy my spuds and do some pruning, the week before that it was three hours of clearing the redcurrant bushes.

Yesterday I arrived at about 10 a.m. (after a trip to the council tip) and dug over some ground for my onions. No shallots this year, just red and white onions. Then I threw in an early sewing of peas and mangetout BUT used some glass I had hanging around to make a temporary cloche arrangement to try and help them along. Finally I put in seeds of cabbage and sprouts in another bed. Normally I'd raise lots of things at home but as I'm not going to be here at the end of April, nor is Dad, it's straight sowing or buying young plants this year. I was most distressed to find that frogs had used the compost bag as an improvised pond and I didn't realise until I'd unfolded it and disrupted the spawn.

Finally I finished clearing the top end around the redcurrants, chopping the wood into sections for Dad to transport to his council green bin. All in all four hours of good solid work.

( to do list for the next few weeks )