Help!!!!!

Just don't seem to have time to do anything at the allotment at the moment and if this continues, I will not be ready come March. I am seriously considering borrowing a rotovator despite it being completely against my principles cos it chops up worms. Can't see any alternative at the moment - and before Wardy suggest it, if I could afford 200 square metres of weed suppressant, I would go no dig - but I can't!!!

Did dig up what would have been a massive parsnip today but it had forked quite early. As forking is not a genetic issue but a environmental one, this has become my first choice for next year's seed as has been transplanted to go to seed. One more and that will all be taken care of.

Not much doing but quite a bit picking

News for January. Absolutely miles behind with my preparation. Too much rain, ground like a quagmire and I got off to a bad start. Think my potatoes will be clearing their ground this year.

Today I dug up numerous parsnips, numerous leeks, picked so sprouts, cut a sprout top and picked some mixed spicy winter salad leaves which are lovely - Will be growing loads of those next year.

Urgh!!!!!!!!

The weather has been really crap today so haven't been to the plot. It takes a lot to make me want to stay inside all day - that's why I don't like winter - I like to be outside. But, pouring rain coupled with strong cold wind just about does it.

Conned by the weatherman

It was supposed to pee down yesterday so not plotting for me. The sun shone. Managed to finish what I was doing so got an hour up there and dropped my bean rigs and harvested kale, parsnips and my first leaks of the year.

Today, when I was supposed to go to the plot, the weather has been shoite all day. Oh well!!!!!!

Urgh!!!!!!!! and Not so Urgh!!!!!!!!

Yesterday:
Just been to the plot to plant my first lot of broadies. Tis cold! Tis wet! Tis very very mucky!!!! And I am skint and can't afford the footy

Today:
Now have four builders bags full of leaves - have calculated that each one holds approx 10 black bags worth. Also got give a load of manure whilst I was up there by someone who came to the gate adn has a horse. He has said I can have more soon too - organic and bedded on straw. Bonus!!!!!!

Harvested parsnips, Greyhound (last one ) and some blown sprouts.

What a difference a day makes
Twenty-four hours.......

Pointless?

Part of me says that I really must keep up with this but then I pop in and booger all people have been in to have a look so I think what's the point. Anyway, still harvesting runners and frenchies. Last of the sweetcorn is ripening. Trying to get through the summer cabbages before the frost. Will then have a hungry gap as the slugs ate most of my kale during the wet weather. The end of the summer has been better than the beginning but the end of the summer, autumn and winter would have been better is the beginning hadn't been so crap.

My pond has nearly dried up and it is deep. Why can't the rain sort of be steady rather than none in April, nowt but rain in May, June and July and none again in August and September. I hope the past couple of years have been exceptions and not the new rules. What really hacks me off is people like Valmarg on A4A. who really don't give a toss about the environment. She can't have children and if she does they must really hate her. She claims to listen to Radio 4 but I think she must stuff pages torn out of the Daily Mail into her ears to filter out the truth before sue turns the radio on.

Ah well - here goes.

Managed to harvest some beans this week - enough for me and my son to share for tonight's tea. Asked him whether he preferred the pencil pods or the flat pods and he said the flat ones. Cool boy - takes after his old man and prefers runners. Youngest daughter doesn't have a preference - she just loves veggies and other half and eldest prefer Frenchies.

Had an exploratory dig for King Eds and have some potatoes - small but there are some which is a relief with them being blighted so early.

Staked my full sized Brussels - one old boy on our site said that the weather we have had means they will all be blown anyway. Cannot believe that is true - not if the weather keeps up as it is at the moment. Anybody got any opinions on this?

Things are definitely beginning to pick up.