You might be wondering why I have a pic of a grubby pot with some bits of greenery in it. Well, I have finally got the hang of root cutting propagation of oriental poppies. I don't think I have kept them warm enough when I have tried previously. This time I have three pots and they all are successful, so I shall have several beautiful Papaver Checkers (I want to put Chequers instead) from the single plant I bought recently.
I collected millions of seed from some of my lovely peony flowered poppies last year, but I know that seed does not always come true, i.e. does not always produce new plants exactly like the parent one, so I tried root cuttings last year, and failed miserably.
Basically, you cut off a good root high up, and cut it up into lengths two inches or so. You then place them onto some damp compost and only just about cover them. Keep them warm and damp, and they do grow! The parent plant is now on my allotment in my patch where I sow wildflowers, and I think it will look gorgeous alongside the purple orache, forget me nots, other poppies, especially the little red ones, vetch, marigolds, sawbit, nettles and I am putting some pale flax there this year too. That is a gorgeous pale blue delicate little flower on a stem about a foot high, sometimes taller, but absolutely lovely. I have grown some Jasione in a pot and when it blooms it is fabulous, little bright blue pom poms on stems about six inches high above its ground-level rosette of leaves. It is one of my favourite wild flowers and I have seen it wild in Wales near sandy beaches. I have not been able to grow it out in the open in the Midlands, and keep it in a pot, where I can control how much water it gets. In my experience, it dies if it is waterlogged for even a short time. I don't think it likes our rich cloggy soil! Look it up, it is beautiful.
My indoor plants are going beautifully, and I grow the exquisite Begonia Lucerna, which is blooming now in my kitchen, see 2nd photo below. This is a begonia related to the cane begonias found in America, and so it has some of the characteristics, having long cane stems, that are a bit bamboo-like but green, and grows tall if allowed to. I have several and I love them. One of mine is about 6 ft 6 inches high now. They are so easy to grow and propogate from cuttings too.
Photo No. 5 shows some indoor narcissus that aunty gave me as bulbs, but I am unsure of their botanical name. They bloomed beautifully until a week or so ago, and gave off a heady perfume that you either love or hate!
The first pic (not in focus as I am not good at photography) shows that insects really do like canes and sticks left lying around, as this ladybird demonstrates, having taken shelter in an old bean stick. I took it as an excuse not to tidy up once I found him there!
Picture No. 3 is of some green lentils that I am growing, out of curiosity really. I took some normal green lentils that you buy to eat, soaked a few, and planted them. They are quite pretty now, and a bit taller, so they seem ok in a pot for now. I did the same with Pinto beans, but they all died, and probably needed more room and some sunshine, so I shall try again nearer the summer. I often try growing beans and pips, and all manner of seeds. I just cannot resist it. I have several nice little trees grown from the pips of Russet apples (my very favourite apple).
Photo No. 4 is of some leeks that I had left in the ground, which then produced heads of baby leek bulbils. These little plants, which already have roots, can then be taken off the seedhead and planted as separate little plants. From my understanding of it, some produce heads of seeds and others if left longer in the ground produce bulbils, but I am not completely sure of this! It was wonderful taking the tiny plants off from the round seedhead and planting them. They are in the greenhouse now in a seed tray, growing slowly.
I have broad beans growing on the allotment that I put in in the winter, and they are little plants now, looking quite strong. I have just this week planted my shallots - I don't bother with onions any more, since I discovered the joys of shallots - so much nicer. I have garlic growing too, and little baby apple trees, and a hoard of strawberry plants, and blackcurrant bushes just budding. This time of year is very exciting and I can't wait to get out on the allotment and the garden, and do some serious work. So it's bye for now, until more news to report.
I collected millions of seed from some of my lovely peony flowered poppies last year, but I know that seed does not always come true, i.e. does not always produce new plants exactly like the parent one, so I tried root cuttings last year, and failed miserably.
Basically, you cut off a good root high up, and cut it up into lengths two inches or so. You then place them onto some damp compost and only just about cover them. Keep them warm and damp, and they do grow! The parent plant is now on my allotment in my patch where I sow wildflowers, and I think it will look gorgeous alongside the purple orache, forget me nots, other poppies, especially the little red ones, vetch, marigolds, sawbit, nettles and I am putting some pale flax there this year too. That is a gorgeous pale blue delicate little flower on a stem about a foot high, sometimes taller, but absolutely lovely. I have grown some Jasione in a pot and when it blooms it is fabulous, little bright blue pom poms on stems about six inches high above its ground-level rosette of leaves. It is one of my favourite wild flowers and I have seen it wild in Wales near sandy beaches. I have not been able to grow it out in the open in the Midlands, and keep it in a pot, where I can control how much water it gets. In my experience, it dies if it is waterlogged for even a short time. I don't think it likes our rich cloggy soil! Look it up, it is beautiful.
My indoor plants are going beautifully, and I grow the exquisite Begonia Lucerna, which is blooming now in my kitchen, see 2nd photo below. This is a begonia related to the cane begonias found in America, and so it has some of the characteristics, having long cane stems, that are a bit bamboo-like but green, and grows tall if allowed to. I have several and I love them. One of mine is about 6 ft 6 inches high now. They are so easy to grow and propogate from cuttings too.
Photo No. 5 shows some indoor narcissus that aunty gave me as bulbs, but I am unsure of their botanical name. They bloomed beautifully until a week or so ago, and gave off a heady perfume that you either love or hate!
The first pic (not in focus as I am not good at photography) shows that insects really do like canes and sticks left lying around, as this ladybird demonstrates, having taken shelter in an old bean stick. I took it as an excuse not to tidy up once I found him there!
Picture No. 3 is of some green lentils that I am growing, out of curiosity really. I took some normal green lentils that you buy to eat, soaked a few, and planted them. They are quite pretty now, and a bit taller, so they seem ok in a pot for now. I did the same with Pinto beans, but they all died, and probably needed more room and some sunshine, so I shall try again nearer the summer. I often try growing beans and pips, and all manner of seeds. I just cannot resist it. I have several nice little trees grown from the pips of Russet apples (my very favourite apple).
Photo No. 4 is of some leeks that I had left in the ground, which then produced heads of baby leek bulbils. These little plants, which already have roots, can then be taken off the seedhead and planted as separate little plants. From my understanding of it, some produce heads of seeds and others if left longer in the ground produce bulbils, but I am not completely sure of this! It was wonderful taking the tiny plants off from the round seedhead and planting them. They are in the greenhouse now in a seed tray, growing slowly.
I have broad beans growing on the allotment that I put in in the winter, and they are little plants now, looking quite strong. I have just this week planted my shallots - I don't bother with onions any more, since I discovered the joys of shallots - so much nicer. I have garlic growing too, and little baby apple trees, and a hoard of strawberry plants, and blackcurrant bushes just budding. This time of year is very exciting and I can't wait to get out on the allotment and the garden, and do some serious work. So it's bye for now, until more news to report.
19 October 2013
The allotment has been marvellous this year. Most things have grown in abundance, albeit with a late start, due to a cold Spring. Beans in particular have grown in abundance. I grew Cosse Violette (which is a gorgeous climbing bean that is dark purple but goes green when cooked. Even if left to become large, the beans are tender and tasty). I can't praise this bean enough; even now I am still getting a few beans. It just keeps on producing and cooks beautifully; just steam for a few minutes and serve with butter. I also grew Tongues of Fire Barlotti, which is another climber, and very beautiful, with speckled pods of green and red. Absolutely beautiful flavour.
I did a bit of an experiment with tomato plants this year. In Italy, I am told, tomatoes are left to just grow, and produce fruit with no feeding or cover (quite understandable given the climate), so I decided I would just try putting some plants into my allotment and not feed them at all. In fact, I did not even water them, just to see if they would survive. I bought seeds from Seed Parade called Sub Arctic, as they are said to be a bit more weatherproof. I put the same variety into pots and watered them and fed them but left them outside, then I put a couple of the same type of plant into the greenhouse and cosseted them. The ones left to their own devices outside without any attention still produced a few tomatoes. The ones in pots but outside, which I fed and watered, did better, and the ones in the greenhouse produced a lot more. So to conclude, either you need to put lots of plants outside, and be lazy, or fewer into the greenhouse and faff about a lot more! And hope for a good summer if you grow outdoors, I suppose! I used well rotted horse manure from a local source to dig into my greenhouse and pots and then fed with comfrey style tea plus a bit more manure mulched around plants later in the summer. The plants left outside in the plot I did not trim or take off any sideshoots and they grew into sturdy little bushes, but the ones indoors grew taller and needed support. A bit like comparing a welsh pony to a thoroughbred!
The other, much more successful, growing experiment I undertook was with my courgettes. I have an aluminium frame that I throw stuff into to compost it down. So this year, I decided to plant some courgette plants into this compost bin and add some horse manure. This has been so successful, that I shall do it every year. For some reason, the slugs left these plants alone, but maybe it is a bit like copper rings, where they get a shock from the aluminium? Not sure. I am still picking courgettes now, and have had some lovely ones this week out of this container. The other courgettes that I planted into the ground have done well enough, but quite a few fruits have perished from slug damage, which is a real shame.
I was very optimistic as I planted out my tiny plants of Hamburg Parsley that I had grown from seed. But within a few hours each and every plant had been eaten by something and I had not one successful plant. I did like the idea of this plant, as the tops can be used like parsley and the roots like parsnips. It sounded ideal. I shall try it in containers next year, rather than give up on it. It has potential, I think.
My latest job has been to install a new asparagus bed. I sound knowledgeable, but I really am not about this particular crop, having lost a lot of plants in the winter last year. But I am persevering because I like it so much. It really is not complicated, and let us see how it goes this next year.
Enjoy the photos! And this is a little poem I wrote one day, nothing to do with gardening, except that I though of it whilst sitting on my bench at the allotment:
Stars
If ever there were eyes that held a million stars
They are yours.
If I should lose them from my mind
The world would darken slightly.
I have never held you, and yet
I have, a thousand times!
I have never held you and
It is a thing that can never be.
There is no rhyme or reason.
At times I am so lost!
In a million stars .......
The allotment has been marvellous this year. Most things have grown in abundance, albeit with a late start, due to a cold Spring. Beans in particular have grown in abundance. I grew Cosse Violette (which is a gorgeous climbing bean that is dark purple but goes green when cooked. Even if left to become large, the beans are tender and tasty). I can't praise this bean enough; even now I am still getting a few beans. It just keeps on producing and cooks beautifully; just steam for a few minutes and serve with butter. I also grew Tongues of Fire Barlotti, which is another climber, and very beautiful, with speckled pods of green and red. Absolutely beautiful flavour.
I did a bit of an experiment with tomato plants this year. In Italy, I am told, tomatoes are left to just grow, and produce fruit with no feeding or cover (quite understandable given the climate), so I decided I would just try putting some plants into my allotment and not feed them at all. In fact, I did not even water them, just to see if they would survive. I bought seeds from Seed Parade called Sub Arctic, as they are said to be a bit more weatherproof. I put the same variety into pots and watered them and fed them but left them outside, then I put a couple of the same type of plant into the greenhouse and cosseted them. The ones left to their own devices outside without any attention still produced a few tomatoes. The ones in pots but outside, which I fed and watered, did better, and the ones in the greenhouse produced a lot more. So to conclude, either you need to put lots of plants outside, and be lazy, or fewer into the greenhouse and faff about a lot more! And hope for a good summer if you grow outdoors, I suppose! I used well rotted horse manure from a local source to dig into my greenhouse and pots and then fed with comfrey style tea plus a bit more manure mulched around plants later in the summer. The plants left outside in the plot I did not trim or take off any sideshoots and they grew into sturdy little bushes, but the ones indoors grew taller and needed support. A bit like comparing a welsh pony to a thoroughbred!
The other, much more successful, growing experiment I undertook was with my courgettes. I have an aluminium frame that I throw stuff into to compost it down. So this year, I decided to plant some courgette plants into this compost bin and add some horse manure. This has been so successful, that I shall do it every year. For some reason, the slugs left these plants alone, but maybe it is a bit like copper rings, where they get a shock from the aluminium? Not sure. I am still picking courgettes now, and have had some lovely ones this week out of this container. The other courgettes that I planted into the ground have done well enough, but quite a few fruits have perished from slug damage, which is a real shame.
I was very optimistic as I planted out my tiny plants of Hamburg Parsley that I had grown from seed. But within a few hours each and every plant had been eaten by something and I had not one successful plant. I did like the idea of this plant, as the tops can be used like parsley and the roots like parsnips. It sounded ideal. I shall try it in containers next year, rather than give up on it. It has potential, I think.
My latest job has been to install a new asparagus bed. I sound knowledgeable, but I really am not about this particular crop, having lost a lot of plants in the winter last year. But I am persevering because I like it so much. It really is not complicated, and let us see how it goes this next year.
Enjoy the photos! And this is a little poem I wrote one day, nothing to do with gardening, except that I though of it whilst sitting on my bench at the allotment:
Stars
If ever there were eyes that held a million stars
They are yours.
If I should lose them from my mind
The world would darken slightly.
I have never held you, and yet
I have, a thousand times!
I have never held you and
It is a thing that can never be.
There is no rhyme or reason.
At times I am so lost!
In a million stars .......
22 April 2013
Well, I began weeding again yesterday. It is so rewarding. The allotment greenhouse is now becoming useful for starting off beans in a bit of warmth and shelter. I am growing this year a climbing bean called Cosse Violette from Seed Parade, plus my usual Sutton Dwarf broad beans, and another lovely climbing bean given to me by a friend whose name escapes both of us! The name of the bean, not the name of the friend, although I suppose after a beverage ..... I am on holiday this week from work, so this is lovely, just pottering and doing what I like best! I put my sweet peas in on Saturday, and see that the Ribes is flowering beautifully, where I have planted a little hedge of it along with some forsythia, quite a lovely combination of yellow and deep pink flowers. The amelanchiers (one of my favourite little trees) are lovely now and will soon have their white flowers. I have two small ones on my allotment, just to pretty up the shed! The Sorbus Hupehensis trees I grew from seed last year resemble proper little tiny trees now with their beautiful dark green/ purple tinged pinnate leaves, instead of being twigs in pots! The little Acer Ginnalas I have grown are just sprouting their leaves, and gosh, the world feels better for it!
This year I am trying not to grow too many things, but every year I try not to, and feel addicted to growing everything! I have got lots of teeny apples and crab apples grown from seed, and I guard them feverishly from my invading ducks! I feel very herby this year (yes a new word), and now want a proper, usable herb garden. For this reason, I have fenced off a border from my ducks, who trample everything really. In fact, I have just seen out of the window that they have tipped over one of my little pots, so I shall have to rescue it! I need to go and do that, and water a few things.
The tree peony "berries" I discovered were actually very large single seeds, after researching them, and they can take months to germinate. See picture. The dahlia cutting shown below is from Bishop of Llandaff Dahlia, a lovely red one. The ducks shown are my naughty boy and girl who get into everything and terrorise my dogs and cats.
8th April 2013
Yesterday, I finally got to grips with the allotment and felt safe enough (weather wise!) to plant my Pentland Javelin potatoes. These will be followed by a main crop potato a bit later, but I haven't yet decided which. I do like Pink Fur Apple as a good summery potato and we eat them as salad potatoes, or leave the skins on, scrub them, boil and mash them with butter - really lovely. So I shall also put a few of those in the ground soon.
Another job I got around to was applying some wood ash around my fruit trees (on the allotment I have two small russet trees grown from seed), and fruit bushes (blackcurrants, raspberries) to help them along. The strawberry patch needed a bit of weeding, and now that I have found someone who wants some plants, I shall thin out the patch, as they have spread somewhat.
I don't like straight regimented lines on allotments, although I can see the purpose of them! So after much debating with other allotmenteers, I have put my things into mostly straight lines, but with the strawberries in a big square and higgledy piggledy, then some herbs dotted around. I have just sewn some marigold seeds next to the oregano and strawberries. I do like to see a few flowers around, and the bees do need them. If you let radish and lamb's lettuce (corn salad) go to seed, they produce lovely delicate pale flowers, and I have seeds of both for eating, and for some decoration. I don't think I shall ever be a really neat allotmenteer; I just like things more natural and pretty looking.
The little asparagus plants, I believe, have succumbed to the terrible winter, and I have some new seeds to start off. I have rather a number of pots on windowsills at home, so I shall never be really tidy at home either! I have started off courgettes, tomato (Sub Arctic from Seed Parade), winter squash (from The Seed Parade - take a look!). Also cucumber Beth Alpha, which seems quite reliable in a warm enough summer. I have followed the current fashion and bought some Ammi Majus seeds too, for the garden (like an ornamental cow parsley), and want some tall ornamental grasses. My ducks have ruined one border, so I have now fenced it off with ornamental wire picket fence, very cheap, that you just stick in the ground, and that keeps them away from the herbs and things that they will eat or trample down. The do a good job in eating the slugs though, and are worth their weight in gold for the lovely eggs I get (which I sometimes swap with a friend for horse manure or give to friends at work sometimes).
I am still digging up and using last year's parsnips, which are lovely and sweet. Last year's Sutton Dwarf broad beans will be repeated this year, as they are so easy to grow and needed no support, producing some lovely beans. I like them on my allotment, which is in a bit of a windy, exposed site, on ex-farmland (too many hedges being removed in the past). Brandy Wine tomato didn't do well last year, so this year I am trying Tigerella again, as that thrived but didn't really ripen well in our insipid summer, but I am hoping for better this year. It did ok outside but better in the greenhouse. Gardeners Delight is reliable most years, but I am trying Sub Arctic this year.
Another really exciting thing I have been doing is getting the dahlias going indoors to take cuttings from. I have never done this before, and now have shoots ready to take off, and plan to do this later on today.
I have already used one compost heap to mulch part of the allotment, and have another one brewed and ready for the garden. I also have spread well rotted horse manure over the plot where I want the ground to improve. I shall need some more. I have compost heaps all over the place, it seems, brewing away! I have used nettle tea, where you soak nettles in a bucket of water for three weeks, then dilute it to water onto things, but truly this smell sticks if you spill a bit on your wellies or coat. I got some on my hands once, and felt really smelly for days!
Yesterday, I finally got to grips with the allotment and felt safe enough (weather wise!) to plant my Pentland Javelin potatoes. These will be followed by a main crop potato a bit later, but I haven't yet decided which. I do like Pink Fur Apple as a good summery potato and we eat them as salad potatoes, or leave the skins on, scrub them, boil and mash them with butter - really lovely. So I shall also put a few of those in the ground soon.
Another job I got around to was applying some wood ash around my fruit trees (on the allotment I have two small russet trees grown from seed), and fruit bushes (blackcurrants, raspberries) to help them along. The strawberry patch needed a bit of weeding, and now that I have found someone who wants some plants, I shall thin out the patch, as they have spread somewhat.
I don't like straight regimented lines on allotments, although I can see the purpose of them! So after much debating with other allotmenteers, I have put my things into mostly straight lines, but with the strawberries in a big square and higgledy piggledy, then some herbs dotted around. I have just sewn some marigold seeds next to the oregano and strawberries. I do like to see a few flowers around, and the bees do need them. If you let radish and lamb's lettuce (corn salad) go to seed, they produce lovely delicate pale flowers, and I have seeds of both for eating, and for some decoration. I don't think I shall ever be a really neat allotmenteer; I just like things more natural and pretty looking.
The little asparagus plants, I believe, have succumbed to the terrible winter, and I have some new seeds to start off. I have rather a number of pots on windowsills at home, so I shall never be really tidy at home either! I have started off courgettes, tomato (Sub Arctic from Seed Parade), winter squash (from The Seed Parade - take a look!). Also cucumber Beth Alpha, which seems quite reliable in a warm enough summer. I have followed the current fashion and bought some Ammi Majus seeds too, for the garden (like an ornamental cow parsley), and want some tall ornamental grasses. My ducks have ruined one border, so I have now fenced it off with ornamental wire picket fence, very cheap, that you just stick in the ground, and that keeps them away from the herbs and things that they will eat or trample down. The do a good job in eating the slugs though, and are worth their weight in gold for the lovely eggs I get (which I sometimes swap with a friend for horse manure or give to friends at work sometimes).
I am still digging up and using last year's parsnips, which are lovely and sweet. Last year's Sutton Dwarf broad beans will be repeated this year, as they are so easy to grow and needed no support, producing some lovely beans. I like them on my allotment, which is in a bit of a windy, exposed site, on ex-farmland (too many hedges being removed in the past). Brandy Wine tomato didn't do well last year, so this year I am trying Tigerella again, as that thrived but didn't really ripen well in our insipid summer, but I am hoping for better this year. It did ok outside but better in the greenhouse. Gardeners Delight is reliable most years, but I am trying Sub Arctic this year.
Another really exciting thing I have been doing is getting the dahlias going indoors to take cuttings from. I have never done this before, and now have shoots ready to take off, and plan to do this later on today.
I have already used one compost heap to mulch part of the allotment, and have another one brewed and ready for the garden. I also have spread well rotted horse manure over the plot where I want the ground to improve. I shall need some more. I have compost heaps all over the place, it seems, brewing away! I have used nettle tea, where you soak nettles in a bucket of water for three weeks, then dilute it to water onto things, but truly this smell sticks if you spill a bit on your wellies or coat. I got some on my hands once, and felt really smelly for days!
28th Feb 2013
Yesterday I was tending the garden and found that my large yellow tree peony (a friend gave it to me as a little cutting some years ago) now has black berries within its pods - they look like blueberries. I realised they must contain seeds, and so have collected them to extract the seeds from, and attempt to grow some in a pot on the windowsill. I shall have to blog the result later in the year is exciting.
I tried late last summer (well, autumm really) taking a small sideshoot off a tomato plant (Tigerella) before disposing of the plants onto the compost heap. The sideshoot went into a pot in the house in a nice warm sunny window near the radiator with some begonia cuttings. I wondered if I could trick the little shoot into growing as if it was a warmer time of year! Anyway, no, it did not grow much at all until about a fortnight ago, when it has since doubled in size at least! It is good to experiment for yourself with growing things in different ways and at the "wrong" time of the year.
I have previously tried sowing all my seeds early, but have given up on this venture, after losing a lot of my little plants in a nasty late frost. I am saving the joy of sowing seed until we have warmer weather on a more consistent basis. My cats are a good indication of the weather to come; if they want to stay in all day, then we are in for rain or snow or high winds. If they wander outside, then they know it is safe to do so!! Once they all (three of them) decide to go out each morning for exercise, then Spring is on its way and out come my pots and compost to start things off. I might start off an 'old wives' tale here: they say that when the felines on the top of the 'ill go out, they be tellin ye the spring is upon us.' Yep, I reckon so!
I tried late last summer (well, autumm really) taking a small sideshoot off a tomato plant (Tigerella) before disposing of the plants onto the compost heap. The sideshoot went into a pot in the house in a nice warm sunny window near the radiator with some begonia cuttings. I wondered if I could trick the little shoot into growing as if it was a warmer time of year! Anyway, no, it did not grow much at all until about a fortnight ago, when it has since doubled in size at least! It is good to experiment for yourself with growing things in different ways and at the "wrong" time of the year.
I have previously tried sowing all my seeds early, but have given up on this venture, after losing a lot of my little plants in a nasty late frost. I am saving the joy of sowing seed until we have warmer weather on a more consistent basis. My cats are a good indication of the weather to come; if they want to stay in all day, then we are in for rain or snow or high winds. If they wander outside, then they know it is safe to do so!! Once they all (three of them) decide to go out each morning for exercise, then Spring is on its way and out come my pots and compost to start things off. I might start off an 'old wives' tale here: they say that when the felines on the top of the 'ill go out, they be tellin ye the spring is upon us.' Yep, I reckon so!
09.2.13
The allotment may look dismal, but my eyes are aware of the stirrings of a new growing season.
I have two little amelanchiers (for ornamental value) by the shed, both of which have new buds. The fennel is pushing out its feathery feelers and the blackcurrant bushes, apple trees and raspberry bushes are definitely awakening.
on the face of it, even weeds are not growing yet, but dormant life is in its yearly process of rejuvenation.
I re-marked out my allotment boundary. I have been steadily collecting well-rotted manure and making compost ready to mulch the ground.
I am now deciding what to sew, where, and ordering seeds.
I have purchased some "pentland javelin seed potatoes" which I am just itching to plant.
Talking of seeds I am now selling some of the seeds which I collected last year on my garden and my allotment.
Last autumn, I took a sideshoot from one of my tigerella tomato plants, and put it on the windowsill. All winter, it has stayed small, and is now just beginning to grow and will need re-potting soon.
I did it just to see what would happen, but even on a windowsill near a radiator, the little plant has not been fooled into growing fast. It, too, is waiting for spring proper. such is nature.
The allotment may look dismal, but my eyes are aware of the stirrings of a new growing season.
I have two little amelanchiers (for ornamental value) by the shed, both of which have new buds. The fennel is pushing out its feathery feelers and the blackcurrant bushes, apple trees and raspberry bushes are definitely awakening.
on the face of it, even weeds are not growing yet, but dormant life is in its yearly process of rejuvenation.
I re-marked out my allotment boundary. I have been steadily collecting well-rotted manure and making compost ready to mulch the ground.
I am now deciding what to sew, where, and ordering seeds.
I have purchased some "pentland javelin seed potatoes" which I am just itching to plant.
Talking of seeds I am now selling some of the seeds which I collected last year on my garden and my allotment.
Last autumn, I took a sideshoot from one of my tigerella tomato plants, and put it on the windowsill. All winter, it has stayed small, and is now just beginning to grow and will need re-potting soon.
I did it just to see what would happen, but even on a windowsill near a radiator, the little plant has not been fooled into growing fast. It, too, is waiting for spring proper. such is nature.