Raspberries

Despite the cold, this afternoon I erected the posts for the raspberries and planted the canes.

There are three varieties, three canes of each:

• Glen Ample (Summer)
• Glen Moy (Summer)
• Autumn Bliss (Autumn)

New Shed

As I mentioned last week, the new shed has come for the garden at home. This means the old one can finally be demolished to make way for a greenhouse, and the windows/wood will be used to make a cold frame for the allotment. Cunning plot (pun?).

I spent a few days fitting it out with storage and workbench. For those who know my lack of woodworking skills, I hope you agree it's impressive!

Pink Soup

Earlier in the week I made some lovely soup. It was the usual recipe... bung everything in with an onion and a stock cube. It also had a whole leek, a whole celeriac, a load of celery, a couple of small potatoes, a carrots, some beetroot that were too small to cook, and the juice of one orange.

The effect of beetroot and the orange juice was impressive, but it tasted great.

Postman calls

At long last the postman delivered the awaited parcel this morning, or at least some of it. The raspberry canes haven't arrived yet, but the asparagus and rhubarb did.

Hence off I tootled to plant them. One row of asparagus (Pacific 2000) and four rhubarb crowns (2 Timperly Early, and 2 Stockbridge Arrow.

Also, I sowed half a double row of dwarf broad beans (Sutton), and along the boundary in "no mans land" I planted out the lupins.

The other good news is that the new shed at home comes on Monday, so I can then start demolishing the old shed and then prepare a base for the new greenhouse.

Gone with the Wind

The plastic greenhouse we purchased from Wilko earlier in March is no more. It is dead, blasted, removed, bent, torn. It is now neither green nor a house. It is still plastic and is stuffed inside the shed (which will also be a "has been" by the end of next week). Still, it did pretty well all year, and I was amazed how much wind it withstood, but last night's battering was a puff to much.

At least it means I don't have to take it down carefully to prepare for the proper greenhouse.

Potatoes Ordered

I was nearly too late to order potatoes for next year from the allotment association.

I've ordered:

7lb Javelin (early) - same as last year
3lb Romano (main) - same as last year
3lb of Picasso (main) - instead of Kestrel. Picasso are said to be excellent bakers.

I only popped up to get a few carrots, a leek and some lettuce on what was a lovely, but cold, day. It was very busy, more so than the last few Saturdays.

Talking to John S, I was admiring his winter cauliflowers. They take a lot of space/time, but look super. Definitely worth considering. I might also consider "The Sutton" broad beans.

It also seems few people are doing well with sprouts: we're certainly not.

Water turned off today. Last night was the first frost.

Arsonists Strike

When we arrived at the plot this morning we realised the door to the shed had been opened since last week. The only thing missing was a pair of ladies gardening gloves. It is the second time this has happened and both times ladies gloves were taken.

Talking to John, the association secretary, we found out that many sheds had been entered last Saturday night/Sunday morning. No one else has found anything missing, but sadly two plot holders had their shed burnt down. The fire brigade cut through the padlocks, so at the moment the allotments cannot be locked.

Meanwhile, we continued a bit of a tidy up and harvested some carrots, cabbages, romanseco and celery.

Leaves Wanted