March 2004

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Wednesday March 10th

Peeked in Conservatory and found I had cabbages up. Counted them: 32!

Got home to discover a large jiffy bag of onion sets from Marshall´s hiding behind a daffodil tub :-) though they were a little damp with condensation when I unwrapped them. Some were growing roots, so I suspect they've been hanging about in the mail for a few days. The danger there is that drying them off will mean they'll be stopped and then possibly won't do as well, so spent an hour or so trying to find enough small modules to pot them up. Successfully in the end, so I now have loads of  little onions decorating the garden seat. A total of 215 were in the packets. Planted 199 of them. I don't think we'll run out of onions easily this coming year…assuming I find space for them! Still have one left from last season's.

Tuesday March 30th

 First real ‘spring' day, with glorious sunshine (after a frost) and a real feel of warmth. Popped up to the allotment (first time after the last gale) and rescued the carpets from where they'd blown. The cloche is totally wrecked now. Must pick up the bits and throw them away next week (apart from the largest, which I can rescue). Shed on plot 2 has a flappy roof, so will have to deal with that. Autumn onions doing very nicely now. Cabbages bolting, which isn't surprising, but did rescue one that wasn't. Not bad for a summer cabbage, picking the last one on March 30th! Pulled two leeks as well (doing very nicely now) and did a survey of the orchard. The tulips are going to be stunning (one even has two heads) and this includes the red ones I bunged in from the house. Have several potfuls to add as well, some also flowering. Only four daffs flowered, so didn't pick them as they are so cheerful. The stepover apple is growing - so I can officially say the shift was a success. Rhubarb growing nicely. Raspberries are popping up all over - this is their first year of real growth I think, and there are little shoots coming which are way off the row. Some are in between the summer and autumn ones so I have no clue which they are! Also will have to tag them to stop me stepping on them. Red wool, I reckon. Should have pruned the autumns a month ago. Likewise the 6' buddleia, but that will recover whenever I prune it!

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