Sunday February 11th
First day up at the allotment after last Thursday´s heavy snow, with the intention of pruning the fruit bushes. Was half expecting the broccoli to be flattened yet again, but it has just about survived. No sign of any florets yet though! Decided to start with the blackcurrants. The small newish one, I think it´s a Ben Connan, was absolutely covered with big buds, some even opening! Spent a few minutes picking them off. None of the others seem to have many, so it must be susceptible. Pruned out the darkest wood from each one, and hopefully they´ll do a fair bit this year after not doing much last season. Moved on to the blueberries. The newest one isdoing very well indeed - lots of new shoots. The old ones got their promised severe haircut. One´s now a 9" stump - here´s hoping it now puts out some new shoots from the base at last! I shall move the babies from home at some point, so there´s plenty of pollinators come flowering time. Next up the blackberry. As usual it was rather a pitched battle with the git, with eventual victory on my side but not without some wounds despite leather gloves. Found that it had got away rather badly this last summer - several tips had rooted, one in the middle of a gooseberry bush. Couldn´t get it out. I am tempted to go in and hack at least one of the green gooseberries back completely, or at least every other one. That way I shall be able to kill the rooted bramble as soon as it shows a shoot. They are all awful shapes anyway. As for the red ones... I think I shall be taking those out. They´ve never been really any use because they´re 6´ high before they actually produce fruit. And I could use a bit more space - if only for splitting the rhubarb and having somewhere to put it!
Next up was the raspberries. I know the autumn ones are really nice but they had spread out way too much for my liking. I decided that any cane that was in the nominal path through the orchard was going to get dug up. Then I did likewise for any in a path between the two raspberry types, so there is half a chance that I´ll be able to tell the difference between them. Suddenly realised that I had dug up rather a lot. Put one back! Now have a grand total of 50 canes still in... some starting to grow.
Dug up a leek, found an edible cabbage and even found some tiny carrots still in the bed. Not bad! Now to see if anyone wants the raspberry canes or the bramble tips. They´ll need to be brave for the latter... :)

Tuesday February 13th
Conservatory update, since not much else is going on. Things are doing well, considering it's stuffed to the gunnels with shed stuff. I've now got two leeks up from the old packet (huzzah) as well as loads of aubergines (some of all the three initial plantings: Moneymaker, Long Violet and Mohican) and two chillies already (both Sicilians). Not counting the onion seedlings, which are everywhere, and the chitting spuds which I hope the resident slugs don't find. I so wish I could get the new potting shed now! I need the space! I did go and look in one a week or so ago, to see how big a 6´x8´ one felt, and I am a bit worried there wouldn´t be any floor space once the lawnmower and the barbie were in position. I rather suspect that a 7´x7´ one would be better, as there´s more floor at the back. OK so the 8´x8´ would be even better, but the garden´s not that big and neither is my bank account!!

Wednesday February 21^st
Received a text message from Chris, saying the vandals had been back - surprise surprise, half term again. She sent it last Saturday - goodness knows where it had been in the meantime! Gah. Decided to go and see the damage. A trip to Focus sorted out the repairs, but once again I´m out of pocket. Grrr. Another crime reference number after another whinge to the police. Didn´t go home empty-handed - I now have a couple of parsnips for today or tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the renovation of the storm-damaged back garden is picking up, so the allotment isn´t really being visited very much at the moment. Have had the fallen trees removed; now to organise replacement fencing and shed.