19th - 21st February

19^th February

Back to the allotment and to the task of finishing the raised bed frame for section 3.  The lengthwise borders were about 10 inches short of the desired length, and I did not want to have to join 2 narrow boards together then fix them to the long planks then to the end piece, so I found a large square of chipboard and cut that to fit. The end piece is, again, 2 of the narrower boards. So that is the first bed completed, and I started filling it with some of the soil from the sacks that have been sitting around all winter, and I can now give my brother-in-law those sacks so that he can give me more soil. I started to dig over section 6 but the soil was so wet it was sticking to the spade.

Exbury Gardens, Hampshire

20^th February

Again to the allotment and this time to start on the raised bed for section 2. For this one I am using recycled furniture. My work was throwing out some laminated covered chipboard that was an old service counter, and it was very large. As soon as I saw it I had a vision of it cut into slices and forming a raised bed wall. The only problem will be that it will soak up water quite well and thus become soft and probably start falling to pieces after one season, but it will be good enough, I hope, for now, given the supreme lack of cheap wood for the task. This wood is easier to screw together to make corners but not for joining together end to end on the long sides, and I rather resent the effort expended in trying to do so with material that will need replacing next year. Maybe the cordless drill was losing power, or maybe I was losing patience – probably both – but I left it for another day. Instead I emptied all the remaining bags of soil into section 3. There were quite a lot of bags and they were quite heavy and wet and dirty, so I was hoisting them up on to my thigh then to my trunk and carrying them, and then back down onto my thigh and emptying them thus caking my trousers in wet slimy clayey soil – great fun! Section 3 is for onions this year, so it will only be loaded up with this soil and more from my brother-in-law, and none of the leaf mould or rotted down wood from the back of the shed or material from the compost bin, as onions do not like good rich soil – that will be saved for the leeks in section 2 (once I get that finished!).

In the mail today was my sweet pea seed order from Unwins. As a free extra I was sent a packet of herb seeds with coriander, parsley and rocket.

21^st February

My Gardeners’ World Magazine came today. Buyers at the shop choose one of two free seed packet gifts; either a yellow California poppy (Golden Values) and a red variety sunflower (Velvet Queen) or a cayenne chilli pepper and a cherry tomato (Red Cherry). Subscribers get both! I now have all my flower seeds for the year. The sweet peas I have are ‘Duo Magenta’, ‘White Supreme’, ‘Scarlett’, ‘Blue Danube’, and ‘Supremo Mix’. I have the sunflowers that have just arrived plus remaining seed from last years’ ‘Vincent’s mixture’, nicotiana ‘Perfume Mix’, again a remaining lot from last year, and 3 types that I have never tried before but they looked good in the catalogue and are reputed to go together well. I have some Cineraria Maritima ‘Silverdust’ which is a silver foliaged plant for borders, edging, pots and for cut flower arrangements, ageratum ‘Blue Mink’ which has heads of small spiky blue flowers and Salvia ‘Blaze of Fire’ a plant with good green leaves that has brilliant red flower spikes. If I can get them all going well – or more to the point if I can squeeze them all in somehow – I reckon I’ll have a fantastic display! I’m looking forward to it.