Ice cold rain

I went to the allotment this morning in the hope that I might be able to do some digging. The ground was still frozen though - so were my fingers by the time that I had been there for five minutes, as the rain was ice cold.

I harvested the last of the purple sprouting broccoli and took down the brassica cage so that the pigeons can pick away at what is left. If the ground is defrosted next weekend I'll pull up what is left of the plants and dig that bed over ready to get in some broad beans.

I've got some early potatoes that are ready to go in as well, so need to get their bed well composted too.

I came home and cooked some breakfast and have just been out in the garden moving some garlic that had come up from some bulbs I didn't get out last year. I've planted each one now individually in a new bed. It was raining so hard that I have just had to come and in to change out of my clothing. I even had icy rain running down the back of my jeans!

Yesterday was a taste of things to come. We had to get up early to sort out our log delivery (thigh muscles feeling it today!). We had some great sunshine and the greenhouse was really quite warm despite the frost outside. I got chilli, aubergine and leek seeds planted.

I also put together the ladder-style outside shelving system that I'd ordered from the Organic Gardening Catalogue. It's going to be a great place for herbs and pot plants this year. The cats think it is a new place for them, and they have been climbing all over it.