After the thaw ...

One of my favourite vegetables - Cavalo Nero
- so easy to grow, such high yields and a long growing season

I know it is still only January, but Sunday was so mild and sunny I feel Spring is in the air. Alex spent the morning at the allotment and still had a couple of things he wanted to finish so we all went up after lunch.

buds on the Pear tree,
waiting to burst out and bring forth lovely fruit

The plot in January as the Sun sets beyond

Wonderful crumbly warm soil was planted up with some seedlings that have been hardening off in the greenhouse to provide more greens through Spring. We tended our plants and harvested more vegetables.

Cavalo Nero giving us plenty and regularly
more Brussel Sprouts
more purple sprouting broccoli,
keeps on giving,
and as beautiful as a bunch of flowers

Welsh onions - wonderful and growing nicely.
I have many clumps so will be dividing these to dot around the plot
and in the garden at home

We also checked on our pond resident who Imogen named "Sydney" yesterday. This fish was given to us by someone getting rid of a pond - it's a hardy fish, has never been fed extra food - just gets it's goodness naturally from the pond. He's survived the Winter cold and frozen water so far.

Sydney

So more planning, as previously mentioned. Seed catalogues are around me whenever I have the chance to sit and look through them. I don't really plan on buying much more seed, we have lots from last year and what we have collected from plants. So this week is the week to start the Tomato seeds at least - oh and I have a few varieties of them!

Broad beans growing happily - Autumn sown
Garlic growing too

Here is my herb spiral, it needs a little weeding and some herbs need some division, it is growing and developing so well which goes to show that the system works as each herb is in the perfect position and conditions. I'm looking forward to developing this further this year.

herb spiral in January

I love this time of year, although the growing year rarely stops still for long as something is always growing, or being planted, but it's now that the major planning is done. I have my books, notebooks and seed catalogues next to my seat and grab a glimpse whenever I get a few minutes. Imogen loves to look through the books with me, a shared passion.