Spring cleaning

Yes, obviously this is about the allotment not the house!!! Mark had an Enterprise Association meeting on Saturday so I made the most of a free day and spent it all up the hill. The allotment had got rather neglected this year with me being unable to garden for so long. Lovely sun and the soil just the right damp but crumbly texture was great for weeding. I tackled all the beds that were tamed last year and harvested my carrots, parsnips, swedes and spinach and picked a lovely bunch of scented narcissus. Seed sown was carrot, boltardy red beetroot and chioggia stripey beetroot and a back up row of broad beans. Onion sets and chitted potatoes, Maris Bard in the lowest bed and International Kidney, (which would be Jersey Royals if planted on the other side of the water) in the next bed up. Five roses form Lydls, though I think one has died in dormancy, fennel, some rescued aquilegia and an icelandic poppy are in a bed of pretties behind the composter and two lonicera which Poundbury garden centre were selling off for 50p each have gone in as a proto hedge to protect my soft fruit bushes. I've underplanted them with lavender hoping that will also shelter them a bit but still allow me to harvest any fruit, I'll keep hoping!