A quick trip to the allotment today....

And I mean a quick trip because it started to RAIN after a few lovely hours of sunshine!

I couldn't believe it.

I cycled down there with my bike basket full of tools, and couldn't get in the gate I normally use as the lock is faulty, so I cycled to the main gate, saying a quick hello along the way to 144.

My other plot (half share) 121 is by the main gate and  Brian, my new plot partner, was working away like a busy bee.  Now, just to remind you, Nigel actually "lets" plot 121 but last year when he took it on, he offered me half as he didn't need it all, so I said yes as I needed a little more space (greedy me).  Well a few weeks ago, this chap came into the Trading Hut asking if there were plots going, but he hadn't registered with the council so we advised him to do that.  The next week he came in again and after making his purchases, he said that he hadn't heard anything, so I told him to phone the council to see where he was on the waiting list.  The following week he came in again, bought some more stuff and told me that he was number 47 on the list.  I felt so sorry for him.  He really seemed keen to get a plot or even share one with someone that was finding a whole plot difficult, so I told him I would put a post out on the SRAGS blog and that he could also put a notice on our Trading Hut board, which he did but still no luck!

I went home thinking about his dilema, and I thought about letting him use one of my raised beds that is currently empty.  Then when the other one became free he could use that one.  I emailed my 121 plotholder partner Nigel, who said that Brian could use his half of 121 as he could wait for another year to use that, and he had only planned to use it for potatoes this year, and not a fruit orchard as originally planned - how kind was that!!  So I phoned Brian with the good news, and by the following week he was digging away, so a happy ending.  When he eventually gets his own plot he will be able to move to that one.

Anyway back to my efforts.

I cycled up to 144 and took off the plastic cloches covering the small area I prepared the other day.  The soil was nice and warm so perfect for my parsnip seeds!

Here they are all tucked up!

Then is started to rain - that little fine stuff - not impressed, but I had to crack on with my Beetroot.

So the Beetroot is in the plastic cloche which I mended with duck tape earlier as I had previously split in in half to fit on the raised beds neatly.

All 4 rows - 2 of Parsnips and 2 of Beetroot, were all neatly labeled up as were the Potatoes that Derek planted for me yesterday.

And finally, I dug up the remaining leeks from last years planting

You can get an idea of their HUGE size from the onion hoe in the back of the photo!

I took these home and used half of them to make a big pot of Parsnip Soup.

The other half - about 700g - are in the fridge for now, yet to await their fate!

I only have tomorrow and Thursday morning left to get a few more jobs done e.g. plant out the broad beans from the Greenhouse into a raised bed, which I did want to do today, but the rain stopped play.  I also wanted to get my Dwarf French Beans out of the utility room and down to the Greenhouse which is now unheated, as it's mild here, and all in there including the lettuces are all germinating! I am sure I will find a million and one other things to do once I am there.