Spring has officially arrived!

It really feels like finally after a very long winter spring has arrived! It has been a dry mainly sunny week and a couple of days it has been really warm, up to 16 degrees. Warm enough to have lunch out!
The daffodils are in full bloom, there is a lovely display in a park nearby.

I've managed to get up to the allotment on two evenings this week. it was lovely being out as the sun went down on a quiet allotment with just the sounds of the blackbirds singing. Hopefully it will be even easier to go in the evenings now that the clocks have changed.
I planted my shallots 'Golden gourmet' on friday night.
Even had Martin up there digging this week.

I may have a shed for my allotment, the nursery nearby was throwing one out and one of the blokes from the allotments behind my garden rescued it from the skip and then offered it to me. It looks quite big and is very orangey wood coloured so I'll have to paint it. The tricky bit will be getting it to the allotment and putting it back together again. Martin carried a piece of it down to allotment today but its a long way to carry big bits of wood, so I think we are going to try and find someone with a van.
Was a lovely day again today so at the allotment I dug the bed where I hope to put the fruit bushes and rhubarb.

Today was the first day that there were loads of people at the allotment, met a few of my neighbours. The digging is getting easier!

Allotment cat

When I was at the allotment today I made friends with a black cat. It was chasing a wren so I had to distract it!

It was very friendly and came rushing to me when I called it.

Today I have been starting on the big main bed. I've put a small path and then have a created a bed which I plan to put my potatoes in.

Aching again tonight!

My Allotment

I heard that I was getting an allotment plot in December and when I went to view it for the first time it was in the snow!

So there are two long raised beds, the width of the allotment and then a big square area which is a bit weedy. Plus a compost heap! No shed though I was a bit disappointed about that! But compared to my last allotment it is in really good condition, though I guess I can't see all the hidden weeds yet.

My first proper session at the allotment was on sunday 6th March as we had a cold winter and wet so couldn't really get there before then. My first job was to dig over the two raised beds.

I hadn't done any digging for ages so I was feeling the after effects for a few days! The last owner of the plot had left a garden gnome for me!
Then I started getting the big weeds out of the big main bed. There were lots of dandelions, some ragwort and big grass clumps but so far I don't think there is anything too horrible. There was also lots of forget-me-not seedlings some of which I've brought home to my garden.

Was a momentous day on Sunday 13th March when I planted my first crop, Garlic. I guess I'm a bit late with this but I had already planted the cloves into modules a few weeks ago to get them started, so they had good roots and some shoots already.

So am getting together a plan of what to plant and where. It seems there is loads of space but I'm sure I'll soon fill it.

My Garden

So this is my first post and thought would be best to start with a bit of an overview of the garden first. I moved to Huddersfield in September 2006 after having a small cottage garden in Cheshire. So was very excited about getting more space. As you can see it was a very flat blank space.

Obviously had a few years to improve from those pictures and below are the photos of my garden this year. In the back I had a new fence built, I created a vegetable plot and reduced the size of the lawn by making it circular, then planted round that.

My cat, Bob, enjoys the garden too!

In the front garden I had a circular patio built, and planted that area with some shrubs, perennials and in the spring there are the alliums which create a great effect.

The garden does get a bit exuberent in the late summer.

You may not be able to tell from the photos of my back garden, but the garden backs onto some allotments.

Unfortunately the plots are all taken, but this year I have got a plot on another allotment nearby and this means that I can stop growing fruit and veg in my garden and just have it all at the allotment. So there will be changes to the garden this year!