Sean and Deb couldn’t make Saturday so they came to dinner on Sunday with Jem. They always come loaded with presents and this time I got loads of flowers, a book to read. a sensitive plant, and a lovely chocolate cake chosen by Jemima. So all in all we had a busy but happy weekend.

Rob and I popped to the allotment at dinner time today to take the poo buckets etc and came home with a bag of beans the last of the tomatoes and the first of our new cauliflowers out of the tunnel on plot 8.

We need to find a home for our new white Silkie bantam pair as we are unable to keep cockerels at home. We would prefer to keep the hen but no-one wants to buy just a boy. They are a lovely group and would be perfect for breeding if only we had the space.

The weather over the last three weeks has been perfect for growing with plenty of sunshine and rain so we have been busy harvesting and weeding. The crop this year has been wonderful. I think its down to the good season rather than any improving skills from us.

I have ordered overwintering brassica plants and the onion sets ready for planting so we have to get cracking and clear the beds for them. Last years onion sets bought from Focus have given us a great crop and should see us through till next year. They have been dried and put into netting bags for storage.

Although we still have potatoes to dig up we have already eaten and given away loads and have some stored in paper sacks for later. We have done much better this year with potatoes as we have grown most of them in bags rather than in the ground.

Its throwing it down with rain this morning and Glenn and Adam are fishing at Pool Hall for a few days. The fish are weighed and photographed and then returned gently to the water.

On Saturday night we went to see Celine Dion at the NIA in Birmingham. The tickets were a Christmas present from the children. The whole thing was an amazing experience.

Both plots are looking tidy with plenty of planting and sowing going on. The ongoing battle with the weeds is in full flow and the compost bins are filling up fast.

Back at home most of the plants that had been started in the house are now in the greenhouse in the garden or already in place at the plots. The window ledge in the computer room is still full with three Aubergine and four Pepper plants but the plastic greenhouse which was in here has gone and so has the broody box as the chicks have moved out into a pen in the garden so it is quite tidy by my standards. Outside in the garden the lilac is in full flower and looking beautiful.

On Sunday we sowed more Boad Bean Violetta and six rows of Dwarf Bean Borllotti on plot 18. I have sowed the French Beans, The Prince and Tender and True, in pots to get them started while we prepare the beds over on plot 8. I also have 16 Runner Bean Scarlet Emporor started in pots ready to finish the planting in the bean trench.

The two Tomato Ildie are now in place in the lean to and two Tomato Roma are settled into the shell of the small plastic greenhouse in front of the shed. Eight Tomato Gardeners Delight are planted outside in front of the shed in the old nursery bed so I am hoping last nights cold hasn’t got to them.

I have sown seeds of various flowers around the plots to brighten the place up and to attract bees and butterflies.

There is a cool breeze this morning with a promise of rain tomorrow and we are planning to visit the plots this evening when Rob has had a rest after work.

Finally a special message for my Nephew Matthew who has had a brilliant report from school and an award for his work in Graphics. Well done Matt. We are all very proud of you.

I had a lovely day yesterday as my son Sean and his partner Debbie came to visit. They brought an enormous bunch of Rhubarb from their garden. The leaves were massive. They are veggie growing nutters too so we all went down to the plots to join Rob who was working hard digging over the remaining empty beds. We took a flask of tea and sandwiches for the worker. It was really cold and windy down there. I wish the weather would warm up a bit so we could start planting. On the way back home we popped to see my other son Adam before going back to make Cottage Pie for tea.

Just as we were setting off  yesterday Simon arrived with the laths for the tunnel and we were able to deliver them to the plot and this morning Rob and Glenn have gone down to tie them on to the ribs of the tunnel for the next stage of the tunnel building project. Much sleep has been lost pondering on the best way to make the structure secure.

I have just put eight Runner Bean seeds in a 7″ pot. They are Thompson & Morgan’s ‘The Teenie Beanie’. They are described as ‘baby podded’ and ‘prolific’. Germination takes 7-10 days. They are red flowered.