These are the parsnips that I chitted at home. They were a devil to transplant but look worth the effort now.

The curds are forming in our first caulis of the season.

The flower bed is quite overcrowded and has been left more or less to its own devices but is doing its job in attracting the beneficial insects to the plot.

The first of the Tomato plants is also in there. It is a Black Cherry, one of our favourites from last year.

After getting the ground to a fine tilth with the rotavator Rob sowed the Swede seeds, Champion Purple Top and Parsnips, Hollow Crown.

We fished out the tent greenhouse which was virtually destroyed last year by gale force winds. Rob managed to get it back into shape and we planted some crisphead lettuce plants and sowed Raddish, French Breakfast and Spring Onion, Lisbon. We have secured it well and hope that it will be safe this year as it also has the protection of the tunnel at the side of it too.

All the beds are now clear of weeds and both plots are looking good. Weeding is an ongoing task but we have definitely broken the back of it now.

Heirloom tomato seed Roma is an outstanding and disease resistant variety that produces red plum tomatoes of medium size.

On the window sill in the kitchen I have placed seeds of Parsnip White Gem on damp kitchen towel to sprout before they go into their cardboard tubes.

White Gem produces broad shouldered, smooth skinned roots and features superb resistance to canker. A great flavoured parsnip which goes well with all roasts and other hot dishes.

Last year we had a good crop of peas from Fortune and I have put about 40 in a bowl and shall swish them in some water every day then drain them until they sprout when they will be transferred to a tray of compost to grow on a little before they go out on to the allotment. Rob plans to sow a few directly into the ground along with some swede Best Of All. Both will be protected with a new cloche/ mini greenhouse we got from Lidl.

I wish I could afford an incubator. I ordered more hatching eggs last night and feel very nervous about trusting my broody after what happened last time. Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained they say. My potential broody this time is a large black Araucana and I have gone for Bantam Wyandotte eggs, in silver laced, buff laced and silver pencilled. We only have one Wyandotte at present and that is Toyah. She is a partridge coloured bantam and has been blind from birth so lives separately from the flock, gets very special treatment and has a lovely gentle temperament so we are hoping the new chicks will be like her.

These pictures aren’t my birds but have been sourced from the internet