Yesterday I ran through the allotment pictures from 2009, a selection of which I published on Flickr.

I was really surprised by how much was there: I had forgotten almost entirely the amount of work I put into it, how much I had transformed the plot, and the fairly plentiful crops, the bugs, the colours… it felt strange, as I was studying throughout for my final exam of the BA, and I seem to have accomplished more than last year, when I had all my time for the plot!

I had a lot of strawberries in 2009 that never returned in 2010, but much fewer raspberries. My tomatoes did get red, back then, although most went down with blight, while last year I had plenty of green tomatoes to make into jam (which is nice, and my auntie liked a lot!) and sliced in oil (though potentially very good, they came out too salty for my taste). I attempted carrots and “cime di rapa”, although my results with brassicas have been rather awful both years.

It was good to freshen one’s memory…

I finally managed to sow my broadbeans today… and it rained straight afterwards: that’s good!

Today was such a lovely day: it made me forget Christmas and think of spring, besides wanting to go out! It must be the first day we have had a proper blue sky and sun in over a month.

I have taken off the decorations from the tree, which has gone back to my back garden. As I put it back, I realised I have quite a few one, two and three-year old hazels and beeches in pots that need a home.

The allotment is not in too bad a way, even thought weeds are proliferating and I spent all my time clearing a couple of beds. I am taking out the oldest strawberries from their bed of three years: anyone knows if it is worth breaking down the root clumps and re-plant the buds somewhere else?

Garlic and onions have been pushing out their little leaf-tops for a while now, but I still have to sow my broadbeans.

We had the snow, then a thick fog so it was a great time to spend indoor and relax, doing all the stuff I had left for months, some for years, like making pasta!

I did my stocktaking: it came out last year I had been particularly keen on flowers, and fruit. I made a conscious decision to get more fruit, as I find them a really rewarding category (figs apart) to grow, and they give pleasure year after year. So I bought a persimmon plant, a couple more grapes and soft fruit galore, besides pomegranate (seeds). But I had not realised I was getting so many flower seeds!!!

At the end of the holiday period, we finally got a couple of days with timid sun behind clouds, which were perfect to go at the allotment, plant some onions and pick lovely – and sizeable – Jerusalem artichokes.

— Post From My iPhone

The other day I received an email from one of my favourite suppliers, Garden Organic, suggesting that I gave someone for Christmas an adopted vegetable from the Heritage Seed Library. While your money goes into funding the conservation of a heritage veggie variety, the recipient of the present receives an awareness raising card; in some cases, when the veg is not that rare, they also receive a packet of the adopted vegetable’s seeds.
I was intrigued by the idea for a present to my auntie, who taught me my passion for gardening.
However, there were two issues:

• First, I have never seen my auntie grow veg. Still, I thought, she has a big garden, and might enjoy some veggie growing, if she finds herself with some seeds;
• Pea, bean, pepper or tomato, I could not find an adoptable vegetable that might be interesting enough for her to give growing it a go.

So I decided I would make her a gift of the full Heritage Seed Library membership for one year instead. With the membership, you get up to six varieties of veg of your choice (depending on availability). I can help my auntie, who does not speak English, choose some vegetables she would like to try, and they will arrive by post anywhere in the EU.
I am sure my auntie will appreciate conservation of something with a heritage. And if she is really not keen on growing veggies herself, she can always give the seeds to her friends who do.