The really cold weather set in on Thursday 17th December and since then the temperature has barely risen above freezing. It is suggested that parsnips taste better after a bit of frost but I was worried they would be frozen solid in the ground! However, after some tough digging, I managed to extract plenty of good sized roots after breaking through the frozen top layer of soil. I've also managed to produce sprouts, carrots, swede, scorzonera, cauliflower and leeks for the next few days of non-stop eating, not to mention the king edwards and butternut squash stored in the garage, so I'm well pleased that all the veg for my Christmas dinner will be home grown!
On a walk up to the plot this week I stopped by at the local Wilkos store for some bird feeders and various fat-based food. There is a wide range of birdlife at the allotment, with tits, blackbirds and robins all common visitors, together with the odd thrush and sometimes even a sparrowhawk. With the cold and frosty weather they've needed a bit of help recently so I placed feeders in the big old bramley apple tree and within only a few minutes they were visited by a bluetit. The robin prefers its food at ground level so I scattered a fatball on the ground and hoped for the best that the local cats wouldn't make an appearance... I'm hoping this festive kindness on my part will be returned in the summer when the birds make a large dent in the aphid and caterpillar population!
With all the recent cold weather and long, dark nights it's easy to forget that thoughts will soon turn to spring and the growing season ahead. The winter solstice has passed and, although imperceptible at first, the days will be getting longer from now until 21st June! Admittedly I won't be doing much digging at the plot any time soon, but on Boxing Day I'll be sowing the first batch of Kelsae onion seed indoors in anticipation of a large crop in the summer. I'll also be placing my seed order in early January and visiting a potato day at the end of the month to buy the seed potatoes for next year's crop. Nothing stands still for long at the plot, and although I'm enjoying the lack of urgency that comes with one of the coldest periods of weather we've had for quite some time, I'll no doubt soon be itching for longer days, slightly warmer weather, getting out there and 'doing something' and looking for signs of the first green shoots of spring.
Have a very Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and a successful growing season in 2010!
