Some progress at last

At last - the weather has finally decided to co-operate, and we have managed to get the glass into the greenhouse, the frame went up three weeks ago and there just hasn't been an opportunity to get it finished until today. Well, Friday in fact, but I didn't get very far because I had trouble with the little s-clips with which you support one pane of glass on top of another. The glass just didn't seem to want to fit in the roof, so I had to ring up technical support. They said they would post me some larger, bendier clips, which duly arrived yesterday, but we were out all day, so today it was. It is all done except for three panes in the roof, which seem to be missing. We have been sent too many of the big panes and not enough of the smaller ones. Tomorrow I will take the bigger ones to the glass centre to get them cut down.

Now finally I can get on with sowing some more seeds. I have started my greenhouse crops in the conservatory, which is an ideal environment at this time of year, although I have to cover up the propogator with bubble wrap at night.

On the right are tomato seeds, six different varieties, which have germinated within a week. The rest are peppers and chillies, and aubergine, which look as if they are just about to come up as well.

I have spent very little time at the allotment over the last three weeks, but I managed a couple of hours on Friday. My free strawberry plants have finally arrived, plus free blueberry plant (very small), and I also have some which I picked up very cheaply from Aldi, and they are all now in pots, waiting for their patch to be ready at the allotment. That makes a total of 26 strawberry plants for the grand total of just under £9.50 (that includes the blueberry plant and postage). The previous tenant left a few plants behind as well so I've got quite a good stock to start off with. The transplanted rhubarb has established nicely, as has the comfrey which I was a bit worried about as I planted it when it was frozen. The new raspberry canes are beginning to show signs of life as well as the transplanted blackcurrant bushes. So fruit-wise I am doing fine, but not a single outdoor vegetable has been started yet. Tomorrow I aim to finish preparing the bean area and get my broad beans in.

I have tidied up a bit in my garden as well, and prepared a few areas for planting new plants. My local Blooms is doing some mega offers during March and I have a big wodge of gardening vouchers to spend. 8 herbaceous plants for £10 (9cm pots), 5 hardy shrubs (2ltr pots) for £20, fruit trees £9.99 each (reduced from £24.99) - not that I really need any more, but I might not be able to resist... coldframes, reduced from £69.99 to £29.99... and so the list goes on. I will definitely be getting down there before they sell out. Bargains galore.