I think  I should start my first blog of the year by saying how much I’ve enjoyed reading other gardening blogs over the winter period. Winter is a lean time for growing, so I have appreciated the creativity of the winter garden blogger. I want to mention WeedyBeanz, Veg Plot and Our patch of earth in particular for keeping a lapsed allotmenteer entertained. (Oh, and kudos to Google Reader for keeping tabs on all the bloggers – if you’re not using Reader, you should!)

My allotment association now has a website. According to it I should be spending 6 to 8 hours a week on my plot. In fact today was the first day I’ve been to the allotment since before Christmas. Still the allotment looks no worse than most of the other plots. What exactly should I be doing for 6 to 8 hours a week in winter?

Maybe the 6 to 8 hours is actually meant for daydreaming. Planning the coming year. I’ve been doing that recently and, from the plans in my head, this year should be the best so far. It’s agreed that this summer will be long and hot, not a flood in sight. And the frosts will have killed all of the soil beasties so I can grow my vegetables with impunity. In my head, at least, that is how it will pan out.

In reality the plot is a mess and needs a lot doing to it. It’s still too miserable (and wet) to get out and dig, so today I just made a mental list of jobs that need doing. And I took a photo of the Sprouting Broccoli!

So this is it. Start of the new gardening year. I’ll be getting my potatoes and onion sets later on this week, and putting my plans on paper. For now though, you’ll have to make do with with a photo of my bulbs last week as the frost started to thaw. I think this image captures the feeling of this time of year – the plants want to get going, we want to get going. I just hope the winter gets going soon.

According to eattheseasons.co.uk aubergine is the seasonal food of the week. Well I don’t grow aubergines. My seasonal food of the week is spinach.

Boy, do I have a lot of spinach! This lot is perpetual spinach that I planted just over a month ago. I’ve been pulling leaves off it for the last two weeks but it just keeps growing and growing.

Luckily I really like spinach ( I don’t like aubergines).