My lesson today: I brought a tiny pomegranate seedling back from Paolo’s garden in Rimini last year. All its leaves fell off and as it looked dead I chucked it to the bottom of the shed. I saw it by chance today and noticed new leaves on the tiny stem. So it’s not dead. It’s DECIDUOUS! D’oh!

Again, I didn’t manage to do as much as I wanted to have achieved by the end of today. Mostly due to Carpet Surprise. It’s buried too deeply for me to pull up, I have to dig down to it and along. (Who does this? And why?) And possibly I was chatting too much…. Half of the frame for the purple bed is in and I am getting better at bashing in posts straight. I noticed the strawberries are starting to flower  Yay! But my broadies are still being slugged to within an inch of their lives. I expect slugs are going to be BAD this year.

The balcony at home is officially full. And so is the windowsill. I’ve got a week off after Easter and I should have some time to make a bit of space for seedlings. For some extra pressure I’ve sown: courgettes – Otto, Italian Striped and Yellow, squash – Potimarron, Thelma Sanders and Waltham BNS. One of the Genovese courgettes for the seed circle is up, and I think the other 2 will be joining it shortly. More sprouts are up too. No tomatillos and the Boltardy again have failed.

AGM today too – and no ructions like last year’s. Phew! And I have been re-elected on the Committee. Our lettings sec put up the waiting list which is 40-odd strong currently, though we suspect that will go through the roof when the BBC allotment series starts! Interestingly the research team really wanted someone from Kingston to be on the show and called our Chair a few times. Anyway, I noticed I’d been left off it. I asked why and they thought I’d been offered my neighbour’s plot and turned it down. Glad there was a chance to put that right! I do want another plot, to share with a friend, but I’d also like another season to get my bit under control.

PS Rainbow carrots in the purple trug are poking through.