I hate winter

There's still so much to do outside, but too dark in the mornings to do anything useful before work apart from open the greenhouses. Evenings aren't much better, as we seem to have had "things on" after work most of this week which meant allotmenteering has taken a back seat.

Things to report:

Onion sets are poking through. Need to raise the fleece a tad, or to create two separate fleece tunnels to give both varieties their own space.

Planting the garlic and elephant garlic. That can wait a bit though. The bed is ready just got to get out the ruler and see how much space I have/n't got !

Leeks still in pots. The big ones look a bit damp on the outside, but once you peel off a couple of layers, they look just fine. The small ones really don't seem to be getting any bigger. I guess they could double as spring onions !

Chillis still going mad in the g/h. Cayennes are ripening nicely now, so every couple of days, I pick a few more and sling them in the freezer. I had thought about doing some in oil as well. Chilli oil - yum. Numex Twilight are struggling on. Plenty of fruit struggling to ripen and still plenty of flowers, but must admit to being a bit handy with the scissors and chopping most of them off in an effort to get the fruit to a usable state.

Peppers still seem to be growing although there's no way they're going to get huge. I'll have to take a pic one of these fine days before they all drop off.

Got two trays of fuchsia cuttings on the go, one tray of my Prince of Denmark and the others lifted from grandad's garden last week to keep undercover over the winter for him (and obviously to nick a few for myself). A chappy in work is going to be showing fuschias next year so he can have a few of both as well. Any idea of the name of grandad's one ??

My home saved sweetpeas have done buggar all, but a pot of Floral Tribute Mixed are reaching for the sky in g/h No. 2. I guess I should pinch them out before they get too much taller !

Senecio greyii cuttings (ooooh get you with your botanical names) are still alive ! Some are in the g/h, some are inside. I'll see which do better. If everything goes to plan and I get to keep some of upstairs flower beds to play with next year, I was thinking of doing the whole of their front border with this stuff. I nicked the original cutting from work and it has grown pretty well over the summer. It looks pretty impressive and requires no maintenance, so even upstairs can manage that !

Little Gem lettuces beginning to actually look like lettuces now. Had to pick off loads of greenfly the other night though. I've still got them in the plastic water cups that they were sown in. If I put them in the ground the slugs will get them.

Transplanted my rosemary bush from a pot to a border last week. It looks as though it's enjoying the freedom.

Still working out where to put some early peas and broadies ! Have I mentioned that I only have a two year crop rotation atm ? Legumes and onions.

Roll on that lottie !