Buds appearing

It's been torrential rain in the last week so the plan of getting the final part of the allotment dug over has been put on hold - lets see what weather tomorrow throws at us (Today of course was the first bit of fine weather and was spent being taxi service to various parties and ballet lessons!)

I have managed to escape for an hour out there though and spent the time looking at the first buds appearing on the fruit trees and bushes. We planted a plum tree year before last and were rewarded with a single blossom - definitely hoping for an improvement on that. And also an apple tree which was certainly more successful.

We've also inherited some gooseberry bushes (a nice red variety which are sweet enough to eat straight from the bush) and some blackcurrants. Both were on a fellow allotmenteers allotment. I couldn't believe how strongly the roots smelt of blackcurrants when we planted them out in January. Such a surprise to smell such a strong sweet smell of summer at this time of year.

The Raspberries definitely need some attention though as they are starting to take over one end of the allotment - I think some drastic reduction needs to take place. Amazing what you used to be able to get form Woolies - They are a great thornless variety which enables my young daughter to be the very present raspberry rustler as soon as they ripen!

I'm intending to get some seed trays started tomorrow - mainly some tomatoes (courtesy of my husbands uncle in Luca Italy) and some hot chilli peppers. I always grow too many chilli plants. They make the perfect gift in late autumn to hand out sewn on cotton or silk thread to hang in the Kitchen - I love to have a supply of them right through the year and they dry nicely like this and last through until the next season. I also think that they intensify their heat once dried. A lesson learnt when four where put into a chilli con carne and was inedible - only to hear the plaintive cries from my husband of "well they were only tiny so I put a couple of extra ones in!"