Back To The Allotment

The cold has relented for a few days down here in Wiltshire, so I might make a fleeting visit to the plot tomorrow, to see how much frost has come out of the ground.

I've got loads to be getting on with. A delivery arrived recently, including a new apple tree, nine more gooseberry plants, plus some strawberries. With the ground frozen, I've put them all in a trough with fresh compost and stuck them in the garage. Being dormant, they should be fine, but I'd like to get them in the ground as soon as it's possible. I'm guessing the surface of the soil on the plot will be unfrozen, but it will be interesting to see if I can get a spade in.

Also on the agenda is a new frame for my hop plants. I've got the timber sorted but, again, I won't be able to get any construction done until the soil is workable. If it's not looking good tomorrow, it will probably have to wait until after Christmas as it looks like another cold snap is due at the end of this week, with temperatures predicted to be falling again to minus 5.

If I can't get on, it will be back to brewing. I've a single hop recipe to devise for the January meeting of the North Hants Brewers. I'll need to plunder the freezer to see what I've got.