Marching time.

I am itching to get cracking on my plot and get some mud on my wellies but there is nothing I can do until the contractor has finished the remaining work on the site. In February he was due to supply an additional 4 inches of topsoil, and then to "subsoil to 16 inches and then disc harrow and rotavate" the whole site. I'm not quite sure what all that means or entails but I do know that there is no point in me doing anything on the plot until he has finished.

There was no sign of the contractor on site in February. I don't know why the work has not yet been completed but I suspect that it has been delayed by the poor weather. There was another covering of snow and ice this morning. I have had enough of this weather. It's March now and I'm ready for Spring.

All the seeds which I sowed in February are coming on nicely. Even the Chilli pepper seeds have germinated. I was worried that they had failed but after a couple of nights in the airing cupboard the seedlings emerged. The French Beans are really shooting up as can be seen from the photo. I will pot them on at the weekend and start putting them in the coldframe during the day to toughen them up.

Last weekend I sowed a batch of leeks and brussels sprouts. This coming weekend I will move some of my seedlings from the propagators and put them in the coldframe. I will sow more veg seeds and some herbs in the propagator. I have not yet decided exactly what.

I have got a nice list of jobs to do once I can get onto the plot.

• collect farmyard manure from Richard's farm in the next village.
• mark out position for raised beds to be constructed by site contractor
• prepare bed for potatoes.
• prepare bed for beans.
• prepare bed for asparagus and rhubarb.
• prepare a seed bed.
• construct cane supports or wigwams for french beans and runner beans.
• install coldframe on plot.
• install water butt on plot.
• take delivery of wooden veg crates to be used as compost bins.
• make the compost boxes rat-proof with mesh lining.
• construct lids for compost boxes.
• construct plot paths once delivery of wood chippings arrives.
• erect posts and wire for vine trellis system.
• plant onion sets and garlic in one of the raised beds.

Off the plot I will continue with successional sowing of seeds. It looks like March is going to be a busy month....assuming the contractor completes his work and I can get started.