Rhubarb rhubarb!

Last week I noticed some tasty looking rhubarb stalks appearing on a few allotment plots which reminded me that the three crowns of Timperley Early Rhubarb which I had ordered from Kings in January, for delivery in March, had not arrived and so were now Timperley Late.

I 'phoned Kings. They apologised for overlooking my rhubarb order and promised to dispatch it straight away. At the weekend a parcel of funny looking rhubarb arrived from Kings. I am not a botanist but I examined the evidence and concluded that the specimens they had sent to me were in fact 12 strawberry plants (Cambridge Favourite Variety) and not rhubarb.  I reached this conclusion after reading the leaflet which arrived with the parcel which gave instructions for planting and care of strawberries. The plants were also held together with a tag which was labelled "Cambridge Favourite Strawberry".

After the Bank Holiday weekend I 'phoned Kings again. They apologised for the cock-up and told me to keep the strawberry plants. They will arrange for their wholesaler to send some rhubarb out to me as soon as possible. I have rushed home from work each night this week eager to see if the rhubarb has arrived. Unfortunately the only rhubarb which has been delivered to me has been in the form of letters, leaflets and news-letters from the local parliamentary general election candidates.

I did a bit of work on the plot over the Easter weekend. The vines were planted on Good Friday. I will post some photos when I get a minute. I have also built three small raised beds, one of which now accommodates 12 strawberry plants. The other two small beds will be for rhubarb and asparagus (or possibly pumpkins). I am still waiting for the contractor to construct the three large raised beds which were promised weeks ago and I have not yet set about seeing what can be salvaged from the tangled mess which was previously my greenhouse frame.

Sack o' Spuds

There was a sack of seed potatoes from Kings Seeds waiting for me when I got home from work tonight.

I had missed the catalogue deadline for ordering seed potatoes and was forewarned to expect some substitutes in place of my chosen varieties but as it happens they have delivered everything I asked for; 3kg of each of the following:-

First earlies - Duke of York
Second earlies - Estima
Early maincrop - King Edward
Late maincrop - Golden Wonder.

I now need store them in a cool airy frost-free place and read-up on planting times and chitting theories and work out what to do with them for best results.

The only things outstanding from the Kings seed order now are the 12 asparagus crowns and 3 rhubarb crowns which will be coming in March. I did pick up a couple of asparagus crowns and rhubarbs in Morrisons a couple of weeks ago. Couldn't resist at £1 a go. I also got some onion sets at same price; 40 red onions and 40 yellow. Still need to order the grapevines.

I popped into Wilkinson at lunchtime today. They had a few allotment related bargains and I came away with a fleece tunnel, an armful of 8ft canes for the runner beans and french beans and some 10 inch clear plastic bell-shaped cloches with pegs . Saved myself about £20 on what it would have cost at the local garden centre. Would have saved a bit more if I'd waited and bought my propagators from there instead of from the garden centre this weekend.

I will go back to Wilkinson when I have made a list of things I'm likely to need on the plot this year. Things that spring to mind at the moment are a watering can, netting to keep birds, butterflies and slugs off the fruit and veg, gardening gloves and some fertiliser.

Yes we have no strawberries.

A parcel of seeds arrived from Kings this morning. The potatoes, asparagus and rhubarb will be coming later but today I received everything else on the list apart from the strawberry seeds. They say they are unable to supply the Temptation Strawberry seeds and have sent a credit note for £1.25 to use against my next order. Fern will be disappointed. I wasn't going to bother with strawberries but she persuaded me to let her have a small patch on the plot to grow some for herself. I'll take her to the garden centre so that she can choose her own packet.

Allotment seed order. January 2010.

Seeds ordered from E.W.King and Co through the National Society of Allotment & Leisure Gardeners Members' catalogue:-

Asparagus Crowns. Purple Jacmar. 12 crowns.

Runner Beans. Enorma. 45 seeds.

Broccoli. Spike, Annual Purple. 100 seeds.

Calabrese. Chevalier. 65 seeds.

Sprouts. Cascade. 60 seeds.

Rhubarb. Timperley Early. 3 crowns.

Leeks. Giant Winter. 300 seeds.

Lettuce. Marvel of 4 Seasons. 550 seeds.

Spring Onions. White Lisbon. 600 seeds.

Onions. Bedfordshire Champion. 250 seeds.

Chilli Peppers. 35 seeds.

Pumpkin. Tom Fox. 10 seeds.

Garlic. Solent Wight. 30 cloves.

French Beans. Blue Lake. 100 seeds.

Strawberry. Temptation. 50 seeds.

Marigold. Golden Days. 200 seeds.

Dianthus. Chinensis. 175 seeds.

Nasturtium. Alaska. 24 seeds.
Jewel Mixed. 25 seeds.

Potatoes. First Earlies. Duke of York. 3kg.
Second Earlies. Estima. 3kg.
Early Maincrop. King Edward. 3kg.
Late Maincrop. Golden Wonder. 3kg.


Still to be ordered :- Vines. 4 x Dornfelder.