The long wait is almost over.

The chairman of the allotment committee has emailed to advise that the contractor will be on site next week "to subsoil to 16” then disc, harrow and rotavate the soil incorporating the extra top soil over the whole site". The contractor has then agreed to allow next weekend for plot-holders to mark out where they want their raised beds and he will then put them in place and fill them with top soil commencing on Monday 15/3/10. The contractor has asked that any obstructions be moved to the far end of each plot so as to allow him unrestricted access with his machinery.

So, the long wait to do something constructive on the plot is almost over and I am raring to go.

I have just been up to the allotments. It is a glorious Spring day; clear blue sky; no breeze; still very cold. There was quite a bit of activity going on with people spreading muck and moving things out of the way of the contractor. When I dug the plot over in December I made a couple of piles of vegetation, weeds, roots, and sticks etc which I had unearthed. I have moved them into one mound at the far end of the plot to make sure that they don't get ploughed back in next week.

Whilst I was changing into my wellies in the carpark, etiquette which would be frowned upon at a golf club but which is perfectly acceptable at the allotments, one of the old farmers from the village came over and had a chat. I have often seen him bow-legedly waddling around the village in his tweed jacket, cords and flat cap. He'll stop and talk to anyone. He has not got an allotment but is keenly following progress on the site.

He told me that this has been the longest Winter he can remember. He must be well into his 80s and says he has lived in the village for 66 years. He says Winter around here usually lasts about 70 days but this year it has lasted for not far off 90 days. I don't know what events he regards as signalling the start and finish of Winter but it is encouraging to hear that he thinks that Winter is over now.

Less encouraging for me was his opinion that carrots will perform excellently on my plot but potatoes will not do so well. Anyone who has read my seed order list might recall that I have not got a single carrot seed but I have gone for potatoes on a big scale. I have got 200 or more seed potatoes ready to plant later this month. I will still go ahead with my spud plans but I'll also see if I can pick up some carrot seeds and find a bit of space on the plot to fit in a couple of rows of carrots.

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.

October 2009. Contractors on site.