Today I was still woolly headed from the jetlag, and I was conned by the weatherman into thinking that it wasn't going to be an allotment day, so I spent a while sowing seeds in the tunnel.

As it is a "root day" according to my Planting by the Moon calendar I sowed leeks (Giant Winter from Kings) into modules for transplanting later; spring onions (Ishikura); onion (Bedfordshire Champion); beetroot (Boltardy); carrots (Autumn King); radishes (Mooli...really looking forward to these); and parsnips (Lisbonnaise) and radishes (French Breakfast as markers with the parsnips) into the tunnel raised beds in squares rather than rows. I didn't mark out the Sq Ft gardening way....just scratched a mark in the soil. I hope it will be evident pretty soon what is where.

I also tidied up the Parcel growing in the beds. This has been a wonderful addition to our winter salads. I pulled out all the thick stems leaving lots of tender stems for salad. I don't need to re-sow this as it is still going strong.

The rocket, mizuna, chard, lambs lettuce, and cos that I planted out a while ago in the tunnel are doing well and we should soon be using them. I am still actually picking mizuna and some slightly too strong rocket from the garden beds...... so no urgency for the tunnel ones as yet.

Sometime soon I must re-attach the guttering to the tunnel. We are though expecting some more strong winds this week (if the weatherman is to be believed) so I have delayed it a bit longer. We have plenty of rainwater around the garden at the moment, and the house butts are constantly watering the tunnel irrigation system, so there is no hurry anyway.

I am really champing at the bit to get the rest of the plot dug. I have dug enough to get started with the planting, but I want to put the spuds in first. I know these can wait until Easter so I do have time yet. The onion sets should also go in as soon as possible....so I must get busy. When I have dug out all the weeds I mean to get DH to go all over it with the Mantis to improve the tilth. I will spread my lovely pile of manure over the area planned for the spuds and rotovate that in then get planting.

DH is going into Portsmouth Hospital for an ear operation on Thursday so he won't be up to much for a while. Could be time for me to learn to use the Mantis. Actually I'd love to have a go but you know men!!!!!! I just can't start things that have a cord pull.