9th May 2013 One week later

We were away for a week to celebrate Margaret's birthday. It has been so very dry here  the plants are very far behind both on the allotment and in the garden at home. I am sure everything will catch up soon.
 The back garden is very advanced and is becoming full of beautiful colours, with the Tulip bulbs springing into life all over. We have some beautiful yellow wallflowers or stocks in full bloom and the forget-me-nots are everywhere as usual. Our Camelia bush is still in flower and there are small pansy plants everywhere. I watered all the pots as soon as we got back from our short break and everything has survived without very much liquid, It never ceases to amaze me how tolerant and hardy garden flower plants are, they look very pretty and fragile with their soft petals, but they are survivors.

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The allotment is still making very good progress, I have my first showing of asparagus spears, These are a white variety that I planted last year, so I will not be cutting these spears at all this year. I will have to stake them up to protect them from the harsh winds we get here in Norfolk. My first early potatoes are just beginning to show through the topsoil and I will have to earth these up to protect the leaves from any late frost. I managed to plant the third bed of main crop potatoes this week, I will be planting just a few more "pink fir apple" salad potatoes when time permits. I also sowed some runner beans and climbing french beans in pots to use as a back-up to the seeds I intend to sow directly into the ground. I was very pleased to note my leek seeds are pushing through, and growing well in the pots, I started them in on the allotment.