Today, Eilidh's birthday, I managed to get back over here to do some work including planting onion sets - a row of red and a row of white with 22 in each, shallots - not quite enough to do a row, so 18 of them plus a couple more red and a couple more white sets in the row. All on 6" spacing with 12" between rows.

There's enough onion sets for two more rows in a couple of weeks. Also did a double row of broad beans 6" apart in the row and 9" between the rows offset in a zig-zag. That was almost the whole packet so no successional sowing this year, but I will make a decent support framework.

Put the first batch of early spuds in (well probably not so early in shop terms) - 15 Nicola on 12" spacing for the first row. There will be two more early rows and then 2 rows of King Edward maincrop - maybe I'll see if I can get any more maincrop ones as I have space for a couple more rows.

In the tunnel both types of tomato have started and also the savoy cabbage from a week ago is showing already, and possibly a butternut squash.

Out in the field the daffodils in the corner nearest the entrance have done best this year (there were hardly any there last year) the ones at the other end nearest the veg would have been good if not for the snow knocking many of the first flush over, and the ones round the lime are not so good this year. Eilidh's tree is showing first signs of green and Rowan's buds are starting to open. The Vranja quinces also showing signs of life as is the Goji berrys and the guelder rose.

Saw a pair of long-tailed tits in the hedge during the week. Primroses have been out in Underlane for some days - also the small yellow and the small white flowers which I must look up again as I've forgotten them...[later - they are of course lesser celandine (yellow) member of the buttercup family, and wood anenome (the white one)] . Seemed to pretty much miss the snowdrops this year, there just didn't seem to be as many as previously.