Lockdown Day 52 - Frost relief and wine bottling

After the predictions of a very cold night last night, I was a little concerned as I went up to the allotment in case, despite my protections, there was frost damage to vulnerable crops. However, apart from a few potato tops - still poking through the earthing up - there was no further damage. Lovely sunny morning too. The potatoes will recover although right now bits of the foliage look like a they have been hit with a flamethrower!

The asparagus I picked last night was very nice as part of a meat pie and vegetable tea. That's the fourth lot of asparagus this season and so two more croppings left before the plants are allowed to grow into ferns for regeneration. I gave the ferns last year at the end of the season to a local greengrocer that also does flower arranging.

Looking at the forecast, after the weekend the weather appears to be warming up quite nicely so that will give chance to put out the pumpkins, courgettes and other seedlings that are currently in the lean to greenhouse and the sweetcorn that is currently on the window ledge in the downstairs bathroom. All bar one of the sweetcorn have germinated!

Out in the yard, our little miniature cherry tree, given to us as a gift last year, has blossomed and there are at least two cherries forming. I have bought some more tight linked mesh to construct a cage for this and for the strawberries at the allotment, otherwise there will be some very satisfied birds come the summer!

Earlier in the week I decided to bottle some home brew parsnip wine that has been sitting in a demijohn in a bedroom for perhaps longer than necessary, although it won't spoil and to be honest benefits from ageing. I use J2O bottles as the wine is around 15-16% and one bottle of this is enough to feel quite happy with the world! I'll leave these for another 4-6 months then they will be drinkable, but not all at once!