I stood back from a bit of weeding this afternoon. Even though it was overcast and windy, I felt pretty grateful that this was my workplace. Then I realised it was the last day of January and only half the allotment beds are ready. I've managed to cut a couple of big beds for the potatoes and to get half of the raspberry bed sorted out. The overwintering onions and the acres of garlic are all going well.

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But that's about it. The trouble with trying to grow enough basics for the family is that my allotment is starting to look like a vegetable farm. Hopefully there'll be enough room in the garden to grow something other than spuds, alliums, sweetcorn and brassicas... Oh, and bindweed.

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Unusually for me and for the end of January, the greenhouse is full of growing things! I set up my new heated mat thing and, to my amazement, it works! Two days later my radishes and lettuces were through! OK, there's no sign of the leeks yet and I may have inadvertently baked the beetroot seeds in their modules ... but otherwise so far so good. All I need now is my new cloches...

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There's no sign of the aubergines/peppers/chillies in the propagator. But it's ok because one Wisteria and one Yucca have germinated on the kichen windowsill. I don't even know what a wisteria is ... can I eat it? And live??

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Talking about the probably inedible - I noticed the comfrey is starting to wake up and the grass is growing. The pears and quinces are almost in bud. Even my miserable cobnuts have a few catkins on them. Somebody tell Spring: 'I am not ready'.