Peak District and gardening

Last weekend we went to the peak district for a couple of days and really we enjoyed ourselves with a nice long walk and a stay in Bakewell. We finish the trip off with a visit to Chatsworth House, which is beautiful (although I much preferred the kitchen garden with rows of sea kale being forced than the house).

This last visit was slightly marred as we called into their famous "farm" shop on the way home. The first two products that we saw were rhubarb and asparagus, both available and in season now (although asparagus is difficult to get hold of), the first was from Holland and the second from Mexico. I turned into an old man the second I got home and wrote a letter of complaint!

This weekend has been spent in the garden planting every seed in sight and longing for the allotment to be rotovated (I put my name down to have it rotovated and now I just seem to be waiting and unable to do anything else, the soil in like concrete at the moment and the spade wont go in!). All my little seedlings are looking healthy and I've even enjoyed the fruits of my labours by eating some rhubarb I forced in the (old) shed, its so sweet.

I did venture out of the garden to a car boot sale to buy another set of tools for the allotment and managed to buy a fork, dutch hoe and a draw hoe (£7 total). The draw hoe is beautifully made (although the handle has woodworm - a replacement from Dave's shavehorse is needed I think) and is a proper old fashioned, made in England tool, this wont be going to the allotment its too nice.