Hello again! 👋
Welcome to this edition of The Anaesthetist’s Allotment. I hope you enjoy it.
Please feel free to follow, like or comment and I look forward to getting some of your feedback.
Disclaimer: I’m a professional anaesthetist, not a professional gardener. I do a bit of gardening and cycling in my spare time. I have grown veggies for many years and have learnt what works for me (sometimes!). These are my ramblings! I would be honoured to be corrected / advised by those with more knowledge than me!
General:
This is the 2nd post of 2025 in this year’s series of
“The Anaesthetist’s Allotment”.
Winter still holds sway in the North of Scotland. The skies are clear (well they were yesterday!) and there is no rain. But this means the temperatures drop, oh yes! Last night was minus (-) 5’C, and the maximum temperature today is 2’C. I was planning to go for a cycle ride today, but one look out of the window at the freezing fog 🥶 soon put paid to that!! No way!
But despite the very low temperatures there are still signs of spring to keep us hopeful.
Snowdrops – a bit droopy. Well, wouldn’t you be if you were that cold!
But lots in flower now and spreading out through the flowerbed from the original little clump very nicely.
Some Hardy Cyclamen are also putting in an appearance.
Crocus are starting to make their presence known down the side of the driveway. Interesting that the orange ones seem to be the first to show!
Similarly, in the pots at the top of the driveway, the orange Crocus is coming along in the pot on the right.
Daffodils in the pots are growing nicely, but it will be a wee while still until they flower.
There are the odd Snowdrops in both of the pots as well.
In the greenhouse:
Potatoes – Picasso were set out at the end of January to start chitting. This is a process whereby they develop tiny shoots in response to light, much as old potatoes do if you keep them in the kitchen for too long! This allows them to grow quicker and better when they are planted. It’s a sort of pre-conditioning.
They are starting to develop small shoots now. (Left)
They could perhaps do with chitting for a bit longer, but I need to get a few into grow bags in the greenhouse to get us an early crop of potatoes. I cant really wait any longer!
So four (x2) of the best “chitted” (is that really a word?) Picasso Potatoes go into a grow bag (x2) accompanied by some lovely peat-free compost. (Left)
These are then covered with another few inches of compost (right) and left in the greenhouse to get growing!
The rest of the potatoes are left to continue “chitting” away!
Last time, I described how I had bought a couple of Acer’s from our local garden centre in late autumn. Two weeks ago, I had given them a massive root trim and repotted them into proper Bonsai pots. They had seemed to have survived this radical assault last week.
The Acer Palmitum Atropurpureum (right) is looking fine. The tiny little buds along its branches have enlarged some more over the last week and are now a bit more obvious. A good sign! It is still alive!!!!
The Acer Palmitum Orange Dream (left) has sprouted even more leaves. It is now starting show promise of what’s to come from its glorious spring colours.
I wonder why it has that name? 🙄 😒!
It is obviously not dead, despite my best efforts!
Veggie garden / Allotment:
Today’s wee harvest. I find it amazing that we are still getting delicious fresh veg from our Allotment at this time of year and in the harshest of conditions.
This will be our last leeks and beetroot for a while! The top inch of the soil was frozen solid today. Fortunately I managed to force my fork through this and dig up the leeks. By tomorrow, it will be impenetrable! We will have to wait for the next rain to thaw the ground before we get our next crops from these two.
The Brussels Sprouts are still looking and tasting a-maze-zing. They are soooo much better than shop bought ones!
I cut off a Winter Cabbage (Tundra) head today and retreated inside to make a coleslaw. Only to find that the cabbage itself was deep frozen. Solid! 🧊 My coleslaw had to wait a bit!
I look forward to keeping you updated regularly on further developments in The Anaesthetists Allotment.
See you next time!
Dr Doug (Douglas) McKendrick 
Certainly a chilly winter scene. The snowdrops are really happy where they are situated and are happily reproducing. Love your Acer’s.
Cheers mum
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