Allotments 4 All

First it was frozen, then it snowed, then the bitter winds blew.  This week we eventually had a few days of sunshine but I was at work!  Now today they finally forecast some reasonable temperatures but it's going to rain....and rain......and rain.......in fact it's peeing down now - and I have the day off!!!!   >:(

Rant over.   :-\

Don't rant - we need it, frustrating though it may be!

Were desperate for rain in Sussex Amanda. The water authorities are seeking drought orders this week, it will mean no using any water on allotments while the measures are in force (possibly all summer).

I know, I know.  Sorry for being selfish - we need water here too - but it is just sooooooo frustrating for a newbie who is full of dampened enthusiasm!

John, you've given me an idea, going to search through the threads here for tips on water collection on lotties e.g. from sheds and for those without! So sorry amanda, are you going to make seed tapes indoors then? :)

SS - good idea for the seed tapes - I've run out of windowsill space to plant anything else!  I'm without a shed also at the moment and our allotments don't have any water facilities - my dad found me an old waterbutt in a ditch at the end of his allotment but I haven't got it yet.  I suppose it will catch some without a roof to run off but I am hoping for shed for my birthday later in the year (I can't believe I'm saying that!! ).

One of the lay-dees here said she getting a trailer load of manure for Mother's Day :o :o :o
Am VERY jealous! ;D

Well the rain has stopped in Essex.  Wanted to get to the plot, but instead am sowing seeds!  ;D

Quite happy to have some rain for a few days with the warmer weather. Make a start filling the butts up to cope with the coming summer.

Any bets on floods rather than drought  ::)

I'm at the other end of the scale. So much rain that the soil turns to slime if it is stood on. The couch grass is getting away again.  >:(  I need a few drier days but it is raining again.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for those without rain and hope you get some very soon. Honestly I would share mine out if I could.

Metcheck says it will have stopped by 3, Amanda. Still time!

please can I have a rant about the weather!!! I know that we need the rain, but why oh why does it always rain when we a long weekend off duty.  I t rained yesterday, and all last night here in Somerset, this morning we put up the wires for the raspberries, and put in a row of peas under a cloche, then it rained again!!!Have just been out with the dogs, and guess what, I got wet again!!! Am now going to sit down with a large glass of wine ;) ;) ;)

I know what you mean; it was a lovely sunny morning here, when I was in town, and it would rain this afternoon when I got to the plot. Typical! I was feeling like a wet dishrag anyway, but that ensured that very little got done. I did manage to get a few flowers planted though.

:)  I'm happy to say this morning was beautiful here and I managed a couple of hours at the plot.  I would have liked to have stayed longer but a visit to my mother-in-law beckoned.  In fact it clouded over just after I went and eventually it rained.  It's raining now so mother nature managed to keep us all happy today!   ;D

Well, this morning, while RB was in Brum, I was home cutting and edging my lawns - for the 2nd time this year 8)......then I washed out the greenhouse and moved 2 trays of assorted tomatoes and chillies which I'd potted on into it - 30 plants in all 8). And then it rained. And then I fell over in the mud. But I had a GREAT time ;D ;D ;D

It can be fun if you're feeling up to it! We'll see how it goes today; once again a nice sunny day beckons, but I'll be tied up all morning so it depends on the afternoon weather. I really want to finish planting my onions.

dry here this morning, but the lottie is like a bog. Barrie has been and bagged up 20 bags of free manure, then ran out of bags. I got bored and decided to colour my hair,its now a lovely shade of RED!!! dare I go out for lunch! why do I do these things ??? ???

Cookie - sounds great - you should certainly go and show it off at lunch!

Bright here first thing although clouding up a bit now.  Managed to squeeze in half and hour at the plot in between taking daughter no. 1 to work and picking up daughter no. 2 from sleepover.  Sowed a 1/2 row of radish (french breakfast), 1/2 row of Lettuce (little gem) and 1/2 row of lettuce leaves (niche oriental).  Put a cloche over the lettuces - not so much because we are due frosts - in fact it is quite warm at the moment - but more because we are due very heavy rain later and I didn't want those teeny tiny seeds to wash away!!  Oh that and it's my first cloche and I was desperate to use it somewhere!   :)

You could even imagine it's spring here. ::)

This weekend: sunny mornings, pants weather in the afternoons.  Can't get down to the lottie due to 6-day-work-week and current inability to bend or use back for what nature intended.

Today:

R
A
I
N

OH told me yesterday that the pile of "mess that offends him the most" was my colection of plastic milk/pop bottles in readiness for mini-cloches and that the kitchen floor/lounge floor (we have victorian 2" deep window sills) is covered with propagating trays.  He'll eat his words with the harvest...

Hoping to get the sprouting flowers (where are my bl**dy veg!!!) out in the mini-plastic greenhouse tonight and have just read we're due another cold snap! WILL IT EVER END!!

Getting really narked now!! :)