Allotments 4 All

It's been a while since I posted the last 'episode' of my plots' progress, here are some new photos now things are actually growing!



This is what it looks like now from the front gate. First and second early potatoes are now in the ground on the left hand side 'long rows', I'm still not sure there will be enough room for all the maincrop too though, as well as the squashes I would like to fit in.

The main new addition is the 'criss cross' cordons of apples and pears that now separate the fruit and herbs section from the potatoes; better photo from the back below....



The paths between the currants and the cordons are the old fence panels from the collapsed front fence, I've also used woodchips donated by my carpenter OH  to make smaller non-permanent paths between the potato rows to help keep the weeds down. The trees were Lidl cheapies that I have pruned as cordons (took a while in the shop looking for the best shaped ones!) so if they fail it will not have been an expensive adventure!



My son's willow den is now growing strongly, I built a path to it made from old bricks and bits of broken slabs that were left on the site. There are now more clearly defined beds around it, he has planted it up with the rhubarb crowns we split from an original clump, and Egyptian Walking onions; his choice! Good companion planting? :-\



The raised beds on the right hand side are now slowly being planted up; the overwintered shallots, garlic and onions are growing strongly, I've just planted out the first few 'banana' shallots I grew from seed this year, a bit of an experiment! Carrots have germinated under fleece (yippee!), early peas are in, and the supports for my beans are up too. Lettuces are in under the bottle top cloches; it's looking a bit 'lived in' at last! ;D

:)

Brilliant, well done/ shades x

love the wigwams, we've put ours up this week, always makes me feel like we've started  ;D..looking really good  :)

Great work on the beds and the willow den is brilliant. :)

It looks great!  Very inspiring.  I love the willow den  ;D

Looking really good - lots of hard work & great to see things actually growing.  :)

and it looks even better for real than it does in the Photos Deb...
;D

I adore that willow den!  Where did you get the willow from??  My kids would LOVE that, and so would I!!!!!!!!!!!

Your allotment is amazingly organised.  Wow.  Really impressed.

I got the willow from an eBay supplier, he starts selling in October and delivers between December and March when it is the right time to plant.
More details on the December thread below if you are interested, better photo of the den 'bare' as well so you can see a bit more clearly how it was constructed;

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,91/topic,27330.0

and the whole thing looks even better today... eleven days on...
:o

looking fabulous - love the willow den, could be just the place to hide from the sun in the middle of summer

Deb any chance of an update pic on your willow den? I think it is absolutely lovely.

OK, will try and get an up to date photo this week. ;D

Took another couple of photos of the den today, there is a lot of new growth on it after the rain......

Thanks Deb, that really is the loveliest thing. Rhubarb's looking good too.  :)

I want one, but ... no room.  :'(