Allotments 4 All

Nothing. Yesterday I did some digging, and helped someone move some sacks of sand. We're a bit worried as someone very determined is sneaking around with a saw vandalising plots belonging to committee members. We're pretty sure we know who it is, but that doesn't help.

Can you set a trap Robert ?
Just went for some veg-it was sooo cold.

Sorry to hear that Robert..
>:(

Planted some tulip bulbs, cut some flat leaf parsley and generally FROZE :(

For the past week or so I've been nipping out nightly to collect the leaves gathered in 'pockets' up and down the street. Today I re-bagged them into some of those huge great wheely-bin sized bin bags - I had to sit on them and roll around a bit to get enough 'spare' to tie them closed (yes, I do have understanding neighbours) and I've got six full bags so far.
Slight downside to that - I read the label on the bin bags (after I'd used them, natch) and although they're biodegradable, the small print said NOT to use them for home composting or recycling as they'd been treated to make them biodegradable.
What's going on here? What kind of chemical are they using that could be so detrimental? And what's the point in making products like this which might damage any land they eventually rot down in? Another cynical effort to appear environmentally friendly.

Ahem! Right, rant over.

I also assembled three of the four plastic cold frames I got from Argos for £4.49 (with thanks to little-weed who alerted us on Bargains Galore) ready for sowing some beans, peas and flowers for overwintering - after all, why be on time and sensible when you can risk being very late and losing the lot, eh? D'oh!

Then it got really cold wet and windy - oh, and pitch dark as well, so I came in to defrost.

;D

Went to a Garden center this morning,only to find it had changed into Santa's grotto :(. Rained all day :(so sit in front of goggle box and watched 3 documentaries called Escape from Colditz, on 4 on demand clever buggers them POW's.

Same as E Maggie went to plot, chatted for 20 mins collected two pumkins and went home because it was brass monkeys.  :o    ;D ;D ;D

Quite pleasant out this afternoon... sowed some Carrots and salad leaves under glass, Broad Beans and Peas direct outside. Brought in the Dahlias and Chrysants...
;D

All I did today was dug over another bed, and did a bit of harvesting - then had a chat.  There was a robin bouncing around as well, so that was nice.

Quite  a nice afternoon once the wind dropped.

Oh yeah - emergency netting on the garlic - the hares have taken a liking to it.

Did some clearing up mostly......... removed the last of the sunflower stems, picked off the late sown purple podded peas at last and will be drying them off to grow again next year, took out the supports and stored them away...didn't see a soul except a little robin who made a grab for the worms I unearthed! Cut two 'Shasta' cauli's for tea, yum! ;D

dug over two beds, shifted a ton of mushroom compost to my plot, dug up forgotten tatties, dug up fennel and beetroot, planted 200 onions (still got 100 to go -I got  carried away on Marshall's website  :-[ :-[) and poured my muddy self a large dram... oh but I'm so sore and knackered now... :( :(

We are in the middle of building work, so not been near the lottie for a couple of weeks.  been thinking about it whilst painting though, does that count?
:-\ :-\

I have done nothing its not stopped drizilling here!  :'(

Not much really!  Dug up a new growth of Buddleia that had started sprouting under the kitchen window from when I threw all my cuttings in a pile!  Cleared lots of dead away from the trees and stood the bird table back up (I've got no idea how it fell over, it's spiked deep in the ground  ??? ) Came back in to defrost then went to Van Hages to buy some Christmas decorations  ;D

Built two raised beds on the new plot.  Five done, two to go.

Sucked up a huge black bag of oak tree leaves with the garden leaf machine. Dug over a flower bed and cleared that out. I have some new bulbs to plant tomorrow.
Hubby harvested some Charlotte potatoes which we ate tonight with our carrots, and home grown PSB; yorkshires, mushy peas and roast chicken. Delishhhhhhhhhh  :P.
Hubby cleaned his car, inside and out then washed all the windows.
Tidied away some support canes. As I moved a pile of dead leaves....Ooops out popped an autumn coloured toad. Perfect camouflage. I hope he's eating all those horrid slugs.
Went out at 10am and came inside at 4pm slightly aching. All in all a good days work. All ship shape again.  ;)

Dug up the old marigold plants, dug half my bean trench and filled with veggie peelings and manure, greased the fence and have a general tidy up.  ;D ;D ;D

I've been a lucky bunny this week.  Had Thursday and Friday unexpectedly free, so had to be spent at the plot. :D  Cleared the last remaining 'fallow' area that hasn't been touched since I took over the plot last year.  then put up a 7x12 polytunnel frame - took ages to square it off. ::)  Today made the wooden U shaped bed for inside the poly.  Filled that with soil from neighbours garden (they were going to skip it - I didn't sneak into their garden in the dead of night ;))

Emptied one of the compost bins and topped up half of the poly bed and then moved the bin in the hope that it will confuse the mice/rats that are using it as a fast food joint.

Now I'm looking for someone who is 'good with wood' (hint ;)) to build a coldframe the lenght of the poly to house the melons.

Then came home ironed 10 shirts for school next week and made some choc chip muffins for the lunchboxes.

I have loved digging in this cold weather.  When I started the plot I was aiming for no-dig. but I have to confess , pauses, looks over shoulder and whispers.........I really enjoy digging :o

that's me done til next weekend.

I planted 15 sweet chestnut trees.    ;D

Only 75 to go in now.  They are 15 each of beech, silverbirch, oak, wild cherry and field maple.

First of all kicked the compost bin to warn any stray rat that might be luking inside , then filled it with the new zealand spinich that had keeled over with the frost. Harvested some leeks, cabbage and celeriac to have with supper. It wasn't quite as cold as yesterday thankfully!