Allotments 4 All

hiya, lee..nice to meet you  ;D

today, phew..
planted the rocket spuds in the poly, mixed sand into the sweet potato bed, moved all the bits of old cardboard onto the compost heap, uncovered the cabbage beds and limed them, transplanted 14 grannie's bonnets (acquilegia) in to pots, transplanted poppies into trays , watered everything in the heated greenhouse that needed it, covered the peach tree to protect it from peach leaf curl, busy busy  :o ;D
ray moved all the wood for the bonfire away from the string marking the new poly out, filled the rest of the parsnip bed up, moved the rubbish behind the big greenhouse and put up the 'picket fence'  ;D

Hi Guys,

Managed 5 hours on the allotment, moved at least 15 wheelbarrow loads of compost (well stopped counting at 13 and i know i did more after that) onto new beds.

Cleared/Weeded 2 existing beds. Played with the incinerator and managed to burn a black sack of yucky non compostable weeds (it was still going when i lost the light so i have filled the incenerator with the other 2 bags of damp stuff to smother the fire although i suspect is will be going all night.

Only stopped once for a can of pepsi and a sit down so i am now very very sore (stuipd me)!! But it was such a wonderful day blue sky and warmish!!

Cambourne7 (contemplating not going to lotty tomorrow to recover)

Hi   :)its great hearing about your day, im going to pack the car up tonight for a full sunny day tomorrow. I would like to try sweet potaoes this year, could you tell me where you got the tubers and when to plant? thanks.

Hello actiongran, can't help with the query but I just thought I'd say welcome, and enjoy your day tomorrow  ;D

manics, Louise, it makes me go weak at the knees just reading what you're doing. Welcome Actiongran!

Any photos you two if you've got time to stop to take any of course!  ;D ;D

It's quite frustrating for me, cos it's still dark when i get home from work and last weekend was frozen or pouring and gales. So nothing done.

this weekend too I'm moving furniture and lifting carpets because I've got workmen coming to sand floors. Anyway I might get the house garden shipshape while they are here (once the roofers remove their scaffolding of course!) And since I'm on holiday next week I might just be able to slip to the lottie for a couple of hours when the workmen aren't here. I'll be starting planting some seeds too.

Put the cover on the polytunnel and filled in the trench around the tunnel to hold down the cover - hope it works this time.

Decided it was too warm to dig ;D so set about sorting out the fruit cage - its not up to Ray's standard but its not bad and it will keep out the feathered and furry beasties.

Thought I'd have a bash at the garden today. Dug out a 'Seagull' rose which I had decided was a waste of space (spiteful and only flowered once in a season) and broke my new s/steel fork ::) That took all afternoon, and now my back has started going into spasms again. I need a young man to assist.  8)

After doing the housework (in record time with no skimping), I spent 3 glorious sunny hours sorting out lottie 1 - dug in manure that has stood on the surface on 4 beds. Harvested celeriac, pak choi - still going, as as a flower day sowed my sweet peas.

Also turned the compost heap ready to mulch a couple of beds and found an expired rat.....yuck! The council have baited the sewers nearby and I think this one found it's last refuge under the black plastic covering on the heap. Couldn't find anything else in the heap, luckily.

Tomorrow - lottie 2!

Quote from: Emagggie on February 09, 2008, 18:51:43
I need a young man to assist.  8)

Don't we all!!  ;D ;D

Sowed a row each of 6 types of Carrots, Planted 50 Freesia bulbs, moved some chives, dug in some manure, chatted, procrastinated and enjoyed the sunshine.

Weed-Digga

not much done today as Ray's helping Mike fence off the pond so's the little 'un can't fall in when he's bigger  :)
so, went for plug plants for the plant sale in May..4 different colours of surfinia, 26.00 for 84, plus 2 different geraniums, 19.20 for 40, 40 hanging baskets, 60p each, plus v.a.t, of course
then we had to clear out the big greenhouse, moved all the cornflowers and poppies outside, covered with fleece, changed the greenhouse gas for the heater.. :)

Half emptied the big compost bin... (a section of Anderson Shelter) filled some tyres for planting...
;D

i did some digging,finished weeding strawberry bed,planted more garlic,and planted some peas.wot a lovely day to.

Fantastic warm day!! Makes you get up and do something.

I sowed carrots, flat leaved parsley, potatoes in tubs indoors till march for very early new spuds.

And went up t' organic growing site and did loads of clearing and tidying before any more seed sowing.

To those with a bad back from digging........dont dig man. Its cool to get the wormies to 'get down' and 'groove' and 'diggit' for you.....man ;D ;D ;D ;D :P

Quote from: grawrc on February 09, 2008, 08:24:13
manics, Louise, it makes me go weak at the knees just reading what you're doing. Welcome Actiongran!

Any photos you two if you've got time to stop to take any of course!  ;D ;D

It's quite frustrating for me, cos it's still dark when i get home from work and last weekend was frozen or pouring and gales. So nothing done.

this weekend too I'm moving furniture and lifting carpets because I've got workmen coming to sand floors. Anyway I might get the house garden shipshape while they are here (once the roofers remove their scaffolding of course!) And since I'm on holiday next week I might just be able to slip to the lottie for a couple of hours when the workmen aren't here. I'll be starting planting some seeds too.

thanks garyrc, I paid for it today been so stiff well ok more than stiff as it took 5 min to get out of bed this morning.

So roped in hubbie to do some digging in exchange for sunday lunch at pub and a home made bread and butter pudding while i do more wheelbarrow loads to back fill what he digs.  Anyone who knows or has met him will know he hate going to the allotment!!

Hes got the base for the greenhouse to dig out 10ftx10ft, 3 beds 4ftx10ft and my large fruit bed with is a weird shape consiting of 1 3ft x 20ft and 3 4ftx7ft. FUN!!

Dont put yourself under 2 much pressure to get things done all good things happen to those that wait :)

we played builders today, makingsome concrete foundation for our new old greenhouse. spend in total 7hours there!!
About that I am outraged:
we bought it from another plot where the guy was leaving. he had another greenhouse which was sold to the new tenant. however, the old tenant came back and nicked one of the greenhouse and the door of the one we should have had.
I can't believe people can be so ruthless and selfish, he got the money from both greenhouses and then nicked one of them back!!!!

well, some of the new parsnip seed has germinated, nowt from the old packs so, in the bed today, under fleece..then back to our daughters while ray helps mike  :)

I said hello to spring  :)

As I'm still not up to full strength yet, I am planning to mobilise the entire family today to help me muck and mushroom compost spread, which desperately needs doing.

I shall sit and offer helpful directions of course ;)....I will post later and see if I survive!

well i took some pain killers last night as i was so sore i kept waking up, so had an easy day today only 3 hours down the plot.

Hubbie only managed to clear the base of the greenhouse for me but its the worse bit of the garden so i am not surprised thats all he managed.

I managed to get another bed filled and planted with a blackcurrant, blackberry and tayberry plant. These are planted at an angle to get them trained up the fence behing the bed. I will be planting anya potatoes in the rest of the space when they have chitted.

I weeded 2 more beds and topped up the soil level.
Harvested the leeks for chicken and leek pie tomorrow.
Also watered everything.

Home to warm up (wonderful day but once you stop you get cold quickly) with a mug of tea and a bowl of home made bread and butter pudding (made last night).

There is not much soil left so i really need to push through the stiffness tomorrow and clear the last fruit bed against the fence and move the last lot of climbling fruit plants. That will take 5 wheelbarrow loads to fill. And then try and remove the rest before someone else does :) Probably 10-12 wheelbarrows of good stuff left before you have to start picking weeds out.

If i am feeling energetic i can start moving soil into the greenhouse base or weed the last 5 beds which will also need topping up or dig out the last 2 3ftx10ft beds and my weird fruit bed at the back of the plot.

Later in the week i am going to spend some time up there just planting things rather than lugging soil about. Bliss :)

Cambourne7