Allotments 4 All

Good idea Eristic......actually clicked on this thread today because my son was reading over my shoulder and said that's a big thread what's it about?

It's like a diary for everyone so month by month is a good idea.

Today I was home with my really horrible cold virus haven't been to the lotty for over a week because of it, my boys had it first one by one avoid it if you can it's really nasty.

A very sound idea Eristic, and if more people put their location under their tag we would be able to see "local" times too. Had a wander round the site, cleaned out the Rycote Greenhouse, watered in the Schools, helped OH with a new border. Brought the Pumpkins in...  ;D

Picked the last of my spring onions and beetroot and took home with some stored PFA and Kestrels, and yes its a good idea Eristic and Saddads right if everyone put their area under their tag people would have a better understanding of times, weather etc.  ;D ;D ;D

Had a quick look at the bees I moved in yesterday, and lugged a dozen scaffolding planks onto my plot before they all disappear. I've got a bad cold and the latter's finished me for the day. The soil's frozen solid so I wouldn't have been able to do more anyway.

For once I didn't do any digging  :o :o :o I cut down the last of the awful black Berry bushes that grow over my gate so that I can dig them out when it is a little bit drier  :-\ and then lay some paving down and build a shelter to park my buggy in when I come on to the plot (its a pain pushing it all the way to the shed which is at the back of the two plots) then one of the plot holders ( well I say plot holders his plot has not been touched for 2 years >:() asked me if I wanted any thing off his plot as he was handing back the keys tomorrow ;D so I lifted 16 paving stones and took the two extra large darlek compost bins that he had left behind (in the rain ::)) one has a lid missing but I am sure I can make some thing to fit

just tidied up a bit and did a bit of weeding it was a very warm afternoon I even took off my coat an hat ;D

work party weekend so I'm cooking the big breakfast at 1  ;D
any takers?

Redid the woodchip paths, thats it. Not a lot for me to do out there at the mo. :D

We all sat in the communal hut, drank mulled wine and ate mince pies - and that's about it! Too wet for anything else although I did come home with a few leeks and a cabbage just to prove that I really had ben to the allotment!

Picked some sprouts and lifted some carrots, which are now on the cooker. Managed to save a couple of heads of Chnese leaves, they weren't netted so the pigeons have been trimming them!  :-[

My order of plantlets arrived, finally! Albeit, sent to the wrong address, so spent two days sitting in the neighbor's sitting room, which won't have helped. I was rather underwhelmed; I was expecting plug plants, not trays of un-thinned seedlings. It took a lot of work to delicately tease apart the seedlings into smaller clumps - I still wonder if some of them are going to be overcrowded.
Got some of them outdoors in planters with polythene over the top for protection; some in pots and trays in my (glass) lean-to for the time being. I'm particularly curious to see if the bare-rooted calabrese comes back to life, it doesn't look very lively at all.

Freecycling is doing me very well. I got four large planters yesterday - 3 wooden ones, & one that is actually a large 'toy bucket' with rope handles. Today I scavenged large amounts of polythene from the bins at Topps Tiles - with their permission - so have plenty to cover up my plants with. I'm glad it looks like it will stay mild all week; otherwise my 'plantlets' would be looking a bit ropey. I think most of them will make it if I can keep the slugs and birds off them. Definitely going to keep some of them indoors till they beef up some more.

Harvested carrots, parsnips, swede and took them home with some stored Kestrels and PFA's.  ;D ;D ;D

sowed the giant onion seeds  ;D

Put a cloche over some ground ready to plant some early spuds

How early RK. ?    :o     :-\     ;D ;D ;D

ray moved 8 barrowloads of manure into the poly, some ready for our earlies to go in, made a hot bed ready for mid january  :)

decided to use chicken poop in the hot bed instead of fresh horse, due to the problems with it, covered with lots of soil so, roll on mid jan, I can't wait  ;D

Once Christmas has come and gone, I'm sure we'll be all chomping at the bit to get out and get started again.

I wonder what it would be like to live in a region where it's warm/sunny all year long. Would you get bored of sowing and growing without a break?

I don't think so  ;D

Imagine all that watering Lauren.  8) 8) 8)      ;D ;D ;D

I actually got to work in my own garden today, A truck load of rubbish and empty beer cans to the tip, cleaned the pond, pruned shrubs, orchard and climbers. Dug out and poisoned a golden hop that had started to take over. It was originally planted as a quick fix but it really needs a lot more room. Noticed a lot of the fruit trees have huge buds coming this season so it could be a good year for fruit next year. Daffs are starting to break the surface.

Now it's time to get ready for a few drinkies  tonight.