Allotments 4 All

Just been out planting out @70 pots of French Beans... sown by an Infants School Visit in June... now off to the Beer Festival!!  :)

Here you are Kev

A close up

Cheers Shirl, :-*   mine are trailing on the floor and smothering my celeriac and invading the peas, I just couldn't imagine a frame taking the weight, but yours looks pretty sturdy, how high are they.  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

I can reach the top and I'm a short assed 5ft 2". If you look at the frames every other cane is upright and the opposite one is at an angle. This is what gives it the strength. I have planted the squash at the bottom of every sloped cane to make it easier for them to climb. When they get to the top they are on their own. I have noticed that they are fruiting earlier climbing that they were on the ground last year.As you mentioned the are very invasive.I will be growing them like this next year if it proves to be a success

All I can do at the moment is to move all the plants out of the greenhouse for a lovely drink of rain that is coming down here at the present time.

Podded another row of peas last night... and some red epicure broad Beans...
(as I was only working the fest!)  :)
Oh also lifted the japanese onions, shallots and garlic... as they were promising torrential rain, that hasn't happened...  :-\

had a work party, followed by a big breakfast, demolished the old communal greenhouse and tidied up the site in preparation for Wigan in bloom  ;D

I've harvested 3 lettuce and a celery and checked the cabbage and broc for nasties.

plus taken updated pics of it all for my diary and finally rescued my veg bed from my 14  month old  ;D !

zero ,nothing,nowt.......played games with the granddaughter and watched the rain,rain,rain :(

All runners are now rooted on me strawb's and there is more than enough  chinese leaves to go round. Itss just starting to bolt, so having to harvest to get something else in.
Took cuttings of fuchsia's and lavender, the drizzle has kept them moist enough to pot up. :D
Weeded and weeded some more, they grow with vigour in this sort of weather.
Painted some boards for the garage and put them up.
Very productive day in all.

Gave the vine a haircut... picked gooseberries and redcurrants... OH trimmed the hedges on the "parterre" ready for East Midlands in Bloom Tuesday...  :)

Sprayed the runners.
Weeded the celeriac.
Watered, fed and earthed up sweetcorn.
Watered and earthed up container spuds.
Sowed more beetroot.
Erected a Shirl frame and trained some of the sqash up it.
Harvested spuds,onions and the site Sec gave me some beetroot.
;D ;D ;D

Barrowed two barrows of council compost and dug some in.
Weeded parsnips, celeriac and cabbages.
Dibbed and watered in leeks.
Harvestested spuds and springys.
                ;D ;D ;D

Ower Tone put some more broad bean plants in. I tied in the squash again. and the new blackberry and tayberry shoots. Picked Raspberries and finally red currants(think they must be a late variety) Grandkids helped to clear the old cabbage heads for someones chickens. Picked broad beans, beetroot spuds. Brought the garlic home to dry out. A good day in all.

Corny, was your Council compost steaming.  Usually leave it in a pile for next year, or perhaps you put it on a bed that wasn't used, not sure what is in it????  :(  I was given a marrow and a cabbage from Ken, the super star, on Gardeners World, that told Joe Swift how to net his brassicas, and they cut out his swearing, so hardly recognised him.  Did you see his lovely sunflower alley?  I was told by OH to cut all the leaves of the bottom of my toms, which I did, then told by next door that I had cut too many leaves off, then told by Chinese neighbours that I shouldn't be watering my hanging basket as it was raining, then told by Manuel that I was working too slowly at the allotment, then told by Nick that my apple tree needed supporting, and my tomatoes needed a prune, which he did with his knife, which he then said he had lost, so after a search of my allotment he found it in his pocket.  Had a chat with a new bloke, and warned him of the dangers of becoming 'an allotment addict' and he said it was the best thing he had ever done, but was worried about going away for three days, so he is already an addict and already planning dreaming about next year, when his allotment will be better.  Well stuffed marrow for dinner tomorrow, thank you Ken.

The compost heap has sat for a couple of weeks but is still warm when I take it, so I have been leaving it spread out near where I am using it and use it a couple of days later taking care not to touch any of the plants, with the greedy gits on our site Borlotti they would never leave it for a week let alone a year.    ;D ;D ;D

Corneykev please could you explain

Quoteearthed up sweetcorn

Cornykev, what I mean was take the compost, if you can beat the wheelbarrow races as everyone rushes to get it, they think it is gold, put it on your allotment or compost heap and leave it for a few months, or dig into unused beds (if you have any).  I wear gloves as not quite sure what is in it.  Some people love it, some people don't think much of it, but everyone rushes to get their share.  We get it quite regularly now, but at first thought we were going to have compost allotment rage.