Allotments 4 All

Shopped! Bought two half-price clematis plants, and an ex-display slatted compost bin for a fiver. Put the compost bin together, cleared up loads of leaves and tidied the wood pile, and then it was dark. Tomorrow really must tidy up the old bean canes and measure up an area to put my polytunnel on.

Got a seed order come through the post, checked it was all there. Too wet to do anything else.  :'(

Bubble wrapped the greenhouse,and tried ot the heater.Got my potatoes so wil set them al l out tomorrow to set them offPlot still to wet to d anthing else.Bilt three compst bins last Sunday very please with myself.

 ;D ;Dsorry about spelling put my glasses on now ! ::)

Pruned grape vines - essential to do this before it warms up - now I can relax and I'm free to hope for an early spring!

Pushed some grape cuttings into sheltered soil to give away later (10% should root OK).

Dug up a rogue patch of chinese artichokes - still got half a pumpkin in the kitchen (threatening to rot) so need these to use for crunch in pumpkin slaw (now all my chard stems have frosted to mush).

Pruned blackcurrants and a mad jostaberry that was threatening to swamp a dwarf Ashmeads Kernel apple. Pushed the prunings in next to the grape cuttings.

Cut/dug some suckers from apple rootstocks and planted them for grafting later - in same row as a grapevine so they will grow to act as living supports.

More of the same tomorrow if the weather holds - maybe more in the garden and less at the allotment if it doesn't.

Dug up the last couple of parsnips, some jerusalem artichokes and some leeks which had been very badly chewed by some critter. Even got three medium carrots (grown in a dustbin) and a few sprouts although the stems had been compeltely chewed too. As  I'd expected, pumpkins left in the shed had succumbed to the frost but I rescued two of four - need to make some soup quick!

Noticed one row of garlic has started sprouting. :)

Went for a walk to the allotment (like ones does). Put my fork in the soil but it was very wet, so had a chat to a new allotment owner and then came home.  Roll on the Spring/summer.  Put a few sweet peas seeds (from last years plants) on wet kitchen paper on the window cill (have loads).

Harvested Kale, carrots and parsnips
Dug out some old plants
Put away some wigwams
A bit of weeding
Emptied home compost in the daleks.
;D ;D ;D

Walked over to the lottie, stuck fork in soil a few times, removed some weeds picked some leeks and enjoyed the lovely peace and quiet and just looked out over the fields, then thought damm have sowing to do and walked back home. In the greenhouse, i planted some modules of leeks and alpine strawberries.

Nothing ... :'( Since fracturing my ankle at Centre Parcs, Longleats on 6th January) I am out of commission.  I am already having to bribe dear hubbie and son to go down and feed my ladies (chickens) daily and collect eggs.  Hopefully I will be able to start doing things once out of the cast.

But have already managed to get hubbie to promise to take me to the potato day in Whitchurch week-end 30/31 January.  Yippee!!!!

Jitterbug

Hmm, yes I recognise the itchy fingers symptoms!  No planting or sowing yet as such, got potatoes chitting and was toying with the idea of putting some chillis on windowsill above radiator, or maybe a few leeks in cold frame.  Have been doing tidying though mostly, cut down brambles, covered plots with manure and black plastic, made pile of stuff for skip, tidied greenhouse etc.  Won't be long before I give in and sow something though!

took the newly sprouted oriental greens to the polytunnel, cut back all the herb cuttings , just in case any are still alive after freezing, pulled some leeks for leek and potato soup , cleaned the chickens out and Ray put it in the compost heap.. ;D

I haven't done anything either, but at least I'm recovering from my accident.

I did not know you had an accident Robert.What happened??

I slipped on some icy steps and gave myself a right wallop on the tailbone. It incapacitated me for a couple of weeks, but I've pretty much got over it now, thanks.

We're hopping up there this weekend to re-dig it all, to cover the back half and to build a surround for our manure and of course to give our toddler a chance to get filthy! 

After a weekend of redecorating the lounge (wife decides to buy a new sofa and wants it redecorating) I will be glad to get down to the allotment for a weekend of digging and tidying. Erecting a new fence (flipping vandals) but most of the work is at home. Already chitting potatoes (pink fir apple and rocket) and just planted some butternut squash seeds in pots. Will plant chilli seeds, basil and coriandor and keep indoors.

Please, please, please warm up.

Not doing anything other than ordering my seeds etc ( it's pay day at last  :)  )
Need to go up and start getting things in order ready for the warmer weather.

Got my seed potatoes and am chitting the earlies.  I can't wait for my 2nd season.

Sharon

Hope to finish digging the other half of the potato bed and maybe, just maybe weed the strawberry bed (still getting lambs tail lettuce coming through ::))

Ninny

Just had a freeby 6x4 shed given to me, so  I will be fixing it to my other 6x4 allotment shed to create a shed  8x6 that's if the weather permits this weekend, :)