Allotments 4 All

Tone you need to get out a bit more mate, hurry up and read this before it gets deleted.    :-X :-X :-X

I washed a lot of plant pots and trays ready to be put away for the winter.  Its a job I have to do now as I hate not having clean pots in the spring.

Duke

finished the onion / garlic bed by planting some of our red shallots

sowed some overwintering beans and peas/mouse gifts...

Weeded a bit more. Now finally the weeds and grass are slowing right down, it's easier to keep it tidy. (those d**n plants, cluttering the place up. Maybe I should tarmac it...  :-\)

Seem to have moved A LOT  of stuff around...  :)

Cracked on with some very satisfying diggin!

cleared and dug our beautiful flower border, which has been a joy to behold for 4 months- runner beans, sweet peas, sunflowers, cornflowers and marigolds- no doubt we'll have them in EVERY bed next year!

An hours digging at 6.30 before work.

QuoteAn hours digging at 6.30 before work.

That sounds lovely. Just getting light at that time, now the clocks have gone back.

Transplanted cabbages
Weeded and composted
Harvested Kale and carrots
;D ;D ;D

Planted more Elephant garlic and shallots. Spread compost around from my builders bag - lost heart with it a few months ago, seemed to be growing weeds faster than I could smother them - but suddenly everything is dead and spreadable. Second bag is filling up.

Arranged land cress seedlings into rows. Set up an expensive net tunnel over them and some healthy chicory plants, some left outside as a control (was it worth it?). Sheltered from a very heavy shower in tiny hut, builders bag over my knees.

Had very interesting conversation with a neighbour who intends to build a self-sustaining house either locally (very costly land if building permission included) or in Ireland where Celtic Tiger has collapsed and he has family. Hope it is locally.

Shifted a load of paving slabs from my trailer (needed neighbour's help to get trailer facing the right way so I could hitch it to van) to plot 1. Dug out all the weeds where the boundary path is going and laid slabs on it. Just enough slabs so I don't need to find any more.... had a look at  plot 2. Doesn't show any sign of being rotovated or ploughed which is good.... just as overgrown asd mine plot 1 was. Will try to get black weed membrane up there next weekend along with as much manure as I can pick up.... there's loads waiting for me at the stables so I guess I oought to go and get it.... don't plan on digging this one straight away, and the area growing squashes can get the piles of manure_membrane approach if I run out of time...

chrisc

What in this weather.   ;D ;D ;D

Put my broad beans in and spread 4ton of muck over over the plot only covered half of it :o and empty the compost bin out as well and put that over the plot.
Now raining so peas will have to wait til tomorrow

Padded around in the mud and retrieved some veg for tea.  Put away the last of the bean sticks.   Spread some straw along some of the paths.  Noticed something has been eating my broad beans.  Rushed for cover asap.

pulled up nasturtiums and attempted to pick up seeds but gave up, did some weeding, dug up leeks and parsnips and collected some sprouts, then pruned two of the bramble bushes....and all in lovely sunshine.

Picked late apples (Crispin) and stored them.

soil is very wet and heavy so that was a good excuse not to do much more than clearing beds and pulling witloof to force and taking stock really of all the goodies still to come  ;D

On Saturday I barrowed a lot of council compost onto next years spud bed
Harvested a celeriac for Sunday dinner and was given parsnips and celery from our site sec.          ;D ;D ;D

Faced reality and pulled up the scorzonera which are never going to come to anything.  Took stock of what is left and made a note to grow about a tenth the number of swedes, I shall be chomping through them till midsummer. Cut down the asparagus and decided that the little creeping shamrock which infests the bed isn't actually doing any harm....