Dig for potato victory!
Hopefully all the plot prep pays of this weekend.
–Sweet peas have gone down to the plot and in the greenhouse.
-And the potatoes have all gone in. Thanks to some help from Mr. 🙂
We dug untill the sunset (although we only started at 5.30). Victory at last.
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Tissue or seed tape?!
I have a horrid never ending cold at the moment. But I had to laugh when yesterday I was scrabbling in my pocket and pulled out seed tape instead of my tissue!
So yes the spring onion seed tape went in 🙂 and was not used as a tissue. I have never ‘seed’ anything like it… Giant wide seed tape… With a little strip of seeds in the middle. Let’s hope it works.
Garlic and onions moved out from my greenhouse, and went in a freshly dug patch.
And I got my mixed leeks sown. And I got some beetroots sown, or I will do when I go back today.
I got lots of seeds in on Friday night… As a result we are dinning around seedlings…Needs must!
The sown list
Sweet corn
Courgette x2 varieties
Sunflowers x 2 varieties
Chillies
Cucumbers
Squash red kiri
Pumpkin
Nasturtium
Tomatoes… The first!
And here is the plot in overview. My bulbs are doing well 🙂 seeing all the bees last weekend I’m so glad I put so many in. And it looks great!! More next year.
And my bulb lasagne pots are working, I can see my tulips slowly emerging. Then it’s the summer bulbs after that!
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Allotment update… From a few weeks ago
I ordered my willow on Monday afternoon and Wednesday it was due to arrive! Wednesday was forecast to be a lovely sunny day; so I made the most of a calmer time of year at work, and took the day off.
I had a great day. It rained a little, but I had glimpses of glorious sunshine by the afternoon!
– I removed a path
– Dug over the 4 yr old path, and two beds that are now one big bed! Should be perfect for my potatoes!
-cleared, lifted and re made another path
– And did a bit of general wedding and pottering!
DIY willow pool!
When your husband says ‘your going to the plot aren’t you….‘ In a slightly disapproving/you must be insane tone. You do have to question yourself.
Luckily I think he already knew I was a bit crazy…. when it comes to all things green!
So it’s -4 (well it’s cold!) before work… and I’m rushing around making a diy paddling pool. With chunks of wood and plastic sheeting. Filling it with freezing water, from my water butt…. Just add willow and weights! and I’m all set for a week of willow soaking! Which makes me a very happy allotment loving bunny indeed! 🙂
A little robin even came to inspect…. as it probably looked like a delux bird bath!
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Wind in the willows!
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I’m very excited as I have ordered some willow for hurdling/ creative constructions on the plot.
When I first took the plot on I experimented with a mini woven retaining wall. Made from my non productive plum tree. (I should explain I was told it was non fruiting and asked to remove it, when I took the plot on. And well… I trimmed it a lot, then a little less each year. It’s now a respectable tree shape; but still doesn’t fruit. I always think maybe it will… But it just doesn’t…. He-he!) Anyway since then I have no materials… Appart from my idea to scavange in the local parks (possibly a bit illegal…So I have not don’t that).
So…I committed! And invested in some willow! And some stakes. I found a rather lovely guide to hurdle making. And yes! I do have a workmate, and I have some determination! So I’m going to give it a try! All I need is a Jig (to set my hurdle poles into). I can see myself getting distracted and building random archways. But first the willow and the soaking.. in my excitement. I hadn’t thought about how I was going to soak these giant sticks. I think the bath is out (its really not socially acceptable to share you bath with willow sticks is it!?); So I’m going to try the water butt at the plot.
Out of sight, but never out of mind!
I have not made it to the plot in the past few weeks! Due to travel and lack of light…can’t wait for those long summer evenings!
Last week I had a work related adventure to Shanghai! I’m always curious what’s growing China side … We often drive past fields of veggies and giant grow tunnels on the edges of the cities and alongside the trainlines. Think industrial scale growing!! Much more practical than my romantic little plot!
But this year I saw lots of flowers grown in the cities which was nice! I took this photo of some nifty vertical planting alongside the edge of The Bund (the main river in shaghai).
Pic here… Sorry technical issues with my phone uploads again…
But generally I saw a lot more plants and greenery around the cities that we visited. Even this flowery Finnair plane!
Pic here
And on the way home I found a little grow pet. It seems growing is ‘cool’ China side too!
Pic here too
We found a garden of relaxation… Which was good as our flight was a little delayed. It had this rather nice floor design to inspire.
Pic here too…
I collected all my seeds the week before last (if I can control myself!). So next stop is the big sort out into monthly ‘to sow list’. I can’t wait to get down the plot tomorrow, fingered crossed it not too rainy!
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October plot
So the weekend came …and went! I didn’t get a lot done, but I did get my hands dirty (mainly because I forgot my gardening gloves!)
I think my weekend is best explained in photos
I went on a lovely walk with a friend
My cape gooseberry fruits are becoming ripe off branch 🙂
And my plants in the greenhouse are still going strong!
I have a mini harvest…
Courgette
Leek
Beetroot
Raspberries
Carrots
Chillies
Cape gooseberry…
I’m still getting a good haul on my raspberry plants. I’m really chuffed; it’s year one and they have been fantastic producers… Can’t wait for year 2!
I had my first ever carrot success! They may be small… But hopefully they make up for it in flavour! ha ha!
3 of my courgette plants are still going…
And that’s my lot… My to do list will just have to be done next week :).
Happy gardening!
All change!
I can feel the growing season slowing down a little now. I think it’s seeing my tomatoes gone 😭! It’s barely light when I leave home and dark when I get home… So its a mission to get to the plot during the week now. And the weekends become an exciting suprise to see what’s changed!
I sourced some manure last weekend… 4 bags of well rotted goodness. Yum yum (that’s how bad it is…I’m excited about poo!) And I eagerly eyed up some garlic and onion sets… I had mixed success with both over the years (not many)…. Try try and try again! Funny enough I had my best success from some cheap n cheerful sets from B&Q.
My cape gooseberry fruits are seeming to ripen off the branch! Which is exciting and amazing! I will have to do a plot run tomorrow; as I have not watered my greenhouse plants all week! (should just be clinging onto life, let’s hope).
On my to do list is (for the next few weeks)
-Sort our my raspberry support system… Need to borrow a cordless drill and screw driver (parents be afraid!)
-Research how and when to prune my raspberries… Early. Summer. Autumn.
-Thinking about removing our resident… Sucker non fruiting plum tree… And getting something new and ‘fruitful’ to replace it.
– Clean my greenhouse
And post this post! 🙂
Last weekend plotting
It was a strange annoying week; mainly because of illness. But I’m back on form and feeling much better!
I caught up with Monty Don. He gave his greenhouse a clean before winter sets in. Im assuming Monty has more than one greenhouse ;), as mine is still busy! He cleared, scrubbed, washed and then bubble wrapped; for winter insulation.
What I learnt:
– big bubbles are key
– no gaps!
….then I look at my grubby greenhouse on Sunday. So I made a start. I cleared my tomatoes and near filled my second compost bin. I then attempted to move my cape gooseberry plants, with the aim to get more sun. You know when you know it’s a bad idea… And you do it anyway… And then you think ‘it can’t get any worse’. By which time half the plant had been ripped off… Plant limbs strewn around your greenhouse. Needless to say I moved one grow bag and I left the others. If anybody has grown them they will know they become rather large plants! Anyway I took my fruit casualties home… With hope they might ripen if left in the sun and a mini greenhouse. Fingers crossed!!
I used my grow bag soil for bulb layering experiments. I can’t wait for spring to see these beauties!
I had a ‘mini’ weed and have eyed up some spots for manure next week. I’m keen to let some areas rest over winter and get some goodness back into the soil!
Harvest list:
Last tomatoes
Mini courgettes
Raspberries
Padron peppers and some hot ones I’m to scared to pick
We had a holiday day on Monday ….yipee!
And I managed to get a garden shop visit in! So we stopped at Wisely. I got my first carnivorous plant to live in my greenhouse to eat those pesky bugs (does this make me a bad vegetarian, oooops!?) And I got two new mini succulent plants for the house to add to my collection!
I even did some chessnut collecting 🙂
On our travels we stopped at my parents and got two big bags of Apple’s! One cooking, the other eating! So I have crumble plans and also Apple and raspberry jam plans!
Bulb lasagne?… Yum yum!
I’m thinking about spring time flowers this month; I always forget to get these in. So this year I’m getting my bulbs in a row (so to speak!). But as always it’s a battle for space and time on our little plot.
I sourced some snow drops, crocus, mini daffodils and some allium bulbs. Nearly all have gone in. But I’m planning to sink the plastic pots in the ground, let them flower and then rotate for veggies.
Last year my mother grew some lovely frilly tulips and she gave me some this year 🙂 so these will be added to the mix!
I have to be honest… I might have too many bulbs not enough space! Pots to the rescue!!
In the summer we went to Hampton court flower show….My first flower show! To be honest it was a bit busy, but we saw some inspiring flowers and I got lots of ideas!! Last year I deveoted spare space (made space) for my favourite sweet peas and sunflowers… So I’m going to have a fight on my hands next year!
I read Monty dons Jewel Garden earlier this year, with the mention of hundreds of tulips bulbs…. It really got me thinking what could I do with my tiny space. I’m also thinking long term I need to start my collection of bulbs!! At least using sunken pots I can pull them up and take them with me… A sort of portable garden.
In my researching have come across bulb lasagne! Which is bulb layering for non stop flowers!! I have done a little experiment with this… But I think it could end up like all the fireworks going off at once! Here is some of my bulb research on pintrest at http:// www.pinterest.com/bloomorbust/bulbs/
With lots of ideas it’s tricky to cram it all in, but every year it means I improve the plot to make the most of the space. And every year I get a bit better.
With autumn fast rolling in its a great time to plan for some early spring blooms!
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Bloom or Bust: Alota Allotment! 