Day 23 - preparing to be prepared

Obviously, everything you do happens in the present, yet when working an allotment everything done is for the future. In the times we are in at present, planning for a better future might come as a relief.

We are both itching to grow, yet to grow you do have to prepare, the soil is quite clayey, so our lass has added grit, and dug over where the paths were for the frost to get to the soil, we should be getting some compost in the week, add more grit to the compost and place that in the last bed and around the edges in preparation of the raspberry canes.

Our final preparational work of the day is for the section by our neighbours fence, we had moved an old compost bin, fencing and triple layered carpet, only for our neighbour to put an open compost bin by the fence. Luckily we hadn't started on that section, so where as we was going to put an arch, we have used the side of the old compost bin to block this part of the fence, and as we have an abundance of membrane, used that as a screen. For the moment we have left the fake grass down, but it gives us an idea of the effect. Seating area with soil to plant around the edging, we await a bare root rose which will grow to cover the area. Bulbs and other flowers along the pallet fence, and our lasses experimental bottles stayed in place, so have been filled with a bargain find of 10 pence violas. 

Also don't forget the birds, with a bird feeder for the tree.

Our lass having gritted the beds, hoping to help with the drainage

Never ending supply of previous tenants bits n bobs to dispose of, and of course carpet

Before

Just Before

After

Experiment working, they have stayed in place now filled with bargain flowers 10 pence violas

Looking after the birds

Pretty flowers

Day 22 Part 2 - Getting to know your onions.

Discussion had been, not going to grow onions, by the time you grow them they cost more than if you just bought some down the shop, to be frank (and we have a lot of carpet so we can be) everything is cheaper in the shops, you really have to factor in the exercise and enjoyment of seeing what you have planted grow. So whilst we were out shopping yesterday we saw a bag of onion bulbs for less than 4p each, so our lass said "Go on if you want" to which I replied "I had thought of doing them, and we do eat them"

So we now have Onion sets, If you read the advice you are supposed to plan a few months in advance, we sometimes only plan as we walk to where we are going, luckily we had a bed which had been covered in horse manure a month ago, also, as i thought it was space I wanted to add more, but our lass stopped us, which was just as well.

Onions need 4 to 6 weeks autumn warmth, not harsh winter, so they can set roots into the soil, so even though our packaging said you could plant up to December, in all honesty I think we have planted just about as late as you can, so they will be ready for any frosts when they go dormant. They are expected to be ready for June/July.

They need well drained soil, but also need lots of moisture, quite a contradiction. So we have dug over the manure, and put some grit on top as you will see in the photographs, we have planted two rows either side, with a row in the middle free for a companion plant, we did think carrots but onions and carrots do not get on, so it is likely to be leeks or beetroot. 

Lets see what happens.

Here is hoping we can grow something like it looks like on the packet

The bed to begin with

Dug and raked, but not as good as our lass would have done

Applying the grit

Spot the onion, all ready for next year

Day 22 - Signs of a hedgehog and our lasses experiment

Our lass has always had the goal of getting wildlife into the allotment, I am sure there is plenty out there but if you can get the right sort, such as hedgehogs, they are quite unlikely to eat your vegetables but they will dine on the slugs, so all in all everyone will be happy. Today we had our first little message from a hedgehog, next week I am hoping to set up a motion camera which might catch any action when we are not about and of a night time, but for today we will have to settle for a number 2 in photograph number 2.

In other news, you will see tea break corner, and what might be a bargain if it works. Our lass is also trying to see if the pop bottle planter will stay in place before filling it with bulbs or flowers, we brought up some old hooks from the previous allotment and now our lass is trialling different things to hang from them.

The dark patches are where our lass planted bulbs not number 2's

A hedgehog number 2 at the side of the pond.

Chicken soup and a coffee break

Time will tell if that was 75p well spent, you do get what you pay for in life. This being a thermometer on a spring.

Our lasses experiment with a pop bottle

Day 21 - Annoying items out of the way and my one job.

It must be the same when you move into some ones house, get a used car, or in this case take over an allotment, it is making it yours and removing what was there before. We had some Brussel sprouts, which were covered in white fly, and quite bedraggled. So, they were removed, Also a patch of parsnips, neither of us like parsnips, it now means all previous crops are now gone, and all the planting areas are ours now, we still have a lot to do around the shed, but at least from the greenhouses onwards, it is cleared. 

I had one job, which was to clean the green house glass, that in itself is interesting, because it is not in the best of repair, but we can see clearly now, Having picked up some free buckets on the way up, we now have the starts of a planter arrangement for next years. It is all falling into place.

Day 20 - You go to do one job but end up doing another.

We had gone with every intention of doing one job, but on the way to the allotment we noticed that a local stable had just made a fresh delivery of manure. So seven trips up and down the hill later, we had manure which now covered all the potato bed, ready to be dug in January/February and also a barrow load for each compost bin we are working. That kept me busy, and our lass got busy removing even more carpet, you can see the cleared area on the last photo, and the pile on the 4th. Also our lass planted another two blueberry bushes, it seems you need differing varieties as well as ericaceous soil for blueberries, so the old raised bed works wonders to let them have their own environment. 

Then finally the stump, bit by bit it has been sawn down, our lass has the plan of putting a pot around the stump, planting some flowers and letting that rot down the stump, lot easier than trying to dig it out. The pot won't be the grey cylinder you see, but we have more hose pipe which we have found, so watch out for the creation in the future.

Day 19 - A new path and no more corn.

When you take on an allotment, you will find that you have growing whatever the person had before, when we took over the half allotment we inherited leeks and chard, we also got raspberries and strawberries which we have brought up to this allotment, unfortunately it wasn't the right time of year to move rhubarb. We ourselves left potatoes and leeks which weren't ready to harvest and some very nice marigolds. On this allotment we did inherit two apple trees and two pear trees which were great, but we also had sweetcorn, parsnips and Brussel sprouts. One thing we had many times before much like on our last allotment was how good the previous tenant was, Our lass said "It's much like they have died and no one wants to speak bad of them" You always being told how fertile the land is, well you still want to make your mark, so removing the old crops does that final removal of the old person which is needed.

In other news, I laid a path to the compost bin number two and three. I laid it, so expect issues in the future.

One of three bunches of marigolds we left at the old plot.

Day 18 - The day I potted on weeds

We all have to do a daft thing in life, and mine was to pot up weeds. I had a few weeks ago tried to grow cauliflower from seed, a little late but thought that now we had a green house I could if need be put them in there, or simply see what happens. The pots were initial left at home outside, and I presume weed seed had blown onto them and germinated where the cauliflowers hadn't at first glance you couldn't tell the difference, but later on they soon became recognisable as weeds, they have since been composted. Our lass also removed more carpet. One day we will be rid of carpet. On the last photograph you will see a dark patch at the end of the path and in front of the greenhouse, this has been remedied by putting some carpet back, but it may well turn into a bigger job, of digging it up either extending the slab path or stone/sand underneath then bark. Watch this space.

Day 17 - The path reaches the shed, and more plants are planted.

I can indeed be annoying, impossible you may think, but today was a rare day of crossed words. On the half allotment there was never enough room for everything, On this allotment, we have a large shed, greenhouses, vegetable section, fruit section, compost bins, wild life area, the list goes on. I do however have the urge to clean up, and whilst our lass had been sorting around the pond, i had got disgruntled the grass was getting mixed up in with the bark chippings. in the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter, It is good it is a rare event now. In what we had achieved, the tayberry (* correction needed, it is a Loganberry bush not a Tayberry) and blue berry got planted as well as strawberry plants which couldn't fit into the bed, other plants found a home, and I finally made the potting bench up, maybe as asked if I had checked it when we got it a few weeks ago, I would have noticed a part was broken and we could have got it sorted, but all the same said potting bench is made. 

Day 16 - A door with a view and other things.

After every busy day, becomes a more relaxing one, today was just adding the finishing touches to things, we put some shelving up in greenhouse number two, (our lasses cuttings greenhouse) putting some card board up as the wind was pushing thru the foam, and putting two plants in the pond.

Day 15 - Pond Life and more digging.

Our lass had bought a pond when we still had the half allotment, but for sometime it had spent its days in the garage and then our new shed on the new full size allotment, Today was to be it's day for being put into place, with nearly every choice, and our lass makes the choices, I make suggestions. It can take a eureka moment to go, "that's the location" or "this is what we will do." The pond was no different, Our lass had deliberated with differing locations, but this had been the same for the compost bins, and now everything is slotting into place. You have the before and after photographs, but this was not all, whilst I dug for the pond, our lass dug in front of the new compost bins ready for the new fruit section. Plans are in place, potatoes down one side, with vegetables in the other side, and they will be rotated each year, fruit along the edges and around the compost, and flowers anywhere else we can put them. The pond area under the apple trees will have wild flowers which our lass has since sown. 

After

Before

Before

After

Day 14 Paving the way and don't fence us in

We made great strides today, and the photographs show a great change of how the allotment was really starting to become ours, There are certain moments and this is when I think we both decided we had made enough of a mark. Our lass had seen an article online of how to rework the old hose pipe so now using it as a boundary, the bark chippings got extended passed the greenhouses, which helped alleviate the worry of us falling or tripping into them. We removed an old dividing fence and completed compost bin number 2 and 3.

Day 13 Carpet clearance day

After a very busy day 12, we returned to light but still significant news. It was carpet clearance day, now I do have photographic proof, but that photograph has our number plate on it, so as I don't have the skills to blur the photograph, you will just have to imagine a car filled with carpet, it has been one of several trips made to the tip, and we still have quite a bit more to go. I did however take the photograph of down the allotment. So another before and after is due.

Differing Paths - Before and After

This is our lasses finest work, I moved the slabs about, but when it came to laying the slabs our lass sorted things. It is a fantastic transformation I feel. But also shows how the allotment has changed as well. Not bad in only 12 days on the allotment.

* It has been brought to my attention that where I said "Our lass sorted things" What I meant to write was "Our Lass laid each slab, whilst preparing the ground and ensuring it was level" 

Our lass did a grand job.

Greenhouse - Before and After

As I look through the emails I have sent, there are some striking before and afters. So will post the contrasts periodically throughout. Here is the first one. First photograph on an angle doesn't quite show all what had been growing on the right hand side.