Christmas continues down the allotment, with added snow.

We went to the allotment yesterday, to add the final touches to our improvised Christmas tree, whilst at the allotment we found another leak in the shed, which our lass tried to resolve but instead ended up cutting her finger, which meant for an improvised covering which was applied to the cut, to stop the bleeding. But at least we had our first snow at the allotment to enjoy, even though only for a short while as it was uncomfortably freezing.

Greeted by a dusting of snow

The view from the shed

Well it did the job

With the final touches, baubles and a star.

Christmas down the allotment.

Our lass is full of great ideas, and said we could make a Christmas tree from some off cuts of wood, so we did. We also saw the first signs of re emergence from the rhubarb, and the tomato experiment had another casualty. To complete the festivities our lass brought down some snowflakes she had made. The idea was thanks to ikea I think, but our lass made them better.

Just needs some baubles and a topper,

Snow flakes over a cuppa

The first signs of new life from our rhubarb

We are down to 5 seedlings and the frosts haven't really hit yet, the one bottom right is my best bet I think but we will see.

Gateway to our happy place

Day 35 - Fire, mulch and sunny views.

 As with a lot of the times we go to the allotment, we go with one job in mind and end up doing another.

I took this first photograph thinking all this would be covered in mulch

But to my surprise our lass let me play with fire, I love fire, our lass doesn't like the smell of smoke, but it helped clear some old wood and stuff which needed burning.

I then went for the leaf mould, I collected our lass did the spreading.

You don't see the elevation on this road way, but the leaves were right into the distance where the telegraph pole is.

Then another lane, then left up another hill, our lass will be laughing now, saying how I am really laying it on thick. but it must be at least three miles there and back (okay maybe half a mile)

The grey cylinders made a good template to keep the leaves off the rhubarb.

Hopefully that will keep the weeds away and the goodness in,

Four bins full of leaf mould, paving slabs moved, box full of nets and hose pipe, just the two tubs to sort and this area is getting sorted.

Another bed mulched

Big oak at the back of us, gives us shade in the summer mornings so we don't heat up to quickly. It was great to see some blue skies and sunshine.

Views from our allotment, over the tees valley.

Sunshine over the greenhouses

A late stay, meant we got to try the light out., photograph doesn't quite do it justice.

Just a flying visit today in the rain.

 Today was a flying visit to the allotment, the rain continues to come down, so we had hoped just to check things out, deposit some more towards the compost heap, and our lass was going to leave some cuttings that have been growing.

The rain had worked its way into the shed, so a running repair was done with some spare felt.

Tomato seedlings are hanging in there, and have been joined by our lasses own Philadelphus (mock orange) cuttings.

Wet on the inside meant....

A repair needed on the outside, will report back next time.

Still hanging in there, lets see what any frost will do to them, it is just an experiment to see if they last a winter.

Our lasses cuttings join the seedlings.

View from the garden shed.

 Just about all the jobs are jobbed, Well I say that, but we do need to sort the green house roof, but we will do that when there is some good weather.... We do however nip down to check everything is in it's place and also ensure the wildlife is being looked after. For the moment I am resting the wildlife camera, as it seems to get steamed up in the cold, damp conditions. It doesn't however mean we don't get wildlife shots. The Photographs below were taking with my mobile phone but is a typical view from the garden shed window when the birds come for their feast.

Day 34 - Last of the raspberries arrive and just one more thing before we go.

 Today was slightly different, normally we get to the allotment and what we planned to do is superseded by another job because we see manure, leaf mould or wood chip on the way to our allotment. This then means that job takes priority and we then get on with what we originally went to do. This was the reverse today, our lass finally got to plant some raspberry canes which have took a second time of asking for them to arrive. I collected the wildlife camera (disappointed as the damp weather has foggied the lense) and our lass put some feed out for the birds. It was a cold day, so it was back off to the warm. 

Just as we were leaving a car which had been parked had left, which revealed a pile of fresh bark chippings. Which meant from impromptu return to the allotment. I grabbed the spade and barrow and our lass her trusty rake. We now have a fresh layer on the pathway, which makes it look neater and helps level out the bumps and hollows in the path.

Out next big job is the our lasses green house roof, first of all we need to find a way to fix it, also needs a calm and clear day, guess we can count them using two fingers between now and next spring.

Last of the canes in, gritted for drainage, lets hope they fruit in the future.

Before

After

A little bark chipping between the compost and the blueberries/logan berries

Looking sharper, it was starting to get muddy especially with sorting the compost bins out.

Our lass said I had earned my Kit Kat

Noticed the fungi on the bottom of an old tree stump we have

Next job, answers on a postcard, on how to fix?

Watching the onions growing, is like watching the Grand National horserace

They say a picture says a thousand words, for this we have some photographs with a few words underneath

A bargain buy is what started it all, but as we put them in the ground we already had one faller, one set was a dud we were left with 49

After a few trips to the allotments it seemed the onion sets were being moved around, most likely reason is that as the onions send up shoots birds confuse them for worms and come down for them, a bit a surprise i would suggest if they try to chomp on them. At this stage down to 45

We have since uncovered the onions as you can see from the photographs below and they have had a little TLC with grit and compost, but not everyone of them has germinated it seems, we currently have 37 still in the running.

Daft little experiment with tomato seeds

 

I had some tomato seeds I was trying to save from this years tomatoes but when i was doing what i had seen on Gardeners World after a few days they started to germinate, so I put them in a pot to lets see what happened, they sprouted..

I then took six of them and put them into their own section, but i needed to keep them warm so.....

Having just got some plastic containers.

Put some of the compost we have been forming but not quite ready in the bottom

Covered that in straw/manure

Layer of compost on top.

I had done the same in both boxes, just to see if the seedlings will survive the winter, and if I will get some early starting tomato plants for 2021, if it fails i have two boxes ready, if it succeeds I could have an early start to the tomato plants as well as saving a veriety our lass liked this year.

November 2020 Statistics

 I do enjoy looking at numbers, so it was no surprise that I would gather some statistics in regards of the allotment and for this blog. Here are some numbers for November.

We had 8 days when we went down to the allotment.

This blog had 164 visitors according to extreme tracking, and 374 page views according to blogger stats page.

Our only form of social media for this blog at the moment is through Twitter and here are some statistics for our first full month on that platform.

NOV 2020 SUMMARY

Tweets

37

Tweet impressions

39.9K

Profile visits

1,150

Mentions

16

New followers

18

Day 33 - Then there will be light, muck, onions, leaf mould and an improvised bird feeder

I am sure I have wrote this before, but the very jobs you plan to go and do are not always the ones you end up doing or if you do get them done, other jobs crop up. Today was one of those days, on going to up to our allotment, we passed a fresh delivery of leaves then on the next corner a fresh delivery of horse muck.

So three trips for the horse muck filled in the gaps where it was looking a little bare from our last muck spreading. Then two trips for the leaves, one of which I took the dalek, and being the clever so and so I am got it filled to the brim, but left the small point of how to turn it the right way from barrow to position as it has no bottom. As always our lass put us right. sending me back off with the black bin, whilst sorting the Dalek, which is king of floating at the moment.

We had a brew, then actually got on with the jobs we had gone to do. First job to bring light to the shed, the bright sunny winters day was not lost on me for the irony, but the dark dreary days will be the times when we will get the benefit. Our lass sourced the light from Wickes, our lass is good at finding the bargain buy. 

Second job, to let the onions breathe. Well, it was to stop them from getting to wet from the netting as it seemed to be holding the rain water above them and sometimes on them. I removed the netting as the shoots are showing long enough to not make the birds think they are worms. I also did a mix of compost and grit to put around the onions. I did this after watching videos of where I should have done a hole with dibber or finger but put them on top, A layer of the mixture should help nourish and weed suppress.

Last job was a do it yourself birdfeeder, we have the hanging feeders but this was birds who literally like their meal on a plate or at least a flat surface. It is now positioned in front of the wildlife camera so we will see if it attracts the attention of the birds and meets with their approval.

And then there was light

The bed is finally covered ready for next years potatoes

Bird feeder, pond, what more would the wildlife like?

Onion shoots, now free to breathe and little nourishment.