Feeling truly horrible! Our neighbours (a guy and his father in-law) have recently abandoned their allotment due to some shenanigans at, or rather slightly too close to, home. It's pretty much a meadow now with a few very tall brassicas and fruit bushes. Finally there is some talk of someone else getting it so I got the brush cutter out and made a start on the big stuff, and decided to lift some of the carpets. There was a squeeking noise from the undergrowth when I started that should have alerted me, but after lifting a bit of carpet I notice 5 baby rodents. The people who are busy raiding the previous occupants stuff identify them as rats - and variations on 'kill the rats!" fill the air. I dutifully hid them in the nearest bush, hoping mum comes back and moves them somewhere a bit more sensible. They are blind and pink, probably only a few days old. It doesn't look good for them. Then the mother appears standing about 4 feet from me in plain view, squeeking - it's a field mouse, not a rat. I feel awful. Despite the mouse damage to my pumpkin, I don't mind them at all, and all babies look like babies to me now. Cast somewhat of a pall over my day. Some consolation that she'll probably have another litter in a couple of weeks.
Dug over the bottom of bed 3 and dug out some of the annual weeds, planted 12 or so white sprouting brocolli and some more kale.
Things haven't exactly impressed me with the speed of their growing, but I think I'm just being impatient. Have started watering the beds and things seem to at least be getting started now.
Have acquired two new compost bins, bringing up our total up to 3. Also nicked a disused hose.
Bought some brain to apply to cucumbers in the hope of detering, or at least sating the slugs appetites.
Put some shelves into the greenhouse.
Dug over bed 7. Onions planned to go in here.
Tootling about
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Gavin Morris
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Weeding and mowing today. Strimmer problem is getting really annoying.
Strawberries looking good.
Fed tomatoes and courgettes with Miracle Gro slow release tabs. Will see how they do.
Strawberries looking good.
Fed tomatoes and courgettes with Miracle Gro slow release tabs. Will see how they do.
Big day (or felt like it, anyway)
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Gavin Morris
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Rachael came up and weeded the strawberries. I used grass clippings as a bed for the burgeoning fruit, should hopefully keep the slugs off a bit. We've had a little damage on the fuit we've had so far. Nothing really major, but an annoyance none the less.
Bed 3: I planted 8curly Kale and 8 white sprouing and made a net from old sticks and shop bought net.
Bed 4: I planted two rows of radishes. Scarlett Globe and French breakfast.
Bed 6: Planted 24 fingerling leeks. They've been in the greenhouse for a while in pots, hopefully got them in in time. The method use was to make a hole about 9" deep with a broom handle, place the leek in the hole, and water. Leaving the leek in the hole without backfilling it or stamping it into place. This is recommended in The Vegetable Expert so am trusting it.
Greenhouse: Sowed Pak Choi and Savoy Cabbage.
Filled the water butt from the tap, had a light strim around the borders. Strimmer needs looking at as the wire isn't feeding. Another job.
Listened to Guns N Roses on the ipod all day. 'kin awesome.
Bed 3: I planted 8curly Kale and 8 white sprouing and made a net from old sticks and shop bought net.
Bed 4: I planted two rows of radishes. Scarlett Globe and French breakfast.
Bed 6: Planted 24 fingerling leeks. They've been in the greenhouse for a while in pots, hopefully got them in in time. The method use was to make a hole about 9" deep with a broom handle, place the leek in the hole, and water. Leaving the leek in the hole without backfilling it or stamping it into place. This is recommended in The Vegetable Expert so am trusting it.
Greenhouse: Sowed Pak Choi and Savoy Cabbage.
Filled the water butt from the tap, had a light strim around the borders. Strimmer needs looking at as the wire isn't feeding. Another job.
Listened to Guns N Roses on the ipod all day. 'kin awesome.
A really hot day
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Gavin Morris
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Actually had my top off. Very nice for me. Not so nice for the neighbours. Haha.
In a shockingly environmentally friendly turn of events, I used last year's dried out jerusalem artichoke sticks as tomato canes. Free and zero miles! My how things change.
Very little done today as there was a great MotoGP race (Rossi taught Lorenzo a lesson I think will define the season, viva 46!) and I had to do jobs around the house.
I carried two growbags up from the local shop, about 300 yards. Jesus they're heavy! (Or I'm unfit). Anyway, I think my back is in its previous state of fitness once more. Good. It's been painful and a little worrying that I'd done something permanent. I filled one of the bags with 4 tomato plants cadged from our neighbour, purpotedly yellow tomatoes. The more the merrier. One bag still spare.
Watered the greenhouse plants. Noticed a couple of very pretty wasps in the Jerusalem artichokes - not yellowjackets - one black and the other yellow. Some really pretty little spiders in the greenhouse too. Long forelegs, green and yellow. Will have to look them up.
I replanted the remains of last year's apple mint. Pointless sentimentality really, but it was the very first plant I bought and I'd really like to rescue it. Where it was last year there was basically just a stick, but I noticed a bit of green on it so have put it in a large pot with a lot of compost and brought it into the greenhouse. Rachael thinks it's gone, but I'm hopeful some love can turn it back into a plant.
The cucumbers look utterly terrible.
In a shockingly environmentally friendly turn of events, I used last year's dried out jerusalem artichoke sticks as tomato canes. Free and zero miles! My how things change.
Very little done today as there was a great MotoGP race (Rossi taught Lorenzo a lesson I think will define the season, viva 46!) and I had to do jobs around the house.
I carried two growbags up from the local shop, about 300 yards. Jesus they're heavy! (Or I'm unfit). Anyway, I think my back is in its previous state of fitness once more. Good. It's been painful and a little worrying that I'd done something permanent. I filled one of the bags with 4 tomato plants cadged from our neighbour, purpotedly yellow tomatoes. The more the merrier. One bag still spare.
Watered the greenhouse plants. Noticed a couple of very pretty wasps in the Jerusalem artichokes - not yellowjackets - one black and the other yellow. Some really pretty little spiders in the greenhouse too. Long forelegs, green and yellow. Will have to look them up.
I replanted the remains of last year's apple mint. Pointless sentimentality really, but it was the very first plant I bought and I'd really like to rescue it. Where it was last year there was basically just a stick, but I noticed a bit of green on it so have put it in a large pot with a lot of compost and brought it into the greenhouse. Rachael thinks it's gone, but I'm hopeful some love can turn it back into a plant.
The cucumbers look utterly terrible.
Planting
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Gavin Morris
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Ate our first strawberry of the year today! Shared with Rachael. Summer has arrived!
Found a largeish garden spider lurking in the inner band of my hat. Quite glad I followed the inexplicable urge to check it!
Bed 1: Rachael planted potatoes, from B&Q of all places, and we covered with membrane. I planted a tray of herbs (Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, Spearmint) aiming for a nice abundant herb patch of whatever is most vigourous. A little survival of the fittest is OK here. Teamwork today. Nice!
Bed 4: I managed to plant 11 sweetcorn, 45 lettuces (Lollo Rosso, Iceberg and Cos)
Bed 6: Planted 18 broad bean seedlings. Not sure at all what they are going to be like, very small indeed and way late for planting.
Bindweed continues to be a major hassle. If we ever find a use for the stuff then a new empire can arise, built on this rare and precious resource, and it's capital shall be my allotment.
My planting regime is following the old Russian maxim of 'God likes things in threes' - lets hope the allotment god feels the same way about my little rows of threes.
I made comfrey and urine soup today, utlising the piss bucket, for use as tomato food when they come into flower.
A female kestrel was hunting over me today, always a stirring sight, and made me think that I really must build a kestrel box for next year. It must be the day for raptors as I also saw a male sparrowhawk getting seen off by, of all things, a couple of swifts. Plucky little things.
Jobs to be done soon:
Coffee and a cigarette on the patio set, elbow on the ipod and my Black n Red a5 ringbound notebook under a gelpen in my right hand, large billowing clouds in a bright blue sky. What a joy.
"I must have been working the ropes when your hand slipped from mine." der de doo de doo.
Found a largeish garden spider lurking in the inner band of my hat. Quite glad I followed the inexplicable urge to check it!
Bed 1: Rachael planted potatoes, from B&Q of all places, and we covered with membrane. I planted a tray of herbs (Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, Spearmint) aiming for a nice abundant herb patch of whatever is most vigourous. A little survival of the fittest is OK here. Teamwork today. Nice!
Bed 4: I managed to plant 11 sweetcorn, 45 lettuces (Lollo Rosso, Iceberg and Cos)
Bed 6: Planted 18 broad bean seedlings. Not sure at all what they are going to be like, very small indeed and way late for planting.
Bindweed continues to be a major hassle. If we ever find a use for the stuff then a new empire can arise, built on this rare and precious resource, and it's capital shall be my allotment.
My planting regime is following the old Russian maxim of 'God likes things in threes' - lets hope the allotment god feels the same way about my little rows of threes.
I made comfrey and urine soup today, utlising the piss bucket, for use as tomato food when they come into flower.
A female kestrel was hunting over me today, always a stirring sight, and made me think that I really must build a kestrel box for next year. It must be the day for raptors as I also saw a male sparrowhawk getting seen off by, of all things, a couple of swifts. Plucky little things.
Jobs to be done soon:
- 6+7 to be dug properly.
- Mowing
- Incinerator emptying.
- Stakes for tall things.
- Extra tomato plants to be repotted
- Lettuces to be covered.
- Clear the bloody carpets that are ruining our allotment.
Coffee and a cigarette on the patio set, elbow on the ipod and my Black n Red a5 ringbound notebook under a gelpen in my right hand, large billowing clouds in a bright blue sky. What a joy.
"I must have been working the ropes when your hand slipped from mine." der de doo de doo.
Oh my god, I can't believe it ...
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Gavin Morris
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Having strimmed and mowed I have started digging and weeding the old beds. Prepared beds 1 and 2 by single digging and covering with food scraps. It smelt awful! Planted spuds into bed 2 through membrane.
Dug and weeded row 3 and 4, planted runner beans and squashes (courgettes, pumpkin and munchkin) in row 5. Planted some fennel at the top. Not sure I seperated them enough, we shall see. They may have gone in in pairs. Not really sure how they are supposed to look. Will have to see how they go. 11 sweetcorn plants at the end of the bed planted in a grid 18" apart like Mr Flowerdew says :)
That's the top half of the allotment back into shape. Phew. Generally I'm a bit worried about the survival of my plants as a lot of roots were very tangled and it seemed a bit brutal pulling them apart. Shall suck it and see. Better in the ground than in pots I think.
LOADS of red ants around the place. Beds 1,4,5 and 7 all have colonies. But been working in there with bare hands all day and no bites. Actually feel a little protective of them. Weird! Lots and lots of aphids!
Planted 3 20p cucumber plants in the greenhouse. Very sad articles, but they were almost free because of it. Stuck them in a spare grow bag.
Mum came and weeded the greenhouse and I membraned the greenhouse floor, so hopefully less weeds this year. All greenhouse stuff now in pots or growbags, not in the ground like last year.
Joining row 6 and 7 together to make a big bed (about 2x10) with a plank down the middle for access. Only started. Really, really hurt my back. Bollocks.
Wildlife around today was house sparrows, goldfinch, songrhrush in the herb border, wood pigeons, crows and a female wolf spider.
Dug and weeded row 3 and 4, planted runner beans and squashes (courgettes, pumpkin and munchkin) in row 5. Planted some fennel at the top. Not sure I seperated them enough, we shall see. They may have gone in in pairs. Not really sure how they are supposed to look. Will have to see how they go. 11 sweetcorn plants at the end of the bed planted in a grid 18" apart like Mr Flowerdew says :)
That's the top half of the allotment back into shape. Phew. Generally I'm a bit worried about the survival of my plants as a lot of roots were very tangled and it seemed a bit brutal pulling them apart. Shall suck it and see. Better in the ground than in pots I think.
LOADS of red ants around the place. Beds 1,4,5 and 7 all have colonies. But been working in there with bare hands all day and no bites. Actually feel a little protective of them. Weird! Lots and lots of aphids!
Planted 3 20p cucumber plants in the greenhouse. Very sad articles, but they were almost free because of it. Stuck them in a spare grow bag.
Mum came and weeded the greenhouse and I membraned the greenhouse floor, so hopefully less weeds this year. All greenhouse stuff now in pots or growbags, not in the ground like last year.
Joining row 6 and 7 together to make a big bed (about 2x10) with a plank down the middle for access. Only started. Really, really hurt my back. Bollocks.
Wildlife around today was house sparrows, goldfinch, songrhrush in the herb border, wood pigeons, crows and a female wolf spider.
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