Monday, February 25, 2008
Sunday - not quite as glorious as Saturday but fairly warm, although overcast. And, miracles of miracles, Hubby (who is a hugely non-gardening person) offered to help me with the paths. As the offer does not come every day, I said yes, ignoring the agonizing muscle pain that I had in my legs and bum from all Saturday's work.
We lifted two of the carpet paths, levelled out the ground and laid cardboard then my little wooden squares. It looked very nice when it was done, and it has left a lot more room for veg plots, I have gained quite a bit of space. Unfortunately, there were 3 horizontal paths but only enough squares for two. So I will need to find more wood, methinks. He then helped me make another path up the middle of the lot with two rows of wood hammered into the ground and wider planks flat between them, so I have space to walk. Thank you Hubby for all the hard work ;-)
He then watched (appalled) as I tidied the shed: the bag of peat that I somehow can't seem to get rid of had spilt all over the place (I am suspecting something was digging in it because the bag had no holes), so I scraped up all that, tidied the poles and sticks that were all over the place and found two bags full of composting weeds that were now full of a black sludgy stuff, at which hubby turned his nose up while I was exclaiming "Brilliant! that will go on the compost". Gardening horrifies him, I think. The compost bin is looking decidely full so I will have to put up the polytunnel later in the week and dig in some compost and plant the first carrots, beets, rainbow chard and spring lettuce. there is a lot of compost ready at the bottom of the bin, that I started in January 2007.
We lifted two of the carpet paths, levelled out the ground and laid cardboard then my little wooden squares. It looked very nice when it was done, and it has left a lot more room for veg plots, I have gained quite a bit of space. Unfortunately, there were 3 horizontal paths but only enough squares for two. So I will need to find more wood, methinks. He then helped me make another path up the middle of the lot with two rows of wood hammered into the ground and wider planks flat between them, so I have space to walk. Thank you Hubby for all the hard work ;-)
He then watched (appalled) as I tidied the shed: the bag of peat that I somehow can't seem to get rid of had spilt all over the place (I am suspecting something was digging in it because the bag had no holes), so I scraped up all that, tidied the poles and sticks that were all over the place and found two bags full of composting weeds that were now full of a black sludgy stuff, at which hubby turned his nose up while I was exclaiming "Brilliant! that will go on the compost". Gardening horrifies him, I think. The compost bin is looking decidely full so I will have to put up the polytunnel later in the week and dig in some compost and plant the first carrots, beets, rainbow chard and spring lettuce. there is a lot of compost ready at the bottom of the bin, that I started in January 2007.
Labels: paths, tidying, winter
On Saturday, it was a glorious day, quite unbelievable for February, brilliant sun and quite warm. So it had to be an afternoon down the allotment. There were loads of people at the site, all making the most of the lovely weather.
I attacked the onion patch, digging in some manure, and I uncovered the bean area that had been tarpaulined since October. I had let all the chopped down beanstalks rot and underneath the ground was dark and crumbly, I just dug in the grassy dead material, it will break down. A few good forkfuls of manure went on too then I planted the echalotes (Jelmor cuisse de poulet), the red onions and the yellow onions, all sets. Today (Monday) it is a bit rainy so they will be well watered in.
While feeling terribly enthusiastic, I also manured and dug over the patches where the spuds will go and covered them with the tarp. That will save me a lot of work in a few weeks' time ;-)
The broad beans have flowers, will they give any beans I wonder? They have been in all winter.
I looked at the new strawberry plants, and I put little sticks around them to keep the black plastic back off the crowns so they can get the maximum sun and rain now. They all seem to have taken, now they just have to grow.
So many heralds of spring, the cherry trees are starting to flower around town, and I noticed that the gooseberries and raspberries are starting to have buds. The rhubarb is growing well, as are the artichokes, and the roses given to me by a friend have all got new growth so they must have rooted well over the winter.
Oh and I nearly forgot, I planted some first peas (Kelvedon Wonder) and ripped up the last remaining Romanesco, broccoli and sprouts. Got about a pound of late sprouts, about 1 1/2 kilos of Romanesco heads and shoots, and 5 lovely leeks. Blimey no wonder I was knackered afterwards, that was a lot of bloody work in retrospect!!!! Still when I look over the plot I see how much work is still to be done :-( BUT the plot on the whole is much more worked over than last year so if I take one patch at a time I am sure it will be OK.
I attacked the onion patch, digging in some manure, and I uncovered the bean area that had been tarpaulined since October. I had let all the chopped down beanstalks rot and underneath the ground was dark and crumbly, I just dug in the grassy dead material, it will break down. A few good forkfuls of manure went on too then I planted the echalotes (Jelmor cuisse de poulet), the red onions and the yellow onions, all sets. Today (Monday) it is a bit rainy so they will be well watered in.
While feeling terribly enthusiastic, I also manured and dug over the patches where the spuds will go and covered them with the tarp. That will save me a lot of work in a few weeks' time ;-)
The broad beans have flowers, will they give any beans I wonder? They have been in all winter.
I looked at the new strawberry plants, and I put little sticks around them to keep the black plastic back off the crowns so they can get the maximum sun and rain now. They all seem to have taken, now they just have to grow.
So many heralds of spring, the cherry trees are starting to flower around town, and I noticed that the gooseberries and raspberries are starting to have buds. The rhubarb is growing well, as are the artichokes, and the roses given to me by a friend have all got new growth so they must have rooted well over the winter.
Oh and I nearly forgot, I planted some first peas (Kelvedon Wonder) and ripped up the last remaining Romanesco, broccoli and sprouts. Got about a pound of late sprouts, about 1 1/2 kilos of Romanesco heads and shoots, and 5 lovely leeks. Blimey no wonder I was knackered afterwards, that was a lot of bloody work in retrospect!!!! Still when I look over the plot I see how much work is still to be done :-( BUT the plot on the whole is much more worked over than last year so if I take one patch at a time I am sure it will be OK.
Labels: onions, peas, potato, romanesco, roses, sprouts, winter
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
You may think that I have forgotten my blog and my garden but I haven't, I have just had some personal problems to sort out. But I am raring to go as the spring shows signs of coming back, even though I did not achieve my winter goal of laying my paths :-( well maybe this weekend as my kids are going to their grandparents for the holidays.
I have my onions - red, shallots and yellows, in sets, couldn't get organized to do the seeds. So they will all go in on the weekend. I also need to start the early potatoes chitting, in three weeks or so they will go in too. Their ground needs its manure digging over.
then I will need to start thinking about the seeds... the pepper plants, the tomatoes, the leeks.
I bought myself a polytunnel, I don't really know what to do with it yet but I think I will use it for some early radish, carrots and lettuces. It's a bit experimental as yet.
I haven't been to the lottie for a few weeks and I admit to being curious as to what is going on down there, everything left to its own devices. Are the strawberries growing? Has the rhubarb sprung back to life? What is emerging from its winter sleep??? probably the bloody weeds of course, but even they are a part of the bigger picture.
After a really really hard winter, emotionally and physically, I need this spring more than I can express.
I have my onions - red, shallots and yellows, in sets, couldn't get organized to do the seeds. So they will all go in on the weekend. I also need to start the early potatoes chitting, in three weeks or so they will go in too. Their ground needs its manure digging over.
then I will need to start thinking about the seeds... the pepper plants, the tomatoes, the leeks.
I bought myself a polytunnel, I don't really know what to do with it yet but I think I will use it for some early radish, carrots and lettuces. It's a bit experimental as yet.
I haven't been to the lottie for a few weeks and I admit to being curious as to what is going on down there, everything left to its own devices. Are the strawberries growing? Has the rhubarb sprung back to life? What is emerging from its winter sleep??? probably the bloody weeds of course, but even they are a part of the bigger picture.
After a really really hard winter, emotionally and physically, I need this spring more than I can express.
Labels: onions, polytunnel, winter
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