Digging

Two calendar months, and it's just starting to feel like we're getting somewhere. There's still a long way to go though; the ground is full of couch grass, bindweed and dandelions.

Building continues

Made a new door and renovated the tool shed, re-felted the tea shed and built an open barn. The barn is made completely from recycled timber.

Relocating sheds

Have moved the little shed, which after fettling will make a useful home for muddy wellies etc. Our plot 5 shed took quite some relocating. It wasn't easy to dismantle and once separated the panels were too heavy for Jean and I to lift. The internal cladding and even some of the larger outer sheets had to be taken off before they were light enough to move.
The old concrete coal bunker on 37 formed the foundation of the new base.

Moving sundries

I didn't realise quite how much we'd accumulated in 18 months. Everything had to be carried and barrowed to 37. Uphill and on the rough stoned road the 322 paces between plots seemed to get further with each heavy load.

Upsizing, moving from plot 5 to plot 37

After all the hard work we've decided to move allotment. Plot 37 is on the same site but at 500 square metres is almost twice the size of plot 5.

October

The largest of the Turk's Turban squash is probably ripe enough to eat but still needs to cure more for storage.

August

Didn't think to measure the sunflowers until the heads had grown so big they hung down with the weight. At that point the tallest was 11' 8". I reckon they were taller in this photo.

Spaghetti squash are doing well

 As are the Turk's Turbans

Bee Flowers

Flowers planted to help the bees seem to be working well now and make an appealing front to the plot.

One Year Today

Turning plot five around in the last twelve months has been fun and a challenge. In total we made 27 trips to the tip, dug in over four tons of rotted stable muck and recently started using the compost from our first bay.

Beans in

 Poles are strung and bean seeds are in. Have gone for Stenner runners with Blue Lake and Cobra French climbers.

Wood pigeons. Protect and survive.

Plastic bottles swing silently from wire springs to deter wood pigeon from nipping out new beetroot leaves. The quiet action doesn't seem to bother beneficial smaller birds which forage insects from neighbouring plants. 
Peas are caged and the brassica bed fully covered; necessary protection for young plants from Britain's most prolific large bird.

Spring 2012

                       Chillies, aubergines, peppers and tomatoes planted in the greenhouse

Garlic, shallots and Japanese onions are doing nicely. Summer onions in the next bed along are just getting going.

Potatoes

Six rows of spuds here plus three rows further up the plot. First and second earlies, Red Duke Of York, Anya, Marfona and Kestrel. We had too many Kestrels (donations from last year) but couldn't give them away. It seems everyone has too many seed potatoes.

Shaping up

A spell of decent weather has allowed us to get stuck in, ready for the coming season. 


Bed prepared where the brassica cage was last year and main crop onions planted. We've left room round the edges to plant leeks which should make digging them out in winter easier (can stand on the path)

Also dug over the legume bed adding a load of compost. The brassica cage behind, in its' new position, still needs the bed preparing.

Even removed some soil from the greenhouse and dug in a load of well rotted stable muck. 

Rainy day

Rained all day today so stayed in and baked a loaf

Finally, the end of the old fruit bed.

Removed eight bin bags of roots from the last section, mostly bind weed.

Before levelling

The finished 6m x 6m bed looks like a lot of bare earth at the moment but I'm so glad to have that one done.