31st March

A busy weekend and a few hours today with one mindee. Such lovely weather - three picnics at the allotment this month!


Runner Bean Trench

 A selection of Rhubarb - one from Wilkinsons, one from the garden center and one dug up from my garden!














Today we planted Rosemary between the brassicas.
http://www.the-gardeners-calendar.co.uk/Companion_Planting/companiontables.asp

A nice juicy worm : )

Preparing the raised bed for the strawberries
















Half earlys and half lates

October 2013 to Febuary 2014

With the dark evenings from October and well into January I spent Saturdays clearing all the bindweed roots from bed 3 - It took this long!

Along the way some wildlife, rainbow and gorgeous twilight views.

 Slow steady progress

Garlic planted.















Pak Choi eaten - but not by us : (

Shed organised with an old plastic greenhouse shelving 

October 2013

4th October

I spent a few hours on Friday with one of my minded children aged 3 years, he was very pleased to see his sunflower was the first to open! 
Lots of driving diggers in the mud, mud painting and planting some leeks that I picked up at a reduced price bargain of £1, there were some left over so took some up to the local community garden too.

I can't put a pic of my mindee on here but he took a photo of me while we were having snack..

5th October

I got started digging out the bindweed from the end bed, this is where I want to put some fruit bushes. Also got the frame together for the greenhouse then sat and enjoyed the early evening sun.

satisfying pile of bindweed roots

6th October

An early morning start a bit more digging and pot the cover on the greenhouse.

September 2013

14th & 15th September 2013 

A lovely surprise when we returned from our lovely Devon holiday, my dad had been up and done loads of digging for us - the whole top end of the middle bed : )

                           BEFORE

                                                                                  

                                                                       AFTER

Potatoes harvested : )

                  Delicious sweet apples

View from the shed, taking a break, enjoying an apple and sheltering from the rain. 

I have re sized the veg beds due to the final shed placement and with the beds at 4' wide I have to stretch to reach the middle. 

The beds are now 3' wide with 1.5' paths in between. Four beds fit perfectly now for a 4 bed rotation system.

I have also leveled out the ground beside the shed ready for a plastic greenhouse which are half price in most places at the moment.











The peas and mangetout are growing, sunflowers are taller not yet flowered though. The spring cabbage I think have being eaten so we have brought some plants to start us off, spring cabbage, purple sprouting broccoli and Pak Choi. Hopefully will have more success with growing from seed next year! I have successfully grown purple sprouting broccoli before in the garden.

16th Sept

Pak choi planted.

21st Sept

Purple sprouting broccoli and cabbages in, Pak choi eaten.... : (

24th Sept

Bargin bamboo canes 5x 8 foot =  25p! & a water butt in the sale.

24th Sept

Tasty harvest....

Unfortunately so did the slugs......with the brassica's.

On a sunnier note the first sunflower is opening in the autumn sunshine, my favourite flower.

20.8.2013

We didn't get as much done as we hoped before our holiday.

 Leveled out the entrance to the shed.

               Cleared half the old compost heap...

...by making a third compost bin for usable compost, which is actually pretty good once all the twigs and rubbish are picked out.

 Some digging of weeds including vine weed.

Sitting and enjoying the weather and admiring the hard work so far, treated to a red kite flying overhead : )

3rd - 11th August 2013

The next two photos; Clearing the second veggie bed.

The shed is up! & looking fab : )

Picnic/play/relaxing area looking more defined, still need to clear the inherited compost pile - a job for my week off work.

Some purple mangetout seeds planted alongside the peas.

The second veggie bed is now cleared, covered and some spring cabbage seeds planted.