March 28th, 2009 — Uncategorised
Actually there isn’t a lot to tell really. I have been busy in the garden rather than the plot. I did go up today to do the composting; I do have rather a lot, which is good for next month I guess. I’m looking forward to emptying them and starting again.
It’s been showers today, so I had to dodge them a bit as the soil can get rather sticky in the wet.
March 11th, 2009 — Uncategorised
I went up the allotment at the weekend and took a few photos of me doing the bits and bobs.
As you can see I also set some seeds after soaking them. Sweet Pea if you want to know. They have already started to germinate and I think they will be well on their way to a good height sooner rather than later.
This is my blackberry bush – looking good for the future.
This is the Poached Egg plant, going to be ready for the bugs this year.
Rhubarb!!!!!
These last two are of the flowers in my garden. As you can see the t?te-a-t?te are coming through as are the crocus. I particularly like the crocus as they have an orange centre.
February 22nd, 2009 — Uncategorised
Today I am planting my Eryngium Alpine Sea Holly seeds.
They take between three and five months to germinate – which seems like an inordinate amount of time to me. However, they need to be kept in a plastic bag in the fridge until they germinate. So I am capitalising on the cold weather and putting them outside without the bag for the time being until I can sneak them into the fridge. 😉
Once the seedlings appear they have to be transplanted out which i am looking forward to as they grow to such beautiful plants.
By the way, they need to be kept in a light position, but shaded from bright sun. They also need hardening off for 2-3 weeks before placing them out
February 21st, 2009 — Uncategorised
Today I have been digging out a path in my garden. I wanted to have a path to make access to the garage easier so I dug out the dirt and laid a gravel path with guides. It didn’t take as long as I thought it would and putting the gravel in was easy.
In order to create the path I had to use some sturdy guides for the edges so the grass wouldn’t just creep back over it. These were the hard plastic variety that you knock into the soil level with the top of the dirt. They also mean that the path gets less water off the soil. Then I laid a membrane to stop weeds growing back through and put the gravel on top of that.
On the bottom I put larger stones to keep the cost down for the smaller Cotswold gravel on top. That top gravel was 5-10mm in size and you can end up using a lot of that if you are not careful and use the larger stones beneath.
I am quite pleased with it really. It makes my life easier to be honest and that’s why I did it. I also hope that it blends into the garden and doesn’t look too garish.
When it has settled in I will take a photo to show how it no longer looks like a sar on the garden. 🙂
February 17th, 2009 — Uncategorised
I went to the plot at the weekend, not to do very much, just add to the composter and take some more sprouts. They seem to be going on forever this year. I am surprised they have survived the snow so well, but they have not become bitter or rotted at all. Mind you, next time I will make sure I am being given the correct plants by friends instead of taking it on trust. That way I will have less next year, but more cabbage. 😉
February 4th, 2009 — Uncategorised
Here are a couple of summer pictures to keep your spirits up during this cold weather.
February 2nd, 2009 — Uncategorised
This is the view down the hill from the plots. I know, ‘what was I thinking going to the plots in this weather?’ Well I had to go out and it seemed appropriate to take a quick photo. I would have taken one of the plot but the camera gave out after this one – must not like the cold either.
It is getting worse by the way – the snow that is.
January 30th, 2009 — Uncategorised
January 14th, 2009 — Uncategorised
I have to admit that I did do a bit of digging at the weekend just gone. More necessity than desire. However, I noticed that the soil on the surface was not frozen, but there was freezing 4 inches down!
So, despite what I said last time about turning cold soil to the bottom, this time I was turning cold soil to the top to thaw.
Go figure! :0
December 30th, 2008 — Uncategorised
They tell me that digging now would be a bad thing. 🙁
I can safely say I agree with them.
It’s too cold! 🙁
Other than that, it means you are moving cold earth to the bottom and lifting warm earth to cool down.
I looked at the plot yesterday and took up some bags of manure ready for the spring, but didn’t do anything else.
I rarely see anyone else at the plots these days. It is quite eerie to be honest. While I like a bit of peace and quiet while I am gardening, I’m not sure I want to feel like the last person left alive. So it is always good to hear the roar of an engine as someone thinks they know better than planners who devise speed limits past the plot. At least I know someone is about.
I hope you had a good Christmas and are thinking about what to do for next year? The suppliers will be sending out seed potatoes soon, I’m looking forward to mine. 🙂