Went the allotment today and the plot OMG it had been strimmed it looks much better not sure who done it as the one we thought it was is still trying to get the strimmer back and said it was not him
Done a few hours of sorting out soil in the trial bed - was nice and warm/ hot
Talking of strimming it does make such a difference doesn't it. You can see what you've got properly. I'm suprised it wasn't cleared before you took it on Gardengirl.
My plot was strimmed by the A management before I viewed it. They sort out all plots which have been given up before new holders view them. Even then I didn't realise how much there was to keep trimmed. Not sure if I want all ground with just one path as many of the allotments here have.
Today's job is to strim everywhere and prepare the last bed for planting out beetroot, courgettes, leeks, broc and spinach.
Latest photos
red cabbage^ with emergency netting (saw the dreaded white coming my way!) must get more support as I think any rain will flatten it!!
If we do get rain I'll put the boards up for the raised beds, hopefully the soil will be easier to dig. Need two pair of hands at times!
Hi All, Zoomer, my broccoli was in the same area I seem to get flea beetle so it could be linked, although they were very tall when I put them in.
Gooseberries still too bitter to harvest, but there's a lot on the bushes. My grapevine, I thought had given up the ghost has burst into life! Broad beans are looking awful, they are smothered in blackfly and are going a rusty colour. I might give them another week or two and harvest what there is and pull the lot up Plot is looking very abundant though and more like a kitchen garden than an allotment! Buzzy, the joy of having your own ground is you can do what you like, you can break up the area with lots of paths if you want.
Met the guy next door who I share the shed with and told him I would paint both of them, he was very shy before but this broke the ice and we had a nice long chat. Good to make new friends.
BizzieB know what you mean about paths I plan to have two main path's, one grassed and the other flagged, with narrow paths going across to sperate beds. I'm trying to create a no dig plot.A flagged path allows me to access the bottom of the plot on wet day's to water the GH without slipping, as the plot is on a slope.
Not been down to the plot for a couple of days but will need to go tomorrow to water the GH.
No dig is my ultimate plan Zoomer hence those boards in readiness. Need some more but can see how it will look.
I'm lucky that the plot is flat although very wet in the winter, the lane between plots prone to 'slow drainage' with severe flooding at the end. Several plots there evacuated as too wet
my plot is just by that puddle!
I'm thinking of wood chips on the one main path and side smaller ones going off for this winter with grass/clover on fenced edges (saw bees on parts which have clover) Hard standing at the back ready for a shed.
Would it be an idea to have a terraced part on the sloped end with a shallow, longer step onto it?
Gina, yes it is a joy isn't it having a look around here there are so many different ideas for the plots. I think the ones with more ground than grass are feeding their families, others have small raised beds kitchen garden style, then those swamped with flowers! All lovely
Pleased you have met your neighbour, good to get to know people. Any photos of your shed? these seem to be the type here
Still raining, water butt filling nicely and the garden plants looking fresher, birds doing bird things - have a lovely day
I spent a fab morning and early afternoon at both allotments - nearly 30 lb of new potatoes all lifted, a few peas and raspberries (the rasps never make it out of the gate!) and then onto the other to pull up some beetroot, 3 more pounds of gooseberries and the first of the French beans.
I spent some time yesterday stringing up the onions so that's one job out of the way.
You are way ahead than our Allotments here in Sussex. French beans are no way near ready. Gooseberrie are plentiful and huge but are still a bit bitter. Still no rain here but we are very lucky we have water all around our plots to use.
I've never grown gooseberries before, we inherited these with the plot. Until today, I'd never tried a fre??h ripe one I've got one lot in the fermenting bin amd just put some in a crumble
When we first took that plot on, the other people told us that it got hotter there than outside the fate. Of course, we thought they were chatting poop but it turns out that it's true! It is a good 3-4 degrees hotter there than on the street outside. I think that's got a lot to do with it, as well as the good pruning and very thick manure muloch we gave it in the winter
Manure, manure, manure is definately the way, acts like a hot bed. I've dug manure in to start but should have done more. I'm learning .
My plan is a no-dig allotment so have two 'serious' composting bins on the go for next year and a load of well rotted stuff on order for this autumn/winter.
Just back from watering and strimming, checked my goosberries they are pink(!) but bitter and the inherited red and black currants aren't ready.
Success with my Mangetout peas,'Shiraz', small purple pods forming from beautiful flowers
Posts
Went the allotment today and the plot OMG it had been strimmed it looks much better not sure who done it as the one we thought it was is still trying to get the strimmer back and said it was not him
Done a few hours of sorting out soil in the trial bed - was nice and warm/ hot
Talking of strimming it does make such a difference doesn't it. You can see what you've got properly. I'm suprised it wasn't cleared before you took it on Gardengirl.
My plot was strimmed by the A management before I viewed it. They sort out all plots which have been given up before new holders view them. Even then I didn't realise how much there was to keep trimmed. Not sure if I want all ground with just one path as many of the allotments here have.
Today's job is to strim everywhere and prepare the last bed for planting out beetroot, courgettes, leeks, broc and spinach.
Latest photos
red cabbage^ with emergency netting (saw the dreaded white coming my way!) must get more support as I think any rain will flatten it!!
If we do get rain I'll put the boards up for the raised beds, hopefully the soil will be easier to dig. Need two pair of hands at times!
Have a good day everyone
Hi All, Zoomer, my broccoli was in the same area I seem to get flea beetle so it could be linked, although they were very tall when I put them in.
Gooseberries still too bitter to harvest, but there's a lot on the bushes. My grapevine, I thought had given up the ghost has burst into life!
Broad beans are looking awful, they are smothered in blackfly and are going a rusty colour. I might give them another week or two and harvest what there is and pull the lot up
Plot is looking very abundant though and more like a kitchen garden than an allotment! Buzzy, the joy of having your own ground is you can do what you like, you can break up the area with lots of paths if you want.
Met the guy next door who I share the shed with and told him I would paint both of them, he was very shy before but this broke the ice and we had a nice long chat. Good to make new friends.
BizzieB know what you mean about paths I plan to have two main path's, one grassed and the other flagged, with narrow paths going across to sperate beds. I'm trying to create a no dig plot.A flagged path allows me to access the bottom of the plot on wet day's to water the GH without slipping, as the plot is on a slope.
Not been down to the plot for a couple of days but will need to go tomorrow to water the GH.
No dig is my ultimate plan Zoomer hence those boards in readiness. Need some more but can see how it will look.
I'm lucky that the plot is flat although very wet in the winter, the lane between plots prone to 'slow drainage' with severe flooding at the end. Several plots there evacuated as too wet
my plot is just by that puddle!
I'm thinking of wood chips on the one main path and side smaller ones going off for this winter with grass/clover on fenced edges (saw bees on parts which have clover) Hard standing at the back ready for a shed.
Would it be an idea to have a terraced part on the sloped end with a shallow, longer step onto it?
It's raining, hurray!!
Enjoy the day
Gina, yes it is a joy isn't it
having a look around here there are so many different ideas for the plots. I think the ones with more ground than grass are feeding their families, others have small raised beds kitchen garden style, then those swamped with flowers! All lovely 
Pleased you have met your neighbour, good to get to know people. Any photos of your shed? these seem to be the type here
Still raining, water butt filling nicely and the garden plants looking fresher, birds doing bird things -
have a lovely day
I spent a fab morning and early afternoon at both allotments - nearly 30 lb of new potatoes all lifted, a few peas and raspberries (the rasps never make it out of the gate!) and then onto the other to pull up some beetroot, 3 more pounds of gooseberries and the first of the French beans.
I spent some time yesterday stringing up the onions so that's one job out of the way.
This is the part of allotmenting I love
You are way ahead than our Allotments here in Sussex. French beans are no way near ready. Gooseberrie are plentiful and huge but are still a bit bitter. Still no rain here but we are very lucky we have water all around our plots to use.
I've never grown gooseberries before, we inherited these with the plot. Until today, I'd never tried a fre??h ripe one
I've got one lot in the fermenting bin amd just put some in a crumble 
When we first took that plot on, the other people told us that it got hotter there than outside the fate. Of course, we thought they were chatting poop but it turns out that it's true! It is a good 3-4 degrees hotter there than on the street outside. I think that's got a lot to do with it, as well as the good pruning and very thick manure muloch we gave it in the winter
Manure, manure, manure is definately the way, acts like a hot bed. I've dug manure in to start but should have done more. I'm learning
.
My plan is a no-dig allotment so have two 'serious' composting bins on the go for next year and a load of well rotted stuff on order for this autumn/winter.
Just back from watering and strimming, checked my goosberries they are pink(!) but bitter and the inherited red and black currants aren't ready.
Success with my Mangetout peas,'Shiraz', small purple pods forming from beautiful flowers