It is frustrating at times but on the other hand, I have to assume the plot used to flood because everyone said so and dealing with the clay is the aftermath. I feel like I've broken the back of it 👍
Just been outside messing about with the waterbutts. It rained heavily yesterday evening but the two end butts in the link don't appear to be filling. *Sigh* need to investigate what's happening. Will put that on my job list.
Water butts I have a double on at side of house and single on on g/h but have stream at side of garden so if running short , fill watering cans from that At allotment have 2 doubles on sheds & 3 water cubes , top middle & bottom , which we fill up from mains Hope you get your over flow sorted
I think butt 4 was filling slowly but hampered by a leak from the attachment from the downpipe to butt 1. I've tried to tighten that. I also suspect it might be less water and less force of water due to all the weeds growing in the gutter and diverting the water to the little butt. Need to get that sorted somehow🤔 Anyway, decided to top up butts 4 and 5 from butt 1, which does fill. Not ideal long term but I want to start the year off with all the butts full.
It wasn't pleasant at the plot today. Rain was light enough to deal with at first, but ground very sticky from previous rain and had to keep stopping to scrape the mud from my boots.
Also forgot my key, drove up fortunately as I had 5 bags of soil from the garden so drove back and then walked up😕
Dug over the beetroot bed again, will use that for 3 sowings and have two lots in another bed. Also dug over the area for my summer cell raspberries, Tadmor and Cascade. I have 4 of one and 5 of the other, one isn't labelled, that one can go in the middle. Pulled out some couch roots. Can't remember if I said before but I'm going to plant them at Easter which should give plenty of time for me to sort out the ground. All of them have shoots which is good (17 including autumns, Polka and Erica) They don't look very substantial but glad they're not dead.
Tipped out most of the horse poo that's been sat in the greenhouse and sprinkled a tub of chicken poo pellets left from last year.
It started raining heavier so took refuge in the greenhouse and checked my seed sowing list. It's pretty much beetroot every month to try and get a staggered crop, also sweetpeas, cosmos and a few other bits and bobs. Oh and nasturtiums, I bought loads in B&Q's sale but I don't have room in the garden for the tall/long ones. I suspect they're an old fashioned plant but they are colourful, bumbles like them and above all, super easy.
The first lotment daffs. View from the glasshouse.
I have nasturtiums on my plot they now self sow. Great for insects and black fly lures. Try borage put the flowers in Pimms etc if you are so inclined but main reason is its an absolute bee magnet. I also recommend comfrey the Bocking variety, wonderful compost enricher, amazing smelly wonder feed and another bee magnet. Pot marigold (Calendula )a must have too.
The nasts might keep the butterflies off other people's greens too I guess🙂 Or make more of them for the following year😉
I had borage on the plot last year, sure I had some seedlings, will have to check. Might have accidentally covered them with topsoil.
Comfrey, there is some growing wild on one of the untended plots, I thought about taking seeds but then didn't for some reason. I've never seen the Bocking type although I've read about it. Do you have to buy it as plants or roots I assume? Don't tell anyone but I've managed to kill a comfrey before, a fancy burgundy one.
I might try calendula, other folk's always look great but when I've tried them in the garden they always look a bit twisted and ill. There's a single orange one I like, might try it in some good soil next year. Or between the beetroot...🤔 will see if I can find some seeds.
I put pot marigolds in the g/h has companion planting , seems to work rarely have any problems with white fly etc , hope I have jinxed it with posting ?
Full of ideas at the plot today, including fixing some previous rubbish ideas.
Finally came up with a plan for either side of the greenhouse; moved my potting bench to one side and will have compost and weed bins on the other side, plus room for 4 cordons and two small beds for bulbs and some spare plants I've made. Some of my potted plants have died, not sure why they were ok a few weeks ago🤔 A raspberry cane cane I got in the sale at B&Q last back end, a decent size helenium and I think the other thing must have been a little lupin. I've left the pots there put I'm pretty sure they're dead.
I'm quite happy with the plot at the moment, it's shaping up. Still got a few small areas to tackle and a smattering of clay but it's looking positive. Hyacinths coming up: I've decided instead of digging a pond I'm going to bury, (or part bury and bank soil around) the two green tubs above. I've got roof tiles and bricks so I can make a ramp in case anyone falls in.
Raked over the beetroot beds, they're good to go now, created a wallflower bed with the few that survived my care from last year, hung up some coconut halves and made a list for next Sunday
I’ve been to plot today , lots of jobs done , unfortunately including repairs to fence due and more to do , due to recent strong winds Had to take clouches of Broad beans , getting to big
The weather has been a bit tedious of late. Winds, sleet, snow, hail...I'm a few weeks ahead of last year in the garden though so hopefully a longer season
Posts
Just been outside messing about with the waterbutts. It rained heavily yesterday evening but the two end butts in the link don't appear to be filling. *Sigh* need to investigate what's happening. Will put that on my job list.
At allotment have 2 doubles on sheds & 3 water cubes , top middle & bottom , which we fill up from mains
Hope you get your over flow sorted
Anyway, decided to top up butts 4 and 5 from butt 1, which does fill. Not ideal long term but I want to start the year off with all the butts full.
It wasn't pleasant at the plot today. Rain was light enough to deal with at first, but ground very sticky from previous rain and had to keep stopping to scrape the mud from my boots.
Also forgot my key, drove up fortunately as I had 5 bags of soil from the garden so drove back and then walked up😕
Dug over the beetroot bed again, will use that for 3 sowings and have two lots in another bed. Also dug over the area for my summer cell raspberries, Tadmor and Cascade. I have 4 of one and 5 of the other, one isn't labelled, that one can go in the middle. Pulled out some couch roots. Can't remember if I said before but I'm going to plant them at Easter which should give plenty of time for me to sort out the ground. All of them have shoots which is good (17 including autumns, Polka and Erica) They don't look very substantial but glad they're not dead.
Tipped out most of the horse poo that's been sat in the greenhouse and sprinkled a tub of chicken poo pellets left from last year.
It started raining heavier so took refuge in the greenhouse and checked my seed sowing list. It's pretty much beetroot every month to try and get a staggered crop, also sweetpeas, cosmos and a few other bits and bobs. Oh and nasturtiums, I bought loads in B&Q's sale but I don't have room in the garden for the tall/long ones. I suspect they're an old fashioned plant but they are colourful, bumbles like them and above all, super easy.
The first lotment daffs.
View from the glasshouse.
Glad all’s going well
I had borage on the plot last year, sure I had some seedlings, will have to check. Might have accidentally covered them with topsoil.
Comfrey, there is some growing wild on one of the untended plots, I thought about taking seeds but then didn't for some reason. I've never seen the Bocking type although I've read about it. Do you have to buy it as plants or roots I assume? Don't tell anyone but I've managed to kill a comfrey before, a fancy burgundy one.
I might try calendula, other folk's always look great but when I've tried them in the garden they always look a bit twisted and ill. There's a single orange one I like, might try it in some good soil next year. Or between the beetroot...🤔 will see if I can find some seeds.
Full of ideas at the plot today, including fixing some previous rubbish ideas.
Finally came up with a plan for either side of the greenhouse; moved my potting bench to one side and will have compost and weed bins on the other side, plus room for 4 cordons and two small beds for bulbs and some spare plants I've made.
Some of my potted plants have died, not sure why they were ok a few weeks ago🤔 A raspberry cane cane I got in the sale at B&Q last back end, a decent size helenium and I think the other thing must have been a little lupin. I've left the pots there put I'm pretty sure they're dead.
I'm quite happy with the plot at the moment, it's shaping up. Still got a few small areas to tackle and a smattering of clay but it's looking positive. Hyacinths coming up:
I've decided instead of digging a pond I'm going to bury, (or part bury and bank soil around) the two green tubs above. I've got roof tiles and bricks so I can make a ramp in case anyone falls in.
Raked over the beetroot beds, they're good to go now, created a wallflower bed with the few that survived my care from last year, hung up some coconut halves and made a list for next Sunday
Had to take clouches of Broad beans , getting to big
The weather has been a bit tedious of late. Winds, sleet, snow, hail...I'm a few weeks ahead of last year in the garden though so hopefully a longer season