FYI

Clicking on any of the pictures will open them at full size in the browser window, which means you will have to use the 'back' button to return to the main pages, whereas clicking to the left or right of any picture will open them in a new window, if you fancy a closer look at any of the piccies we've posted! We've included a Google Earth satelite picture of our plots and this years planting plan at the bottom of the page, next to each other. If you choose the Earth view on the satelite image you can rotate the image until it is lined up with the planting plan, then use the arrows in the plan to scroll from Plot 2 to Plot 1.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

New plot is now almost dug!

Well, a day off today for us both, and a chance for me to see just what Lee has been doing for the past few days whilst I've been at work! I have to say just how amazed I am at how much he's managed to do! In less than 2 weeks our new plot has gone from a weed infested mess to a growing space thats ready to be planted! He's now dug over all but 1 main bed and 1 small bed next to the compost bin at the front of the plot (which we are going to fill with some comfrey plants from the plot we're giving up!) Fellow allotmenteers have been joking that he has to clock on to the site at dawn, and isnt allowed to clock off again until dusk!

So, today he dug the last but one bed, whilst I had a good clear up, built another compost bin at the bottom of the new plot, moved all the perspex from the other plot behind the compost bins at the back of the new plot, trimmed the hedges (we have anothre path now, and access behind the shed for storage and to be able to paint it!) and sorted out the pile of wood, tubing, fleece and assorted other junk!


As you can see from this piccy, its much neater and tidier, and a lot less weed infested!

Just to illustrate how much Lee has dug over the past 2 weeks, all these beds are now ready to be rotorvated and planted, and indeed, 8 of the 18 are now planted, with others due to be planted in the very near future (the seedlings are hardening off in the backyard greenhouse as I write!

Another view showing the changes over the past 12 days!

Another task I did today was to rotorvate and then plant up (thru cardboard) the bed in front of the shed, next to the greenhouse! This was planted with 5 full size toms and 3 bush varieties, its a bit early, but the forecast seems ok, and we'll just have to see how they get on!

The 2 beds at the back (next to the goosegog bushes and apple and pear trees) are the ones Lee has attacked over the past 2 days, unlike most of the other beds these 2 have been much worse, with a lot more weeds, methinks they werent touched at all for the past 2 years plus!

A piccy of the new compost bin we built today, which as you can see is now almost full! Methinks we're going to have to build yet another in the near future!

Last piccy for today, showing the tomato supports in front of the shed for the outdoor toms!

I'm back at work tomorrow, but Lee is going to try and tackle the last bed, then hopefully we'll be able to get most of it planted on Bank Holiday Monday, and perhaps start to clear some more of the paths and re-bark them up!

Hopefully with having 2 days off next week I'll be able to give Lee a bit more of a hand, and perhaps we'll also get a chance to catch up on the weeding and to finish digging the last beds on our other plot (the paths of which also want a bit of weeding and re-barking up!)

Needless to say, if we're able to keep up the tempo, then its possible that we'll have the structure in place and sorted by the end of June, which will mean we will be able to get away for a few days holiday this year, hopefully camping with friends at Shell Island in Wales!

Next post will probably be on Monday, after we've spent the Bank Holiday digging!

Hope your plots are coming on as well, and your plants are growing on strong!

6 comments:

Matron said...

It makes my mouth water to see so much lovely weed free soil! I just want to plant stuff - everywhere! All your hard work will pay off, I look forward to seeing all your progress.

Anonymous said...

Thanks! We've lots of stuff to plant into the beds, all hardening off in the back yard atm, hopefully on Monday we'll have some more piccies of it all planted up, then the fun begins on keeping it weed free!

Jopanofmanypets said...

im glad your allotments are going so well, they look good, better than my plot certainly. my plot which is a half dug field covered in weeds and dead potatoes. oh well off to buy more tatoes today before its just too late to plant them. whoopse off on a tangent. well done with the quick work on the plot.

Anonymous said...

Good luck getting the spuds in jopan! Thanks for the kind comments, Lee has worked exceptionally hard to get it turned around so quickly, he's never really been competitive before, but for some reason has now decided that he'd like to be mentioned in the allotment competition (unfortunately the competition is for all the 800 plots in Trafford, not just for the plots in Partington!), so still a long way to go to get it ready for the beginning of July!

Anonymous said...

i think that your blog is fab!
are you a professional writer.
i am just starting out growing my own veg, probably the wrong time of year,
but anyway.
your pictures and also your balance sheets are inspiring and i cannot wait wait to get started!
any basic advice?

Mrs Dobby said...

Hi Bucket Lady, many thanks for the kind words, proffessional writer? Moi? Not at all, just someone who enjoys GYOing and likes to keep thorough notes, which is what the blog is here for, plus it allows others to see what we've done, and how its worked, and perhaps also gives one or two folks a bit of inspiration!

Basic advice? Lots....
Take it in bitesize pieces, cover any ground you arent using, plan well and dig thoroughly, dont be disheartened when things go wrong (its half the fun overcoming your trials anyhows), and join a decent gardening forum, such as either of the 2 Im in (links in sidebar), as the help and advice you can get from them (not to mention the fun n friends) is priceless! HTH