It’s all go..

so much so that the blog hasn’t been updated for a while.

Now that the weather is improving (famous last words….), the soil prep for the potatoes on the allotment is complete. Just a few more weeks to wait before the 2^nd earlies go in. A bit more effort is needed on other areas to remove some weeds and ‘fluff-up’ the soil ready for direct seed sowing and planting onions, garlic & shallots.

Some of us at the allotment recently met up with Jim Applin of Hotch Potch vegetables where we quizzed him on all manner of subjects, particularly organic veg growing. Very good tips on use of green manures, especially the use of red / purple clover to fix nitrogen and act as a living/green mulch between veg such as green beans.

I finished constructing a home brew cold frame – which is almost a masterpiece of construction. It has different opening configurations, the like of which probably isn’t available in the shops…;-)

I finally got a very large compost container constructed comprising 3 pallets and sliding timber front. Where would we be without pallets?

Construction complete

Full - awaiting decomposition....

After cleaning out the small green house/frame at home the first sowings have been made (broad beans / leeks / mixed leaves / onion sets, shallots, garlic)

The new business is now picking up with various initiatives and I’m really pleased that things are going well. The work includes: a one off make-over project, and the potential for a couple of gardening rounds. There is also plenty of tidying up to do on the home garden too..

That's more like it!

Yes, the weather - today was a pretty darn good day to be outside.
Things being a little quiet, so I spent the majority of the day on the allotment ~ 6.5 hours; more digging, pruning fruit (raspberries), and feeding and mulching raspberries and apple trees, sorted out one of the compost bins and had a very warming fire to get rid of a large heap of last year's waste and the remnants of last years Christmas tree!

Apart from the fact that from the bonfire smoke I temporarily smelled like I'm on 40 a day - it was a good day; especially watching the sun set - a very red sphere tonight - and still able to work outside until 5.45pm or so.

Yesterday I part surveyed some friends back garden (it was absolutely freezing!), as I volunteered my services in trying to pull together a plan to make something of a very challenging garden (wet/damp, shady, overshadowed by very large pine tree, poor soil, poor lawn). Next I'll be drawing up a scaled plan and putting some ideas together. I had thought that one answer might be the second Eden project (back garden fully enclosed in some sort of atmospheric 'bubble') - I don't expect Tewkesbury BC would approve somehow!

Excitement mounts as Richard takes part in his first road cycle race of the season tomorrow. Should be interesting to see how his fitness is, especially after all his winter training.