Planted out the courgettes and cucumber in the bricked-in beds at the top of the plot. No support at the moment; must add some cane later for them to clamber up.
Planted out the beans: two rows of the Italian bean (Fiocco) and two rows of the French (Blue Lake).
Back in the greenhouse, I repotted several of the San Marzono and Inco tomatoes. Left some of them in the trays, as they were a bit small and, anyway, I have plenty.
Also planted the clematis down by the fence by Anabel’s house.
Planted three courgette plants in the allotment today (in the 1st bricked bed next to the old shed).
Strange to see the soil looking dark and moist after yesterday’s rain. That’s possibly the first real rain (more than a ten minute shower; and we’ve hardly had any of those) we’ve had for eight weeks.
Excitingly, I also witnessed a rat fight this morning: a big, healthy-looking pair of grey rats in the run between the neighbours allotment and the bramble patch.
Potatoes coming along well — almost as well as the weeds.
Planted seven rows of Rooster this morning (second bed from back, left (2 rows) and right (5 rows)). Only 30 plants in all: they’re short rows.
Well, soil at least. Inching past in a succession of barrows under the purported guidance of an increasingly stooped man. Yes, it’s the obligatory decking project — well, what else would you do with a sweltering bank holiday weekend?
We’re replacing the two walled flower beds outside the back of the house with a deck, and I’ve been barrowing the too-good-to-waste soil round to the allotment. Ouch. Actually, I started the week before the bank holiday — I bought an angle grinder and cut down the railings, then started removing some of the brickwork. Over Easter, I got pretty much all of the earth moved; with luck, this coming 4-day weekend will see me getting the foundings level and the frame started. There’s a bit of concreting to do, too — something else I’ve never done before.
Tony and Peter have been helping. Peter came round with a large percussive/rotary drill which drilled into concrete as if it were butter and got out one of the railing supports which was deeply concreted in. And Tony has been pondering ways to approach the construction and offering advice, much of which, if taken, would extend the job by some months, though it is generally good advice.
Of course, just doing the decking would have been too simple and relaxing, so we decided to use the same weekend to potty-train Neve. After all, there’s nothing better able to take your mind off the unstoppable momentum of a few hundredweight of soil than a hysterical almost-two-year-old running around clutching her bum and shouting “cacca!”
Planted crystal lemon cucumber seed in pots, one tray of Inca F1 plum tomatoes. And some chives between the garlic rows and in the side bed at the front.
It’s possible (he adds some months later) that this is also when I planted the french and italian beans (in pots).
Yesterday, I weeded then dug over the salad bed (the first bed, before the greenhouse); a lady came down the path selling ‘compost’ based on horse manure, bone and peat, so I bought a bag of that and dug it in. She came round last year, I seem to remember, and I had a look but didn’t buy any. £5.50 a bag — we’ll see whether it was worth it, I guess. But the bed did need some organic addition, and I had nothing suitable, so…
Later, Lola helped me plant the bed. Counting from the front we made:
Then, in trays, we planted italian parsley and peppers (one tray Long Red Marconi, one tray Mavras) and, in pots, some courgette.
Later, I wielded the angle grinder I’d bought earlier and cut down the railings from either side of he steps. And then I used my new club hammer to take out the brickwork from the right-hand bed. That work continued today, with Isa joining in to replant some of the stuff we want to keep.
The plan is to put decking across the full width of the back.
Got five rows of Lady Christl (bottom left of allotment as viewed from sheds) and then 11 rows of Pink Fir Apple (3 to fill rest of left bed, 8 in bottom right hand bed.
The allotment looks OK if you stand halfway down and look towards the bottom; less so if you stand halway down and look back up. Lots of week eruption while we were sojourning in Italy 🙁
The purple sprouting has actually sprouted. It tastes almost entirely of yum.
Did all the weeding between the paving slabs in front and back gardens. Have formulated plan to turn the bricked-in beds at the top of the back garden into decks; hopefully, can use existing brickwork as support for joists. And Isa is working on the purchase of a trampoline (with money given to us for the kids) which we’ll put under the cypress, where the potatoes were last year.
Planted one tray each of San Marzano tomatoes and F1 Beauty Bell Peppers. Didn’t have the best compost; or enough of what I had. I’m sure it’ll be fine.
My digging plans were condoned by dear Mrs Nature, who sent a beautiful clear Saturday to work in. Sunday was less sunny but rain-free and with some sunny spells in the afternoon. I managed to get just under half of the main field dug over the two days (I was flitting between the allotment and various DIY tasks).
The main field measures 14 metres by 6 metres. That’s approching twice the growing space offered by the current back garden arrangement.
As well as the digging, I tidied the plot a little. clearing around the rhubarb mainly. I wish I had the car — could have taken all the rubbish to the tip.
I was going to put the first earlies in but Tony advised me to wait until we got back, and I’m happy to take advice. So, I’ll just try to get the tomatoes, peppers, and ? seeds potted before heading off to Italy on Friday.
Now I can look at turning some of the veg plots in the back garden to lawn.
And finally, the sorbus is budding well and broken into leaf at the top; here’s hoping it has a better year than last.
Dug up the bedraggled clump of thyme that I’d planted in the corner by the path and PTS (Peter, Tony and Stanley), split the rootball into two and replanted it in the front by the path. I hope it does better there.
And re-potted the bay which was looking a bit like it might not make it into spring 🙁