Spring has sprung

The plastic has come off and top layer of twitch roots piled to one side. Then beds deeply dug. Three done, probably have room for 3 more. These will be for flowers. Lovely day today diging, several slowworms out to watch me, loads of worms. Going to look good once tilled.



I wonder if this summer will be a hot and dry one, can only wait and see, have plans for pumkins and sweetcorn together - tall and wide.














On the new plot the grass has all gone and the beds are ready.














The winter beans have all been dug in, I shall be putting up poles for beans and peas soon. Also aim to have lots of sweetpeas.



The soil here is soft and loamy, thanks to double digging last spring and growing potatoes.

2007

RUSTY'S PLOTS 2007

The plants start here....

Humble beginings - The only space I have for my seeds is the back yard - so here I have two plastic greenhouses - from Amazon and Aldi. At the moment they have sweetpea, peas, cabbage, cauliflowers and flower seeds all doing well. The gales tend to move them around a bit, as yet they haven't blown over!

This is the right side of the first plot - which in Dec 2005 was a 10 foot high patch of brambles. Looking up the right side the first bed has autumn planted onion sets (red baron) second and third beds ready for early pots (chitting in girlfriends garage - love her x !) Then is the Cardoons and raspberries /redcurrants bed Above that the "wild area" - plenty of huge blackberries and slow worms The shed (centre) needs a bit of TLC - and a roof! Unfortunately my neighbour had his shed broken into and used for a shelter for drug users - syringes found but no needles. Next to my "shed" is the rhubarb bed and newly sown broadbeans.

On the left of the picture are winter beans for green manure - where the maincrop potatoes were last year. - soon to be dug in and used for legumes.

The left side of plot - comfrey bed in foreground - raised bed ready for courgettes, then two beds that had runner beans in last year. Winter beans above. The archway on the right was covered in sweetpeas last year, however it is THE favourite perch for the woodpidgeons who love the brassicas. The blue plastic covers the compost area, out of shot is the water trough To the left is the new plot- see below................

The next plot was empty last year and probably the year before that - the holder had a bad back and never visited. By Autumn it was literally head high in grass! I enquired about it and the Allotment Manager said I could have it too. He even applied his brush cutter to it. Over the winter I have pulled out numerous buried nylon carpets and started to double dig it!!

On the right is a covered long bed I intend to use for flowers (I picked up over 40 packets for a £5 at a car boot sale!!)

Middle top I have put in 4 raised beds - for Prize winning carrots and just planted Asparagus (covered over) The bushes in the top centre I found when the grass was cut - established Blackcurrants. At the top of each plot are 2 year old fruit trees - Apple, Plum, Pear and Cherry.

The photos were taken from a gritted path were I park the car. I even have a water trough on mains water (just out of shot at the right bottom edge this picture.)

I have a few days off over the next two weeks so I do hope it dries out enough to strim the paths and finish the flower bed.

Starting on new plot

I need some advise about my corgettes, watered well, growing on plie of good composted soil, now this is the 4th one (on left) that has rotted at the end and fallen off when touched.


Here is the new site after a day of cutting back half of the plot. Now you can see I have found a blackcurrent bush and dug a bed for squashes / peas. 20 x 2 metres covered. What can't see is also found a small shed at the top under brambles !!!

New Plot

The plot next to mine hasn't been visited this year so I asked if could take it as well. The answer was yes so now I have doubled the size. Not too many brambles, just thistles and head high grass. Exciting time ahead......

Rusty's plot

having to water every evening now. However can see fruits of labour, Comfrey bed, sweetpea archway, runnerbeans, french beans, potatoes, onions, garlic, corgettes, pumpkin, cardoons, brassicas (after first being stripped by pigeons) carrots, beetroot, parsnips, spinach and sweetcorn all really doing well. Planted about 50 leeks this week. Have been trying to take over next plot which has not been touched this year.

Hot weather

Very dry and hot on the Lottie now, he path between the water trough and beans well worn!
The blackcurrebts starting to turn red and cardoons growing well. two apples on tree and plum looking healthy. Two beds of sweetcorn all 6 inches high. At least the slugs are hiding. hardly any damage at all. beetroot, carrots, and a few parsnips doing well too.

Rusty's plot

Here's one of my friends
There's been a lot of activty, have a plum and apple tree, rhubarb crowns and blackcurrent bushes all growing well.
The rasberries are showing signs of fruiting and runner beans starting to twine. No luck with peas, shall try again though with new sowing soon.
The potatoes have needed three earthing up (apart from earlies which are way behind). The archway onto plot has a multitude of sweetpeas at the base and summer annuals are looking promising. Brassica seeds been eaten in the seed bed, only a few still left! have second chance with several seed trays in green house. Sweetcorn doing well, another 20 or so to go in next week - at the other end of plot to minimise cross pollenation as differt type. The articokes showing along the edge, hopefully will provide a windbreak. Have a tray of cardoons to plant out next month/ Leeks too.