Welcome to our plot!

I'm Hazel, and in Nov 2006 my friend Jane and I took on a half plot at Hill Allotments, Sutton Coldfield - we want the satisfaction of growing and eating our own fruit and veg, and to improve our diet (and fitness!).

This is the story of what happened next...........

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Side of Plot Progress

Winter is certainly upon us in that it has been cold & damp all week - yesterday was too horrible with freezing drizzle to contemplate a trip to the Hill, but towards lunchtime today it was rather more promising, so off I went.

I was just admiring the ONIONS (electic) sprouting in bed d2, & unloading half a dozen tomato pots from the car in order to empty the compost into the bean trench, when John Badger from the bottom came up complete with festive holly spring on the front of his woolly hat.

"Have you seen your present?" he asked, & pointed over to the side of the shed where three clear demijohns nestled. "They need a bit of a clean up, but I think that they should be ok."

I thanked him profusely, & off he went to the club house. And if he'd stopped there rather longer than he did, I would have gone up & bought him a drink, but by the time I was ready to head up there, he was on his way home. Next time!

I popped the demijohns away in the car, & then the plan was to move the swiss chard from the end of bed d2 across a bit then shorten the bed by 4', & if I had time, to dig up the leeks from the end of bed b2 & heel them in further along so that I could shorten that bed too.

Once this is done it will leave a strip about 6' wide all the way from the front to the back of the plot at neighbour Ted's side.

I want to dig the whole of the strip over before started to put in the 4' wide, 8' long beds (which will be for the fruit & permanent crops) as it's all a bit wonky at the moment and I can take the opportunity to level it all.

The soil is very wet indeed in the beds, & it was the work of a few minutes to relocate the swiss chard, & once I'd shortened the bed, I started to fork the side strip over from the front of the plot back past beds d2, d1 and c2.

It then started to drizzle, so I called it a day, cutting a CABBAGE (kilaxy), some spears of CALABRESE (waltham) & digging half a dozen LEEKS (mrs d) for eating in the week, then back home for a hot bath & the rest of the afternoon spent in front of the fire with a good book.

6 comments:

  1. Hazel, you have terrific neighbours who bear gifts too :o)
    it was such hard work at the allotment yesterday - like working treacle. My digging days are over for this year I think.

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  2. Hazel, you have terrific neighbours who bear gifts too :o)
    it was such hard work at the allotment yesterday - like working treacle. My digging days are over for this year I think.

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  3. Lucky you being able to get outside and work for a few hours.

    Goodness knows when I will next be able to do anything in the garden, if it ever stops raining it will then probably be too cold!

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  4. I'm sticking to indoor work (wreath making!) and keeping my outdoor job to collecting greenery. Plenty of exercise - I was so stiff after cutting trees back (and I'm WAY older than Bilbo who does that in her sleep!)

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  5. You are a constant source of inspiration :)

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  6. Oh, yes, Nic - good innit?!

    Hope you've finally got a dry day or two, Bilbo - although I know hat you won't be idle even so...

    I'm looking forward to further pics of your wonderful wreaths & pomanders, Flum - hard work but lovely results!

    ...and you are too kind, m'dear - thank you for stopping by!

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