Weather is bad, more rain, allotment is probably washed out again, so time to turn my attentions to tidying up the damaged green house in my garden.
I started to tidy the greenhouse, and noticed a Robin (Erithacus rubecula) had taken up residence on the nest, with three/four chicks!
Oh dear, I’ll have to delay that job then!
greenhouse, needs a tidy!
Robin (Erithacus rubecula) on the nest
My joints are aching, I spent a long day on the allotment preparing trenches for my asparagus beds yesterday. I’ve planted four beds of asparagus with the following asparagus varities – Backlim, Gijnlim and Purple Passion.
In the past few weeks, I’ve also added another two rows of strawberries, to add to the existing two rows of Elsanta, I’ve added Amelia and Marshmarvel. Amelia is a late cropping variety from June to September, Marshmarvel is an early cropping variety from May to September, peaks in June, with possible second crop later in the season. Elsanta is a mid cropping variety from June to July. So better ask my Mum, how to make “Jam’n’ Jerusalem”! because I could have a few starberries next year!
I’ve also added a few rows of sweetcorn, planted jerusalem artichokes and horseradish, completed moving the goji berry and raspberry bushes, I think the redcurrent, blackcurrant and whitecurrent, gooseberry bushes have not taken – possibly too dry.
My water butts have arrived, I’ve finished preparing the rest of the allotment to add other vegetables this week. The allotment has been bone dry, hence the need for water butts onsite to store water, we did have a wet day last week, which has helped me with not watering every day, since the rain.
Our old victoria plum tree has finally crashed to the ground, and killed my greenhouse!
It’s of no surprise, the crop of plums has been failing over the last six years, it’s estimated to be 200-250 years old! It was left over from the orchard before the house was built in the 1860s!
but left in its shadow are two smaller trees, that may fruit.
I do not have a chainsaw, and the trunk is too large for me to cut by electric saw or bow saw, so I’ve asked my neighbour to pop round with this chainsaw, to cut up into logs. (I don’t have a chainsaw yet!)
I purchased 30 bare root Elsanta strawberry plants from Unwins, many weeks ago, (just under a tenner!) and I’ve been waiting for the allotment to dry out, to plant them out, but I could not wait any longer, so I hope they enjoy boggy waterlogged ground!
To mitigate the risk of failure, I’ve planted 10 plants in an old shipping crate, used to deliver a very heavy UPS, and 20 plants at the allotment.
So today, I planted them out, it was like digging wholes in the sand at the beach, when they tide has just gone out!
rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb, it’s still damn raining, and the allotment is disappearing under more water, I’ve planted my comfrey, rhubarb and horse raddish. But the ground is far too wet, to plant my potatoes, onions, garlic and shallots, they will just rot in the ground.
My strawberry plants and asparagus corns have arrived, I’m not sure when I’ll get these planted now as the allotment is too wet, and looking at the weather forecasts, rain until Saturday!
here are some more photographs of the allotment developing…
the weather has been terrible, and we’ve been plagued with heavy showers, I was waiting for the ground to settle, now I’ll be waiting for it to dry out…or maybe a rice paddy or water cress?
looks like planting will have to wait, the allotments, are rather wet……
I have planted something, I’ve moved some Comfrey “Bocking 14”, up to the allotment plot, but must move my rhubarb and raspberry canes up shortly, if the ground is not to wet.
My Allotment is at http://gravelpitallotments.org.uk/
I’ve been preparing the ground on the allotment, which measures 20m x 5m. Breaking the soil, weeding and removing stones and tree roots.
(it burns off those Easter Eggs!)
Ready for me to plant, potatoes, white and red onions, shallots, garlic, carrots, beetroot, horse radish, asparagus, raspberries, strawberries, goji berries, rhubarb – just a few things to get me started.
Here are some photographs, of my progress so far…
Andy's Allotment on 21 March 2012
In the super, summer week in March, the allotment looked like this! But I was a little busy, to prepare the ground.
Andy's Allotment on 4 April 2012
April showers, we did not have heavy snow as forecast, just missed out, bit it left the allotments very wet!
Andy's Allotment on 5 April 2012
Start of preparing the gound…
Andy's Allotment Start of 7 April 2012
Ploughed the day before…
Andy's Allotment End of 7 April 2012
finally tilled….I’m waiting for the ground to dry out before creating my trenches for potatoes and asparagus.
A funny picture, this is Plot 2, it shows how wet the allotments have been..
Plot 2 next to my allotment! see how wet it is!
My Allotment is at http://gravelpitallotments.org.uk/
Our front garden at the end of March 2012, before the frost came at the weekend.
Now the Magnolia flowers have gone brown!
Not the hedge trimmer, me, if you want me to do this to your conifer let me know!
It’s fantastic my Stihl HS45 Petrol Hedge Trimmer, goes through hedges like butter, here’s an example, Lindsey wanted the conifer bush reducing in height in front of the window.
BEFORE - NOTE THE HEIGHT
AFTER - PROPER JOB!
These are pictures of My Allotment, Plot 1 at Gravel Pit Allotments.
Hopefully, can do something like this again…
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