Quick visit after the stormy weather

Had a quick look at the allotment today whilst on a bike ride.  A shed opposite me has blown down partially blocking the car park.  Mines still up and no damage to anything.  Garlic growing well. Took up a Christmas present too... a zombie gnome.  Too funny! 

Rain stopped play

A quick hour at the Lottie.  Another bed weeded and manure spread. Dig up a couple of parsnips too... thx to the previous tenant!  Will be on tonight's dinner plate.....

Friday.. Thirteenth!

Unlucky for some perhaps but planted the strawberries today and guess what?!  My garlic has popped up some nice green shoots! Thank you very much��

Strawberries

My strawberries from Marshall's arrived today.  Hope to plant this week weather permitting!

Another bed....

Two more beds weeded this morning.  Not many to go now! 

Today...

Popped up to weed and dig over the strawberry patch. Plus another bed and a barrow of earth from the communal heap to top up.  Need quite a few more of those!  Met Peter,  a fellow lotter and chatted about what he grows successfully and what he doesn't do so well in.. blueberry,  carrots.  So we will see how I do with my carrots next year!

Working party

I volunteered to help out clearing a communal area at the allotment today.  Hard work but enjoyable.  Sunshine and fresh air!  Evie came with me and dug or a few weeds in my plot.. gave up after ten minutes but we won't knock help!

Met some other lotters too which was lovely.  Nice friendly bunch and made feel welcome. 

I've planted something!

Lovely bright day although a little cold so first of all a trip to Homebase to buy netting, pegs and labels

Then up to the lotty to plant the shallots and garlic plus the rhubarb crown which I bought last weekend. So peaceful up there. Heres my shallots and garlic, nicely protected from birds

In the rhubarb bed is something growing....left by the previous owner. 

A bulb of some sort but not sure exactly.  Here they are growing in the corner

Heres a little one I dug up whist weeding

On poking about the shed, I found a brown paper bag with seeds in. 

Wonder what these are? 

Must plant something!

So popped into the garden centre on the way back from football and bought shallots,  garlic and a rhubarb crown.  Will plant tomorrow.. it's a bit chilly now and my feet are frozen after standing for two hours on the touchline!

Digging...

Beautiful morning up at the Lotty... sun shining,  blue sky and just me and a little Robin patiently waiting for worms while I dug over three beds and added some manure.
Then when I got home a lovely parcel... my seed order!

Seed / Plant order

After reading the seed catalogues and making list after list I've decided on this little lot to start off with:-

Pea - Douce Provence Seeds
Quantity: Sufficient Seed For 20ft / 6m Row
£1.95

 Strawberry Marshmello-Plants
Quantity: 10 Plants
£9.95

Celeriac - Monarch Seeds
Quantity: Sufficient for 50ft / 15.5m Row
£1.85

 Beetroot - Boltardy Seeds
Quantity: Sufficient Seed For A 40ft / 12m Row
£1.45

Spinach Amazon-Seeds
Quantity: 50ft/15m row
£2.25

Salad - Rocket Seeds
Quantity: Sufficient Seed For A 10ft / 3m Row
£1.65

Radish Marshalls Mix- Seeds
Quantity: 1 packet enough for 30ft/9m row
£1.95

Spring Onion Sentry Seeds
Quantity: Sufficient Seeds for 20ft / 6m row
£1.65

Salad Leaves - Baby Leaf Seed Mix
Quantity: Sufficient Seed For A 25ft / 7.5m Row
£1.75

Carrot - Marion Seeds
Quantity: Sufficient for 20 ft / 6m row
£2.25

Ive never grown Peas or Celeriac, everything else should be pretty easy hahahaha!!!

Pea - Douce Provence Seeds  Quantity: Sufficient Seed For 20ft / 6m Row 1 £1.95
Strawberry Marshmello-Plants Quantity: 10 Plants £9.95
Celeriac - Monarch Seeds Quantity  50ft / 15.5m Row
£1.85 1 £1.85
1020-2026 - Beetroot - Boltardy Seeds
Quantity: Sufficient Seed For A 40ft / 12m Row
£1.45 1 £1.45
1020-2261 - Spinach Amazon-Seeds
Quantity: 50ft/15m row
£2.25 1 £2.25
1020-2547 - Salad - Rocket Seeds
Quantity: Sufficient Seed For A 10ft / 3m Row
£1.65 1 £1.65
1020-2835 - Radish Marshalls Mix- Seeds
Quantity: 1 packet enough for 30ft/9m row
£1.95 1 £1.95
1020-2860 - Spring Onion Sentry Seeds
Quantity: Sufficient Seeds for 20ft / 6m row
£1.65 1 £1.65
1020-2621 - Salad Leaves - Baby Leaf Seed Mix
Quantity: Sufficient Seed For A 25ft / 7.5m Row
£1.75
1
£1.75
1020-2178 - Carrot - Marion Seeds
Quantity: Sufficient for 20 ft / 6m row
£2.25 1 £2.25

The Shed

Had a proper look at the plot today and the shed. The previous lotter had pinned up a plan of the allotment and what was planted this season and wished us good luck. How sweet is that! Heres some more pictures.....

The Pond

Behind the shed...pea sticks and canes

Planting Plan

Inside shed

Fertilizer.....

Fleece, sieve, bucket and a seat!

Boots scraper

Pots

The water butt

The shelter....

Yes....we have a toilet!

I took measurements of each raised bed then the heavens opened so no weeding today!

To Do List

I like to plan....heres my to do list for tomorrow:

Measure Plot & Raised beds
Clear weeds
Soil analysis

and Davids list for the weekend:-

get the strimmer out and tidy up those paths!

and hopefully the seed catalogues Ive ordered will turn up so I've got some weekend reading!

New Allotment

Meet my latest project....an allotment! It has been Hubs dream to retire and tend an allotment so I put our name down earlier this year thinking it would be a couple of years before we were able to rent one. I was offered one prety quickly but turned it down. On a slope, boggy and in the shade. So glad I turned it down as this weekend I had an email to say that a plot was available and we were top of the list.

I was expecting it to be rundown, full of weeds and very neglected BUT....just look at this!! Its perfect! A half size plot, off the access drive so not isolating, flat, a shed, compost bins, water but and the start of a strawberry patch and rhubarb too. Raised beds need topping up with earth and weeding.