The 'What I Did Today' Archive - 2007

[Mrs Dobby]

Popped down to the plot for a couple of hours today, after doing the boring shopping thing!

Managed to cut back all the autumn fruiting Raspberry canes, but left one or two that have already got leaves, plus I think I left those that are summer fruiting, tho only time will tell! lol!

Mr D started to prise apart the wooden flooring near the pond, as it is completely rotten, but we had to stop after he'd done about a third of it, cos he disturbed 2 toads that were mating! So he left them in peace to get on with it!

Also we took another look at the other half plot, and confirmed its dimensions, so looking forwards to my hols next week when we can finish off the double digging, burn the last of the rubbish, finish removing the weed roots in the raised fruit bed at the bottom fo the plot (and put in the paths up[ there) and then make a start on plot number 2, marking out the beds and digging over to remove any of the small weeds, then we will be ready for planting!

Roll on spring!!!!!!!

[NEWTO THE PLOT]

finally got to the lottie and had a couple of hours turning oner a bit more and doing some finer digging to remove chickweed(well i think thats what it is)and lots of stringy roots.one of the other allotmentiers came over for a chat (see what the newbie was up too) lol he told me this tree thingy that i was gonna start hacking at was a damson tree,also told me there should be some wild garlic in their somewhere (plot use to be his nephew) then we all went to the cinema just to find out that it was all booked up after queing for 15 mins so went to toy shop and was impressed with my ruby (whom is 2 on Thursday) as she decided she need a wheelbarrow.

[shirlthegirl43]

I finally managed to summon energy to go out into the garden - what a mess! Started clearing up the devastation wrought by a very windy winter and the boys helped with tidying up the wreckage of the plastic greenhouse - then it started to rain so we gave up. At least a start has been made. Now windy again and cold and damp with it.

[Snadger]

Popped down to the plot for a couple of hours today, after doing the boring shopping thing!

Managed to cut back all the autumn fruiting Raspberry canes, but left one or two that have already got leaves, plus I think I left those that are summer fruiting, tho only time will tell! lol!

Mr D started to prise apart the wooden flooring near the pond, as it is completely rotten, but we had to stop after he'd done about a third of it, cos he disturbed 2 toads that were mating! So he left them in peace to get on with it!

Also we took another look at the other half plot, and confirmed its dimensions, so looking forwards to my hols next week when we can finish off the double digging, burn the last of the rubbish, finish removing the weed roots in the raised fruit bed at the bottom fo the plot (and put in the paths up[ there) and then make a start on plot number 2, marking out the beds and digging over to remove any of the small weeds, then we will be ready for planting!

Roll on spring!!!!!!!

Hi Mrs D!! Just out of interest is the half plot you have taken over ajoining your full plot?

As you know, I have just taken over two rundown plots next to each other and I thought we could swap a few notes now and again!
I still have my other plot which is imacculate and I had it just the way I wanted it but I shall give that up to some lucky person at the end of April. I have a few plants planted in pots already but had planted all my soft fruit in the old plot soil. Hope to dig it back up again this weekend and plant up in pots until I have cleared the area on my new plot! Alas, I think it's ce-la-ve to my raspberries which I had just planted and made a support for, but it's really too much hassle to move those as well!

I have garlic, Autumn onions which I will have to lift early methinks in mid April
The spring cabbage, Kale, Leeks,turnips and carrots should be cleared by then but I also have a large bed of strawberries on old plot as well!

Never mind, these things were sent to try us and I had to take the opportunity of two plots together when it arose, as the one plot was really too small for my wants and needs!

Happy gardening and keep digging! (or get Mr D to do it!)

[pigletwillie]

Finally pricked out my atomic Dorset Nagas. As they have a scoville rating of over a million the fruit will be suitable only for hardened curry heads and for LJ to dip her pea sticks tip into when she needs to admonish very naughty grapes.

[Mrs Dobby]

Hi Mrs D!! Just out of interest is the half plot you have taken over ajoining your full plot?

As you know, I have just taken over two rundown plots next to each other and I thought we could swap a few notes now and again!
I still have my other plot which is imacculate and I had it just the way I wanted it but I shall give that up to some lucky person at the end of April. I have a few plants planted in pots already but had planted all my soft fruit in the old plot soil. Hope to dig it back up again this weekend and plant up in pots until I have cleared the area on my new plot! Alas, I think it's ce-la-ve to my raspberries which I had just planted and made a support for, but it's really too much hassle to move those as well!

I have garlic, Autumn onions which I will have to lift early methinks in mid April
The spring cabbage, Kale, Leeks,turnips and carrots should be cleared by then but I also have a large bed of strawberries on old plot as well!

Never mind, these things were sent to try us and I had to take the opportunity of two plots together when it arose, as the one plot was really too small for my wants and needs!

Happy gardening and keep digging! (or get Mr D to do it!)

Unfortunately not Snadger, its half the way over the other side of the allotment (about 60m away from our plot), but it was the nearest one that was in reasonable condition (we were offered it as we'd already done a clearance job on our plot, so the reward was to take on a half plot that was almost clear!)

I wish we could get one of the adjacent plots to our own, as they are both very good, but both the plot-holders seem very committed, so I cant see either of them giving up anytime soon, unfortunately! We have already told the site admin that if they do tho, that we'd take either of them on straight away!

Mr D does his fair share of the digging (and probably a bit more too, but he does get 2 days off a week more than me!), but then again, it was supposed to be his plot, something he wanted to do on his days off, I just started helping him and now I'm as hooked as he is!

Finally pricked out my atomic Dorset Nagas. As they have a scoville rating of over a million the fruit will be suitable only for hardened curry heads and for LJ to dip her pea sticks tip into when she needs to admonish very naughty grapes.

Oooh! Dorset Naga!! If there's any spare seeds going at the end of the year PW, then I'd love a couple, please, pretty please, pretty pretty please!!!

[pigletwillie]

Mmmm, nearly enough pleases Mrs D.

We have just taken on a forest as our third plot but it does have the benefit of being next to our first one. The second one is about 50 yards away but in clear sight. An old shed, lots of scrap wood and fencing is being burnt as part of our slash and burn policy to help rid us of the brambles. I dont mind digging out roots but them whippy thorny things get right on my tits so burning them is a most bodacious way around that. Like you Mrs D the plots either side of those two look good but I feel that three plots, two glasshouses and two tunnels is enough for this little piggy.

Anyway, tonight I have been pricking out in the greenhouse at home, tomatoes, chillies and some red cabbage.

[Snadger]

Sometimes I wish I had a WE helping out but unfortunately OH is not interested at all in gardening so my my two new jungle plots are being tamed by I

I'm a glutton for punishment, but I love it really!

[wellie]

Well there's where I is Lucky (said in the shoebox int' middle of road accent for extra drama if you like....!)
Largely because Trousers simply adores us growing our own stuff, and his contributions major around:
* kick-starting the greenhouses (a 6 x 8 and a 16 x 8) which largely means washing and disinfecting them inside and out in January, along with any terracotta pots that peppers or aubergines might be grown in. He does this with a pressure washer, with Armillatox in the 'reservoir' and gets absolutely 'clarted in it' himself.....
* Shifting bags of compost out of my truck that I bought on the way home (again!)
* Listening to me droning ON AND ON about how something has germinated today, and how something else has keeled over and died (Tomato Caro Rich, yesterday!) and pretending that he gives a **** (!)
and what he especially likes, because it's RIGHT outside the kitchen door, is taking a big harvesting basket early evening into the garden to harvest anything and everything that's ready.....
and then leaves it in the kitchen for me to do something with it.
Hands up why we've got four freezers?!
Men, dontcha just love 'em?

You girls out there that leave it all to your men, take note, and get multitasking - what's wrong with you?! (Run Wellie, Run....)

Thank you for listening,

[kittykat8]

today

Went down polytunnel today and nearly cooked alive it was so hot, my spring cabbages were wilting, i thought my peppers would love this, just a pity it goes cold in the evenings.

[kirsty b]

Got down to the plot todayto do some work for what feels like the first time in ages. Found that the old chap who used to rent this patch must have finally taken the things he wants from the shed that he left behind because the lock had been completely removed and the door was hanging open. OH has fitted a nice new lock on it for me
Finally started to dig with purpose, the ground was like glue (the joy of clay!). Must have tried to dig too soon after the rain we've had. Got a nice big well rotted muck pile now, so going to add plenty of that as I go along and hope that we have a late frost that helps break it all up a bit more.
Piled all the rubbish that I have found ready for a trip to the dump. OH started a nice fire for me, so have got rid of the driest stuff that was hanging around. While moving the rubbish piles, we startled a little vole, and we caught it to show to my daughter before we let it go in a quieter corner of the allotment.
Roll on Saturday, be going down to do some more diggin!

Kirsty

[BayViewPlot]

Whay!

Recieved my almond and walnut tree (along with a variety of interesting herbs) from victoriana today.

looks good and can't wait to plant them!


Looking up potatoes and peas for early planting.

[pigletwillie]

Module sowed beetroot, some salads, spring onion and resowed some cauliflowers as the first batch were a bit leggy to transplant. The last of the tomatoes (bloody butcher) have also been pricked out.

[Peter]

Day dreamt how much I will be able to do next year when I should have electricty laid on in my greenhouse.

[Mrs Dobby]

On holiday for a week from tonight, so heopfully lots of time to spend on the plot this week! Had to work today, and brief my Deputy on what needs doing before I started my hols, so was a busy day!

Hoping to have a bonfire to get rid of the last of the wood and weed roots, then finish double digging the last bed on our plot, then mark out and dig over the beds on our second half plot, then dig over the fruit beds on our original plot to remove all the perennial weed roots, then finish repairing the shed and that should be about that!