What I did today 2012-2014

[Spunky]

Sowed some Sutton broad beans, collected a load of leaves and built my new brassica cage that took AGES!

[Scarlet]

Despite the sore back I've tried to clean up more leaves and I've half pruned the grape vine. Just the lower stuff today as I wasn't in the mood for climbing ladders....there's tons of grapes fallen, there's only so much jelly you can make, but I'm hoping the birds will eat some before I get to do the final clean up.

[CrabbyApple]

Today I cleaned out my little 4x6 plastic greenhouse ready for winter, picked out more dead leaves from the potted irises and asters as they get ready for winter, and I also started clearing the blank patch by the shed of weeds and tilled the soil ready for next year.

Spent most of the afternoon pottering around the little grapevine clearing grass and fallen leaves, but mostly debating on if and how I should try prune it.

[buzzingtalk]

Finished digging the first 1/4 of my new plot!
Raked over and had a general tidy up
Started plot design

Lots of the same every day really...looking forward to starting to build raised beds soon!

[Aberdeenplotter]

I've been beavering away washing flowerpots. Boring but essential

[Bigmallly]

Have been doing some log cutting & storing, still lots more to do & more trees to fell but this man-flu is a pain. May have a change tomorrow & give the privots their last cut of the year.

[Noosner]

Installed a new (to me) compost bin today and transferred the entire contents of my large and sprawling compost heap into it, which gave the compost a good turning and somehow seemed to condense it, perhaps because I've now moved the whole operation into a corner, which is neater and has made room for me to plant a second cherry tree, a Morello.

The bin, a great big heavy thing of wooden slats (width 1m x depth 0.5m x height 1.5m - unusual) has been designed with a large gap at the bottom to dig compost out. Unfortunately at the moment, this means that compost falls straight through it! So I'm going to have find a way to block the gap but not permanently.

Aside from that, it was a very satisfying job. I felt sorry for the compost bin mouse (a field mouse, I think) who must have been nesting in the old heap, as there was lots of dry straw like stuff in the middle. Even though I demolished its house, it didn't want to leave, but went into a different part of the new heap. Maybe it'll collect all the dispersed bits of straw and start again.

Feeling very chuffed because my mission to use two wild corners of my lottie has meant being able to plant two cherry trees where before there were none! Only downside is that I don't have any wild bits now... and an allotment can definitely look TOO civilized.

[Penellype]

I've been beavering away washing flowerpots. Boring but essential

Glad someone else does this - I thought I was the only person who insisted on using clean flowerpots!

[Noosner]

Another big sesh for me down at lottie today. Dug over 2 beds that had gone pear shaped, and put down cardboard and manure on another. Am I doing this too early? Can anyone advise? Then planted a new blackcurrant bush (Ben Tirran I think) and went round some of the grassy bits cutting new edges. It was such a lovely crisp sunny day here, despite what the weather forecast predicted. I THINK I might have space for another fruit tree... but it really will have to be the last one. Will probably go for a Bramley or a Bramley Seedling on a dwarfing stock. There is a wonderful little nursery near here - all their trees in containers cost £14. They keep TEMPTING me... there is nothing I like better than planting a fruit tree.

[Bacchus]

Bought some fencing planks for making raised bed and some water pipe for making a cloche. And a 12ft farm gate too.

[Noosner]

Spent the day at RHS Harlow Carr making an Xmas tree out of hazel twigs. Crikey but it was hard graft, sawing and drilling all day using hand tools. I really longed for my power drill! They said using power tools was against health and safety - which was all very well but now I can hardly move... my poor right arm is totally b*ggered! That doesn't seem very healthy to me

But here is the tree:

[susieq100]

Spent a couple of hours at the plot, cleaned out the glass shed and tidied up around the fruit trees. Dug up some leeks - my policy of benevolent neglect over the late summer has not worked awfully well! Never mind, it will be better next year.

[Greenleaves]

Spent the day at RHS Harlow Carr making an Xmas tree out of hazel twigs. Crikey but it was hard graft, sawing and drilling all day using hand tools. I really longed for my power drill! They said using power tools was against health and safety - which was all very well but now I can hardly move... my poor right arm is totally b*ggered! That doesn't seem very healthy to me

But here is the tree: [ATTACH=CONFIG]51505[/ATTACH]

Wouldn't want to be the fairy sat upon that Noosner

[Noosner]

You are right, GL - ouch!!

[veggiechicken]

Hazel on the Hill would be ideal for the job

What did I do today? Nothing except watch puppies