What I did today 2012-2014

[di]

Started with a spud hunt and covered any sproutings with some leaves. Made a carrot bed, mixing in some old sand, sowed said carrots.(and something else next to them...but forgotten what.) Planted up a load of Co op sprouted potatoes. Weeded between Gertrud's spinach(and got quite carried away with the time), then sowed some mixed salad leaves in between one row, radish in another and Chiggia beetroot,Thanks VVG, between another.
Then set to raking my biggest bed that was incredibly lopsided...now have an awful back and waiting for my bath to run. Rather prematurely sowed a row of swede as I'd decided I would and got the most clayy end prepared for them before reading the packet which said May sowing....they were cheap at Aldi, so just hope they have more if these fail.
Dug up some thistles and in some leaves and manure on my bean bed.
Sowed a couple of rows of broad beans.
Tidied a little area and turned it into a 'carport' for the kiddies scooters, pully things etc.
Chopped some nettles and mulched lots of things with htem...no seeds yet. Also weeded and mulched my shallots and onions and discovered another row of carrots I forgot I'd sown.
Started an upside down lasagne bed as I'd run out of newspaper and cardboard, so on top of an old compost heap I've put an inch or so layer of nettles and couch grass,no roots,when I have more card I'll cover and plan to let the kiddies attempt a giant pumkin on it.
Made a start on chopping down nettles in the old chicken run, which will be brassicas this year.

Got well and truly soaked because I ignored the warning sounds of thunder....and then some cow looked down her nose at me in the Co op(I admit I looked a state), I just smiled ever so sweetly.

[VirginVegGrower]

We (Mr VVG and I) moved an old rose from what is going to be an elevated patio area, up to the back of the house. We also riddled out a compost heap, popped it over into the next bay, then started a new heap. Sounds very little for saying it took most of the afternoon...
Must get more done tomorrow!

[di]

Incredible how long it takes to empty/move a compost bin. I'm making them all smaller now that there's no Andi to answer to
Have just sown some sprouts and caulis and wondering how badly I'll get stared at if I go to the co op with a towell on my head? Have decided I earnt wine.

[Two_Sheds]

- potted on the indoor toms & pelargoniums again
- watered and fed the gh stuff with seaweed juice
- planted out pea seedlings
- had a good old weed in the sunshine

[T8Ter]

Went down the lottie, put a hasp/staple on the brick shed I've rented (just before the first downpour) put weed fabric over a large bed of nettles, ready for some more raised beds to be built.
Then the rain got the best of me and home I went.

Love this allotment, I've put some fat balls in a hanger on my fence and I've had an endless stream of blue/great/coal/long tail tits along with the robin/dunnocks/blackies/wrens picking the scraps off the floor. This morning had two new visitors, a fabulous nuthatch on the fatballs and another I haven't identified yet - looked like a yellow hammer or similar, bright yellow on the top of the body under the wings to the tail.

[Snadger]

Potted up about 20 barely rooted chrysanthemim cutting. Took another 20 cuttings. Noticed my beetroot had germinated,likewise with two trays of different swede plants.Lit the woodburner and burned off another pile of damp scrapwood.
Did intend planting out the last of my shallots and a trayful of leeks................but the weather put paid to that!

[Sanjo]

Weeded the salad bed and have left it uncovered for the rain to water for me. Sowed more radish which so far have been absolutely rubbbish. Never had the problem before either.
Tried to make a cloche type thingy warming up the soil and then to cover my sweetcorn which is hardening off as the OH wants to get away for a few days and I thought that if I could get some stuff in the ground it cuts down on what is being left in the greenhouse.
~Sorted out the coffee grounds from Costa and put them in the compost bin.

[VirginVegGrower]

Mowed lawns then watched the rain.

[kentishgal]

Planted marjoram, alpine strawberries and saxifraga in my borders and am about to plant a gooseberry in there as well. Checked on my seedlings and watered any that needed it (everything is up now, even the black eyed susan, geraniums and pansys which were taking forever). Also have to pot on my chives, parsley, coriander and basil later.....
is everyone else running out of space indoors??

[hamsterqueen]

I watched OH weed between all teh raised beds, cut the lawn and trim the hedges..

[Florence Fennel]

Yep KG, my tomatoes and peppers are fending for themselves in the stayput greenhouse, they're too big for the windowsills and Himself is "sick of the sight" of them.

I've planted half my pea plants into the ground from rootrainers, but it's drizzling a bit now, so rain stopped play.

[di]

In between the showers, I mainly mulched....and in the process did a bit of chopping down nettles and grass and anything else I could think of to use as mulch.(think I've finally found my OCD) Weeded my strawberries under the plum trees and gave them a dose of compost. Then lastly made a new cardboard box bed and covered it with a bit of homemade compost

Also, noticed what a ridiculous amount of potatoes I've planted

[Jeanied]

Today I forked over three more beds on the lottie, removed dandelion and couch grass roots but turned in the clods of ordinary grass, and planted 32 potato tubers into the beds! I now have all 62 spuds in!

Sorted out some large sheets of cardboard to make my first lasagne bed. Hope it doesn't rain in the morning!

[Bren In Pots]

Yep KG, my tomatoes and peppers are fending for themselves in the stayput greenhouse, they're too big for the windowsills and Himself is "sick of the sight" of them.

.

My toms are still being carried between the kitchen and greenhouse I'm not brave enough to leave them leave them in the GH overnight.

First job in the morning is to empty the greenhouse of plants I'm hardening off then the toms go in. I'm begining to think a coldframe would be a good idea.

[Loudbarker1]

Did far too little this weekend. May have to get up early to use early morning sunshire (if any) to catch up.

Did a bit of hand weeding

Planted out red cabbage (3x red jewel, 3x red drumhead) savoys (6x traviata) calebrase (2x ramesco) and cauliflower (3 x All the year round). The re and green cabbages were under jam jars to keep warm and the others were under cloches. It was jolly cold in the rain but I did do some hardening off. They had slug pelets scattered round as well.

Watered all seeds in hothouse and cold house as well.

I have lots to do next week:

harden off and plant out leeks, lettuce and spring onions. Sow carrots between rows of leeks.
harden off and plant out (tall) peas; also erect structure for them to grow up
keep weeding
clear extra space for peas
find a place for pot marigolds, cornflowers, nastersums, sunflowers
plant main crop spuds
buy more compost
water soft fruit in pots
burn off weeds on garden path
mow lawn (if weather lets me)
Plant more yellow courgettes at the request and command of Mrs Loudbarker