Season Finale

Autumn is now defiantly here and now its going dark at 5ish on an evening any chance of getting to the Allotment after work is nil! The beds are emptying and the big tidy up begins... my favorite part of the year! Time to plan for 2008, make repairs to my paths and beds, and give the plot a good weed and manure ready to be semi moth balled over winter - not that there wnt still be things growing... but anytime spent up there from December to early March will be minimal unfortunatly!

2007 has seen many changes to Plot 25B, new neighbour (although as I have not seen him since summer and his plot is overgrown again I think he may have thrown in the towel!)new shed, new greenhouse, new beds and new pond... some success (mainly brassicas) and equal failures (carrots, potatos, outdoor tom's)




The runner beans and sunflowers have gone on the compost and the canes cleaned and put away in the shed. I cut the sunflower heads of and have put these on the bird table



Rhubarb has all now died back and needs a good mulching of manure soon as I can get to the stables with my trailer



Strawberrys in need of a tidy!!! I'm still looking for a `space saving` way to grow these in 2008...



Brassica bed is now empty except for the sprouts which will hopefully form part of my Xmas Dinner! (even though I dont eat them myself!!!) This will soon be covered in manure ready for the main crop `spuds` next year... brassicas will then be grown in the next bed up which will also be covered in manure, then left to firm down over winter...



Winter Onions (white and red) garlic, spring onions and shallots, in the other end of this bed I will sow carrots, more onions, more spring onions and maybe some parsnips... so no manure for this one



The top bed (which borders onto my weedy not seen since summer neighbours plot) couple of spring cabbage in here which were donated to me by another plot holder. These should be ready by April, freeing the ground in summer for some salad crops, maybe beans, maybe peas...



Ive started digging over where the small shed used to be, all the plants and herbs have been dug out but the ground is thick with crouch despite my best attempts to remove every root as this bed this is near impossible . My plan here is to board round the bed, then cover the roughly dug ground with a couple of layers of cardboard topped of with manure so undergardener can have his pumpkins in here next year. Still need to break up the pallets... alot harder then it sounds!



The flags that the old shed used to stand on have been moved to create a solid path round to the new shed door



There a little like walking on a surf board at the moment!!!



Back of the greenhouse... bit of a waste of space at the moment!



Compost is overflowing!!!



Down the other side of the greenhouse, I might try some outdoor tomato's in this bed as it is quite sheltered



Dalia's have been dug up, drying in the greenhouse - I think your supposed to leave them upside down for about 6 weeks?????



This years pumpkin bed, rady to be manured for second early potato's in 2008



Finally the greenhouse. Now the winds are getting up Ive been double checking on the clips haolding the glass inplace (about 8 per pane! - better safe then sorry!) and Ive repaired a couple of cracked/broken ones in the roof where I think the frame might have twisted slightly as its settled! Its well cemented down so should stand a good gale - but with the dark nights its more the 2 legged rodents I'm worryed about damaging it!!!