22nd May

A weekend of mixed weather meant that I managed to get some planting done on Saturday... even if I did end up looking like a drown rat! Left house in glorious sunshine, arrived at plot to a down pour... 5 mins later sunny.... then chucking it down again! But Sunday was great warm weather. Made the most of this by getting upto the Plot for 8am... two hours of weeding and pottering about then back home for 10am to keep `her in doors` happy with a shopping trip!



First wigwam of runnerbeans (Polestar) are planted out... second batch have just been sown in the greenhouse at home.



Leeks (Mussleburgh) are out... I have filled a full small bed with these - but still have about half a seedtray left over! It seems that every seed you scatter out of the packet grow!



Pumpkin has got its water pipe in place down to below the roots which should help keep its thirst quenched come the summer



Pepper Plant (not sure of variety) is still waiting to be planted! Not sure where this will go yet - I might just get a bucket and plant it in that rather then direct into the soil. I'm going to give this a go at being grown outside...



`Tumbling Tom` is out in the hanging basket



Also planted the remaining tomato plants in the pumkin bed... although the middle one is looking very unhappy at the moment!



Tiny apples



Japanese onion sets are now starting to swell



Weed control between me and the plot above!



Tiny sunflower (one of the ones the slugs didnt get) now with six leafs on it! There are about 4 in total left growing direct on the plot.... with at least another 16 germinating at home!!!!

Grow your Own

Gonna have to go and see this and since its out one day before my birthday I can `con` my girlfreind (who is anti anything gardening related) into coming with me as a birthday night out!!!!! :)

Turdus philomelos. aka Song Thrush!

Having read through peoples blogs such as the fabulous MC55's Allotment Blog and being green with envey over her pond and fantastic pictures (I'm sure she wont mind me saying these words) I am happy to report that the Pellon Plot is now too starting to teem with wildlife... only mine fly rather then hop!

My Birdtable was bought from Home-Bargains for the measley sum of about 5-pounds (a snip compared to most garden centre prices) add to this a few nails/hooks for hanging things from and a couple of bird feeders and fat balls (also from H/B) and for a total cost of about 8 quid I have, if somewhat by accident, seemed to have created a bird cafe heaven!

On a visit `flying visit` to the Plot (no pun intended) under gardener was disturbed from his normal `job` of digging large holes, by excitedly watching, stood in amazement, as about 5 Starlings swooped in to squable at the table and hang from the feeders. Since then the birds must be getting braver as even if we are near they are still quite happy to bounce about and feed infront of us.

So far identified birds feeding include- Starlings, Male & Female Blackbirds, Robin(s), BlueTits, and also what I believe is a song thrush! although Undergardener simply refers to them as "his birds" There are also several unidentified birds I have been trying to find on the RSPB Web Site!

I have never really been into bird watching (well, not of the feathered variety) but the undergardener seemed to be more excited by watching the comings and goings of a few birds for free then when we pay 20+ quid to take him to the zoo!!! Kids hey!

I'll try to get some pics and post them soon... in the meantime I'm of to get more feeders to dot about the plot....

Mid-May

Well after a red-hot, dry April this months seems to have been the complete oppersite - rain, winds and chilly temperatures. I didnt manage to get to the plot too much last weekend due to the weather. Although the plot did need it, meant I only get in an hour to plant out the first pumpkin...



Here he is! I know its still a little early, but this one was making an attempt to take over the plastic greenhouse in the back garden. He is in the manure bed, planted on top of a mound of compost from a grow bag, and seems to be happy enough. I just need to finish of a bottle of lemonade now at home so I can sink this into the soil at the base to make watering easier in the summer!
Fingers crossed he knows which way he should be growing, or I wont be able to get to the shed in a few months time!!!

He also has several brothers and sisters still waiting to go out (about half his size though) and a couple of courgette cousins will be joining him later too!


With the wet weather everything seems to have had a growth spurt though and the plot is starting to green up nicley - amazingly enough without too many weeds either!


Second Early Potato's Cara have all shot up...



And my main crop are all also bursting through now...





At the end of my main crop bed I have transplanted a couple of lettuce's - I'm hoping these will be big enough to eat before the potato's get too big!



The tomato plants I've put out early seem to be surviving - albeit there about half the size of the ones still at home! Ive sunk little Coke bottles into the soil at there bases and fingers crossed they should be ok. It was about this time last year when I planted them out, and they seemed to do ok. They are Gardeners Delight which I'm told are suited to life outside?



Infront of these I have sowed 3 short rows of carrots Early Nantes, and 3 short rows of parsnips... a little late I know, but thought I'd give them a go anyway



In the remainder of this bed I think I will just sow some more rows of carrots, and some spring onions I have just planted out in seed trays at home. Any gaps will be filled with lettuce... maybe I should call this my `coleslaw bed`!!! :)


With the wet weather I still have not yet had a chance to collect the paving slabs from my parents house, or yet go and get some more wood chips to cover the path by the fruit beds... or re-cover the other paths where there getting a bit patchy! I might try to make an effort to get this done at the weekend weather permitting!

Heres a pic of the fruit bed... there are actually raspberries canes in the middle of my two blackcurrent bushes... you just can't see them as they seem to be a little on the slow side in putting any leafs out or growth on!



The next big project on the plot is to move my Grandma's Greenhouse up there. As she is now getting on a little she has bequeathed it to me, as she says I will get alot more use out of it then she will. This is where I'm planning to put it - marked out with canes to give you an idea of the size...





I just need to go an take the exact measurements as apparently a 8` x 6` Greenhouse is not actually 8x6!!?! I will then board the base out with 6 inch deep gravel boards (nice and level) fill these with hardcore and cement, then bolt the frame down onto it! In front maybe a few slabs and a cold frame....


Few pics of how the plot is looking now...



My Red Hot Pokers





Blackcurrent Bushes






Shed `greening` up


Brassicas Bed


Strawberry & Rhubarb (which is trying to take over my path)


Daliahs coming through and sunflower


My broadcast sown flower bed... or maybe weeds! (cant tell the differance at the mo!)



Fingers crossed, next post end of May.

Ariel Picture

Not much going on at the plot currently due to RAIN!!!! - still not enought to have filled my water barrel yet though!


Thought I'd put on some ariel shots of the plots from Google Earth, they must be quite old though as my plot still has a greenhouse on it!

Heres on of the whole allotment...



A little closer, my plot is in the middle of the pic...



Looking at these I make the plot to be about 820 foot above sea-level, I have also discovered that South is in a totally different direction to what I thought!

Hoping to get to the plot this weekend... I'll try post some more progress pics soon!

May Bank Holiday

Ain't Bank Holidays brilliant! Cooler weather with just the odd light shower meant I managed to get some quality time in at the Pellon Plot, with a visit to the garden centre on Saturday too...




Here's a couple of my purchases. The thermometer has been screwed on next to the shed door - and I also thought I would treat myself to a `Tumbler` Tomato Plant to have a go at growing one this year. This then lead on to me buying a hanging basket... and a bracket... so they'd better grow! Bracket has been screwed into the shed on the sheltered side, but as this is also the shaded side I might have to review this later in the year.
Other purchases included...

2 x Courgette Plants
6 x Red Cabbage
6 x Green Cabbage
6 x Cauliflower Plants
Some tomato feed
10 kgs of pelleted chicken manure
A Bucket (undergardener wanted one!)
and various other odds and sods...

Some people might think that buying veg plants is cheating a little, but I dont eat the above in great quantitys, and without a greenhouse I think spending 50p on ready grown plants is easier then £1.99+ on a full packet??? The only thing I wanted but didnt manage to get is sweetcorn


Here are my brassicas in situ...



They are from left to right.. Cauliflowers, Red Cabbage, Chineese (?) Cabbage, then the sprouts at the end. In last years potato bed, which has not been dug since excavating last years Dessire crop. Just piled manure over it in Autumn and aint touched it since.



Also over the weekend put 3 more tomato plants in, tied loosly into canes as it was blowing a gale! I know its very early for these but they were going leggy at home, and its only about 20 days earlier then I put some out lasy year. The 3 I'd put out about a fortnight ago seem to be surviving... if only by the skin of their teeth. Should they all get decimated Ive still got about 6+ at home on the grow anyway.




Home-Bargains have had bedding plants in so the girlfiend thought she would treat me to a few trays... a few actually ended up as about 20 trays, all with 6 cells in them! This is more then enough for the garden at home, so thought I would chance planting some out at the plot in my window box, tubs and around the bath. I think long term I will plant some peranial herbs round this to help keep the weeds at bay.



The highlight of undergardeners weekend was getting to come to the stables with me Sunday morning and basically mess about in Horse Muck! (typical lad!)
Two trailer loads later the new bed we had built was filled, fruit bushes mulched and nostrils well and truly cleared! :)




This is the bed which will hopefully home the punkins he is growing, the manure will all be dug over and mixed in with the soil, then the punkins planted in compost and left to roam as they wish!



Fruit bed all mulched, boarded out and weed suppressing material laid on the paths - these will eventually be covered with bark chips



Just need to place higher boards round the other bed (where the second early spuds are) to stop the soil spilling onto the bark and vice-versa!

The bed in the bottom corner is where I have earmarked for my greenhouse to go so I'm going to try leave this unplanted this year and build a concreate base around it.

Thats about it for `additions` at the moment... just a couple of pics of how things are getting on...



Mr Scarecrow keeping an eye on the onions



Apple Tree Blossom



Head Office!



Second Early Potatos (Cara)



Japanese Onions and Garlic



Bird Table



View towards top corner (check out the new shed in the background!!!)



View towards bottom corner (with the empty bed I intend to put the greenhouse on)



Strawberrys



Mammoth Rhubarb!!!



Looking up across the plot from the path



Main Crop Potatos, these were just starting to sprout but have all been burried now



Finally some marigolds and sunflowers the undergardener sowed direct, just starting to show...

Thanks for reading my update

Meanwhile... away from the Plot....

I HAVE A PUNKIN!!!

After trying several sowings of Punkins last year... which all say on the packet "Easy to Grow" and nothing happening this year I have had success! Me and the under gardener sowed these in the middle of April, and they have been merrily sitting on a window bottom since then not doing much. This little beast popped through a few days back though and after having a fumble round in the other pots soil these are also sprouting!
Just need to find a big pot now to put them into as the roots are already sprouting through the bottom of this one!

With the Bank Holiday weekend coming, my trailer cleared out and good weather forecast I'm going to `try` and get to the stables and get a load of rotted manure ready for the under gardener to plant these into!



Also waiting to `grow` are my tomato's, runner beans, cauliflowers, turnips, marigolds, leeks... fingers crossed that the nights will warm up soon! - I'm watching my neighbours plot closley to see when he puts his in! :)

UnPlot related here are a couple of pics of the garden at home... looking quite good for April...

1st May!

Last weekend in April was spent tidying the end of the plot. I have now boarded round the `fruit bed` and cleared all the rest of the weeds against the border, dug up the row of stones which seperate the plots and re-stood them all on the dirt so you can clearly see the divide. The soil here is littered with glass though, and whilst trying to remove some of the mamoth weed roots (as thick as my arm and almost as long) I managed to slice the bottom of my thumb... Ive never seen a cut bleed as much! Must remeber to take a First Aid Kit to the plot!!!

With the bed all dug over I moved my fruit bushes into it... not the best time of year I know, but needs must as these had been growing in my potato bed! Popped up to the plot last night though and they didnt look too much the worse-for-ware for there move!

Ive also bought some weed supresent material to go down the end paths so fingers crossed it shouldnt get too out of hand again now!


Garlic, white onions and red onions are coming on well and starting to swell, with the dry weather we've been having (I can't remember the last time it `properly` rained) the weeds are keeping at bay, and a quick 5 minutes with the hoe each visit has been all they have needed!
At the end of this bed I have had a go at direct sowing a couple of packs of annual bedding I found in the shed... got lots of little shoots coming up now, but unfortunatly I cant tell what are flowers and what are weeds at the moment!



Second Early Cara Potatos are all starting to shoot now, although there is still no sign of my main crops (also Cara)even though they were all planted at the same time! In last years potato bed Ive got plenty of shoots though from the ones that I must have missed!!!!



After attending the AGM last winter we were told that a condition of our insurance on the Plots is that we keep the main paths on the plots weed free (as per the Allotment Rules) The reasoning behind this is that if someone `slips` on a path they can sue the assosiation AND the plot holder! Mine have just had a spray with weedkiller and are all dying back now. Although I try not to use weedkiller on the actual plot I'd rather be weeding the beds then the path! Maybe in the summer when I have a bit more time on my hands I'll have a go at either buring this of, or maybe `skimming` the top layer of... maybe!

Anyway, more pics to come soon... my camera has just died so cant down load anymore at the moment!