My new project.

[dizzyblonde]

Hey Quiff, thanks!

The plot is a very large one. The half plots are 18 quid a year, but this one is 34. As well as the rent, I pay water too, which is 6. The allotment is self managed and you pay a membership of 15 quid, which is returned off your second years bill. Its about 50 quid all in for the year. Sounds a lot, BUT, its peanuts really, as this plots the size of my garden and both my neighbours put together!

Now here is some pics of todays effort. My dad has barrowed half the massive compost heap into some raised beds, my mum has unstrangled the strawberry patch of invading raspberries, Smudge has delved into the unknown lump at the back, and found no peoples heads buried, and I have gotten rid of the weeds in one of the big areas.


ONE BIG PILE OF MUCK!!! need this flattening, I want a flower bed there.


Smudge playing with rhubarb. Mum said the patch was so big it had started rotting from nobody using it. Nice new shoots there now. Not sure what to do with this area......lots of BIG weeds hiding under all that card and stones, and wood. Think I might just leave it to rest and rot for a while, as I contemplate.


Now a big patch of no weeds, but needs dividing into beds, like the others.



Not surprised shes scratching her head, I would be too, with the mess she sorted out today.


The sheer size is now apparent!



This coming week, getting some late beans and peas sown before its too late into the beds we have made, and possibly other veg, provided I can source some boards to make up some more!

[dizzyblonde]

........then theres the other project.......

finally.....

My very own man cave! After so many years and a totally foobarred Raptor tank, my dream shed is now being built, and god help anyone who might say its too BIG!!

[Geodude]

'Kin 'ell thats not an allotment thats a small holding, you really are farmer dizz and a man cave too you is a spoilt dizz How you going to know where to play, jammy person. Have fun xGx

[dizzyblonde]

A wee update for Geo, and others

After being hidden under carpet for a few weeks now, a large patch of big weeds has magically gone! Quick dig over, and another small section ready for Autumn. Carpet moved onto pathways, where a little weedkiller has been put down. Stuff that allows whatever is left to be dug into compost heap or whatever, safely.



I've been raiding the strawberry patches for weeks now. Had 50-60 quids worth of supermarket value, much tastier, and far bigger. Slugs, now this is an odd one, although I have plenty, they don't seem to be eating all my strawberries. Sure some of them have, but I reckon they are feeding on the rotten ones from the first batch, that were hidden amongst vegetation. I also have millions of orange centipedes, which are a natural predator, and obviously birds in the bushes on the other side of the track round the plot


In my raised beds, I now have cabbages for over winter, Durhams, that grow in conical shapes, red cabbage, leeks, french green beans, lavender(good for keeping certain pests out), carrots, lettuce and radish.



I have a whole bed of leeks, at the moment they look like grass, had too many so I plonked them in where there were any gaps!


just waiting for a little more established growth on some and then the hoe is coming out, at the moment my carrots look like weeds, but they are not



Marigolds keep the slugs from the lettuce, but I found out yesterday(for next year) planting carrots with onions keeps the pests away. The onion smell confuses them!



This little fella was growing in the rubbish heap of bags. I put him in the comunal wildlife garden and pond. He was a little dry, put plopped into the pond quickly. Looked a bit stunned trying to find a rock, so we had to rescue him on his maiden voyage. We left him sunbathing in the shallow end.


Its getting there, slowly. Still looks nothing but an unorganised patch of weeds, but far better than how I inherited it! Lots of prepping now should make it a little more of a doddle next year. Got the seed mag from the allotments association. Peg and I have decided we want pretty and productive, so Ladies fingers with giant flowers(ocra), yellow courgettes, and purple cauliflowers amongst all the others should be quite a good show






Anybody local who might have some six inch, long lengths of wood going spare.........think of meeeeeee
Got a freebie greenhouse with my name on it, just need to get the truck from Pegs work, to collect.

Looking good Lou, hard work is definitely paying off. Bet you're getting a reyt sun tan!

[Geodude]

Awesome cracking job, you've done well with that weed covered plot. Keep up the good work Lou xGx

well done dizz, i've seen the pics on farcebook, but that's a pretty big plot and a hell of a lot of work, you won't be buying veg when that lot comes in, that's for sure, ps can you not turn it into a bike track?

[dizzyblonde]

I'm hoping major sufficiency via the plot. There's chickens down there too, so. Little trading next year its likely I might have to buy an occasional cucumber from the shop....they're a git to grow.


As for race track, take note of those little pathways forming round the beds

Any success with the rhubarb patch? My girlfriend and I love it with cream... Tasted it Scotland whilst on holiday and got addicted so much we had rhubarb everyday with breakfast.

[dizzyblonde]

Mountains of the stuff, it lives like weeds here! Keeps growing and growing, you could get lost in the trifids theres so much. My mum and Smudge really the only one who benefits from it, as nobody likes it here apart from me

West Yorkshire is renowned for rhubarb. A place not so far away, Wakefield, is in the centre of the Rhubarb Triangle, which years ago used to stretch as far as here.