Can you dig it?!!

Sooo tired I can hardly type! On one of the hottest Feb Days since 1998, me and 'Da Gang' got digging!
Paul and I put in some hard spade work for a few hours trying to analyse some of the roots we were coming across, we think couch grass is abundant, small amount of nettles and brambles. So we were thoroughly weeding and sifting then trying to get mulch down to keep that precious water resource from evaporating too much.
We planted a cheap Lidl pear tree...a £3.99 experiment!

Blink and you'll miss it!

As we worked, our plans for the site were tripping off our tongues....a shelter with a green roof, a small pond, fruit cage, 4 bed crop rotation, hot beds, greenhouses, solar panels, wind-up DAB radios, water saving, clay oven, bug hotels, bird tables.....we weren't getting carried away honest!!
But first....more digging...more weeding....ooh and some BURNING!! So I put my trust in my brother's fire-starting (and fire-controlling) skills, made sure we had marshmallows for the kids and off we went! I was a little nervous as everything was so dry but we watered the edges and kept vigilant.

Fire...boys looked studious, girls nonplussed!

Whilst old wood panels and vegetation crackled, me and mum sat on my 'Freecycled' bit of axminster carpet and perused the seed list. Hot favourites include courgettes, sweetcorn, chillies, potatoes, squash and peppers-so we will really need a greenhouse!

A Welsh Wonderwoman, a tool delivery, and a natural progression

I am totally out of sync and playing catch up...so do excuse-nothing new there!!

Before snow stopped play we did make some real progress....quite literally the day before it snowed

Our Welsh Wonderwoman, Dr Thomas arrived with a boot full of tools for us to caretake at our allotment and we quickly put her to work building the compost bays! We decided this was a good first job to be achieved so that when we start clearing vegetation we have somewhere to put it!!

A natural progression.....

Composting  avec la dame Cymraeg!

Paul ably assisted...first pallet up

A lonely half built compost bay...

A funky finish! Paul and Abbey in a compostable pose!

...et enfin...the ladies of the canyon..er compost! I think we are impressed!

Snow stopped play...but only for a while!

Well it bloomin' snowed....and it was a tad on the chilly side for a while there. No photos to show as I didn't venture out!


So sat at home reading, reading, reading...most enjoyable reads:


'Grow your own vegetables' by Joy Larkcom a super level, experienced, considered and non-flowery account of Joy's take on veg growing-highly recommend it!

What a lovely lady!
Read all about her at this link:

http://grahamrice.com/magazines/YourGarden/0501joy.html

Also: 'Organic Gardening-The natural no-dig way' by Charles Dowding. A great approach to soil management that I know I will come back to again and again. Funny if you read some of his forums-quite a fiery character!!

Charles on his vegetable 'bed' ha!
http://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/

Soil to soil!

It's a soil thing! Had another peek at the soil today and bagged some up to do a test.
The good news is that the man who I am taking it over from..Mr Brown...is a very nice man and told me some of it's history. Apparently it was cultivated by a retired couple for many years for whom it eventually became too much and Mr B took it on. He admits that his progress was woeful and he only managed to plant a few trees and attempt a couple of beds which is why it looks in such a state. He also told me that he had invested time in some rabbit control, although when I saw him at the plot today he had found what looked suspiciously like a rabbit hole....OMG!!!
Rabbits.....time for some decisive action-nothing cruel mind....We will chceck all fencing, set humane traps once secure, out the blighters and cover anything tender in the meantime! 'Bout all we can do really!
Back to seedlists and listing! Tedious but worth it!

I have bought potatoes!! Soo exciting! Spent the afternoon looking at the recommended list from the Ryton Organic Potato Day (would have loved to be there choosing  by the tuber!) and wieghed up options to order on-line or try the local garden centre. Opted to see what they had in stock locally then think about on-line orders. Do serious growers buy all the season potatoes now? If I buy my 'Earlies' (finally I understand the difference-see: http://www.millbrookgardencentre.co.uk/fileadmin/downloads/How_to_grow_potatoes_01.pdf for a neat little 'How to') but wait to buy the others will they still be available.....hmm more research needed!!
Off to chit now-I will be chitting Sharpes Express, a 'first early' and then a bit later in the spring I will chit Charlotte my 'second earlies! All will become clear!!
Jaxx

Today I had some great plot history from the exiting tennant. He had not been able to spend much time on this plot and so it had largely gone to seed (as you can see in the picture) but previously it had been cultivated by a dedicated couple who were extremely productive!
Good news for soil condition and also good news for my no-dig desires (even more pertinent this evening as my back is giving me jip!!) The exiting tennat, Mr B, had also done some double digging and incorporated some maure when he attempted to cultivate the site a year ago so our initial clearing job need not mean hours of deep digging, but an exstensive clearing ands digging up the worst then we'll smother it with maure and maushroom compost!! Lovely Jubbly-innit!!
So to the planning stage...I have enlisted my Landscape Designer partner to help me thrash out a plan of action this weekend and then family and friends are booked in to start the 'work' next weekend...I hope they are nurturing their initial enthusiasm for the job...infact I bet the only threat to our progress will be the sodding weather!!

A site for sore eyes....

So I've been wishing for this for a long time.....should I have been more careful for what I was wishing for...? 

From next weekend I will be the proud rentor of an allotment site and it looks like this...OMG!


So I dragged my poor brother down there today to look at the mountain and I have spent the rest of the day working out how the hell we are going to transform this unhealthy square of suburban wasteland-as always the answer inevitably lies in poo!!!!!


Head is buzzing with ideas will be back shortly to spill it all out!