Appearances are deceiving

This blog for me is mainly an online diary to track the plots' progress. However there are a couple of people out there that pop in, read my posts and leave lovely comments and I bet they've been thinking is she still hibernating? or given it up totally?

Nope I haven't, in fact MJC and I have been busy building more raised beds and generally trying to get as much preparation done before the growing season in earnest... So here's a few photos to prove that I'm not lying...honest!

So we've cleared the weeds around the remaining gooseberry bushes, cut down the raspberry canes and given the whole area a good mulch to get one step ahead of the evil couch grass and other nasty weeds. I also rescued a redcurrant and another gooseberry plant that were being slowly smothered by the rasps. MJC also had the very good idea of putting bricks around one of the rhubarb patches to stop us accidentally stomping all over it.
I've dug and weeded a planting hole ready for one of the pear trees (Doyenne de Comice) I got cheap from Lidl's (£11.97 for 2 pear trees and a crab apple...bargain!!). We've both read Ken Fern's book 'Gardening for a Future' from cover to cover which sets out the principles of forest gardening so we're trying to create our own little productive area on Plot 85 next to the Bramley. I've also ordered (today) some more fruit trees today from Deacons Nursery. It was soo hard trying to limit myself on which apple varieties to choose so in the end I plumped for the following:

• apples - King of the Pippins and Reinette Rouge Etoille (these both flower at the same time)
• apples - James Grieve and Pitmaston Pineapple (same with these two)
• damson - Merriweather
• gage - Cambridge
• and of course the classic Victoria plum (which my Mum requested)

The apples I'm going to attempt to train on wires as cordons at a 45 degree angle and the others I think I'm going to plant at the top of Plot 86 so they don't shade out the neighbouring plots too much. I'm going to start preparing the area where they'll go this weekend - so I'll post more more pics of how it's looking.

Here's what we've spent most of January working on. Some of these have been dug over now and are ready for spring sowing and I have a grand plan ready on paper (well spreadsheet).

And we've ordered 20 asparagus crowns (Ginjlim and Backlim) so we've painstakingly prepared a special raised bed for them when they get delivered in March.

Onions and Shallots

Although we still have 2 more of the raised beds to finish off, we decided it was about time to plant the onions and shallots. Planted up 2 of the smaller beds and half the big L-shape bed with about 30 (2 rows) of 'Eschallotes Grise' - a new variety we're trying this year, several rows of 'Yellow Moon' shallots and 'Red Cross' onions. Oh and there was also a variety of white onion that I've forgotten the name of just now. To finish it off and make sure the birds don't pull them up - MJC covered the planted up beds with netting.

However that's only about 3/4 of the onions that we ordered and I've still to plant out the garlic (4 heads). I've decided though to plant the garlic in small pots first, so that they don't get too waterlogged over winter and then transplant them into the new beds in early spring. Just hope I've got enough pots!!

Been a Long Time

Now that it's dark by 4pm the only time we manage to make it to the allotment is at the weekend but recently i.e. the last month we've been a whirl of activity building new raised beds in Plot 86. This was where the potatoes and courgettes were this "summer" just gone.

So this was how we started out about 2 months ago by measuring and digging out paths. It was a particularly spectacular autumn day as there was showers followed by amazing double and even triple rainbows.

Then finally 3 weeks ago we went to the timber mill to buy all the planks which we got cut to size. The first completed bed was honoured with its own photo.

And this was the end result after the first day constructing the beds. I measured and cut some weed suppressant fabric on the second day to cover the paths - well got to do these things properly! Then last weekend we had to bail out one of the paths for about an hour before we could started on putting down wood chips to cover the fabric.

The (almost) finished beds have an Escher like quality when you look at them. Although that's a nice way of saying they're not the straightest, parallel, right-angled constructions. However the sides are all completely level with one another...at least we got that accurate. I just think that no one will notice when they full to bursting with tasty veg.

First March Digging Weekend

It was good to be able to devote a whole two days to digging and tending the plots. Now that other DIY related tasks can be sidelined for awhile the plots and all things vegetable-growing can take precedence.

MJC starting to dig last year's now weed infested broad bean bed on Plot 85a.






We finally dug the trench for the french beans in Plot 86.

• Dug down two spades deep and pile the earth onto one side.
• Added a layer of shredded paper along the bottom, watered it down and covered with a thin layer of soil to stop it blowing all over the place.
  Then started filling it at one end (on the right of the pic) with the contents of our compost caddy and covered that with soil too.

We'll continue filling the trench with our green kitchen waste and then hopefully when it comes to planting out the beans it'll be all rotted down and provide them with plenty of water retaining mulchy goodness. Might try something similar for the celeriac...

A view of the 3 finished 'raised' beds in Plot 85a. The nearset one is planted up with garlic, then there is the shallot bed and the end one (which looks like a really comfy bed!) is covered to warm it up for an early sowing of carrots.

We also lifetd all the remaining strawberry plants to pot up for the summer and planted a red goosberry bush in their place.