Expanding My Greenhouse Area

Found another 'plastic' greenhouse for sale, a little bit larger (Size (H)187, (W)121 (D)185cm), that I will probably buy on Friday.

Exciting!! Will put in behind the smaller one I bought last week.

The idea is to have a totally covered bed for squashes, pumpkins and courgettes. So - a poly-tunnel on the cheap - should be total cost of £80. Ok not so cheap - but worth the extra heat for growing, esp. after last year's rubbish weather!!

Will update and post the results!!

Update: Bought it today! Got it for a bargain knock down price from £49.99 to £32.99.

Here it is - fully erected!

New 'Plastic' Greenhouse

Went and splashed out on a new plastic greenhouse!

Bit cold and snowy at the moment - so could prove useful.

Do I look stupid? (don't answer that!)

End of Jan 2010

As promised - a video and photo update.

Things done this this month:

• Bought loads of seeds - and Globe Artichoke
• Found some plastic box storage shelves lying about in an alley - utilised!
• Put loads of chicken poo on soil and dug in
• Planned & marked out new planting areas
• Put new roof on shed
• Made a new bed - recycling some bricks
• Finally bough a wheel-barrow
• Made a new water collection system / mended water barrel (thank god for 'no-nails')
• Planted peas (see sticks + small windows)
• Sowed some Leeks, Peas & Broad Beans in shed

All in all a fairly busy month that was mainly about physical building and digging jobs.

What to look out for in Feb:

• How the outdoor sown Peas will do (this winter has been quite harsh)
• Sow some more of the hardier stuff - Broad Beans, Peas & Leeks
• Have general weed, tidy, patch up & paint of the shed/plot

Here's to Feb 2010 - oh and enjoy the vid!

New raised bed & wheelbarrow

Spent some time yesterday moving some bricks from the house down to the allotment using my nice new wheelbarrow.

Used the bricks to edge the new allotment bed and create a paved area by my water butts. This was dug out from the area by the tree. Have a sore back - oh and I broke my spade!!

Watch the new video to see the difference.

2010 - Long time no hear, but now it's a new year

Apologies for not blogging for ages. It's not that I have been not busy down lotty - far from it, just been rubbish at keep this diary thing going.

New Year's Resolution

It's 2010! This is my 4th season on my plot and things have certainly moved along.

I have a new shed, with a plastic roof and a solar panel, oh and the soil is very much improved.

2010 has been an exceptionally cold year so far - but even that hasn't stopped me - been sowing winter peas and broad beans

The new year's resolution - well to do a monthly blog (min) - so will start with an end of Jan10 assessment, with photos and a video - how's about that? (seems fair!)

Keep loving the veggies!!

June 09 - not so great

Damn Weather

Oh dear - we had 2 weeks of glorious sunshine. Which was a must, as the previous 2 weeks had been cool and damp. Lots of my seeds rotted off, so had to re-sow courgettes, squah, beans etc..

Anyway, we had an amazingly hot week (end of

May) - temps getting up to 26 degrees - and very dry - superb. But, as of wed last week (around 3rd June) all things fell apart. Now, you are lucky to see the sun and temps

are around 10 degrees tops (oh and how wet is it?!)

Mice & Rats

Bloody mice (& rats) keep diggin up my bean and courgette/squash seeds. So have re-planted some for the 3rd time. Have used netting - but don't know how good that will be.

Anyway - again - the weather has not helped - but I have some plants to put out.

Rest of the plot

Well - actually things are going ok:

• Peas recovered after a mauling from the pidgeons
• Beetroot doing well
• Potatoes are gigantic
• Broad Beans are looking the business
• Tomatoes are hanging in there
• Swede, Turnips and Brussels are doing rather well
• Cabbaages are glorious
• Strawberries are the biggest plants I have ever seen
• Flowers going well and there are some nice things to see (Lupins esp.)

Just need some good weather now.

New Videos

Trip down to my lotty

A quick look round lotty

May Posting

Sorry not posted for a bit - has been windy and chilly at times - but sunny. Now warming up nicely.

Have basically sown everything now - just waiting for them to pop up!

• Have planted broad beans, peas, cabbage and beetroot.
  
• Have sown turnip and swede
• Carrots are up - bit patchy though
• No sign of much herb action!
• Planted the sweet peas and nasturtiums
• Broccoli and caulis are ok-ish
• Some sweetcorn are up
• Fruit looking healthy and good

Will post some photos soon.

Warm and summery - wow!

Highs of 18 degrees - all very warm and sunny!

Got the peas in and some bamboo canes up and ready.

All in all - all going well.

Perfect Spring??

Well the temps have been up to about 16 degrees and very sunny - if not a bit dry.

Have been busy:

• rat proofing and turning my compost
• sowing flower seeds
• sowing more carrots
• thining cabbage seedlings