Wot no pics?!!!

Have done loads today but forgot the camera... Got the apple in having dug the bed for bindweed, twitch & horsetail first. Won't have got it all out but shouls set it back a bit!!!
Then lots of small jobs including weeding, prep at the far end of the sparrowgrass bed where it needs finishing off and removing the old sunflowers and beans from the bean frame.
Hopefully pics and more progress tomorrow...

Fruit update!

Today I bought an apple tree James Grieve from Baguley's on the Moss. We have had one in a container in the garden for years and it has never done anything so I hope to do this one justice.

I also bought a Blackcurrant 'Ben Sarek' and Redcurrant 'Laxton's No 1' to replace those dug up previously.

Have dug this area in readiness - need a gooseberry - probably 'Winham's' Industry & maybe a green one as well. I am also considering a litle fruit tree of some sort in the middle.

This is the area before it was dug but I got the order wrong hen I posted them. It was clayey and wet and full of Convolvulus and some Couch Grass where the edges of the beds were. The stailess steel spade is woderful as are thye trousers with pads in the knees....bliss!!!

Update...

After an unsettled day there was a final burst of sunshine this evening...

...I am wondering about combining this and the far bed into one area for herbs, salads etc... maybe four smaller high beds...

... this gives a better idea of the area involved.

I will dig over this and the other 'ok' beds this coming week ready for crops as they become ready.
I have spent some time this evening fitting some glass back into the small greenhouse. Not finished yet but on the way.

Liverpool Away Day

I finally sowed some seeds yesterday (Thursday) morning - two trays of Runner Bean Lady Di and one of Sweetcorn Indian Summer. Both are from last year's seed but I will have plenty of time to re-sow if they don't germinate well.

I took a trip to Liverpool today to see Val's new allotment and it is looking great.

The green shed in the middle is Val's shed!

Update...

I have at last raked this bed to a fine tilth.

I have also dug the rest of this besd over but it will need some weeding at the raspberry end - convolvulus & couch grass:(

I have however cut down the raspberry plants in readiness for - deep breath - removing the ground cover.

I weeded and dug the seedbed frame in order to have some space for seed sowing. I might put a bag or two of manure and some topsoil in first, though...

...and...

I have sacrificed a couple of Asparagus plants in order to make a decent sizes path betwen the beds. Icouldn't make myself do it last year but it was a lot easier now before the shoots have come up! Unfortunate but necessary all the same.

The little greenhouse needs a bit of attention but I have trimmed the Lemon Balm in the tub in front of it today.

What I did today...

I have dug a bit more of the space where the lovely fruit bushes used to be. The tentative plan at the moment is to dig this and the adjoining disused bed and make an area for a few new fruit bushes which can be caged over. Watch this space - but not too closely as I don't think it will be happening just yet...

This is the area I mean - disgraceful isn't it?

And here it is after a lot of lugging about of bricks and bits of wood and peeling back of ground cover! The soil at this end of the lottie is rather clayey - and there is a lot of convovulus and couch grass in this area.

I had a bit of a go at the greenhouse this afternoon - and actually got some of the bits back together again! I need to cobble together a bracket or two to extend the far horozontal where it has snapped off at the ends but it does look like it might be do-able...someday... Idefinitely need to lok out for some very substantial bits of wood for the base.

Ivan the Heroic!!!

Ivan broke his thumb holding a post for someone to knock in with the back of an axe head - but did it stop him going to mend Linda's fence? No it did not...:)

More progress...(!)

I got down this afternoon and did some diggage in the pale afternoon sunshine. It felt good, especially as I have been going to the gym on the cheap lately courtesy of the NHS. I really felt the difference. The idea really was to lose some weight but although I seem to have put on a couple of pounds I am really feeling the benefit of the excercise.

The compost is in the wheelbarrow and ready for the start of potting up etc. I thought I would pot up some strawberries while digging them out of their beds. Also will be sowing beans etc very soon. I use Lady Di runner beans as they are absolutely brilliant. I have tried others over the years but have always regretted it. For the french beans I will probably return to another old favourite which I haven't sown for a few years - Rob Roy from Robinson's the Mammoth Onion people.

This bed is in pretty good shape so I'll dig it over ready to actually get something in!!

And here it is dug! I'll rake it over tomorrow if the weather permits...

Lottie Update...

This gives bit of an idea of how behind I am... The Asparagus bed needs finishing the strawberries need digging there are new beds to construct and a path to lay and soft fruit to buy and plant etc etc... Good job it's the holidays!

You can see in the foreground here the Black Tuscan Kale (Cavalo de Nero)has gone to seed but the Purple Sprouting is still going strong...

I am planning to widen the paths either side where I'm digging out the strawbs creating a new narrow bed for salads or something like that....

...and the less said about this end of the allotment the better for the time being (it needs a tidy). At last though, despite the snow flurries late last night, Spring is on the way and its time to get going...

Mike's LIttle Helpers!!!

Sue came along to see hw things are going. She thought it looked "a bit sad" which I thought was very encouraging!

She did do a bit of work thought, snapping up Artichoke haulm for kindling so I won't be too critical...

Phil came and had a look and kindly donated some garlic. His gradually transforming his plot into a kingdom of greenhouses & the odd shed (very odd) ;)