Mud And Charity

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to allotment, rain on 2008-03-26, 11:18:00

Mud, mud, glorious mud.. It rained virtually the whole time I was up at the allotment today. The third bed has been forked over.It needs double digging when it drys up.
I added some sand to the boggy first bed by the compost bin. Even simple turning the soil has made the drainage improve slightly.It needs to be dry before I can remove the weed roots and devil grass that is encased in clay..
Three and a half hours later and I was tired so I stopped. On the way out I met Mr Saddiq the guy who has the one third of the allotment. He seemed impressed by the transformation of the wilderness that has bordered his.
He says I can dig his beds over once I have done mine! The Two thirds I have done has taken three weeks so far.The last third is covered with the black tarpaulin.
He actually drove me back afterwards to the house, and saw the garden at the same time. He is going away for four weeks, I wander how much will be done when he returns?
The reason I have the allotment is that he told the allotment lady that he would give up the two thirds so another person could have one, as there is a long waiting list!
The recipient of that charitable urge was me, so once I have cleared my half tamed wilderness I will tidy up his beds and plant some onions, and courgettes for him (I have two Onion sets, more than enough for both plots).
Its going to rain for the rest of my days off so tomorrow is plant shopping at Swillington with Hils and Cat.
Here is to Mud and Charity :)

Sunshine, Mud,And Bird songs

(Via Snappy's Gardens Blog)

Posted by admin to allotment on 2008-03-19, 14:59:00

End of the day today. Its back to work tomorrow so thats it for this week I think.I am doing the wilderness clearing between hospital shifts. Two dug beds that need some edging and two ghostly beds that are outlined but not cleared or dug. The paths are visible that will need clearing of grass and weed supressing membrane laid down, so I can get around the vegetable beds..

Cat suprised me as I was busy in my own little world turning the first rectangular bed over to try to get it to dry off ready for digging over. Its still sodden wet. The compost bin of my neighbour is my coat stand with my bag and camera on a raised dry patch. I have exposed about two thirds of the Plot. The black covering will kill off the grass and weeds by cutting off their light supply.I am suprised how far I have dug though. The plot behind me has been covered by black plastic, and carpet.I wander if they will leave it for a year before attempting to clear it.I started from the top and am working my way down the plot.I hope in a year it has all been dug, cleared of weeds, and is growing soft fruit, rhubarb, and vegetables..


A work in progress today, the pop up green garden tidy and the busy fork posing for a photo.

End of the third day up the allotment yesterday (Tuesday) with three new beds roughly marked out behind the first rectangular bed. The boggy one with the plastic bottle is wet. Hils stepped in and nearly lost her shoe. The sopping clay sucked it down about five inches leaving a footprint embedded in the soil...

Cats Snap.. of the snappy gardener armed with a spade and grand ideas..

Fran volunteered yesterday to help me mark out the borders and clear the top layer of grass and weeds. I came back today and dug over the second rectangular bed. To clear the taproots and grass I dug down two spades deep. It took me four hours and I ran out of energy then.
A hot shower, and a Roast Chicken dinner later and i'm ready for bed before four long days in five days. Saturday may have to be a rest day.Im hoping for dry weather to dry out the first rectangular bed. It needs digging properly and all the weeds and roots removing.It was still entrapping my fork today and not letting go of it.
When the birds were singing and the sun shining it was quite relaxing up at the wilderness.It is progressing slowly.