Sunday 26th October 2008

Henry and I popped down before lunch today to see how things were getting on. We picked a lot of broccoli, some radish, a little Gem lettuce and also disposed of the Butternut Squash plants. The squashes on there were not getting any bigger and some had started to rot. The leaves on the plants had started to die back as well.

We noticed the garlic had started to come through alot more but still no movement with the shallots yet. The slugs had been chomping on the Spring Cabbage but they still look OK. We also pulled up a tiny weeny cauliflower (about 4cm in diameter !!!).

The broad beans are still doing well and also we noticed the gooseberry bush we put at the front had the startings of a little leaf !

Saturday 18th October 2008

This afternoon we all went down to the allotment as the weather was really nice. We used the remaining decking boards to put an edge around the bed where the raspberries will be going later on this year (it is about 11 feet long by 2 feet wide, allowing for 1.5 feet between each raspberry plant then we would fit about 7 plants down that line). Now we just need to decide whether to buy a pack of 10, or whether to use the 4 that Grandad gave us from his old garden, and then try and get 3 more ? Will make that decision later !!!

Then we planted a blueberry bush down by the shed next to the bed that will have the rhubarb in, and we also planted a gooseberry bush at the front in the middle of the bare patch where the shed used to be.

We picked alot of broccoli, some radish and also some Swiss Chard. I also took the largest celeriac out as it seemed to be huge, although it wasn't big enough to do anything with, so it went on the compost heap, I think maybe they need longer (November/December).

In the morning I popped to the allotment shop to buy a couple of garlic bulbs for Les in work and Monty gave me some bonemeal to go in the ground for the blueberry plant.

Video of the whole plot - Thursday 16th October 2008

Plot 122 (our new plot), and both plots (121 & 122)

Photo's of the young Spinach & Red Onions

Thursday 16th October 2008

I popped down to the allotment today to have a quick look how things were getting on. It was nice to see the broad beans we put in looking very healthy (left), and everything else coming on quite well. The butternut squash plant looks like it is on it's last legs because of the cold I think, but there are still squash's on the plant (albeit small ones !) so we'll leave it there for the moment.

I took some photos of the allotment and also a small video which I'll try and upload.

Monday 13th October 2008

After picking Henry up from school we both went over to visit Great Grandpa. It was nice to see him and he has also said we can have the greenhouse from the garden to put in the allotment. I can't wait to look up what I can grow in there now !!!

So, when mum & dad get back from France we'll have to arrange a convienient time to take it down and get it to the allotment in dad's trailer.

Sunday 12th October 2008

The weather was lovely today - it could have been Summer ! We went down this afternoon and planted all the broad bean plants (Aquadulce Claudia) we had sown at home in the big square bed on the new plot. We have 3 double rows with 11 plants in each row (66 plants !), and the whole lot cost us 70p !!! So fingers crossed they will do OK over winter.

Henry was very busy watering the garlic, onions and the spring cabbage, while Dave & I rigged up a cane/twine structure round the broad bean plants to try and prevent them being buffeted by the wind. Then Henry gave them a good water too.

Saturday 11th October 2008

We all went down to the allotment this afternoon, after looking at the weather on the television and being told by the weatherman it was going to stay dry ! The weather man had not given much thought to the weather in Wrexham and while we were there we had drizzle from the moment we got out of the car. It wasn't too bad though and we managed to do some really good work.

First we built the last bed and a small bed for rhubarb attached to an existing one, then we used the black weed matting to cover alot of the new paths in the new plot and then barrowed loads of bark chippings to cover them. We left an area free for the raspberries to go in, and covered the rest of it, apart from the very bottom where we are putting apple trees and hopefully a greenhouse eventually.

After doing all of this the rain finally decided to set in and we decided to go home and have a shower to get warm and clean again !

Sunday 5th October 2008 - The new plot and the chickens

There are three photos I took yesterday afternoon, one looking down to the area of our new plot (where you can see the pesky weeds covering it again, but you can also see the new beds taking shape), the second looking at our bed with the Radar onions, Little Gem lettuce, garlic, leeks, carrots, radish & Swiss Chard in, and also a couple of the chickens from the plot next to ours :-)

Sunday 5th October 2008

Henry and I went down this afternoon after Sunday lunch to tidy up things really, as the weather has been so awful lately we haven't had a chance before now. Unfortunately the weeds have grown back where we had cleared them all on the new plot - BUT there are mostly surface weeds and also where the paths are going and we're covering this with the weed control fabric and then bark chippings eventually so that's OK.

So first we removed the courgette plant which has served us well, but has finally come to the end of it's life really ! It must've produced in excess of 50 courgettes so it was well worth the money ! Then we dug over the are where it had come from and removed the carrots and weeds that were growing underneath (Carrots all had carrot fly, and were really small, but that wasn't surprising considering they were underneath the huge courgette plant !). Then we planted two rows of Spring Cabbage plants and covered the area with netting. We also removed the cramped beetroot plants and spread them out into 3 rows to give them a chance at growing.

Then we removed all of Henry's strawberry plants and cleared out his bed (apart from the remaining broccoli & cabbage plants). Then we collected more brocolli, our first butternut squash, a cabbage and some Swiss Chard (which we haven't picked before).

The Radar onions have started to come through now, but the shallots and garlic haven't yet.

Dave came over and gave us a couple of leeks from his plot which were huge ! I said ours were still quite small and he said they were unlikely to do much more now, but our fingers are crossed that they will suprise us ! Then the tall man came over to see how we were getting on and for a chat, he said we had done really well this year, and it was lovely to see how much Henry enjoyed it !