Thursday 15th May 2008

Today at the allotment we prepared the 'Roots' bed for planting. I dug the soil over and Henry did a very good job of raking the area. After we had done enough we planted one row of carrots (Autumn King 2) and then put in the courgette plant (Courgette Ambassador F1) that Uncle Carl gave us at the weekend.

The tree surgeon delivered a load more bark chippings as well so we continued to make our paths around our beds. We gave everything a good water and pulled out some weeds. Then we carried on digging and raking to try and move further down the plot so we can get Henry's bed ready for planting some strawberry plants in !

Wednesday 14th May 2008

I didn't have a lot of time today so just nipped down to the allotment and watered what was there and removed a few weeds that were starting to grow through. Still no sign of anything coming through yet - at least I have the Runner Bean plants and the Purple Sprouting Broccoli plants to look at !

Then after I had picked Henry up from pre-school we planted the cabbage (January King 3) and broccoli (Autumn Calabrese) seeds in seed trays in the back garden and gave them a good water !

Tuesday 13th May 2008

After I picked Henry up from pre-school we went down and planted 2 rows of purple sprouting broccoli plants that Uncle Carl had given us at the weekend. A lovely lady from a plot further up the road came to talk to us and gave us a bag of 2 lettuces, some red lettuce leaves and 3 big radishes ! I gave her the left-over purple sprouting broccoli plants - she was really chuffed as she and her husband were new to allotments and hadn't tried growing it yet.

We also planted a row of lettuce (Mixed Salad Leaves) inbetween 2 rows of potatoes.

The tree surgeon had also delivered a pile of wood chippings so we started to put some down for our pathways ! It really seems to be coming together now.

Monday 12th May 2008

I had half a days leave from work today, Grandad came over to bring some boards to edge one of the beds, some chicken wire for supporting the peas when they being to grow, a rake (Great Grandpa's old one), and Great Grandpa's old watering can too. In the afternoon I planted a double row of Dwarf French Beans (Tendercrop).

Saturday 10th May 2008

After Henry had been to Eleanor Bealey's 4th Birthday Party at Blue Bear's Playbarn we went down to the allotment. Daddy & Uncle Nige came too and brought 4 concrete slabs down so we can put the shed on them when we buy it.

We then planted a row of peas (Early - Kelvedon Wonder) next to the runner beans.

6th - 8th May 2008 - Potatoes !

After picking up some seed potatoes from Bellis's we planted 4 rows of Maris Piper (seed potatoes), and one row of salad potatoes that we had in the kitchen at home (they had started to sprout in the cupboard !).

So we now have a full Potato bed and the Runner Beans in the 'Legumes' bed !

Monday 5th May 2008 - Nanna & Grandad Visit !

Bank Holiday Monday, after a trip to Chirk Car Boot Sale, Nanna & Grandad called around and wanted to visit the allotment, so they came down and helped remove weeds and do some digging.

A man from a plot across the road gave us some runner bean plants that were spare and also some canes and a basket to put weeds in.

So Grandad planted them and we started to wind them around the canes, and by lunchtime we had 6 runner bean plants in the start of our 'Legumes' bed !

Saturday 3rd May 2008 - Uncle Carl & Auntie Julie help !

On Saturday afternoon Uncle Carl and Auntie Julie came down to see the allotment and we did alot of digging. Henry went on a great adventure with Auntie Julie and discovered parts of the allotment which I have not been to yet !

By the time we had finished on the Saturday afternoon we had cleared/dug over almost 2/3 of the plot - hooray !

25th April 2008 - Starting Out !

It all started with a meeting on 25th April 2008 with Nicky Ellis from Wrexham Council to go and visit 2 plots at the Price's Lane Allotments in Wrexham.

We chose Plot 121 because it was in a prettier area, and had a grassy area for Henry to run around on next to it.

The plot is a 'quarter plot' and is 8.5m by 4.5m. It was already marked out and needed some major digging !!

In the next week Henry and I went digging several times and found everything from glass, bricks and plastic to car axles and scaffolding pipes buried beneath the surface. We also found out that it used to be the site of the tip and so that would explain the amount of things buried in it !