14 January 2008

A plot too much?

Birthdays, Christmas and the weather have all conspired to keep me away from the plot recently meaning there has been little to report. However I abandoned the family to tend to the plot this weekend. My main aim was to dig over enough of the plot before the growing season starts to have the four large beds for the veg, and I'm pleased to say after a few hours of digging on Saturday this has been acheived. Unfortunately it has been my back that has paid for this exertion.

The 'miniature' Brussels are still hanging on in there and we did manage a small hand full of baby Brussels with Sunday lunch (and an even smaller handful for Christmas lunch) but I'm not sure how much longer my patience will hold out before digging them up. Given it's just them and the Jerusalem Artichokes that are productive at the moment, they're still in place for now... There's no sign of the garlic still, bit worried all the rain will have rotted them. The water running down the lane was coming on to the plot again making things quite sticky (yes I know I shouldn't dig it when it's like that, but needs must!), so I repaired the 'flood barrier' at the entrance in an attempt to keep the water flowing down the path. Some kind soul has seen I'm missing a nice gate and kindly left me something to use there - others may think it was just someone dumping some rubbish on my plot...

The next job is to put the scaffolding boards in place to mark out the beds/terracing. After that tidy up the paths so that they are level, dig some manure into the legume bed and we're all set for this year.

Well kinda. After waiting for three and a half years I was offered a plot on another site. This is much more accessible for Mrs D and the kids, not to mention it being flat, having a shed, greenhouse, pond, fruit trees and marked out beds! There are only about 30 plots on the site and they are like gold dust. Obviously I have to take it, but I can't let go of the original plot either after all the work I've put in (and also because it's not actually mine to give up - it's in the wife's name). So the only option is to move to the allotment and live in the shed ;>) Will have to put in some careful planning, well once I've managed to identify what we have on the new plot. So far we have rhubarb and, erm... Some unidentified trees and some lethal looking slate edged beds.

Hopefully some photos in the next update. But still to decide whether to add the new plot to this blog or give it one of its own!

2 comments:

JD said...

Welcome back,good to read your blog again. I'm also waiting for my garlic to appear but it's maybe been washed away with all this rain.I also did a bit digging at the weekend it's way too wet but my seed potatoes arrived yesterday so I want the ground ready for them. Good luck for 2008 and your new plot.

lilymarlene said...

Please do both on the same blog....less work for us that read it...!