A few fresh veg

i have just added a few of my latest freshly picked veg.

i was surprised how quick my cucumbers were ready and there is loads more on the way.

First Early Duke of York Spuds

Well today i spent most of the day on the allotment and it started really well.

i pulled 4 of my first early potatoes for tea and i got 3 1/2 lb of them just look how lovely they are so i cant wait to have them with my slow cooked beef and onions.

to replace the spuds i planted Jackolantern Pumpkins (ready for october) and radish and also some mustard plant.

then i weeded around my fruit and put weed suppressant down and then planted three squashes through them then i weeded the end of the bed and planted onions, mustard and my spare sweetcorn. then i planted out my Leeks and i had double what i needed so ill donate some to my mate who runs the local cubs.

lastly i weeded behind my greenhouse and planted spring onions there.

other than potting on the chillies and other tomatoes i had a little rest then came home to start our fresh potato meal.

1st courgette

Got a surprise today and saw i have a nice courgette growing.

also added a pick of the nice flowers on my cucumbers and my Tiger tomatoes.

also added a pick of what the allotment used to be like when i first took it over god i have done a lot.

More pic's

I have planted my sweetcorn out and thought a progress of pic's was due.

Latest Pics

Its been a while since i posted so heres a few pics of my progress and my first broadbeans.

Hard days work

Spent the day at the allotment and got quite a lot done.

my tomatoes are planted out ready in the greenhouse along with god know how many other plants.

i also earthed up my spuds and built a carrot fly protection for my carrot bed.

here are some pics.

Nice day for it

I managed a few hours this morning and planted out a few more strawberries and then hoed around my garlic and onions.

i then limed my brassica bed ready for when they are large enough to plant out then i put fleece on my legume bed as i will be planting out my broad-beans this weekend.

also i have potted my French beans ready to grow and plant out mid may.

then ill also plant some peas out.

my spuds have already started to grow and some needed some soil over them to avoid frost getting at them.

heres a few pics of the full plot, top nearest is an empty flower bed then onions and garlic then spuds then brassicas then legumes, i cant wait to take a pic in full flow when everything is growing.

a few pics

Planting mad

i planted so many seeds i have forgotten what they all were.

ill have a go at listing them though,

i also managed to get help from Dave my son who planted my spuds and watered everything he could see even the blinkin weeds.

ok seeds planted were

cauliflower, calabrese, purple flowering broccoli, 4 types of cabbage, Brussel sprouts, Parsnips, dill, sage, mint, Rosemary, corrianda, Basil, chives, cumin, sweet corn, 2 types of pumpkins, butternut squash, beetroot, sweet peas, mixed flowers and i thinks i have missed quite a lot of others,

to be planted out are carrots, peas, french beans, broadbeans which i have grown in the greenhouse, mixture of flowers and second early potatoes.

its going to be a busy week.

ill get some pic's of my progress soon.

Did a lot in one hour

when i popped to the allotment for just a quick hour i actually got a lot done.

i watered the seedlings in the greenhouse and let some air in it.

planted out my herbs.

potted on my Christmas tree.

replanted the holly bush to make room for my cold frame.

cleaned the cold frame.

watered some of the plants and fed the flowering strawberries.

fit the birdhouse to the tree near my bird feeder.

fit new drainage and water butt to my shed.

Sweetpeas on their way

popped to the lotty again and the wifes sweetpeas are growing very well.

my rocket cress and some spinich has sprouted too.

also i decided to throw a string over a high tree branch to guide my hops up it.

i hope i dont get told off for that lol.

After work

dropped on my plot to check things out and wow its surprising what a few days can do.

had to pot on my broad-beans.

my rocket and cress are racing to be the quickest to grow and my sweet peas are really coming along nicely they are about 2" long leaning to the sun.

i had to water the whole greenhouse to keep them going.

also my grape vines are already bursting buds and i just put them in two days ago.

i am really getting excited for the season to really take off.

weekend planting

I managed to get a lot planted this weekend,

my asparagus turned up in the post so they were planted, i planted my grape vines of which i have 4 white and 2 red grape variety to make my wine with.

also planted in the greenhouse were several lettuce, peppers, chilli's, tomatoes, cress, gherkins, cucumber and radish.

i built a bird feeding house given to me as an early fathers day present and built another manure compost.

attached are some pics of the vines the house and my hops which are growing like crazy.

quick visit

popped to the lotty for a quick check on things as i have had a busy weekend tidying for mothers-day.

was surprised to see my plum tree flowering.

my broad-beans were being checked out by ants as they get riddled in black-fly when larger so the ants are there to farm them so i have bought some ant killer and will pick the tips of the broad-beans when larger to avoid the black-fly.

also pleased to see my garlic flourishing.

even my hops have gone wild growing 6" in less than a week.

received my grapevines on Friday so will plant them tomorrow night after work.

Day off Phew

Well what was supposed to be a couple of trips worth of top soil ended up being a 5 hour 6 trip job.

and after that i had just dropped most the soil in the top flower bed (empty for now) to save time so i then had to barrow it down to my raised beds.

anyway i managed to plant up the following in the first raised bed, 2 x Blueberry's, 2 x Gooseberry's, 3 x Blackcurrant's a gojiberry and a thorn-less BlackBerry.

after that i planted 100 onions and sweet-peas which are for the back yard.

also managed to get in a holly bush and half a rhubarb plant donated to me by a friendly allotment neighbor.

Getting ready for my day off

Popped to the allotment to check things out and get a list of jobs to do when i have a day off tomorrow.

my shallots that i had to plant early due to rotting in the net are doing well.

my comfrey has two more shoots and the first is getting stronger.

my broad-beans are starting to sprout and some had dried out so a good drenching was in order.

my Garlic is looking really good and all have sprouted.

after getting the pots ready for my onions to be planted tomorrow and chasing a 3" Bumble bee out of the greenhouse i called it a day.

Didn't get much time at the allotment this weekend as i have to pack for a work trip to the US.

i did manage to move a water barrel as it wasn't collecting enough water from the greenhouse so i have switched sides and hopefully that will help.

i put in an edging to my small path and to my fruit tree bed.

i was happy to see my greenhouse window opener working as it was 28 degrees in there and i think the heat has set off the onion shallots i planted as a few had sprouted.

and i left with 4 pots of compost to pot on my fuchsias.

ill be away most of the week but hopefully i will get some USA pic's to publish on here.

And i was given two BlackBerry bushes and a gostaberry bush.

these were planted right away.

then i planted some broad beans some which i had bought and 4 of a white kind i was donated last year.

i hope they all take well.

then i took a pick of my comfrey seedling which is doing well considering it seems to be the only one to survive.

then i put mulch down around my raspberries.

Well i never got on the digger but i did have a good morning on the allotment.

i planted the rest of my garlic that i didnt get in last year.

here are the ones with a nice growth from last year.

Just found out we are to flatten out the lower end of our allotments at the weekend with a digger.

we are making space for a polly tunnel and planting spuds to sell.

i get to drive the digger hehe cool it will be like when i worked for parkfield castings driving the bobcat and racing them on the night shift when the boss was asleep lol.

ok here are my before and after pics

looking opposite ways

work carried out was

put 5 long beds in

rebuilt and established greenhouse

added shed

built strawberry bed

moved and pruned inherited plants

made 2 raised beds

built compost bins

put water drainage in to preserve water

made paths

planted plumb tree

fitted out shed and greenhouse.

all ready to go.

I decided to pop to home bargains during my lunch to check out gardening kit and got a couple of bargains.

first earlies for 99p per pack of 8.

hose seeping sets for £2.99 to irrigate beds rather than soak them.

OK i'm a cheapskate but i will never pass on a bargain.

cant wait to pop to the lotty to get set up and ready :)

roll on the weekend.

Ran the allotment site shop today for two hours then luckily the rain stopped so i could get some work done.

I weeded around my raspberries and trimmed my mini rose plant then trimmed the dead leaves off my parsley and then my alpine strawberries which are flowering.

I put grit around the base of the greenhouse to keep the weeds at bay but not hinder drainage.

then i potted on my two thyme plans which smelled wonderful.

lastly i did a walk around to assess the place for bad weeds and jobs to do.

on my way off the site i had a good chin wag with fellow growers who were also getting ready for the jobs ahead.

one good sight was my comfrey seed has started to sprout and seeing as i planted them early January i am very surprised but very pleased to be getting a head start with this beneficial plant.

Couldn't get to the allotment today due to having to drive back from Cardiff,

I did however get a large box of chicken manure for £3 from Asda and a new bird feeder for £2.

bargains are worth grabbing whilst you can.

It all starts here

OK this is my first Blog and i hope it is interesting to you all.

I will update as often as i can with the progress on my allotment.

I have grown a little in the past but hopefully with reading a lot and internet searching and lastly great friends full of advice, ill be successful and will pass on how i do to help others.

I got my allotment just under a year ago and completely redesigned it.

I am using a 4 bed rotation system with an extra bed for flowers to achieve two things, one to attract pollinating insects and birds and two to hopefully take some home for the house.

a few other beds are for fruit and for herbs and spices.

and lastly i hope to grow grape vines to make my own wine with.

also i was lucky to inherit an elderberry tree to the rear so ill be using either the flowers or the berries to make more wines and jams.

Id like to thank all the people with hints and tips and my wife for putting up with me disappearing all the time (it will be worth it Dawn).