YAY

iI FINALLY HAVE MY LAST RAISED BED FILLED!!
MY ALLOTMENT BUDDY CARL GOT ME A TRAILER FULL OF WHAT LOOKS LIKE SOMEONES LAWN.THERE'S ALOT OF SODS AND STONES ETC... IN IT BUT THE SOIL UNDERNEATH IS LOVELY.

IT TOOK ME 3 DAYS TO SHOVEL AND BARROW IT TO MY PLOT-MY ARTHRITIS RESTRICTS ME-BUT I COULDNT BE HAPPIER.
 AFTER FILLING MY BED AND THINKING ID FINISHED,THE LOVELY CARL SUGGESTED I TAKE WHAT I CAN OF THE SODS AND LEAVE THEM SOMEWHERE TO ROT DOWN.

GREAT IDEA - JUST WISH ID THOUGHT OF IT COS ALOT OF MY TIME WAS WASTED SORTING THE SODS TO ONE SIDE WHILE I DUG OUT THE SOIL!

SO IVE FILLED AN OLD BATH AND THEN FILLED A   BIG GARDEN WASTE BAG WITH THE SODS AND TOPPED IT UP WITH SOIL.THEN I PLANTED A PUMPKIN WE GREW FROM SEED INTO THE TOP-WASTE NOT,WANT NOT. 
THIS WAY,WHEN THE PUMPKIN GETS BIG,I CAN LOWER IT FROM THE TOP OF THE BAG TO A RAISED PILE OF LOGS.

AT THE FRONT OF MY PLOT I HAVE A COMPOST HEAP THAT RUNS ALMOST THE ENTIRE WIDTH . UNFORTUNATELY,ITS FULL OF BRAMBLES AND OLD STUFF FROM THE PREVIOUS TENANT.
I DINT WANT TO PLANT THE REMAINING PUMPKINS IN MY RAISED BED AS THEY TAKE UP AN AWFUL LOT OF ROOM SO HIT UPON AN IDEA.
.
A FELLOW ALLOTMENTOR HAD A HUGE PILE OF MOSS AT HIS PLOT AND SAID TO HELP MYSELF.I DIVIDED MY COMPOST HEAP INTO 2 AND MADE A THICK MATTRESS OF MOSS AND THEN COVERED THAT IN A THICK BLANKET OF SOIL.
2 PUMPKIN PLANTS HAVE GONE INTO THAT .IVE BEEN TOLD THE PUMPKIN WILL SUCK UP THE GOODNESS THATS UNDERNEATH AND GROW AND SPREAD-  OUT OF THE WAY FROM MY OTHER PLANTS. FINGERS CROSSED ANYWAY.

AS FOR MY RAISED BED? I DINT KNOW WHEN I WAS GOING TO GET THE SOIL SO HAD NO SEEDLINGS OR PLANTS TO PUT IN SO HAD A VISIT TO A GARDEN CENTRE.
I BOUGHT SOME BABY CARROTS,TURNIPS  AND PEA SEEDLINGS.
THE CARROTS WENT INTO THE OLD BATH I FOUND DUMPED ON THE SITE AND THE REST HAVE GONE INTO MY NEW BED.ITS ONLY HALF FULL-AND BEING RAIDED BY SLUGS AND SNAILS...SO WILL NEED TO GET MORE SEEDS ON THE GO.

ALSO-MY GRAPE VINES HAVE FINALLY SYARTED BUDDING!!I THOUGHT THEY WERE DEAD TO BE HONEST.THERES NO WAY IL GET GRAPES THIS YEAR BUT I HOPE IL AT LEAST GET SOME HEIGHT INTO MY PLOT COS ITS ALL LOOKING VERY FLAT. IM STILL WAITING FOR MY RUNNER BEANS TO COME UP TOO. SOMETHINGS BEEN DIGGING THEM UP AND NIBBLING ON THEM , SO IM A BIT PEEVED. ALL PART  OF ALLOTMENTING,I SUPPOSE. BUT MY BEETROOT ARE COMING UP LOVELY.

IM AWAY AGAIN AT THE WEEKEND FOR A FEW DAYS.SO THE WEEDING I DID YESTERDAY WILL HAVE TO BE REDONE WHEN I GET BACK-BUT IM LOVING IT.

spring has sprung

SPRING AND SUMMER  HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED AT BOG END...TOGETHER!!
  I HAVE SEEDLINGS IN MY POTTING SHED,GREEN HOUSE AND ON MY KITCHEN WINDOWSILL
. I HAD A FEW DISASTERS WITH MY TOMATOE SEEDS WHICH FAILED AFTER 3 ATTEMPTS.
MY FIRST WERE PLANTED TOO DEEP (ACCORDING TO THE GREAT MONTY DON) SO A 2ND BATCH WERE PLANTED ONLY TO DO NOTHING . MY 3RD WERE IN A PLASTIC GREENHOUSE WHICH WAS BATTERED BY HIGH WINDS. NO DOUBT THERE WILL BE TOMATOES GROWING WILD AROUND THE ALLOTMENTS.
MY ALLOTMENT NEIGHBOUR CARL GAVE ME A TRAY OF TINY SEEDLINGS WHICH TOOK OFF AT GREAT SPEED.ALONG WITH OTHER MINI PLANTS.
 IN THE MEANTIME I DISCOVERED MY FAILED BATCH HAD DECIDED TO SPROUT SO NOW I HAVE A MASS OF MINI TOMATO PLANTS.SO I GAVE 18 BACK TO CARL .
 I HAVE CABBAGES,CAULIFLOWERS,KALE,DWARF GREEN BEANS,GARLIC RED & WHITE ONIONS AND GARLIC PLANTED OUTSIDE.ALL DOING WELL-FINGERS CROSSED.
THE PEAS I PLANTED FROM SEEDS DID WELL BUT DISAPPEARED OVERNIGHT. I WAS TOLD IT WAS PROBABLY MICE BUT I THINK IT MIGHT BE SOME SORT OF GRUB IN THE SOIL-THO THE BEANS PLANTED NEXT TO THEM DID GREAT.
TODAY I SOWED MORE PARSNIP SEEDS AND RUNNER BEANS.IVE USED GROW BAGS ON TOP OF THE SOIL BECAUSE ITS SO POOR. ITS ALSO DRY AS A BONE.LAST YEAR I WAS PRACTICALLY UNDER WATER!! 
IVE ALSO PLANTED OUT WILD FLOWER SEEDS AND BULBS TO ADD MORE HEIGHT AND COLOUR TO BOG END.
I WANT A 'PRETTY' PLOT WITH LOTS OF VEG,SO THAT ITS SOMETHING NICE TO LOOK AT WHEN IM JUST CHILLING OR READING.
ITS MY ESCAPE FROM HOME-THO ITS ONLY 2 MINS AWAY...BUT TOO FAR FOR ME TO HEAR ANY SHOUTS FROM THE BACK GARDEN.
MY LITTLE GARDEN AT HOME HAS BEEN NEGLECTED FOR A WHILE SO IM TRYING TO BRING THAT UP TO SCRATCH NOW AS WELL.
HAPPY GARDENING TO ALL-LETS HOPE THE WARM WEATHER STAYS TIL AT LEAST EARLY WINTER.