It is been a frustrating week. I am definitely hampered by having to work for a living even if the nights are getting longer and I am still the Secretary of the Allotment Society. The thermometer has rarely got over 4 degrees C for the last few weeks which means digging at the allotment is out of the question. However this means I have been able to get on with the shed although not H's Birthday weekend. I took my Dad to the Newall Potato men. Their place is a throw back to the fifties. I tell you more about them another time. My order of Cara and international Kidney were waiting for me. My Rockets from last year are chitting away. I only have to dig the manure in and I have cracked it.
The shed door went on and the floor went down this weekend. Well, most of the floor. I have had twelve one metre lengths of decking hanging about the garden since I put laid the decking in the new patio area three years ago. I knew they would come in and now, with a little trimming, form the great part of the shed floor. I have only had to buy a couple of metres to finish off the floor. That goes in tonight. Four cuts and sixteen screws and the shed is serviceable. I have a few bits to do on the back panel and the ceiling needs covering but the major job is done. I can now move the stuff that has been collecting in the garage into the shed. I have all summer to finish the twiddly bits on the outside and organise the shelving on the inside ready for my harvest.
It was H's birthday last weekend so my parents came down for the weekend. Some of our old friends from Manchester came too. It was a lovely weekend. Dad gave me hand to plant the Willow that arrived during the week which from my hedge. H and I had a ceremoniously planting the two of the Hazel and one of the Hawthorn in the garden as well. I managed to move the fruit bushes into tubs to make them portable, since the new trees would certainly compete with them..
I went up to the allotment 04.03.06 and found the ground frozen solid to a depth of half an inch. It did not stop me digging up a Leek or two to go into today's dinner, stew. This time next year I hope to be eating stew made with all my own root vegetables. We are nearly out of potatoes [Cara]. The Rocket have stated chitting so there is a lesson learnt. Plant your earlies early and harvest them early. Leave main crop to be lates and harvest them accordingly. I had this idea that I would plant some earlies late in the season as catch crop. It worked to a degree. I got a crop but it was hit hard by blight, also they have not kept that well and are chitting for England. I won't be leaving the spuds in the ground this year. As soon as they a ready they will be out of the ground and hopefully out of the clutches of the Blight. I lost the equivalent of four bags of spuds to blight. You live and learn. The Garlic has been potted up and is getting away. I think I will start sowing small amount of seeds next week in the greenhouse. Better get back to work.
No comments:
Post a Comment