Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !

Still mid crisis down sarf, but I actually have managed to sow 6 Aquadulce Claudia in preparation for planting out at some stage late winter.

Probably won't be updating this blog again for a while, but for any progress reports, please tune into http://kaypeesplot.blogspot.com/

Best wishes to all, I hope you and yours have a fantastic time over the jolly season.

Best of luck.

MrsKP

Weekend away followed by family crisis

Means that I'm not going to get up to the plot for another fortnight at least.

I've informed the committee just in case they think I've run off never to be seen again and hope that I've done enough digging, covering with poo and various types of sheeting to keep the weeds down. With a bit of luck the leeks will think it's their birthday, have had loads of rain in the last couple of days, and by the time I get back up there, they will be prize winners ! lol

I'm missing the place already though..............................

See you all soon.

xx

Where were we ? Ah yes .... beds !

OH said he'd help me on Sunday and advised me not to go to the lottie yesterday cos the Old Firm was playing at Ibrox.

Little does he realise I'm up with the lark and intended to beat the rush both before and after K.O. So with the car fully loaded (what would I do without it?) I got up there about 10am and set about making the final RB. When I say "final", I mean the last one with the wood I have. Now standing back and looking at the layout, there are definitely two areas that would benefit from some edging, but they can wait .......

First things first, make the bed. I had to sacrifice the For Sale post that was in the garden intended to be a support for a leccy cable through to the greenhouse. I needed bed legs, so it had to go ! I'm getting a dab hand at making RBs now. Had this one finished in double quick time.

Now the cabbages and final swede were in the way, so out they came ! There appears to be two different varieties of cabbage, one light green and crunchy, the second deeper and erm, less crunchy ! lol These were donated by an anonymous kind soul earlier in the year so I have no idea as to the names. They have been pulled far too early but will still make 4 or 5 meals worth as long as we eat them and don't just leave them to rot in the fridge !

With the ground now clear, set about digging the foundations for the bed legs. This is always befuddles me, I can never get the beds quite level, or straight for that matter, but they're dug in and done so that's what matters. I'm sure the veg won't worry about slightly out of parallel lines.

Dug the bean bed quite deep and threw that soil into adjacent new bed. Will line the bottom of the bean trench with newspaper and then cow poo today. I was going to have the bean bed right up again the fence, but then I thought about it a bit more and decided I did want a double row, so left enough of a path to pick from the fence side (north). Don't know how the lack of sun will affect that side, but will find out next summer eh ? lol

Removed the final two strawberry plants to take home and over winter. The wee one, was from a runner this year and it has already got a good looking root system on it. No way I'm leaving the strawbs on the plot with the potential flooding.

Got the hanging basket brackets up on the fence posts, empty atm. Could fill them with primroses I suppose as I still have plenty back on the plot that I've not planted out yet.

Planted garlic in the trug ! Only about 20 cloves, but then I really don't need to feed half of Britain ! We do use a fair bit in our cooking but I think I've got enough hanging in the shed to last me a lifetime (for as long as the bulbs will store anyway). Thought I'd just picked up Solent Wight, but would appear that I got a Purple Wight as well.

Hung the jacket up as a flag of loyalty (Rangers tartan). The team must have been watching as they came away with the first OF victory of the season. I kept having to run up to the lovely Jean to keep her updated with the score.

I was thinking of doing a blow by blow round up of the season, but my record keeping has been shocking this year, so here's a few observations instead.

1. Taking on a lottie just the season after getting the plot together was a huge undertaking. In hindsight would I have said "yes" if I'd known exactly how much hard work it was going to take ? .... aye probably. Definitely pleased I only took a quarter plot though. At least by the beginning of next season, I'll be able to concentrate on sowing and growing rather than building and banging.
2. Never mix your Gigantes beans with your runners. They look so similar ! Fantastic crop of Gigantes though and will definitely grow them again next year even if they do take a long growing season.
   
3. Courgettes did reasonably well. Plenty to eat and more than a few in the freezer. Will definitely start them off at home again and plant out when they've got to a reasonable size in pots. Only trouble is, not a clue which variety was which.
   
4. Broad beans will definitely be on the menu again. Love them and have got a successional plan for next season.
5. Cabbages, still not convinced by these. Although I do have two new varieties to try next year. Will give them another shot in half a bed.
6. Was impressed with the swedes even though I'm sure they weren't prize winning size, but at least we got to eat them which was 100% success over last year.
   
7. The beetroot grown in situ were just sown too late to reach any kind of useful size. The early ones raised at home did well though so they'll go in the plan.
8. Blue Lake climbing beans were a winner, but don't think I'll have room for them next year. Have got Dwarf Bush Bean - Purple Teepee instead.
9. Ahmed's Bosnian Pumpkin was delish however took up loads of room. I may find a home for him on the plot next season but not at the lottie.
10. Find a new way of growing leeks. The hassle of having to weed around them was a right faff, and my nicely prepared holes just seemed to fill up with soil far too fast. Some are getting to a reasonable size but a lot of them still look like large spring onions !
11. Green manure is the way to go. That's one bed I've not had to worry about since I sowed the Mustard way back. All I can see is Mustard, no weeds ! Like that idea lots !
12. Will definitely plan and label better. For all my playing with excel charts, I simply lost track of what was where and when it was planted, and simply MUST find a pen that doesn't fade in the sun !
    
13. Must get the watering and feeding thing sorted though. Everything was left to it's own devices this year and I'm sure with a bit of TLC I would have got more and bigger than I did.
14. Don't go mad with the seed catalogues. Realistically I have enough to last me until the end of time................. famous last words.
    

There's still a lot of work to do, filling the beds with old compost bags and the like, but hopefully the hard part is done (apart from getting the netting and supports sorted and everything else that I've forgotten already ! ).

Found this purty wee pink thing over the back in the nature reserve. No idea what it is, but it's very girly !

Am away next weekend with the A4A girlies so must get up there again today so have another good bash. No useful daylight to get much done after work nowadays and just SO much still to do on the plot.

Have a good one folks !

I made a mistake yesterday!

I went up to the lottie after a good long absence without a plan.

It's amazing how quickly you forget where you're at with stuff after a couple of weeks away tending to other things.

Still everything appeared to be how I left it, so no vandal damage (two or four legged varieties) to contend with.

Planted some more tulips I found hiding in the trug. Filled the trug with spent and sieved growbags ready for the garlic. Another growbag went to providing an almost invisible layer over one of the raised beds. It really doesn't go far, despite breaking your back getting it to the lottie !

Took more netting supports up, but almost immediately found that I didn't have anywhere near enough plastic joints. Thinking cap on, will take up a length of hose next time and cut some from that. Baby Bro donated much to the cause during his brief visit, so I now have three full length hoses to choose from.

We had a new fridge delivered at work in the week, so I grabbed the cardboard and polystyrene packing. Was thinking of insulating the cold frame with the polystyrene and the cardboard went over a couple of bare areas of soil.

Lifted half a dozen leeks from the flower bed because I wanted it clear for the new path. Small as they are, they are destined for the soup this week.

Moved the 5'x5' RB over about a foot to it's final position. Just a shame the rest of the leeks are in the way. Spent a bit of time moving paths to suit. Despite the paths being compacted, it was reasonably easy to dig. It would appear that's I've got a strange shaped area in between the 5'x5' and the bean trench. Can't really visualise it until I've got the last 8'x4' built and in place which will be almost next on the agenda.

There's still a huge pile of cow poo in the midden, so my main priority is to lift the last of the swedes and the cabbages and get the two final RBs in place and filled with the stuff. I'm surprised it's not all be grabbed by now.

Ma and Pa in law came to visit for a chat over the fence, so they got one of the swedes and I brought two home. Bit of splitting damage to one, and what appears to be root fly tunnelling. Still there's enough there to go in the pot and I was more than pleased that I actually got some grown which was more than happened last year when they all rotted.

The green manure mustard had fairly shot up. Keeping a watchful eye on flower heads forming. I really must find out where the mustard sits in the rotation plan and how long I'm likely to be able to leave it before I dig it in. It's definitely an easy way to ignore any weeds that might be lurking, you just can't see them !

Stood and looked at the plot for ages thinking what to do next so turned the compost heap. Bit wet and soggy so made sure extra newspaper went in as I refilled it.

Went for a walk around the site on my way home and ended up having a cup of tea and a chat with the lovely Mrs Minute Taker and her chap, and the Chairperson popped past too. Came away with two jars of home made chutney, a pepper and a sense of well being.

List of things to do before I can put the lottie to bed:

1. Obtain 2"x2" post for the last 8'x4' bed legs. Build bed.
2. Remove cabbages and swede and dig over where bed is to be. Fill both with poo.
3. Find two more pallets and get another couple of bags of post fix to finish side fence and then I can get the hanging basket brackets up.
   
4. Plant garlic in trug.
5. Fill RBs with spent compost from the plot (which is going to take a while as the tomatoes in the g/h are still ripening !).

Things to think about for next year:

1. Build a secure tool store. Everything is just crammed in the corner of the shed atm and now I've used the trug, everything's just been stuffed into carrier bags.
2. Think about the paths. I'd originally thought woodchips, but with the likelyhood of flooding I can see them ending up a soggy mass. Chuckies, pavers or bricks would be ideal, for the central path anyway. Shame I don't have any !
3. Secure the fence that the Lovely Mr Sec has excavated right up to and which is leaning precariously towards his plot.
   
4. Measure up and cut netting from the huge roll that's sitting in the plot shed.
   
5. Devise my cunning planting plan!

I've sown a tray of perpetual sweetpeas (donated by Mum) and a tray of annual sweetpeas at home. Think the perpetual ones will go up the arch and hope they don't mind being a bit waterlogged !

End of chapter.

xx

Sunday - day of rest ? Do me a favour.

I really do enjoy the peace, quiet and calm of early morning on the lottie, especially when the sun is out. The birds are happily playing and you can't even hear much of the motorway that's close by. And then I arrive and stick the radio on but not before I've had chance to soak up some of the peace.

Another beautiful day. Slightly overcast to start with, and a bit damp. But when the sun came out it was fleece off time, really warm. There has been much activity on the plot next door for the past couple of days and they've put some flowers and shrubs into the border. Was going to ask to borrow their broom to sweep my not very neat paths, but I don't know them very well, so didn't ! Will take the spare old one from home up when I remember.

Sawed the final 2"x2" post for legs in record time and bed No. 7 got built. I'm getting the hang on this sawing malarky, obviously. Need to level it up a bit though. Didn't notice until I took the pics that there is a very obvious tilt.

The whole "village" is beginning to come together now though. It may look a bit cramped, in fact it is, but the main path up the middle is wide enough for a barrow (I stole greenhouse John's and checked) and the poo was easy enough to sling on. There will be no turning circle though, so it's a case of driving in and reversing out. Being a woman of many talents, I can reverse - even without mirrors !

The netting hoop support post idea works well. Glad I found that during my browsing.

I made a brick kerb to try and stop the path overflowing which I think works quite well. Ideally I want a fence (perhaps chicken wire rather than pallets) at the front of the lottie.

I'm toying with the idea of a small gate too. Don't know why really except I have two spare short posts that would lend themselves nicely. I'll see what everything looks like when I've got the final fence panels up. I just cut bit lumps out of the turf, slung them in an old compost bag behind the shed. I shall ignore them for a year and see what happens to them. The theory is that I'll get a nice bag of loam.

The leeks are now in the way of where I want the 5'x5' square foot bed to go tucked away in the corner. I want 5 (yes a whole 5, don't go mad now) sweetcorn in the back row so as not to cast shade but where I want to shift it means that it will sit over the path that I've so carefully be firming up lol. Still it would benefit from another good dig I think.

Found another roll of weed suppressant tucked away in the shed, so now I've got all the newly pooed areas covered. I grabbed a couple more barrow loads for No. 7 but could still do with a couple just to leave on the pile until the 8'x2' is in place ready for next years runners. Spread a bag of home cooked compost over the poo in No. 7 (which of course didn't go far) and then came home to a bowl of home grown/made soup.

Leeks, swede, onions, butter beans, garlic and carrots - all MINE ! More than enough there for us all week, don't know how I'm going to get the big lumps in the flasks though !

Overall a very rewarding weekend's work.

This week - the plot !

Sh[t, sh[t and more sh[t (and a sore back)

I made several attempts to get out of work early last week but all futile. So on Friday, ran out the door at 3.30pm on the dot and fled up to the lottie.

Manage to get all of the screws fixed into the last bed (remember, I ran out of juice?), and installed the final netting support posts.

Most exciting of all, two of my comrades told me a load of muck had been delivered, so went to have a look and sure enough a 5' high pile of cow poo was sitting in the midden. That was Saturday sorted then !

Yesterday, crack of dawn plus an hour and I was up there, wellies on, fork in hand, borrowed barrow and shovelling sh[t! Nearly lost a wellie at one stage, but the thought of putting my wellieless foot down for balance gave me the encouragement needed to regain my balance and tug a bit harder at the wellie ! Took as much as I could/was able to/allowed to(? ) and started loading up the beds. Greenhouse John said "is that your pile?" in a "that will never be enough" kinda way. I knew this but my back was breaking. I did go back and get a few more barrows later though and what I've left, he's going to go back on Sunday and grab ! Early birds don't just get worms on our place, they get poo too!

It's about 6 month old cow poo so I've been told, so consensus was get it forked in! Of course, my wee pile soon went down, so will go back today to procure a few more barrow loads for the bean bed that isn't quite ready yet.

There were loads of wee flies though, one went down my throat ! and my forehead is full of wee bites this morning. Just hope I don't get blue tongue disease ! Blue nose - aye, but blue tongue ? Nah - will give that a miss thanks.

Hence the covers over two of the beds to try and limit fly activity. Rather handily, the plastic sun tunnels fit exactly across the beds, so that will mean two rows germinating and once they have, move them on to the next newly sown rows. Successional sowing here we come.

I've also now cleared all the bean trellises and tee pee. There weren't many beans left on the vines, which were looking pretty frost ravaged anyway. Pulled the last of the chard and beetroot as they were in my way ! Have had to start another compost pile to the side of the darlek so covered that in black plastic.

The bed of green manure mustard is doing well and filling out nicely. There are patches where they were slower to germinate that their next door neighbours, but all in all, doing well.

More break ins had been discovered but the only damage to my plot that I could see was a bent and broken swede (which got lifted and brought home for some soup). Dug up a couple of the bigger looking leeks for the pot too.

Also brought home Ahmed's Bosnian which I left to the OH to attack with the largest knife we've got. A quarter of that is also going in the soup. I was quite pleased with AB, being my first ever pumpkin !

Only one fruit off 5 plants though, not a very good return and they take up acres of space. I suppose if I'd paid them more attention (aka known what I was doing) rather than just leave them to their own devices, they might have produced more !

When I decided I couldn't barrow, dig or even stand up straight any longer, I dropped to my knees and cleared the flower beds by the arch and put in mum's primroses.


So the photo is of the primroses, not the path ! :-) I said to a couple of people that if I couldn't get up again, I may just sleep the night in between the beds. lol


Another lovely John gave me a bag of apples, so I had one for lunch. He was wandering around with a bare rooted pot marigold given to him by one of his other wimmin ! He's such a lad.

Lots of birdy activity today. Saw a robin and some chaffinches, sparrows etc but all were quite busy flying about and chiripping lots.

Came home and immediate ran a hot bath, which must have done some good as I have actually been able to get out of bed this morning without too much difficulty.

Next weekend is a right off what with my brother coming up to say his goodbyes before disappearing to Spain to live, so I must get a load more done today just incase the work thing gets in the way again next week.

I hope to get at least one more bed built today, two if possible and more shifting poo.

I love my lottie !

More frost expected tonight grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Right, first of all, Sunday/Monday.

OH came up with me on Sunday to continue with the fence. A quick tour of the locality didn't provide the last two pallets required, so he just put up the last one we had. We're on the home stretch though and it's all standing pretty solid.

I meanwhile, created a bit of a flower bed over by the water butts. Raked out a load of surplus to requirement annuals and (mainly) weeds, chucked on some home grown compost and planted some tulip bulbs that OH's grandpa donated to the cause, and some of the pansies gifted by my Mum.

Then it was a rush back home to watch the football.

Yesterday, I had a bank holiday, so off up to my favourite place at 9am. Started on constructing another raised bed, only to run out of juice with one screw to go. Fuzzem fuzzem. Still, managed to clear the bed where it was intended to protect, dismantled the trellis by pulling it out of the ground in one. If it fits the 8'x2' bed, I'll not bother dismantling it, just leave it laying in the nature reserve over the winter.

I thought that I'd got the beds pretty parallel to the back kerb wall. How wrong was I ? They're on a good slant (which only just leaves me enough room to clamber over the back of the furthest bed), never mind, they're not all getting dug back out now !

Being a bank holiday, it obviously rained ! The early good start was soon replaced with showers (some heavy) and a persistant drizzle. Got another wee fire going in the grate, although newspaper soons burns out and has to be replaced ! Good job I've got a years supply of Evening Times handy ! In the end, it was obvious the weather wasn't going to let up, so I finished off the wood painting in the shed. So that's everything had one coat now.

Another committee member stopped past for a chat and it was Jean that warned me about the frost that we're due midweek. After some more consultation with Fuchsia Bob at work, I decided not to bother with fleecing the Gigantes and picked as many as I could instead. So I've now got a spare room full of beans ! I've found a tasty looking recipe so will give that a go at the weekend.

Also stripped the Blue Lake and runner bean bare. There's still some wee stragglers but if the frost gets them, I'm not too worried. I'll definitely find a patch for some more Gigantes next year though. Some of the pods look huge and if they dry OK, then they'll definitely be a winter staple from now on. Thanks Supersprout !

I've wrapped Ahmed in newspaper until I can get back up there again. I just didn't have enough hands to carry everything I wanted to bring home tonight.

Still, there's always tomorrow. :-D

We've had the first frost !

First thing that hit me yesterday was my poor pumpkin ! I thought someone had gone berserk with the weedkiller.

Then I was told that it was frost damage ! I knew it had been cold during the week, but I didn't realise how cold ! So poor pumpkin was given a bit of a haircut and hopefully will manage to ripen a bit more.

The tops of the Gigantes got it too but mostly they are looking fine ! I popped a trial pod and the beans are huge. I've got to read up on them and see what I have to do now.

I managed to turn the skinny bed round so it looks like it's in about it's final position. Trouble is I won't be able to get in there and sink it properly til the cabbage and swede have been lifted. Gave them both a haircut(to improve air circulation or just to make it look neater - I don't know :-D). And look at one of my lovely swedes ! About the size of my fist I guess.


The skinny bed is for runners next year and I'm thinking I can actually get two rows in there. Being extra deep, and going to fill it with loads of WRM when I ever get round to getting some, there should be sufficient nutrients to house about 14 plants. I'll have to move it forward a bit to get round by the fence to pick, but I think I can do it.
I screwed the fixings in for the cane/hoops supports. Quite a good trick I read somewhere and was praised by one of the gurus. He liked my weed suppressant paths too. Said they were neat !

Got to get some more pvc tubing but here's one bed ready to be filled with soil. I chucked a couple of bags of leaf mould over the base to pad it out a bit and will start filling it with spent grow bag and pot compost.

It was a lovely day, and really warm. Did some more panel painting and had a good hoe about. I want to get the front flower beds done over the weekend. I've got loads of spring bulbs to plant, and get some of the pansies and primroses in.

I got some more posts cut for bed legs and had to start another new compost heap as the fat darlek is full again - as are the water butts. I got rid of the remainder of the broad beans and pulled the rest of the Brittle Wax beans. Will definitely have to consider whether or not to grow them again next year.

Picked another carrier bag of Blue Lake and runners and I could get another cut or three off the chard. The bed of Mustard for green manure is filling out nicely now. All the seeds that I though weren't going to germinate have now. Oh and I had a go at burning some weeds in the grate in the shed. Even the newspaper I tried to light the fire with was damp so not much got burned ! Have left a load of stuff in the grate to dry out and will have another go today!

Looks pretty miserable out there at the moment, so I'm hoping the rain stops soon !

The rain dance worked

So it was rain stopped play up at the lottie. Wouldn't have got much done even painting inside the shed as it leaks worse than a leaky roof on a raining day.

See Plot blog for Sunday's action.

Another full shift

spent painting and building the raised beds. Only three to go now. My sawing needs a little bit more elbow grease. I'm sure it shouldn't take 10 mins to get through a 2"x2" post !

For the past month or so we've had precious little of the wet stuff. That's all changed now probably because it's the weekend and the big man knows I've got things to do ! Still can't complain, everything needed it.

Filled the compost bin............... again ! Tidied up my corner of the shed and the OH took all our remaining rubbish bags up the tip, so we are progressing.

I can see bumps in the Gigantes beans so I just hope the howling overnight wind and rain has left them intact. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the metal fence as well. Clever neighbour has dug and weeded right up to the foundations of the posts leaving them really loose. Should have concreted them in. Just hope the wind blows the fence his way rather than mine !

Picked another bag full of chard, Blue Lake climbing beans and broad beans although this may well be the last picking of the BBs as rust seems to have got hold pretty badly. The Brittle Wax dwarf french beans are doing nada ! Some were eaten (by others) to the point of destruction, so I pulled a few and composted them.

Sweet peas are still flowering and runner beans have a few measly specimens left. Leeks are at the first stages of rust. Keep trying to cut off the infected leaves. Don't know how they'll end up ! Cabbages look to be eaten a bit, and lower swede leaves are like tea bags. Should really take the netting off and have a closer examination. Swedes are definitely swelling and look more like swedes than last years rotten attempts.

It will be a day in the shed today building again after a quick visit to B&Q. See if I can pick up any compost/manure bargains.

Machine gun turrets and barbed wire will be up next

Managed to drag the OH out of his bit early early today, so we were up at the lottie by about 10am. Of course I'd already fallen out of bed at about 5am so I'd already done the B&Q run to get more fence paint, popped past the office to pick up my mobile that I'd left on my desk (not noticed it was missing until I got up), gone and got petrol and liquid refreshments for the day and swept the rubbish bin commonly known as the street. That's twice in two weeks, I've swept up a black bag's worth of rubbish. I must definitely get the letter written to the council and the school. Trouble is, no-one else sees it, or cares. It would only take 5 mins for each householder (or their partners) to clear their bit of frontage, but no-one else seems prepared to get off their backsides.

Rant over and onto the good stuff.

The OH's grandpa is moving from a house to a smaller flat now that he's on his own. It's a sensible solution really, he'll have a concierge and secure front door, he won't have to bother with the garden (bad mobility) and it's near his club which is where he spends most of his time. So Friday night we went over and raided the shed. Got quite a few hanging baskets and brackets (will be used on the lottie), copious different bottles of feed, weedkiller, slug pellets, cat deterrent pellets, tools (broke the spade yesterday though), some half used bags of compost and top soil (I know exactly where they are going), and got first refusal on the hose and power washer when Gavin has finished cleaning the patio before he moves. It was like Christmas ! Will try and keep him in crops in exchange.

Back to the lottie ..... dug a few more holes for posts and got another three panels erected and painted. It wasn't exactly trouble free, but not much swearing went on and only broke one drill bit. Let's put it this way, I will never be the strongest girl in the world, and the OH will never be a project manager.

The panels/posts aren't entirely level (but neither was the ground so it appears), but at least the posts are straight and reasonably solid. We're one pallet short to complete the side run, but have plenty of posts. Each post will have a hanging basket attached (see Grandpa's shed), Need to get some cross members in to support the canes for next year and once the beans have grown to the top, you won't see that the posts are uneven !

Consigned the last courgette to the compost bin (which had sunk sufficently to refill with the stuff I'd left under some black plastic). Took the hoses up and filled the butts, hopefully that will be the last time I have to do that this year.

Managed not to wreck the tap this time. Gave Ahmed's Bosnian a haircut, tidied up and came home in time for the football. Still loads to do (another four raised beds for starters), but it's definite taking shape and looks something like my mind wants it to be.

Another fuscha exhibition to attend today, so will do a bit of plot watering before we go.

Hope yours is good.

xx

The fence progresses

Had a painting night last night which means we'll be able to erect another three fence panels at the weekend. Everything takes so long though ! I need another few pairs of hands, but swanky fence is looking good.

Actually remembered to take pics of the three beds in a row. You can see the mustard germinating in the bed on the right. Don't know how as there's still been no rain despite dark dark clouds hanging in the sky. Must be a first for Glasgow ! The soil is bone dry and I've run out of water in the butts so will take the hoses up tomorrow morning and get them refilled again. Never thought we'd see a drought here, that's for sure.



Ahmed's Bosnian doesn't seem to mind though, and just keeps growing. Imagine what he'd be like if he did get a regular drink ! He must be a racy kinda pumpkin judging by his chosen reading matter.

I could pick the broad beans now, but am leaving them for a bit longer yet. The rust doesn't seem to have spread and they look jolly good considering they went in so late. I really didn't realise they could feed me all through the summer. The chard could do with a bit of a pick as well. As it doesn't keep in the fridge that well, that has to be a planned picking. The sown in situ beetroot are still tiny, but I suspect the lack of rain has something to do with that.

The donated cabbage and suedes appear to be bug free under their netting. They could also benefit from a good drink as well as everything else. At least the suedes aren't rotting like last year.

Just bought a big roll of debris netting off ebay for a song, so will have to get the sewing machine out to get some channels for the hoops on. I've more than enough netting to protect my lottie and everyone else within half a mile I think ! At least I'll be all set for next season ! All you'll see is beds of green (netting) ! lol

One of the strawberries is producing runners, so am planning on lifting those and bringing them back to the plot to over winter back here.

Another grey day today, I'm just about to go out and do a bit of rain dance !

Gosh it's getting dark !

I've been plotteying for the past couple of nights, but wanted to get up to the lottie and crack on with things, so went up after work tonight but only for 1 1/2 hours. It just seemed to gloomy and dark after that.

Still I managed to get the panel secured to the posts and give it a coat of paint. Lesson learned = paint before you start putting together ! Much easier. So the next couple of visits will be spent painting !

On the growing front - there's been precious little rain for weeks now and the plot is really dry and dusty.

I gave everything a good soak at the weekend but the yellow wax beans are really doing nothing at all. Maybe one or two pods but that's it.

The Gigantes beans are cropping well. Just hope there's time for them to fatten up and dry.

The last courgette had been slugged and was going mouldy. That's the end of the lottie courgettes, just got the ones on the plot left now. The broad beans are still cropping and growing which is very pleasing. I'll definitely be getting a few successional sowings done for next year. Will sow some Aquadulce Claudia next month, and followed by The Sutton and see how long we can get the season to last.

Ahmed's Bosnian Pumpkin is just going bloody mad. It's definitely grown since last time I was up. Didn't take a pic but put it on a newspaper to keep it off the soil. Found a wee baby slug so hope they've not discovered it !

OK here's the fence, or at least one panel of it. There's another 6 panels/panels to erect. Once the top trough is filled with flowers, I reckon it will look damn nice.
Imagine some bright yellow and orange nasturtiums climbing all over the fence next year.

Fandabi.

A better day yesterday

Managed to get the exploding drill refunded with no argument (well there shouldn't have been one, but you're always surprised when something is how it should be), so went off up to B&Q and got a basic standard cordless variety for less than £8 in the sale. Ok, it didn't come with any bits or a case, but I can raid the M-I-L's for bits and I've got a spare tool box that's going to be half-hinched for the lottie ! Result !

Weather was a bit overcast and drizzly, but I wanted to get up there and bring home my other bag of tools and a couple of other bits and pieces that I'd left in the shed. I'll not be able to get up there on Sunday due to the fuschia show that my good mate Bob is exhibiting at, so needed to get up just for a visit if nothing else.

However, with the aid of the OH, I actually got two fence posts and got one pallet in their final position. I really really like my window box idea even more now that I've remembered I've got dozens of primroses, wallflowers and pansies to find a home for. I collected the box of primroses from the post office early morning and they are resting quietly in the kitchen. Forgot to take pics again doh ! Once everything has had a coat of forest green pain, it will look fabby.

The lovely Betty had been happy snapping in the week and sent me these pics yesterday which was grand as thinking about it, I don't actually have any pics of me on site. I might have been making it all up for all you know ! lol

It looks really windy and rainy out there this morning. Exactly what I don't need for my drive east, but will hopefully have given all the babies a bit of a drink. Let's hope the fence is still standing when I get back up to the lottie.