Another early start was held back due to well meaning and friendly neighbourhood chats ! One mustn't grumble, but I almost felt like thrusting a drill in their hand and asking them to carry on drilling whilst chatting !
Still, eventually got bed no. 4 completed and in position. Digging the channel round the edge took up as much time as putting the thing together. My wrists are so sore that I was having trouble tightening the chuck though, so ended up swearing rather a lot and two broken bits!
Relaid the weed suppressant paths in between the new beds and down the centre as things were starting to look messy. I've only got 13" paths but won't be needing to get up there with barrows and stuff so I'm hoping that will be wide enough.
Had to give everything a water which took ages. We've not had any rain for ages now and that's the two butts empty which means the hoses will have to go up soon. The ground is really dry a very long way down and some of the flowers were starting to wilt.
Forgot to take a pick of the new bed. It was some effort laying it over the broad beans without chopping their heads off, I can tell you lol.
Had to water everything on the plot when I got home as well, so when I finally sat/fell down it was about 7pm. Stuck the drill on charge again and then lit a fag. Smelt this funny smell like burning plastic. Shot up off the sofa looking to see what I'd burnt, couldn't find anything, sat down again, more smelling, looked up to see smoke pouring from the spare bedroom. Jesus H ! Ran in to find the battery charger for the drill had melted ! So it will be back to the hardware shop today to get a refund. Don't fancy an exchange for a similar brand, so my £17.99 bargain is going to turn into a more expensive outlay. I just knew it lmao. Now that I've found how easy it is to drill with leccy, I don't fancy a manual drill though, so just going to do the banking in a mo and find out if I've got any spare cash for a tried and trusted make. B&Q here I come. No doubt I'll get a bag of compost (or 3) as well.
:-)
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Friday, August 31, 2007
As predicted, I ache more
Another day up the lottie yesterday doing building work. Got another bed built and positioned, the lovely John with the greenhouse leant me a sledgehammer to help bed them in a bit. Betty's John also leant me a clamp to help hold the wood as I'm screwing. Very handy and so nice of him.I've still got a nagging worry whether the wood is treated or not. I'm doing my usual and sticking my fingers in my ears and not worrying about it over much though. The paint is supposed to be plant friendly, so that's going to be good enough for me. If you see me around and I'm glowing bright green, don't bother telling me.
There is just enough room for another bed in between the two I've already positioned, leaving a 13" path either side. Will be a bit cramped but will be managable ... I think.I sowed some mustard seeds in Bed No. 2 and had a weed around the leeks (decapitated two of them though) and painted loads more boards.
Having spent all day up there from dawn to dusk, reminded me about growing tall things on the north side of short things. The broadies do cast an afternoon shadow over the one remaining courgette, so it will be broadies, peas and beans round the north/west perimeter next year.The yellow wax beans are really not doing very well, I've got half a mind just to hoik them out when I get Bed No. 4 done today. Now I just need some compost/manure and rather a lot of it.
The SWAA website is coming on a treat so if you're interested in what we're doing, please pay us a visit. http://www.swallotments.co.uk/news.php
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
If I ache this much now, what's it going to be like tomorrow
Up at 5am (as per usual), pitch black outside apart from the wonderful almost full moon creating a really ghostly glow over everything. That's going to be cold out there I thought. I wasn't wrong. Really quite autumnal.
Did the usual copious cups of tea and fags until 7.30am and then packed up the car with just about every tool I could find in the house. Drill and screwdriver both charged, two flasks of hot water, some tea bags and milk, change of clothes in case it got hot (it did), and off I toddled.
It was beautiful when I arrived, a really lovely fresh late summer morning. Naturally I had to take a couple of picks. This is what the lottie looks like at 7.45am.
My car wasn't even the first there this morning! Some other eager beaver taking advantage of the lovely weather.
First of all I got started building the bed with the 5'x5'. Easier said that done. No area of level ground that large. So had to make do with next door's patio. Not exactly level, but was good enough. Still I got halfway through it when I heard/saw the lorry turn up. He must have paid attention to my directions as he didn't hit the speed bump with a screech of tyres ! Made my way up to the gate to meet him when he beeped his horn. Then he came and had a look at where I was going to have to carry the wood to and decided that he could quite easily drop it over the fence rather than leave it at the gate. What a nice man. I said we were quite precious about our fence and bushes so to be very careful. He was. He had been an allotmenteer before he moved to Glasgow, so I think he was quite interested in what I was doing.
After he left, I completed the square bed and stuck it in position over the leeks. Works out quite well there. Will give me a nice pathway all the way round so getting to the centre won't be too much of a chore. The nice ex Mrs Secretary and her hubbie came for a chat and so very kindly gave me a huge trug type thing for the over wintering garlics. I must obviously be making an impression with my effort ! The pair of them are very knowledgeable about the site and I'm hoping that they can put something together for me for the SWAA website.
Next task on the list - build a bed! I actually built this one in situ as it a) fitted b) was easier on the knees. The drill and screwdriver really came into their own. Extremely handy tools.
Would have taken me twice the time without them. Then painted Bed No. 2 with the green paint. Managed to splash it everywhere. I came home looking like one of the 101 dalmations, but in green !
Tried to start on Bed No. 3 but the drill had run out of power, so spent the next couple of hours painting the next bed. By then I was starting to get tired, so gradually tidied up, stored the wood in the shed (there's no way I could hide it, so I'm just hoping we don't get robbed tonight). The only thing I'm slightly concerned about now is how much soil it's going to take to fill these beds. They look HUGE.
The final task of the night was to sink No. 2 bed into the ground. Dug four holes for the corner posts and got it at just about level So here are the two of them in more or less their final positions.
I must admit to being quite chuffed. I'm tired, aching and hands are really sore. I did a 10 hour shift today but loved every minute of it. I picked a handful of Blue Lake beans before I left, and then on the way off site I remembered Ahmed's Bosnian pumpkin that I'd seen the day before. I've no idea what it's supposed to look like, or how big it's supposed to get, but I'm very impressed that it hasn't rotted or been nibbled .... yet !
Got home, hot shower, beer and no doubt I'll fall asleep as soon as I've finished this.
And the most exciting thing of all, I get to do it all again tomorrow. This is what I call a holiday.
Did the usual copious cups of tea and fags until 7.30am and then packed up the car with just about every tool I could find in the house. Drill and screwdriver both charged, two flasks of hot water, some tea bags and milk, change of clothes in case it got hot (it did), and off I toddled.
It was beautiful when I arrived, a really lovely fresh late summer morning. Naturally I had to take a couple of picks. This is what the lottie looks like at 7.45am.My car wasn't even the first there this morning! Some other eager beaver taking advantage of the lovely weather.
First of all I got started building the bed with the 5'x5'. Easier said that done. No area of level ground that large. So had to make do with next door's patio. Not exactly level, but was good enough. Still I got halfway through it when I heard/saw the lorry turn up. He must have paid attention to my directions as he didn't hit the speed bump with a screech of tyres ! Made my way up to the gate to meet him when he beeped his horn. Then he came and had a look at where I was going to have to carry the wood to and decided that he could quite easily drop it over the fence rather than leave it at the gate. What a nice man. I said we were quite precious about our fence and bushes so to be very careful. He was. He had been an allotmenteer before he moved to Glasgow, so I think he was quite interested in what I was doing.
After he left, I completed the square bed and stuck it in position over the leeks. Works out quite well there. Will give me a nice pathway all the way round so getting to the centre won't be too much of a chore. The nice ex Mrs Secretary and her hubbie came for a chat and so very kindly gave me a huge trug type thing for the over wintering garlics. I must obviously be making an impression with my effort ! The pair of them are very knowledgeable about the site and I'm hoping that they can put something together for me for the SWAA website.
Next task on the list - build a bed! I actually built this one in situ as it a) fitted b) was easier on the knees. The drill and screwdriver really came into their own. Extremely handy tools.Would have taken me twice the time without them. Then painted Bed No. 2 with the green paint. Managed to splash it everywhere. I came home looking like one of the 101 dalmations, but in green !
Tried to start on Bed No. 3 but the drill had run out of power, so spent the next couple of hours painting the next bed. By then I was starting to get tired, so gradually tidied up, stored the wood in the shed (there's no way I could hide it, so I'm just hoping we don't get robbed tonight). The only thing I'm slightly concerned about now is how much soil it's going to take to fill these beds. They look HUGE.
The final task of the night was to sink No. 2 bed into the ground. Dug four holes for the corner posts and got it at just about level So here are the two of them in more or less their final positions.
I must admit to being quite chuffed. I'm tired, aching and hands are really sore. I did a 10 hour shift today but loved every minute of it. I picked a handful of Blue Lake beans before I left, and then on the way off site I remembered Ahmed's Bosnian pumpkin that I'd seen the day before. I've no idea what it's supposed to look like, or how big it's supposed to get, but I'm very impressed that it hasn't rotted or been nibbled .... yet !Got home, hot shower, beer and no doubt I'll fall asleep as soon as I've finished this.
And the most exciting thing of all, I get to do it all again tomorrow. This is what I call a holiday.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Busy bee today
Up at the crack of, gave 8 x 5' boards two coats of shed paint (plant friendly), made a work bench (instructions were crap, took me a good bit of logic and a few hours to work it out), went to get a hand drill for the lottie, ended up with a cheapo rechargeable leccy one ! Let's hope it works cos tomorrow the wood is arriving (had a call from the driver tonight - wood will be there about 8am. I told him, once he hits the speed bump - which he will - to give me a toot on the horn and I'll come to the gate. The drill is on charge anyway as is the leccy screwdriver.
Took the boards, paint, compost in waiting, 5 bags of topsoil (for a tenner) and a load of newspapers up there, all ready for tomorrow.
Let the fun begin! If all goes well, I'll have the 5'x5' and an 8'x4' finished tomorrow. The 5'x5' can just lay around the leeks for the time being and the 8'x4' will be filled ready for ...... something ............ possibly the broad beans - was going to say garlic there, but obviously I can't put the garlic where the onions have just come out of, even with a few inches of top soil over the top, I wouldn't feel comfortable.
Oh and I have rust on my broad beans, and a bit on the climbers too .... I shall rid and destroy tomorrow.
Oh, Oh - AND I cut the bottom foot of the front hedge at the plot to try and stop all the rubbish from the school up the road getting caught underneath it, AND swept the pavement of litter AND the road. I now have a clean frontage, I can sleep happy tonight.
Now for tea and then to watch the football. Will be home in bed by 10pm ready for the excitement of tomorrow.
Pics to follow - be sure of it.
:-)
Took the boards, paint, compost in waiting, 5 bags of topsoil (for a tenner) and a load of newspapers up there, all ready for tomorrow.
Let the fun begin! If all goes well, I'll have the 5'x5' and an 8'x4' finished tomorrow. The 5'x5' can just lay around the leeks for the time being and the 8'x4' will be filled ready for ...... something ............ possibly the broad beans - was going to say garlic there, but obviously I can't put the garlic where the onions have just come out of, even with a few inches of top soil over the top, I wouldn't feel comfortable.
Oh and I have rust on my broad beans, and a bit on the climbers too .... I shall rid and destroy tomorrow.
Oh, Oh - AND I cut the bottom foot of the front hedge at the plot to try and stop all the rubbish from the school up the road getting caught underneath it, AND swept the pavement of litter AND the road. I now have a clean frontage, I can sleep happy tonight.
Now for tea and then to watch the football. Will be home in bed by 10pm ready for the excitement of tomorrow.
Pics to follow - be sure of it.
:-)
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Oh much excitedness
Up at the crack of dawn and went and ordered the wood for the raised beds.
Yes, it was about £80 over budget, and yes they did charge 50p a cut, and yes they can't deliver until Wednesday, and yes I will have to be at the allotment at about 7.30am BUT by the end of my hollibobs I will have at least one, if not more of the 7 beds built, filled and possibly planted (if my second tray of turnips gets a move on).
My obsessive compulsive nature hates the free for all of no side beds and with the potential pesky flooding, it will mean everything will drain that much faster.
Monday is daughter day, so no lottying while she's still up here, but Tuesday will be spent trying to make some curved raised bed sides from some left over pvc window trims and concreting a couple of fence posts and then Wednesday will be carting all the wood from the gate and painting with sealant (plant friendly so the bucket says).
I'm almost as excited by this DIY phase of the project as the growing phase and then next year I'm going to suggest "Best Looking Plot" competition. Ahhhhhhh I can see it now. :-)
Yes, it was about £80 over budget, and yes they did charge 50p a cut, and yes they can't deliver until Wednesday, and yes I will have to be at the allotment at about 7.30am BUT by the end of my hollibobs I will have at least one, if not more of the 7 beds built, filled and possibly planted (if my second tray of turnips gets a move on).
My obsessive compulsive nature hates the free for all of no side beds and with the potential pesky flooding, it will mean everything will drain that much faster.
Monday is daughter day, so no lottying while she's still up here, but Tuesday will be spent trying to make some curved raised bed sides from some left over pvc window trims and concreting a couple of fence posts and then Wednesday will be carting all the wood from the gate and painting with sealant (plant friendly so the bucket says).
I'm almost as excited by this DIY phase of the project as the growing phase and then next year I'm going to suggest "Best Looking Plot" competition. Ahhhhhhh I can see it now. :-)
Friday, August 24, 2007
Decisions decisions
I've made one ! No more planting at the lottie until the raised beds are built. Going to pop into/phone a couple of timber yards today/tomorrow and price up either 41 x 8' or 26 x 12' gravel boards plus 5 x 6' 2x2 and damn the expense. If I wait until I find enough suitable skip material I'll wait forever, so as I've got a week hollibobs next week, I'm going to see how much it will be to deliver, get my trust hammer out and start building.
Managed to get a carrier bag full of goodies last night, chard, dwarf beans, the odd runner, lettuce and I cleared the onion bed.
Couldn't see that they were going to get any bigger and I needed to clear the bed. Gave it a good rake and flattened it out and then covered it up. Once the RBs are built I'll sow some green manure in there, but for the time being black is the new green.
The hunions are now back at base having been cleaned up a bit and drying in one of the mini g/hs.
The flower patch is looking very busy and even saw a few brave bees going about their business. The weather has been lovely for the past couple of days, but noticeably colder in the mornings. I just hope that there's still enough heat left to get the runners/lima beans to a good size.
I can't even remember what is growing up the tee pee now, think it was Blue Lake. Picked a few anyway to throw in the stir-fry.
The cabbages and swede look as if they're doing what they should. I've just been ignoring them, so have no idea when I'm supposed to pull them. Will be a while yet I suppose. I'll ask Greenhouse John. These beds are being split next year running cross ways, so they'll need to get their skates on.
I'm going to lift the strawberries and have them in hanging baskets next year too. Think I'll take these home for the winter. Don't know how they'd cope with prolonged flooding but don't think it would be good.
Right ........... must away.
Managed to get a carrier bag full of goodies last night, chard, dwarf beans, the odd runner, lettuce and I cleared the onion bed.
Couldn't see that they were going to get any bigger and I needed to clear the bed. Gave it a good rake and flattened it out and then covered it up. Once the RBs are built I'll sow some green manure in there, but for the time being black is the new green.
The hunions are now back at base having been cleaned up a bit and drying in one of the mini g/hs.
The flower patch is looking very busy and even saw a few brave bees going about their business. The weather has been lovely for the past couple of days, but noticeably colder in the mornings. I just hope that there's still enough heat left to get the runners/lima beans to a good size.I can't even remember what is growing up the tee pee now, think it was Blue Lake. Picked a few anyway to throw in the stir-fry.
The cabbages and swede look as if they're doing what they should. I've just been ignoring them, so have no idea when I'm supposed to pull them. Will be a while yet I suppose. I'll ask Greenhouse John. These beds are being split next year running cross ways, so they'll need to get their skates on.I'm going to lift the strawberries and have them in hanging baskets next year too. Think I'll take these home for the winter. Don't know how they'd cope with prolonged flooding but don't think it would be good.
Right ........... must away.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Hi hunny - I'm home!
Had a couple of days away with bessie mate darn sarf to watch Prince at the O2 arena which was tremendous. We now know how to navigate the Docklands Light Railway so if anyone needs directions - just ask! Oh and don't bother going to Greenwich. Not how I remembered it at all.
Anyway, back to the lottie. Got up there yesterday having spent some time on the plot catching up. Nice Mr Man with the greenhouse told me that I'd been flooded in the morning. Sure enough when I looked down the two post holes (carefully covered with pallets just incase anyone decided to fall in) they were still half full with water.
Still the leeks looked as though they'd enjoyed the experience and Ahmed's Bosnian pumpkin has just exploded. Sadly no fruit growing to speak of though. Cut a couple of rotting ones off and recycled them in the compost bin.
Had a bit of a weed and sure enough there was evidence of the tide line on some of the higher leaves. Managed to cut another bag of courgettes and even some runner beans to take home though.
Thinking about the flooding, I've definitely got to get some raised beds sorted out. Had a wander down the shed on the plot this morning and figured I've got enough cut wood there to make a 4'x4'x1' bed. Going to find some battens and make it into a square foot gardening thingy like good old Mel B suggests (no - not the Spice Girls). 4'x4' didn't really fit into my plan anywhere, but the wood is already cut to that length (well most of it) and rather than mess about too much I will just have to find a way to accommodate it.
Saw one of the chappies building a fence with good old post fix cement and now I've seen one doing it, and what with the flooded holes, I think this is definitely the way to go. So I'm going to dig out the post that's already in and replace it with an 8' one to give me a nice tall fence on that side. I'll save the shorter posts for the front of the lottie. Just need the OH to come and give me a hand. My daughter is up next weekend, I wonder if she'd help. Joke time - aye very good .........
I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed again atm. So much do to. Still it will keep me out of trouble - ha !
Anyway, back to the lottie. Got up there yesterday having spent some time on the plot catching up. Nice Mr Man with the greenhouse told me that I'd been flooded in the morning. Sure enough when I looked down the two post holes (carefully covered with pallets just incase anyone decided to fall in) they were still half full with water.
Still the leeks looked as though they'd enjoyed the experience and Ahmed's Bosnian pumpkin has just exploded. Sadly no fruit growing to speak of though. Cut a couple of rotting ones off and recycled them in the compost bin.
Had a bit of a weed and sure enough there was evidence of the tide line on some of the higher leaves. Managed to cut another bag of courgettes and even some runner beans to take home though.
Thinking about the flooding, I've definitely got to get some raised beds sorted out. Had a wander down the shed on the plot this morning and figured I've got enough cut wood there to make a 4'x4'x1' bed. Going to find some battens and make it into a square foot gardening thingy like good old Mel B suggests (no - not the Spice Girls). 4'x4' didn't really fit into my plan anywhere, but the wood is already cut to that length (well most of it) and rather than mess about too much I will just have to find a way to accommodate it.
Saw one of the chappies building a fence with good old post fix cement and now I've seen one doing it, and what with the flooded holes, I think this is definitely the way to go. So I'm going to dig out the post that's already in and replace it with an 8' one to give me a nice tall fence on that side. I'll save the shorter posts for the front of the lottie. Just need the OH to come and give me a hand. My daughter is up next weekend, I wonder if she'd help. Joke time - aye very good .........
I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed again atm. So much do to. Still it will keep me out of trouble - ha !
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