One of this years projects was to create a raised bed high enough to avoid the dreaded carrot fly. By pure luck I was gifted this plastic tool store that is the perfect height. I have reinforced the sides to help prevent it bulging with a metal bar, secured through to the outside with a short length of oak off-cut. The lid will come off but can be put back on when empty. I do hope it works, fingers crossed for some beautiful carrots this season!
#allotment #vegetables #growYourOwn
It was time to thin out the trays containing the Verbena bonariensis seedlings. I save seed every year and sew them in these little trays. I always underestimate how much seed I use, so there is always much thinning to do. Got them thinned out to about 50 per tray at this point.
#gardening
#Allotment
#NewEngland
#Zone6b
@gardening
Had a hard freeze last night. It got down to 28⁰F/-2⁰C with windy conditions. Even now, at mid-day it's only 37⁰F/3⁰C in full sun. The heater in the greenhouse was working overtime, but kept the tomato plants looking ok. Here we have 36 Jet Star, 36 Better Boy, and 12 SuperSweet 100s. Still about a month to go before they go out!
#gardening
#Allotment
#NewEngland
#Zone6b
@gardening
The verdicts in the trial of the two children who killed my friend are now out.
The full report, with most of the horrors, is in the link below.
Bhim & his wife had three allotment plots opposite mine. We often used to talk about growing stuff, world politics, his life story (he came to England in '48 and worked on the railway in Kent before owning factories in Leicester).
He was one of the few genuinely kind, gentle, people around. I know this is always said of the dead, but in Bhim's case it was true.
My wife got to know his wife very well when she had surgery and needed some company at home. She's carrying on with one of his plots.
I spoke to Bhim and introduced him to one of my granddaughters, on the day of his death.
The local community know there were other children involved in the attack, but charges couldn't be brought.
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"Two teenagers found guilty of manslaughter of 80-year-old man in Leicestershire park"
Picture of my rather lovely well worn and thumbed copy of 'Grow Your Own Vegetables' by Joy Larkcom. Has anyone else got an old favourite that they keep going back to? I only wish they made this in a spiral bound or at least threaded copy! This book is just the cats pyjamas, she has so much research and advice crammed in it.
More weeding done at the allotment and back home opted to sow more broad beans in pots as we have quite a few mice down there... #allotment #growyourown #gardening
I’ve been so busy sowing all the things that I keep forgetting to post pictures. Anyway, we have achieved full potato. #allotment
I am down at my allotment in West Yorkshire and the sun is insanely hot for this time of year, and forecast to get hotter all week. #allotment #ClimateChange
How many people have got a first aid kit at the allotment? Has it still got everything you need in it? Do your plot neighbours know where it is and can they access it if you’re not there? #allotment #FirstAid
Good bit of work done down the #allotment plots to finish off the day. Got the two spare compost bays cleared of the inevitable collection of junk that appears in any spare space, and got all the home green waste and food waste into one of them... the other is ready to have the municipal compost loaded into it another day.
Strimmed outside the front and back fence-lines... I like to keep a bit of a DMZ clearspace around the plot.
And planted out those seedlings we picked up earlier. Kept the dwarf peas as three bunches in the centre of the bed and popped 5 kohlrabi either side. The spring onions went in as a between-row sowing in the carrot area, where we have two rows of carrots planted recently with a row of coriander between, then there is this row of spring onions, then the next succession of carrots will be two more rows next along in this space, with another row of coriander between. This section of the bed will have an enviromesh enclosure.
Well, had been a bit of a day already!
Got the hire van.
Headed home, a bit of a palaver with some accident closing the A47.
On the way picked up timber for the front and back plot fences. It's good feeling able to spend a little.
Picked up Kat and all the cardboard and compost material sat at home waiting to be transported.
Unloaded at the #allotment where we emptied various bulk-bags to put in the van along with trugs, shovel, spade, and fork.
Headed to Skylark - wow, never seen it so busy, the grey contingent out in force - and browsed plants... got a couple of thymes and oreganos for the raised bed at home, and some spring onions, khol rabi (have never grown it), and peas for the allotment. Plus a restock of bird seed and some parsnip and flower seeds.
Visited the Big Free Compost Mountain and loaded about 1.5 tonne into the van.
Now home, a breather, a couple of Polish smoked sausage and mayo sandwiches with plenty of volunteer polytunnel rocket.
Now back to the plots!
That's me done for the day: planted out 140 onion sets Sturon at the allotment, pleased as the bags say 50 each an extra 40! I should have around a hundred more raised from seed to go out in a few weeks. We like onions 
A bit more weeding before lunch then pricking out all these tomatoes. Phew, tea and a book time!
#allotment #gardening #growyourown #tomatoes #onion
I’ve let a patch of white deadnettle grow in amongst my poached egg plants so it can be an early buffet for bees and other creatures. It’s full of life today #allotment #gardening
I don't recall mentioning yesterday's very successful #allotment trip.
I've put our first early potatoes in - Charlotte again, they're reliable and have a good taste.
The first peas & carrots are in the ground.
I've sown more broad beans and parsnips.
The last of the onion sets are in at long last.
A couple of dahlia bulbs have gone in - I'm not hopeful as they were very cheap.
Sacha has finished weeding the new strawberries,and is now looking at one of her flower beds.
The committee have turned the water on to the water troughs, so I can now water the seeds that have been in for a while (my water butt is very empty).
It was a glorious day to be outside here in the English East Midlands - and lots of other plot holders seemed to agree - I don't think I've seen so many people on the site in a very long time.
Was feeling this morning like we've been neglecting the community allotment this year. We've been short staffed and some of our regular volunteers have been unwell. I had a lovely afternoon down there potting up many things that had self seeded accompanied by lots of buzzing bees loving the lungwort and honey berry flowers. Now have many pots of strawberries, chives, foxgloves to pass on and lots of things are growing happily so all ok. 
#gardening #permaculture #Allotment #AllotmentLife
Finally managed to get to allotment for first time in a month or so, expecting chaos and destruction, met with 3 frogs chilling in the pond in the sunshine, and all this abundance... came away grateful for my past self for bothering to plant stuff all those months ago.
Beet Bear is awake now, and eager to start the season. He was out showing off his new wheelbarrow and gardening tools. He then came in to the greenhouse to help me get started on transplanting tomatoes.Seeds started on March 11th and now ready to pot up in to 4 inch/100mm pots. Got 12 done today with many more to do tomorrow. No sun and chilly temps mean I have to run the heater in there for now, but needs must...
#BeetBear
#gardening
#Allotment
#NewEngland
#Zone6b
#tomatoes
@gardening
Got given a batch of very old fruit and veg seeds and done some germination testing (most have 50 - 70% germination rates which is pretty good). Thought I'd just plant these globe artichoke seeds and give them a try. Seeds are allegedly best sown before 2017. I soaked them for a few days in water and then put in a covered seed tray in my car to act as a mini greenhouse. 2 weeks later half have come up. It really does annoy me the hype from seed sellers that you must use new seeds - it is true for some veg but for most things it really isn't! For anyone concerned about where I'm going to plant a dozen globe artichokes which will grow into enormous plants.. will give most away through our #CommunityFridge and keep one. #permaculture #GrowYourOwn #Allotment #AllotmentLife
It all looks so bare but I have been getting some weeding and digging done so it looks a little more respectable !
Glorious sunshine and so peaceful just bird song.
Nearly ready to plant out some onion sets and potatoes in the next week or so. Potatoes go in around the Easter break here. #allotment #growyourown #gardening
@potterybyosa Mastodon has great gardening enthusiasts, allotment enthusiasts, and compost enthusiasts. Following hashtags leads you to gardening around the world. #gardening, #allotment, #compost, #vermiculture, #permiculture, #growyourown.
@laurenheywood Thank you for sharing the painted rock ideas. We will consider the decoys. #gardening, #growyourown, #allotment
