Nature's Picking Up Pace

Well, once it starts then there's no time for a breather. The spuds needed earthing up. How high? Where do we get the extra soil from? Is it really neccesary?! Well, after reading and researching we decided we'd do it as high as we'd got the soil for. It seemed sensible at the time, we'll ony find out when we dig them up...


Ron and i decided that it was time we built the compost bins we'd been threatening to do. An injection of pallets from a business on a nearby industrial estate, a bit of ingenuity and some other bits of wood we found on the allotment was all we needed (well, except for the nails, and we found a big in of them in the shed we desroyed). I loved knocking this up, we had no real plan, i just knew that one certain piece would be the back and that was it. It turned out really well, required a mix of brains and brawn and filled a sunny friday afternoon. It'll still be there after a nuclear winter...


The tomatoes were getting desperate to be put somewhere other than the front windows (and i'd heard that a few of the neighbours thought i was growing marajuana!!?!?!) so we had to do something. We cant really justify a greenhouse a rented allotment at the moment so we opted for this tardis of a thing. Aesthetics still on hold, at £35 we couldn't say no. Lisa and I threw it up one rain soaked afternoon...



...and it did the job, 30 tomato plants, some chillis, some peppers and the cucumbers...

The First Attack

So, birds like cabbages, apparently... they seemed to like ours anyway. We managed to save a few, but it was back to the drawing board, or rather, the cold frame, to plant some more...


We had to put some nets up to prevent the birds getting to our litle baby brassicas, not the most aesthetically pleasing thing, but effective none the less...


We sorted out a second water but, with all the talk of hosepipe bans and dry sumers... Water is now becoming our main problem/priority because we have no water supply on the allotment. The second one filled up in no time...


So, more cabbages in the cold frame and a net to keep the pesky birds out, job done for the day.

Time to practice our football skills in the fading sun, just in case Sven gives us a call ;.)

Sun is Shining

As the weather starts to resemble what you expect from spring these days, life explodes around the allotment, the raddishes were the first thing apart from the potatoes to really start going for it.


The cold frame was already proving to be valuable, the cabbages and cucumbers started off well in there.


the tree zone was full of blossom as the evening sun shone through the trees. It's in the evening, after we've done a bit of pottering on the allotment, when i sit down with Lisa (and whoever else may be there) and survey what we've achieved since we started. Attempting to tame nature and using it to you own advantage really soothes the soul. Seeing things take shape, or just finding a delicate little flower somewhere...

Getting There

So, 4 beds dug, spuds coming on bottom right; onions, spring onions, leeks, and carrots are in the top right bed. On the left we have: ( swishes arm in eye candy on the price is right style) at the top we have the pea and bean bed, all netted and caned up... we started them outside but not one came, seems the weeds beat them... we had to re dig and start some more inside..

The last bed, bottom left, is for the lettuce, raddish, cabbage, swede and sprouts...

The tomatoes continue their (fated) development, basking in the sun in the bedroom window...


...and when i see sights like the sun going down over all the allotments, catching the pennines in the distance, it makes me feel alive and accutely aware that i'm on a planet and working with and trying to tame nature.

Breaking it's Back

Ok, so the 4 beds are nearly dug here, still got the bricks on though... a break in the weather gave us a chance to crack on with the digging of the beds...

An action shot of Lisa at work, preparing what will be the pea bed...

Here's lisa putting up some canes. At this point I'd like to mention that I do do some work on the lottie, it's just that I take all the photo's so you never see me working!! ;.)