Polytunnel

We are planning to build a polytunnel similar to this hopefully 12' wide and 25' long. Made out of scaffolding poles, water pipe and polythene. I got the instructions from over the garden gate.

Another boy?

We are worried that Edwina might also be a boy! Louise got out of the run and when the two of them saw each other they squared up and looked as if they were about to have a fight - I'm not having much luck with the chickens so far!

Cockerel

I have come to the conclusion that Louise is not a transvestite chicken after all - SHE is definitely a HE! My son, after his usual saunter to the bottom of the garden to go egg hunting announced that he saw Tracey and Louse having sex - Don't know if his father has had THAT conversation with him yet (my Son that is - not Louise!) but if not the playground has been talking!

Anyway have delegated to my Husband the job of giving Poultry in Motion a bollocking for selling me a point of lay pullet HA! HA! that will never ever ever lay an egg!

If they don't take the bird back & give me my money back we may be having chicken for dinner!

So far the said Louise has not started cock a doodle dooing thankfully and I am hoping that it will wait until the situation has been sorted out.

Greenhouse disaster

Today the mini greenhouse I have in my garden blew over. The whole thing was splattered all over the floor, after much muttering under breath about the undergardener not having the foresight to tie it down before I planted anything into it, I managed to scrape up some of the seedlings.

I salvaged the tomatoes, strawberries, repotted the artichokes into 3" pots after I had found them under a mound of compost, and ended up with a load of jiffy plugs which contain seedlings of an unknown variety, I shall have to wait until they grow before I find out what they are!

Greenhouse update

A proper greenhouse - fully functioning with things growing in it at last!

Yet again today I managed to miss the nice weather and managed to get to the plot just as it was starting to rain - just as well I am made of sturdy stuff! Built another compost bin, emptied out the first one, turned all the contents and them put it back in layering it with two dustbins worth of kitchen waste.

Planted out all the broad beans I had started off at home - more aquadulce claudia and masterpiece green longpod. I was being nosey and spotted that others have their broadbeans planted much closer than I have, might have to fill in the gaps with some more!

The hearting lettuce are starting to germinate - I can never get over the thrill of seeing things start to grow!

Garlic

Garlic growing like mad

The garlic is doing really well - even the Tescos variety which you would normally use for cooking.

Sprouting rhubarb

Rhubarb erupting into life - looks like something prehistoric doesn't it? Tastes like heaven!

more seeds...

Ordered some seeds from DT Brown - Mizuna and mustard Red Giant, recommended by Sarah Raven in her book the great vegetable plot - Did contemplate buying the seeds from her website until I saw the price!

Also bought more spuds - Pink Fir Apple - I haven't told the under gardener as he thinks I have enough to feed the whole neigbourhood already!

Plot envy

Is there something in the Bible that says 'Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours plot'?

This is hopefully where we shall put up our polytunnel if we get the plot - the guys who had it still have not shown their faces - here's hoping!

Hearting lettuce

A variety of different hearting lettuces - not a sprout in sight!

Guttering

In the greenhouse the things I have growing in guttering - Spicy mixed salad leaves, Felthams first peas and some salad bowl lettuces are starting to show signs of life.

Success

The babies I found under the gooseberry bush appear to be doing well - all are producing leaves and don't look at all dead!

Construction work

Today started out beautifully sunny and then by the time I got to the plot, ended up very dreary - managed to get 2 more small beds and 2 large beds enclosed with wood. Got very wet and muddy. Red wine made it better though!

Errr - It's not a girl!

Louise looking remarkably like a boy Buff Orpington!

It's a girl!

Tracey - compare the differences between her and Louise - or should it be Louis....

Scavenging

I was walking to the office and spotted some large blue barrels at the back of the post office, plucked up the courage and asked if I could have them - am now the proud owner of said barrels. They will make great waterbutts and have saved me £40 which is the cost of new ones.

Sowing

At the plot today I was joined by my daughter who actually dug her bed and put manure on it although there were many complaints about the smell! Spent some time in the greenhouse sowing radishes (in orange tray), spring onions (in the blue crates) and carrotts (in the grey tub).

Also sowed hearting lettuce and beetroot into modules and salad bowl lettuce, mixed spicy leaves and early peas into gutters.

Spuds spuds and more spuds

Just a few potatoes chitting! - eventually got round to picking up my seed potatoes and was rather perterbed to see just how many I ordered - looks like I might have a tad too many!

Shopping

Went to the local garden centre and did what a girl is best at! - SHOPPING - and bought jiffy pellets, seeds: Borlotti bean, lettuce can can, salad bowl and cocarde, American land cress, salad rocket, and flat leaved parsley, I could have spent a fortune but I restrained myself - Just!

Comfrey

Comfrey starting to poke it's leaves throught the soil at last

Arial view

This an arial view of my allotments - hopefully will be swapping plot 44 for 47. Normally the playing fields are empty but the rows and rows of cars you can see are parked there as it is the Cambridge Folk Festival - This Photo must have been taken in July 2004.

Expanding the empire

Today there was a bitter wind but the sun was shining again - I went to the plot aiming to plant onion sets and carrotts - only I had to dig the bed first. Hard work it was too. Discussed what I was going to do today woth one of the chaps whose plot is near mine - when I said I was going to sow carrots his eyebrows went rapidly heavenward - hastily I added that I would be putting some fleece over them - I then had to find the blooming stuff, cut it to the right size and try to anchour it, when all it wanted to do was go sailing towards Gt Shelford...

This is the next door plot (photo taken last summer) and I heard that the guys who have it might give it up - they got theirs just before I got my plot. I now have first refusal on it which is great as it will not take too much work to knock it into shape - here's hoping!

Tracey again

Tracey looking marginally less down trodden, inside the run - safe from the terrible trio!

Tracey is the tamest and I think the cleverest - she knows exactly what the scoop looks like that I bring out the grain in. I put it on top of the run and she was trying to knock it off with her beak - the others did not have a clue until I scattered the grain in the floor. Tracey also doesn't run away when you try to pick her up as do the terrible trio!

Louise

Louise - Tracey Beaker's best friend!!

Hen House mark2

Hen House mark2

Tracey Beaker

Tracey Beaker - who wouldn't pose for the camera!

Fully Glazed!

The greenhouse - full glazed. Very toasty it was in there - particularly good when having a well deserved sit down and cup of coffee! - I might actually grow some plants in it eventually!

Gooseberry bushes

Look what I found under the gooseberry bushes...........more gooseberry bushes!!

The bottom end of the plot - The two gooseberry bushes at the back were completely covered in brambles - so they were liberated and pruned - as were the gooseberry and black currant bush in the front left. The other four bushes were off shoots that had rooted themselves from the main bushes which I dug up and replanted. I then mulched the lot with horse manure. It started snowing whilst I was lobbing about horse muck - but I did not weaken - I went for a coffee break!

Blooming birds

A cold but sunny day today. Managed to get to the plot by lunchtime, Unloaded the horse manure, compost, liquid feed and bits of gutter from the car (the car stank). As time goes on I think my plot is getting more and more like Steptoe and Son's yard (minus the horse - but I do have it's poo!)
Had to cover the spring cabbage - the birds have been at the brassicas!

Terrible Trio

The 'Terrible Trio' Pepper, Florentine and Edwina

Edwina

Edwina is the bravest chicken and the nosiest, She is always the first to explore a new area, although she is at the bottom of the pecking order of the 'terrible trio'

Pepper

Pepper is very definitely first in the pecking order - She had been laying some eggs but now she is having a rest!

Florentine

Presenting.......Florentine - who is second in the pecking order, although she did most of the bullying of Tracey Beaker - must be the red hair!

OOPS

I went out for a meal with the guys from work to celebrate my birthday and forgot to tell anyone to bring my seedlings in that I am hardening off - My artichoke seedlings are now looking very sorry for themselves - managed to salvage about half of them. Thankfully the other seedlings seem to be doing ok though.