Another busy one at my new allotment! The list is huge. It’s amazing what you can do with a few hours each weekend.
The plot is slowly taking shape. Some of the beds are still
empty as I have no compost, and I have also ordered wood to make more. But those
are things for June. I wonder if I could do an amazon wishlist for people to buy me things for the plot...?
It’ll soon be time to harvest the garlics, they’ve grown
really well. The leeks need weeding, and I have also discovered mares tail on
the plot to go along with bindweed, couch grass, and creeping buttercup. And thistle.
So I’ve got my work cut out to keep things weeded and under control!
I think I might leave some of the beds as they are for now –
some have had a thick layer of cardboard put down and then a double tarpaulin
to try and kill the weeds off. I have lots of courgette & pumpkins etc to
plant but that’s really it. Maybe some more beans.
I am torn between leaving the beds as they are, or putting
seeds in during August to try and get some winter crops. I am determined to
defeat the ‘hungry gap’ at the start of spring but in all likelihood I won’t. It’s
called the hungry gap for a reason.
I do want to be self sufficient in most of the food we eat
but the fact is, it’s really hard. SUPER hard. Really super mega hard. I don’t
have a big greenhouse, I don’t have a heated polytunnel, no cold frames etc. I also
don’t have anywhere to store produce to keep it through the winter which is the
main issue. We can’t freeze a lot (no room), I don’t pickle things (gross), we
don’t eat jam, and I doubt we would eat dehydrated stuffs either, so no point
getting one of those fancy machines!
Even with running 3 gardens for work, all of which grow
food, I wouldn’t be self-sufficient. After 12yrs of allotmenting I am
still getting summer gluts and nothing over winter – but that was in part due
to the winter floods on the old plot so I physically couldn’t grow anything. I think
you need a lot of self-discipline, money, space, equipment, and time to
actually be self-sufficient in food throughout the year. Good thing I don't need it for survival ain't it.
Anyhoo, what have I done in May?
·
Took the shed doors off and rehung them so they
open without dragging on the decking
·
Put hooks on to hold the doors open
·
Painted wooden plant labels bright orange a) so I could
see them and b) to prevent them going mouldy
·
Put up an arch at the top of the plot where the
path starts
·
Added a second arch to it to make a tunnel, and
then put mesh over them both so I can grow climbers over them
·
Put grit into the herb bed to tart it up
·
Put mint cuttings in the gaps between the water
butt slabs and put grit over them. They’re not growing yet
·
Put water butts up
·
Put guttering up & piped all the butts
·
Repurposed two tables with offcuts of timber – I
am well proud of these! Momma has given me another one to do
·
Watched a ratty eating the bird food
·
Watched four ratties eating the bird food
·
Planted loads of shop bought chives. I love
chives, such a happy plant. Also great for red-tailed bumblebees. I rip the
clumps in two to double my money. I think I now have 16 clumps of chives and no
it isn’t enough
·
Put up a wildlife camera which was a wedding
present. Loads of photos of magpies.
·
Put bunting up
·
Made a solitary bee house using off cuts of wood
from work
·
Fixed the windows. They kept popping out because
the perspex that is supplied is never wide enough by about 2mm, so now each
window has an internal and external frame around them to sandwich the perspex into
place
·
Moved the bird feeder to try and stop the
squiggle getting the food
·
Made a shelf unit – flatpack from The Range but I
love it and I want more
·
Pricked out 133 cosmos seedlings. 133!!!!! Excessive
much. But still, some are for work, some for home, some for allotment. Momma P
has had a few.
·
Bought new wooden crates (The Range) and painted
them
·
Fixed a little tray box thing that I’ve had for
years which fell apart when we moved plots
·
Painted it
·
Planted strawberries on one side of the path
under the arch
·
Made a cane holder for the shed for my long 8ft canes
so they’re now hanging from the ceiling
·
Bought LOADS of trailing herbs to be planted in
between the slabs down the path so I get nice whiffs when I’m walking
·
Planted more French beans as my first lot got
eaten. I’ve planted loads more this time so hopefully some will survive. There’s
plenty more waiting in the wings to replace them. Might need to allocate more
bean space
·
Painted a little wooden tray that David bought
me
·
Planted first lot of sunflowers
So quite a productive month!! It’s amazing to see it all
written out.
Plans for June are:
·
Re-align paving slabs for the path
·
Plant herbs between them
·
Plant out things from home, courgette etc
·
Put up an external shelf on the side of the shed
ready to put the bird & bee boxes up
·
Make new raised beds at the back of the shed and
polytunnel
·
Put trellis or something on the back of the shed
for things to climb up
·
Sow more seed. Carrots, parsnip, salad stuffs,
spring onions etc
·
Put grit/pebbles in the polytunnel around the
paving slabs to finish off the floor
·
Tidy up the polytunnel first to sort out the
timber heap in there
So enough to keep me busy as well as full time work running
three gardens and all the shit that goes along with that too. I am starting to
replace all of the raised beds at one of my sites – to remove two and replace
them with four has already cost £700…
