Saving water

As we seem to be experiencing a rather wet summer so far, I thought it best that we actually made good use of all this water falling from the sky and install a large water butt.

There was plenty of old drain pipe and guttering lying around (some had been used earlier to sow the peas) so we were able to re-use and recycle those, but unfortunately it was a trip to a DIY store to get the fixtures and fittings as the ones on site were well past their best.

With more than a little help from my Dad and David, I've now managed to get the whole thing up and running and, sad as I am, have just been standing out in the rain checking it was working...and I'm pleased to report that it's filling up fast. This is great, as not only is it saving water (not that we're in for a hosepipe ban anytime soon up here) it also saves us a walk to the communal tap, which is a fair stroll away.

Today has been very water themed, as I've been busy connecting the Big Drippa (a black plastic bag attached to a hose, with nozzles that take water to each plant along the line) in the polytunnel. It seems to be working fine on the courgettes, apart from the very end of the hose, which doesn't seem to be getting water. I think I may have been a little ambitious trying to make the hose go around the bed rather than in a straight line, so I may have to re-think that approach.

The tomatoes are also coming along well under plastic and once I finally get the right nuts and bolts for the staging, that will be up and ready for more seed trays.



Inbetween the showers, I managed to hoe and weed the pea/bean bed, after putting in new supports (making hoops out of dried willow) for the peas, which had been flattened by the wind and rain. The garden's looking very green, which is good, but needs a bit of colour, so I'm hoping the sweet peas and nasturiums will burst into bloom soon. I've also planted some cornflowers and echium alongside the beans to add a spot of colour in a few weeks time.



The asparagus/strawberry bed is now beautifully weeded (might last a week!) and we've got a bird feeder and bird bath (recycled old wok lid and an old hanging basket base and chain).

Yesterday Peter and I did some more weeding, re-potted some tomatoes and sowed some more salads and herbs in the raised bed which will hopefully not get dug up by the cats this time.


I was weaving in the willow on the dome in the rain, as you do, when this chap fell on my head. It's a pretty alien looking caterpillar and I had trouble identifying it but I think it's The Vapourer moth, a suitably fantastic sounding name for such a prickly customer. It's unusual in that it flies during the day, and therefore is sometimes mistaken for a brown butterfly, or a LBJ (Little Brown Jobbie) as it's often known;)

Green manures

I've read a lot about green manures but never tried them before, so the brassica bed provided the ideal spot to experiment. I've planted winter tares (common vetch) which, despite its name, can be planted earlier in the year.

The benefits of using green manures in crop rotation are numerous - they cover the ground while there's no other crops on so help keep the weeds down and stop the nutrients washing out of the soil.

They improve the soil structure and have a fantastic roots system which can pull up nutrients from deep down in the ground for use by other crops. I'm using the vetch as its particularly good at fixing nitrogen - ideal for the brassicas to follow. There are a few other weeds still in there, but I keep pulling them out (all but the purple dead nettle as the bees love it and I can't bring myself to deprive them of it).

It's grown an amazing amount in the past few weeks due to the amount of rain we've had and will soon be tall enough to cut down and dig into the soil.

Produce and pathways

The Greenfingers Club picked their first crops this week - spring cabbage and spinach - and also took some radishes from elsewhere on the allotment to take back to school.

It was a beautiful afternoon on Wednesday and a pleasant change to be enjoying the sunshine and actually feeling a little too hot while working. After a bit of ground preparation and removing most of the weeds, we sowed the wildflower meadow near the willow dome, using sand at the same time so we could track where we'd already thrown the seeds!

I also spent some time tying in the hops to the wire, and adding a few more wires where the plants were too far away from the existing ones, which took some time and resulted in a lot of stinging, as the hop leaves look amazingly like nettles and vice-versa.

Ian dropped into the allotment on Thursday to start making benches, which is great as we're very much a work space at the moment, with nowhere for people to just come along and sit and chat, which is a vital part of the garden.

We also dug up some foxgloves from up the lane to add to our nectar bar, which was an alarming trip back down for Ian who had bees buzzzing in and out of the flowers and around his ears as he carried them :)

It was an early start for the workmen on the allotment today to compact the path a bit more as it's been becoming more of a liability lately as the larger stones were all coming up and causing a serious trip hazard. There's still some larger stones around the edges, but it looks a lot better and I think it will help get more people on the site safely.

Time to build an ark

Today the rain didn't stop. Just like the last three days, actually. And as all good gardeners will tell you, it's great for the soil, but you can get too much of a good thing, and I've about reached my limit. And as for the height of the weeds...


But, like the trouper he is, Peter still turned up and was at the gate before me in the rain, keen to get going. I was so grateful we got the plastic on the polytunnel a few weeks back or we would have been truly stuffed.


So, on with planting our tomatoes that were straining at the lease to get out of their pots and into the border soil - some Lily of the Valley and Purple Calabash, both organic and the latter a heritage variety. There was also just enough space for the organic Panthenon and Tri-colour (I think? I'll have to check that) courgettes.


The plan was to put the staging up, but there were no bolts included, and I'm kicking myself as I forgot to check they were in there, and as many months have passed, I think I'm unlikely to have any joy there, so off to get some more.


In between getting thoroughly soaked and several cups of tea, we managed to take some cuttings of the lemon mint and geranium (not convinced they will work, but worth a try) and give loads of pots a good wash, ready for new plants, and also sow (late) seeds for Long Purple aubergines and some Trifetti peppers (heritage) and Oakleaf lettuce.


We called it a day at 1.30pm; time to have a well deserved lunch, yet another cup of tea to warm up (well it is June) and a long, hot (not power) shower :)

Our first impromptu picnic

I'd shut up the garden this afternoon to try (without much success) to get some essential, but not so interesting, admin done along with a few household chores as, due to the weather being so good lately, I've just been on the allotment and neglecting the house. Hey, it happens ;)


But, as I was hanging out the washing I heard some small voices and another voice saying 'well, we'll have to come back another day'. I couldn't risk disappointing small visitors, so I dashed back in to get the key, unlocked the gate and followed them up the path, where luckily they'd been delayed by long-time allotment holder Alan, who also helps out with the school's Green Fingers Club on a Wednesday


So, after a quick tour of his polytunnels, it was back to the garden for a picnic and a record-breaking nine five-year-olds sat in the willow dome...