Triumphantly I returned to the allotment last Saturday and it was wonderful. We are now getting into lock down mode with only kale, beetroot and leeks growing at the moment and everything else getting ripped out and composted or pruned back.
It was a mild afternoon and I was no longer there than the coat had to come off and the work began in earnest. Well, I did have to take my 'before' photo, before I got started. How does Toby always manage to get his bum in my photos? haha.
We took down the bean poles and the netting for the sugar snap peas and then I happily started in on the constructive deconstruction (and you know how I love that) pulling out all the climbing borlotti, sugar snap peas and broad bean plants and putting them on the compost heap. Then gathering all the weeds and chucking them in a heap elsewhere (a lot still in flower and I DO NOT want even more weed seeds in my freshly cleared bed). We had a wheelbarrow with some compost in it from, well, some other time we were there and it was added into the bed once I had everything cleared and what weeds I could get to were removed. Looks good no?
Andrew pruned the apple trees (yep, I know we are a little behind, but better late than never). He also ripped out the old and exploded, hahaha, courgettes and started turning over the soil in a different bed. We will be adding a horse manure mulch to it next and the old bean bed too.
Although most things were looking rough and tired I did of course find some beauty in the mess including some of the borlotti beans we recovered in very good dried out state - perfect for soups and stews or maybe even planting next year :) Did you know they are also known as the cranberry bean?
I look forward to returning and will keep you posted.
Hugs
Carrie
It was a mild afternoon and I was no longer there than the coat had to come off and the work began in earnest. Well, I did have to take my 'before' photo, before I got started. How does Toby always manage to get his bum in my photos? haha.
We took down the bean poles and the netting for the sugar snap peas and then I happily started in on the constructive deconstruction (and you know how I love that) pulling out all the climbing borlotti, sugar snap peas and broad bean plants and putting them on the compost heap. Then gathering all the weeds and chucking them in a heap elsewhere (a lot still in flower and I DO NOT want even more weed seeds in my freshly cleared bed). We had a wheelbarrow with some compost in it from, well, some other time we were there and it was added into the bed once I had everything cleared and what weeds I could get to were removed. Looks good no?
Andrew pruned the apple trees (yep, I know we are a little behind, but better late than never). He also ripped out the old and exploded, hahaha, courgettes and started turning over the soil in a different bed. We will be adding a horse manure mulch to it next and the old bean bed too.
I look forward to returning and will keep you posted.
Hugs
Carrie
Sad today that our Neighbourhood Farm no longer has leeks. Only spring onions. Not a fan, sigh.
ReplyDeleteNO LEEKS?! What a travesty! I have an allergy to onion and though I can eat the green part of the spring onion we grow leeks in the place of onions because of there great usefulness. I weep for the lack of them where you are, tis a sad day.
DeleteWell done, it's all looking and sounding good. Happy plotting. xx
ReplyDeletethanks Flighty - did you notice the appearance of a 'Flighty's Favourite' marigold?? Nikkipolani did!
DeleteHUgs xxxx
Good for you. Isn’t the satisfaction gained wonderful?
ReplyDeleteyes, simply yes, it is xxx
DeleteToby gets in all your photos because WE LOVE HIM! I'm impressed with what you've accomplished in your measly 90 minutes. Those beans are so pretty -- "cranberry" is a perfect name for them. That last yellow flower looks light it might be one of Flighty's Fave pot marigolds :-) I volunteers from the seeds he'd sent that are now getting ready to bloom.
ReplyDeleteAnd Toby loves you!
DeleteWell done you for spotting a Flighty's favourite - they were everywhere but I photographed one :)