Thursday 23 October 2008

Autumn

The weather has been seriously autumnal. Which means leaves are changing and dropping and the weather has been unpredictable. It has been very windy, and rainy on and off. Not great allotmenting weather. I still have a stack of planks to transform into raised beds, and although I haven't been down there recently I can pretty much guarantee you that it will be flooded.

So I have been focussing more on the home garden. I have been trying to figure out how to create four distinct vegetable areas for proper crop rotation. Potatoes, followed by beans, followed by brassicas, followed by onions is the general 4 year advice... Not sure if I am going to be able to do this though.

I have planted my onions and garlic in old potato beds. I think I am going to put beans and peas in the onion bed... Not sure what I'll do with the bit I put the bean teepee in though... I really don't have a well laid out veg patch at home. Part of the problem is that we have a big rhubarb plant in an awkward spot that I have to plant around. I think I am going to dig it up when it has finished dying back and re-locate it... perhaps to the teepee spot... hmmm... this will bear thinking about.
Anyway, just wanted to let you see what's growing in the garden in the late October wind!
New onion and garlic patch.

Chrysanthemums


Feverfew


Dead cardoon flowers. New growth just visible at the bottom.


Raspberries are still ripening, and the boys still enjoy them.
Random and late gladiolus.

Wednesday 8 October 2008

Short update

We went down the allotment (dow na lotment!, according to Spike!) the other day and took a few pictures to give you an update on where we are in the process.



Look! A path! Look! Dug over soil! Look! Gravel in a ditch to help drainage!



Look! Old boards out of which we will build raised beds! Hooray! Progress!

Also, Look! No flooding - although that has been reversed due to recent downpours.

Short post today since we are suffering from the tummy-bug that is going around, and GardenBoy is sitting in bed feeling very sorry for himself and I am being instructed to go and get him sustenance. What sustenance for a poorly tummy? Popcorn... Yes, he really is ill...