Dedication......

This is what I call DEDICATION

Working on my compost bin in the snow!

It was FREEZING

I couldn't feel my fingers or my toes at one stage.

&

My Twirly is missing!! Someone has nicked it. However the mystery is solved......

Derek was there with Laddie and he told me that two sheds had been broken into the night before. Then Nigel came along and asked if I was missing anything - of course, I said yes, my Twirly!! It had been thrown into his rear garden and was now safe and sound. Phew.

It was so cold, even the water tanks were frozen up.

And finally......

This is Ron's plot - can you see what he's growing on his tree's?

It's seasonal and popular at this time of year......

It's green with little white berries

and you can get kissed under it!

Yep - he's cultivating MISTLETOE!!!

What a FABULOUS job so far......

The Compost Bin

My darling Husband, Ian (above), has been working very hard

He has been very dedicated to the task in hand

And even worked most of his day off yesterday to get to where he has got so far.....

Yes, it's the construction of my COMPOST BIN !!

In the meantime, I myself have not been idle.....

I have been shovelling loads of wood chips with Dereks Shovel and Ron's Wheelbarrow to plot 144 - it took about 10 shovel loads to fill one barrow and 6 barrow loads for each pathway - Gym - who needs a Gym when you have an allotment!!

It's looking better and better each day!

As I mentioned earlier, Ian even worked on my compost bin on his day off, and I got a bit worried at around 3.30pm when he hadn't come home but it was getting dark already!

I text him to make sure he was ok and his text back was "All fine, just a couple of little bits to do and I'll be home."

So I go there this morning to see progress and .........

So far really good eh?? I think its well posh!

More from 144

The final bits and bobs were removed from 142 and taken over to 144 today

My lovely Hubby has started to make my new compost bin. It's going to be very posh - with post sunk in concrete etc, so nice and sturdy too. Unfortunately he came across some HUGE roots whilst digging, so I ran to Ron who was on duty at the shop, and who lent me a hack saw and an axe - they soon did the trick.

Whilst Ian was concreting in the posts - he managed 3 in all,

I dug a couple of bags of mushroom compost into my last bed, bed #3, before I started to put my broad beans in. Ron kindly gave me some Italian broad beans, so I thought I would do a row of his and a row of beans that I bought from the shop. I ended up doing 3 rows of Italians to the right and 3 rows of shop bought to the left.

This is me on 144 - Ian says I look just like my scarecrows......

Do you think I do?

I was just going "It's all mine!"

Update on Plot 144

I arrived at the Lotty, after the 7 hours already put in this week at 9am.

Fortunately for me, my lotty Guardian Angel Derek, arrived about 10 minutes later.

Tatty Boggie Gump & Hilda - together at last

Bed 1 - These are my white onions - all transplanted in 144



My Red onions are in front of the plastic cloche which is housing the chilli plants


And in front of that are my garlic. I think I transplanted about 90% of these successfully.







The Brussels and cabbages transported well to Bed 2.

I even had the strength to put netting in place!

Before and After

All scarecrows, Tatty, Hilda, Cuthbert, Dibble, Grub, Daisy & Mo are all on duty, present and correct.





Bed Three - the hardest bed of all. It took me and lotty angel Derek quite a few barrow loads to fill. Between us, several cups of tea and a few chats later we made it.



This bed has been filled with the remaining cabbage plants and some new baby spring cabbages that Derek kindly gave me.

Tomorrow, I am going to have to buy some Broad Beans and plant them

Our Site Rep Carl - who helped to move the raised beds across bumped into me on my way out at aroun 1pm (yes I was there all that time!) He seemed to be very pleased with the results which is GREAT news!

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And finally - plot 142 - farewell, but thank you for giving me the Lotty Bug.

LATEST! LATEST! Read all about it......

Two visits to the Lotty today - One before work - where I carefully transplanted over 80 onions -

Half White and Half Red

I then returned and lunchtime and had to search for the garlic.

I had planted 3 varieties, but because they hadn't quite surfaced yet, it was hard to find them.

Luckily, once I have found one, the other seemed to follow as I used my outstretched hand as a "how far apart" guide!!

I managed to find them all, and only damaged two cloves - I found it amazing that the roots were so long! One of them had roots of at least 3 inches!

After safely trans planting them all, I pulled out all the perpetual spinach from bed two. Some I will give away and some is for dinner - I may even try freezing some -it's worth a try. Then I lifted all the pinks and re planted them in a huddle together as a temporary measure.

I then walked to Nigel's Plot as he very kindly said I could use his Wheel Barrow. When I collected it, it was practically brand spanking new!! Oh no! Why me???

I then proceeded to dig up some topsoil from my old Bed 2 on 142 and barrow it over to bed 2 on 144. I managed about 6 or 7 trips in all before I felt a spit of rain. Had to call it a day then, so i took the barrow back - THANK YOU NIGEL - and went home.

The End

Sorry there are no pictures

Back soon.

Moving to 144.... it's happening.....

Thanks to Carl and Derek, my raised beds have been moved from 142 to 144 - WOW - speed of lightening or what!!

I didn't think that this was going to happen until the weekend, but I got an email from Carl to say "All done" & "Just a few adjustments needed" so I popped down there quickly in my lunchbreak and low and behold it was like this!!

I am so pleased and indebted to them both. I nearly cried!

All I have to do now is to try and trans plant my onions, garlic, brussel sprouts and cabbages.

My Beetroot and spring onions are all out now and distributed amongst neighbours and I will dig out my parsnips and wash and freeze them later on today.

If I can get at least the onions moved this morning before work then I will be very pleased.

Derek said that once my veggies are out of 142 he will take my topsoil across for me to save me having to buy more - bless his little cotton socks.

My husband is off on Friday afternoon and for the rest of the weekend, and has promised to build me a compost bin - one that I can put my kitchen peelings in, along with tea bags and egg shells, a bit of grass, some leaves, cardboard & shredded paper etc. OHHHHHH I can't wait!!

A Sad day at Plot 142.....

I have decided to vacate the plot I share with my neighbour on 142 and move in total to my own, full plot 144!

This was partly because the "neighbour" that I shared it with (and it's in her name) had a little hissy fit over the fact that the chicken wire fence that we put up at home, meant that she would now have to pick up her own leaves (I had already collected 20 bags full) so she took it out on me at the plot in full view of whoever was there, threatening to set alight to anything of mine including my wood store, from which she had already removed all her bits and pieces, my wood that I was storing to make raised beds on 144 and Tatty!

I can now concentrate 100% on getting this plot going as I feel it's always going to be awkward to stay on 142 - so now I have double the work to do!!

As you can see the wood and all the bamboo canes have been moved from behind Tatty.

Tatty Boggie Gump to go next!!

The wood store is no longer where it used to be.....
It's now on Plot 144 with the wood and the bamboo canes!

And finally.....

This is the shed that Brian built - all home made, not none of your B&Q rubbish - isn't it smart??

I think it's super - a shed to be proud off,