Plot 144 - Have I lost the plot???????

As you previously saw from the photo posted a little while ago, plot 144 is a major challenge and not something that is going to happen overnight. Here is a little reminder......

Well I am pleased to report that some mysterious entity chain sawed the trees down! I went to the lotty one day to find stumps! This encouraged me to do more, so I hired some very nice Polish lads to dig out the stumps yesterday morning, as that would have been a job and a half for me. Well I am pleased to say that it is done! No more stumps just great big dollops of root balls!

Derek our on site lotty hero / bramble fairy, has kindly said that he would move the white water butt that you can see in the top photo to nearer the fence - it's full of water snails which apparently keep the water clean, as I am not going to be right on top of the water tap as I am on plot 142 it would be useful to have there.

Carl - another lotty hero / branch trimmer has said that once the wood is dry they will burn it, so that's one way to get rid of it!

I will start to clear a small area - probably this week as I am off work for a week and going to potter around - where the water butt currently is. This way I can get some runner beans in (George told me it's not too late) and also put my tomatoes in there as I now, for some reason have had success with raising the 2nd lot of seedlings (the 1st lot got greenhouse white fly and died) I have them in my coldframe in the garden at the mo.

Wow a whole week off, well actually it's 10 days cause of the Bank Holiday weekend - what a result - a whole week when I can go to the lotty when I please!

This is better than a holiday in the bestest luxury hotel in the world - OK maybe not, but it's my little bit of bliss for 10 days

Photo's of stump free Plot 144 will be taken today (weather permitting)..............

And here they are!

The largest stump & the tree that was (with some rubbish thrown in for good measure)

The old henhouse and another stump.

Mad Idea - new project day.......

What a lovely day we had yesterday! Here in sunny Carshalton, temperatures got up to 28degrees! Of course, it had to be a Lotty day (a) because of the weather and (b) because I had just come across something in a one of my 7,000 gardening/Lotty books about protecting your brassicas, and as you know - brassicas need protecting from all sorts!

So, first it was a visit to Woodcote Nurseries. I was there on their door step at 8am - just as they were opening for the day. It's the best time of day to go as you are practically the only one in there and therefore have missed the Saturday zombies that go there for a "day out!"

Whilst there I came across this little fellow

It's a mini cucumber plant & you are supposed to harvest the cucumbers when they are about 4 inches long, so I bought one as I love cucumbers. As you can see, it was eventually put in with the pumpkins, courgettes / zucchini & butternut squash.

I also bought some netting and some cable ties, so my project could begin.

After walking the dogs and checking my emails, I loaded up the wheelbarrow with all that I needed for the day. Well, I say day - I lasted 4 hours which wasn't bad in that heat!

I arrived at the Lotty and got weeding first of all in Bed 4 (the potato & pumpkin bed). I then earthed up my first earlies. Mavis very kindly left a funny looking hoe for me in my compost bin. This was the one she had been using when she was demonstrating the earthing up to me on her potatoes - how kind was that! So the earthing up was done. I did sneak down to Mavis's potatoes plot a few times to double check I was doing it right, but according to Perry & George, who strolled by, I wasn't doing too bad a job.

Next was the weeding of bed 3. Bed 3 is where I have planted the broccoli & brussels. All the weeds are tiny little things, so it was off with the gloves and down to hard graft, especially as I had the rocket and lettuces to avoid too.

I then went for a little stroll as I needed a break and met up with a lady called Kirsty. She has a larger plot just down the way - this is where the little and large benches are from my previous photos. Anyway, Kirsty was lovely to talk to, and she had a big job on her hands re: weeds, so with the help of Derek (one of our allotment heroes), she was tackling the situation. She showed me her little greenhouse, which is just what I need and probably what I will put on my new plot. In there she is growing tomatoes, sunflowers and a shark fin melon!

I went back to my plot, wondering if Nigel was going to turn up to open up the shop. Ok, I know it's not official on a Saturday, but Nigel will open up if he is on site - the kind soul he is. Anyway, about 10 minutes later there he is, so I immediately told him I needed canes! Out came the 8ft's and 5ft's (oh and a few 3 ft's for the cucumber), and off I went - my brain full of plans.

A few 5ft's in each corner and at the middle of each bed, and some 8ft's cable tied to those, and I had my frame. The netting proved to be more difficult as it was me, myself and I, but I got there in then end as you can see -

George & Perry - our little rays of sunshine - seemed well impressed as they walked past on their way home and said that they would soon be taking advice from me! Ah - what a kind thing to say.

So nearly 4 hours later and I was all done in. The heat was getting very strong and I didn't bring a hat, so it was time to call it a day. I had to return later on, when it had cooled down, to water the plants, but I find that theraputic. So all in all a good day. I now have baby cucumbers growing and my B & B's are protected from the dreaded butterfly pesty.

I'll be off there again soon, and Hubby Ian said he will pop down this afternoon, so more blog to come later!