Firstly, I am sad to report that both Tatty & Hilda were beheaded the other day, and Hilda's head had been chucked over the fence, whilst Tatty's was at his feet.
Once I had found all the necessary parts, they were put back together with loving care, but minus Tatty's hat.
Needless to say that I was very upset by the whole thing, and went off home to find a hat for him.
Alas - there was nothing suitable, and by the time I arrived back the next morning, something probably bird like, had picked at his brains!!
Enough was enough - it was time for drastic action, so out came a Whale Pot from the Greenhouse (normally resevered for growing Tomatoes, but this was a code red emergency situation) and it was placed on his poorly head.
Tommy Cooper comes to mind - or should that be Tatty Cooper??
And the offspring of one of the triffid cucumbers......
And finally my 1st marrow which is huge. I've picked it, and I am going to stuff it "Maltese Style" for our dinner tonight - can't wait!
We, Nigel & I, spent a little time on "making a start" on Saturday morning, and did quite well between us as you can see.
However the real work was achieved on Sunday, when 2 hours + , 3 workers, one supervisor (Arthur) Laddie the dog, a flask of home made parsnip soup, two packets of crips, some coffee a bottle of tap water and a dairy milk bar later and we got cracking.
(photo's will follow I promise)
As promised....
I am now officially a tenant of a tenant on Plot 121. It's right down the other end of the site, which is great news for me, because (a) I get to meet a whole load of new people and (b) when Mrs. Chicken Wire (see "a sad day at the plot" 9 Nov 2008)turns up to work on her "oh I bought all my plants from the garden centre cause I work full time and I haven't go time to raise from seed" (she shouts this when talking to Mavis to make sure that I hear her for some reason - very amusing) plot and shoots me dirty looks the whole time, I can escape down the other end of the site and work there instead, or use my Greenhouse which is a great hiding place at present!
News now from 144
I arrived at around 9am on Saturday morning and I put in my peas, after deliberating as to where they were to go. These are the peas that my little friends Ellie & Tom planted at the begining of the month. Two rows of support have been put up, even though I don't yet have enough peas to plant out yet. This is because the plan is to plant some each month and have a stead supply, so now there is a new batch of peas in the GH ready for next month! Good plan. Just hope it works!
I then decided that the sweetcorn was big enought to go in too. My inspiration for this choice of planting that day was fellow allotmenteer & neighbour Chris. His parents turned up with a car load of home reared allotment plants of every variety, including sweetcorn! His allotment looks "instant" and very professional already, considering his very short time scale as a plot holder. Well done Chris and I should also say thanks to his lovely wife Karen as she cooked us all the most wonderful dinner that night (so I could stay at the lotty for longer!!)
Half way through the day, my lovely hubby Ian turned up with one of my favourite lotty lunches - that good old traditional British favourite - Chips from the Fish & Chip shop. Mmmm.
He is sitting in my virtual patio using the paving slabs that will eventually help to create my real patio as a table!
Then it was a case of watering the greenhouse plants and seedlings, including the seeds I am growing for Arthur (cos lettuce) and the seedlings I have saved & and looking after for Nigel, aubergines, broccoli, sweet pepper and tomatoes (my greenhouse sounds like a rescue/distribution centre already!)
Sunday - well Sunday started bright and ealry at 9am. Quick Greenhouse check, down to the trading hut to find Nigel my new partner, got roped into weighing up some horrible smelling fertilizer and then off to 121 to crack on as mentioned above.
Exhausted and after a packet of crisps and some water, I earthed up my earlies and 2nd earlies. I then went home for a 20 minute break and returned with a new energy.
My intention was to simply mulch in my fruit trees and water the plot and go, as Mrs Chickenwire was there and the dirty looks had already started! However I got talking to my plot neighbour Paul (144a, so behind me) as he was digging away. I felt a little silly standing there chatting whilst he was digging, so I went to get my spade and fork and we both dug his plot whilst having a nice chat!
During this his son Timmy wanted help with building a scarecrow, so under my expert tuition he ended up with Scarey Scarecrow
What I said would be half an hours digging turned quickly into an hour and a half, but the amount we got dug together was brilliant. Paul was then able to go onto planting his potatoes!
I was knackered after that.
The end.
Oh, sorry, not quite the end - I forgot to mention that once back home, I helped lovely hubby Ian by joining him in a few hours of gardening, as it needed tidying up after the winter, and as we had such nice weather it was too good an opportunity to miss.
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,
This is Rosie - Rosie lives on an allotment in Andover, Hampshire.
Yes! Tatty and Hilda must have started a trend already - well what did you think I meant??? Honestly!
My sweetpeas are coming along beautifully now - I have already picked two lots of flowers - one for me at home and one for Susan next door.
And here is Hilda & Hubby tesing out her new position - bucket all sunk in and about to be filled up with earth.
Ah bless - doesn't she look lovely - maybe too lovely to be a Scarecrow do you think?
Well - there she is - bringing a bit of Glamour to the lotty & Plot 144
Now another glamourous lady that I would like to introduce you to is Mavis. I have mentioned her many a time, as she is my lotty neighbour & gives me heaps of advice, is always up for a good old chat and works 4 plots!!! 4 plots! can you believe that? Well I recently discovered that she grows alot of fruit & veg for her charity work and makes 100 Christmas Cakes every year - again to sell for Charity - what a remarkable lady.
Mavis told me yesterday, that she was 3 ft from the Queen - Queen Elizabeth II - that very morning as she had tickets for the trooping of the colour - a magnificent event - a Royal "must see" and there she was, a few hours later - squishing the black fly on her broad beans!
That's me below on plot 142 watering the Beetroots & Parsnips - can you make out Hilda in the background on 144??
This is Susan's bed with her pink Twirly
My Orange (now Yellow) Twirly is in the picture too. I think we started off a Twirly trend as there are quite a few Twirly's on the lotty now - maybe a scarecrow trend will follow?
As you can see, she has lovely green eyes
Beautiful dark hair, pink rollers & a pink head scarf
Her very own beauty spot
And lovely ruby red lips!
Her necklace is a bargain buy from EbaY in matching pink to her rollers and head scarf
And she has matching pink gloves
There are a few more finishing touches to go - all waiting the arrival of the post.
So what is need now is a name
So far I have the following suggestions........
I know what one I like the best, but what do you think now that you have been given a glimpse of the finished Mrs Scarecrow??????
Your answers on a postcard please - opps sorry - comments or emails please
My radishes have finally made it and looked ready to be picked. I knew this because it was in "the book"
Now that the radishes have gone, I have put some cos lettuces down each side of the parsnips and I have put some more radish seed in the middle of the parsnips to see if they will come up again. fingers crossed.
And finally (for plot 142......)
George one of the laughing Jamaicans gave me some runner bean's to plant out on 144! He said that all I need to do is pot them on at home, bring them on, and by the time they are big enough I would have cleared a suitable space on 144 to put them in - that is after building a wigwam using 8ft canes ( he made it sound so easy ) so I will have to go and see Nigel in the shop for some canes and probably a heap load of advice.
This is Nigel - another Lotty Hero / Mr. Chainsaw / shop entrepreneur
Plot 144 - UPDATE
Progress on 144 - You have seen the top picture before on a previous post. With a little more digging, swearing, numerous cups of tea & stopping for breaks, this is the progress so far.....
Can you just make out the string to the right of the picture? I realised that I had to mark out my plot end as I was straying onto Paul's plot (which I must say is as overgrown as 144 so he has his work cut out too!) I don't mind straying you understand, but when I have 125 sq.ft. to tackle, and I have only done about 2.5 sq.ft. so far, I would rather not stray at this stage.
Now talking of Paul, he kindly mentioned to me that he will be putting his shed on the end of his plot that ends on to mine, and as it was decided that the shed of character was going to meet it's maker on the bonfire that Kermit nearly jumped into (sorry if you are losing the plot at this stage read my early post - Kermit is rescued and Rain Rain go away) I am going to have to get a new shed (probably the more sensible option really) and he said that whilst he is putting down his base (he is getting an 8' x 4') he will put a base down for me at the same time! How thoughtful is that!!! So we are going to have back to back sheds (mine might not be an 8' x 4') which is why I am clearing my plot where I am. There is a method to my madness you know!
SCARECROW NEWS
Unnamed lady scarecrow is in the making, but I cannot reveal anything about her apart from the fact that she is going to look fab.
I have had a few name suggestions so far, but keep them coming in via the comments please. All will be seriously considered.
p.s. our local council is organising a Sutton in Bloom competition - and the catagories are
What about best SCARECROW - poor Tatty Boggie Gump
Anyways if you would like to enter - click HERE for an online applcation form & Good Luck
Today is Thursday 22nd May, the sun is shining and I will be off down the lotty for the afternoon - all afternoon in fact!
This is Homer. This is Romeo, another Scarecrow friend for Tatty & Co that Raymond has made
I was thinking this morning, that I will have to make a Lady Scarecrow - a friend for Tatty Bogie Gump that I will put on my new plot - plot 144 - The problem is, I will need a name for her for inspiration - your suggestions via the comments please!
Just after leaving them, Paul, the man with the greenhouse and the wonky shed that is going to be donated to me and Susan, came by. He commented on my Tattie and how his little girl always came by to say "hello" to him. He then gave me advice on my potatoes, which I was very grateful for, as I have had mixed opinions, so his sealed my mind in a particular direction.
Paul mentioned to me that I had a "web" thing going on, to which I blushed slightly, and as I did not have a pen and paper I told him to get the address off my by from Nigel as they had eachothers emails - another possible fan then!! I mentioned to Paul that I would be taking pictures of my seedlings for identification purposes, as none of the books seemed to have these, so here they are.......
Radish
Beetroot
Parsnips & Radishes
It was then 1245 and I had to go and meet Hubby Ian and my car at the far gate. He backed the car in, and loaded her up with the 4 bags. With permission from Nigel, we left the car by the shop as I had to go and get my bag and stuff. On the way I introduced Ian to Olga (the sunflower lady from Russia) and her husband Julian, who incidently is putting together a shed out of pallets, and after that Ian went on to be introduced to Perry & George, who up until that point, I am sure, were not convinced I had a husband. We all stood there chatting with Carl for a long time. Incidently - this is Carl, who had started to chop down the trees on my new plot 144.....
How very kind of him to make a start. I was worried at one stage though as before letting him loose with his saw on my new plot, he was taking some "shading" branches from the tree next door. This in itself didn't concern me - the fact that he was climbing on unbalanced and unstable looking pallets of wood did! Can I also add, that I am intent on getting this pigstye of a plot cleaned up and I have booked in Derek the Bramble Fairy, Bonfire fairy and digging fairy (Sorry Derek but that was not my nickname for you but I believe Julians!!) for as soon as he has a moment free - probably around September then - I am in no rush!
And finally. I fininshed off my afternoon by aeriating and putting the 4 bags of manure down underneath the holly bushes which are situated at the front of the house. It took Ian and I around 2 hours to do altogether, but a job well done. I then went onto pottering around the garden, especially the decking, which incidently is up for sale on EbaY at the moment, all 330 sq.ft. of it, and watering the pots. I then made a lovely cup of Lady Grey and dozed in a garden chair before returning to the Lotty to water all my hard work so far.
And finally - this is a picture of the wheelbarrow graveyard which I came across today.
and finaly, finally.......
This week is forecast to be "lovely" so hopefully a few more trips down to my lotty in the next few days......
Toodle Pip for now
