Scrapheap Challenge

[Jay-ell]

thought you had a week off?

[Snadger]

thought you had a week off?

I have, but i am a creature of habit!

I will be spending some daytime at the plot..........but NOT early mornings!

[Snadger]

Prior to and after the allotment pumpkin show I did a bit of work on the plot. Moved the timber I had lying around and stacked it against the fence. Dug up all my strawberry plants out of the raised bed i am dismantling and also pulled all weeds and blackberry bushes out of it.
I had originally intended to start with clean strawberry stock next year, but as some of the strawberries runners had nice litle root systems I potted up two dozen into polystyrene modules.
I then mamnaged to dislodge one side of the raised bed in question without all of the soil spilling out!
I then retired to the summerhouse to wash, and grade the potatoes i had dug up yesterday and store them in cardboard boxes, all whilst listening to the toon match on the radio!

I also utilised the pumpkin show table by setting it up in the summerhouse. I put all my pepper plants and recently sown garlic cloves (three days in the ground and they are up!)and hasd a general tidy up. I need to have the wooden greenhouse empty for its eventual move further down the site.

[Snadger]

Completed the 'Hanging Gardens of Astroturf' today. For anyone who hasn't been following proceedings, for some reason there was lots of weed encrusted astroturf left on the plot when I got it. I dug it up and chucked it in a heap until i decided what to do with it.
My plot tapers to a ten foot wide X 8 foot high tin sheeting fence at the bottom pont. Not a thing of beauty, but now it is! The astroturf hung in strips like a curtain looks 500% better than rusty tin sheeting! I didn't have my camera but will get a piccie next time I'm there.

I took some bags of sand to the plot and mixed with cement and water in the wheelbarrow, was used to set up two breeze block corners for the new greenhouse base. Took a lot longer than i thought as I originally intended to concrete in all four corners.

Took a big bag of onions home at OH's request!

[Snadger]

Was plumbing in radiators all day at my retirement house so only had time to drop off five scrounged paving flags at plot 24 and sort my chooks which are still on my old plot.. Smashed one paving flag in half when I dropped it!

Intend putting a few hours graft in tomorrow though and hopefully get my greenhouse base levelled,cemented and finished.
I might even ring around and see if i can get a couple of our vacant plots let also.

[Snadger]

Another exciting day at the plot

I digress slightly, but have you ever seen a convoy of wheelbarows? We had one for the pumpkin competition last Saturday!



As I intended spending most of the day on the plot I decided to make a mini kitchen to keep me supplied with tea and coffee.

I found this under the cupboard when i moved it. Not sure whether its a wasps nest or a bees nest. They've all gone now thank goodness!



Anyway.........I nicked a saucepan from home along with a teaspoon and desert spoon! I bought some coffee, tea bags and milk along with a tin of beans

I made myself a little kitchen area, but unfortunately while nailing shelves to the wall, the coffee jar fell out and shattered on the floor. Managed to save a small amount in the bottom of the broken jar.



I spent most of the day mixing cement in the wheelbarrow and got all four corners of the greenhouse base levelled and set in position.

Did i mention the hanging gardens of Astroturf? I had loads burried in the plot so hung it over some unsightly rusty corrugated tin sheeting at the bottom of the plot. Its not a thing of beauty but a damm sight better than looking at rusty corrugated sheeting.



Considering it was the first day of being allowed to burn stuff, the only smoke plume to be seen was from my woodburner

[Snadger]

Finally finished the newly positioned greenhouse base today.



Its been a protracted process and I am glad its over.

I then made a start on demolishing the old leek trench that is spoiling my planned layout. I took the side and the end off it and started to barrow soil to what I think are low spots on the plot.
My intention is to take the other side down, and shift enough soil away to try and finish the main circular keyhole bed. There is one heck of a lot of soil to shift and it is compacted like concrete at the bottom of the trench.




And finally...............here's a piccie of some yellow chrysanths which gladden my heart!

[Snadger]

Went to plot to fire up woodburner and keep warm as the heating is off at home! I was confined to the summerhouse for a goodly part of the day cos it was hissing it down outside.
I potted on some curly kale plants into bigger pots, I sorted out my seed box and burned the ones that were more than a couple of years old. I found a packet of out of date garlic chive seeds so decided to give them a chance and sowed all of them in a nine inch pot of compost.
Sawed quite a bit of wood to keep warm. When finally I put my coat on to go home and went outside it had stopped raining. Decided not to waste the day and try and do a bit of work in the muddy conditions.

I broke up a concrete path which was in the wrong place. Levered up slightly with spade and whacked one handed with a heavy hammer.



Broken up concrete path has miraculously vanished!

..........and reappeared as a foundation for my shed at the bottom of the plot next to the hanging gardens of Astroturf



Last is just a general shot looking from the bottom of the plot with my new (cement still not cured) greenhouse foundation in the foreground and the woodburner chuffing away merrily in the background.

[Jay-ell]

Despite the rain you had a smashing time

[Snadger]

Despite the rain you had a smashing time

Yep, was looking for you but you must have been hiding from the rain today!

[Jay-ell]

At work today. Hopefully the weather is going to be better tomorrow for burning.

[Snadger]

Back on plot 24 again. Barrowed another five scrounged paving flags. Rain,sleet,hailstones, just a normal North East Day. Its said that if the rain ins falling verically its classed as a nice day around here, and its probably right.
Plodging through the clarts and fallen leaves, I managed to get a bit more done. Finished up with a soggy bottom and platform soles through the mud sticking to them though.(Anybody remeber those?)
What has become patently obvious to me is that my plot aint level. If the paving is to look 'right' its going to involve a whole lot of soil shifting and levelling. I'll probably level the five main keyhole beds by peggiing out an X & Y axis in two directions.
I was worried about where i was going to put all the soil out of the demolished leek trench but now I know I can quite easily lose it by levelling the beds (Probably where it came from originally)

Anyway, heres a piccie of results after a couple of hours of soggy progress to be going on with:-



I need now to scrounge quite a few more paving flags but have a few tricks up my sleeve if not!

[Bigmallly]

It's taking shape nicely Snadge.

[Snadger]

It's taking shape nicely Snadge.

I'm pleased with progress and its nice to see something I drew on paper being transcribed onto the land. Still one heck of a lot of hard work to go, but at least I can see I am getting somewhere now!

It would be nice if I could get the majority done for the beginning of the 2017 growing season, as after all, that's what its all about.

[Bigmallly]

I'm sure one day you will look back on it with a lot of pride knowing you created it.