Wednesday 9 March 2022

Garden Press Event 2022


I had been looking forward to this event, and hoping that Covid would not be quite the issue it has been. Having done the making of Harry Potter studio tour on Sunday, I thought I was up for crowds and the long underground Northern Line journey to the venue, it turned out when I thought of being with that many people in a restricted closed in space, I wasn't.

There is supposed to be a semi-virtual web site that will enable us to make contact and download information on new products and give us the ability to do what we did in 2021 but without any single or group facetime/ zoom interactions, made available after the live event.  So hopefully I will be able to make contact to representatives from all the companies I had made a list to visit, had I actually got to the Garden Press Event.    

Jen's currently having a flair up of her Lupus and the arthritis in her hands and feet and is not being able to assist as much in getting her up and down and Kelly being on her own to cope, Jen was going to have a bed day if I was not there to assist.  

My other daughter Emma also informed us that there are many more people going down with covid at her work (Hospital), the risks just didn't outweigh the benefits of attending the Garden Press Event, so Kelly said as you are up so early, and I'm working from home today why don't you go to the allotment and get a few hours in? 

It was a no brainer really, it's now lighter earlier and I was down on the plot by 7am and decided to come back at around 10:00 which is my normal time for helping my wife to get up, washed and dressed and downstairs, so that's what I did. 

Visiting the plot is good for my mental wellbeing it gets me out of the house to what hopefully is a stress free environment depending on how the natives or plot holders are playing together or not. I have to say we appear to have some keen new plot holders, and of course some that still have not visited their plots since paying for them in October last year! 

After lunch and once Jen was once again settled I went back to the plot from 3:00 to 5:30. It was warm and a clear-ish bright sky. 



There was very little woodchip left in the drop off and pick up area as other plot holders had got to it first and had done their paths. So decision made to do what paths I could with what's left and try to arrange another drop off.

There are people that say don't use Heavy Duty Weed Membrane under woodchip paths use cardboard, however if I had laid cardboard that would have been gone without a trace within two years. 

The heavy duty weed membrane I used is as it's as good as the day I laid it nine years ago and I swept up the wood chips and replaced the paths about four years ago.




Path in front of the runner bean frame done


Wheelbarrow load of woodchip with no leaf content ideal for paths. three paths done and one to go, as time by now was cracking on and it was nearly time for me to leave. The sacks on the right of the wheelbarrow are leaf mould from the leaf bin with the green flexi-trug in it. 


Loaded up the last of the woodchip into my wheel barrows ready for dealing with the paths in the afternoon. I didn't want to turn up and the last two barrow loads had gone.

Home to sort out Jen then returned from 3:00pm - 5:30pm


Runner bean trench dug and weeded then topped up with my own compost from the Dalek that was where the Green Flexi -Trug is in the photograph. new Woodchipped paths looking awesome, and weed free. 


Dalek removed then digging out the compost, bagging some up and using some to fill the bean trench and the high level planter next to the greenhouse on plot 1.


High Level planter filled up with home made compost ready for sowing some Radishes.


Water on the potting bench for hydration the coir as the water is still off on the plot, in 2 litre pop and water bottles.


Last level of leaf mould to be bagged up and the second leaf bin removed before the grapevine goes in on the line drawn on the wall with yellow chalk. I have timber for the bed edging but not sure I have enough woodchip to do the paths in front of the two grapevine bays. 


Timber edging to be cut and installed and the path re woodchipped in front.

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