I Have Not Passed Away

I've just been very, very sick and ended up in hospital 

This was the state of play of the Back Garden Allotment on the 11th May 2026 after I went to Halfords to get cardboard to line the bottom of two more raised beds. 

Due to my Autoimmune disease, and stepping down my steroids month on month, I caught one thing after another and ultimately my left leg increased in circumference by 2 and a half inches, and I was admitted to St Helier Hospital and they found I have Thromboses. 

I was discharged on the 1st June 2026 and today on the 3rd June the photo below is the state of play of the back garden.  

The brambles and weeds in front of the shed have gone mad with all the sun and rain and the grass between the beds is in desperate need of cutting. Currently I can hardly walk and there is no possibility of me getting out there to do it. 

I've also not been down to my allotment during this time, for obvious reasons, and I really hate to think how the bindweed would have taken over everything. 

I did ask a plot neighbour to get my potatoes into a number of the raised beds I had prepped down there and he has, so at least I will hopefully get a harvest.    

Just a little thought for the day.....

 

We Got A Runners Up Prize !

 

I was blown away to find out that we have won a Runners Up Prize in the 2026 Allotment Competition that Oakland Gardens have run and ended on the 30th May 2026. 

I didn't know there was going to be a Runners Up Winner in each category.

Oakland Gardens have engaged with a number of allotment groups and has run various completions this year. It really worth registering with them for their newsletter and updates. 

   

Planning and Reviewing June In Previous Years

 Reviewing the diary over the last Thirteen years for June

2013 - Potting up tomatoes & peppers, potatoes, cabbages, sprouts and sweet corn, dug beds 7 & 8  

 

2014 - Watering system installed on Mill Green plot 1A, Potted up Tomatoes into buckets, installed bed 12, Marrows in manure covered in cardboard. Beetroots, Harvested the first bunch of Spring onions. Harvested first early potatoes from buckets. End of the month bed 13 completed, second bed of runner beans sown.         

2015 -  Not many posts in the blog for this month in this year, it was however my first Vlog from the plot. first year trying French beans the family didn't like them and it they have not been grown again since. Potted tomatoes from vending machine cups into pots that were taken to the grow house on the plot. First year growing Marketmore cucumbers. Sweetcorn planted on Fathers day, First year for successfully growing a whole bed of Parsnips. First year for peas. Cherries on the cherry trees. Sent two Crimson Crush tomato plants.   

2016 - Very cold June. Grow House heaving with plants, Burpless Cucumber transplanted into pots, Tomatoes potted on from vending machine cups, Sprouts failed and I had to buy some. Third sowing of beetroots, First year for celery. Flooding at Wallington Railway Bridge

Second sowing of sweetcorn due to slow germination then the first sowing germinated after the first ! Drying Coffee Grounds

Mill Green - Runner beans planted out, sweetcorn planted out into beds mulched with cut comfrey, Sprouts planted out,    

Spencer Road - Onions, Potatoes, Beetroots and infrastructure works. 

Home - Tomatoes finally get transplanted into flower buckets.  

2017 - Due to wife being very ill and in hospital a couple of times, everything was late and many things just didn't happen. Sweetcorn was sown about a month later than usual, so were Beetroots, and the first early spud in buckets experiment for SoilFixer was also a month late. Very large double size Dalek picked up off Freecycle for Mill Green

2018 - Community work, clearing weeds from plot 4 for Sarah who has burn injuries and can't work her plot.  Crimson Crush & Rapunzel tomatoes planted on the plot.  Lark Sweetcorn planted, Moving slabs and kerb stones from Spencer Road to Mill Green, Sold my Handy Tiller & Generator that I had bought and had never used, Trimming tomatoes and giving a Comfrey feed, Butternut Squash in the bottom of Plot 1. Clearing Spencer Road Allotment and bringing items to Mill Green. Sowed more carrots, Spring Onions in cut down flower buckets, 24th June Cucumbers transplanted, Fixing the chairs, Comfrey pipe from Spencer Road plot set up on Mill Green, Shed maintenance replacing feather edge board, Trees from Jersey Plants Direct, 

2019 - Lots of potting up and growing in the Space Saver Greenhouse, Purchased CMH Heavy Duty Plastic Trays,  Lots of rain and flooding in the early part of the month. The contractor working on the property behind the wall cut down the trees and left branches on my shed. Lots of plums on the tree and the some bastard picked them all!  Beetroots disappointing this year wiped out by the intense heat and slugs. 24th June Butternut squash planted out, cucumbers starting to climb their framework, Trial of Nemaslug sent but they had to be stored in the fridge!, Weekend Heatwave with temperatures in 40C .Watering visits as a very dry and sunny June, Potatoes in buckets drying out very quickly, must consider toeing into the bed next year.  

2020 - Due to Covid and the lockdown I  didn't visit the allotment during June as I was shielding my wife. My daughter and son in law visited and tried to keep the allotment tidy and undertook weed management. All of my growing was done in the back garden.

2021 - First week potting on tomatoes into vending machine cups. Met Jane from idverde and she undertook the plot inspections and served no cult letters on two of the plot holders. Planting Sweetcorn into the beds. Gherkins and cucumbers potted on. Second week of June really hot and dry, mid week watering visit required. 300mm x300mm paving slabs off Freecycle used to make the path between SFG Beds 1 & 2. Making tomato planting membrane for the new narrow beds on the plot. Buying 3" spring clamps to hold the debris netting to the tube was a game changer . Lined the inside of the plot 1 Greenhouse with blue Debris netting and made it look like a TARDIS. Beetroot bed a third sown and growing. Tomato Bed 2 weeded, compost added and plants planted. Path between Rhubarb Beds 1 & 2 weeded and formed. Quadgrows finally set up in the plot 1 greenhouse.

2022 - Lots of Raspberries harvested this year, Onions harvested before they go to seed, First trial of Postiplugs from Suttons, Planting Membrane production, Kelly and Emma cleared Mares Tail, Poor sweetcorn germination so late starting off on kitchen towel in a take a way container, Sowing Cucumbers and Courgettes.

2023 - Trying to get everything up to date because of the proposed reconstruction of my jaw. I have cut back on sowing new vegetables as my girls will want to come and see me in hospital and not be down the allotment planting out watering and weeding. Setting up the Hotbin worm farm, Harvesting Raspberries , Karmen (Red), Pink Panther (Pink) and Snowball (white) Onions and Lazy Housewife French Climbing Beans, Crystal Lemon & Crystal Apple cucumbers.

2024 - Climbing Frame greenhouse planted out and decimated by slugs and snails, Summer Solstice 20th June, Questions when viewing a prospective plot article written, Rhubarb, Raspberry and Blueberry harvest, Remedial works to the loft extension on plot 1A,  24th Yellow heat health alert for the UK, Formulating plan to alter the low framed beds on plot 1 to smaller raised beds,  Arranged a woodchip delivery end of June .Raspberries unrestrained and bindweed knitting rows together, action needed to prevent this in 2025 .End of June excavating SFG Bed 1 ready to extend and make a raised bed.

2025 - Type up info >> 

To Do List  

As only released from Hospital on the 1st and with my leg and foot two and a half inches larger and not being able to stand for long and definitely not being able to drive for a while, it could be a few weeks until I'm able to visit my allotment.  

Mill Green - Plot 1

• Greenhouse 1 - Currently being used to house all the cardboard to be used in the new raised beds, The Loft Conversion is failing and needs remedial works.   
• Infrastructure - Convert standard 2.4m x 1.2m beds to 2 number 1.2 x 0.9m Raised beds with a path between for bed 

Mill Green - Plot 1A

• Greenhouse 1A - Set up more Coffee to dry out 
• Daleks - Dig in the additional Dalek by the Hotbin 
• Apple Trees - Prune & Stabilise
• Grape Vines - Prune   .

• Blueberry Ares - Weed and make a base then fence in using spare panel  .
• Potatoes - All Now Planted in raised Beds thanks to plot neighbour John   

Sowing and Planting Plan for June    

June

Week 1              Asparagus - stop harvesting

Week 1              Cucumber (ridge) - plant out (grown indoors / shop bought)

Week 1              Carrot (early) - harvest those sown under cloches

Week 1              Lettuce - begin to harvest

Week 1              Sweet Peppers - harden off

Week 2              Cauliflower (summer) - begin to harvest

Week 2              Kale (curly) - transplant to final position

Week 2              Plum - prune from now to mid July

Week 2              Potatoes - potash feed fortnightly

Week 2              Swede - thin seedlings in stages to 25cm apart

Week 2              Sweet Pepper - move to final position

Week 2              Turnip - begin to harvest

Week 2              Melons – F1 Mangomel - Plant Out

Week 2              Melons – Rugoso di Consenza Giallo Plant Out

Week 3              Carrot Onwards- harvest as they become ready

Week 3              Cauliflower (autumn) - plant outside

Week 3              Cucumber (ridge) - prune main stem

Week 3              Spinach - harvest spring grown leaves

Week 3              Radish – Sow fortnightly

Week 3              Spring Onions – Sow fortnightly

Week 3              Lettuce – Sow fortnightly

Week 4              Cauliflower (autumn) - begin weekly feed

Gardener Brain

 

You Know You Are A Gardener When ......

 

Back Garden Plot Raised Bed Construction

I laid the last 3 tiles I had yesterday, so I need to go and collect another 44 tiles to complete renewing the decking. A trip to Halfords to get some large lumps of cardboard for the 3 beds I had yet to start filling.

A trip to St Georges Hospital to see my haematologist and Oncologist, good news the cancer is still stable, and my wacky blood tests are down to the rheumatology medication being tweaked.

Early evening alternate layers of woodchips and old timber decking tiles to fill the bottom half of the raised bed no 3 with Woodchip. I have more woodchips being dropped off at the allotment tomorrow morning

A big box from Halfords with enough cardboard to line beds 4 & 5 next row

Beds 4 & 5 lined with cardboard ready for desking tiles and woodchips once I have brought them home.

Carboard from Halfords lining bed3

Alternate layers of old decking tiles and woodchip up to the top of the first scaffold boards

Woodchips watered in and Worm Tower and netting hoops added

Replacing Decking

 

Today I screwed together four frames and laid the rest of the new timber decking panels. I will need to visit the B&Q's around here and pick up the rest to replace the old decking tiles and finish the job. 

I really need to bring netting back from the allotment to stop the foxes and cats crapping and digging in the beds. 

Cold Weather

 

The UK is set to be hammered by bitterly cold Weather in a matter of hours, with temperatures in some parts of the country forecast to plunge below zero. As many as 17 cities are set to see the mercury plummet to freezing levels.

Weather maps from WXCharts have turned icy blue, indicating that a sweeping cold snap is on its way. At 6am on Wednesday (May 5), Scotland is expected to take the worst of the bitter conditions, with Perth and Kinross forecast to experience the lowest temperatures in the country at -3C. Aberdeen will be just a degree warmer and the Scottish Highlands will see the mercury hover between 0C and -2C. Edinburgh and Glasgow will see temperatures plunge to brutally cold lows -1C, the maps show. England will also see glimpses of the brutally cold weather, with Carlisle expected to drop to -1C.

Newcastle upon Tyne and Middlesbrough will see temperature lows hover between 0C and 2C.

Further south in England, temperature lows are forecast to only be slightly warmer, and could struggle to get above freezing.

The maps suggest the mercury will hover between 1C and 6C, meaning millions of Britons could wake up to extremely cold conditions on Wednesday morning.

May The 4th Be With You

 

Twin Worm Towers

 

Following on from bring home more cut scaffold boards and two 12"  300mm lengths of drainage pipe from the allotment I grabbed a drainage pipe and marked 90 degree points marked on the end of the pipe, then 45 degree mid points marked and transferred around the edge

Using the square I marked 1" locations along the pipe 2" down from what will be the top of the tower 

After marking out the 1/4 points I went back and marked out the 1/8 points with holes staggered by 1/2" I then drilled the first line of holes. 

Sandwiching the pipe between two scaffold boards keeps the 4" dia. drainage pipe from moving as I drill, and I'm quite happy with just how straight I managed to keep the holes. 

Sid next door shared a bag of jam donuts with me, so I stopped for a jam donut and coffee break.... 

Before too long I had the first Worm Tower fabricated

Repeating the process on the second length of drainage pipe I finally had the two Worm Towers required for the first row of three raised beds that I'm building in my back garden. 

#wormtower