Sunday 14th July 2013

Up at the crack of dawn (lucky Dawn  ) and over the allotment by 6:30 this morning as I wanted to start digging bed 9 in the shade and before the sun came around.  I was working with a pick axe as the soil is so hard I cant touch it with a fork, and was doing well until the head started to slip down the wooden handle. So I knocked it back down and dropped the pick axe in the water trough so that it will swell up and grab the head once more.I dug up some first early potatoes and was given the courgettes by John and I gave him some of my excess brassicas, that's what I like about allotmenteers they are always happy to share young plants or harvest when they get an excess of good fortune.

I saw Mr fox this morning and then found the little (darling) had pulled my nets out again - I sounded like Muttley cursing to himself indistinctly.

I could not find the cabbage collars I've obviously put them in a safe place.
Made up a short length of pipe with a stop fitting so I can unplug the grape soaker and increase the water pressure, and watered Bed 7 and 8 the tomatoes and the peppers.

Decanted the Comfrey into a bottle and disposed of the solids in the composter
Cut more Comfrey and started off a new batch

Then I attacked the hillock between the path and Bed 7 as Bed 9 will need some filling (a little bit of civil engineering cut and fill going on I think) and I couldn't use the pick axe. I sieved and weeded the hillock and dumped the resulting soil at the end of Bed 9.

Bob Arrived and then Andy and they both proceeded to strip off and work, but by then I had done 5 hours, I was getting hot and bothered and decided to call it a day (possibly a morning as I may return tonight to water and perhaps bring some of the tomatoes over from home)

 

Captains Log (Supplemental)

An evening visit with my Triffid to water the allotment and pot up three tomato plants and four peppers that are now on the carpet patio area - Soaked the pick axe again whilst we were there. Also took an old parasol and base up for Jen

Andy was there watering as we arrived and Keith turned up to do the same as we left.