Freecycle Slabs

As those of you that have followed the blog will know, apart from the slabs under the shed on plot 1A and the main path down plot 1A all the other paving slabs have been sourced off Freecycle.

This week I saw a posting for slabs in the same home postcode and arranged to pick them up this afternoon when I had my daughter and son-in-law available to keep a watchful eye on my good lady wife. 

There were in fact more slabs than the photo that was uploaded to Freecycle, these slabs are just over 300mm square and I could easily lift them, I have to admit I can no longer lift the 600mm square slabs easily and now I have a hernia I'm very reluctant too. 

The 16 slabs and two kerbstones were dropped off at the allotment, and shipped by wheelbarrow in three loads, with eight being deposited on a bed path one side of the main path and the other eight being leaned against the bed frame on the bed path on the other side of the main path. 

Both will have to be laid properly in a future visit, and I will take the "Worx Hydroshot" jet washer down to give them a clean up 

Looking over plot 2 at plot 3 which is now technically vacant although the previous tenant keeps coming back and is in denial that his tenancy was terminated, John and Wally are doing a blinding job of cutting down all the trees on the plot. 

Idverde is going to arrange for someone to come and shred all the branches and if that does not happen there will be a huge bonfire on Nov 5th this year. Idverde were also going to change the lock to a combination lock to keep the old tenant out of the site, which keeps being promised but has not happened yet.  

After the last five days of rain the weeds in the bed that I was going to plant up with over wintering beetroots is now 105 holes of green weed seedlings, so that's going to have to be attacked with a hoe. Perhaps I should hoe and then just winter cover this bed and keep the daylight off it and look for another bed to sow the overwintering beetroots? 

The green manure in front of the narrow courgette bed is looking lush and has a good coverage of the bed. The second bed of green manure four beds to the right has not got quite as good coverage. I do need to expose and sow some more beds with green manure. 

It appears I have at least another 3 cucumbers growing on the original planting supplied by John, and there at are lots of flowers on the mini munchers but I'm yet to spot any cucumbers growing. 

Note to self for next year; Try earlier plantings and successional plantings to give a longer cropping period.

One of the cabbages was harvested and brought home for my daughter to take home with her as a thank you for keeping an eye on Jen for me.