Saturday Afternoon Visit

 

Square Foot Garden Bed 2 with the last of the weathered woodchip donated by Wally added. I round the large weed killer I bought a couple of weeks ago and went around the plot spraying the bindweed where its not in amongst anything eatable. 

Re sown Brassica on the top of the benches, and I have filled more self watering pop bottles with compost to sow more seeds on future visit.

Re sown Brassica Cabbage Marquis F1, Cabbage Romanov F1 & Brussels Sprouts Marle F1, I lmpw they are now a month late but I might as well try. 

Re sown Broccoli Broccoltto and Purple Rain

Lazy Housewife French Climbing Beans turned 180 degrees I have no idea why the row that was nearest the window and light has not germinated apart from one bean.

Four varieties of Cucumbers need to be potted on shortly

The Potting shed has been erected just over a year and the loss of colour between the inside and outside due to the bleaching effect of the sun is quite evident

Mels Mix in sacks around the potting shed to go back into Square Foot Garden Bed 2 once the levels are higher. As can be seen the amount of bleaching of the timber on the front of the potting shed is quite a lot, and I really need to find something that will treat the timber and last. 

Idverde have been and have cut the main path, but did not trim all around the carpark. It's just pure laziness on their part 

Idverde did not trim all around the carpark or the ski[ and we are still waiting for a woodchip delivery.

Idverde did not trim all along the Main pathway next to the composting WC

This is a major trip hazard and is a problem for idverde's lawn mower which is why normally the grass behind the tree root gets left when they cut the grass. The tree root needs attention and removing, of soil needs to be added to the path to bury the tree root. 

Buying Plants Delivered by Mail

 

It's not been a good year for receiving plants from gardening companies, I've received sweet potatoes that were mullered by the delivery courier and the packaging was ripped to shreds and the foliage was torn off, and now I've received this Tomato Black Moon that the courier decided in his infinite wisdom that placing the box on its back in the plastic recycle box in the sun would be a good idea. 

It might have been if they had left a card saying they had delivered and where they had put the package as no one answered the door to receive it, that's if they even bothered to ring the door bell in the first place. 

The companies that send these plants don't water them before they are dispatched as the additional weight would increase the cost of shipping. I did report the sweet potatoes and they said they would re send and I've not received a replacement. I've informed the company that sent the Black Moon Tomato plant and I'm waiting for a reply.

That's me done buying plants via mail delivery, thank God that I'm gradually getting my mobility back and will be able to go to garden centres to select what I want to buy again soon.  

Hedgehog Awareness

I just had to ring the RSPCA hot line as

l found a suitcase full of hedgehogs by the side of the road......

They asked me, "Are they moving"....

I said, "I don't know but it would explain the suitcase".....

Arthritis & Cancer

So today there was yet another visit to St Georges Hospital this time with my eldest daughter to see the Rheumatologist to further investigate the problems that started with my hips and knees during the investigations into my cancer last May/ June which has developed into polyarthropathy which is a diagnosis that means five or more of your joints have arthritis at the same time. It can be caused by lots of conditions, including autoimmune diseases and infections.

The PET scan back in February 2024 showed evidence of inflammation of many joints including the shoulders, sternoclavicular joint, elbows, wrists, small joints of the hands, hips, knees and ankles. This was not present in the PET Scan and number of MRI's I had in 2023 before the radiotherapy for the cancer.  

A lot of blood samples were taken and a lot of specialist tests requested in order to try and find out just what is causing the problems I'm having and how best to treat the problem. 

Regular readers will know that I looked after my wife for many years working from home before she passed away in January 2023 who had an autoimmune diseases called Lupus which is one they will be checking me for. 

Because of my wife's condition I do know about treatments for autoimmune disorders and how they can flair up and down, and the medications that may be prescribed and their side effects.    

I can no longer make a fist in both hands and have very weak wrist, and mobility issues which mean I can no longer climb into and out of my greenhouses as I raised them up on timber frames. I have three options:- 

1. Make steps into and out of the greenhouses 
2. Modify the greenhouses and the door as above 
3. Replace the two greenhouse with one larger greenhouse with a level entry. 

Being blunt, the last option really depends on the results of the various tests and what my prognosis is for the next few years. My current level of mobility also means I can't get down on my knees to weed my plots, and my answer to that is to gradually raise the beds up.

In addition to all the blood test, I also had x-rays taken of all my joints and I have been referred for Ultrasound scans of my joints and have a follow up appointment booked with the Rheumatologist in late June.  

I have an appointment with the Hematologist next week to review the last PET Scan from a couple of weeks ago at the Royal Marsden to see how effective the radiotherapy has been on the cancer, because it was still showing as a hot spot, on the February PET Scan, and to discuss the way forward regarding ongoing surveillance and or further treatment.

All I can say is god bless the NHS, and thank god I don't live in the USA.

I really don't want to consider giving up even half of my plot, as it is my happy place. Getting back down to my plot is what has been keeping me going throughout last year and the first half of this year. 

Bamboo For The Raspberries

 

Todays mission was to take the 2.4m (8f) Bamboo that arrived yesterday afternoon down to the allotment and look into getting some installed to hold back the spreading Raspberries and to keep the paths between them open this year. 

The grass in the Hotbin has gone down really fast, need to add some comfrey and brassicas from last year on a next visit. I sprinkled crushed and ground egg shells for the worm on top of the grass.

Trimmed more of the plum tree that is looking a little lopsided at the moment. I love using the mini chainsaw. 

The remaining self seeded trees to be chopped down near the plot 1A patio and first bed.

The Comfrey has gone bonkers and needs cutting back, and the sheds need a coat of red cedar paint.

Comfrey bed attracting bees, I need to start harvesting some comfrey for the comfrey pipe and the Hotbin.

Path with Plot 2 trimmed up and broken Dalek put in the skip. 

This compost was made with acidic apples and cut grass so the compost should be OK for the raspberry beds. I have a replacement Dalek to go in its place once I have dug out the compost and removed the bindweed.

Plot 1 & 1A Panorama from the path between plots 2 & 3

Plot 1 from Plot 2/3 Path, my son in law and sin in law didn't do a great job of re stacking the timber as they left out the spacers, so that's another job for another day.

Plot 1A from the Plot 2 - 3 Path. The two small beds need weeding at a future visit.

Looking down the main path, I trimmed along the boundary beds, from the main path to the Plot 1 entrance and along the path with plot 2 and from the corner to the water tank and tap.

Bamboo Canes added to Boundary Bed and mares tail and bindweed removed. All Gold Raspberries are multiplying nicely in the boundary beds. There is a stack of plum tree branches that need processing on a future visit half way up the path.

Entrance to plot 1 from Main Path, Black bag of weeds from the boundary bed went into the skip that is still in the car park.

Looking down the main path to the back of the site. I trimmed from the corner of my plot to the water tank and tap.

Bamboo holding back the Raspberries. Just placed not yet fixed to the uprights.

Using Aspirin Spray to Protect & Strengthen Tomato Plants

 

Nice video about using Aspirin to boot the defence of tomato plants against blight, I have done this in the past before the Blight Resistant tomatoes were available, and it does work. The foliage gets greener, darker and looks more leather like.

Felling Trees and Filling Raised Beds

I often forget to take a before picture, but I remembered today and this was the state of play this morning of SFG Bed 2 before I stared adding more cut up tree  branches. 

I also dropped off loads of cardboard donated by my sister who has has some DIY done and had a load of cardboard boxes to get rid off.

Self seeded saplings at the patio on plot 1A and by the plot 1A shed, that had taken advantage of my lack of activity due to the cancer treatment last year, were cut down in order to fill up the bottom of Square Foot Garden Bed 2.

Saplings harvested and brought to the bed to be further cut up and added to the existing pile of branches to increasing depth of timber to the bottom of the bed.

View Up the allotment, now the saplings at the tomato bed and up the end of plot 1A have been cut down.

Bed full of the harvested saplings with another wheelbarrow load of plum tree branches ready to be cut up and processed on a future visit.

Afternoon return visit for an hour and half with Emma, who cleared the Climbing Frame Greenhouse of mares tail for me, whilst I decanted weathered and rotted woodchips dropped off by Wally last week on top of the branches I had cut up and added to the Square Foot Gardening bed 2 in the morning.

Northern Lights

 

More Java Potatoes In Buckets

Seeing the pebble pool working in the sunshine, and Michelle's new bees visiting for a drink makes me smile and happy.

Today on the plot mixed up new and old compost for the Java main Crop Potatoes in Buckets and planted another 16 spuds worth, just a few more buckets to go and the spuds will be done. Photo above Java Maincrop at 1/3 depth of the bucket

Java Main crop potatoes at 2/3 depth of the bucket. 

Bucket topped up with compost.

Buckets moved to Bed 1 on the allotment and watered. Next lot of grass will go on top as a mulch.

The First Earlies are showing now. I attacked all the bindweed with weed killer until the weed killer ran out. Watered the Red Baron onions and reading all the Facebook posts about them it may have been a little foolish to have just grown the one variety this year, as they are prone to bolt, time will tell. Watered the two grapevines.

Win A Waltons Greenhouse Worth £499.99

 

Fancy winning a 6x4ft stylish wooden greenhouse worth £500?!

Thompson & Morgan have teamed up with their friends at Waltons Garden Buildings to give away a quality wooden Evesham greenhouse.

If you haven’t already entered, please give it a go now

Potatoes In Buckets

Again thank to my sister for sorting out my socks and medical boots, early this morning so I could get to the allotment again between 10:00 - 13:30 and worked in the sun (sun block applied) to get some main crop potatoes into buckets, trim the path to the entrance and add grass clippings as mulch to the potatoes, SFG Bed 2 and the Hotbin.

Java Main Crop Potatoes added to the buckets at 1/3 depth of the bucket

Then another two spuds added at 90 degrees at 2/3 depth of the bucket, then topped up to about 25- 30mm from the top of the bucket.

Main crop Java spuds in buckets moved to Bed 1 and watered in then a layer of grass clippings added to the top of the buckets as a mulch.

Buckets ready for mixing more old and new compost together next visit to get more Main Crop Java spuds out of the potting shed and into the buckets to grow.

KC5383 Grapevine Plant - Flame Red (Seedless) Grapevine to the right of the comfrey pipe bursting into leaf.

KA1985 Grapevine (Vitis) Lakemore White (Seedless) to the left of the comfrey pipe also bursting into leaf 

The weed killer has finally worked on the bindweed to the runner bean climbing frame

Walking onion Bed needs the timber framing re installed around it on a future visit.

Cut Branches that need processing i.e. cutting up further and adding to the Square Foot Gardening Bed 2 next to the potting shed. 

Nettles in bed next to Hotbin need to be removed, Grass clippings from my sister also added to the Hotbin today.

Grass clippings over from the potatoes in buckets & filling the Hotbin were added to the weathered woodchips and branches from the trimmed tree and watered in. Coffee grounds also added. It's going to take some time to get this bed to a level where the excavated Mel's Mix can be put back in but little and often and suddenly the bed will be ready to use, and I can move on to sorting out the Square Foot Gardening Bed 1 next door.