The patch gets better each day

After a good digging and raking session, the plot is beginning to resemble an allotment instead of a wilderness. I've had to cover the brocolli with fleece because of flea beetle. The squashes have really taken off.
Have been working in the garden,sorting out the compost heap, sowing some spinach,spring cabbage, and radicchio.

Have been busy in the garden this morning, harvesting some goodies and here's the proof and there's more on the way. Fennel, carrots, tomatoes, mangetouts, potatoes, cucumber and courgette.


Disappointingly the 3 Marmande tomatoes that were ripe all had blossom end rot-but managed to salvage half of the biggest which tasted lovely.
Will be off to the allotment to dig more of the cursed couch grass and try and get a bed ready for some early sprouting brocolli and spring cabbages.

The Garden

Having spent a few more days digging out couch grass and sowing some lettuce, rocket, chard and brocolleto, thought it was time to put a few garden pictures in, how many bear earth ones do I need to post!
So here goes, starting with the very first cucumber of the year which came in at 13 inches, we aslo had our very first tomatoes today-sungold and gartenperles, and some spring onions, radishes and potatoes.
This is one of our apple trees, only in 2 years and has a few fruit that survived the storm at the weekend.
I grew some green globe artichokes for the first time and here is my very first 'choke, the other plants don't yet have any flowers on them , still there maybe time.
Here's my 2 yeraold spaniel Ellie sat by the Agapanthus, enjoying the evening sun!
A small block of sweetcorn, which are looking promising.
And a pot of dahlias!

Progress

Seems ages since I added anything here, but we had a lovely camping and walking trip down to Graffham in Sussex last weekend.
Apart from digging up miles more couch grass roots, I have managed to get some leeks and winter cabbages(January Kings transplanted).
Everything else in the ground seems to be surviving despite the heat.

As can be seen from this photo I have managed to dig over the width of the plot. Hopefully over the weekend I will get some rocket, chard and lettuce seeds in for a late crop.

You can see the huge pile of couch grass and weed that is getting bigger day by day.

At some point this will need to be burnt.

Garden pictures

I've taken a few pictures to show how the garden was fairing including my small (and I mean small plot was doing).
I've been up to the plot tonight to hack back some weeds and grass that's growing along the length of the plot, 'tis definitely getting better after each visit. Have some January King cabbages and leeks courtesy of a lovely work
colleague to be planted asap.

the diggers

At last managed to sort out the connections between camera and computer so I've added the diggers in action! Not that we are very clear but it proves we were there!!

Yet more couch grass

After another session digging this evening with the help of hubby, we managed to shift another few yards of couch grass root, where on earth does it all come from. managed to really extend the cleared area this evening. Having trouble with the camera and computer ignoring each other-so no pictures until the tiff is resolved!!

These photos were taken yesterday(9 July 06-but wouldn't load) shows that I've managed to get a few bits in. Hoping to sow some rocket, salad leaves and other bits.
Just trying to mentally plan what I'm going to put in later e.g. fruit bushes, rhubarb and maybe a victoria plum. There are some freebies to be had on neglected plots-I've been advised to help myself!!

One thing I musn't do is forget I also have a garden to look after, I feel some garden photos coming on to show how that's fairing.

The beginning

Being quite keen to grow more of my own food, I've been searching for an allotment to compliment my small plot in my back garden. On Friday 30 June 2006 and after months of drawing blanks I've finally acquired an allotment, in a nearby village.
This site will hopefully record my journey on the way to being able to grow what I and my family want to eat.
I have been inspired over the last couple of years by River Cottage and more recently the Strawbridge family's attempt at being green. Including the idea of permaculture which is a new concept to me.

The plot on day one!

1 July 2006

There's an awful lot of work to do to clear this 60 feet by 30 feet plot. Unfortunately it's full of couch grass and bind weed.I've met the old farmer who used to grow wheat and barley, but it hasn't been ploughed for years. You can't see the furrows from the pictures but it makes walking across the plot a bit of a hazard.

A bit of raking, rotavating and lots of digging will have it levelled out in time.

4 July 2006-The plot after 3 days work.

After a lot of raking you can actually see the earth-yippee!