THE PLOT 1

Regular readers may have heard me mention that I now have an allotment plot. I have indeed worked a plot at the local allotments since late July - and I have decided to include updates on this venture in my blog, as it accounts for much of the produce grown by me allowing me to use the back yard for whatever I wish rather than cramming in patches of veggies wherever I can.

As December passes from the middle to end, I took these two photographs. The first shows the right hand side of the plot from front to back - taken from behind the shed. It shows my third raised bed - currently empty but well manured and ready for 2016 - a manured ready for 2016 patch, path, leeks I have yet to pull situated in what will become my 2016 potato bed stretching right back to the last little area of my plot - where I currently have a half dozen carrots amongst garlic and broad beans - all doing well. You can also see a few of my raspberry canes. I apologize for not having weeded the leeks prior to taking the photo, but our weather has been somewhat wet and windy lately.

This second shot illustrates the left hand side of the plot, from front to back. You can see my giant weed-bin, where I place anything which I cannot put into the compost bins - such as fruit bush cuttings, weeds with seeds, etc. These will eventually rot down or be taken to the tip/burned. The patch beside it will house nasturtiums or marigolds when weeded/dug over.

To the right, is where the former plotster had his spuds - as I dug up many while digging it over. It is now vacant and manured ready for 2016 - except for two fruit bushes and two potato plants which decided to grow themselves. Back on the left you will spot 2 raised beds of strawberries, behind which is a dug and manured area with artichokes and three onions in. I will probably put the rest of my onions here in spring.

Behind that is my cold frame/mini poly tunnel where I have 2 onions, 2 pak chois, and numerous garlic/broad beans growing happily. Beyond that is my fruit bush area and a lump of weedy soil I have yet to address. Fruit wise, I have the strawberries, raspberry canes, a few gooseberry bushes, several blackcurrant bushes and a clump of rhubarb.