Hungerford allotment blog - grow your own, harvesting and vegetarian cooking. Enjoying allotment wildlife, weather and other things that catch my attention.
Enjoying time on the Marsh Lane Allotment site in Hungerford, Berkshire.
A record of successes, failures and a handy reminder for me.
From 2017 each post title brings a song to add a little extra music to the world - enjoy!
Friday was a beautiful day and I was off work - hooray - so we spent a few hours on the plot.
I collected two bagfuls of grounds from the coffee lounge at work - we get through a lot of coffee each day! I added some to the compost bins which are still housing rats because I
still need to mix them up a bit. Apparently rats don't like coffee,
though they like everything else I put in the bins.
Jamie cleared the plot where the potatoes will be planted.
Then he dug in some 6x and the coffee grounds - hopefully a slug deterrent and a bit of acidity to prevent scab...
Voila! A lovely dug plot and a painful Jamie - it's hard on the back/knees/arms/hands for these first few plot visits of the year!
While Jamie did that, I worked on the raised bed. Lots of weeding.
And now it's ready to become a salad bed.
No sign of the broad beans yet, but the marigold and salad seedlings are on their way, in the greenhouse.
Look at the temperature range in there!
On Saturday we arrived on the plot just in time for a little lunchtime soiree with David and Ivan and some of Ivan's home-made wine. The blackberry and apple was delicious with some crisps and olives. We did manage to do a bit of allotmenting afterwards - I planted up 5 tubs with Summer bulbs - hopefully they'll be in full flower for our fete on July 7th. And I also planted the five Chinese Lantern plants by the greenhouse. Hoping all these can survive the chilly nights.
No frogspawn has arrived (I may bring some in from elsewhere), so Alfie provided us with some cheer for our little pond.. unfortunately the little boat didn't float so I had to balance it against the edge :-)
And that is the reason for the song title <ahem - poetic licence>
So true it's def. hard on the back/knees/arms/hands for the first few digs! I felt it and the pain in mu lower back lingered longer this time than previous years. Shame about the rats in the compost bin, wonder what you can do about it if the coffee does not budge them.
That’s a lot of coffee grounds. Do you find it works as a slug deterrent?
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't a great deterrent, but that's why we've put even more in the ground this year! Time will tell...
DeleteLoving that raised bed. And tell Jamie to keep his back warm.
ReplyDeleteThat raised bed was one of the first things we made - in 2010 I think!
DeleteI see it's all happening. I haven't got any frogspawn yet either.
ReplyDeleteI think our frogs have missed the boat - pun intended :-D
DeleteSo true it's def. hard on the back/knees/arms/hands for the first few digs! I felt it and the pain in mu lower back lingered longer this time than previous years. Shame about the rats in the compost bin, wonder what you can do about it if the coffee does not budge them.
ReplyDeleteI think they'll clear off when I finally get round to mixing it up...
Delete