Monday 4 May 2009

Busy Busy Busy!

I've just realised how long it is since I last posted anything here! I do apologise :0)
Well in my defence I have been working hard - several days of 'real' work this month, combined with trying to get the greenhouse up and running, the allotment, hen parties and a craft fair this coming weekend and I have been busy indeed!

The allotment is coming along slowly but nicely. Not as well as others on the site, despite my early start, I have lagged behind. But I've noticed that those who have dug over the whole plot in one go now have couch grass reappearing. I have been adding raised beds slowly as I have obtained wood. My Dad has also been building me smallmetre square beds and bringing them over when he can. As I put them into place I dig them over and go through the soil literally with a fine tooth comb to grub out the couch roots. This large bed in the foreground was dug over, thick layers of newspaper applied, then a layer of compostible material, then a layer of topsoil. It is currently growing onions and broad beans. The idea is that by the time the newspaper has composted, any couch roots wll also have died.

The large bed on the right is waiting for some rain to soften the soil so I can tackle it. The deeper bed in the background on the right has also had the newspaper treatment and just topsoil added. It has now been planted with carrots and parsnips.

There are three more small raised beds in that area that are in the process of being dug and sifted. One has already had manure added ready for the courgettes.

At the far end, in open ground, are the spuds - coming up nicely. That was the first patch of ground I manured and I planted the potato tubers in two trenches. I noticed that the other plot holders have also used trenches for their potatoes, but theirs are planted in the ridges, rather than the furrows. Hmm, I wonder if I'm doing it right!

Down the right hand side is another manured strip which now houses raspberries and gooseberries and a rhubarb. I still need to work on my paths - the ones between the raised beds are done, weed suppressing membrane and bark chips, but this side still looks messy.

As well as making some bags for commissions lately (see the Recycled Bag Lady blog!) I have been busy with some projects purely for myself. This was a mystery quilt project posted on the Omlet forum. I love how it is turning out! I still have to back it and add hanging bits, but for now it is sellotaped to the wall so that I can enjoy it!
And this is a new cushion cover from a piece of fabric I bought on ebay. No technical skill required here - just a simple envelope flap on the reverse. But it does look lovely in my lounge!

On a sadder note, I had to make the hard decision to part with a couple of my hens this week. Pom was one of my original Omlet hens and much loved, but she was an old lady and had gone off her legs :0( Cinnamon was younger, but was a feather pecker and had developed a massively impacted crop that would not shift. RIP little ladies.

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