Week Six

6 May 2020

Wednesday

The ground is ideal after the rain and the raised bed at the front of the plot has been talking to me for weeks about being dug over and used. Roy had planted carrots in there initially but nothing had happened. Using the leaf mulch, both home-made composts plus some loamy stuff in a bag, I dig over and mix it all in and if you’re into mud and such like, the result is pre-tty exciting … as you can see.

Where I’d put the artichokes, I turn the rest of that bed over and sprinkle poppy (we hope) seeds from Carol, Love in the Mist and also plant out the cornflowers Flick gave me. The antirrhinums that are growing slowly but surely inside would also go well here. The artichoke are still looking really sad. But something very exciting has happened in the comfrey gang.

Definitely thought this was dead, turns out comfrey is super charged

The very kind Head Gardener Megan from the hotel I used to work at sent us some heritage tomato, purple pak choi, cauliflower and Cherokee beans so I get these all sown. I am very excited about the tomatoes and beans. And the pak choi, because it is gorgeous. I like cauliflower, not to leave it out …

I also started to make a path to the poly but .. It needs some improvement …

Friday

The tomatoes in the modules are starting to get big, so I move two of them into the second raised bed and string. I then turn old compost bags into grow bags and perch them on mushroom trays to circulate air and deter pests. The plan was to move the rest of the tomatoes into these but now I want to wait and use them for the heritage ones … that will be! The raised bed out the front of the plot may be good instead and there are a few panes of glass that are in the rubbish pile that I could use to make a makeshift cold frame.

Started out by making a mud and compost mix to make it go further

Cutting off the open end of the compost bag

“sewing” twine a few inches under each bag

You’ll be sad to know that the peas have done bugger all so I’m hoping my friend Danny hooks me up with some newbies

It’s Beltane today but the weather leaves me no dry wood for a bonfire and I’m not sure I can convince Keith from the plot but one next door to join me in a twine dance around a bamboo cane …

Saturday

I’ve been growing sweet peas in little pots but they look super spindly and stunted, so I decide to plant these in the raised bed out the front. I can add a twine support at a later date, but I had a crop failure with them last year and I’d love to see them bloom this year, cuz they’re one of my all time faves.

I’ve found two big pots that I think tomatoes will do ok in and these can sit on the potting desk.

Only took a picture of one of them though 😂

I also found a small piece of guttering that I’ve down the pomodoro cherry toms that Roy passed on to me

Monday

I’ve managed to pick up a few days a week at the previously mentioned hotel, in their garden whilst everyone is furloughed. So the posts will be a little shorter for a while but we have loads for sprouters to look at!