Yes. No shed.

Today I've something slightly different. You may recall we don't have a shed on our allotment and haven't worked out how we can get one either. There's no doubt that it would be handy, but right now it's not at the top of my spending priority list (that's a mental list I have, another one!) So when I saw that Asgard were running a competition to win a shed, I was very tempted.

To enter - and win, because there's no point entering to take part is there - I needed to write a poem about sheds or my love of gardening. I almost gave up, but then I remembered how much easier it would be to have a shed on the allotment.

There'd definitely be a lot less carrying, that's for sure!

Yes. No shed.

There once was an overgrown allotment
it had grass right up to here.
The plot owners despaired
as they looked for their shed
And then realised it just wasn’t there.

No shed they said, no shed
Where would they store their tools?
So onto the internet they went
and then gasped when they realised
just how much they nearly spent.

So saving their pennies and tending their plot
they managed without a shed.
No shed for their pots.
No shed for their spades.
No shed to stand in even when it rained.
Yes. No Shed.
But they did have some very lovely veg!

So wish me luck, and I promise if I win I'll give you a tour!

THE GRASS UP TO HERE

Some broad bean love and weeding...

There's not a huge amount going on on our allotment right now, but the one thing we have plenty of - apart from weeds - are broad bean flowers. And this weekend it struck me just how pretty they are.

We had some work to do though, as this was how they looked at the weekend.  You can just about spot the broad beans amongst the weeds. Whoops!

But after an hour's weeding, it was looking more respectable.  And I'm hoping that we'll be rewarded with plenty of broad beans quite soon.

But let's be honest weeding is pretty boring. So it wasn't long before MOH and I were comparing the roots of the weeds we pulled up. And in true competitive spirit we saved what we thought were our longest ones for the weed-off. 

But by the time we'd measured the contenders we'd forgotten which belonged to whom. Oh well, it made the weeding go slightly quicker, and I suspect it won't be the last time we'll be weeding this section either.

Elsewhere on the plot

The Purple Sprouting Broccoli has gone to seed, but still looks very pretty. I know I should be composting it and that's on the list for our next visit but until then I'm enjoying the vivid purples and the bright yellow flowers, and both colours represented in the decaying leaves.

The self-seeded artichoke which I thought was gone, has sprung back into life. It's already four foot tall so it looks like it'll be spending another season under the crab apple tree. Maybe this year I'll remember to move it into a proper bed.

Our potatoes are in too (and we did cover them up, this was a in-progress shot). 

And remember the bed we cut the edges for a while back, well the edges are still where we left them, but there's still a lot more digging to do.  This bed will eventually have some more strawberries from the garden in and my garden rhubarb will be joining the rhubarb I inherited.

Ah, it feels good to be able to show the progress we've made in the past week or so. And I'm looking forward to some evenings over there too, hopefully we'll create enough space to plant all the seeds I've sown.  I've a big job potting those on this weekend, and I can't wait!

Planning our plot

So far this year I haven't purchased any seeds. I probably should have by now I suspect. But all is not lost.

Well I don't think so anyway as this year my gardening bug is showing signs of appearing earlier than normal though, so I think it bodes well - last year it didn't start to twitch until early March.

What I have done though is sat down and started to plan where things might go. From that, I hope I'll have a concentrated seed spend. 

Despite plenty of digging only part of our plot is functional; that's the large band at the bottom of my plan above - which currently is hosting the purple sprouting broccoli, some cabbages, a single cavolo nero, onions, garlic, some optimistic potatoes and some more promising broad beans.

We've already planted lavender, sage and mint (in a pot) at the far end of our plot, along with the pink flowering plant which we split into three. As they grow they'll start to form a plant border to stop the foxes running through the crops that we've planted.

The other section that's almost functional is the section just in front of the new compost bins, where we moved the small apple tree to last October. As you can see from the artichoke picture below, the grass has grown back in that section...

BROAD BEANS

ARTICHOKES, ERM IN GRASS...

My plan

• I'm hoping that once the onions and garlic are done I can replace them with my usual "farm" of tomatoes.
• Where the purple sprouting broccoli is, I'm planning to plant a row of rosemary cuttings I've cultivated from the large plant I have in my garden.
• In the middle right-hand section, as a border I plan to plant some chrysanthemums from my dad's garden, but I'll need to clear some space for those - as well as dig over the rest of that section.
• I want to use the far side of the middle left-hand section for my beans this year. This may be a tad too optimistic as there's some large branches from who knows where there, and a grassy mound from some of our first digging attempts there. In its favour there is a metal "goal post" in place which will be ideal for the beans. And to hang some bunting from if I get my act together.
• The plan for the bed in front of the new compost bins is for plants we won't need to move. The small apple tree is already there, so are the artichokes. I've got some more strawberries and some rhubarb to move over there once we've re-dug this whole section.

For now, I think that's enough. 

What I'll grow

This year I want to grow: tomatoes (of course!), sweetcorn, enough salad to keep us in lettuce, spring onions, pumpkins, spinach and potatoes. I want to grow some flowers too and last September at the Geffrye Museum I left with seeds for Nasturtium and Heartsease - I love their alternative name of Love-in-idleness! 

I've also got some Poached Egg Plant (Limnanthes douglasii) seeds which I plan to grow to attract the bees over to my plot. The flowers are supposed to look like poached eggs, but I'm guessing not so good on toast...

GEFFRYE SEEDS

Fox-like visitors

On our last visit to the plot we checked, as we always do the state of the compost bins. The old ones hadn't got any worse and it seems the foxes hadn't been in them again. Good we thought, that was until we saw the new compost bins. 

The foxes it seems have found the new compost bins and have had great fun gnawing and ripping out the cardboard I'd stuffed down the gaps in the pallets.  So when I visit next with some time to do some work, my job will be to try to beat the wildlife again. And clear up the mess they've made, if the wind hasn't distributed the cardboard stuffing too far and wide! 

I'd thought the foxes had given up with our plot and moved elsewhere. I think they've sensed (or smelt) we've not been around much and so our plot has once again become their playground. I've made a mental note to walk around the plot more often next winter just to discourage them. I hope just being there will dissuade them...

OLD - AND BROKEN - COMPOST BINS

WHAT THE NEW COMPOST BINS SHOULD LOOK LIKE

So that's the start of my gardening bug re-awakening. I know with my north-facing garden I can have a slower start than some of you, but this year I think that'll leave some time to get ahead on the digging. 

Have you started to plan what you'll grow this year yet?