Raised beds are Installed!

Today we started out relatively early and we managed to get loads dome at the allotment.  The ground was rather wet and the water table was just 4 inches under the surface but with the first day of sun and no rain for weeks we carried on anyway!

Raised beds installed

We coated the raised beds in linseed oil before we constructed them to give them a bit longer life.  They were very cheap but until I am fully sure it is the way to go I didn't want to spend too much.  They went together really easily, and will un-slot easily if we want to change them.  We positioned them were the soil has been flooding to raise the planting are up above the water.

I filled them with soil and manure and then between the beds we put weed inhibiter and some free wood chips available on site.

We also did a bit more digging, brought down a few more paving stones and laid a couple in front of the shed, removed the raspberries that I inherited as they are hopelessly small fruit and hubby moved the Hotbox compost bin inline with the others.  I will have to add all the changes to my gardening program at growveg.com

All in all it's been a very productive day.  May even be the beginning of Spring!

Flooded allotment

Well I certainly wont be digging at the allotment for a while.

My newly dug over area is awash.

 I don't think I will be picking my broccoli for a while

The rain has exposed all the stones in what I thought was lovely soil!

We even have our own little stream!

At least where I started building up the adjoining path there is less flooding than I thought there would be.

It's about 20cm deep in places.

Well it looks like planning with the seed catalogues is all I can do at the moment though I may sow some onion seeds in the greenhouse later this week.

My Allotment Shed

My longed for shed has at last been delivered after a summer of waiting for a pause in Hubbies work schedule to help me construct it.  I spent most of the day in the wind and rain at the allotment not knowing when it would be delivered.  Luckily when it arrived the rain had stopped and the sun was out though it was still blowing a gale.

After waiting in the allotment all day my shed
eventually arrived mid afternoon.
With careful driving the delivery men were able to
get my shed sections really near my patch.

Ready to go but ...... must answer emails first!

 Wind blowing hard. Pete's beard is nearly horizontal!

The first join and the beginning of the hard work

Me painting hard. The panels were blowing over and the wind was whipping the paint from the brush!

The vertical building has begun and Pete has decided to become Chad!

Pete joining the sections

It can stand on its own.... so long as the wind doesn't blow too hard!

Pete doing manly things!

Doors on!

Roof on and putting the glass in and even a coat hook.

The beginnings of my tool collection.

The all important chairs for a well earned rest. Got the inside to paint yet.

What IS Pete doing?!

The back

All finished on the outside.