A blogging silence doesn't mean that nothing is happening at the plot. Somehow I'm not managing to get the photos I take at the plot each week transferred to a blog post. But we've been busy every weekend. After the harvest of rubbish I showed in the previous post, we finally got down to bare earth in this area for the first time since taking over the plot. Above, just a few rocks left to move. The imprint of the corrugated iron can still be seen at the back of the bed. That iron took some moving - iron posts had been driven deep into the soil by the previous plotholder, and I feared for my husband's blood pressure as he hauled them out.
We planted two rows of Anya potatoes as a first step to clearing the soil. I was heartened to see how many worms there were, so it can't be as bad as we feared. Now we (just) have the massive ex-weed heap on the left still to move.
Because it's still chilly up here, with the risk of frost, I'm being canny and not rushing ahead with sowing. That's one excuse, anyway. The reality is that I'm also busy with other things just at the wrong time for forging ahead with sowing. This weekend for example we've been up in Moray visiting my Dad and attending to his garden. In fact I'm off outside now to weed a border and cut back last year's stems of an everlasting pea. Once I've put on a couple of fleeces - it's cold out there!
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19 comments:
Brr... in theory I love the cold, it's all so very romantic... in reality though, we just got back from camping and it was lovely and toasty warm. Thank goodness!!
So much to do and not enough time to do it! The more time you are gardening - the less time for blogging! I just leave the housework to one side :D
Hi Linda,
You sure have been working hard! Isn't it a good feeling when you get it done? You will enjoy those potatoes. I look forward to catching up with your other posts after work today. I noticed some pretty colorful and white blooms in your photos.
Your plot is coming along nicely, Linda. Great new bed, and the soil looks excellent. I'm sure the potatoes will grow wonderfully here!
Reading about your chilly weather makes me feel guilty, since we have been basking in warm sunshine for about the last 10 days - and over a Bank Holiday weekend too. Practically unheard of!
It's a decent sized bed that you've reclaimed, Linda. Those spuds should get it sorted out for you. We've still got part of the plot which hasn't been touched yet. Each year we plant up a bit more and then that part is easier for the followeing year. I'm not rushing to plant things out either, I remember a lot of people being caught off guard last year when the frost struck.
I can relate to having lot's going on! You've made a lot of progress on your plot :) I've not planted potatoes before, how much room and depth do you need? cheers, Jenni
Say Linda, you've cleared your 'mound'. Spuds make sense. You should get a bumper crop.
p.s. Yellowcraigs and Crammond Island this weekend. Forgot the camera on both trips! We're off up the A9 again next weekend.
Very well done. You did a great job!
Interesting that it's been so cold with you today. I spent the afternoon working just in shorts and no top. It was so hot that at one point I filled my baseball cap with water, wrung it out (a bit) and put it back on. Lovely.
Mind you, I am a couple of hundred miles south of you and my plot faces due south. It's on a steep slope and catches every bit of sun. But I do feel for you with two fleeces on!
Looks promising......
Looks like a great start. It is so hard to do everything we would like to. :)
Hello all - good of you to keep checking in with me since I'm such a sporadic blogger at the moment.
Ali, I'm writing this while sitting close to the radiator. It's still cold enough to have the central heating on.
Jo, I share your healthy attitude to housework ;)
Sue, I'm sure you've been working hard too. I'll pop along to the corner garden as soon as I can.
Hilde, we'll be going along to the plot to check out the potatoes on the Royal Wedding holiday. An extra day for gardening!
Mark, you're right, the combination of Bank Holiday and good weather isn't too frequent.
Jo, it's always tempting at this time of year to rush ahead with planting out, but there's still a month's worth of possible frost ahead.
Mal, I hope your relaxed without your camera. Sometimes it's good not to be on duty. Enjoy your A9 trip.
Becky, thanks for the encouragement.
Woody, I don't want to hear about your heatwave! We could do with just a few degrees warmer here.
Janet, I do hope the promise delivers!
Happyone, you're right, there's always a long list and no end to it.
Hi Linda, the ground under the corrugated iron sheeting does look in great condition, can I even say friable?!
Should be great for potatoes too. We have had very warm sunny days but I think back to some late frosts this week so I have not been in any hurry to put seedlings out on the plot either they are nice and snug in the plastic greenhouse at home.
Hi there, so glad to have found your blog - you not only have a new plot you are grappling with, like me, you also love your Magnolia! Like Mark I feel a little guilty reading about your weather, though I think we are in for a bit of a shock soon and the loss of the pseudo-summer. Your comments about Phaecelia leaving you with such lovely soil have confirmed that I will give this a go as a ground cover/green manure in an attempt to keep the ground in good heart over winter. Much better than plastic...
Good luck with your new bed! I know what you mean about the busy days, but it's good to have your posts again.
I'll be interested to watch how your plot progresses. Hopefully it will encourage me to get started on mine. Maa
There never seems enough time to fit in all tasks.Do you have a communal compost heap at the plot? maybe you could add all those weeds/soil to it or just make your own compost on top of all the weeds. When ready you could plant seeds direct into the soil. It works with pumpkins. Good luck with the potatoes!
Peggy, 'friable' is such a lovely word and yes, that was the condition of the soil.
Janet, I have to confess that our plot as a whole is not that new. However we do have 'difficult' areas that we inherited. I'm a convert to green manure, and particularly Phacelia - give it a go!
Fer, thanks for the encouragement. I need to visit your garden in Japan to see what's been happening.
Maa, I find the gardening blogging world to be a constant cycle of encouragement. Growing things would be much tougher without it!
Andrea, oh for 48 hours in the day! There's no communal compost heap, but some of us are beginning to discuss making one. Yes, I'm planning pumpkin or squash on top of the old weed heap that we have on the plot.
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