Selfsufficientish.com

over the last week or so
weed proofed almost all paths we put up two poly tunnels with help from family and friends puts paths in poly tunnels put fences up moved timber converted two wheelie bins into camoflaged water buts put mini shelving in poly tunnels dug trenches then filled them in plus loads of other stuff i cant remember

Well I'm busy putting wooden edging around my plots to just keep them abit neater.I pulled out some dead looking sprouting broccoli,quite disappointed with it to be honest.Had a look today at endless seed packets,and noticed alot had gone up in price since last year! Now I'm wondering whether to invest in the seeds,or buy veg seedlings????I planted 3 shrubs out the front of my place,so been quite busy today,but relaxed!

We've sown 2 lots of tomatos, chillies and peppers. All indoors mind! Outside I discovered that a pond plant survived the duck assult of the summer and replanted it. Exciting stuff I know but try to control yourselves

Lots and lots and lots of digging. I've been using the Suttons garden planner (thanks for the tip, Niknik http://www.selfsufficientish.com/forum/ ... 3&start=15 ) and realised that I'll need ALL of my garden to grow all the things I want to grow, so I'm working my way round the whole lot, clearing the weeds and pretty much everything else too.

washed pots ao polytunnel ready for sowing cut up some hessian carpet to put on paths to stop weeds it was cold miserable but job done

sowed cape goosberry,two types tomato,lemon balm,thai basil , chilis, all in propagator

we went to allotment strawbs put in poly tunnel tidied and cleared sheds put canes up on sweet peas bean rowes hoed rows dhed 2 ready for cooking drinking eating there you go dudeslol x harvested leeks parsnips lol

Cleared away old row markers and covers off the last of the winter greens. Tidied the chldren's toys away that had been blown about in the last lot of wind....

kicked the weeds about a bit and then decided to go home, it's too bloody cold! especially when you've got a not quite 3 year old in tow.

just waiting for himself to bring home those scaffold poles....

Lorna x

I had a productive weekend. It was too wet to do any digging of my patch (I am getting very behind) so I dug out all of the stones from one of our 3 paths which intersect the patches, so that it is now safe to get a lawnmower down it. Moved another huge pile of bricks/rocks/stones (just call me Cool Hand Luke!). Cleared about 5m square of turf from an old path in the veggie beds and made a nice square turf stack.

Procured two pallets to make a coldframe with, got some veg patches we aren't using any more ready to seed over and had a bonfire to get rid of half of an enourmous pile of old branches and clippings that was unsightly. Cut back hedge and levelled out ground underneath so that we can mow it.

So just tidying really, but this year I am determined that our patch will be tidy, and not a great big grassy weedy mess like last year - because we had too many fiddly areas to try and mow and ended up not bothering, it was really depressing.

bonniethomas06 wrote:...........................
So just tidying really, but this year I am determined that our patch will be tidy, and not a great big grassy weedy mess like last year - because we had too many fiddly areas to try and mow and ended up not bothering, it was really depressing.

Back in the sixties when I got my first allotment, I rebelled against the military precision the old boys kept their plots, I was young and organic, didn't mind a few weeds and a bit of long grass. Now is it just something to do with old age or is it growing wisdom, now I like to keep my plot tidy, no long grass, no wayward weeds. Keeping them in check means less work and less slugs. So bonniethomas setting your plot up so that it's easy to mow the paths and you don't have corners where weeds and grass will be neglected, is not just a bit of tidying, I think it is a fundemental bit of gardening wisdom. A little bit of thought and design in the garden, will make life a lot easier, so you can concentrate on growing your veg..

me and mrs sowed the following in the polytunnel spring onions carrots beetroot potatoes raddish and put in soak broad beans and peas sowed in pots lettuce leeks cauliflower saukreaut type cabbage the seeds in pots have been put in the minigreenhouse in the polytunnel so they get a good start.

potted on tomato seedlings and leek seedlings. admired the salad seeds that had germinated in the polytunnel, planted three PSB plants that were given back to me by a friend who won't eat PSB (my own ones were decimated by starving rabbits that jumped the fence with the deep snow ), started tidying up the main garden collected up all the netting scraps that were lying around, coiled up my watering hoses properly, dug over two veg beds, found some garlic that I hadn't harvested but was starting to sprout, also found a few carrots and got the white parts of my leeks which had their tops nibbled by aforementioned rabbits, put hoops in for the fleec over my overwintered onions and garlic. It's all soooo exciting... spring is on it's way were nearly out of the winter. I really really really want to be as self sufficient in veg/salad this year as possible.

katie and me sowed loads broadbeans in polytunnel and some outside in allotment also peas which have glass on top in polytunnel so the mices dont get them got another bean row/sweet pea row set up a good day .

my champahne rhubarb crowns arrived yesterday get them in today gonna make saudage buttys down lotty me and mrs well we got them in and pruned the primocaine rasps potted on some dahalias to give em a start had sausage buttys and coffee we use those nescafe/tiger coffees 3-1 2-1 little pkt with everything in 10 for 89p in b and m bargains need some sun to dry the ground .