wind damage

The recent crazy weather hasn't done as much damage as I had feared. Some of the broad bean plants have taken a battering and all the domes from the courgettes have gone along with two out of four courgette plant. That was more likely to have been something eating them than the wind though.

I planted courgettes today.

I've put them inside these little bubbles just now because the walk to the allotment from my flat seemed to have made them go a bit droopy. The bubbles should give them some protection till they get stronger.

I should have taken a more close up picture so that the messy grassy bit wasn't seen.

But  it looked much worse when I started today and I've decided to approach this section in stripes. Clearing just one bit at a time. The next bit will be a path then more courgettes then, path, pumpkins etc.


Other things are looking spiffing too.

potatoes

Purple Sprouting Broccoli

Broad Beans

nasturtiums

 

 

 

 

 

A hard Working Weekend.

It took me all weekend (including a few beer breaks in the hot sun) to turn this weedy grassy patch into a not quite entirely weed free but significantly less so patch.

I raked it twice but there are still some lumps - I feel a bit like a pregnant lady who didn't take folic acid before the pregnancy and am worried that I may not have given the beans (more french and some Borlotti - my first time for each) the best start in life.

It was really too hot up there for this kind of hard work and no I'm left with a patch about three times bigger than this one in the same condition to deal with before I can plant the courgettes out.

Just now though I'm feeling quite proud of my hard work and hoping that some beans manage to get through.

Excitingly the other plants are all starting to show now. This weekend was the first signs of Purple sprouting broccoli and Brussels sprouts (they look the same just now) and the potatoes.

 It's been windy which is where all the other weird bits have blown in from.

I sieved some compost and planted a bag or rocket seeds.

The allotment was infested this weekend by these guys

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/species-of-the-day/scientific-advances/industry/bibio-marci/index.html loads and loads and loads of them. I'm glad they only live two weeks.