Making Plans for my plot

[Oola]

As part of one of my birthday presents, I received a garden planner - it's a really nice small ringbinder come book with a special bit for keeping all your seeds and leaflets etc in. It's got a load of graph paper in it - just what I need now for planning the coming season's veg plot residents.

This is one of my favourite bits - deciding what I want to put in, working out when it all goes in and imagining what soups and dinners I'll be making out of the contents of my plot. My cousin and I will go on a seed-buying mission quite soon. And because Rich's parents bought me a massive cloche tent, I can get my parsnips in quick sharp!

We're going down to get some well-rotted manure to dig in soon. THe only problem is that the mulch I put down on my 'no dig' big plot (it's just outlined on the lawn at the mo) isn't killing the grass, so I think I'll have to get some more stuff piled on there and hope that the worms do their thing.

But for now I'll be getting the pencil and ruler out and working out just how I can make the most of my plots this year (and ring the town council to see how far up the allotment waiting list I am now).

[lily]

Yes, very satisfying at this time of year, as is browsing the seed catalogues. I'm starting off a new raised bed and have been putting old cardboard on it and then covering with compost/earth etc. I think I saw this used on "Its not easy being Green" and the idea was to suppress grass/ weeds , will see how it works.

[sunflower]

Hi Oola, good luck with all your plans. I love this time of year, when anything to do with the plot is possible. I'm thinking of moving my raised beds a few feet and have them face lengthways. We have a tree that produces lots of shade in the summer, so certainly not a good place to grow my toms!! I'm also going to try Rhuarb this year. Also, we have an extension which I call the shack.....it gets really hot in the summer so I'm thinking of growing a citrus fruit out there.

[lily]

Have just read today that brassicas are trendy, especialy tuscan kale, quite an amusing thought as I just grow what does well and that happens to include kales. However nice to know that for once I'm in fashion.

[lily]

Spent part of yesterday indoors as very stormy here, compiling list of seeds to be ordered, feeling very virtuous now!

[Healing Hands]

I was going to plan my plot yesterday, got everything ready but when I got back from church I got a really bad migraine so I had to go to bed for the rest of the day. :( Still not 100% but will start looking through the books tonight and making my notes.

I am really looking forward to get going now.

[Oola]

I'm paid for some work on Tuesday, I was planning on an excursion to the garden centre to start picking out my seeds...only I've worked out that basically that payment will go straight onto bills!!!! I'll have almost nothing left of it. Luckily I should be paid again a couple of times this month so trying to cram in as much work as possible so I can get my next payment in quickly.

I was going to get some Pink Fir Apple potatoes, but they've sold out on the organic gardening catalogue website :( I really don't think any of my local garden centres will have them, although when my gardener's association opens up they may be able to get some there. Thing is, they don't open up until February. Bit silly really as Jan/Feb is the time to be buying up all your seeds for the early sowings, I reckon they're missing out on lots of sales!

[Healing Hands]

I know that my garden centre always has Pink Fir Apple potatoes I could always send you some!

[Oola]

Oh thanks Healing Hands! I'll let you know, I haven't exhausted all of my possibilities yet. I bought my first seeds today - musslebrugh (sp?) leeks, aquadulce broadbeans, primo cabbage and something else (can't remember lol).

[Crocus]

Goodness Oola, you are going to very busy!

[sunflower]

It's lovely is'nt it and great to have a garden planner. I cleared up the back garden on Saturday...all the fallers from the apple tree. The squirrels and blackbirds have had a feast over the past few weeks. All the apples were half eaten, so funny! I'm not sure what I want to do with my veg plot this year. I have three raised beds, but one was totally a non starter last year as itis near a large tree.but I have no choice. I will be growing my lovely runner beans again, especially the pretty varieties. I cannot remember the name, but one of the runner beans have the most pretty lilac flowers. Also will grow Toms, courgettes and french beans.....not unless mouse gets there first.They adore french bean seeds and sweetcorn as well. My favourite veg to grow is Mange Tout. So lovely to eat them straight off the vine. They hardly ever see the inside of my kitchen. Great for children, much healthier than sweets. My first task is to get the peas started. It was my first time last year and quite succesful. Have fun everybody. Oh and I love to sow cut and come again lettuce for my sandwiches for work.

[Oola]

Sounds great sunflower :) I've never really been a fan of runner beans (much to my mother's horror), but this year I'm trying out broad beans for the first time, the idea being that I can throw them into vegetarian stews and "one pot cooking" (one of my favourite ways to cook).

One thing I know I will have trouble growing is lettuces - thi s is because the hens absolutely adore tender green lettuce leaves! They're not so bothered about the red varities, but last year I had my fleece tunnels up with some salad leaves growing underneath. One end of the fleece tunnels got moved and exposed the lettuce leaves that were under them - safe to say within seconds they were munched away!!!!

sunflower my mum also has the problem of having a bed near a tree, she had a really hard time growing things to a decent size in it last year. Luckily her friend has just manage to buy half an acre or so of land from a farmer (the land backs onto their garden), and is letting Mum have a big potato patch on it...and she's also going to have some of the space on my allotment when it arrives, so hopefully that'll give her enough room.

[sunflower]

It must be lovely to have a bit of land to use for growing veg. My waste land is'nt too bad. I grow my cut and come again in boxes on a table in the back garden....actually it is an old computer table. That might deter your hens...or do yours fly up that high?

[Oola]

Mine would fly up that high, especially Cynthia, she loves standing on tall things!

[Oola]

Healing Hands, just to let you know that I managed to get some pink fir apple seed potatoes! Really pleased...got some Charlotte seed potatoes too...can't wait to be cooking them!

[sunflower]

Bought a Champayne Rhubarb crown today. Also OH got me some manure, so next week I shall be deciding where to plant it.

[Oola]

Excellent - what will you do with the rhubarb? One of our favourites is the good old rhubarb crumble with custard. Of course now I could try making my very own free range custard (we usually get waitrose's free range egg custard with vanilla) too. We used to have rhubarb in the garden, a few crowns always used to pop up in the same place, I wonder why it hasn't been growing lately. I might grow it again this year...

The thing is, I've been planning out all my crop rotations and where I'm going to put all my new stuff, and I'm already running out of space! Of course if I get my allotment plot I'll be able to free up lots of space for things like rhubarb, squashes etc. I've got to get my first interval of broadbeans planted soon, but I'm a bit hesitant to forge ahead with all this wind and rain. Haven't even got round to soil conditioning and fertilising (although, the hens do help out in that regard in their own little way...)

[sunflower]

Yes, my absolute favourite is rhubarb crumble with hot custard and vanilla icecream. Sounds a brilliant idea to make your own free range egg custard. It would be great if your allotment became availiable this year. Would you have to travel very far? If I were you I would pop in from time to time and say to the powers that be with dreamy eyes
'Oh I just ca'nt wait to get stuck in!' lol.

[Oola]

Well I rang them a week or so ago and they said I'm number 2 on the waiting list and any time from now until March until I get it...hopefully sooner rather than later so I can get it ready for spring planting. It's literally about a 6 or 7 min walk from my house so really close!

[Healing Hands]

Oola, I am going to the nurseries on Saturday would you like me to see if they have any Pink Fir Apple Potatoes, if so how many would you like, that is if you have not been able to get some. I am not sure if my nurseries will but normally they do. Let me. xx