1 Year On

So a year has passed since my last post. A lot has changed. I won't bore you with the details of how why etc but here is a brief summary. As the previous post states, we are 4, occasionally 5, but certainly not the 6 we were before. I am no longer teaching in a formal setting, instead educating children in our local museums. I still have limitations to my right hand and arm, however, my mental health has greatly improved but the allotment continues to be the best form of therapy for me.

We had the same usual successes last year, our strawberries, raspberries, rhubarb, in fact all of our fruit was great! We were picking tomatoes until November in the greenhouse. The garlic was superb and I'm just using the last couple of bulbs. The shallots mostly failed. We had a couple of good sized pumpkins and an abundance of sugar snap peas.

On to 2018....

Like the rest of the UK we have struggled with flooding on the allotment, which has lead to a later start.

Normally boggy in winter, not normally a paddling pool!

The drainage ditch overflowed and the entire back, up to the shed, is under water.

Even the front is flooded this year!

I had a kick up the arse from very good friends to get me started and since then have not let the rain deter me. All beds on the front except one, which is half dug, have been cleared and prepped (you'll see what slowed progress on the last bed.) We have a good crop of shallots coming on (No puns today sorry) The asparagus survived the winter. Broad beans planted in the Autumn had survived until the last cold snap took most of them out, but new seeds have been planted. That's 3 planted, 4 beds good to go and 1 nearly. I think we can safely call that progress.

7 out of 8 good to go

CP has taken over one of the beds and has started organising it (distracting mummy from the last bed, but getting some lovely quality time together.) She's planted a row of broad beans, (Her personal favourite) parsley, basil and had me rooting round for strawberry runners to add to her bed. That means that any strawberries grown from now on, are her personal supply, although she will still help clear the kilo a day we get from the other patch come June/July! She's planning on planting carrots and flowers too. When it finally dries up, she wants to paint the outside of her bed. Looking good CP.

CP's bed

JJ and Bob will help from time to time but have more important things to be doing with their friends now. They come and help when I need muscle and 2 working hands.

As you can see from above, the back section of raised beds has been too flooded to do much. The 2 back beds still need repairing, however we have all the materials and are waiting for it to dry up a bit.

I'm keeping the middle section fallow. As suggested by a friend, I'm laying down cardboard and when it arrives, piling up the manure and covering it over for now.

Work in progress.

So there you are for now. We will have to see how the year transpires.

Hope you all have a productive year. Happy digging :)