down at the allotment and in the garden what are you up to

[Hawthorn]

Purchased yesterday some weed cover to block out the light from the couch grass. We'll get down there at some point this weekend and lay it all out. We'll also see if we can dig over enough space to have a small veggie plot this year.
We decided that this summer is going to be spent clearing most of the lottie - we had hoped to plant it all up this year, but I think we were over enthusiastic about that possibility. This winter, we'll plan it all out, and come next spring get it rotavated and planted out.
We may put some fruit trees and bushes in there in the meantime though

[eccentric_emma]

Fighting weeds!!! Can't get rid of them! PLanted garlic, onions, cabbage, parsley and parsnips. also planted a load of potatoes in planters and some windowsill herbs. if anyone can tell me a nice easy way to a weed free garden i''l be eager to hear!!

[Hawthorn]

Some of the black stuff I've just bought. Lay it down and cover it with soil or bark or something like that. exclude light for a year and apparently Bob's yer uncle

You can cut holes in it for planting too.

[Millymollymandy]

Sowed some lettuce and annual herbs into pots in the cold frame. Toms, chillies and basil coming along nicely in the propagator, but a bit spindly, as they're on a window sill!

Transplanted some primroses into the edge of my little woodland - don't know why we never thought to do that before. They look fantastic there and 'glow'!

[Millymollymandy]

Sowed 2 varieties of parsnips and some spinach beet yesterday.

Got all my spuds in this morning!

Nearly all my veg patch plots have now been hoed, walked on to settle the soil back down, raked to a tilth and are now ready to rock and roll.

Now I have to go and prick out the very leggy tomatoes I raised in my propagator on a window sill.

[ina]

It's currently snowing out there - so I guess no work in the garden this weekend!

Btw - don't know whether I heard that correctly:
The weather forecaster on radio 4 at lunchtime said (I think) "more organised sleet and snow will work its way southwards"! ??? Since when does the weather get itself organised here? Anyway, I don't want anything even more organised - it's bad enough as it is!

[Mainer in Exile]

Planted out two rhubarb plants today.

[Christine]

Oh dear...
Planted an apricot and three apple trees (the Bramley with little flower buds) yesterday and now they've been subjected to vicious hail.

lifted the wooden base of the fruit cage enough to lay down a foot wide of weed control fabric, doubled over, with a pile of wood chip mulch on it to make weed control easier - found last year that it's impossible to get to the roots of weeds and then they rampage through the netting.

Cut down the tallest trees of the privet 'hedge' at the bottom of the allotment. Looking forward to having light this year, having hacked down the 20foot hedge on the southern side last year. Also, my southern neighbours, after ignoring their plot for three years, have got all keen and chopped down their 'hedges' too!

[charlie]

nothing at the moment as the snow is falling.
Might sow some more seeds if i can find space on the windowsills.
Got plenty to do though.

[ina]

8cm of snow currently - but the sun is out, and it's so bright out there that I should be wearing sunglasses...

[red]

saw about 2 flakes of snow.. colder today than yesterday - had suncream on yesterday!

sowing more peas in modules as my experiment with direct sowing was a feast for something. despite the netting. all these lovely teeny shots and the pea part eaten...

so bad to module sowing for me! also sowed some gherkin.

[Green Rosie]

Got all my spuds in this morning!

Grrrrrr - only got 3 rows in so far but OH has dug over the area (with his digger) so I hope to get them in soon.

BUT - on the fruit planting stakes it's all going here - planted raspberries (Aut and Summer types), 3 x gooseberries, 1 x whitecurrant, 2 x blackcurrant, 2 x red currant, 3 x Jostaberry, 6 apple trees, 2 plum trees, 3 pears, 1 medlar and 2 cherries. Still got 2 x tayberry, 1 x loganberry, 1 x walnut, 1 x cobnut and 1 x Wocesterberry to get in (but it snowed on and off all afternoon )

Got plenty of seeds in and weeded through the strawberry patch where I found lots of lovely rooted runners

[snapdragon]

created a second window sill for more seed tray growing room - a shelf half way up the window, having found a piece of slightly bowed floorboarding that fits just right

I'm very late in doing anything but sowed onions, celeriac, dyeing herbs and outdoor toms and mixed a boom bucket full of square foot mixture to start off the backyard squares

only a thin covering of snow this morning but this pm -> bright and warm sunshine in the backyard, blue sky - and it snowed

Compost is just not cooking at all need to make/aquire a proper twin compost bin/box so I can turn it properly

[red]

most of my woad seedling have been eaten by slugs. if i spot some blue slugs i will know the culprits

[ina]

most of my woad seedling have been eaten by slugs. if i spot some blue slugs i will know the culprits

You could be starting a fashion there!