*Ahem*!! I would like to announce.....

[Greensleeves]

...that my moong beans and my chickpeas have put up beautiful healthy seedlings :):):):)

As have my radishes, my turnips and dh's potatoes and shallots!! And my gooseberry bushes are already weighed down with fruit!

The carrots, cauliflowers, pumpkins, squash, broccoli, onions, parsnips, peppers and leeks remain recalcitrant although the batty old dear in the next allotment assures me that they will all come up "when they're ready"

Anyone else got any growing news?

[Daisymae]

As ever, nothing went to plan!!The weather in this case intervened and much as my family love me trying to put up a shed in the evening in a torrential downpour is no fun at all.
We abandoned the project when the base was down and DD's DP and his bro are coming to finish the job today, so will be in the shed drinking tea tonight!!!

I am off oop north for the weekend (I can see this allotment is going to restrict the amount of time I want to be away)so will make a start on seeds etc on Sunday evening and let you know what I have to share.

Do you have Welsh poppies? they are in full bloom now, orange and yellow, and look so lovely. I like them because they self seed and pop up in various nooks and crannies. I am planning to scatter them around the edge of the plot which will be nearly impossible to make look neat and tidy (even if I wanted that!)
9 year old assiduously collects all the seeds and I would be happy to share.
\link{http://www.first-nature.com/flowers/meconopsis_cambria.asp\Welsh Poppy}

[fullmoonfiend]

won't get to allotty tomorrow (piss-poor weather forecat) so will have a seed sort out and cat you daisymae. VVV - you can have the artichokes and red cabbage - can't promise there's loads of seeds. What herbs to you have?

[fullmoonfiend]

tis the same on our alloty - and the one I had before; that turned into a full scale riot, with the old man having offensive nicknames for all the women and the women getting some of the old timers booted off the committee for their sexism
This one is more settled but they are a little suspicious of the children...

[Daisymae]

Sorry been out all day!! Sharklet, will try those mats, what a good site!

fmf, great idea re seeds just looked through all the ones I optimistically bought and most are still fine to start off now. I'm keen to share seeds and please CAT me.

Am very excited about the shed and greenhouse; all along I've been sustained by a vision of sitting in the evening sun, drinking a cuppa (or G&T)while surveying the results of my hard work!!

dm, re community spirit on the allotment, there's quite a divide between the old-timers, mostly men, who have been growing runner beans since the year dot,

and the newer allotmenteers, mostly women, with their 'fancy' organic ideas and romantic notions of preserving wildlife and incorporating environmently sound use of resources into their gardening.

While I'm one of the latter, I think it's important to include the former and draw them in to a different way of thinking; they just find it hard to change, don't we all?

[spinach]

did someone mention growing chickpeas?

[dewmeadow]

I think I planted onion sets late last year adn they were tickety-boo. Wouldnt wait much longer though.

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

Dont know about onion sets - i always grow from seed. Red cabbage and globe artichoke i definitely havent got.

I have several types of cabbage and lettuce. Lots of herb seeds too.

[fullmoonfiend]

VVV - will CAT you, no worries - but I need to have a forage in my shed to check what seeds I have left (won't get down before Thursday).
I do know I have for definite some: Courgette, peas, old fashioned sweetpea, sweetcorn, globe artichoke and red cabbage if you're interested in any of these? Also lots of white and red onion sets - is it too late to plant these?

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

ooooh FMF i always end up with too many. Could you CAT me too see if we can swap too?

[fullmoonfiend]

LOL sharklet.
Daisymae - I only got this allotment at the beginning of June last year. Start some stuff off on your windowsill - you've loads of time. You can grow lettuces, courgettes, french beans, cabbage, carrots are better planted late to avoid carrotfly, spring onions, spinach - the world is your rhubarb!
Shall I CAT you - and send you some seeds for various stuff? I've over-shopped as usual. Same goes for nayone else if you fancy a seed swap.

[sharklet]

bastards!!! Thats awful VVV I'd be gutted too. I hate snails with a vengeance this year. Have already annihilate d a good few - and me all peace loving and mungbeany. They're not right I tell you!

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

I wouldnt use it for composting. You could use it for carrots, or herbs - especially mint which is very vigorous nad can take over a garden if not careful.

I AM GUTTED THOUGH!!!!!

I put my two butternut squash seedlings out the day before yesterday - they had a set of true leaves. I looked this morning and a b*stard slug or snail has eaten all the leaves off of one leaving just a stump

[sis]

Daisymae, you could use the bathtub for carrots as carrotfly allegedly can't fly above about two feet off the ground so your carrots may be safe from the little critters.

[sharklet]

Hunker - you mentioned those bloody snails. They are doing my head in too, eating everything. I particularly cross when they eat the sunflower seedlings DD and I have been lovingly tending. Anyway I found some \link{http://www.greengardener.co.uk/slugextra.htm\garlic granules and mats} that seem to do the trick - the snails can't stand them. Worth a try if they're becoming a problem, that or crushing them violently with a shoe!!

[dewmeadow]

Thanks VV!

I saw a bath used as a water feature last week. Could it be used for composting? Or growing plants in?

Or a private jacuzzi in the hot weather- the other allotmenters will be green!

We don't have allotments here. Are they good fun? With community spirit?etc

[bettythebuilder]

Ta, kiskidee, will do.

[kiskidee]

bettythebuilder: i went to a garden nursery rather than a gardening center. seek one out near you.

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

Dewmeadow - just wade in like the rest of us

Im not sure how this ties in with the no dig method daisy but beetroots grow very quickly, as do spring onions. Calabrese and Brussel Sprouts should be fine to start off, and beans you can still do. Herbs i think too.

I have been a bit late starting off some of my seeds this year but only by two weeks or so, so i dont think it will be a major problem.

[sharklet]

I have the no dig book and have been trying to persuade DHof its logic and merits. I think he htingks digging is the only thing I'll let him do though.

[Daisymae]

Thank you dewmeadow, for your encouragement. I'll investigate the potatoes later, I could start them off in container while I'm making the raised beds, I'm trying to use the garden to get things going while I sort out the basics on the allotment.

People were negative because they were embarrassed about having used our plot as a dumping ground, we've had some spectacular bonfires of old sheds etc!! We've kept the bath, any ideas for how to use it?

I did accuse the committee of having killed an ackward allotmenteer off and buried the body on our plot, lol. It seemed the only explanation for the tut-tutting!

Luckily people have accepted that we are committed to this project and arein for the long haul. Some of the plots are so lovely, productive AND beautiful they are an inspiration.

[dewmeadow]

Daisy, it's definitely not too late for potatoes. I live in colder N Ireland and we have still some late varieties to put in.

I'm not sure, but I think you're still OK for sprouts and cabbage too. It was such a late Spring here that everything's a bit late. Should be OK .

Dont listen to negative people - just enjoy your garden. There is NOTHING like sigging up fresh veg and having it for dinner.

[dewmeadow]

Do you have to officially join, cos Im a new MNer and I just joined in a few days ago with no intro?

BTW, we have a hare problem in our orchard (only a wee one) in that they keep eating the bark from new trees. We have the yellow pipe around them but they can reach above that.

Any ideas?

[Daisymae]

Please can i join in as I have just got an allotment!! It hasn't been worked for 25 years and was hard work to clear.
Tomorrow the shed and greenhouse arrive!!

I wanted to ask what do you think I can plant in the next few weeks to get a crop this year, apart from salad and the tomato and cucumber plants I've started off? I would really like potatoes, but think it's too late,cabbage and would love home grown Brussels sprout an Christmas Day!!

One of the guys on the plots has put beans and tomatoes in tubs ready for me, that was such a nice gesture, especially as so many people have been so negative.

I must add that we are using the 'No-Dig' method, due to my arthritis, has anyone else tried it?

\link{http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/schools_organic_network/leaflets/NoDigGardening.pdf\no dig}

\link{http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/factsheets/gg2.php\no dig}

[sharklet]

Our patch is going great, we've got carrots, parsnips, pak choi, rocket, peas, onions, shallots, garlic, runners, fava beans, sweet corn, pumpkins and half a dozen different kinds of squash coming up right now as well as our new fruit net that DH and my Dad built from scrap wood with raspberries, tay berries, blueberries, black berries, red currants and black currants in it. And strawberries down the bottom of the garden in a pile of old manure.

Loads more int he green house too Aubergines, melons, cues, peppers and chillis. I can't wait for them all to be ready now!

[SecondhandRose]

School and church fetes are brilliant places for buying bargain plants oh and bootsales too.