Down on the Allotment

We finally got our allotment plots and have been busy trying to get set up for the growing season.

The big plot needed a lot of work as it hadn't been used in a good few years and the ground isn't that great.

So Jon hired a rotavator and gave the ground a good seeing too and we then put down sheeting to help kill off all the weeds underneath.

We are busy making raised beds as we think going up rather than digging down will be our best bet.

We have made 7 beds so far and have enough wood to make the rest, by next weekend we are hoping to have all the beds done.

The kids love coming down to help us and it is becoming a great way to get them off their games.

Even Bea is loving waddling around whilst the boys are busy weeding and spreading out woodchip.

We have so many plans for the plot and know it will take a couple of years to get it how we want it but we are excited to see what we can produce in our first year.

The long-term plan for the small plot is to grow some apple trees, plant some of my cut flowers there, have some beehives, and build a new polytunnel on it.

For the bigger plot that will be mainly where all our veg is planted, we want a shed on there and possibly some ducks as they are good for pest control such as slugs!

I was planning on having chickens on the small plot, but during the strong winds a few weeks ago the polytunnel sheeting in our garden got ripped off and just left the frame behind so I decided that would make a great chicken run, so we have decided to have the chickens at home and my new run arrives this week!

I can't wait to get it all set up and finally have chickens again.

I miss my old ones so much and I regret the day we decided to sell them.

But because of them, I know what we need to do to keep those pesky rats away, and thankfully where the new chickens are going to be there aren't many hiding places for said rats to hide, so hopefully, it won't be too bad this time around.

I'm looking forward to sharing the plot's progression on here as well as my flowers that I have been busy planting up in the garden.

Do you have an allotment?

If so what are your handy tips?

 

Our Garden in Bloom

Thankfully the weather has been amazing during the lockdown, so we've been spending a lot of time in the garden.

I don't normally tend to do much in the garden as it's usually Jons domain but this year I've decided to really get stuck in, the tulip bulbs that I planted last year in a bid to do something came back to life at the start of lockdown and they really encouraged me to get out and get muddy again.

Jon has always been a keen gardener and when we moved to Norfolk one of the first things he bought were his polytunnels! 

He is definitely green-thumbed, Last year due to our breakdown in our marriage nothing much was done and he didn't grow any veg, only what sprouted from the old compost that he chucked in one of the polytunnels and the house was on the market we turned the garden back into just grass mainly to help it appeal to more people.

This year with us working on our relationship and the house no longer on the market, Jon has been back in the tunnels, but with the lockdown on I have been helping out making sure nothing gets ruined whilst he's not around.

The boys are enjoying helping out planting up new vegetables.

Here's a list of all the vegetables we are currently growing in both the tunnels and in a veg bed outside in the garden.

Savoy cabbage,

Red cabbage,

Leeks,

Aubergines,

Cucumbers, 

Bell Peppers,

Hot Peppers,

Winter squash, 

Marrow, 

Giant pumpkins,

Pumpkins,

Onions,

Potato, 

Tomatoes,

Kale,

Rainbow Chard,

Courgette,

Lettuce,

Sage, Basil, Rocket, Spearmint, Dill and Wild Garlic.

We've planted extra this year as we're really hoping to be able to keep ourselves fed just from our gardens.

I'm a vegetarian so I could happily live on what's in the garden, the boys are all meat eaters but also enjoy their veggies minus Rupert who will only eat an apple once a month.

Luckily for him, we also have three apple trees in the garden. So maybe he'll be eating more of them by the end of the summer.

Indie keeping me company whilst I pot up new seeds.

My tulips and my climbing Rosebush

Apple blossom

I love walking around the garden and seeing new flowers opening up, one of my favourites is the pink clematis that we bought on a whim from Wilkos a year ago, this year it's really taken off and it's starting to cover some the fence nicely.

Baby lavender plugs planted up.

I love lavender so Jon bought me lots of baby lavender plugs, which myself and the boys all potted up and popped in the polytunnel to keep it safe until it's big enough to place outside.

We had lots of dandelions in the garden so we picked them all and tried to make dandelion honey, but it didn't turn out quite right, so I'm waiting for more to grow and then ill have another go.

The boys enjoying the weather.

Tulip bed

The wildflower part of the garden 

Along with doing more gardening, I spruced up our old garden bench with 3 coats of sage fence paint, and it really made it look good as new, though if you were to ask the boys what colour it was before they'd have no idea.

Noah only recently spotted the apple tree in front of the first polytunnel the other day, and it's was one of the first things we planted in the garden 3 years ago!

Planting up the sunflowers.

New flower seeds that arrived yesterday.

I love being able to pop out and grab some fresh herbs from the garden, I do the same with the lavender, sometimes the herbs are used for cooking other times they are used for herbal uses.

Onions sprouting.

 

I have found myself spending most of my free time just sat in the garden enjoying the peace.

I can no say I'm not just an indoor plant kinda lady, but I fully enjoy getting mucky in the garden!

The boys having lunch on the newly painted garden bench.

Are you enjoying your garden more during the lockdown?

xxx Stay Safe xxx