Today saw the completion of Fruit Cage Stage One, plus considerable progress on the plot as a whole. The Fruit Cage front door is in place, constructed using bits and bobs around the plot. Thanks to our lady neighbours, whose drill bits stood in for my own, which have become whatever the equivalent of 'threaded' (as in screws) is. No bite in my bits. It nags, it swings, it closes, and it already has its mesh attached.So, what's left to do is some roof-level strengthening, net over the top and mesh around the sides. We are pondering what fruit trees to install. Plums, some say. Can you grow peaches in England? Grapevine? Much to think about during the week.
Also thanks to the ladies for the kind loan of their wheelbarrow - used to transport the following from our car in the lane (ground's still to wet to allow vehicles in): four bags of bark (now filling some of the paths between our beds, to suppress weeds and mud); two bags of compost (kitchen and garden waste - waste no more - from the rotating composter in the garden); and two and a half jugs of the liquid that oozes from the rotating composter in the container below. This liquid gold - more like liquid poo - is a very concentrated fertilizer and will bring much joy to our hungry plants. This was a great revelation to us. We had feared that the resulting product would be gooey, gunkey, rancid stuff but it looks like cold tea, or indeed, beer.
We are keeping it in former cider jugs, so, should young tearaways break into our shed, they will drink it and come to regret their jolly japes.
In one of the weekends when we failed to blog, we had purchased some additional fenceposts and some fine wire mesh. We used these to raise the fence to a good four feet above ground, a height over which even the most determined rabbit is unlikely to be able to jump. (Our lady neighbours are doing similar work, though regretting the growing look of compound rather than garden. I think in due course we will see right through the fencing.) Today, K has been doing a second inspection on the join between the original mesh and the upper layer, and twist-tying any leaky-looking bits.
We also increased the level of order around the shed. The long and good wood is tucked behind the pallet-bordered compost heaps. Our compost bin has been moved behind (to the east of) the shed, along with the bulk of our miscellaneous wood supplies.
Arguably most exciting of all - feel free to comment - on our recent trip to the recycling depot, we scored two more pallets and some sort of industrial-sized bobbin (most likely used for electrical wires). It has been united as a table base with one of the paletts forming a tabletop. Although a bit low, it's a good surface and will benefit from having a couple of chairs on which we can eat our picnic lunches.I think we had mentioned that the model plotters two doors down had started clearing one of the overgrown plots. He uncovered a brickwork oven, which works and produces tremendous heat. I believe I must construct one for the plot, so that we can enjoy bbq drumsticks away from home.
Here's a bark-covered path.Bankside daffodils emerging. Much birdlife. Glorious spring weather - bringing out noticeably more allotment keepers and ramblers - must not plant anything yet into the ground. Giant garlic grows apace snug in its Environmesh and in a handy wooden portable frame for protection. One or two of the strawberry plants appear to be surviving after their ordeal.
We already have potatoes a-chittin in the upstairs office (Arran Pilot, first earlies, and Sarpona Axona maincrop).Home in time to plant seeds: leeks (Malabar), broccoli (Ironman), sunflowers and marigolds (for crop protection), which will have the early days inside and then be hardened off for outdoor planting. We will also plant broccoli and leek seeds straight into the beds when it gets warmer - we thought we'd try it both ways to see which works better.
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