Chitting a-plenty

What a strange verb - 'chitting','to chit' (certainly confuses the spell-checker).

Anyway it's all coming along nicely and I think they could be nearly ready.

I'm stealing glances at other peoples plots; some have started others are waiting.  Am I the only one stealing glances - or maybe they're waiting for me?

Strawberry patch maintenance

Put some chicken manure pellets on the strawberry patches.  Not really worth a picture- just saying.

Path building

It's clearly too early to plant stuff so I thought I'd tackle a bit of path-building. The 'entrance' path is more than a bit dangerous so that's a good starting point.

Here it is in all its glory

And here it after a bit (i.e. a lot) of huffing and puffing - just working out where things might go of course.

All I have to do now is get a bit of a base together (sand and cement maybe) level it off and re-lay everything so it nice and smooth.  Easy-peasy.  Final image to follow, in a week or so I hope.

Beaucoup de Garlic

Finally, something is in the ground.  Garlic.  2 varieties - Solent Wight, that actually said 'Plant in Autumn' but I ignored that bit, and Arno, that said in 'Plant in Spring' so that's good.  

When you split the bulbs up there are a surprisingly large number of cloves to plant so, if it all grows, I think I'll be looking for a bike, a beret and a stripes T-shirt later this year.

Here we go again!

The seed arrives, the sun comes out - excitement mounts for Year2. 

Time to get some potatoes chitting too, although there's quite a bit of commentary around (internet-based of course) on whether to chit or not.  Maybe I'll chit half the potatoes and not chit the others, and then write up the results as an academic paper . . . or maybe I won't.  Perhaps best to switch the internet off and listen to what the other chaps at the allotment say.  

Oh no! They're all saying different things too!

Seed packets from the Real Seed company look nice though.

Seed Catalogues

How did I miss the excitement of this through my life so far?  Reading Seed Catalogues on a rainy Saturday afternoon.  I know it's probably all on-line but the paper versions are an absolute joy.

Boring everyone stupid with long rambling discussions on the pros and cons of F1 Hybrids and the tyranny of the seed suppliers in effectively making sure that us gardeners can't collect seeds if we follow the F1 route.  I'm not totally sure yet but I'm probably going the 'real seed' route.

Clearing up for the New Year (brain and allotment)

Couple of hours pottering round to clear head between Christmas and New Year.  All looking nice and ready for new planting.  Might try and get some onions in soon.

Can't decide about the paths. A Google search on 'path allotment' gives a billion hits with ideas aplenty, unfortunately most being contradicted in the next piece you read.  Conclusion - do whatever you think is best.  Wonderful.  

I'm thinking wood chips over a plastic membrane!  Oooh, fancy!   Although I am tempted to extend the herring-bone brick thing started by my predecessors.