Monday 30 March 2009

Getting organised

Yesterday was an organising day - not exactly intended, and with the weather being so gloriously sunny would have been better spent on the plot BUT - sometimes you just have to do what's in your mind to do. With summer arriving (though hard to believe with yet another frost on the ground this morning) and activity becoming more frantic and haphazard; a look at the shed situation seemed justified - though to call it a 'situation' is perhaps a little over dramatic!

Andrew would say this ritual is an annual pleasure for me and is dreading the words "its no good - the shed will have to be moved!". Well not this time - but the hoard of garden paraphernalia had to be shifted around and humanely culled or relocated to accommodate the huffing lawnmower that is currently residing in a friends shed due to us not being organised! A seemingly simple task but as these things go became a right faff! Anywho - I managed in the end and feel better for it so rewarded my order and efficiency by planting the sweet peas I sowed back in November(?).

I sow sweet peas in square pots (9cm) with four seeds to each pot. In most cases, they all germinate and I have a lovely full pot of well established peas to plant out. I never bother separating them as most sources say they dislike root disturbance and this way I have much quicker coverage of my chosen supports. This year I have some stems from a coppiced Cornus perhaps 5 1/2 ft tall which I wombled from a pruning job I was doing. It's great when you can think of practical uses for garden waste products and it's fast becoming my mantra for the allotment!
Although reasonably sheltered in our back yard and the peas have been well hardened, I am perhaps a bit premature in planting them out (last night's frost proves it). Rather than risk failure after such loving attention, I cobbled together a makeshift 'rocket' cloche, with some corrugated plastic sheet (re-using again) and the help of an oddly impressed husband!

And here are some pics of the completed greenhouse.....

....the first salad crops sown ....

....the beginnings of my plant minions!

1 comment:

sydney f curtis said...

Nice to see the greenhouse looking so clean and shiny, with its proud owners standing before it looking very pleased with themselves. And so you should. Standing where it is you should be able to see what you sow begine to grow and be able to nurture the plants and not let them die like I did when the greenhouse was hidden behind a bush.