The Carrot Tops Allotment Blog!

Toward the end of last year, because I was so delayed with gardening tasks and what not, I decided to go fallow and revisit things in the new year, and that’s what I’m doing!

There’s not been much to report since then in all honesty. On the whole, I’ve cut the grass, strimmed the edges and done a bit of weeding

Toward the end of last year, I decided that I wanted to make the seating area a bit more of virtue and also organise the sheds, mainly so that I have somewhere to head under when it’s raining.

Currently the sheds are used as storage and to be fair, they are full of things that I could use, so a clear out dove tails nicely into also mixing things up a bit.

The first thing I needed to do was clear out the patio area and get to the tip, which I managed to do.

Following that, I wanted to turn one of the sheds 90 degrees, so that it let’s in more light and looks out across the plot.

This shed ideally is to be the seating area where I can make a cup of tea when it’s raining.

Turning the shed wasn’t easy, but best mode initiated and eventually – I managed it.

The next step with this shed is to make it mouse proof, as it’s full of holes around the sides of the shed on the outside, so I’m going to board those up, and then think about boarding the inside and adding some shelving and really think about setting up a seating area inside as a space where one can just chill. This is a perfect segway into what’s next, (I think).

At the beginning of the year, which also happened to the beginning of the week, I visited the allotment and had a reccy up of all the things I want to do and these include:

1. New posts for new numbers.
2. Raised pot for carrot growing.
3. Burn unwanted, rotten wood.
4. Repair the shed bottom on the outside, make mouse proof.
5. Board shed inside, add more shelves possibly, create a sitting area.
6. Chop open new barrels, remove lids, place in positions on plot.
7. Dig out compost bins.
8. Rebuild compost bins.
9. Clear out the bit behind the shed, create seed sowing area perhaps, or plant shrubs.
10. Order seeds/bulbs…etc.
11. Clean out pond, create sediment catcher (I think that’s what it’s called?).
12. Weed rhubarb strawberries and gooseberries and currants.
13. Dig out raspberries, replant.
14. Repair steel water butt.
15. Prune blackberries.
16. Sow seeds/plant bulbs.
17. Paint sheds, paint bench.
18. Go to the tip, remove unwanted stuff.
19. Repair wheelbarrow.
20. Build a new bug hotel with scrap logs and wood at the front of the plot.

I made a start this week on this list – and as I was in full flow, the sleet and snow started falling so decided to call it a day.

I managed to knock off a couple off of the list though!

As always we’re governed by the weather and some of the things in the list are indoor jobs, so I can work through those when it’s raining or bitterly cold outside.

So! Happy New Year – onward and upward, and here we jolly well go!