Shed painting and more bed work

This week we finally ordered the shed paint. After a 4 month wait last year, it finally arrived mid August and only today got its first coat of paint. I have to say I'm pretty happy with the Iris Blue Protek paint.

The third bed has been built and is more or less in position, together with the old herb bed being moved, but as yet no firm decision has been made on the placement. 

The peas have been planted and at last the broad beans are making an appearance. We have lots of seedlings in the conservatory and every day there's something else to see. Sadly still nothing from my yellow courgettes though, Ive planted 12 seeds and not 1 has germinated.

 

Bed two, ready to go.

The plan this last week was to get bed two set up ready for planting, along with moving bed three (the previous herb bed) into position next to it. This meant transplanting the herbs into troughs and into a small bed under the kitchen window, as well as moving and sieving all the soil into bed two. We had a glorious day on Thursday and I managed to get going with moving enough soil to fill bed two. Unfortunately the weekend weather, although better than expected wasn't good enough for us to finish the task and bed three remains in it original position for now.

Keeping Tulip out of the beds is a constant battle, the sticks laid out do not deter her.

Bed two

Bed One update - from back to front:

• 3 rows of broad beans
• 1 row of rainbow beetroot (Rainbow mixed)
• 1 row breakfast radish
• 1 row red beetroot (Perfect)
• 3 rows of heirloom carrots
• 1 row breakfast radish
• 1 wide row of spring onions (Lisbon)
• 1 row of mixed salad leaves
• 1 row of rainbow chard

Bed two - from back to front:

• Half a bed of onion sets - 40 onions (Sturon)
• Down the length of the bed a trellis has been added awaiting the pea plants (early Onward)

We also have 3 bags of second early potatoes planted (Sally).

In the conservatory come greenhouse, we now have:

• indoor sown broad beans
• cabbage
• purple sprouting broccoli 
• lettuce
• spring onions
• tomatoes
• radish (Blush)
• basil
• peas
• beetroot
• courgettes (green)
• Hollyhock

On the kitchen windowsill:

• Courgettes (yellow)
• Zinnias
• Aster
• Gazania

Bedroom windowsill

• Brussel Sprouts
• Leeks
• Celery

8 hours growing time

Courgette

I took a photo of my first courgette seed sprouting yesterday morning and then by late afternoon it had changed and grown so much. 

Nature is just amazing. 

Now I've got to try and stop poking about to see if anything is happening underneath the soil.

Caught red handed!

Eddie the cardboard thief, caught in the act of stealing and eating the layer of cardboard in the second bed.

More digging and sieving today, with the second bed being half filled and a tray of peas sown in the conservatory.

Bed One update - from back to front

• 3 rows of broad beans
• 1 row of rainbow beetroot
• 1 row breakfast radish
• 1 row red beetroot
• 3 rows of heirloom carrots

Creating a kitchen garden

Its been over 10 years since we had our council allotment, but due to waiting lists, current food costs and trying to eat more plants we wouldn't be able to get another one now for love nor money. We have therefore decided to turn over half of the back garden into a half size allotment, with raised beds.

We still have our original herb bed in situ, but this will be turned around and joined eventually with 5 other beds.

The garden has been looking really lovely in the summer months, but to accommodate the new raised beds we've had to dig up a lot of the plants. Most have been transplanted to the other end of the garden, so hopefully they'll get established and settle in their new positions. The one plant that I haven't moved yet and will hang onto as long as possible is my lilac, it's currently in bud but stands right where a new bed is due to go. I'll be leaving it to flower and hopefully hang on to it where it is until the autumn, before attempting to move it. 

25th March, removing plants

25th March

25th March

27th March - marking out

27th March - marking out

2nd April - two beds in place (shame about the washing)

2nd April

4th April - first grass cutting of the year

4th April - layering the first bed.

By the 4th April we were in the position to finally start filling one of the beds. First a layer of cardboard, then grass clippings and then the hard work of finding excess soil from all over the garden. 

We brought a new shed last year and to accommodate it we had to move 12 sleepers from around a tree . We are now in the process of using the excess soil from around the tree to fill the first bed. It's back breaking work, sieving all of the stones and gravel out but the soils seems to be good.

15th April - sieving

15th April - first filled bed

Whilst we've been working on the beds, we have also been planting seeds. We have some in the bed and some in the conservatory, which is instead of pulling down is now being used as a greenhouse.

Bed One - from back to front

• 3 rows of broad beans
• 1 row of rainbow beetroot
• 1 row breakfast radish
• 1 row red beetroot

Trying to keep the dogs off is a problem we are working on, hence the make do fencing and coverings. Im hoping that once we have growth they will naturally keep off.