Black Magic

The first photo is of Hils Black Violas. These look like pagan witches with the fires burning in the middle. I cannot remember what they are called but I do love them. I got on my knees to photograph this low flowering annual. The purple satin colour shimmers between the darker petals.

Two boxes of mud? Thats what it looks like but these are Hils brand new raised beds. Her friend came up to put them together and I went yesterday to help her fill them. They are fourty square feet and a foot high! It took lots of maneuvoring a wheelbarrow laden with manure then digging behind the beds to fill it. I also got to do some more sedentary work like planting a row of Broadbeans for her! I took some spoils away with me. Some guttering pipes that will be used to sow seeds tonight at Cats, and some Raspberry canes rescued from the jungle behind the allotments.
Like Aztec gold these canes were buried beneath a jungle of plants. Brambles, Nettles, and Dock weeds.The previous owners had left the plots years ago and the wild nature has taken over.
There are panes of windows, canes, broken pots. Archeology in Walton.
I hope the Raspberry Canes will root in the new garden...

After filling the beds and digging up lost Raspberrys we went back to prick out seedlings ready for the Walton plant stall in six weeks. We potted around six hundred plants. The greenhouses are groaning under all the seed trays and pots!
I went back to my own allotment today which has run slightly wild. I built a raised Strawberry bed and transplanted the six plants into it. I dug over three large beds and planted the Potatoes.
Two varieties Sharpes Express, and Maris Piper. My body ran out of energy today however after three hours. I need to go back during this week to finish digging the beds over ready for planting.
The Onion sets and Isle of Wight Garlic came back with me.I will ask Cat to help me plant them this week..