The Shed Is Up

I am showing a series of photos today taken at the allotment over the past six days. Last Friday Cats Dad came down to help me prepare a base for a six foot by four foot shed. They said they would construct it if there was a suitable prepared site to erect it. Cats Dad was an architect so it was done with straight edges on a piece of timber, and a spirit level. Three hours of tapping here, digging here, moving soil a bit, until finally it was pronounced level!

I was so proud of the level shed base (sort of Roman mosaic style as we had a limited amount of recycled slabs from Cats parents house) that I took a photo. I had to wait six days until today for the shed to be delivered in pieces.

The plot now has four rows of Potatoes, two Onion beds, five Rhubarb crowns, One Leek bed, and the rectangular bed that will take Cabbage, Swede, and Purple Broccoli plants. It now has a new shed freshly waterproof painted with Cat. I spent all three of my days off up there digging, weeding, hoeing paths, and visualising how the allotment will look.
This year is the RHS Grow Your Own Veg year. I have had an allotment for three years now. The first one I waited for a year before I finally got a section of one. I then gave it up for this one at Walton. There is a waiting list now to get a plot up there.
The RHS is spearheading a campaign to encourage people to grow their own fruit and veg. The problem that I see is there is not enough allotment plots/land for people to grow their own fruit and veg.
In some places generous landowners have let gardeners cultivate unused land for community garden allotment projects. In London I saw a disused car park had building rubble sacks filled with soil for people to grow veg in them. Even they had a waiting list for their bag gardens.

I spent seven and a half hours today in the sunshine listening to the birds singing. I watched the years first Butterfly flying around. I saw two male Pheasants square up by the edge of the allotment flying and shrieking at each other.
Working the soil is blindingly hard work, but afterwards you feel relaxed, in touch with the seasons, and happy. I cannot wait for the harvesting of all the produce that I have grown. Cooking them for a meal will make the whole process worth while. All the blood, sweat, and scratches/nettle stings.
I do believe gardening is therapeutic for people, and brings holistic benefits to all those who work in them. I think that its great the RHS wants people and Children to gain those benefits, and to help healthy eating by growing their own.

Mud And Slabs

Cat and me roped her Dad into carrying heavy stone slabs upto the allotment. These are to make the shed base. It started to pour down with rain mid job. We got soaked, and the muddy allotment turned into the Somme.
I slipped and slided around the pathways getting liberally covered in mud.
Its continued to rain since we were at the allotment. The sun is just peeking through the clouds now after five pm.
The weed guard and black covering we layed at the plot has been blown off the grass. I need some dry weather on Thursday to try to cover the grass area back up , and prepare the beds for the Potatoes and Onions. We bought Vegetable plants yesterday from Hampsons.Six Broccoli ,six Cabbage , and six Swede plants. The house move has thwarted my seed sowing plans for March.
The allotment is still a work in progress. The finished allotment is still in my head with all the structures laid down. The reality is a bit more muddy and weedy.
The sunshine made the Daffodils in this garden look stunning. They always cheer me up whatever the weather. I'm back at work tomorrow after my ten days off.
We booked tickets for the Spring Flower Show on April 22nd in Harrogate. I hope the weathers better than today.

Lily Of The Inca's

These flowers were bought from Asda and have bloomed wonderfully. They are Peruvian Lily's or Alstroemeria. They are in two different colours; Apricot, and Pink. They have been artfully arranged by me in Cats red glass vase. With only a handful of Spring Flowers in bloom its a good time of year to brighten the house up with flowers.

These gorgeous flowers were named after a Swedish Baron called Clas Alstromer. A French Botanist (Feullie) took the seeds from South America in 1753.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alstroemeria

My favourite common name for them is Lily Of The Inca's. Indiana Jones would love these ornately decorated flowers in a rainbow of different colours. They are not scented, so good for Cats Asthmatic chest.
We have been shopping today and ordered a six foot by four foot shed for the allotment.The next job is to level the area and lay slabs down ready for the construction of the shed.
I bought some books today and keeping Chickens. Its been an idea for a while, so I thought I would read as many books as possible to educate myself.
I have got some tent pegs too for securing the allotments pathways between the rows of Potatoes and Vegetables. I might try to grow Dahlias, and Peruvian Lily's up at the allotment for cut flowers.
I love the intricate patterns and individual markings on each of the flowers. They are things of Beauty.