Grass cutting and Garlic potting

Ah, someday I shall do an 'Ode to Bill' as he truly is the can do man on the Lotties. A real tour de force he quit the committee because politics and red tape was getting in way of actually doing stuff - which is what he excels at. Bill lent us his petrol mower on Sunday. I say us, but really Andrew got to have all the fun of using it (I think it would be a bit of a struggle for me to turn round anyway) and cutting the long grass paths around our plot and a couple of neighbouring ones. It makes a big difference and Bill's side of the Lotties which gets it done regularly is much better walking ground than our has been. He also gave us 3 lovely little Lupin plants he'd grown too. Oh, he needs a bloggette of his own!

In the photo Bill can be seen marching along to the next task; there in his wooly jumper.

But I have Garlic to talk about today and new seedlings that I'm bursting to welcome to the world. We were reading about companion planting a couple of nights ago - nothing too detailed - and learnt that 'Onions, particularly garlic, have a strong sulphur smell that deters and confuse pests'. [Caroline Foley ~ 'How to Plant your Allotment, p 95] So I decided, as we have half a bed already growing away that I'd plant up the other spare ones in the cold frame into pots, so they can be moved around and confuse all the nasty wee bugs, haha. Makes me think of bugs going to the psychologist to try and deal with their feelings but hey, I don't really care!

I don't need to tell you how to plant up a pot but do be careful of 'the enemy' as I found out - the pots were already home to quite a few that had obviously been laid there as babies in the winter months. Darn things - the bane of all Allotmenteers lives.

And yes, we have lots of babies here at home. Kale, Brussel Sprouts, Lettuces.... it's ever so gratifying to see them germinate. Thank goodness all our seedlings aren't at home - it really is addictive counting how many there are morning, noon and night. (Sound familiar Mo???)