But Baby it's cold outside

Is anyone else feeling the cold or is it just me? The Hubby certainly doesn't seem to really have taken it on board that it is in fact FREEZING!!! Apart from all the moaning he does in the evenings, he has blinkers on when it comes to the plots.

He had me down working away on Saturday digging over yet another finished up bed and adding manure and seaweed to it. (It's going to be a potato bed soon).  Have I mentioned before that I have an Adaza? It's fab, making working the soil much easier, I wrote about them way back here but when we where in France recently we bought one of our very own. I highly recommend it as it takes a good bit of the sore back element out of digging. Anyway once manured and mulched the bed was ridged up like the others; this seems to be really working well for us - on our clay soil the raised beds can get rather water logged but this winter, even with all the rain and snow, the water has been draining away much easier; if you haven't tried it, I recommend giving it a go.

Once that was over and I had drunk up a herbal tea to warm the cockles of my heart, we went over to 14b, to the scary part..... This half has had some work done to it but we really needed to break the back of it. The previous owner had rotivated this plot and then covered it all in very thick black plastic and left it. In turn we have ended up with some pretty decent soil and no weeds to speak of. Once the plastic was lifted the ground below is ready to go. Here we are putting a large 'permanent bed', which will be split in 2 and filled up with strawberries and squashes. These will stay in place for 3 yrs and then swap sides back and forth every 3rd yr from then on - permanently. This sort of bed and system may have a fancy name, if it does, I don't know it but you get the idea.

Of course by happenstance I got a phone call just as the harder work was about to begin (we had marked out the bed but hadn't started digging it) and Andrew suddenly really needed to speak to Bill, haha. We ended up not getting any more done there and packed up (but between you and me, I was so happy; we went and got a coffee and a biscuit instead, yippeee!). Sometimes Ecotherapy can be going to the plots, getting frozen and then rewarding yourself by leaving!

That night was my cousin's Hen Night so I needed to go out and wine, dine and party the evening away. Something I do not do and am still recovering from even though I didn't drink much alcohol at all and was on the tap water! It was a fabulous night but on Sunday I was in no state to go back to the plot and get 'stuck in', I'd only arrived back home at 3.30am. Andrew went though (crazy fool! it was so cold) and got some of the said bed dug. I slept and dreamt of dinner time - we were having lottie stew and all food is exciting at the mintue as I'm on a strict bridesmaid dress diet!! Haha.

More tomorrow ~  we were given Jerusalem Artichokes by a friend and I have to research and learn about them and then write it down here. Ate a couple last night in the stew - gorgeous.

Oh I do love to be beside the seaside

Whitehead beach - lovely

Today at the allotment was AWFUL!! But being the good wife I am, I went. Standing there in the shed shivering with Maggie shivering in my arms and the hail stones falling down I can tell you I cursed the very existence of plots in the first place. It was just silly, the ground was frozen and unworkable and the bloody gas canister for the coffee to brew on was barely working it was so cold. It took a while but then Andrew admitted defeat and I got to go home!! So much for the 1st day of the New Year on the plots.

However, a few days ago we all went to Whitehead and gathered seaweed. There has, as we all know, been bad weather which brings up a load of seaweed onto the shores. We drove our car down a boat ramp and filled up our big bags 3 times over.

I highly recommend seaweed as a mulch, I have said it before but I do kind of like to emphasise these things - it's free and good for the crops! Just make sure you aren't near a sewer outlet and remove any plastic that may be in amongst the harvest and you are good to go. Ours doesn't even smell; it's very well rotted and shredded to small bits by the storms - perfection. 

the asparagus bed all snug under the seaweed

Hugs, I'm off to have a coffee and a snooze under my blanket x

Empty beds

This time last year we were scattering green manure seed in our empty beds. It was supposed to be a great way of keeping down the weeds and putting nutrients into the soil. Anyway, in our heavy clay soil and our typical rainy weather it was a nightmare crop! My goodness, trying to cut it back and dig it in well I wrote about my frustrations and at the time here, but it isn't very clear just how angry I was ~ I was mad, cold, sore backed and mad!

This year we have changed tack and are trying a new/old technique. I say 'we' of course, I mean Andrew. This year the beds were emptied (by me) and Andrew dug them over good and proper, then added a heck of a lot of the finest animal poo which we had been composting over the summer. If you like compost and manure you'll love this photo, if you don't look away now!

It's really squelchy... plus I think you could wave a seed over the top and it would germinate - powerful stuff is rotten poo.

Once mixed thoroughly into the soil the beds were ridged up. Yes, that's what I said, they were made into little mountain ridges. This way the rain (the lots and lots of it that makes Ireland the Emerald Isle I guess) will run off the bed and drain away better. We still need to get hold of some of that gorgeous seaweed from the beach to put on top - such a rich bounty, free from the ocean. Seriously if you don't live near the water (we live right on it) go on a day trip with some big bags and gather some up, yes it will stink out the car but it is worth it on the veggies.

We took Maggie for a walk last night along the promenade - poor Andrew it took so much self control not to go on to the shore line and lift it my the arm full. The storms are good for one thing I suppose - there's loads of it!

So, what are your thoughts on green manure? Personally I shall never have it near my plots again but that's just me. It's good old cow/horse crap for me!! Never thought I would be so passionate about poo, hahaha.

Note: The Conservation Volunteer project I spoke about last week is on TV tomorrow night between 6pm and 6.30pm UTV - they need your votes!!!

Good work by others

I didn't feel well at all on Sunday, though it was much better being at my lottie than at home, that's for sure. When I'd finished for the afternoon I dandered off a little to look at the progress people were making on their own little bits of Eden. I could see from our plot that work had been done and it made me happy to see it. Momentum seems to have been running out quickly, which in some cases I can understand - many didn't realise the extent of what they were taking on, the weather hasn't been good and now we can only spend time there at the weekends (a time which is precious to us all - especially those who have children I'm sure).

But still, let's concentrate on the good work done by some. Digging over, improving soil (the storms have obviously delivered a lot of free seaweed!) and the making of new beds. I'm afraid I only dandered around a bit of our field (A) and field B, I honestly felt a little nervous walking on the (now clear to you) mess of the paths. I'm sure Field C has been working hard too! In fact I'm sure they have, some of them are full of lottie passion, such as 'Douglas' - who is actually called Donald, oopps, my mistake!

Of course there are some who still have much to achieve - to put it politely.

Yes, this is a plot. There is definitely a plot under there somewhere.