Had constructive meeting with council and pulled more carrots

Before attending the 4 pm meeting with the council to discuss the new allotments I popped down to pull some more carrots.

Drove to Mayo afterwards to work with plumber to upgrade my central heating. Hope to be back Friday night so next week I spend a few hours each day on the allotment getting it winter ready.

That is continue to cover up all the grassy areas so I the growth will die and be easier to remove in a few months time.

But I will also sow garlic.

Have most of my plants in now so started to tidy up the long grass. No point fully weeding it as we're out in a few months :(  Also based on the One Straw Revolution philosophy I'll be mulching and not digging the soil in future.

Should have it all cut down by end of Monday :)

Very pleased with how my courgettes and lemon cucumbers are doing. After the late watering I gave them yesterday after the final shoot for Nightflyers in Troy Studios. But now must protect them with copper rings :)

Also pulled my garlic to make way for my lettuces.

Chatted with Patrick about sailing and gave him some tom seedling and a garlic :)

Pulled a bad potato plant and got my first spud!

Strung up my hop plant more.

Worked in strong sunshine digging and weeding 2nd half of large drill. Must make map.
Rain came so didn't return to start moving soil for front garden raised beds.

Very hot so just went to allotment to post notice regarding a meeting with Carmel SE0 at Clare County Council and to water my plants. Gave some tom seedlings to Tom.

Continued preparing beds for planting and harvested spring onions.

Finished drill for peas / beans and sweetcorn which I had to abandon on Sat to run for flight.

Also did a first dig of the spring onion bed.

Very happy to see two asparagus shooting up :)

And tied up with XXX the peas :)

Also the spuds need earthing up again!

Slowly, looking better each time I leave :)

Dismantled the boysenberry bush frame and bambooed new shoots :)

Took a walk up the allotment to dig a bit and do some tidying up. Started turning over another drill (for my onions / courgettes / cucumbers). Before:

After :)

I'll re-use the lathes to strengthen my greenhouse and for the new shed roof :)

And took home the parsnips a carrots I dug up to eat :)

After being away the Bank Holiday weekend now getting my seeds trays going..

Strong wind today so moved greenhouse closer to back wall and protected with bins. Must re-inforce frame with lathes and staples!

Even though the Lidl toms, etc. at 89c look great nothing like growing from seed! :)

Got toms, peas, beans and sweetcorn growing in trays in the backyard greenhouse.

The tumbling toms, chilli and sweet peppers (repotted) are also holding their own:

Also marigolds and more toms happening in the kitchen. And brought some of my lettuce in to eat :)

I'm using fancy Haxnicks Deep Rootrainer Set Root Trainer potting containers for the beans and sweetcorn:

Got the spuds in :)

Not sure how well they'll do :)

Before..

After..

Here's the plan
(add photo)

..finished weeding first drill!

Another 4 hours on my hands and knees but got there! :)

Of course I only had to spend 6+ hours doing this because I left a few onions and beetroots in over winter which didn't grow any but the grass and dockets did! Lesson learnt: Harvest all your veg. Weed and then cover for the winter.

Compare what the 2nd drill looked like when I pulled back the mypex..

..ready to dig over and plant!

So tomorrow my spuds go in! Hurrah!

Also I picked up a few more spuds and onions/shallots from Dealz yesterday. Couldn't help myself :)

And again I ate my own mashed turnip with spring onions and shredded beetroot, fresh from the allotment, this evening :)

Tomorrow I start getting seedlings going in the greenhouse as well :)

(My lettuce, tumbling toms and chilli peppers are coming along nicey!)

..continued weeding first drill..

Great couple of hours up the allotment. Walked in morning and drove in evening (to pick up bag of flower pots - to get seedlings going).

Manly sunny with the odd shower - even hail!

Now easy way to do it. After forking it over last time I now have to pull the clay soil apart by hand and remove the grass and docket roots using a knife! :)

Before just forked over...

And after (weeded and broken up as far as the bucket)...

Hopefully will finish this first drill tomorrow!

Still bringing a few veg home with me each day. That's my own shredded beetroot, mashed turnip and steamed spinach!

Started the big dig and weed..

Great to see 5 cars in the car park and people digging and strimming away. Pity to think this is probably our last year though.

Well, I've got a task before me...

..but I've made a start.

The spuds will have to wait a few days before they're planted.

Was waiting on Irish Seedsavers spuds and seeds - but not anymore :)

Ordered some from Scarriff (http://www.irishseedsavers.ie/) a few weeks ago. After the lovely day yesterday looking forward to getting some things going on the allotment :)

Ha! Then at 13:20 they arrive!

Added to my existing seeds...

..and the tumbling toms and firery chilies I'm growing..

I'm all set to make a schedule, start preparing the ground and get planting! :)