Costa Lottie - Shaldon - Devon

Raised Beds Plot 20b

2009-03-06T14:37:00.002Z

Getting there slowly..The soil is beautiful on this plot, much better than my first plot next door.

Raised Beds Plot 20b

2009-03-06T14:32:00.002Z

Working on the biggest of the new beds 13 x 10

2009-03-06T14:28:00.001Z

February 28th I helped hubby with the making of the new raised beds. We used new scaffold boards

Views From My Lottie Greenhouse.

2008-10-24T15:39:00.003+01:00

These are some of the views from my lottie greenhouse. Looking out to sea and across to Teignmouth. I never tire of watching the boats coming and going.

Rainbow Harvest

2008-10-24T15:28:00.003+01:00

These are some of the cauliflowers I harvested yesterday. I made some cauliflower cheese with bacon and it was delish

Plot 20b Cleared

2008-10-21T11:07:00.006+01:00

Well I was totally determined to get the new plot cleared in four weeks. Several days it rained and I don't usually go to the lottie at weekends...BUT...I still managed to get all the blackberry brambles out and any other nasties I found. All burnt now and a lovely pile of potash remains. I did it in just under 3 weeks. I was so lucky to get a newish greenhouse and I can't wait to start planting and sowing in it.

All I need to do now is...Make the raised beds, put down weed surpressant fabric and cover with bark chips. As you can see from the photo above, I've started to bring in (half) bags of manure and I've bags more to get. I'll have muscles like Popeye soon :)

New Plot Next To Me

2008-10-21T10:42:00.005+01:00

Last November, Michael on plot 20 told me he would only continue for one more season. That made me sad. He was a very nice chap and always made me feel I could ask him anything. He had been gardening on this site for 15 years and had an allotment for 45 years total. He told me in November 2007 to get my name down. I'm sharing the half plot with Lin, she has been on the site for about 8 years. Lin also has the half plot below me too and she gets the little shed Michael hand built. So it's worked out great for us both.

My Giant Tomato

2008-10-21T10:37:00.003+01:00

My Super Marmande tomato plants produced some real whoppers. Some were so heavy they bent the stems. The out door plants all got blight, just as the toms were turning red too.

Veg I've Grown

2008-10-21T10:24:00.005+01:00

I don't think I have bought one single veg since June. I hope this continues as you all know, home grown veg is so much tastier.

Here are just a few I remembered to take photos of.Little baby turnips, so tasty, will deffo grow again. Purple, yellow, white and green variety of cauliflowers. All still taste the same.

Lottie In Full Bloom

2008-10-21T09:48:00.006+01:00

I'm really please with my first year. It's the first time I have grown many things from seed and had great success. My dahlias are still blooming well. I don't cut them (except dead head). I grew them for colour and for the bees.

April 17th 2008

2008-04-18T16:33:00.015+01:00

I've had my allotment now for six months. I didn't do any work through January and February as it was too cold for me to venture onto the plot. I did have all unplanted areas covered in heavy duty black plastic, but I did give it all a quick dig over just to loosen the soil.

I thought it was time I did an update of my plot progress.When I took this picture yesterday (April 17th 2008) the east winds were very strong and cool even though the sun was shining.
I have been waiting for a delivery of wood chips to finish my pathways before I took any update pics.

The pic below shows my little raspberry bed with a few strawberry plants in the front.

I have onions, shallots and a few garlic growing in this bed
The raised bed closest to the bank is the last bed to be sieved. I'm saving that job for a sunny day.

I made this rock garden to tidy up this ugly back corner. All the rock I used I dug up around the plot. A couple of them were so big and heavy I had to roll them to the back..Phew !!!

I have planted quite a few summer flowering bulbs and seeds here too.

The raised beds have been sieved of all stones. They look quite full at the moment but they will sink once we get some rain.

I originally bought these box plants for my garden at home. When I laid them in position it thought it made everything look too busy. They seem to like it where they are and are doing well.

This open plan style bed I have used for planting my potatoes.One row of each...Ulster Sceptre, Vales Emerald, International Kidney, Rooster, Charlotte, Pink Fir Apple and Cara

28th November - 2007

2007-11-29T01:05:00.000Z

I had to dash over to the lottie today as strong winds and heavy rain is forecast for the next five days.I just finished planting my *Spring Hero* cabbages just before the miserable rain started.

Winter Brassicas Planted

2007-11-21T16:28:00.000Z

Monday 19th in between very heavy showers I transplanted my brassicas from home into their new bed down the side of the summerhouse. Where hopefully they will be nice and sheltered. I netted them from the pigeons.

19th November - 2007

2007-11-21T16:24:00.000Z

The large beds have now been manured and covered for winter.

19th November - 2007

2007-11-21T16:15:00.000Z

I have sieved this raised bed to a spades depth. Planted onions and shallots in one half the other half will be for carrots next year. I netted it to stop the birds pulling the onions.

November 1st - 2007

2007-11-21T15:53:00.000Z

Phew at last all the piles of weeds have been burnt. I did carry 35 bags of rubbish away to the tip. I can now see 100% bare soil.

Cold Frames

2007-11-21T15:45:00.000Z

Hubby made me two cold frames from wood he had left over from a previous project. I have since painted them green. Think they will be used lots.

27th October - 2007

2007-11-21T15:37:00.000Z

I'm spending 7 hours a day at the allotment and I can see real progress now. It's getting cleared. The weather isn't too bad which uis helping.
Hubby made two new raised beds. The green raised beds will eventually be replaced as they are made of thin floor boards and are quite rotten.

11th October - 2007

2007-11-21T15:32:00.000Z

Two huge piles of weeds that need to be burnt. Collected some bags of manure from my sister-in-laws stables.

October 10th - 2007

2007-11-21T15:22:00.000Z

Starting to see some soil appear at last I'm beginning to see some mess get cleared.

Good News

2007-11-21T14:58:00.000Z

7th October received the good news that Plot 21 complete with summer house was mine.

8th October I was at the allotment early. Before I even stepped onto the allotment to do any work, I decided to take some photos. Wow...How exciting...weeds greeted me everywhere.
What I could not see was that the summerhouse was actually on a 360 degree deck.
The children from the local school had been there on the 5th and done some *Dig for Victory* lesson on the plot and created a large weed pile. Nice start.
I have to say I was over whelmed as to where to start. I got my fork and dug test pieces all over to get a feel of what the ground was like. Nice sandy loam.