My plan to do a bit each time I work on the allotment seems very good. The weather looked quite fine in the morning so without delay I went. After yesterday’s weeding session I knew the ground was still quite wet so I decided to clear another of my covered beds on the top plot. They did exactly what I hoped they would. I had cabbages in one and carrots and beetroot in the other. There was no damage to the cabbages by the caterpillars and the carrots escaped the dreaded carrot fly as well. These two beds will stay, the nets are firmly fixed on one side and to harvest the veg I simply pull the net over the hoops.
One problem was the little path between them, I could hardly keep up with the weeds. I started clearing them and all the while I was thinking how best to stop them from coming back. A sudden Eureka moment came – I was delighted.
Very soon after I started gardening on the plot I sorted out my raspberry patch on the next plot , neat lines and little paths between them. My friend Judith gave me a large piece of a good quality pond liner – her husband ordered too much when he wanted to re-line their little pond. She knew I never wasted anything and it was the same now. The liner was cut into strips and fixed with metal pins on the paths. I was hoping now that I would be able to lift it and re-use it on my new path. No problem lifting it, including the pins and no damage to it at all. I was delighted. After the little path was weed free I put the liner there and it fitted as if it were made for it.
I’ve got an idea of what I want to grow there next year – in the one where I had the cabbages I will put some parsnips and carrots and in the other one swede and more parsnips.
I would like to lift all those strips of the liner because the raspberries are getting old and I passed that piece of land to Wayne who has the rest of that plot anyway for his own use. While the weather still held I lifted one more strip, again with all the pins so this one is rolled up waiting for the next session. I already know where I’ll put it – between the no dig bed and the line of flower pots beside the long greenhouse. It’ll make it much easier to work there.
