It's the Bank Holiday.

Day One

Whenever a Bank Holiday is approaching, you can be sure the rain isn't far behind. But this was a Bank Holiday that the rain forgot. I just wish I got up earlier, a lot earlier. But if you can't sleep in on a day off, when can you?

Judging by the amount of 'Simon Mayo's Confession's' podcasts I'd listened to, I spent nearly four hours on the plot today. Nothing really exciting to talk about, I've dug over empty beds and the robin that patrols my plot gladly came along, at a safe distance, and pecked at the bugs. I did, however, top up the potato bags. It's a whole lot easier to throw some compost into Spud bags than it is to earth up potatoes in the beds, its done in a fraction of the time too. The onions have started to pop up as well. They're about the only thing I've ever managed grow consistently, well, not the over winter onions.

I'm all for experimenting and trying thing out when it comes to growing. I'd bought these tomatoes from Asda, some of the best supermarket tomatoes I've ever had. They're called Tomkin's. After some advice from Sally (see Pimientos de Padrón blogpost) on what to do, clean all the gunk off the seeds and let them dry, I put the seeds in a propagater on my windowsill. This is what I have at the moment. I don't mind admitting that I'm quite pleased so far. 

My windowsills are looking very full at the moment. I'm running out of space and I've run out of propagators to grow any more. If I put anymore on the windowsills, I'd get no daylight. I am in desperate need of a greenhouse. This is my view right now.

From left to right & top to bottom, Basil seeds in the
pot & parsnip seeds in the Tupperware starting
to sprout. Sweet corn in the top 2 propagators &
various peppers & okra in the bottom one.

Pimientos de Padrón

The whole bottom row are lemon
cucumber.
Top left, Tomkin's tom & next to them
Pimientos de Padrón.
Top right is a mixture of what I couldn't
fit anywhere else.

Day Two

Before

I know I've been trying to get this area ready for six 'No Dig Beds', but while it was clear...ish, I wanted to tackle what will be the raspberry row and an area that I have ear marked for a greenhouse. I was really up for it today. I pulled up the existing raspberries which I'm told have been there well over 10 years and well past their best. Not only that, hawthorn, brambles and some plum trees that have no place being there at all. At one point, I was pulling up the small trees by hand, GRRR! Slowly but surely, I am claiming back my plot. Give me another five years and I might just have the plot how I'd like it. Here's how this area was left.

After

I know this has been one of the longest blogposts I written and I hope that you at least had a cup o tea in hand while reading. Till next time and thanks for reading.

One of the trees I'd ripped up from the
earth. This is as macho as I get.