Subscribe with Bloglines At last I've got my plot!

Thursday, March 23, 2006


The headache has turned into a sore throat....so DH said no "plotting" again today. But I've made the most of the time to tidy the polytunnel, move the strawberries in there to edge the beds, and clear the spaces at the back of the beds for the tomatoes and cucumbers and melons. I grew the tomatoes in a block last year and couldn't really look after them properly....so this year they are going to be along the "walls" with the beds in front being used for peppers, aubergines, etc.
I also sorted out the irrigation system in there. I have rigged up drip hoses on the beds which are fed by a hose from the waterbuts. I have 4 buts. One on the polytunnel which I use for the watering cans, two on the back of the house which I'll use to irrigate the polytunnel beds, and one small one which will be set up shortly to catch some of the rainwater from the front roof. All homes on the Isle of Wight are on water meters, so even if hosepipes are banned I wouldn't have been using tap water in the garden anyway....unless we had a drought. Hopefully I can use it wisely and not run out this summer.
The polytunnel didn't come with gutters, but I bought some from B&Q and stuck them onto the tunnel with greenhouse repair tape, and they work a treat.
I also spent an hour sorting out the soil in the deep bed that we have built for runner beans. The soil was moved from another part of the garden, actually from where I used to have the compost "Daleks", and is beautiful. Hopefully it will have enough goodness in it this year not to have to add any manure. I am going to put a drip hose through that bed too as it is along the run of the hose from the buts to the greenhouse. I have sited the bed along in front of the polytunnel hoping that the beans will help to shade it in the summer, and that they will screen it a bit from the house as it is rather large and dominating!


(Photo should be here! Can anyone tell me how to load photos where I want them to go? Thanks)


Here is a photo of the back garden taken from the bedroom window. I have edited it so that you only see the veg bit. The flower bit can't be seen from that window.
As you can see I have a fence to paint, and the remains of some flower beds to sort out over on the left. There is a large hibiscus which we have been unable to move! We will enjoy it this year, and endeavour to take cuttings from it, then it'll have to go. I also have to prune the plum, and finish taking up some paving where a pond used to be (I think).

1 Comments:

At 24/3/06 2:15 pm, Blogger She Who Digs said...

Hello again, glad to hear that you've managed to shake off your bug! I've managed to get started on my blog- maybe you'd like to take a look? Sarah AKA "She Who Digs"

 

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