I'd arranged to meet the volunteers coordinator, D, at my garden as she hadn't seen it and she had a starter pack for me. I headed out early with my marigolds, strawberries and the biggest of the beans. I had to load them in to buckets to get them there, I must have looked quite a sight on the bus.
The mist was hanging low, it almost felt like rain in the air but it was pleasantly warm. By the time the plants were in and D had arrived, the sun was breaking through. I'm going to need to get plenty more canes for the rest of the beans and my climbing strawberries.
The little tips of the onions were finally peaking out today. It made me happy.
Friday, 25 May 2012
Tuesday, 22 May 2012
Sunny days
On Sunday, my friends N & J took me to Dobbies Garden Centre. I picked up some huge tubs of fertiliser and chicken manure to try and put some nutrients in to the soil.
Today as it was so sunny I decided to head along to the garden after lunch. Unfortunately E wasn't in so I couldn't access the tools or the water. It wasn't a wasted session however. I started out by top dressing the potatoes with manure and fertiliser. You've got to love clay soil, where it had been left with a lovely loose surface, some rain and some sun had baked a lovely crust on the bed.
The onions and garlic then got the same treatment. I fear squirrels or some other little pest may have been in my beds, there was a distinct lack of onions and garlic. Maybe they've just sank deeper into the soil so their noses are no longer visible? I guess we'll have to wait and see what comes up.
Unsure what else I could do, I took a break and wandered down to the other part of the garden. The rhubarb had gone wild and was covering the path so I decided to do some crowd control. I started out by taking out the stems that were growing over the path. I then realised there were stems underneath being smoothered by some huge leaves so I took the big ones out too to let some light in. Then the stems with dead leaves were taken out before they started to rot. There was still loads left when I'd finished but the patch looked a lot tidier and at least the path is usable again.
I then added some fertiliser/manure to the unplanted bed. I figured it would give it time to start breaking down before I plant in it. The garden waste bin was only half full so I cleared the pile of waste that had been created earlier in the year.
Still with a little energy left and not wanting to go home I decided to see how much of the final bed I could hand clear. The new growth of plants was cut down to a manageable height and then I got quite a few of the shallow rooted plants pulled out by hand.
I need to start hardening off my seedlings but I can't cart them up and down the stairs twice a day to the little backgreen of my flat. Instead I'm hoping putting them in a room with the window open will at least harden them slightly!
Today as it was so sunny I decided to head along to the garden after lunch. Unfortunately E wasn't in so I couldn't access the tools or the water. It wasn't a wasted session however. I started out by top dressing the potatoes with manure and fertiliser. You've got to love clay soil, where it had been left with a lovely loose surface, some rain and some sun had baked a lovely crust on the bed.
The onions and garlic then got the same treatment. I fear squirrels or some other little pest may have been in my beds, there was a distinct lack of onions and garlic. Maybe they've just sank deeper into the soil so their noses are no longer visible? I guess we'll have to wait and see what comes up.
Unsure what else I could do, I took a break and wandered down to the other part of the garden. The rhubarb had gone wild and was covering the path so I decided to do some crowd control. I started out by taking out the stems that were growing over the path. I then realised there were stems underneath being smoothered by some huge leaves so I took the big ones out too to let some light in. Then the stems with dead leaves were taken out before they started to rot. There was still loads left when I'd finished but the patch looked a lot tidier and at least the path is usable again.
I then added some fertiliser/manure to the unplanted bed. I figured it would give it time to start breaking down before I plant in it. The garden waste bin was only half full so I cleared the pile of waste that had been created earlier in the year.
Still with a little energy left and not wanting to go home I decided to see how much of the final bed I could hand clear. The new growth of plants was cut down to a manageable height and then I got quite a few of the shallow rooted plants pulled out by hand.
I need to start hardening off my seedlings but I can't cart them up and down the stairs twice a day to the little backgreen of my flat. Instead I'm hoping putting them in a room with the window open will at least harden them slightly!
Wednesday, 9 May 2012
Finally making progress
After a busy six weeks with Beltane and bad timing of weather on the days I was free, I've finally made it back to the garden.
I got there around 9:30am, overcast but not too cold. I had a great three hours. I began by digging out trenches for my heritage potatoes. I started with good intentions, dug out the soil and planned on riddling it back in on top of the potatoes. A few loads in through the riddle and I realised that my soil is made of coarse gravel and little pebbles. I was getting out more pebbles than I was putting soil back in so I quickly gave up on that method. Instead I broke up the soil as best I could with my hands and just back filled the trenches. I didn't have any fertiliser so I'll need to find one I can water in. At the start of the season I had the best of intentions to dig, get the roots and stones out and mix in compost and fertiliser, unfortunately time got in the way. In my potato plot I have, from left to right, highland burgundy, shetland black, yetholm gypsy and salad blue.
I had to rearrange my plans a little and shift the aliums down to next to the potatoes and move the beans and brasiccas further up. The onions and garlic where next, a bit late in the season but better late than never. Digging for these was a bit easier, forked the soil, dug and turned, forked again and then raked level. Left hand side of the onion plot is Hyred, left is Hercules. The back half of the garlic plot is Elephant garlic whilst the front is TM Choice, I did have "flavour" as well but they had all gone mushy.
By this point I was exhuasted so I swept up, watered in some nematodes to kill the slugs and then sprayed some weed killer on the paths as I made my way out.
I got there around 9:30am, overcast but not too cold. I had a great three hours. I began by digging out trenches for my heritage potatoes. I started with good intentions, dug out the soil and planned on riddling it back in on top of the potatoes. A few loads in through the riddle and I realised that my soil is made of coarse gravel and little pebbles. I was getting out more pebbles than I was putting soil back in so I quickly gave up on that method. Instead I broke up the soil as best I could with my hands and just back filled the trenches. I didn't have any fertiliser so I'll need to find one I can water in. At the start of the season I had the best of intentions to dig, get the roots and stones out and mix in compost and fertiliser, unfortunately time got in the way. In my potato plot I have, from left to right, highland burgundy, shetland black, yetholm gypsy and salad blue.
I had to rearrange my plans a little and shift the aliums down to next to the potatoes and move the beans and brasiccas further up. The onions and garlic where next, a bit late in the season but better late than never. Digging for these was a bit easier, forked the soil, dug and turned, forked again and then raked level. Left hand side of the onion plot is Hyred, left is Hercules. The back half of the garlic plot is Elephant garlic whilst the front is TM Choice, I did have "flavour" as well but they had all gone mushy.
By this point I was exhuasted so I swept up, watered in some nematodes to kill the slugs and then sprayed some weed killer on the paths as I made my way out.
Friday, 23 March 2012
Nearing an end...
...of the first stage.
Energised and excited by being back in my garden yesterday I went out today. Thankfully E was in so I was able to access the big fork and continue with my ground clearing work. I got the end section cleared. It took some work, there were saplings that had been taller than me and an inch and a half in diameter, brambles with networks of roots running half way along the bed. I think I'm going to be sore in the morning. There's a huge pile of waste to be got rid of but there's a limit to how much you can squash in to a wheelie bin.
My plan from here on in is to go back and dig out the final few metres at the top end of the garden (attempting to save her daffodils as I do). Then it will be a long process of taking a tarp, digging out the soil and then sifting it to remove the stones and roots before adding it back in, mixed with a good deal of compost and some sand to try and improve the quality. In the meantime I need to head to a garden centre and pick up seed trays and seed compost so that I can start my plants off inside. That way, by the time I'm ready to start planting, frosts will have passed and the plants -should- be big enough to at least have a slight head start against the birds and the slugs.
Energised and excited by being back in my garden yesterday I went out today. Thankfully E was in so I was able to access the big fork and continue with my ground clearing work. I got the end section cleared. It took some work, there were saplings that had been taller than me and an inch and a half in diameter, brambles with networks of roots running half way along the bed. I think I'm going to be sore in the morning. There's a huge pile of waste to be got rid of but there's a limit to how much you can squash in to a wheelie bin.
My plan from here on in is to go back and dig out the final few metres at the top end of the garden (attempting to save her daffodils as I do). Then it will be a long process of taking a tarp, digging out the soil and then sifting it to remove the stones and roots before adding it back in, mixed with a good deal of compost and some sand to try and improve the quality. In the meantime I need to head to a garden centre and pick up seed trays and seed compost so that I can start my plants off inside. That way, by the time I'm ready to start planting, frosts will have passed and the plants -should- be big enough to at least have a slight head start against the birds and the slugs.
Thursday, 22 March 2012
Gardening week
It's been a busy week of gardening. On Tuesday evening I went along to the garden sharers Pub Quiz. It was a fun night, there were both garden owners and volunteers there. I'm no good at quizzes but the point wasn't to win it was to go along, meet some new people and have fun, which I did. Our team lost.
On Wednesday I spent the day planning my garden and researching a gardening method called square foot gardening. It allows you to maximise the space available in your garden. In stead of planting in rows, you plant in square foot plots, the amount of produce that can be planted in a square foot depends on the distance apart that seed packets advice planting. For instance, if plants should 6" apart, you can fit 4 of them in 1 square foot, 4" apart - 9, 3" apart - 16.
After planning and ordering seeds, I decided I better get out and do some prep so Thursday afternoon I headed down (in glorious sunshine) to my garden. Unfortunately E (the garden owner) was out so I couldn't access the main tools. I did however spend a nice couple of hours weeding and removing stones from the area of ground I'd already cleared. I've realised a number of things about my plot. The soil is clay based (very sticky and wet) and it's full of weeds and stones.
There's going to be a lot of work ahead of me.
On Wednesday I spent the day planning my garden and researching a gardening method called square foot gardening. It allows you to maximise the space available in your garden. In stead of planting in rows, you plant in square foot plots, the amount of produce that can be planted in a square foot depends on the distance apart that seed packets advice planting. For instance, if plants should 6" apart, you can fit 4 of them in 1 square foot, 4" apart - 9, 3" apart - 16.
After planning and ordering seeds, I decided I better get out and do some prep so Thursday afternoon I headed down (in glorious sunshine) to my garden. Unfortunately E (the garden owner) was out so I couldn't access the main tools. I did however spend a nice couple of hours weeding and removing stones from the area of ground I'd already cleared. I've realised a number of things about my plot. The soil is clay based (very sticky and wet) and it's full of weeds and stones.
There's going to be a lot of work ahead of me.
Tuesday, 20 March 2012
First reception shift
I had my first shift volunteering on reception at the Water of Leith Visitor Centre today. It was only 3 hours and it was a quiet afternoon but it was good to get gently eased in before a school part or working trip all arrive wanting teas, coffees and access to the exhibition. I had to ring up to the main office for help a few times and I had a phone call asking for directions (I hope they gave them right) which threw me a bit. Hopefully next time I'll be getting the hang of it. On the plus side, I think I remembered how to use the till properly.
Saturday, 17 March 2012
Organic Gardening Course
Today I went to an organic gardening course at Bridgend Allotments. It was organised through the Garden Share Scheme. After a week of bad weather we were blessed with a sunny day, a bit chilly but at least it wasn't raining on us. The course covered various topics such as getting started in the garden, planning a plot, soil, composting, seeds and sowing. We've got another session in June that covers planning, pests and diseases, wees and harvest and storage.
Meeting other garden volunteers was really nice and it's got me motivated to get back in my garden again.
Meeting other garden volunteers was really nice and it's got me motivated to get back in my garden again.
Friday, 24 February 2012
Water of Leith Work Day
I went out today for a Water of Leith Conservation Trust work day with
the city park rangers. The day was split in to various tasks,
scraping back paths and filling in with hardcore, cutting back shrubs,
opening up a dark, overcrowded pathway, felling overhanging trees and
starting building a dead hedge to keep back debris that often causes
drainage problems in the tunnel near by.
It was a fun day, the sun shone and I'm looking forward to the next session to finish building the fence. I really do enjoy being outdoors working hard. Unfortunately I'm going to miss a lot of the clean up and maintenance sessions between now and May due to other commitments.
It was a fun day, the sun shone and I'm looking forward to the next session to finish building the fence. I really do enjoy being outdoors working hard. Unfortunately I'm going to miss a lot of the clean up and maintenance sessions between now and May due to other commitments.
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Sunday, 27 November 2011
Back to the Garden
Finally having some free time to myself, I have been waiting all week for the winds to die down or the rain to stop so I could get out to the garden. Today looked like my best bet so I donned my new wellies and wandered up the canal.
I had a really nice couple of hours in the garden. E, the garden owner popped out to say hello and give me access to the basement for the tools. She seemed happy for me to be there and pleased that it was getting tidied up and organised. Got more grass pulled out of the border and dug out about half of the overgrown plants. It was really nice to see some progress. The brambles proved very difficult, I think I'll be battling them for a while as I ended up having to get the secatuers out and snip the roots as no matter how deep I dug, how much I wiggled or how hard I pulled, I couldn't get them out.
This time I remembered to take a plastic bag out with me and collect some soil to test for pH and nutrients. It seems that my soil that initially I thought was really good, is actually quite poor. It's neutral to slightly acid pH (7-6.5) but there is almost no nitrogen, potassium or phosphorus in the soil. I think my first attempt to increase these will be to source some well rotted manure and dig this in before the winter. Feeling the soil damp I also now think it may be quite clay based as it feels very sticky and clumps very easily. Not sure how to improve this though.
Next good weather day I hope to get the rest of the plants dug out. I'll then need to arrange for any of the cuttings that won't fit in the recycling to be uplifted. Hopefully before the ground freezes for winter I'll get chance to properly dig the plot, hopefully work in some manure and then cover it all over with card to help suppress weeds until the Spring.
I had a really nice couple of hours in the garden. E, the garden owner popped out to say hello and give me access to the basement for the tools. She seemed happy for me to be there and pleased that it was getting tidied up and organised. Got more grass pulled out of the border and dug out about half of the overgrown plants. It was really nice to see some progress. The brambles proved very difficult, I think I'll be battling them for a while as I ended up having to get the secatuers out and snip the roots as no matter how deep I dug, how much I wiggled or how hard I pulled, I couldn't get them out.
This time I remembered to take a plastic bag out with me and collect some soil to test for pH and nutrients. It seems that my soil that initially I thought was really good, is actually quite poor. It's neutral to slightly acid pH (7-6.5) but there is almost no nitrogen, potassium or phosphorus in the soil. I think my first attempt to increase these will be to source some well rotted manure and dig this in before the winter. Feeling the soil damp I also now think it may be quite clay based as it feels very sticky and clumps very easily. Not sure how to improve this though.
Next good weather day I hope to get the rest of the plants dug out. I'll then need to arrange for any of the cuttings that won't fit in the recycling to be uplifted. Hopefully before the ground freezes for winter I'll get chance to properly dig the plot, hopefully work in some manure and then cover it all over with card to help suppress weeds until the Spring.
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