Weaving wigwams

Using hazel and cherry poles and whippy willow I made an attempt at making some climbing supports for my peas and sweet peas.





The wigwam below on the left I put in last year but it needed shoring up with the weight of the passion flower climbing up it.

Lichen wood bundle

Had some pieces of tree branch from a pruned Chinese tree of heaven which are covered in a variety of lichen. I tied them in a small bundle using wire and hung in a tree. Good for insects.

Pallet fence and windbreak

I've had a pile of pallets sitting a the back of the plot since 2006 and with 2 dogs, a serious need to keep them out of the polluted stream and in their own little area, I've been putting them around the paddock - a strip of land which was previously unworked and overgrown with brambles and hogweed. There are three gorgeous fruit trees which run down the middle of the paddock causing shade on both sides, you can't really grow any crops, so its just grass and dogs and in need of a parameter.

Raised bed edge

Put some more tiles in to retain the soil where it slopes, eventually I'd like to terrace everything. Did lots of weeding yesterday too.

Raised beds and gourd frame

Early June and mass planting begins proper. Planted out all tomato plants with marigold companions, salad crops like lolla rossa, coriander, basil, spring onions etc. Planted 3 pumpkins and one butternut inside the gourd frame and my climbing gourd varieties around the edges, every side of the frame is working hard to support produce including cucumbers and flowers like sunflowers and sweetpeas.

Finished raised beds

It rained hail today, and Michael told me there was lightning very close to the allotments, said it was close to getting him in his greenhouse on the hill - very scary. Anyway it was just raining when I got there, thankful for small mercies. Inbetween showers I finished the beds I started yesterday and planted 3 long rows of brassicas.

Raised beds for tomatoes and salad crops

Today it rained, undefeated by this, we still went to the plot to dig over the area set aside for tomatoes and other summer veg. Due to the fact that the ground slopes I started to built some raised beds around the gourd frame to contain the crops, tried this last year but the 6 beds were too awkward with small paths around each, so this year I really knew what was required.



This was the area prior to beds going in.

Raised edge in the bank holiday rain

Yesterday started to make a raised edge along the side of E7 due to the west to east slope. Rained rather heavily from about 5pm as forecast. I call this bed zone 3 and this season I shall mostly be growing the brassica family in it.

Signs

I was very kindly given these signs to do with what I wished, so I went with a Victorian font, in green, set against a white background, well why not.

Made a rustic fence

Using a few hazel poles from my neighbours plot I made this screen/fence, primarily to keep the dog in but it also gives us a bit more privacy. I'm growing a climbing rose against it at one end and a passionflower at t'other.