tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-263196032024-03-19T04:32:24.579+00:00Allotment 81A south-facing plot on a sloping site in south-west Sheffield, with aspirations to become a vineyard.Gordon Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796375484099193959noreply@blogger.comBlogger376125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26319603.post-54817432338349280342014-04-21T17:55:00.001+01:002014-04-21T17:55:06.203+01:00Almost all dugPhew.<br />
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I've only got one section left to dig, and even that is more-or-less clear, at least on the surface. It just needs a bit of rain to soften it up now.<br />
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I've got 8 bags of lovely well-rotted horse manure waiting at the top of the plot and I've just barrowed the contents of the compost heap halfway up the plot. Fertility a go-go, eh? A couple of shots of the compost heap below (it's already started refilling!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhns6R7XDBbKpWqZp2epKn5bX8Wfu4TQ9i7IJihoyNzBZhiqTzsxrqFs7jrq1MLKwNFJs__WAtAx9QtttNcsWmX30_P0Drv-uA1Kk3KwetvZHJIQ4vCf2Uz6wER5lgKYBuHCz/s1600/005.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhns6R7XDBbKpWqZp2epKn5bX8Wfu4TQ9i7IJihoyNzBZhiqTzsxrqFs7jrq1MLKwNFJs__WAtAx9QtttNcsWmX30_P0Drv-uA1Kk3KwetvZHJIQ4vCf2Uz6wER5lgKYBuHCz/s1600/005.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSlKCsYQLXm3aVTxgxiZjQuhTdhZDBgVwSrRBs8FiYO37IhHyBxeKCJyr5E77poNWwDCcEjk4DYFWCIo9tneNaSj7qjpLM6Vmt-_wkSxmgroaY2r5zCDBjRaaKKus14l1desMc/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSlKCsYQLXm3aVTxgxiZjQuhTdhZDBgVwSrRBs8FiYO37IhHyBxeKCJyr5E77poNWwDCcEjk4DYFWCIo9tneNaSj7qjpLM6Vmt-_wkSxmgroaY2r5zCDBjRaaKKus14l1desMc/s1600/004.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Horrible job of the week though was digging out the cold frame bed. I hadn't dug it properly last year, just hacked it about roughly. Ah, your sins shall find ye out, in the form of bindweed, which its was infested. This is it, all nicely dug<br />
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And this is the quantity of bindweed dug out of just half of it. <br />
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Horrible stuff, although I confess I was expecting more of it.Gordon Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796375484099193959noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26319603.post-90231676674196993992014-03-08T17:20:00.001+00:002014-03-08T17:20:07.479+00:00Is this a harbinger of sloes to come?I certainly hope so. The Blackthorn bush is covered in buds; let's hope rather more of them turn into sloes than did last year (errm, nil !!)<br />
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And there is no doubt what the rhubarb is about to do. This is the state of play of the 'ordinary' rhubarb </div>
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and this is the early rhubarb. Soon be time for some crumble!</div>
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Gordon Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796375484099193959noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26319603.post-57325808861797911482014-03-08T16:59:00.003+00:002014-03-08T16:59:51.202+00:00That's more like itDigging has started; digging, I tell you. It feels like the start of a season.<br />
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And all the seasonal stuff is getting going. Rhubarb is up. Blackthorn is beginning to bud with flowers; if the buds translate into flowers and then into fruit we could be looking at a bumper year for sloes. Fingers crossed.<br />
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And look who appeared at the next door allotment.<br />
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Gordon Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796375484099193959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26319603.post-29462552617904908452014-03-08T16:58:00.004+00:002014-03-08T16:58:37.401+00:00Give that man a beerI think Spring must have sprung. <br /> <br /> In the last three days I've:<br />
<ul>
<li>
Pricked out 80 geraniums (will that be enough?), 60 Begonias, 40
petunias, 20 Lobelia, 20 Marigold, 4 Fuschias & 5 bigger petunias.</li>
<li> Then I've got 16 1st early spuds and 25 2nd early spuds chitting.</li>
<li><span class="text_exposed_show">
And I've sowed leeks (x2 varieties), broccoli & calabrese, cabbage,
cavalo nero black Italian kale, and tomatoes (x5 varieties)</span></li>
<li><span class="text_exposed_show"> Then pruned the Plum, Cherry, Raspberries & Grapes.</span></li>
<li><span class="text_exposed_show"> And dug two sections of the allotment.</span></li>
</ul>
<span class="text_exposed_show"> <br /> Gor blimey, give that man a beer.</span>Gordon Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796375484099193959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26319603.post-5542854489252116832014-02-16T21:33:00.000+00:002014-02-16T21:33:37.106+00:00Only minor lacerationsWhat a glorious day for pruning your Blackberries, missus. No, I'm not channelling Ken Dodd; I really have been pruning my blackberries (well, those at the allotment anyway. What are you like?). I've been trying to do it for weeks now but today was the first non-swampy day. Pics below. I know they look much the same but trust me; the old stuff is cut out and the new is tied in. Job done; hands more or less intact - only minor lacerations.<br />
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I'm slowly building up material for another MOAB (Mother Of All
Bonfires). Trouble is, it keeps getting rained on. Every time I go to
the plot the first job is to turn the heap and open it up so it will dry
out. It does face due south so it gets lots of sun and wind and dries
out quickly....until it gets rained on again. Fingers crossed for a
bonfire soon.<br />
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And something which always makes me feel good. However hard the
weather, rhubarb is just irrepressible (try spelling that after a couple
of glasses of red wine!). Ee, it fair warms the cockles of my 'eart to
see 't rhubarb up again. Sithee!!<br />
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<br />Gordon Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796375484099193959noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26319603.post-82451995169852335762014-01-14T12:18:00.004+00:002014-01-14T12:18:59.128+00:00It all adds upThe seed orders have gone in, mostly to DT Brown but also a minority to Seeds of Italy. I've also ordered replacement Strawberry plants (Marshmello) from Marshalls. After last year's debacle I'm moving the strawberries out of the allotment to the garden at home where I can keep a closer eye on them. Marshalls had a 3-for-2 deal on them so I'm getting 30 plants for the price of 20.<br />
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But it does all add up. I'm not sure whether this is wise but I'm trying to keep track of costs. So far this year, and it's only the 14th of January, I've spent £71.87. And, to heap further pain on this, yesterday the notice of rental costs arrived from the Council. It's a VERY steep £160 this year. Ouch. there's a lot of unrest and discontent in Sheffield about this. We're seeing the legacy of many years of under-management coming home to roost, with big 'catch-up' rent increases all happening in a couple of years. We do also seem to be paying towards the very top end of the range of costs. The one bright point in this is that I see I qualify for a 25% discount on account of being over 60. Every little helps!!Gordon Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796375484099193959noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26319603.post-50160527246900509772014-01-04T21:04:00.002+00:002014-01-04T21:04:56.518+00:00New Year, new.........list of seeds to buy!<br />
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I've just done the this-time-of-year Seed Audit. It's a bit daunting how much I've got to buy, but if I don't buy it there'll be some pretty significant gaps. Like Leeks. I do, as it happens, and I seem to have no Leek seed left. Eek, no Leek!!<br />
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Seeds this year are from a combination of <a href="http://www.blogger.com/">Seeds of Italy</a>, who I think are excellent, and <a href="http://www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk/?gclid=CODhguC15bsCFccSwwodZl8AMw">DT Brown</a>, who I've never used before. Seeds of Italy provide vast quantities of seed in every packet at a not-unreasonable cost. Browns provide fewer seeds, although still enough, at a commensurately lower cost. Their catalogue is a good reference work too, whereas Seeds of Italy provides a good entree into a different world of growing entirely. <br />
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Fingers crossed!Gordon Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796375484099193959noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26319603.post-43876408489738889162013-12-20T16:12:00.002+00:002013-12-20T16:12:31.666+00:00Grow something to eat every day?I've been reading this:<br />
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<img alt="" id="main-image" rel="" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61CazjhOJYL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_SX385_SY500_CR,0,0,385,500_SH20_OU02_.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: inline;" />I rather like the concept. Wouldn't it be great to be able to eat something you'd grown yourself, every day? I'm thinking about giving it a go next year. <br />
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There is of course the problem of when to start. I've only got <b>Leeks </b>in the allotment at the moment. I like leeks but not every day! Mind you, once you extend the concept to include preserved stuff the list gets a bit bigger. But even then, there is a limit to how many <b>Pickled Onions </b>a chap can eat. The home-grown <b>wine </b>wouldn't last but the <b>Sloe gin </b>might. And there are certainly lots of <b>Blackberries</b>, <b>Raspberries</b>, <b>Rhubarb </b>& <b>Beans </b>in the freezer. But, however you look at it, there's a bit of a hungry gap until Spring sowings/plantings come on stream. Perhaps 1st April would be a good time to start, with lots of early salads? 1st May? I'd definitely need to get the cold-frame refurbished. It's huge - 6 metres wide and 1.25m deep. Plenty of space there to supplement the greenhouse, and it's crying out to be brought properly back into use. A winter project methinks.<br />
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As for the book itself, I've had it on loan from the local library and toyed with putting it on the Xmas list (£15). I'm glad I didn't though because I've found an "As New" copy on Amazon for 1p + postage. Result!! It's in the mail.Gordon Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796375484099193959noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26319603.post-85653996630526192742013-10-02T12:05:00.001+01:002013-10-02T12:05:03.229+01:00Well, I could crush a grapeOh, hang on, I just did. Well, seven and a half kilos of them actually. They're now in a plastic bin fermenting quietly away for a week or so, still with all the skins and pulp in there. This is the "must" apparently. Must get used to using the proper names!<br />
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It turns out there's been a run on wine yeast, with a lot of wine being made after a good summer. I couldn't get Burgundy yeast so am having to use high-alcohol port yeast. High-alcohol? Oh dear, how sad, never mind.Gordon Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796375484099193959noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26319603.post-81967660277479096332013-09-28T15:47:00.001+01:002013-09-28T15:47:40.926+01:00The Vendange<h5 class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3,"tn":"K"}"><span class="userContent">The
grape harvest has started (and finished). </span></span></span></span></h5>
<h5 class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3,"tn":"K"}"><span class="userContent"> 7.5 Kilos of red wine grapes
picked this afternoon from my allotment, with able assistance from my
two granddaughters (aged 2 & 4). At one point one of them asked
"why do you grow so many grapes?", closely followed by "If I pick many
more grapes I'll get chicken pox". Not sure of the logic there but I'm
very well pleased with this harvest; this is only their 2nd year in the
ground so the best is, hopefully, yet to come. </span></span></span></span></h5>
<h5 class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3,"tn":"K"}"><span class="userContent">Now I need to work out
what to do with them. Wine obviously, but not entirely sure how I get
from the bucket of grapes to the bottle of wine!! Solve that problem
tomorrow. Chateau Wilbury, here we come!!</span></span></span></span></h5>
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Gordon Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796375484099193959noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26319603.post-73559066717909351812013-08-21T16:38:00.002+01:002013-08-21T16:38:20.261+01:00Evidence of ActivityWell, I said yesterday the pesky phone wasn't co-operating. It's clearly slept on that and thought better of it because here are some photos of how things stand on the plot. I guess I must have been busy if it's not looking too bad.<br />
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<b>Lettuces </b>(I must have a sad life if I'm posting pictures of lettuces!!)<br />
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<b>Blackberries </b>- I'm getting this many just about every time I go to the plot. Freezer is full, family are at saturation point. What next? Ah well, I have a recipe for Blackberry Whisky! Fear not, it won't be single malt, more like Aldi's finest.<br />
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Part of the <b>Courgette </b>glut.<br />
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The <b>Cornflower </b>hedge is doing well<br />
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And don't forget the <b>Grapevine</b>!! Look carefully at the next two shots and what do you see? Bunches of grapes, innit? Must net them to keep the birds off.<br />
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Somewhat tidied <b>Raspberries</b>. <br />
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I have two varieties - <u>Glen Thingummybob</u> (summer fruiting) and <u>Joan J</u> (autumn fruiting). Joan J consistently outperforms Glen TGB, both in quantity, size and quality. The whole raspberry patch is also very overcrowded. So the plan is to dig out all the Glen TGBs (two rows) & replace with one more row of Joan J. That will give me three, less crowded, rows of Joan J which will give me a consistently better crop and make me a happy bunny.<br />
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I've also decided to dig out the <b>Strawberry </b>bed and replace with new plants (Marshmello) at home where I can keep a close eye on them.<br />
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And finally, here's a cheery chap. <br />
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What's not to like about <b>Sunflowers</b>?!!Gordon Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796375484099193959noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26319603.post-27849903176325799812013-08-20T21:16:00.003+01:002013-08-20T21:16:44.219+01:00I have been remissNo, not about allotmenting, just about writing blog posts. After the pigeons-ate-my cabbages debacle, followed by the some-barsteward-nicked-my-strawberries catsarstostrophe, well, I sort of mislaid my mojo a bit.<br />
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But, in truth the plot isn't looking too bad at present and in some areas (blackberries, beans, courgettes, cornflowers) is positively fecund. I'd show you pictures, the very pictures I took on my very phone this very morning, but the very blasted thing is refusing to co-operate and transfer them to the computer. So I'll go back tomorrow and do the job properly with a decent camera.<br />
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Sithee, as we say in Yorkshire (318 days to the Grand Depart of the Tour de France in Yorkshire). Can't wait to see the peloton hurtling round the Rhubarb Triangle.Gordon Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796375484099193959noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26319603.post-35375628480673447422013-07-07T12:29:00.001+01:002013-07-07T12:29:56.761+01:00Pigeons<h5 class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><span class="userContent">Pigeons;
vermin or what? Pigeons; shoot on sight? Too right, on both counts.
Just wish I could. </span></span></span></span></h5>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><span class="userContent">If that offends anyone they clearly haven't got an allotment. I'm just
back from holiday and find 50 assorted cabbages, broccoli, kale etc
reduced to stalks (just ****ing stalks), completely beyond recovery, after the protective
netting....is no longer in place. How come the protective netting is no
longer in place? Inquiries are continuing. Three months work wasted.
Flying rats. Not a happy bunny here, in case you hadn't guessed.</span></span></span></span></h5>
Gordon Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796375484099193959noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26319603.post-87903664362810313872013-06-04T17:26:00.005+01:002013-06-04T17:26:43.732+01:00Busy, BusyWe go on hols tomorrow; as ever, so much to do, so little time to do it in. But it's all been done, just in time (actually, if I'm sitting here typing this with a whole evening ahead of me there's plenty of time).<br />
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The plot is actually looking quite good, courtesy of a mammoth strimming session yesterday. You ever tried strimming a mammoth? No, I thought not; take it from me, they're big chaps.<br />
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So, how do things stand:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Runner Beans - in</li>
<li>Climbing French & Dwarf French beans - in</li>
<li>Mangetout peas - in & a successional sowing coming through behind</li>
<li>Cornflowers - in</li>
<li>Lovage - rampant</li>
<li>Rhubarb - prolific</li>
<li>Plum - has flowered</li>
<li>Sloe - has flowered</li>
<li>Asparagus - very poor, 2nd year running; think it may be heading for an appointment with the Big Mattock</li>
<li>Shallots - doing well</li>
<li>Garlic - ditto</li>
<li>Leeks - just so over, & bolting (a common problem at our age)</li>
<li>new Leeks - poised in a nursery bed</li>
<li>Gladioli - in but not up (only went in this afternoon so not entirely surprising!)</li>
<li>Grapes - buds have burst; all 10 survived the winter and look healthy</li>
<li>Broccoli, Cabbage, Cavolo Nero kale & Fildenkraut shredding cabbage - all in & Fort Brassica reassembled</li>
<li>Strawberries - rampant & heading for a glut</li>
<li>Cherries - tree shrouded in netting to keep Sammy Squirrel off</li>
<li>Blackcurrant - flowering</li>
<li>Blackberry - flowering</li>
<li>Raspberries - lush</li>
<li>Courgetti & Trompetti - in and not dead</li>
<li>Salads - thriving</li>
<li>Onions-grown-from-seed - half transplanted, other half in the nursery bed</li>
<li>Coriander - in, looking OK</li>
<li>Sorrel - just way OTT & had a haircut</li>
<li>Sunflowers - through & here's hoping</li>
<li>and finally, Weeds - yep, there are some but not too many.</li>
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So after that fabulous list here are some pics after today's pre-hols
(drink it while you can, chaps, cos there ain't no more for a week)
watering session:<br />
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The Nursery Bed</div>
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The Bean, Pea & Cornflower corner, tastefully bordered left by Lovage Rampant </div>
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A potential glut of Strawberries (Problem? No, I thought not )</div>
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Lush Raspberries </div>
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<br />Gordon Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796375484099193959noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26319603.post-5661261139919580782013-05-07T21:20:00.000+01:002013-05-07T21:20:39.955+01:00Six butts good..........one butt, errm, not so good. In fact, leaking.<br />
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Some time ago I had a leaking metal water butt so fixed it with what seemed like the crude expedient of putting a couple of shovels of concrete in the bottom. Hey, it worked!<br />
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So when two more butts sprang leaks it seemed like the time to repeat the trick, but with mixed results this time. The metal butt has been completely repaired but the plastic one, which in truth is a discarded Sheffield Council wheelie bin, still leaks. I think the problem is that as the water fills the bin the plastic distorts and lets water out round the edge of the concrete plug. I may have to put a liner in it.<br />
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But for the moment I have six lovely, FULL, water butts and one empty one, and of the seven I only bought <u>one </u>in a shop. Now that's allotmenting!<br />
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But for the 3rd year running it's been me who has had to excavate the winter's silt from around the tap and hose connection so it is usable. The tap & hose connection are in a box set slightly below ground so it fills with silt in winter and has to be dug out. It's a grubby, dirty, uncomfortable job and some of the other plotholders on this site need to step up to their responsibilities a bit, methinks.<br />
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On plant-related matters, lest you think all I ever do is repair water butts & dig out silted up taps, the cherry is starting to flower, plum ditto, blackthorn has finished, lovage is rampant, asparagus is just starting to show and the grapes are on the point of bud-burst. Needless to say the weeds are "active" too!!<br />
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And finally, down on the bindweed farm, look what I dug out of this bed. <br />
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Horrible stuff. I'm not convinced I got it all so may need to go back and do it again, conscious that even then I probably won't get it all! The stuff at the end of the bed is sorrel, and it seems indestructible - probably because it bears more than a passing resemblance to dock.<br />
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Gordon Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796375484099193959noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26319603.post-38164447640513605362013-04-23T21:10:00.002+01:002013-04-23T21:11:09.156+01:00It may not look very exciting but........there are 68 strawberry plants in there.<br />
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And I still had 30 surplus to give to family. They are all Marshmello and originated from 12 plants, about 4 years ago. The strawberry patch was in a terrible state, infested with couch and nettles, and had gone well beyond mere weeding. It needed digging up and replanting, so that's what it has had over the last two or three days (yep, it took that long!).<br />
<br />
But, lest you think I slave away bereft of creature comforts, I thought I should show you <br />
the refreshment station<br />
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and the necessary unguents for clean hands.<br />
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I do get a decent cuppa, and clean hands, out of this but the hands still feel akin to a badger's fundament.<br />
<br />
And finally, new camera, new pics - I'm quite pleased with this one, demonstrating that the plum is beginning to stir into life.<br />
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<br />Gordon Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796375484099193959noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26319603.post-58353821013682279212013-04-07T21:02:00.000+01:002013-04-07T21:02:05.352+01:00Busy afternoon..........in the great seed sowing emporium which is our garage. So, today I've sown:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Tomatoes (x3) </b>- ordinary, cherry-type & plum</li>
<li>Baby <b>Leeks </b>(non-specific, labelled as "East European"!)</li>
<li><b>Onions (x2)</b>- Bedford Champion & Red Baron (aka Manfred von Richthofen, ace German fighter pilot of WW1. Why was he growing onions?)</li>
<li><b>Cabbage </b>- ordinary (Primo) & German shredding cabbage (Filderkraut)</li>
<li><b>Broccoli</b></li>
<li>Ordinary <b>Leeks </b>(Musselburgh)</li>
<li><b>Rocket</b></li>
<li><b>Pak Choi</b></li>
<li><b>Basil</b></li>
<li><b>Sybil</b></li>
<li><b>Manuel</b></li>
<li>[just checking to make sure you're awake]</li>
<li><b>Parsley</b></li>
<li>Mizuna</li>
<li>Cavolo Nero Black Italian <b>Kale</b></li>
<li>Five varieties of <b>Lettuce</b></li>
<li>Night-scented <b>Stoics</b></li>
<li><b>Bidens </b>(yellow, flowery, dangly things for hanging baskets)</li>
<li><b>California Poppies </b>(a David Douglas introduction)</li>
<li><b>Poached Egg Plant </b>- Limnanthes douglasii (another DD introduction)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
And I didn't get to the <b>Sweet Peas because </b>I'd lost them. But the best bit is that the neighbours are away so I can plug the iPod into the speaker system in the garage and crank the volume up. Cue much hilarity when 'Er Indoors comes in quietly and observes Dad Dancing going on.Gordon Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796375484099193959noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26319603.post-19241577354020278442013-04-06T18:21:00.003+01:002013-04-06T18:21:42.847+01:00At last!A new roof on the shed!!<br />
<br />
It's only been a year (or more) since it started falling in. But no more; the new roof is on today.<br />
<br />
Looking back, I can see that the old roof was a poor thing. I followed conventional (aka cheap) practice of using chipboard covered by shed felt. Chipboard, when wet, has all the strength of cold porridge and it's heavy too. Shed felt is horrible stuff to work with and when it inevitably fails it lets water into the chipboard which....well, don't stand underneath it is my advice.<br />
<br />
So, judicious application of a wrecking bar removed it in much less time than it took to install it. Two new "joists". Then a combination of an underlayer of builders damp-proof membrane on the top and bottom thirds of the roof and the whole overlaid with clear corrugated PVC sheets which, handily, come in just the right size! So the roof is waterproof and the shed has lots of light because the middle third of the roof is transparent. Neat, or what?<br />
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<br />
And finally, in a burst of mad enthusiasm, I painted it too. No, not the roof! Just the walls, and it looks a damn sight better for it.<br />
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Gordon Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796375484099193959noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26319603.post-16674217164183686562013-03-29T19:35:00.003+00:002013-03-29T19:35:32.666+00:00Hot, Hot, Hot?Nope, not outside, still snowy. But inside the greenhouse......nope, not hot there either<br />
<br />
But I have just built a hot bed, essentially a giant heated propagator, to help germinate seeds. 20 feet of cable at 75 watts = warm, not hot, but that's OK. Gentle warmth is what seeds need. So here it is at the almost-final stage. About an inch of grit-sand has now gone on top of the cable and it's quietly warming up. In case you're wondering, there's a thick layer of coarse gravel and coarse grit underneath to ensure that the warmth doesn't simply vanish downwards.<br />
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<br />
And here's the power supply for it.<br />
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Gordon Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796375484099193959noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26319603.post-72464675401718703732013-03-21T14:10:00.000+00:002013-03-21T14:10:09.734+00:00Know your history<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span>There’s an excellent
article by Lia Leendertz in the latest edition of the RHS magazine <i>The Garden</i>, on allotment history.<span> </span>In the face of local authorities, notably Watford,
wanting to build on allotment sites (and presenting allotment holders as
selfish and defending a ‘luxury’ position), she reminds us of the origins of
allotments.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNoSpacing">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span>Essentially they were a revolution-preventing
sop to the landless poor following the great land grab, by the already-landed
classes, which was the Enclosure.<span> </span>Lia
reminds us that <i>“between 1600 & 1850
the rich and powerful fenced off and claimed as their own millions of acres of
common land, previously considered a common man’s birthright…..They are our
last fingerhold on the vast tracts of land we [all of us] could once call upon,
carved off millions of acres at a time.<span>
</span>No-one should ever be regarded as selfish for defending that.”</i></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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</span></span><div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span>Absolutely right, and well
said.<span> </span>Worth remembering as allotment rents
are about to rise by 100% in Sheffield.</span></span></span></div>
Gordon Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796375484099193959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26319603.post-24964260482188382262013-03-17T14:14:00.001+00:002013-03-17T14:14:36.170+00:00I'm a lumberjack and..........I'm OK<br />
<br />
I pay my subs,<br />
I cut down trees,<br />
I go.... <br />
<br />
<i>[OK, that's quite enough of that, we get the picture]</i><br />
<br />
But I have done both of those today. Paid my subs to the local Allotment Society (£3), and cut down a hawthorn which has been lurking, and a damn nuisance, at the bottom of the plot since I took it on. It's gorn now though, the last of the self-sown trees to be cut down.<br />
<br />
I'm beginning to wonder whether my neighbours at the plot have gorn too. Haven't seen either side for weeks now, in fact not sure I've seen them this year. Perhaps the proposed massive rent increases for allotments have caused them to have a rethink?Gordon Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796375484099193959noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26319603.post-56296009221852183372013-02-17T20:51:00.004+00:002013-02-17T20:51:50.530+00:00The 2013 campaign.........has now begun!<br />
<br />
First seeds in, sown in the command centre which is our garage & potting bench. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDfOeG3ZJvqpGz9Yj5baU5MeJ9UYj3kAUfmfC-TgtG_-DvcgHjBGYsij_BXxXobAXDcPK_MmYiezpz_UPspCJAKLpmPUVJ_FOkxVpFdg3l7Bvx61fgB8nprajxLBBoPs7d-ji/s1600/005.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGDfOeG3ZJvqpGz9Yj5baU5MeJ9UYj3kAUfmfC-TgtG_-DvcgHjBGYsij_BXxXobAXDcPK_MmYiezpz_UPspCJAKLpmPUVJ_FOkxVpFdg3l7Bvx61fgB8nprajxLBBoPs7d-ji/s400/005.JPG" width="372" /></a></div>
<br />
A couple of varieties of <b>Tomato </b>(Gardener's Delight and Pomona - an F1 hybrid from Seeds of Italy). They are in a heated propagator in the greenhouse because......I've now got electricity in there, courtesy of a long and "outdoor-ised" camping power lead from when we used to go trailer tenting. I've got some soil warming cable too to make a hot bed for germinating even more seeds. I've also sown some <b>Onion </b>seeds (Bedfordshire Champion and Red Baron). I've never done this before but the results with sets have been decidedly mixed so I thought I'd give seeds a go.<br />
<br />
And on the allotment itself, digging has started. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzt50kR2Omo7ZwKn1Ti-9UgJc2A7WU3ouFt5Kye_BN5b7aZvn2N3t_VXsDGi2FG81PAKPrviQnvZE67sMDXZu4ZjbDnRdwe-Cw6etPO3aQDDAiy7tJypy6sHXW0xF79wmn-4z1/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzt50kR2Omo7ZwKn1Ti-9UgJc2A7WU3ouFt5Kye_BN5b7aZvn2N3t_VXsDGi2FG81PAKPrviQnvZE67sMDXZu4ZjbDnRdwe-Cw6etPO3aQDDAiy7tJypy6sHXW0xF79wmn-4z1/s400/001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Old Foxy strolled across at one point but didn't wait to have his photo taken, or help with the digging either. Though I must say he looked very fit and healthy, absolutely in the peak of condition.Gordon Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796375484099193959noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26319603.post-9081962584123555282013-02-04T17:23:00.001+00:002013-02-04T17:23:43.306+00:00Suitably replenished with string..........I've finished tieing in the blackberries. Job done!<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLo6bHWPt4yDkw-OJZP0eH0M3NxoFVoHhphESYbKf2T1ipAJA6vZnBJV1bj47JD4gaapOWwTEYZEoRr1jjJ_EiHaQTTVomHFc-V2m1Ibzy5AjHZxaQt13oy1NhE6uzeZxt7Vc/s1600/002+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLo6bHWPt4yDkw-OJZP0eH0M3NxoFVoHhphESYbKf2T1ipAJA6vZnBJV1bj47JD4gaapOWwTEYZEoRr1jjJ_EiHaQTTVomHFc-V2m1Ibzy5AjHZxaQt13oy1NhE6uzeZxt7Vc/s320/002+(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-1fle_cLlSIqt84vole_dySi3-RGabrpBd4Et-zZg1evlSyht5XmRTFMzdE2g6tHXIhpvj7m_s3c35SyNmuhVmVBOqU6yfbZA2kC-wTqxU6LjAZ1Tx-SiJrSkZ81wNZWcFDIJ/s1600/003+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-1fle_cLlSIqt84vole_dySi3-RGabrpBd4Et-zZg1evlSyht5XmRTFMzdE2g6tHXIhpvj7m_s3c35SyNmuhVmVBOqU6yfbZA2kC-wTqxU6LjAZ1Tx-SiJrSkZ81wNZWcFDIJ/s320/003+(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Not deterred by rain and hail, the coppicing is also finished. Yay! Job done, even if the photos are out of focus because my hands were cold.Gordon Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796375484099193959noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26319603.post-28167966758629423012013-02-03T20:34:00.000+00:002013-02-03T20:34:08.553+00:00Only minor lacerations.........and the job is nearly done, the job being that of tieing in the very thorny Himalayan Giant <u><b>blackberries</b></u>. And it's only "nearly done" instead of completely done because I ran out of string. The gardener's faithful friend, string! But the blackberry hedge is now not so much wall-of-sound as wall-of-blackberries. It's fully 15 feet long and about 5 feet high (this is only about two-thirds of it).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsBgugb4EtE1AUK8KquTCeoerjf9Zs23dOaP885zu-XKvS5fyaRrhnvtdXx8OhyphenhyphenkY15wh_1RWlZTTu86u67KfMC2N_hcjI6QLx5fKtROyxU039Xx8hQgfqZrrJkYowBSEKso8/s1600/010.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsBgugb4EtE1AUK8KquTCeoerjf9Zs23dOaP885zu-XKvS5fyaRrhnvtdXx8OhyphenhyphenkY15wh_1RWlZTTu86u67KfMC2N_hcjI6QLx5fKtROyxU039Xx8hQgfqZrrJkYowBSEKso8/s400/010.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Anyway, let down by absence of string, I moved on and pruned the<u><b> autumn-fruiting </b><b>raspberries </b></u>(Joan J) and in the process gained a stonking pile of pea sticks from the prunings. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5S9h2oZe-4ngpFgguEmVG7yA0Cw3xgE83D6WuGDTaO-_FWv5Ptut4OU3xS4LMMeCId3t1SKmeb3-y0F9Z1wac0vrVjCFa8RUxH1JXSWKGneJxBAmwTOvg-oWCSU36CehEP-bn/s1600/012.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5S9h2oZe-4ngpFgguEmVG7yA0Cw3xgE83D6WuGDTaO-_FWv5Ptut4OU3xS4LMMeCId3t1SKmeb3-y0F9Z1wac0vrVjCFa8RUxH1JXSWKGneJxBAmwTOvg-oWCSU36CehEP-bn/s400/012.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Frugal or what? The raspers will look better once they've been weeded so you can wait for a picture of those! <br />
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Then there's a load of work to do around the <u><b>summer-fruiting raspers</b></u> (Glen Summat-or-other). They didn't deliver many rasps last year but had their best-ever season in terms of actual growth, which means (hopefully) a good crop this year. But they too need a better support system, done early and with <i>wire </i>into which they can be tied. That'll make a radical change; they're normally done [too] late and with yet more string because they've degenerated into a floppy mess because they weren't done early enough. This year I'm determined to get on top of them early enough!<br />
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And finally, I've started to coppice the <u><b>hazel </b></u>again. I last did this about five years ago and although I got some decent poles off it they were a bit too gnarly & lumpy to be much use, so they've sat around in various spots being not much use at all. Think I'll probably end up burning them. But the ones I've been working on today are altogether different. This is coppicing as it should be done - the poles are long and straight, ideal for bean poles and/or sweet peas. Here's a <i><b>before</b></i>,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNv5JmEHjOZUS03eaFSQlfbRfdlZbr5j_d_6t9uY-kmQv1cWfTODdrWOLmn41NEzeXx0u6iifENAVPYGPODbqIArZW5ruEhXEgWMMdzabGIB_xsG4xX3JU5Jbjj1N_39DjGfA/s1600/014.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNv5JmEHjOZUS03eaFSQlfbRfdlZbr5j_d_6t9uY-kmQv1cWfTODdrWOLmn41NEzeXx0u6iifENAVPYGPODbqIArZW5ruEhXEgWMMdzabGIB_xsG4xX3JU5Jbjj1N_39DjGfA/s400/014.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i><b>in progress,</b></i> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mJV72JaMf_IG7R3OXPJKbGr_vmAEAxZSPulWwsM0lDkoGszWN4g7ccbAm73VBav4P4yuVVBdiL5to0Wd9K_J8e9M4M9TxJ8SYUMYzkN3hxyzOJ5uUKwc_Ori7UczdzX9MXJL/s1600/016.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mJV72JaMf_IG7R3OXPJKbGr_vmAEAxZSPulWwsM0lDkoGszWN4g7ccbAm73VBav4P4yuVVBdiL5to0Wd9K_J8e9M4M9TxJ8SYUMYzkN3hxyzOJ5uUKwc_Ori7UczdzX9MXJL/s400/016.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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and<i><b> 'poles'</b></i> view of the hazel clump. Neat!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDiX7u2DvlUO6buR9o5T6N2RCJMtnmevGwh3bXzSscXm18Crz_qKoPhg3vtW2v7HuzP8oSZYw4IvM4ldBybiQ8nG8n8oaOIeDxDwUkrccdxuProMO2eDcz8Ax5fsuV5ugTSHy/s1600/017.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDiX7u2DvlUO6buR9o5T6N2RCJMtnmevGwh3bXzSscXm18Crz_qKoPhg3vtW2v7HuzP8oSZYw4IvM4ldBybiQ8nG8n8oaOIeDxDwUkrccdxuProMO2eDcz8Ax5fsuV5ugTSHy/s400/017.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
I think that in terms of job description I've been an <b>underwoodsman</b> today. Suits me. I quite fancy being a charcoal burner but it'd be a bit hard to get away with that on an allotment!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNv5JmEHjOZUS03eaFSQlfbRfdlZbr5j_d_6t9uY-kmQv1cWfTODdrWOLmn41NEzeXx0u6iifENAVPYGPODbqIArZW5ruEhXEgWMMdzabGIB_xsG4xX3JU5Jbjj1N_39DjGfA/s1600/014.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a>Gordon Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796375484099193959noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26319603.post-83613444191359327742013-01-27T18:30:00.002+00:002013-01-27T18:30:12.180+00:00What a difference a day makesYesterday....snow stopped play.<br />
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Today.....snow all gone. I was able to work on the allotment (cold but not in the least bit snowy), building a blackberry hedge, until it was almost too dark to see the knots I was tieing. Absorbed in my work I looked up and found all the street lights were on. Ah, time to go home.<br />
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And I've only done half the job. I started with the Oregon Thornless, cos they are easier. Gotta summon up the courage to start on the thorny one next!Gordon Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796375484099193959noreply@blogger.com4