Getting ready for the new greenhouse

Today was pretty cold and overcast, so it wasn't really the kind of weather for doing small fiddly things. Definitely the kind of weather for carting loads of wood chip around. So that's what I did. I had already pulled out the old boards from the bed which was next to the greenhouse ready. All I needed to do was cover it with a weed membrane and bring in loads of wood chip.

Which turned out to be not a good idea.

The wood chip packs down as it's walked on. So putting the membrane down first means that the wood chip tends to slide about on top of it. It needs to have a more robust base. So instead I ended up deciding that the weed membrane will go on top, like my existing greenhouse.

So despite the cold and the wind, it's time to do the fiddly things again. I seem to remember going through all this before.

But after a lot of faffing about trying to get some of the old nuts and bolts undone, I did eventually get the greenhouse up. Well the frame at least.

Trying to get the plastic cushioning which clips onto the frame and which the glass rests is a very fiddly thing to attempt. Especially in the cold and wind.

So although I manged to get some of it on, I decided that instead of getting lightly spotted with rain, I'd head home to the warmth and tackle it another day. The glass also has to wait.

But I am slightly worried about how the glass will fit. Because this is a second hand green house, some of the frame pieces are twisted and warped. This may cause issues. I am also unsure as to whether there is in fact enough glass to fit. I suppose that's not too much of an issue. Providing the roof, south wall and door wall have enough glass, I can fill in the other walls with perspex or wood as needed.

This new greenhouse is slightly smaller than the old one. It's supposed to be 6ft x 8ft again, but either the other was generous or this one, not so. But the foot print is slightly smaller, and the roof is certainly lower (as is the door way, which my head duly found out).

But things are slowly returning to life on the plot. The rhubarb is starting to sprout.

The Annual Slaughtering of the George

It's that time again. Time to deal with the George's that have been hanging around in the kitchen since last year.

After slicing it open there is a huge number of seeds inside.

These will be dried for a couple of weeks and then this years courgette marathon will once again be under way. It's  good job we like courgettes.

Meanwhile, the Wife decided to clear out the greenhouse. It certainly needed it.

She did a really good job. Just perfect for her "Strawberry Empire".

Whilst she was tidying, I was shovelin' 5h1t! We had a welcome delivery of manure to the site, which is somewhat of a rarity these days.

Yes that pile is nearly 2m high. Will probably last us about 2 weeks the way people go through it. I grabbed a few barrow-fulls.

I also dug out some of the soil from the old courgette mound (as was) to fill the new flower bed.

At least the daffs are starting to make an appearance.

The manure also got dug into the two lower beds (the ones that often get flooded) which were last years beetroot. This year they'll be sweetcorn beds.

Hopefully this year we'll get to the sweetcorn in time. Otherwise we'll have chicken feed again.

And I also planted the Red Shallot onions. Didn't have as many onions as I thought I did so I've only got a half-bed at the moment. Will have to get a few more to top it off.

I apologise for the  blurry photos. Didn't realise that the lens of my mobile was somewhat smeary and has made a bit of a mess of the auto focus.

First real work on the plot this year.

Last week I could only manage a quick visit. This week we managed to do a little more, but still no real heavy work. My coughing from the lung infection has left my ribs badly bruised so lifting and digging are well and truly out.

But I managed to get round to giving the grape vine a proper trim, which it desperately need. Ideally pruning should be done in December. Ah well, better late than never.

The cutting from said vine went into the bottom of the new flower bed. I'll fill it with soil when I can lift a spade.

The other pots and root balls you can see below the cutting are plants that have died in the greenhouse. Unfortunately leaving things so long meant they dried up and died. Even during winter plants need watering.

But the strawberries seem to have survived(ish). I think some may be dead, but it can wait until spring before we know for sure.

Meanwhile, the Daikon Radishes that we planted last August appear to be almost ready. We pulled one to see. Yep, sure enough, a little crooked, but grated on top of a grilled mackerel with shoyu it should be be pretty good.

Green Living Forum Seed Swap

I've been hanging out in the Green Living Forum for a few years now.

This forum started as an off-shoot of the TV series, It's not easy being Green.

This year I opted to be part of the 2017 Seed Swap. A packet of seeds makes it's way around all the participants and you add and take from it as you wish. Of course the big problem is that all my seeds are actually stored at the allotment... which I haven't been able to get to for a while due to my current Lung Infection. However I did mange to get down the plot this afternoon.

It's not good in the greenhouse. Most of the stuff appears to be dead. Either because it's just dormant over the winter, or there is the fact that I haven't been able to water anything for a month and it's all as dry as the proverbial bone.

Anyhow, once I retrieved the seeds (and watered), time to deal with the seed swap.

What I received:

And what I'm sending on:

I didn't really take much from the packet. Just some Chilli Pepper seeds, since this year, with the new greenhouse, I want to concentrate on chillies.

Of course though, that 2nd greenhouse can only work if I'm actually fit enough to build it. We shall see.

Plans for 2017

It's now 2017. So what are the plans for this year? What are the main goals?

Well as Robert Burns said...

"The best laid schemes o' mice an' men, Gang aft a-gley."

2017 has started with a major problem... Me. I have spent most of December fighting a lung infection which antibiotics just isn't shifting. It's not the first time I've experienced illness over last year. So it's clear that this years' priorities must be my health. But on the back of this it means that the plot has been neglected.

Neglect over the winter it's not too much of an issue though because nothing is really growing, but it has stopped me from some important work, such as putting up the second greenhouse. The greenhouse has been donated by my plot neighbour in return for use of shelf space. So I have to get the thing erected as a commitment to them as well as our needs.

I've already been through the seed catalogues ordering for next year. Going to be doing some old favourites like the sweetcorn again, as well as trying some Butternut squash, and of course the courgettes of which we have plenty of seed possibles with the marrows stored on top of the kitchen cabinets.

There are a number of things which need doing, apart from the greenhouse. Building more raised beds. Prune back the grape vine (and probably the apple trees). Building an anti-pigeon cage to protect the central beds.

None of which will happen for a while. So at the moment all I can do is sit here, occasionally coughing up what looks like runny scrambled eggs, and dream about the rest of the year. One thing is for certain though... it's got to get better.

Hasn't it?