Faux Stone Trough

I spent a few hours on the allotment this morning, I had the place to myself until it was nearly time for me to go.In the autumn we dug a trench for the beans to which we added compost over the winter,but I decided today it was in the wrong place! If it was left running across the width of the plot the beans would shade any plants behind them so now I will have 4 smaller beds in this area. The photo above is the new bean bed which I dug over and then dug out a deep trench which to which I added yellowed PBS leaves and any of the compost which I dug up from the previous trench which would have been running at right angles to the end of this bed.I will bring out some compost from the bins at home to fill it up.The whole idea is to provide moisture retention for the beans in the summer and they do not like animal manure.

The edge of the new bean bed in the foreground with the new pea bed at the other end, there is room for two more good sized beds here now.Today I just marked them out and will dig them during the week if the weather holds. I was not sure if I could dig when I went out today but the ground was fine, I think friable is the word!

The garlic is growing apart from some yellowed leaves. It is in a raised bed to help drainage as garlic does not like getting its feet wet, which is what happens in this country.

The autumn sown onions are looking a bit sorry for themselves and most of them have disappeared! We will have to set more soon so I don't think the winter sowing was good from the onion point of view.

Our tea room on the plots,Zwena has provided a kettle a micro wave and a farmhouse style table and chairs for us.It is nice if there is a sudden shower to retire and have a cuppa!