An Organic Lifestyle (Organic Growing Pains)

The polytunnel is in place but the ground needs to be dug out and enriched before bringing out our tomato plants.They will not be ready for another few weeks anyway as they are incubating on one of the bedroom windowsills. I had been on Done deal a while back looking for a polytunnel and after investigating various models re: prices etc I settled on one and when  I clicked into their website I found the company was based a few miles away from me!I phoned them up, got directions to their store and son Billy (who is growing with me again this year) did a road trip and picked up our tunnel for €129.00. We got it erected in about 2 hours on Sunday .The measurements are in metres but it is approx 9'x6' in good old Imperial! If anyone is interested the company is based just outside Carrigtohill, Co Cork and their website is www.inthemarket.ie .    The two raised beds are being replaced as the timbers are really rotted and while we would probably be able to use them this ye...

Jack came to the allotment with me on  Wed, it was sunny but cool. I told Jack there was pirates treasure buried in one of the raised beds and it kept him occupied for ages digging! One side of the overgrown plot had been dug over by a mini digger and sods were piled up roughly around the edges. I spent the time digging a trench around the edges and sinking some tiles I had found languishing in my shed at home, hopefully it will deter some of the skutch grass roots from finding their way onto the plot, fingers crossed anyway! We bought some plants to fill up a pot which we found buried under the grass, they are to attract and feed the bees who live..... here at the end of the line of plots! The Beekeeper paid for the plot just to keep one hive on it, I hope it will be a case of live and let live for the summer months. The bees seem to be dormant at the moment with just the odd one buzzing around. The weather has changed drastically today with strong winds and lashing...

 New season, new allotment! I have been a very lazy Blogger and then became a very absent Blogger. I cannot believe how long it is since I logged in.I have debated with myself whether to even bother continuing with the blog as it is easier to FB photos as I take them, and Blogger has not gotten any easier since the last time I used it. As regular readers will know I left the Hydro Farm allotments where we had a plot for 6 years and where I began plotting and blogging.D. Kathryn moved so S.Billy came in with me and we took a plot nearer to home, got it into shape and productive but had a few problems and again thought of giving the whole thing up but have now moved to another allotment in the same area more or less and will give plotting and blogging another 'go'.  It is a very secure site but some very overgrown plots on it, we picked one and then discovered there were two raised beds buried beneath the grass ( see header pic) We cleared one bed and covered it with envir...