I've decided the allotment needs a bit of prettiness so I'm adding to my tiny flower bed and making it more permanent. I've been wanting to grow sweet peas and tulips since we first got the plot, but vegetables have always taken priority. Plus I've been more than a little useless in getting organised. I bought a pack of sweet pea seeds last year, and then I lost them, and I couldn't force myself to buy any more, knowing that they were around here somewhere. And Adam's mum Chris gave me some dwarf sweet pea seeds last Easter, and they just sat on a shelf too... until now. A few weeks ago (or it may be a couple of months now...) I planted some dwarf allium bulbs in the empty patch of earth in front of the compost bins which was to become my flower patch, and today I sowed three rows of the dwarf sweet peas too, and started edging the bed with bricks.
The raised beds we're building using old pallet wood look really good, they're pleasing, but not really very pretty. Functional. So I want my little patch of our patch of earth to be a bit more rustic. We only had enough bricks lying around to edge one side, but I might start recycling beer bottles and embedding them neck-down. God knows we'll have enough of them... And I'm sure I have friends who would be only too willing to help provide me with a few more empties.
Adam planted our first early potatoes - Arran Pilot. We've got 5 rows of about eight, so that's 40 potato plants which we'll hopefully be digging up in June for our first potato crop. Mmm. Next week well put the second earlies in - Wilja. Not so many of them but they seem to be bigger seed potatoes. Has anyone ever tried cutting a seed potato in half - with a chit on each half - so you can double your crop?
4 comments:
Hi, I happened upon your blog while searching for some on chickens. I really love your little patch of earth! And I love the beer bottle idea for lining your garden beds.
I look forward to reading more soon.
Recycled beer bottles make a great feature, I love the idea, just be careful you don't get a clumsy person dropping something heavy on them and shattering them, as it will quickly become a health hazard. I've seen it happen, not a pretty sight.
Cutting the tubers in half is a common way for tight farmers to get more for their money (and tight allotment holders!). The risk is that the cut side starts to rot before it has put out roots. You could dust with something technical or just make sure they're not in soil that's too damp.
Hi Sarah,
Yep its fine to cut the seed pots in half , but do it just before you plant them.
Cheap way to double the crop!
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