More allotment photos - just so that you can see the 'before' views.

This is the new long bed - doesn't look much does it for all the time it took, it is only about 15 or so feet long. It has more chrysanthemums in it and a stray iris. It is where I have the willow fence (if that took) and where I have added another layer of fencing - which took me over and hour and ruined my nails.

Another view of the same new bed. I know it looks a bit of a mess at the moment. The black membrane is to conserve moisture and cut down on the weeding, and the wood is to hold it down as it is so windy and exposed it would fly off. If the willow hedge takes I will weave it in and out and it will be a thing of beauty, and if not the chrysanthemums will look lovely anyway.


This is one of the beds alongside the fence that runs the width of the meadow area and where there are rudbeckia plants, that I tie to the fence - hence the bale twine. They are yellow and tall and majestic reaching 8 feet sometimes more. I love their cone centres and use those in flower arranging for texture. In front of them is the bed where I planted Yellow Cricket chrysanthemums, (if the labels did not get muddled up).


This is my 'spikey' flower bed, with plants with sword like leaves, like the irises and phormium, the middle bed of three in a row which you can see in the following shot beyond the fence.


This is a view standing in my little 'meadow' that I seeded last year, looking up to the top of my plot. There is a piece of my plot behind me, so from where I am standing to the metal compost bin, next to which are the rhubarb beds and gooseberries and currants and more asparagus, and in front are the strawberries with the plastic cloches hanging on for dear life by one spike (which I have now removed) and the broad beans where the canes are with cd bird scarers. This is about a quarter of my plot which goes right up to the farm buildings at the top in the distance.



This might not look much, but it is special to me. I did a college course a couple of years ago - Floral Design, which included all sorts of things including botany and horticulture, as well as design, flower arranging, history..............

It was Christmas time and we were doing our big arrangements, and I rescued out of the rubbish bin some of the rose stems - just small bits about 4 inches long that has been snipped off the bottom of the posh dutch roses. This is one that grew. I nurtured it, and it go one flower on it last year, but put on growth. It is protected by a square wooden planter without a bottom in it. To save it from browsing deer and rabbits and anything else that is likely to take shine to it. It seems to have survived the winter, and is looking good. I am really hoping for an abundance of wonderful red roses this year - so watch this space.


This is part of the rhubarb bed, and these are performing well without any extra help or protection. Hope they are going to produce a good crop. I have plans for those.



It really isn't trying hard enough even with a nice warm bucket on top of it!


The forced rhubarb is a bit slow, does NOT want to be forced even though it is destined for a vodka soak!


More flag irises have survived the brutal winter - boy are you in for a suprise in the summer when they flower!



A battered little primula, used to being tucked up in a woodland bed, protected by other plantes, not stuck in an open windswept plain. I should take pity on it and move it back home.