2012 Allotment Diary - Me: 19.5 hrs He: 14hrs 2012 Eggs: 24

It was as dull as ditchwater up the allotment today - which suited me just fine - and a freezing wind too - perfect for hard work - cools you down a bit.

You all know this is just a record for me - so this post will be really very boring - but I just like to keep a record of my achievements to look back on.

After spending a long time yesterday clearing the shed out - today I tackled the dreaded cupboard.  I had already cleared a few shelves before I decided to take a few 'before' photos.

It was incredible what was crammed in there - and not least for the amount of chewing and nibbling the mice had done.  Every plastic bag and been chewed beyond recognition, a big strong plastic container which I had saved some seeds in had a big hole in the bottom - so that they could go in and out to get at their larder of seeds.  It was heavy-duty air tight large container too - that  would hold 3lbs of flour!  I was quite surprised at the lack of cobwebs in the cupboard - maybe the mice ate them too!

 

It's a sweet little cupboard - which I think was once a wardrobe.  It's made of lovely dark wood and the previous allotment holder painted it cream - now many years later it's got the fashionable 'distressed' look about it.   If I wasn't worried that it might have woodworm or worse, I would have taken it home for my garden studio.

 

I had already cleaned out the bottom four spaces before I thought to take any photos.

When I removed the petrol cans there was more mouse mischief behind those too.

 

I never realised just how much the little cupboard held!

 

I found an unused toilet roll!  Eaten right through to the middle by mice - probably for a nest.  I can't for the life of me remember taking that up there - I know it wasn't for the usual use - more for wiping hands after adding oil and petrol to the mower.

I so wish I had remembered to take 'after' photos for my record.  After two and a half hours hard work I had worked myself to a stand still.

I had a huge sackful of rubbish to take home and another of stuff to dump, and Mr Lottie had lots of chewed paper to burn and a great big hammock - which belonged to the previous owner - who used to be a neighbour of ours.  It was really really strong and probably cost a lot of money when it was new.  (They used to 'do' posh everything.  They had a shed put up in the corner of their garden with double glass doors, and when they showed me the inside it looked almost like a Bedouin tent - and lovely drapes at the doors, a huge giraffe, and candle sticks - almost like a film set! Beautiful.)

I digress - Mrs Next Door (who moved years ago I must add, along with the 'Gone with the Wind' swing) encouraged Mr Next Door to have all sorts of hobbies to keep him busy/amused as she worked long hours.  One of which was to have the allotment, and grow organic food, and keep him occupied in healthy persuits.   But the 'old boys' told me that he used to go up there at the weekend  and  summer evening,  and used to sit up there or lie in his hammock, reading, or dozing or sunbathing with a bottle or two of wine!  And when I took over the plot there were lots of empty bottles in the shed, and boxes and boxes of empty cardboard boxes from an organic vegetable company.  It really made me laugh out loud!  Mrs Next door must have been very impressed with his expertise 'growing plants to order'.

 

I managed to dig out another foot to widen the bean trench so that it's at least 2 feet wide and over a foot deep.   It's taken a whole plastic compost bin of three year old compost to fill it!

 

It's yummy stuff.  We are due rain tomorrow and the rest of the weekend so I'll wait until it's rained before covering it over with the soil.

Mr Lottie had a lovely time with his bonfire, especially with all the stuff I found in the shed.

 He's made a great job of making it nice and tidy down the other end.

 

And although this was dug over before the winter, he turned it over for me again in readiness for my planting broad beans.

Off to have a well earned choc ice on a stick