The Dragons Den

I have a greenhouse

2008-05-29T00:04:00.003+01:00

Well actually the greenhouse went up last week... and I can't believe that I haven't been here to update sooner!!!! Mr Dragon is setting up his own business at the moment and we are really busy sorting it all out.

It took 2 days, the 1st for the frame and the 2nd for the glass to go in. It looks fab!

I've got tomatoes, cucumbers and a melon waiting to take up residence.

The spuds are looking really good, and fingers crossed, we won't have any more frosts! We were very lucky last week as the spuds made it through unscathed!

I have finally made a plan of where the rest of the veggies are going and hopefully we can get most of the veggies in now.

We bought some more sweetcorn (only cos it looked so large and made mine look like puny little weeds!) and I've got some celery which I hadn't planned on growing at all - but there you go!

We've had some rain this week - which we needed as the soil had got very crusty on top - but we are planning on rotovating the rest of the plot today... so I'll update again later.

We have a fence!

2008-05-19T00:26:00.004+01:00

This 'we have a ..........' is getting to be a regular post title!

Well is does what it says on the tin.... the wonderful Mr Dragon has attached the chicken wire to the posts he put in and we are fenced in on one side!

Strange, but it makes so much difference to the Den! It feels kind of enclosed (if that's possible in such a big space) but at least it separates us from the parking area next door!

Rumour has it that the greenhouse will be going up this week! That will be really great as I can get the grow bags out of the shed and make some space in there! It means I can finally decide what is going into the beds either side of the greenhouse. I have been reluctant to put anything in in case it got squashed as the greenhouse went up!

Here's the usual pics.......

And the gate even has a lock on it! Cool!!!

The must have item.....

2008-05-18T01:08:00.002+01:00

An allotment isn't an allotment without..... a good old composter made from palletts!

Mr Dragon has worked very hard and put together the following beauty! I've already added some gruss cuttings mixed with straw and a few hundred (slight exageration) toilet rolls.....
It sits at the bottom of the Den next to the raspberries.....
I've also got strawbs appearing in the grass pathways. Roght on the edge of the potato bed.... hmmm is it possible to have strawberry flavoured spuds?.....

This is Base calling Den!!!!

2008-05-12T23:42:00.004+01:00

I have a base... I have a base!

Woo hoo! The metal base for the greenhouse has been constructed but as hubby is working away for a few days the frame won't be going up this week! Boo hoo.

We spent a good few hours at the Den this morning.

We managed to get some carrots in and have covered them with one of those ready made fleece tunnel things. I also got a row of beetroot in.... mmmmm I love beetroot.

The spuds are just peeking above ground and a couple of the red onions I planted have sprouted. The Autumn onions I planted on Mums plot last year are doing well. Their little bulbs are just starting to swell.

Can I bore you with some more pics? Well I'm going too anyway!

Here are the spuds...

Here are the carrots - under the cloche....Here are the Autumn onions (the ground's a bit weedy!)...

And a closer view.....

The long awaited shed base......The PSB which has gone a bit mad this week!.....

It's here.....

2008-05-09T22:30:00.003+01:00

The greenhouse arrived on Thursday and is currently being stored in the shed apart from the long 10' lengths which our neighbour Keith on the next plot is kindly storing for us... I'm paranoid that it will go walkies before it's even been put up!

I've planted some seeds this week, some for planting outside and some for the greenhouse. I'm really surprised that they sprouted so quickly. maybe it's because the weather has been so warm and they're in the conservatory which can get like a Kew Garden hot house at times!

I've planted broccoli, cabbages, sprouts, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins and some melons! I don't know how the melons will do but even one would be nice... I can't imagine eating home grown melons!

My sweetcorn has grown well but I'm a bit concerned it's getting a bit leggy! I don't know if I should put it outside in the mini greenhouse.

We bought some cloches today... some with netting for the cabbages and one with fleece for the carrots.

Just a final note to say that the weather has been absolutely gorgeous this week... we haven't had any rain since last Friday and I even caught some sun on Tuesday when I was sitting in the garden with a poorly elder little Dragon. I must get to the Den tomorrow and do some watering.

Have a lovely weekend.... enjoy the sun

Bank Holiday Weekend

2008-05-07T14:45:00.005+01:00

We managed to get to the Den on Sunday and Monday. A family affair again.

Mr Dragon managed to get some of the fencing posts in ready to attach the new chicken wire to. The old broken chicken wire was a real bugger to remove! I think it had been sunk into the ground and had years of grass growth tangled up in it. however, scratched hands and many curses later we managed to cut most of it away!

I have separated my raspberries and managed to get two rows out of them which is a bonus as I was only planning on one row. I pulled a few of the old leeks that were on the patch I used on my Mums plot last year. One was a bit of a whopper although once the leaves had been cut away there wasn't much leek left! However, it and two others, made a very tasty leek and potato soup last night!

I also cut some more Purple Sprouting Broccoli and steamed it to go with our Sunday lunch... (I did the same last week but forgot it was in the fridge and had to throw it out!!!....
Doh!!!! )

Some pics for you...

My PSB.......
Youngest Dragon with a large leek........

My raspberries.......

I got the phone call..............

2008-04-28T22:45:00.003+01:00

................ to say that my greenhouse will be delivered next Thursday, the 8th! Woo Hoo!!!!!!

Hubby and I are going to have a go at putting it up together... so it will have to be a kid free zone to save their delicate little ears from the expletives that will no doubt be flying around profusely!!! Hee hee.

Last night we had the biggest thunderstorm I've seen in ages! The girls were frightened and of course it arrived just as they were going off to bed. There was a howling wind and massive hailstones! It only lasted about half an hour and was gone as quickly as it arrived.

Anyway I'd put some compost in some modules ready to put some seeds in and had left them on the garden table. I checked them this morning and they were sitting in about 2 inches of water! I've brought them in to dry off a little before I put some seeds in.

I started off some sweetcorn in the airing cupboard a few days ago.... I think I forgot to post that..... but they have sprouted very nicely and this evening they went into their new homes..... nice tall Richy paper pots. I've put them in the conservatory where I hope they'll be very happy for a while.

Oooh things are really happening now!... Did I mention my greenhouse is coming? :-)

At last...

2008-04-26T23:49:00.003+01:00

.... I've planted my spuds!

Yay... today has been a glorious day and the whole family has been at the Den to mark a momentous occasion!

We got our first veg in the earth! It was only fitting that the first plants in were spuds - that good old staple food. I have 3 rows of Maris Bards (1st early) 3 of Charlotte (also 1sts) and 3 of Maris Piper (main crop).

I also put in 2 rows of Red Baron onions but the sets were very dry and I don't know if they'll come to much.

When I say I planted I mean that hubby helped with some of it (2 lots of pots) until the footie call became too much and he retired off home to watch Man U play Chelsea in the most important game of the season (apparently). We won't mention the fact that Man U lost 2-1 and are now level on points but ahead on goals.... ooops I just did!

And yes the two little dragons were also there to help but spent most of their time planting stones (???!!?) or hanging out on Nanny's plot which is obviously more interesting than our own! But isn't anywhere that Nanny is?

I also put 3 pots of raspberries in. They are not in their final resting place yet but I think they'll be happier in the ground than sitting around in pots and will not wonder off with anyone who takes a fancy to them!

We had a really enjoyable day, finished off with a curry and a bottle or 2 of red wine, and some chill out time in front of the tv.

All I have to do now is wish a very Happy Birthday to my Mum!
Hope you had a great day xxxx

Happy Birthday and Paper pots

2008-04-23T23:39:00.003+01:00

Happy 3rd Birthday to Little Dragon No2! I can't believe how big you are getting. I hope you had a wonderful day sweetie... I know you are fast asleep in bed now! Sweet dreams little one... Mummy & Daddy love you sooooooo much!

I've made some of Richys paper pots.... see http://www.chat.allotment.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=11390. I'm going to grow my sweetcorn, beans and maybe even my sprouts and cabbages in them.

I've also put some sweetcorn in the airing cupboard tonight to chit. I really hope I get some cobs off them this year. I bought some plants last year that didn't do anything in my Mums plot and I was so disappointed! I've got to wait 3 days before I check them..... ooooh I can't wait!

I hurt my neck last Tuesday and my Osteopath says that I can't do any work at the Den but I really need to get my spuds in soon! What he doesn't know won't hurt him!!

The weather is warming up this week so I'm hoping this is the start of the planting season! I drove past the Den today and some pallets had been left for us so that'll be the composters off to a good start!

Hooray.... the growing season has finally started!

Meeting results....

2008-04-17T23:09:00.003+01:00

Well that was quite interesting.... we have 112 plots on our site and there were about 20 plot holders there in total!

There were moans about fences flying round in the wind.... dog mess..... people not shutting the gate when last out at night (even though someone has nicked the security chain!)..... rats by the pigeon sheds... and a rabbit alert! Last year was quite rabbit free apparently but te year before that there was a big rabbit problem... I hope it's not that bad this year. They also had a moan about people who are after a plot... they are constantly hassling the allotment council clerk and the allotment officer. I sank into my seat at this point as I am guilty of visiting the clerk on a regular basis before I got my plot! Ooops!

Apparently one of the new plot holders has had contractors in to do about a £1000 worth of work! The old timers thought that it wasn't in the spirit of allotmenteering and that they should be excluded from competitions!

But... I did make a good contact for pallets and manure!! Woo hoo!!! Hopefully I'll get a phone call to let me know about the manure soon... I can't wait, the beds could really do with some goodness digging in.

So the next meeting is in October.... I'll be an old hand by then!

Rude awakening...

2008-04-17T17:57:00.002+01:00

I was woken up this morning by the sound of growling!

I heard the clinking of ladders and discovered tyhe window cleaner had started his rounds early! He must be making the most of the sunny mornings as it has rained every afternoon for ages now!

The growling was the cat!!! She had heard the window cleaner and was having a right old moan! I'm sure she thinks she's a rottweiler even though she's tiny!

Anyway I'm off to my 1st allotment meeting tonight... not sure what to expect but it could be interesting!... I'll let you know later :-)

Drum Roll Please........

2008-04-16T22:57:00.004+01:00

Introducing.........................

The new look Dragons Den..................

The beds have finally been dug over

A base has gone down ready for the greenhouse.....

Hubby has done a great job working out the instructions for the sprayer and giving the den a lovely coat of dragon green paint..... mind you it absolutely chucked it down with rain about an hour after he finished so we left it with a slightly camouflaged look! I even got him to spray the pallets outside the shed to make a nice little veranda! I'm gonna get him a rocking chair and a pipe so that he can sit there swigging moonshine watching the sun go down!

Meanwhile I was busy with the interior decoration! As this shed is doubling up as a playhouse of sorts to keep the girls from getting too bored it has to be bright and cheerful. I need to do another coat of paint and then I'm going to print some nice bright girlie pink circles inside! I've got a small plastic table for them and an easel to keep them occupied. I'm also getting an old sandpit as well. We might even get round to growing some veg at some stage!

Talking of veg.... now I have a lovely blank canvas to play with I'm really scared of making a start! I really need to decide where to put my permanent planting, ie the strawbs and rasps before doing anything else! My spuds are more than ready to meet their new home and get going. I also ordered some bare rooted strawbs from QVC today.... 12 plants for £9ish. (can't remember the name at the moment but they are meant to be very sweet - time will tell!)

PS I will get round to listing my seeds but as I'm running out of battery here I'm gonna have to go. Toodle pip! :-)

Just a quickie.......

2008-04-09T22:07:00.002+01:00

Ok...... So I think it's about time I started some seed off.... I'm getting very impatient waiting for the Den to be ready to dig over and I need to do something!

I'm gonna look through my seeds tomorrow and make a start!

Who cares if the greenhouse isn't coming yet.... needs must and it's time to start the ball rolling.

Have I posted a list of seeds I've bought yet? Don't think so.... I'll check back and do a complete list tomorrow. I bough more seeds at the weekend.. PS Broccoli and plain broccoli. I'm gonna need another plot at this rate!

Quick weather check...... it's warmed up a bit but there's still alot of rain around. The summer forecast is warm and wet... should be interesting for the first year at the Den.

Grrrrr to the weather!.. and a big well done.

2008-04-07T21:37:00.008+01:00

Can I just start this post by saying a big BIG congratulations to Little Miss Dragon jnr who managed to use her potty for the very first time today!

Woo hoooooo! Good on yer girl... I'm very proud of you.

Anyway back to the Den... This blooming weather is driving me mad!

Monday was T shirt weather... I did some clearing on Mums lottie, just old cabbages and broccoli but it was lovely and warm.

The shed went up on Tuesday... not as warm, well quite chilly, but it was dry.

It got warmer towards the end of the week... it was almost up to 20 degrees!

Then come Sunday.... It snowed... it was freezing cold.... it snowed again! There were blizzards by the evening!

Quick snowy picture...

I popped up to the Den just to make sure that the shed was still intact. Phew the windows were still there and it looked quite secure.

I feel a bit of a picture fest coming on....

Here's the finished shed....

Here's one of the plot... the weedkiller (3rd application) is starting to work....

And here's my plot number. It looks sad doesn't it... I'm planning on painting a new one, all nice and fancy and varnished! Might even go for the best new plot award this year! ha ha!!!

I've ordered my greenhouse!

2008-04-04T23:00:00.004+01:00

Yay!

I phoned the Greenhouse People today and ordered the greenhouse. I did it by phone as I wanted to see if they wold be able to deiliver it to the Den. A very nice lady on the other end of the phone said it shouldn't be a problem... hooray! I ordered toughened glass, and the ventilation pack which includes a louvre window and 2 auto openers. Wow!

The only downside is that I will have to wait 5-7 weeks for delivery (did I say that yesterday? Just ignore me if I'm rambling!) The nice lady said that it might arrive earlier and that she would make a note that I would like it ASAP.... we'll see - watch this space.

This is what I've ordered....

Aaah, diddy little piccy!

I'm sooo excited, I hope I don't have to wait forever for it as the whole idea of a greenhouse is to get some seedlings started off early. Keep your fingers crossed!

We have a shed!!!!!!!!

2008-04-03T23:12:00.005+01:00

Well, it went up in no time and I must say it's looking pretty good!

Just need to make the window more secure. Why is it you get a nice solid shed with a lock and key supplied but a flimsy bit of plastic for the window held in with a few thin nails!!!

The paint is ready for the outside, a nice shade of green, but I am considering giving the inside a quick coat of white emulsion to brighten it up!

I know... enough rambling..... here it is......

Fanfare please!!!!........

Ladies and Gentlemen... I present to you... the heart of the Dragons Den....

Now wasn't that work waiting for!

The roof has been finished but the above pics were taken on my mobile so I'll get some better ones when I'm next there. Can you believe in all the excitement I forgot my camera.

Now then, tomorrows news is...... I'm ordering the greenhouse! Woo hoo.

Did I mentin I'm going for a 6x10? Should be enough space for the odd cucumber and cherry tomato. The downside is it'll take 5-7 weeks to arrive. Anyway I'll let you know how I get on tomorrow.

Look At My Little Chitters!

2008-04-01T00:03:00.004+01:00

Well my poor little spuds are still happily chitting away on the windowsill but I think that the earlies are getting a bit impatient!

They are about to sprout into leaf!

Here are my little chitters.....

Keep your fingers crossed......

2008-03-31T23:46:00.002+01:00

..... for good weather tomorrow.

Tomorrow is SHED DAY!

Hopefully the plan is to get it to the den first thing in the morning and then hubby and dad will spend the rest of the day (hopefully not) putting it together and cursing me under their breath, ha ha.

I can then spend the rest of the day filling it with all the junk, I mean necessary equipment, to keep the Den ticking over nicely!

I'll be taking as many pics as possible and posting them tomorrow..... watch this space.

Mad Weather!

2008-03-25T01:10:00.007Z

Just a few words about the mad weather we've been having over this bank Holiday.

It's been cold... hovering around freezing every day! The suns been shining but at the same time there have been hailstones and snow falling - what's that all about?

Just when I want to be getting some seeds started Winter seems to have returned with a vengeance!

Here's a quick piccie of the hailstones that fell in a few moments in the back garden!

Which Greenhouse?

2008-03-23T23:50:00.006Z

I had pretty much decided on the greehouse I wanted but then the minor hurricanes started (and flattened my Mums little greenhouse) and so I have had to have a rethink!

The original idea was to have a ploycarb greenhouse, mainly as my girls will be spending time at the den and I want it to be as safe as possible!

HOWEVER...... I also want to have a greenhouse, and contents, that are still standing at the end of the day so I am back to thinking about a glass one!

My Mum bought (bofore it blew over) a 6'x4' greenhouse. Once it was up it was TINY!!!!!!! So...... I decided that a 6'x8' would be a good size. One side to get all those little seedlings off to a good start and the other side to grow my cucumbers and tomatoes.

I have found a clearance glass greenhouse which is 6'x10' for less money than I was gonna spend on the polycarb one. For an extra £99 I can get it kitted out in toughened glass but Mr Dragon seems to think that we could get the glass coated in a film to protect it! It's the same stuff he had put on his car windows so watch this space to see what we end up doing!! Personally I think it could cost more than the toughened glass but we'll see!

This is the one I'm looking at (but not in green - that is an expensive option!!!! )

Apparently there is a 5-7 week wait for it which is a bit disappointing as I really want to get some seeds in but hey ho, if that's what it take then I will have to wait! Patience is a virtue (but not on an allotment apparently!!

I WANT TO GET SOME VEG GROWING!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!!!!!!!

We have a base!!!

2008-03-23T23:22:00.007Z

Oooops - haven't posted for a while!

This is mainly due to THE CRAP WEATHER!!!!!

There is no chance of doing any digging at the den at all!! It is either too wet, too cold, too icy or, as the last few days have shown, a mixture of all three with some snow thrown in!

BUT...... we do have a base for the shed! It's not the base I originally planned but it's solid and will do the job nicely!

This is it.....

and this is where it will be sited.... top right hand corner

Now... the next hurdle is getting the shed, which is currently in pieces in the garage, up to the den! I'm hoping that it will be sorted in the next two weeks (famous last words ).

Defrosting!!!!

2008-02-22T21:20:00.007Z

Well today we've had a mini heatwave!!! It reached the giddy heights of 12 degrees!

Nothing to shout about normally but after the big freeze we've had lately, it hasn't got above freezing for days, it's very welcome! It's been too cold to do any digging at the Den.

Mind you the cold has been replaced by a howling wind... the straw I put on some of the poorly looking plants to protect them has blown all over the garden! Hopefully it will make some nesting birds very happy.

Here's a couple of pics of the frosty plants in the garden.

Spud update

2008-02-18T23:07:00.005Z

The spuds are chitting away nicely... just a quick update for you.....

I've also bought some Charlottes to hopefully get a few salad spuds. I must start them off chitting soon!

Let the work begin.......

2008-02-08T22:55:00.005Z

Well the Den has had a good old strimming and I must say it looks sooooo much better!

The plan is that the grass and weeds will be stimulated into life and start to grow. That way they can be spot treated in the areas that are going to remain as grass for now and the areas that are going to be veggie beds can be sprayed with whatever it is you spray weeds with!

Here's a couple of pics of how it's looking at this moment in time....

The shed will go at the top right hand corner and the greenhouse, when I get it, will go about half way down on the right hand side.

You can see where the original beds were and I'll probably keep to this layout for now. Just need to wait for the weeds to show themselves properly so they can be well and truly sorted!

Shedworld!!!!.......

2008-01-30T23:33:00.003Z

Well after days of deliberation we have decided on a shed!

We've ordered a 5'x7' shiplap single door shed for £229. Free delivery! It's coming from http://www.gardenbuildingsdirect.co.uk/.

I'm hoping this will be an adequate size.... it's got to house some tools, which will hang on the wall, some sort of racking for storage and, most importantly, somewhere to make a cup of tea!!!

It also needs to have enough space for the ankle biters to hide from the weather if need be.

I ordered it online last night (Tuesday) and had an email today to say it will be here on Friday!!! Great service - I hope the shed is as good! I've also been looking at greenhouses from the same site but that's a story for another day!

The shed will go into the garage until the lottie is ready for it. There is no way I'm going to leave it unassembled on the plot for anyone to walk away with! I've also been thinking about woodstains.... I don't want the run-of-the-mill brown... I want to be a bit different! I'm not talking pink or yellow but maybe a nice heritage blue or sage... watch this space.....

Here comes the sun.....

2008-01-25T00:27:00.002Z

Yay... the sun finally came out of hiding today, for a few hours anyway!

So I thought I'd hot foot it up to the lottie to see what it looked like in sunlight. Of course I took my camera with me and here is the result....

It doesn't look too sunny does it? But I promise you it was!

Next to my lottie is a grassed area to park on - although you can't park on it at the moment cos it's too wet!!!! Here is another piccie from outside the car park...

Note the lovely gate and lack of fence next to it? That's a totally secure lottie ha ha. The small egyptian Mummy type thing is actually the water tap - everything on my doorstep! :-)

Chits Away!!!.....

2008-01-25T00:14:00.004Z

Well after carefully studying the bags and bags of seed potatoes at the garden centre on Monday I chose 2. A first early called Maris Bard and a maincrop Maris Piper - probably not very adventurous but who cares - I'm gonna play safe for my first year!

I've put the first earlies into some trays so they can chit away to their hearts delight.

Here are some pics of them....

Oooooh how exciting!!

Hopefully I'll have some nicely dug over beds for them to move into!

Touching Base.....

2008-01-23T23:03:00.002Z

I've been browsing the net looking for ideas for a base for my shed. They Who Must Be Obeyed (the Council) say that cement or concrete is not allowed on a plot so most paving slabs etc must be laid on a bed of sand or on ye olde allotment favourite... pallets. Being a girlie I want my shed looking nice and not a Steptoe reject so the pallet idea is out! Pallets will have a place on the lottie - compost bins or fencing - but NOT under my shed.

I was contemplating laying some sand and paving slabs but the thought of all that levelling was putting me off (not that I would have being doing a lot of it ha ha!) but I found this idea on my favourite allotment forum.....

Lay a retaining wall of wood, fence posts will do, and fill in with a couple of inches of gravel. On top of that put 3"x 3" fence posts, as many as you need for stability, and place your shed on top. The Fence posts will bed down into the gravel which will help to self level the shed. The shed is held away from the ground keeping the damp out and meaning your shed lasts longer!... Voila!!!

Can I just say thank you to Aunt Sally for that top tip.

I think I have decided on the shed I want.... It's a 7'x5' shiplap style with windows on one side. It needs to be big enough to house a small plastic kiddy table and chairs so that the girls can retire there and read or draw should the weather (or the great outdoors) become too much for them! I can't make my mind up between a single or double door on it though. Either way I hope to have it ordered at the weekend. Next on the list is the greenhouse, but that's a decision for another day!

The Beginning......

2008-01-22T22:30:00.002Z

Well, where to start....

This is going to be a blog mainly about our allotment but I'm sure that other aspects of life will sneak in too!

We signed for our lottie yesterday after receiving a call on Friday to say we had been offered the one we had had our eye on for a while. We are on a site of over 100 plots in East Yorkshire. We are flanked by a fairly new housing estate on one side and fields on the other. It is diagonally opposite my parents plot, has car parking next to it and a tap outside. It is mainly grass with some weeds, some muddy patches and some rubble. There are about 5 sad looking sprout plants and a lone onion! Aaaah poor things.

It is in need of a decent fence, a shed and a greenhouse (which we are busy sourcing online as we speak). I want to add a decent compost bin and a kiddy corner for the girls to play in. They will also have their own 'mini plot' to grow whatever they want in - which at the moment is a magic beanstalk!!! :-)

We need to decide where to put the beds, where to put the paths and what material to use for them. I'm leaning towards pavers but will probably leave them as grass for the time being.

I am sooooo keen to get going but this wet weather is really putting a downer on things - I read the other day we are in for the wettest year for years.

Come back this time next year folks and see if I've managed to get anything done - I could well have East Yorkshires most lucrative paddy fields!!!!