Second Greenhouse and Carrots

Rain

The last few days have managed to deliver a goodly amount of rain, I calculate nearly 15 gallons per square yard, which may be enough to bring the soil back from the desert and to allow loads more weeds to germinate and spring up.

Greenhouse

Our neighbour died recently, which was a shock. Although he was getting on, he seemed very fit and it was unexpected. His family are clearing the house and his widow kindly gave us his gardening magazines and his 8 by 6 greenhouse. Now me being given a second greenhouse when I still haven’t got around to erecting the first may cause some amusement, but it has spurred me into some action.

I measured it up and proceeded to the plot to cut some more 8x4s to make another base. It’s actually quite hard work sawing through them when they are damp with a bow saw, but I got them cut in the end and stacked off the ground so they will dry out. I’ll creosote them when they are dry.

The skip was on site, absolutely full as usual. I don’t know where it all comes from. The nice people on plot 28 had cleared a load of rubbish into it and I was much afraid they’d put a couple of large blue barrels into the skip but they’d kindly emptied them and put them by my plot.

Their plot is looking so good, huge amount of work going in there. The husband should ask for slave status, then she wouldn’t work him so hard! Actually they both put a huge amount of effort into it and are growing Italian vegetables. The daughter was watering the greenhouse but having a problem with the hosepipe, so I un-kinked  it for her and she rewarded me and the Poshbins with a spray (by accident)

Comfrey

One of the barrels has a copper pipe in the base so I cut that off to make a lid for the other bin that has become a second comfrey barrel. The bottomless bin will be cut in half and I’m going to try some fancy carrots next year.

The new comfrey barrel is bigger than its partner, but I still managed to fill it with a cut from half the patch. Filled it with water and placed the new lid on.

Despite the rain, the ground between the comfrey plants was pretty dry when I took the cut. Nature’s wonderful in that the comfrey leaves must help direct the water to the base of the plant as that was damp.

Took the stalks and sludgy leaves left out of the other comfrey barrel and added those to the compost heap. Gave the tomatoes and the cucumber a feed, which leaves enough for one more feed in that barrel,

While I had the hosepipe down there, I gave the cut comfrey a good soaking and a bit of liquid nitrogen in the form of urea.

Beans

The runner beans seem to much prefer the cooler weather and I got a good half a carrier bag picking, plus a load of French beans. There are loads more French but I felt tired and the odd showers hadn’t helped so back home around 8pm