Living in the midlands and wondering what you're doing now!!

tallyhoh

We have an allotment in Walsall. In typical MSE style we have been given bits of land by others so only pay a peppercorn rent.

At the moment we have assorted fruit bushes (poundland) all doing well, red onions, broadbeans, mixed leaves, leeks, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, sweetcorn, squash, pumpkins, sunflowers, beetroot.

The rhubarb is not doing so well but the lady I share with lets me take hers.

The soil is very clay & needs loads of manure but it holds the water.

rosy798

I had so many plants from my crazy planting I went to the car boot and made £100 for them. Now I can buy more compost, pots and seed trays to fill!!!

zarazara

Today I planted my runner beans out. Last week I sowed french beans,beetroot,courgettes,lettuce and rosemary.

heynonnynonny

Glad someone managed to get something done...had torrential rain for about 2 hours now it's driving me potty not being able get out there! Swear my plants and pots will have washed away!!

thifty

Well I went and planted the squash, courgettes, and sweetcorn out. Can't believe how much everything has grown in a week. Weeds not as bad as I thought they would be , been hoeing when nothing there so must have been keeping the weed seedlings back.

Am dying to see of my spuds are ready yet! It rained here too (notts) so I tidied the shed for a bit then got fed up of waiting and put my waterproof on to get too bloody hot!

Picked some more mixed salad. pak choi and rainbow chard. Anyone cooked chard before? No idea what to do with it:rotfl:

thifty

zarzara did you put french bean plants out or plant seeds? Think my seeds have failed so may do some more.

hex2

Hi thifty - not seen you for aaages! You cook chard like spinach, better wiht the stems off.

Today we have planted/potted up pretty much everything and got the shade netting up in the greenhouse before anything else fries. I have one last section to plant tomorrow if I get a chance Chucking down with rain now which is perfect.

thifty

hex2 am afraid the flylady lark has lost it's appeal since we don't do stars anymore- childish I know but just seem to lack the motivation, plus the garden is a better place to be! (have also started cross stitiching again sshhh)

JillS_2

ixwood wrote: »

A layer of cardboard or thick newspaper, covered in a mulch of grass cutting or compost will turn lawn into lovely friable soil after a few months.

Hope you're still around, ixwood.

I was interested in this comment. Would be grateful for more detail.
Does the cardboard need to be wetted? And the big one - is this still possible if the reason for getting rid of the lawn is that it is riddled with couch grass.

TIA
Jill

zarazara

thifty wrote: »

zarzara did you put french bean plants out or plant seeds? Think my seeds have failed so may do some more.

plants. I planted the seed in pots and waited til they were well grown before planting out. I rarely get plants from seed sown straight into the plot. I think the mice and slugs get most of them.