Links to Mr Middleton's weekly tasks first:
1st Wednesday No visit to the allotment today.
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3rd Friday, A Day of Barrels, Brew & BountyBefore heading to the allotment, I refreshed the flowers in the fourteen half‑barrels that line the front path — a quick lift of colour to start the day.
At the plot, I tended to the tomato plants in the polytunnel, giving them a check over and a bit of order. A spot of weeding followed, just enough to keep things tidy.I added another layer of comfrey leaves to the bucket that’s quietly brewing comfrey tea — the smell will be something else soon, but the plants will thank me for it.Harvest today included new potatoes, onions, lemon balm, and peppermint — a proper early‑July mix of kitchen staples and fragrant herbs.Later on, I watched a few tomato trial videos and one on using bananas as fertiliser. Plenty of ideas to test in the weeks ahead.
4th Saturday 4th, Front‑Garden Graft & A Dash to the TipNo visit to the allotment today. Instead, the morning was spent pruning the London Plane trees in the front garden and continuing the steady tidy‑up out there. The barrels looked sharper for it, and the path felt clearer.Later on, I moved a few more of my daughter’s belongings over to her house, then set about widening the letterbox in the Victorian front door with a chisel and saw — slow, careful work but satisfying once the opening finally matched the new fittings.Back home, I just managed to load the car with the day’s prunings and get to the recycling centre before closing, clearing the last of the green waste for the evening.A full day of small jobs, but all moving things forward.
5th Sunday – Allotment & Back‑Garden Jobs. The day had a steady rhythm to it, and most of the work ended up happening later on. By the evening I was out in the back garden tackling a job that’s been waiting a while: clearing out a good patch of Montbretia AKA Crocosmia. . The clump had thickened up nicely over the years, so it took a bit of effort to lift and divide it, but it’s now all cleared and ready for replanting where it’ll be better used.Once that was done, I turned my attention to the sunflowers. They’re still sitting in pots, and with this little family competition underway to see who can grow the tallest sunflower, I’m keen to get mine into the ground as soon as possible. They’re healthy, sturdy, and more than ready to stretch their legs, so getting that space cleared was a good step forward.Not a huge amount else happened today, but the garden jobs that needed doing got done, and the place looks better for it.
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11th Saturday, Heat, Hedge Prunings & A Day at the Steam Fair. The day began early, chopping up the hedge‑trimming prunings and getting them broken down finely enough to add into the compost bin. Warm work even at that hour, with the heat already climbing past 30°C and showing no sign of easing.Most of the day was spent at the Cheshire Steam Fair, the engines and displays running hot in the blazing weather. By mid‑afternoon we were back home, grateful for the shade and a slower pace. Plants in the garden were watered, and I mulched around the sweet peas and sunflowers in the back garden to help them cope with the heat.No allotment visit today, though I did take time to prepare for tomorrow morning’s Self‑Management meeting.
12th Sunday, Self‑Management Meeting Update
A quick round‑up from today’s committee meeting. Standards have slipped a bit across the site, so we’re tightening things up and offering clearer guidance where needed.
Regarding Water & Taps, hosepipes must be removed after use. If you see one left on a tap, please take it off as one recently exploded with water flowing everywhere.
Plot Inspections, the April results reviewed. Next full inspection: 25th/26th July with notices issued where required.
Compost & Manure, Compost orders ongoing. Manure is now “get your own”.
Plot & Site Issues, Burning outside plots, skip misuse, and glass dumping all need addressing. Signage and WhatsApp reminders coming.
The footpath outside plots need strimming, a volunteer gang will be organised.
Notice Board, Still to be installed, planned for this month.
Council & H&S, Updates shared; general site safety needs tightening.
Overall Message, Things have become a little lax. As a committee, we’re stepping up to keep the site tidy, safe and running to standard.
13th Monday, Heatwave Hard Graft
The heatwave rolled on, with temperatures pushing past 30°C and the ground turning to dust. At this point I’m concentrating all watering directly around the plants and nowhere else, just enough to keep things alive until this weather finally breaks.
With plot inspections due at the end of the month, and me being the chairman, the pressure’s on to set a good example. The plot needs to look pristine, no matter what, so after my evening meal I headed down for another round of tidying.
I made a start on the potato bed, clearing up the first earlies that had sadly perished in the heat. Thankfully the rest are still holding green thanks to steady evening watering, and I’ve left the tubers in the ground as there are still plenty of salad potatoes tucked away.
A good bit of weeding followed, and I managed to clean up nearly a third of the right‑hand side before sowing a fresh row of radish to make use of the space.
I also harvested some onions, but that’s where the day took a turn. One full row of onions and half a row of garlic have been hit with white onion rot, something I’ve never encountered before. I’ve marked exactly where it’s appeared on the plot and I’ll be avoiding planting onions in those areas for a good while.
A tough evening’s work in brutal heat, but progress is progress , and the plot is slowly shaping up for inspection.
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