We woke up to a very sunny Sunday morning.  And headed out to the plot after a breakfast smoothie.  The great gardening Malink wanted to lay down a few of the new paving stones and carry on preparations for the shed.

Wood for shed frame with 2nd coat of preserver.  Showing the 3rd paving stone in the path across the top level which will join to the other set of stairs going down.

Before we jumped on our bicycles we paused to dig up two small patches of sweet woodruff and some wild violet from the side back patch/woods to transplant into the side flower beds at the allotment.  I absolutely adore sweet woodruff; my only regret is that it spreads so slowly.  In late spring it comes into flower with tiny little star-shaped flowers twinkling low and lightly over a bottom carpet of delicate foliage.  So lovely!)

When we got up to the allotment it was soon too warm to work without peeling some layers.  First I peeled the big oversized fleece.  Then I peeled the black cotton sweater.  Down to my tank top/underwear!  So put on my down gilet over the tank top – bare armed and quite warm…  Wow!

The Malink kept busy painting a 2nd coat of preserver onto the wood for the shed frame. And then set into place a 3rd paving stone – which will eventually join up across the top level to the alternative set of stairs.  He also installed a paving stone on the bottom corner boundary to Richard at the far front.  That’s a sketchy area to get around so I’m glad to have something sturdy and not slippy to stand on when taking care of that veg bed.

Allotment violets – transplanted from woods to under the damask rose at top level.

The violet and some of the sweet woodruff were planted into the side flower bed (at the base of the damask rose).

Water is an issue again.  The taps are turned off for the winter and haven’t been reconnected to the mains yet.  Our shared tank with Richard has run dry (we didn’t realise it was off!)  So to transplant the violet (and water the plants put into the ground yesterday) we had to bring up two bottles of tap water from home.  Gadzooks!  Really hoping the water is re-connected soon, as growing season has really started in earnest.

The ground in the veg beds is still very sticky and clumpy.  Very heavy clay!  So I turned over the best bed and planted the purple sprouting broccoli – which will be ready to harvest next spring.  I have not yet planted the purple kale, but none of the other beds are good and super-G wanted to plant runner beans on the other side of that bed.  I tried to prepare the old salad bed on the other side of our plot, but again, very wet clay ground turning over in massive clumps.  Ground’s not dry or warm enough to work easily.

Wild wood violet planted into the flower border – with potted pink cyclamen to the right.

So dumped more manure on the salad bed to mulch it and will try again next weekend.

(Might go up mid-week and try to plant in the purple kale – and really wasn’t thinking as I could have brought them back here and planted them into the back patch vegetable beds.)

Oh well….

Back home for a short break and snack, and then back out to the woods to meet up with the woodlanders.  Another big session – we really concentrated on cutting out the wild carrot from the front lawns.  I also planted six of the dozen finished spring primrose that I bought at Homebase on Saturday.

Spring bulbs in the back of the half circle bed in the Lismore Circus Community Woods. Yellow primrose and forget me not in far corner.  Sunday 24 March 2019.  Photo by G.

Lismore Circus Community Woods in bloom, late March.  Photo by G.

This is the Lismore Circus Woods, with the white blossom tree being the yellow fruiting plum.   (Photo from the upper balcony of the flat.)

The lower white blossomed bushes are blackthorn (aka sloe bushes).

It also shows the half circle bed with a central sloe bush in blossom and the surrounding bird cherry and hawthorn bushes coming into leaf.

There are a number of primrose growing in the back curve and I planted more in this weekend. There are six more primrose to plant in but I was knackered after digging out the wild carrot, so will have to go out tomorrow after work and plant the last six in.

Lungwort in bloom in front raised flower beds, late March 2019.   Photo by G.