I was caught short in my last update, so here's a more thorough version. Bearing in mind I've been working through almost medieval conditions physically (ok this fortnight the family have had chicken pox, tonislitis and a sickness bug) I think were I'm up to on the plot is quite admirable under the circumstance, but still it's quite behind with respects to being ready to plant things.
Overall plot (looking from the back to the front):
The area covered with cardboard and filled bin bags is to have broad beans and peas, the bed opposite (right) will have asparagus and artichokes (double dug bed). The area covered with fleece on the right will have carrots and parsnips, onions and shallots, it has had sand added to loosen up the soil. The black weed suppressant material beyond that will be a late spring/early summer project, hopefully I'll clear that and add sweetcorn, courgettes, and squash. Behind that are my fruit bushes, you can see the rudimentary outline of a cage which will probably change as it doesn't work at all right now.
The covered area in the middle will be a seating area eventually, with something for the kids to do (any suggestions, I've thought of a tyre sandpit and a mini garden, but that's about it) One day in the future I'd love to have a willow arbour here. Beyond that is my potato patch, probably already too small for the amount of potatoes I've bought! You may also not that in the foreground I've employed Alys's technique from the Guardian's allotment blog, which suggests you cover cleared ground with carboard (to suppress weeds and seedlings thrown up by the digging) which will eventually rot down and be digested by worms, it's held down by sacks of sealed weeds which will anaerobically rot down and produce a delicious gloop for my plants.
So that's it to date. I've also been planting a lot at home during our various illnesses,to keep my spirits up and momentum going. So far I've done 4 varieties of tomato, a plum, regular and two cherries; cavalo nero; rainbow chard; carrots (in plug pots so hopefully they won't be upset by disturbed roots); broad beans and peas (1st lot have germinated, second lot recently planted); asparagus pea and sweet peas. Sigh, roll on summer
Broad beans are up
Pentlan Javelin's starting to sprout (probably well behind)
and to make me feel better (as progress slows), here was the plot in January
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