Construction has begun...

Spring has definitely sprung! The crocuses and snowdrops are starting to die back to make way for the daffodils. The trees in the yard at school are brimming with blossom, and I'm beginning to wonder whether I should swap my big coat for a lighter jacket when I'm out and about.

I'm a summer lover through and through. I really hate winter. I know people talk about being able to sit in a cosy house in front of a fire with hot chocolate etc etc. But, I'm sorry, I always just find it cold, damp and pretty miserable. I do love Christmas, but as soon as that's passed I just crave the summer, so when spring hits, my mood definitely starts to improve!!

I've also realised, when you've wanted your own outside space for so long and then you finally get it, it's really all you think about or talk about. 
 I must be driving my husband crazy, especially as I keep asking him to come and help me out. 

 While I am super excited about it all and love it, I've also not been shy about how much I find this part of owning an allotment to be incredibly boring! Lets face it, nothing interesting happens! I'm simply clearing all the weeds/grass and brambles, either putting things in the incinerator or on the compost heap or I'm turning over soil to pull out yet more bramble roots. Each trip is the same!

I needed something to happen to make me a bit more excited, so the first piece of construction happened earlier this week!

We finally built a proper compost heap (using old and free pallets of course) While it looks like we're in the process of keeping ponies, this size was needed due to the amount of waste in the giant pile which used to be piled up to the left of the gate, or rather, the hole where a gate will be once we build one.
 Moving the giant pile of dead grass and things over was pretty satisfying though, and made me feel as though we'd achieved something.
 It was a pretty productive few hours actually, we've almost finished turning over one side of the allotment as well.

I was also quite excited because for my birthday I was given an apple tree (one of those cute little patio trees, as I don't think I'm allowed full sized trees on the plot (although it doesn't say that in the agreement!)) But for now, as the allotment is not currently in a state to plant anything, it has been sitting in a pot at the top of my stairs in the house. While I've been watering it, nothing was really happening. Then all of a sudden, spring happened in my house, and leaves have started poring out of every branch!

This was a shot from the other day of one of the branches!
 So I got very excited, I've since purchased seed potatoes which are now sitting out on my kitchen table waiting for their little eyes to grow, and next to the little apple tree are two trays full of pumpkin seeds and celery seeds.
 The pumpkin seeds have already just started showing their little selves, think it will be about a week or so until the celery seeds do. 

Basically, I am now counting down till Easter. Working in a school means I have two weeks off (two weeks and a day thanks to Good Friday!) so I can't wait to spend most days at the allotment making it look amazing- which it will of course!

First things first however, a trip to the local garden centre this Sunday for inspiration, ideas and probably the accumulation of seeds and anything else I think I might need!

Mid-March 2015: Getting there...

Well, it's safe to say we're getting there slowly but surely.

The turning over of the plot is definitely the worst part, so I guess it's best to get it out the way with first. 
 We weren't able to afford to hire a rotivator, so we were stuck with turning it over by hand. Which is fine, it's just time consuming and totally impossible to do it all in one go! So my helpful husband and I have been going whenever we can but just for an hour or so, basically so we don't get sick.

So, two days ago the allotment looked like this:

Getting there right?! Nearly to the back! And we went along again tonight, and did just past another fence post, so at the end of the next trip we will have turned over that whole side!

We've also had some progress with a shed! I decided from the beginning that I wanted to make as much as possible from things we were able to acquire. As it happens, the flat upstairs from ours just sold, so new people moved in and decided to make some changes, which meant they were getting rid of timber!
 Not just any timber either. The building was built in 1880, and the timber they were removing was original, therefore solid!

We worked out that from the timber that was suitable we would be able to get one wall of my shed...so I set the husband to work...I helped of course!

So now the wall is pretty much built, and it weighs a tonne! Not actually too sure how we're going to get it there. But it's safe to say we'll be making up each wall in our garage, and then transporting it to the allotment to build up when we're there.

So next step, in a few days when we've turned over one side, we will create the compost heap from old pallets of course! Then start building up the shed, and getting my all important pond in.

There's a little pond in the allotment next to mine, and the frogs were going crazy in there the other day, so very excited to get mine installed...something for the Easter holidays in a couple of weeks I think!

Keep checking back to see how the progress is going...