Competition Time!

The plot is slowly getting established...so time for sonething new; I've had a suggestion that I should have a competition to name some of the things on the plot.
1) The shed
2) The fish
3) The plot as a whole
4) The pond?
So if you have any suggestions for any names (and a reasoning perhaps behind the choice) - make a comment, or send to my email address if you know it!!
Would probably be best not to call anything something ending in "-tastic", as even I'm getting a bit bored with that!
There is no prize to be awarded, but you get to think up some good names, and as a bonus you don't need to spend any money on mobile phone/landline/postcard costs.

Pond-tastic!

Hole is dug and the liner sits nice and snug, got all the way down to some London clay. Don't want to be doing that again in a hurry, heavy, wet and uncooperative! Next off to the garden centre to eye up some possible future fishy residents.


Back from the garden centre, apologies for shadow! Pond filled with water, some from the water tank which, as the water sits around in it for a while should have some healthy bacteria and microbes. The rest was hosed in. The oxygenating plants are in place - two types, both with very long Latin names that I can't remember or will ever need to know again!

The plan for Mr Pond is to now leave nature to get to work building up some normal pond type plant life, and in a couple of weeks the walls of the pond should have a covering of green stuff - which will hopefully indicate the fish can go in.
I'm planning on putting four goldfish - Comets I think, that will be about 3 or 4 inches long to start with. Comets are a goldfish variety that look pretty much like a regular river fish - no soppy fan tails, or big bulging eyes or other deformities - just fish that enjoy a swim, and look very red. Not had a pond previously so I'm hoping all goes well.

Had an offer of a toad or two from a neighbouring allotmenteer, which is very nice - the toad will need to be bussed in from her garden at home -her plot doesn't have a pond (yet). Hopefully I'll get other pond-life joining too, of their own free will. There are plenty of them on the site. Think there are at least four ponds where I've seen frogs, or tadpoles or frogspawn, there are sure to be more ponds tucked away. My neighbour has got newts in his pond too ( or was it salamanders?).

I've got the netting in place over the pond. Think I may put something else over later - although the netting is up to the job - which is keeping birds like herons out of the pond and helping themselves to the fish (once they arrive), and the frogs.

Guess a bit further along the line I'll put some other plants on the different levels in the pond, irises, lilies etc...but that can wait for the moment...

If I get down to the plot for any length of time next week I'll clear some weeds, which have died back now, and get the ground ready for the sweet corn and peas to be planted out.

That was a very successful weekend, plot now has a shed and a pond!

Shed-tastic

My allotment plot now has a "shed end"! With the willing help of my son, we've transported all the bits down to the allotment, and got it all fixed up.

It is only a tiny shed, a base that is only 4ft x 3ft but it will make a big difference to the on-going maintenance and upkeep of the plot. No need to lug all my tools, hose, fertiliser etc.. in the big ikea bag out to the car, no need to drive the car to the allotment, no need to pack-up all the tools and drive the car out of the cemetery when it is about to close (should explain that the best access for my plot is via a back gate in the adjoining cemetery, and the cemetery gates close before dusk).

I forgot to mention, no need to get soaked to the skin, when a sudden downpour strikes!

Took about 3 hours to get the shed erected, that was once the base was levelled out. I'm using a fairly strong pallet as a base to keep it out of the wet, and also to save on putting any effort in. It is all pretty level and I'm hoping that if the shed start to sink a little bit into the soil, it will do so evenly!! The pallet is 1.2m x 1m so I've got a 10cm porch (ok step) to sit out on!

Now to put some shelves and hooks for the tools, and get a couple of the spare fold-up chairs - and it will become pretty homely!

Next tasks: Dig a hole for the pond (4ft x 4ft approx.), clear the dead weeds, make an area for the sweet corn, enjoy having a shed!