A Rescue Dig and a Fond Farewell

The weekend saw me bid a fond farewell to Plot 14 and this is the last picture I'll be posting of it in this way. It was taken last Sunday, the day after I ceased to be the tenant of the whole 10 lugs and during the hottest start to October since records began. From now on any plot views I post will be of just the right hand side: I agreed with those of you kind enough to post a comment on my Rethinking the Plot post and have gone for the side with the shed. This is now called Plot 14A, so I must remember to go and add an A to one of the plot markers...


As you can see, I've left Plot 14 (as the other side is called) looking quite different to when I last posted. The trees have been given a severe pruning and are now below the regulation 2 metres. The other trees further down the plot will be moved onto Plot 14A when they go dormant for the winter. The blue bin and dustbin are languishing on my side awaiting their new home.

At times the plot has resembled something of a rescue dig in the heat, except my buried treasures were my crops hiding amongst the weeds rather than any hurried archaeological finds ahead of a development. The raised bed (NB showing no signs of weeds growing through it - hurrah, the thick layer of newspaper I laid down did the trick!) has been moved to a temporary home and the strawberries moved onto it until I've dug and weeded their new bed. Onions, shallots, potatoes and a season's worth of leeks have all been dug up, sweated over and brought home. I haven't found my garlic and I need to locate the globe artichoke amongst the Dahlias. I've still to move the mother of all compost bins, so that my new neighbours can install a new shed. I also need to call on my mate Mark to pick up the water butt he's given me, which in turn I'm donating as a 'plot warming' present for Plot 14.

I've also been having a think about the priorities for my new plot, but I'll tell you about those another day...

Comments

  1. Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax!5 October 2011 at 17:42

    Simultaneously sad and sensible.

    Best wishes in the new era.

    Lucy

    ReplyDelete
  2. VP5 October 2011 at 19:38

    Thanks Lucy - and you're right: it's both sad and sensible. I'm looking forward to meeting my new neighbours though :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. petoskystone6 October 2011 at 18:54

    & so it's official! what is with this weather you're having in *october*?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anna6 October 2011 at 23:13

    I imagine that you have mixed feelings VP but sometimes less is more. Enjoy 14A :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. VP7 October 2011 at 09:31

    Petoskystone - it is! Last week summer returned with temperatures in the high 70s/80s, today it's back to autumn with temperatures in the 50s accompanied by an icy northerly wind. The Scottish highlands had snow yesterday!

    Anna - I do, and I definitely think the plot will be more productive next year :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Janet/Plantaliscious8 October 2011 at 13:23

    Speaking (typing!) as someone who has barely managed to nurture half a plot, I hope you find plot life easier and just as fulfilling, though it must be mighty strange to let go of half your "land" like that. Happy gardening with 14A.

    ReplyDelete
  7. VP9 October 2011 at 08:40

    Janet - thanks :)

    ReplyDelete

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