Not A Happy Digger

How keen are we? Gardening by moonlight...

It takes a huge effort to go up to the allotment when Hubby comes home. It's the wrong end of the day and it's quite fresh with a cold wind. I'm in two minds, although it's nice to get away from clingy toddlers who, at this hour, could do with a visit from Supernanny and a spell on the Naughty Step.

So I make myself, knowing that I will feel better for it and there are jobs that need doing. My seven-year-old under gardener leaps at the chance to come too.

But tonight it's not been so wonderful and we return home a bit flat. Well, I do. Under gardener is concerned with her scratches but once assured that she's getting "gardener's hands" she seems satisfied. She is turning into a real help, wheeling away weeds, giving a discourse on the relative merits of the wheelbarrows she's trying out and happily going off to pee behind a tree on her own. This is progress I'm thankful for.

I feel a bit peed off because my new spade has gone missing. Other tools from the shared, minuscule shed with the door that doesn't shut properly, are all there including my (matching) new fork. Working on 'benefit of the doubt' principles I decide to write a polite but firm note requesting it's return. I'm hoping one of my neighbours has taken it by accident.

I plan to tell Mr Grumpy, the bloke in charge of the allotments. He has built himself a lovely, large shed complete, I notice tonight, with padlock. If I broach the subject of us having our own shed and he says no, I can't plead innocence when he inevitably complains. The shed three of us share is obviously not secure and quite frankly it's a pain not having one of our own. An allotment without a shed is like hot chocolate without squirty cream - tolerable but not quite right.

My mood doesn't improve when I notice that someone has been picking my tulips. It's happened before with my daffs but the person, a fellow allotmenteer, confessed with an apology. I guess he thought I wasn't going to pick them and they were going to waste. I wasn't exactly pleased but the deed was done.

This second c**p discovery cements my Eyeore-ish mood. It's not as if I have a stunning display of tulips and won't notice. There are now, thanks to the thief, five flowers. I was leaving them for a bit longer because they didn't seem ready but have now picked the only one that does. It might look a bit...um...lonley in the vase on the kitchen table but at least we get to enjoy it.

Gardening on a Budget

I think I really need some help with gardening on a shoestring. Obviously growing flowers from seed is great and cheap but somehow I always end up buying loads of seeds. And ten packets of seeds can start to add up. Plus there's all the other stuff. In my case a half-price jasmine, a thyme plant and a rosemary. Oh and some violas and a tray of geraniums. Add in the children's bits and I'm left with a hefty bill. Gulp.

I did manage to resist a window sill propogator thing with pots that can be transplanted straight into the ground. Instead I have used the idea I got from Gayla at You Grow Girl and recycled empty loo rolls. I couldn't remember what plants would suit this system best so I sowed some sweet peas. Not the most attractive looking things but hopefully they'll do the job.


Other than sowing everything from seed and composting seriously (I am a bit feeble about the C word but this will have to change) I can't think of anything else. Oh, I know - must remember to not step foot inside a garden centre with children. Actually, I think not stepping foot inside a garden centre FULL STOP would help. Enormously.

Still, the Potting Shed Plan is, surprisingly, taking shape. They have been tweaked a bit (the place where I wanted to site it is not good, being in shade for most of the day). And the online prices we've found are too pricey. But Hubby has decided to build one! This apparently will be much cheaper and because it will be 'bespoke' I can tweak his plans. I have decided a cold frame attached to the side would be wonderful.

I guess our DIY potting shed could be construed as being on a shoestring but really the most frugal thing would be not to build it. Budgeting is obviously not a strong point of mine, otherwise there would probably be no need for such a tight budget, but I have decided I need to curb my spending in other ways. So I'm pledging not to spend anything for the next three months. No magazines, no coffees and no......goodness this is hard to type....no books. I think if I remember to equate that £3.50 magazine to x number of seeds it might just work.

I'm dreaming of...

Sigh.
I think maybe I'm getting old. I get complimented by checkout girls on the way I stack my groceries at the till. And now I'm coveting a potting shed.

This beauty would not be for the allotment but for our garden, which is in desperate need of an overhaul and some TLC. Part of that is getting a new shed. Of course, I've taken this one step further and am looking at Very Expensive Sheds.

I lovingly gazed at my friend's potting shed today. Only she doesn't use the potting part of it, even though it's in full sun for most of the day and she is into gardening. She has a tiny veg patch next to the shed, four (yes four) compost bins and yet, yet, no trays of seedlings basking in front of the large windows. What a waste!

Oh lovely, I sighed, you could be in here, in the warm and the sun, with the radio burbling away.....

She reckons there's no room for her in the shed, that it is full with her two children's bikes and things. They've taken it over, she sighed.

Hmmm. I could see the same thing happening with mine, if I ever get one. But that's partly the point. We need a bigger shed to store the bikes and outdoor paraphernalia that seems to have bred with the children and I would really love a greenhouse. A potting shed would kill two birds with one stone. Maybe that's how I'll sell my idea to Hubby - it'll be cheaper! Honestly!

As for the encroaching stuff from the children, well I've got a solution. I would draw a chalk line on the floor and woe betide anyone who's bike crossed it. Oh yes, that should do it.

I'd like to know what more experienced gardeners think - a shed and greenhouse or are potting sheds the way to go (especially for those of us with smaller gardens and smaller people playing in them)? So far Hubby is the only one who reads this (heaven knows how you get others to read your blog) and I think I can guess what his comment will be.................