Seven From Last Sunday.

Opening View.

A view of the plot from the entrance. Made to look greener than it is by the mesh windbreaks. I have covered some of my raised beds with straw for the winter… read somewhere that it was a good idea.

Tracks.

The ground just above the plot showing signs of wear and tear from passing heavy machinery, working at a nearby cottage.

Storage.

The compost bin doubles up as a storage unit for some tools.

Red Onion.

My overwintering red onions are popping up already.

Fennel.

Still a few fennel plants on the go. Didn’t get around to making candied fennel… maybe next year!

Beetroot.

There’s plenty more beetroot to be picked! I have plans to try beetroot, apple and carrot juice, and beetroot-infused vodka.

Coffee Grounds.

Used coffee grounds to be added to the compost heap and raised beds. Supposedly repels slugs too, but it was way too wet to be effective this year.

Rhubarb Wars.

Blasted wind!

It has been very windy around these parts lately. Concerned only for my windbreak, I headed up to the plot to make sure all was intact. What did I see before me, only my precious rhubarb plundered by the invading winds. Young rhubarb torn and broken, older stalks bent into unnatural forms. Proud leaves bruised and wilting under the onslaught.

Without the proper resources and with only my phone to ducument it, I tried my best to erect a temporary defensive wall against the attacker. I must wait till the weekend for the fight-back to begin.

On the upside, now that I have some ‘forced’ rhubarb picked, I can make a Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble. A fitting end for my brave, crimson soldiers!

Battlements.

The spoils of war.

Gimme a ‘wind’ break!

Before.

I managed to erect the wind-break before Christmas! As you can see from the pics it turned out ok. Some of the poles are a bit more slanted than others but I don’t think any of them are truly straight anyway. It’s hard to gauge when working on a slope without a spirit level. I invested in a pole driver from Amazon.co.uk and it allowed me to drive the poles into the ground in double-quick time. I bought the wind-break material online also but this time from an Irish company. I got it for a good price – €50 for a 50m x 1m roll – with free delivery to boot! I used a very basic staple gun to attach the mesh to the posts, using strips of plastic cut from old compost bags to give added purchase.

It has been very windy for the last couple of days so I must pop up soon to see how it’s holding up. 

After.

To finish up here’s a study in bamboo. Happy New Year!