Dual Cabbage Ways

Having decided to take a weeks holiday break, I spuddled off to North Wales and spent last week in a holiday cottage near Dolgellau, Gwenedd, in the Snowdonia National Park. Last Thursday I drove to Anglesey, visiting the Plascadnant hidden gardens before travelling on to Beaumaris. I was well impressed by the various gardens within Plascadnant, from the Chelsea flower show winning vegetable garden to the forest and victorian walled garden. Wildlife was in abundance including Red squirrels and Yellow wagtails. After a week of sightseeing I drove back to Somerset on Saturday via Shrewsbury in torrential rain, passing close by to Percy Throwers garden centre, (remember Percy, of Gardeners World fame, 1950's to 1980's and his catchphrase "the answer lies in the soil"). Joining the M5 motorway near Worcester the rain was still heavy and I was wondering what condition my plots would be in, on my return. I'd left Dolgellau at 7 a.m. expecting to get home early enough to put in an afternoons work down my plots. Just north of Gloucester all 3 lanes of the motorway were gridlocked and remained so all the way to Bridgwater in Somerset. The flashing speed warning lights on the motorway were indicating 40 or 50. I don't know if that was the actual speed limit or the amount of cars per hour being allowed to enter Devon and Cornwall. Anyway a typical Bank holiday driving experience arriving home at 1-30 p.m.. Green Party take note on carbon footprints. Emmets try Blackpool.

First Pick of Broad Beans (Aquadulce) (26/5/14)

I managed to get down to my plots by about 3 p.m. as the rain continued. My neighboring plot holder Jason had watered the plants in my poly tunnel whilst I had been away so many thanks to him. I'd expected the grass areas of the plots to have taken a break last weekend especially the banks by the drainage ditch but no such luck so some strimming and mowing is planned for this week. There was a general lack of weeds so no problem there, not surprising though as the temperatures were down and I could actually see my breath in the air by 4 p.m. The cool weather vegetables were looking in good condition with the Potato plants looking especially healthy. With some rain showers again on Sunday morning it was half a day down the plots in the afternoon which was warm and sunny. A couple of my Cucumbers which were planted into one of my raised beds had been devoured by either slugs or snails leaving 7 out of 9 intact. I removed my remaining Leek plants, which were going to seed, from their bed on N1 Plot turning and leveling the soil as I progressed. 2 plants were left in the ground to go to seed. The seeds will be harvested for use later. I headed off to my plots at about 10 a.m. on Monday morning. The overcast sky cleared by about midday giving way to a sunny but muggy afternoon. 2 rows of Marrows (Long green trailing) were planted out into the bed where the Leeks were removed from on Sunday. After this task was completed I decided to remove the wooden edging around the 4 smaller beds on N2 Plot, taking out the central grass paths and combining the 4 beds into 2 larger ones. After the wood chippings and the weed membrane underneath it had been removed I began to dig over the soil beneath. Unfortunately the membrane had been put in place by the previous plot holder, on top of existing weeds, mainly Dandelions again. Digging over the area was a slow process as I removed the deep rooted Dandelions. By about 4-30 p.m. I had completed about 1/5th of the area to be cleared. There's always tomorrow. Well tomorrow (Tuesday) has come and gone with more progress being made combining the small beds on N2 Plot into 2 larger ones, finishing off with some grass mowing by late afternoon.

Turning the 4 Small Beds On N2 Plot Into 2 Larger Beds 27/5/14

Climbing French Beans (Cobra) Ready for Planting Out 27/5/14

Main Crop Potatoes (Desiree) Enjoying the Rainy Weather 27/5/14

Blackberry Bush Flowering N1 Plot L-Shape 27/5/14

Runner Beans & Lettuce N1 Plot 27/5/14

The following photographs were taken in the Hidden Gardens of Plascadnant Anglesey