Tag Archives: jac

Allotment kick-start…!

Posted on by
2

After spending months transporting manure to the plot, planning what we’ll be growing and digging 2/3 of the area, we’ve finally started setting out and planting for this season. My target of finishing the digging by Christmas wasn’t exactly met but 2/3 isn’t bad and this will give us enough space to grow a lot of vegetables.

The day before this session at the plot, we went over to Dundry Nursery and bought seeds, potatoes and onions to put in over the next few weeks. It’s a really nice nursery and very near to the little airport, with propeller planes flying over every few minutes! The boys loved that + the large blue and green parrot which they have there.

I’d made a list of the most disease-resistant potato varieties from their website (very useful btw), but two of the second earlies had already sold out (Fabula and Milva) but we did get the Victoria main crop variety. We also picked up Maris Peer (2nd early) and Nadine (2nd early), which we’re chitting on various window sills, ready for planting in a few weeks.

We’ve also been reading up on the whole potato process but every author seems to have a different version of the timings. Monty Don seemed to have the best approach, which is just adapt the planting to the weather. He does set out some fairly precise planting tips, which also seem sensible.

Anyway, that was a good trip out in the new car and that late afternoon I went up to the plot and was digging for a straight hour until it got dark. I got some nice sunset, bird and moon images and it was a brilliant time in the peace and quiet.

The next sunny and warm day (and it’s late February!!) was spent for a couple of hours at the plot, digging, trans-planting raspberry plants, setting out spaces, aligning raised beds, shifting logs, scattering pot ash. The boys were amazing and very patient and helpful. Jamie was raking the ground which now looks brilliant and Jac was digging around and collecting water!

Both boys were also painting the shed and Claire managed to finally get our plot number painted on there, which is one of the requirements of the allotment (having the plot number displayed).

Defining the areas has really helped us get an idea of what we have to do and it makes it all more doable. There is now only a couple of hours digging left to complete the main potato/onion/leek growing area and enough space to the side to experiment with the three sisters approach, where beans are grown up corn, with pumpkins grown between. Lots of wild and other flowers will be going in to help pollination and more edging and plot defining to be done!

Can’t wait to get up there again. Just hope my back stays strong! : )

out

Lego instructions…

Posted on by
Reply

Jamie and Jac have been asking us to print out instructions and images for Lego models a lot recently, which is a great way to provide new ideas and gives a helping hand to build some of the more complicated ones!

out

Monster drawings…

Posted on by
Reply

Another fun activity with the boys. Jamie got really into the drawing which he doesn’t normally go for. Really like his style and he had a go at it. His scribble ones were drawn using 3 pens held in the same hand. I’m sure he’s never seen us doing this so quite an original approach!

I also had a go and love the simplicity of the style. Jac was also having a go but generally scribbling.

out

Foaming monsters…

Posted on by
Reply

Continuing the activity fun times, today was the foaming monsters! The image below gives the instructions but it’s based on white vinegar and Bicarbonate of Soda reacting to form bubbles.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The boys chose food colouring and we sat back and watched the result! It took a couple of minutes and I did have to add another bit of vinegar and bicarb, but the results were pretty exciting!

Some nice patterns when the two mixtures had come together and the boys had fun using their spoons to mix the two together.

out