Moving a bed can take all week

I decided that I really needed to move the raised bed that has been hidden under a pile of weeds for the last couple of years.

This would

• Allow me to sift earth into it to use exclusively for growing carrots.
• Utilize the area beside the Rhubarb which is going to waste 
• Try out the little seeder again without stones to spoil things.

The bed is made of Breeze blocks.
I first of all had to wrestle them free from the blackberry bramble that had them in its clutches.
Then carefully, so as not to get covered in mud, slugs and dirty rain water, carry them one by one to their new sunnier, flatter position.

The area was covered in corrugated cardboard and then each scratchy Grey stone was placed on top in a rectangle.
I was quite tired by the time they were all in position.

Next day ,I began to fill the bed with rotted compost.
I say fill but really, I managed to cover the bottom to about an inch.

The following day, day 3, I dragged the old dustbins off the weed heap Bonfire and dug it up.
Then I sifted the weeds and stones,plastic and bits of metal out and filled the rest of the bed.

Day 4 was sowing day.
I had to wash the plastic seeder first to get rid of gritty little bits of seed left over from its last outing.
Then filled it from the new packet of Nantes carrot seed.
The seeder worked perfectly.
I did about a 3-4" spacing per row because that is how far it was between the right most wheel and each new furrow.
The whole bed was sown in around a minute and there was a half a packet of seed left.

Last of all, There was the great cat deterrent.
That is another name for the net that I stretched across it to keep the wretches from using it as a giant litter tray.

The other raised bed is also mainly breeze blocks.
I have 3 sorry looking cucumber plants floundering in that one.
The soil is topped with a 6 " deep layer of compost. Quite strawy looking but hopefully conducive to cuc growing.
I really must get around to sowing something else in there too.


On the harvesting front...

We have been eating Strawberries and Rhubarb.
Rasps are just turning.
Spinach is doing well.
Lettuce is cuttable about once a week (cut and come again).
There is some rocket beginning to thrive outdoors.
The indoor stuff is pathetic.
Spring onions are almost pull-able.

Japanese onions,red onions and shallots are very good this year.
Hopefully I wont have to buy any in all year.

This morning I took delivery of a huge roll of wed suppressing stuff.
We need to keep the side area next to the shed clear as it gets so overgrown that the plants grow into the shed and right up to the roof.
As we get older,that will be harder to keep down so it is worth future proofing.

For the same reason  I have been more interested in gardening machines this year.
It is all very well crawling along on your hands and knees when you are 20, weeding, sowing etc, but once you get to the other end of the time-line, you want to get results without crippling yourself if you don't have to.