Finishing the Shed

Most of the last three days has been spent on the mother of all sheds. It now has lighting, from two small fluorescents we had in the ‘will be useful one day’ box. So actual energy efficient shed.

Popped up to the local builders merchant for some 2″ x 1″ and a length of 8″ x 1″ to make slatted shelves for the potatoes and a shelf along the back wall. I expected a bill for around £20 but they asked for £66! I would have put it back but they’d cut the lengths down for me so that they’d fit into the car so grumbling with tears in my eyes I left.

The last straw was when Val asked me if w should buy a safe to store a 2″ offcut in. Well I got the bill out and re-read it only to realise they’d charged me the price of the 8″ x 1″ for the 2″ x 1″. Back up to the merchants who were really good, they checked the yard ticket and it was ambiguous so they gave me the benefit of the doubt and a £44 refund. Just occasionally something has to go right.

Burnt most of the old shed, I was hoping to recycle more of it but it was really rotten so couldn’t be used. I did get a few lengths that were useful but less than I hoped. The roof however was in fair condition so that will make a new back for the compost heaps on plot 5. The door will make a top and so it’s living on in some ways.

So, shelving up, old shed gone the last task was some hooks to hang tools on and importantly the onion strings. They should keep better in the dark cook back of the shed.

Val’s been tidying up in the garden. The annuals in pots that had gone over were cut and popped in the big blue bag for the compost bin around the plot and the spent compost will be added to the soil. Not much nutrition left in there but the compost will add humus to the soil, not that I’m short with tons of compost left to move.

Got quite a few chilli peppers, a few sweet peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and courgettes off the plot as I was watering. I was cutting down a cucumber and used my secateurs to avoid damaging the plant. Here’s a tip: keep your fingers out of the cutting edge. I managed to snip into my left index finger. To say it stung would be an understatement and it poured with blood.

So I watered with one hand holding the left up in the air like a 1980 disco dancer. It’s really not as bad now as it seemed at the time but typing with a plastered finger is harder than I expected.

Got a couple of hours on the plot today. I carted another bag of garden and kitchen waste to the compost heap and then had a chat with my neighbour, Gianni. They’ve definitely got the poshest plot on the site now. Painted deep beds, pergolas and now stone chippings on the pathway in front of their plot. I’ll take some photo’s next time I’m on the plot.

Weeded one of the large raised beds on plot 29. I think it’s one of the big advantages of raised beds that you can sort them one at a time and feel you’ve actually got somewhere.

Photo below is the onions and potatoes in storage in the new shed. on the far side from the window I’ve put a partition wall and slatted shelves for the potatoes, which are in our unconventional sacks made from pillow cases.

The onions are strung up from cup hooks in the dark area as well – notice the light above. Yes, I’m really pleased with it.