Sunday, March 16

Plot Patio Project

Between our plot shed and greenhouse we have a paved area - maybe calling it a patio is a bit pretentious but it is the place where we site and have a coffee break - our plot neighbour, Jan is always ready for a coffee and a chat.
We've even enjoyed a meal there with our plot neighbours Pat and Joe.
In the background is the tayberry that I posted about a while ago when I went into battle pruning it. I mentioned then that we still had to tidy up around the base of the plant.

Over the year it becomes very overgrown with weeds that hide between the viciously prickly canes deterring any thought of removal.

At this time of year it doesn't pose as insurmountable a problem and so we decided to tidy around the clumps of canes and try to keep things tidier this year.

Regular visitors won't be surprised to learn that this involved the use of more weed control fabric - before you ask we don't have shares in any production company. The row of paving flags along the edge of the paved area nearest to the tayberry were lifted so that the fabric could be held in place beneath them. Once the weed control fabric was in place it was covered with bark chippings. We are fortunate in the council parks' department keep us well supplied.

To complete the picture the rest of the 'patio' was tidied and grass that gradually grows between the slabs was removed.

Just in case you are wondering the tubs outside the greenhouse contain cranberries.

Now all we need is for the weather to continue improving so we can sit here and enjoy our coffee breaks and if the sun is just too hot we can always erect our gazebo.
It does happen - honestly.


36 comments:

  1. It must be a very nice place to enjoy the coffee break and watching the garden.

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  2. It looks like a lovely spot Sue. I hope you have many opportunities to enjoy it this year!

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  3. Great coffee break place. I know the pain of dealing with weeds between berries. The worst is when I have to clean blackberries, new canes are so delicate they break as soon as you pull a bit stronger.

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    1. We have done the same round the blackberries, Leanan and we have also planted a thornless blackberry.

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  4. Wow lucky ! I wish I was (or knew someone who was) good at maintenance. Could do with a "patio" or even a properly straight shed !

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    1. Hi Elizabeth and welcome. It's not really the biggest maintenance job that we have planned for this year - a gentle start really!

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  5. It's all looking very smart. Nothing better than having somewhere nice to sit and admire your handy work.

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  6. It's lovely to have a social aspect to the allotment. Our old site was so small that we were lucky to see anyone there when we were, so I'm hoping that now we're on a larger site, the social side of it will be much better.

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    1. Pat and Joe are giving up there plot so our social group will shrink, Jo. We don't have any social events on site it's just that there are people that we have a chat with.As it is we don't see many people when we are down there.

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  7. Lovely spot from which to survey your "kingdom". Enjoy!

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    1. Just need the weather to play ball. L

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  8. Nice spot for relaxing with nature.

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    1. We are very close to the tayberry, Rooko so get a good view of the bees buzzing from flower to flower.

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  9. A very tidy 'sitooterie' Sue. I do hope you get to make the best of it this year!

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  10. Great spot for a coffee and chat... and to sit and survey your hard work.. lovely. :o)

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    1. And also survey what needs to be done, Julie

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  11. All looking very neat and tidy now - these little jobs make all the difference don't they.

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  12. I was thinking of you last week as I put down weed control fabric to plant strawberries through! Your patio is wonderful, I'm very envious. Nice to have some friends at the site to have a coffee with as well. I'm intrigued by the cranberries. Do you get a crop from them? Something I'd like to try, I do love cranberries.

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    1. We have had a few berries off, CJ but to be honest we rather neglect them. They really need too much sugar to make them palatable.

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  13. Oh that looks so nice! I also struggle with grass control. Why does grass grow where you don't want it and then doesn't grow where you do want it? Frustrating. I love your little patio!!! What a wonderful place to relax.

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    1. It's the couch grass that is the problem, Bonnie. It spreads sneakily.

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  14. Looking very nice, and I would call that a patio, it’s bigger than the patio area in my garden and I do call that a patio :-)
    I wish I had free bark chippings from the council, I buy mine from B&Q and they put up the price every year. I have to top up about every other year or so or else the weeds start growing through, I stopped using weed control fabric under the bark some years ago as my flower beds are packed with plants and bulbs. The bark makes wonders for all my woodland and acid loving plants though.

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    1. Weed control isn't good when you have closely growing plants, Helen which is why we haven't any around the pears where I want to plant lots of flowers. We don't use it in the garden beds either. The bark chippings are really shredded tree trunks and branches which the parks dept have had to prune or cut down. We really do them a favour by taking them off their hands and providing a place where they can dispose of them.

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  15. Such a lovely spot for coffee or tea. I agree that weed control fabric is a wonderful invention.

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    1. It does save lots of work, Rachel. It gives us time to do jobs such as this that in previous years have been just left.

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  16. Ahhh....bring on the sunshine so we can have more posts from this area, and all the characters who drift by here...xxx

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  17. Lovely place to sit and have coffee!

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    1. Just need some good weather now, Malar

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  18. A great little place to sit Sue...now here's to hoping you need to put that gazebo up this year!!

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    1. We can hope Tanya - links in nicely with your last post;

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