An allotment is born!

The allotment has been transformed this weekend! With help from Bob and Pam (Mr and Mrs Sharpe) and Marcus, we have finished digging, built the water catcher and the compost bins, laid some more paths, planted the fruit and sowed onion sets. Here we are hard at work:

Photo 4: Marcus and Bob are digging and I'm sowing onions (the easy job :)

Rob spent most of Friday and Saturday building. First he attached a plastic corrugated roof to the old compost bin by way of a robust wooden frame that slopes backwards (he told me to write the last part!). Then he turned his attention to the new compost bins, pulling apart the wooden pallets and re-purposing them as the sides (and gates!) of the two bins.

Photo 5: Rob in action with his new 14lb fibreglass sledgehammer - doesn't he make it look light?!

Photo 6: The new compost bins under construction.

Meanwhile, Bob and Marcus finished digging over the plot. You might think that Rob looked strong and manly with the sledgehammer, but check this out... a broken spade! Bob must be even stronger as he managed to split the steel blade!!

Photo 7: The broken Yeoman (yes, fortunately it was the 2011 model we complained about last month!)

Pam and I made inroads on the paths, collecting fallen quarry stones from our neighbour's gardens. We were rather over-zealous and somewhat overfilled the wheelbarrow, making the short walk from home to the allotment take twice as long as usual. We must have looked decidedly odd as we staggered across the main road, each holding a handle of the very heavy barrow. Thankfully Marcus stepped in and wheeled the next load for us.

The last job of the day was planting the fruit that arrived last week. Along with some plants we already had in the garden and a couple of rhubarb crowns left by the previous tenant, we now have the following fruit (varieties included so I don't forget):

• Three blackcurrants ('Ben Serak', 'Ben Hope' and 'Ben Connan')
• One redcurrant ('Jonkheer van tets')
• One whitecurrant ('White Versailles')
• One gooseberry ('Invitica')
• Ten summer raspberry canes ('Malling Jewel')
• One large autumn raspberry ('Autumn Bliss')
• Eight rhubarb crowns (assorted)

Photo 8: The fruit end of the allotment, you can just about make out the raspberry canes on the far left and the "mole hills" on the right are the rhubarbs covered in manure.

Photo 9: The sheep pens (aka compost bins).

Photos 10: The finished articles!

Yesterday, we went back to the allotment to plant the rest of the onions (in total 25 red, 70 white and 15 shallots). It looked beautiful in the sunlight and we are feeling very proud.

Photo 11: Me planting shallots.

Photo 12: Our beautiful allotment!