Christmas has happened since I last posted and there was an excellent garden related haul. I got a lean-to green plant house (green house) which I am going to install in the garden so I can get seedlings ready for the allotment. It has been too cold recently to put it up, but as soon as the weather warms up a bit, I will do just that. I also got a pair of long handled edging shears so I can keep the grass path tidy, a new pair of gloves, two netting tunnels and the tame photographer got a very handome pitchfork (shit shoveler!).
We ate our own produce for Christmas lunch - along with the turkey (not ours!) we had brussels sprouts, parsnips and butternut squash - all delicious, needless to say!
We haven't done much gardening in the last couple of weeks - Christmas shopping taking up far too much time and then, of course, the festivities themselves. But we did get down there on the day after Boxing Day. The new pitch fork was christened by moving a couple of loads of manure to our holding heap - and, amazingly enough, it really is better for the activity than an ordinary garden fork. We also baptised our new storm kettle. This is a fabulous device that we got for our birthdays. It involves making a small fire with twigs in a dish at the bottom of the kettle, which then heats up some water. It was fun to do and will be perfect for warm drinks and even soup on cold winter sessions. The great thing is that it only uses tiny twigs and the like, which are easy to collect round and about the site. I also used my new edger to great effect, and wore my gloves.
At the allotment the onions are beginning to grow nicely. They have almost all sprouted and the first broad beans are just beginning to show above the ground. The garlic has just started to grow and the spring onions and spring cabbages look good. We are currently harvesting leeks, parsnips, brussels sprouts, January King cabbages, spinach and the sprouting broccoli is just about to start cropping. It's quite something that we are still eating so much from the plot and I haven't had to start up the organic box delivery since I stopped it last spring. I do have to buy potatoes, carrots and the odd veg here and there, and I have just used the last of the onions.
Last week I put in my order for next year's seeds - it will cost about £30 or so and I have chosen a mixture of veg that did well last year and completely new ones for this year. I am still hoping to get another plot, and I really would like to have more space for all the crops I would like to grow. I still haven't done anything about flowers, but I would like some dahlias, sweet peas and sunflowers.
Wednesday, 31 December 2008
Wednesday, 10 December 2008
The weather has been unremittingly awful since I last posted an entry - almost a month ago. We have been along to the allotment every weekend, just to do a couple of things. The ground has been far too wet to do any digging, but we have tidied up the area behind the shed and a couple of other small jobs. The tame photographer has been collecting manure from the communal heap and stacking it up in our third compost bin so that it can rot down for the coming year. Last year that worked quite well, so we thought we would try again. I have done a bit if weeding, and sown the broad bean seeds - two rows of aqua dulce. They haven't emerged yet, but maybe next week.
It was my birthday a couple of weeks ago and I got a garden shredder, so I have been doing a bit of pruning at home, shredding it, and then adding it to the compost, which all means the compost heap is getting to be a good size.
The brussels sprouts are still being harvested, the original cabbages are finished, but I picked the first of the January Kings this week. The spinach is doing fine, still and we are eating delicious parsnips. The purple sprouting broccoli is just about ready to start harvesting, but the rudolph is not quite ready yet. All the winter onions look good as are the spring onions so there is still quite a lot going on. Oh yes, and there are still plenty of leeks.
As I went to the allotment last week in the wind, rain and freezing cold, it did dawn on me how lucky we were with the weather last year. For the first couple of months, the weekends at least were sunny and not too cold. If it had been weather like we are experiencing this year, I'm not sure our enthusiasm would have been as great. However, such a brilliant first year started us off on the right track and this year the dreadful weather doesn't seem to be deterring me one bit. And hopefully it is killing off any horrible pests that might be lurking.
It was my birthday a couple of weeks ago and I got a garden shredder, so I have been doing a bit of pruning at home, shredding it, and then adding it to the compost, which all means the compost heap is getting to be a good size.
The brussels sprouts are still being harvested, the original cabbages are finished, but I picked the first of the January Kings this week. The spinach is doing fine, still and we are eating delicious parsnips. The purple sprouting broccoli is just about ready to start harvesting, but the rudolph is not quite ready yet. All the winter onions look good as are the spring onions so there is still quite a lot going on. Oh yes, and there are still plenty of leeks.
As I went to the allotment last week in the wind, rain and freezing cold, it did dawn on me how lucky we were with the weather last year. For the first couple of months, the weekends at least were sunny and not too cold. If it had been weather like we are experiencing this year, I'm not sure our enthusiasm would have been as great. However, such a brilliant first year started us off on the right track and this year the dreadful weather doesn't seem to be deterring me one bit. And hopefully it is killing off any horrible pests that might be lurking.
Thursday, 13 November 2008
Latest pics
I've just got the latest set of pics from the tame photographer so I thought I would post one or two of them.
This heap is the well rotted manure which has been maturing for the last year - and it looks pretty good. Just behind you can see the row of sprouting broccoli which looks really healthy. The next pictures shows the start of next year's well rotted - but that is all we have been able to collect (see previous post for the sad state of manure following the credit crunch!) Hopefully some will have been delivered this week so we can continue the good work.
Below you can see the strawberry bed which I spent a good deal of half term weeding and tidying. I find it takes about three sessions to completely weed it - and it is backbreaking work. It looks better in real life that this photo, I think!
Last weekend, as I think I mentioned was wet. This picture show the brussels sprouts in remarkably stormy conditions, but I didn't stop our robin from visiting and looking full of it on his perch.
This heap is the well rotted manure which has been maturing for the last year - and it looks pretty good. Just behind you can see the row of sprouting broccoli which looks really healthy. The next pictures shows the start of next year's well rotted - but that is all we have been able to collect (see previous post for the sad state of manure following the credit crunch!) Hopefully some will have been delivered this week so we can continue the good work.
Below you can see the strawberry bed which I spent a good deal of half term weeding and tidying. I find it takes about three sessions to completely weed it - and it is backbreaking work. It looks better in real life that this photo, I think!
Last weekend, as I think I mentioned was wet. This picture show the brussels sprouts in remarkably stormy conditions, but I didn't stop our robin from visiting and looking full of it on his perch.
Monday, 10 November 2008
Rain, rain, rain
Nothing doing this weekend, I'm afraid. It has rained all weekend. I did collect some sage leaves and a cabbage but that was all. Also there has been no delivery of manure recently, which is what I really need to start next year's heap. Maybe it will arrive next week.
My neighbour, who is the eternal pessimist, suggested that the credit crunch would affect manure deliveries because people would not be able to afford to keep horses any more and so there would be less manure. Well, my view is that unless they actually kill the horses, which is unlikely, they will exist somewhere and if they exist they will no doubt produce manure. The only difficulty is if they decide to move to the country - then we are stuffed!
My most recent bit of manure spreading, next to the newly planted onions.
My neighbour, who is the eternal pessimist, suggested that the credit crunch would affect manure deliveries because people would not be able to afford to keep horses any more and so there would be less manure. Well, my view is that unless they actually kill the horses, which is unlikely, they will exist somewhere and if they exist they will no doubt produce manure. The only difficulty is if they decide to move to the country - then we are stuffed!
My most recent bit of manure spreading, next to the newly planted onions.
Monday, 3 November 2008
Birthday photos
The tame photographer has just sent me the latest pics from the allotment, so here they are, without a lot of text, as I posted the main blog yesterday.
A birthday view, with the plot looking pretty good for this time of year.
As you can see, the weather has been changeable recently, to say the least. 
Runner bean seeds for next year.
Supper - and they taste as good as they look.
Our first leek.
Late Tom Thumb lettuces, which are doing well under fleece. It's quite exciting having home grown lettuce at this time of year.
The winter onions, planted in ridges to keep them dry and warm, and under netting to protect them from birds. If they don't produce a decent crop it won't be for lack of effort!
The french window cloche - not quite finished yet. 
And, finally, my most used tool - often lost and rediscovered some weeks later in the compost!
A birthday view, with the plot looking pretty good for this time of year.
As you can see, the weather has been changeable recently, to say the least. 
Runner bean seeds for next year.
Supper - and they taste as good as they look.
Our first leek.
Late Tom Thumb lettuces, which are doing well under fleece. It's quite exciting having home grown lettuce at this time of year.
The winter onions, planted in ridges to keep them dry and warm, and under netting to protect them from birds. If they don't produce a decent crop it won't be for lack of effort!
The french window cloche - not quite finished yet. 
And, finally, my most used tool - often lost and rediscovered some weeks later in the compost!
Sunday, 2 November 2008
Happy Birthday
It's eactly one year since we got our allotment and I feel it is a good moment to sit back and take stock.
I can't quite believe a whole year has passed, but as we start to tidy up for winter and the beginning of a new year we can, I feel, look back on a very successful year.
The amazing thing is that we have had so much success. We sowed, or planted, or took advantage of, at least 35 different crops - broad beans, french beans, runner beans, onions, shallots, leeks, potatoes, beetroot, carrots, radish, lettuce, spinach beet, swiss chard, brussels sprouts, cabbage, sweet corn, kohl rabi, broccoli, pak choi peas, turnips, parsnips, rocket, courgettes, butternut squash, coriander, sage, corn salad, tomatoes, rhubarb, strawberries, and raspberries. Most of them have produced quantities of delicious veg (or fruit) with a couple of exceptions. The pak choi germinated and started well, but rapidly went to seed before we could eat it, the carrots were a complete failure, the tomatoes suffered from blight and nobody liked the turnips, even though they grew well. Apart from that, the rest has been fantastic. I haven't brought a veg box from Able and Cole since May, and we are still eating our own grown veg, except for salad stuff - although currently I have some lettuces doing very well under fleece.
It would be hard to say what was most successful - possibly the strawberries and raspberries but in fact almost everything else was good.
From an all round point of view, I have been very pleased with the way we have kept the allotment neat and tidy. On the whole, I have kept the weeds at bay (even the bindweed and mares tail) and it still looks pretty much as it did when we took it over. Given that I am not a tidy person by nature, this is quite remarkable. The shed needs a winter tidy, but it is still usable, the compost looks good and the manure seems to have rotted down well enough for us to use it.
As I now settle down to the seed catalogues to try and decide what I want to grow next year, I look back on the last 12 months with enormous satisfaction. I have grown vegetables and fruit good enough to eat and to keep a family of four going, I have had a lot of excercise and fresh air and I have made new friends by the bucketload. The tame photographer and I have found a pastime that we both enjoy together, taking from it different aspects, (although I suspect I enjoy it more than he does!) My one regret is that we only have 5 rods of space. I have so many other plants I want to grow, I really need more room - artichokes, asparagus, pumpkins, more potatoes, currants, dahlias, sweetpeas, more peas, to name just a few. I have put my name down for another plot, but the waiting list is long, and to be fair, those without plots should have first choice - but more space would be top of my wish list at the moment.
Well, Happy Birthday Allotment, and here's to the second year and all that it brings!
I can't quite believe a whole year has passed, but as we start to tidy up for winter and the beginning of a new year we can, I feel, look back on a very successful year.
The amazing thing is that we have had so much success. We sowed, or planted, or took advantage of, at least 35 different crops - broad beans, french beans, runner beans, onions, shallots, leeks, potatoes, beetroot, carrots, radish, lettuce, spinach beet, swiss chard, brussels sprouts, cabbage, sweet corn, kohl rabi, broccoli, pak choi peas, turnips, parsnips, rocket, courgettes, butternut squash, coriander, sage, corn salad, tomatoes, rhubarb, strawberries, and raspberries. Most of them have produced quantities of delicious veg (or fruit) with a couple of exceptions. The pak choi germinated and started well, but rapidly went to seed before we could eat it, the carrots were a complete failure, the tomatoes suffered from blight and nobody liked the turnips, even though they grew well. Apart from that, the rest has been fantastic. I haven't brought a veg box from Able and Cole since May, and we are still eating our own grown veg, except for salad stuff - although currently I have some lettuces doing very well under fleece.
It would be hard to say what was most successful - possibly the strawberries and raspberries but in fact almost everything else was good.
From an all round point of view, I have been very pleased with the way we have kept the allotment neat and tidy. On the whole, I have kept the weeds at bay (even the bindweed and mares tail) and it still looks pretty much as it did when we took it over. Given that I am not a tidy person by nature, this is quite remarkable. The shed needs a winter tidy, but it is still usable, the compost looks good and the manure seems to have rotted down well enough for us to use it.
As I now settle down to the seed catalogues to try and decide what I want to grow next year, I look back on the last 12 months with enormous satisfaction. I have grown vegetables and fruit good enough to eat and to keep a family of four going, I have had a lot of excercise and fresh air and I have made new friends by the bucketload. The tame photographer and I have found a pastime that we both enjoy together, taking from it different aspects, (although I suspect I enjoy it more than he does!) My one regret is that we only have 5 rods of space. I have so many other plants I want to grow, I really need more room - artichokes, asparagus, pumpkins, more potatoes, currants, dahlias, sweetpeas, more peas, to name just a few. I have put my name down for another plot, but the waiting list is long, and to be fair, those without plots should have first choice - but more space would be top of my wish list at the moment.
Well, Happy Birthday Allotment, and here's to the second year and all that it brings!
Monday, 20 October 2008
Almost a year
We have had our allotment for almost a year now and this weekend we were as busy as ever. We are still harvesting and eating our produce. With our Sunday roast we had butternut squash, parsnips and our first brussels sprouts, and today we had spinach. Quite amazing really.
Last weekend I picked 10kg of butternut squash which is currently ripening in the kitchen. We have eaten quite a lot and I hope it will keep well for a couple of months.
Even though I talked about the sad fate of the sweetcorn in my last post, I thought I would add a photo of one of the cobs we did manage to eat - and it was a delicious as it looks.
The weather has been a bit unpredictable recently, but the rain did allow the tame photographer to get this rather fetching shot of a damp cabbage leaf. 
We are still eating the cabbage, and there are some January Kings hearting up nicely, as well as several spring cabbages which I have just transplanted. They look a bit feeble at the moment, but hopefully they will start growing soon. All the sprouting broccoli looks healthy, but I don't think it can be harvested until later in the winter. There are plenty of brussels sprouts, though.
Last weekend I did quite a lot of weeding, and some winter digging, while the tame photographer started work on the french window cloches. If they ever get finished, I will post a picture. The job was quite difficult as the windows are hugely heavy. This weekend, I carried on digging and then planted two rows of onions and some garlic. Having watched Gardeners World last weekend, we followed their instructions and planted the onion sets at the top of little ridges. This is supposed to keep them out of the damp, and to allow more sunshine to get to them. We'll see. As the weather is getting colder, I covered the lettuce plants with some fleece. It might be a bit late for lettuce, but they should grow if it remains reasonably mild.
Today, I collected the shelving from a school library that was being thrown away. There are loads of metal uprights and I thought the metal shelving might make good edges for some raised beds. It seemed like too good an opportunity to miss. Unfortunately, as the car was full of this stuff, we had to take it to the allotment this evening in the pouring rain. It's a good thing the tame photographer has a reasonably mild temperament!
Finally this following is a view of the allotments, that has a really autumnal feel about it.
Last weekend I picked 10kg of butternut squash which is currently ripening in the kitchen. We have eaten quite a lot and I hope it will keep well for a couple of months.
Even though I talked about the sad fate of the sweetcorn in my last post, I thought I would add a photo of one of the cobs we did manage to eat - and it was a delicious as it looks.
The weather has been a bit unpredictable recently, but the rain did allow the tame photographer to get this rather fetching shot of a damp cabbage leaf. 
We are still eating the cabbage, and there are some January Kings hearting up nicely, as well as several spring cabbages which I have just transplanted. They look a bit feeble at the moment, but hopefully they will start growing soon. All the sprouting broccoli looks healthy, but I don't think it can be harvested until later in the winter. There are plenty of brussels sprouts, though.
Last weekend I did quite a lot of weeding, and some winter digging, while the tame photographer started work on the french window cloches. If they ever get finished, I will post a picture. The job was quite difficult as the windows are hugely heavy. This weekend, I carried on digging and then planted two rows of onions and some garlic. Having watched Gardeners World last weekend, we followed their instructions and planted the onion sets at the top of little ridges. This is supposed to keep them out of the damp, and to allow more sunshine to get to them. We'll see. As the weather is getting colder, I covered the lettuce plants with some fleece. It might be a bit late for lettuce, but they should grow if it remains reasonably mild.Today, I collected the shelving from a school library that was being thrown away. There are loads of metal uprights and I thought the metal shelving might make good edges for some raised beds. It seemed like too good an opportunity to miss. Unfortunately, as the car was full of this stuff, we had to take it to the allotment this evening in the pouring rain. It's a good thing the tame photographer has a reasonably mild temperament!
Finally this following is a view of the allotments, that has a really autumnal feel about it.
Sunday, 28 September 2008
Autumn has arrived
It's been a month since I last posted on the blog and it's now time for an update. The summer holidays are long gone, I'm back at work, youngest is back at school and eldest has finally returned to University. Peace has descended on our normally quite noisy home. I have been to the allotment regularly during the summer, but never seem to find the time to settle and write a blog.
Mostly, during the summer, we have harvested - and quite a lot at that. The french beans are now over, but were prolific. The runner beans are still producing, although not quite at furiously as earlier. We have had a constant supply of spinach as well as salad and courgettes. The tomatoes got blight before they ripened at all which was disappointing and we did get some sweetcorn before the animals got it. 
I still can't believe it was badgers because there simply wasn't enough sign of digging under the cage for a badger to have got in or out. It must have been a smaller animal, but which one I'm not sure. The cobs we did eat, however, were delicious! The potatoes are finished but we still have a plentiful supply of onions.
We are still harvesting beetroot, parsnips, turnips, runner beans and spinach. The butternut squash look good (there are 7 ripening as we speak, two of which are huge). We have just begun to eat the cabbage and will be having one tonight.
The brussels sprouts are looking good and there is purple sprouting broccoli for the spring. 
The leeks have got some awful maggot thing and I'm not sure if they are going to survive. They look dreadful at the moment, although I have covered them in derris to see if that would help. I have just sown some lettuce to see if we can get some before winter sets in, and some spring onions. I also have some spring cabbage seedlings waiting to be transplanted in a couple of weeks, as well as my winter onion sets. The raspberries are just about finishing, but have been wonderful and today I eat a handful of strawberries which had appeared.
As far as work is concerned, I have begun to dig over some beds as the become available, trying to dig out as much bindweed as possible. The roots go down as amazing distance, right into the subsoil. I really don't know how to deal with it other than with poison which I really would rather not use. But maybe ...
A friend delivered to us the other day two huge Edwardian french windows which he no longer needed. They are enormously heavy, but think could be turned into a cold frame; a winter job for the tame photographer!
Mostly, during the summer, we have harvested - and quite a lot at that. The french beans are now over, but were prolific. The runner beans are still producing, although not quite at furiously as earlier. We have had a constant supply of spinach as well as salad and courgettes. The tomatoes got blight before they ripened at all which was disappointing and we did get some sweetcorn before the animals got it. 
I still can't believe it was badgers because there simply wasn't enough sign of digging under the cage for a badger to have got in or out. It must have been a smaller animal, but which one I'm not sure. The cobs we did eat, however, were delicious! The potatoes are finished but we still have a plentiful supply of onions.We are still harvesting beetroot, parsnips, turnips, runner beans and spinach. The butternut squash look good (there are 7 ripening as we speak, two of which are huge). We have just begun to eat the cabbage and will be having one tonight.
The brussels sprouts are looking good and there is purple sprouting broccoli for the spring. 
The leeks have got some awful maggot thing and I'm not sure if they are going to survive. They look dreadful at the moment, although I have covered them in derris to see if that would help. I have just sown some lettuce to see if we can get some before winter sets in, and some spring onions. I also have some spring cabbage seedlings waiting to be transplanted in a couple of weeks, as well as my winter onion sets. The raspberries are just about finishing, but have been wonderful and today I eat a handful of strawberries which had appeared.As far as work is concerned, I have begun to dig over some beds as the become available, trying to dig out as much bindweed as possible. The roots go down as amazing distance, right into the subsoil. I really don't know how to deal with it other than with poison which I really would rather not use. But maybe ...
A friend delivered to us the other day two huge Edwardian french windows which he no longer needed. They are enormously heavy, but think could be turned into a cold frame; a winter job for the tame photographer!
Saturday, 23 August 2008
Jam Making
The weather being so good for soft fruit, I have taken to jam production in a big way. I have done it before, but I've always found it a bit tedious, and the washing up endless. This year, however, one the old boys on the allotment told me about using the microwave and it has revolutionised jam making. You take on pound of soft fruit and the juice of a lemon and put them both in a large microwavable bowl (glass is best). I have a large pyrex one that is perfect.
You microwave the berries and juice on high for four minutes. Then you remove the bowl from the microwave and stir in one pound of caster sugar (golden or white) and stir until the sugar is dissolved. You can tell when it is ready because the there is no more gritty feel when you stir. You then return the bowl to the microwave and cook on full from 10 to 20 minutes depending, stirring every 5 minutes or so. When you think the jam is ready, about 10 minutes or so, test it for set by putting a little onto a saucer that has been cooled in the freezer. Push the jam with your finger and if it crinkles as you push it, it is ready to pot up. Pour the jam into jars that have been well washed and sterilised in a warm oven (100 C) for 10 minutes.This is all amazingly quick, and clean, it is so easy to turn one pound of fruit into 2 jars of jam.
Thursday, 21 August 2008
Still enjoying the holidays
The holidays continue, and finally, we have had a day of glorious sunshine. I took myself off the allotment for a spot of quiet contemplation and some gardening - both of which I did.
The above is a view of the sweetcorn cage we built a couple of weeks ago in order to protect our crop. The news is that the animals attacking the sweetcorn are badgers. They come down from the common specifically to eat the sweetcorn in the allotments, it being their favourite food. This is not brilliant news as they are so strong I suspect no amount of protection will save the crop. Some suggestions have been to hang something that makes a noise or leave a radio on all night or to put some creosote coated cloths around the area as they don't like the smell. Accordingly, today I hung an old wind chime in the sweetcorn enclosure and made a noise device using two terracotta flower pots. I will post a picture soon showing this (assuming the badgers don't break in tonight and demolish the lot).
I planted out some sprouting broccoli (I dont know if its green or purple - its called rudolf which sort of indicates red to me - but we'll see) and did some weeding. I picked raspberries, runner beans, corn salad, french beans and courgettes today. The raspberries are doing really well - inspite of constant attack by bindweed. I have made 4 jars of jam with them, as well as eating them most days.
We have some albino raspberries in amongst the normal red ones. I don't know if this is a genuine white raspberry cane, or a throw back. I doesn't really matter as they are quite delicious.
The brussels sprouts and cabbages are looking good and we have been enjoying our maincrop potatoes. And , at last, there are two baby butternut squashes!
On a related note, the weather, though not a perfect summer, has lent itself brilliantly to soft fruit and all the local bramble bushes are heavy with fruit. I, and the rest of the family, have picked and picked and I have made blackberry jam, blackberry jelly and blackberry and apple jam, as well as endless blackberry influenced puddings and frozen some for the winter. WOW!
It was about this time last year that we went looking for allotments, and as I look back, I can't help but be pleased we got ourselves into gear and started vegetable gardening.
Finally, just look at our beautiful sunflowers - Moulin Rouge from Unwins Seeds, if you are interested.
The above is a view of the sweetcorn cage we built a couple of weeks ago in order to protect our crop. The news is that the animals attacking the sweetcorn are badgers. They come down from the common specifically to eat the sweetcorn in the allotments, it being their favourite food. This is not brilliant news as they are so strong I suspect no amount of protection will save the crop. Some suggestions have been to hang something that makes a noise or leave a radio on all night or to put some creosote coated cloths around the area as they don't like the smell. Accordingly, today I hung an old wind chime in the sweetcorn enclosure and made a noise device using two terracotta flower pots. I will post a picture soon showing this (assuming the badgers don't break in tonight and demolish the lot).I planted out some sprouting broccoli (I dont know if its green or purple - its called rudolf which sort of indicates red to me - but we'll see) and did some weeding. I picked raspberries, runner beans, corn salad, french beans and courgettes today. The raspberries are doing really well - inspite of constant attack by bindweed. I have made 4 jars of jam with them, as well as eating them most days.
We have some albino raspberries in amongst the normal red ones. I don't know if this is a genuine white raspberry cane, or a throw back. I doesn't really matter as they are quite delicious.
The brussels sprouts and cabbages are looking good and we have been enjoying our maincrop potatoes. And , at last, there are two baby butternut squashes!
On a related note, the weather, though not a perfect summer, has lent itself brilliantly to soft fruit and all the local bramble bushes are heavy with fruit. I, and the rest of the family, have picked and picked and I have made blackberry jam, blackberry jelly and blackberry and apple jam, as well as endless blackberry influenced puddings and frozen some for the winter. WOW!
It was about this time last year that we went looking for allotments, and as I look back, I can't help but be pleased we got ourselves into gear and started vegetable gardening.Finally, just look at our beautiful sunflowers - Moulin Rouge from Unwins Seeds, if you are interested.
Monday, 11 August 2008
We are well into the summer holidays now, but the weather has forgotten that. After a very brief warm spell, we are now back to semi-winter and lots of rain.
I haven't done much at the allotment over the last couple of weeks, except harvest as required. We have had a steam of visitors, which doesn't leave much time for gardening. However, they all enjoy helping to pick beans and the like, and certainly seem to enjoy eating the result. We have harvested plenty of maris peer potatoes (second earlies), french beans, runner beans, spinach, and raspberries, as well as some more lettuce, radishes, corn salad, rocket and turnips. By some miracle, the courgette plant has come back to life and is now producing courgettes again. I don't really understand it, but it might have something to do with the fact that I weeded out all the comfrey that was growing around it.
The brussels sprouts, cabbages and sprouting broccoli are all doing well, and as of today, the sweet corn looks fantastic. We had been told that in the past couple of years, the sweet corn crop gets attacked by some largish animal (foxes and badgers seem to be the most likely) and so we have constructed a chicken wire cage around our crop in order to protect it. Hopefully it will work. Our poor neighbour's crop has been attacked, in spite of quite significant protection so I do go along most days with some trepidation, but so far, so good. There are plenty of cobs developing fast and we will be disappointed if the fox gets it first.
I lifted the last of the onion crop today (about 50 onions) and they are now drying in the kitchen. It's far too wet to leave them outside at the moment. They look splendid and should last some months. I then spent quite a while weeding as the soil is lovely and soft at the moment. There is, as usual, masses of bindweed to deal with. I simply don't know where it all comes from. Last autumn there didn't seem to be any, and now it crops up everywhere.
The butternut squash is growing fast, and producing lots of flowers, but as yet I haven't spotted and fruit. It might be a bit cold and damp for them. The raspberries are producing enough for a helping for four people most nights at the moment, which is a real treat. They are big and juicy - probably the result of all the rain we have had.
I haven't done much at the allotment over the last couple of weeks, except harvest as required. We have had a steam of visitors, which doesn't leave much time for gardening. However, they all enjoy helping to pick beans and the like, and certainly seem to enjoy eating the result. We have harvested plenty of maris peer potatoes (second earlies), french beans, runner beans, spinach, and raspberries, as well as some more lettuce, radishes, corn salad, rocket and turnips. By some miracle, the courgette plant has come back to life and is now producing courgettes again. I don't really understand it, but it might have something to do with the fact that I weeded out all the comfrey that was growing around it.
The brussels sprouts, cabbages and sprouting broccoli are all doing well, and as of today, the sweet corn looks fantastic. We had been told that in the past couple of years, the sweet corn crop gets attacked by some largish animal (foxes and badgers seem to be the most likely) and so we have constructed a chicken wire cage around our crop in order to protect it. Hopefully it will work. Our poor neighbour's crop has been attacked, in spite of quite significant protection so I do go along most days with some trepidation, but so far, so good. There are plenty of cobs developing fast and we will be disappointed if the fox gets it first.
I lifted the last of the onion crop today (about 50 onions) and they are now drying in the kitchen. It's far too wet to leave them outside at the moment. They look splendid and should last some months. I then spent quite a while weeding as the soil is lovely and soft at the moment. There is, as usual, masses of bindweed to deal with. I simply don't know where it all comes from. Last autumn there didn't seem to be any, and now it crops up everywhere.
The butternut squash is growing fast, and producing lots of flowers, but as yet I haven't spotted and fruit. It might be a bit cold and damp for them. The raspberries are producing enough for a helping for four people most nights at the moment, which is a real treat. They are big and juicy - probably the result of all the rain we have had.
Wednesday, 23 July 2008
School's Out for Summer!
Today was the last day of school for six whole weeks and I celebrated by making a quick visit to the allotment. While there, I did a bit of urgent watering and picked a pound of french beans, some runner beans, radishes and our first helping of raspberries.
To bring you all up to date - so far I have made 6 pots of strawberry jam, and one large jar of pickled shallots and frozen 4 pounds of broad beans, two kohlrabis and 2 packs of french beans. I also have three strings of onions and a large net of shallots. All this is in addition to the food that we eat directly. In effect, this is our surplus for the lean winter months!
To bring you all up to date - so far I have made 6 pots of strawberry jam, and one large jar of pickled shallots and frozen 4 pounds of broad beans, two kohlrabis and 2 packs of french beans. I also have three strings of onions and a large net of shallots. All this is in addition to the food that we eat directly. In effect, this is our surplus for the lean winter months!
Sunday, 20 July 2008
Spot the difference
I thought I would post the pictures the tame photographer took yesterday during our flying visit to the allotment as the growth that has happened is spectacular. If you look back at the pics on the previous post you can compare them with the current ones.
You can see the sweetcorn here. Most other allotments are a bit further ahead and have small cobs appearing. There are rumours afloat that the cobs are the favourite food of foxes and that we needs to completely enclose the crop to prevent it. The tame photographer is planning this as I write. I also wonder whether the problem is squirrels, in which case no amount of protection will make any difference. We'll see.
The leeks are grow
ing well:
As are the runner beans
And just behind the beans, if you look carefully you can see the sunflowers which I am growing as part of a trial for Gardeners World. They are called Moulin Rouge and are a dark burgundy colour - quite stunning! They also produce lots of flowers off side shoots which would make them ideal for cutting.
The cabbages are beginning to heart up nicely, the brussels sprouts are looking good, and I'm really pleased with the parsnips - not many meals' worth - but they look very healthy. The french beans are cropping well, and the salad bowl lettuce never seems to stop! The butternut squash is beginning to put on some growth as well.
The cabbage and sprouts look like a lady wearing a veil, but it is only the anti-pigeon control. Everything has to be netted to protect it. The tame photographer is thinking of making the whole plot into a giant fruit cage!
And finally and nice snap of our friendly robin, the wheelbarrow and a flowering artichoke:
And finally, a general view of the site.
You can see the sweetcorn here. Most other allotments are a bit further ahead and have small cobs appearing. There are rumours afloat that the cobs are the favourite food of foxes and that we needs to completely enclose the crop to prevent it. The tame photographer is planning this as I write. I also wonder whether the problem is squirrels, in which case no amount of protection will make any difference. We'll see.
The leeks are grow
ing well:
As are the runner beans
And just behind the beans, if you look carefully you can see the sunflowers which I am growing as part of a trial for Gardeners World. They are called Moulin Rouge and are a dark burgundy colour - quite stunning! They also produce lots of flowers off side shoots which would make them ideal for cutting.
The cabbages are beginning to heart up nicely, the brussels sprouts are looking good, and I'm really pleased with the parsnips - not many meals' worth - but they look very healthy. The french beans are cropping well, and the salad bowl lettuce never seems to stop! The butternut squash is beginning to put on some growth as well.
The cabbage and sprouts look like a lady wearing a veil, but it is only the anti-pigeon control. Everything has to be netted to protect it. The tame photographer is thinking of making the whole plot into a giant fruit cage!
And finally and nice snap of our friendly robin, the wheelbarrow and a flowering artichoke:
And finally, a general view of the site.
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