Wednesday 16th May 2007 - Weather: dull but dry

As predicted, on site by 9am. How selfish and self indulgent of me spending an entire working day on my allotment! As you can imagine, it was BLISS!

No picking today, just planting, weeding, some more weeding and maybe a touch more planting. First things to go in, sweetcorn. Two varieties today, Swift and Minipop - a baby corn. I have more at home, but they are much smaller and will go out in about 2 weeks time. Both children love corn on the cob, and daughter number one loves baby corns, so these are great. I had some rotted manure so forked some into the ground before planting. Hopefully this will help water retention - not that we need worry about that at the moment, but will also give the plants a good healthy start. Just got to keep my fingers crossed now that we don't have any late frosts.

Next in were some more brassicas. The brassicas that are already in are going great guns, I have never been so organised! In went some savoy cabbages, spring hero cabbages, wok broc and red brussel sprouts, whose name escapes me. I weeded around them, and made sure the netting was good and secure as I noticed on another plot that the pigeons had completely stripped their brassicas.

As I was over on plot 2, I weeded as best as I could around my Japanese onions, shallots, garlic and red onions. I am really pleased with how the onions are growing. This recent rain will have really really helped. I did notice a couple of my garlics are looking rather sickly. I will keep and eye on them and maybe lift them next visit. The old white rot is a bugger with the garlic. In the past I have found the purple wight variety to be slightly more resistant. I can't remember what variety I have in, but it isn't looking good.

Next I weeded the future tomato bed and planted 3 tomato plants. Only 60 more to go! The problem with all of these plants is getting them to the plot. There are only so many you can fit into the car, especially when you are dropping the children off at school on the way and have them and their clobber to deal with. Big tomato plant out next visit.

In the seed section on plot number 2 I resowed my parsnips as only 1 has germinated! I have never had trouble with 'snips. I resowed with Javelin and Tender and True - a whole packet of each! I will be giving them away by Christmas. I also sowed some more spring onions along the side of the carrot bed, radish alongside the parsnips and some lettuce. I am trying desperately to extend the season by sowing little and often. I planted some 'Purple Queen' French bean seeds along the edge of the onion bed. Hope the meeces leave them alone. Then I planted 2 different batches of French bean seedlings - no idea on variety, both had fancy French names.

The last job on plot number 2, net my poor pea seedlings. The pigeons have had d field day stripping back my young Alderman pea plants, but the good news is, when I investigated properly today I noticed that all of the plants have new young shoots growing from the leaf bases and the base of the plants, so all is not lost. Good netting was put in place securely to thwart the feathered rodents attack.

Back on plot number one I planted some more squash plants in planting holes filled with rotting manure. I have paid a lot of attention this year to potting things on and watering them well, so the plants already seem huge. I hope we don't get a frost! I still have loads in the greenhouse at home, and will bring them up a few at a time each visit. The melons need to go out under cover, so I will leave them until the end of the month before setting them in the ground. I think I will try and get some really fresh hot manure and make a bit of a hot bed for them also.

Lovely old Jack was on the site during the morning and I asked him where he got his bales of straw from as I needed about half a bale for my strawbs. Bless him, he arrived with half a bale for me, wanting nothing in return. That was a spiky job, mulching my strawberry's. Plenty of them on the plants though and some are already pinking up. If we have a sunny spell over the next week, I will be able to easily fill a large punnet.

By the time I left at 2.45, the allotments were looking great and I was feeling great - knackered, but great. The grass paths could do with a cut, but I don't have access to a working petrol mower...yet. I will get back there next week for a couple of hours after work and will get some more toms and squashes in.

Tuesday 15th May 2007 - weather: dull, overcast with occassional showers

Had a late start on the allotment today. Daughter number one had a doctors appointment about her granuloma on her face. It seems that even after her minor op last week to remove it, it is back with avengance. She has another appointment for minor surgery on Thursday after school. Fingers crossed it works this time, I don't think I can stand seeing her so upset and hearing her pain when then do it again!

Anyhow, regardless of the rotten rain, I got to the allotment. This was the first proper visit since the big rain started. Of course, all waterbuts are full to overflowing, and the weeds, well who told them to grow?? I couldn't believe my eyes. Seeds have finally started to germinate also. I have lots of beetroots, spring onions, lettuce, rocket, radish, turnips and carrots growing, but only 1 parsnip! I shall resow 2 rows of parsnips tomorrow. Also, rather miffed that the pigeons, or could it be the moorhen that lives on our site, has chewed my second sowing of Alderman peas down to 6 inch tatty stumps! I am hoping though that what has happened is the growing point has been removed, so the plants will bush out, and I will actually be rewarded with a more abundant, later crop of peas. Obviously I shall be buying some netting before heading to the allotment tomorrow.

Everything I had planted is growing really well. The brassicas have all come on and are making sturdy little plants, along with the lettuce and spinach. I planted a row of celeriac plantlets over on plot 2 and to be honest, it is full! The onions on plot 2 are Japanese hunions, so they will be lifted soon, some are already bigger then tennis balls! This area will then be filled with the rest of the brassicas that are living in the cold greenhouse, plus anything else I fancy growing. There are loads of volunteers spuds growing through the onions, so they will be a little bonus come onion picking time.

On plot 1 the rhubarb looked like a triffid, so I picked a huge armful of stems. Crumble and chutters me thinks. Also, one lonely asparagus, so that came home, along with 2 globe artichokes. There are about 8 artichokes still on the plants and masses of babies coming. I have discovered I like them best when they are really small. I top them and tail them, then simmer them until tender. Then I eat the whole then with a dollop of butter. YUMYUM!

I finally got in the last of my seed spuds - Maxine and Lady Christl. Pink Furs are through which is always pleasing as they are such delicious spuds, great for chips or roasting. I then spent the best part of the day weeding and getting the bare areas ready for mass planting tomorrow. I now have 2 areas ready for sweetcorn and mini corn, the pumpkin patch is all ready, oh yes, and I planted 4 squash plants - 1 courgette and 3 different squashes from Jeannine on A4all, and I planted 12 swiss chards 'Bright Lights' over by the sorrel that Saddad gave me and the Jerusalem artichokes - aka Supersprout.

Before I left I planted a row of runner bean seeds - they were unamed, just a handful I was given, but I do have 2 pots full of young plants in the greenhouse, but I am waiting another week before putting them in just because I sowed them so late, I want to make sure all that are going to germinate are through.

So, tomorrow again, regardless of the weather, I am going to the plot. I am planning to start planting the squashes, corns, tomatoes, french beans and anything else that is in the garden ready to go. I also hope to sow some more seeds....if I can find the room to squeeze some in. I will probably sow some lettuce and radish in amongst the squashes with the idea that they will be gone once the squashes attempt to take over the universe! I promise to take the camera tomorrow and do a bit of a photo diary to show how everything is shaping up.

Supersprout

Before Sarah, aka Supersprout, decided to leap from this mortal coil and onto the next, she sent me 3 lovely smooth Jerusalem Artichokes. She was very proud of them as they were so big and smooth. I planted them as soon as I received them, and shortly after Sarah left us all. I worried about the artichokes as they had to suffer some pretty cold weather for a spell, and then a long period of drought. But just look at Supersprout now. I have 3 handsome plants, all lush and green. They will have a permanent area on my allotment and the label that stands amongst them reads 'SUPERSPROUTS!'.

Wednesday 2nd May 2005 - Weather: Sunny and breezy

Sorry, bit late checking in this time but I have been so busy with mum coming to stay, then off to Devon for the long weekend, I have only just got my act together to update my blog.

Arrived at the allotment from the school run so find things still very dry indeed. However, our site secretary's garden backs onto the allotment site, and today she said I could use her hose to fill all of my waterbutts, so I quickly accepted her kind and generous offer and got everything I could full of water, and took the chance to water my seed beds because nothing had broken the surface.

First job of the day was to clear all of the leeks over on plot number 2. This area is destined to be 'Brassica Paradise' and I needed the room to get my sprouts in. Also some of the leeks - Autumn Giant - were starting to bolt. I didn't dig the area over too much as I wanted the ground good and firm for the sprouts, so after the leeks had gone, I gave it a weed and a good rake, then planted them. Can't remember for the life of me what varieties, but 3 different ones, 2 green and 1 red. I have more at home in the greenhouse to go up, but I am hoping by staggering the growing I will lengthen the harvesting period. Once in, they all received a very good watering and were then covered with net to keep the pesky pigeons off.

Over on plot one I planted 2 courgette plants. I believe the variety was Pathenon or something similar. The reason I grew them was because the packet said they didn't require pollination to set fruit, so I started them really early and kept them cosy to see if I could get a courgette or 2 before the main harvest begins. I am keeping one back in the greenhouse as back up. As this squash area is now clear I put up 2 large trellis stands which I am going to use to grow a couple of the lighter squashes up to try and make better use of the space. I have another 2 large trellis like panels at home to take up, hopefully next visit. I think I will grow things like the small ornamental gourds, cucumbers, acorns, and mini pumpkins upwards. This will leave room for the butternuts, large pumpkins and other large squash to sprawl.

Now a chancer - well it is May so fingers crossed no more frosts in Essex, I planted several rowns of mini French Beans and climbing Frenchies up the wigwams. Purple, yellow and green podded beans, on both plots. They were all well watered in. Hope the slugs keep off as I am really trying to resist using those horrid blue pellets. Next visit I plan to plant sunflowers and the first batch of tomato plants. I do have some cloches at the ready, but I am sure it will all be okay.

I picked my first globe artichokes and asparagus, my tea time luxury! I also picked all of the thick chunky flowering stems from my bright light chard. I need to dig the chard up really as I have this years crop growing into nice strong little plants in the greenhouse, but for now, the old boys can stay put - they do look so pretty!

I generally tidied and weeded and cut the paths back. Doesn't sound like much, yet I didn't stop all day! Glad to say the spinach and other brassicas I planted a week or so ago are all looking great and obviously growing.

Wednesday 18th April 2007 - Weather: hot and sunny

Well after a cloudy but warm day yesterday, today was sunny but breezy. Fabulous weather considering it is still only April. I couldn't work today as I had to wait in for Argos to deliver our new exercise machine and for British Gas to come and service the boiler. They were both due between 7am and 12noon, and both had been and gone by 11, so quick change and off to the plot.

Jack was on site today, haven't seen him for months. Had a little chat, I meant to ask him for some straw for my strawbs, but I forgot. I could do with getting a bale anyhow as the kids want to make new scarecrows.

Down to business. First job of the day, dig the final bed on plot 2 and get the spinach plantlets in. A lovely row of strong plants. I won't necessarily keep them all, but they do provide nice summer salad leaves when young, then I will pull out plants as I need to space, leaving just a couple for later in the year. To be honest, I prefer the chards as they are more bulky, have a better flavour, and look pretty. There is still planting room in this bed for the other seedlings which are growing away at home in the greenhouse.

Next on the list, watering. I can't believe I am watering in April! Where are those April showers and whoever has them, could we have them back now please?! Still no show from the parsnips, radish, spring onions, beetroot or carrots, but the rocket, salad bowl leaves and turnips are all up. Hopefully a drop or two of water will get the seeds going.

I planted a few runner bean seeds and protected them with glass panes, just to see if they germinate and get away. It will only be another 2 weeks and I will be planting the first half of the main crop. I will plant the first proper batch at the start of May, then a second lot at the start of June. Hopefully this should carry us over. I am going to grow more French beans than runners though as I find them much more versatile and delicious.

The cabbages and lettuce that I planted yesterday are all looking great and perky which is very satisfying.

Back to plot one and I cleared all of the purple sprouting brocolli as it has finished now. I still have the 9star and white sprouting. Clearing the PSB enabled me to get another few rows of spuds in, so today I planted Pink Fur Apple, Maxine, and Annabel. I still have a few odd tubers left which I will bung in when I have a bit of cleared ground, plus 2 or 3 rows worth of Lady Christl, so I need to get the white sprouting out soonish to get them in.

Saddad from the A4all website kindly sent me some Sorrel for the plot - a veg I have never grown before. He sent me Buckler leaf and red leaf I believe, and they were both planted infront of Supersprouts artichokes. The reason I decided to grow Sorrel was due to the TV program The Big Dig, which I am really enjoying. Discussion on the board started and as I love my salads and greens, it seemed like I was missing out on something special. Not any more!

I spent a while tidying up the strawberries, getting out the darn buttercup that seems determined to take over my allotment, and I moved a couple of stray plants. I gave them a good watering so hopefully they don't know they have been moved and they will continue to grow. There are plenty of flowers, so hopefully we will get a good harvest from them. All the soft fruit is laden with flowers and the apple trees are packed with blossom, so, providing we don't get a sudden cold snap, and the bees and other pollinators do their thing, 2007 will be a good fruity year.

As I was leaving I glanced at the globe artichokes, and what do you know, the first globe is forming nicely. Ten days or so and I shall be enjoying that one. And speaking of artichokes, the Jerusalem fartichokes that Supersprout sent me are through and growing.

Tuesday 17th April 2007 - Weather: Overcast but warm!

I worked this morning so arrived at the allotment just after 12noon. The sky was very dark and heavy and it was quite a muggy afternoon. Today's challenge, get those brassicas in the ground. The new brassica bed is on plot number 2 over with the onions. The theory is, the leeks and Japanese onions will be out of the ground by June leaving me ample room for brussel sprouts and brocolli and any other brassicas that I manage to get planted. The garlic and shallots will be around a bit longer, but I don't think they will cause a problem. The only weeds in this area were buttercups and the volunteer spuds that were left behind last year. Makes me sooooo cross when I dig up a potato volunteer and find a huge, gorgeous, damage free spud that would have been super last autumn. Anyhow, I was rewarded with a handful of little new pots - I reakon they were red duke of york. My darling had them with his chop for supper.

I planted 14 red cabbage and 14 cabbage 'Greyhound'. These are a bit of a cheat as I bought these as already growing plantlets from the nursery. I have completely failed 3 sowings of cabbage this spring, so rather than get left behind, I spend a whole five pound note and treated myself to these. Twenty eight cabbages for a fiver must be good value? I have sat here for ages trying to work out how much each cabbage would cost, but my maths fails me....never did get my o'level in it.

In between these 2 rows I planted Oak leaf lettuce which I had started at home in the greenhouse. Hopefully they will have been harvested long before the cabbages become big.

Finally I planted my cauliflowers 'All the year round'. I have been told that these are a good do-er, and as I have struggled with summer caulis, we shall see.

Everything was watered in, a little lime was scattered and the netting was erected. Have to say, GREAT netting! I brought some net from the aquatic shop for £20. It is netting to cover a pond to keep herons and cats out. Don't ask the measurements, I forgot to look, but it came in a large bag, with 16 or so pegs, it was double the width of my allotment and hugely wide, meaning I was able to net the brassicas in one easy swoop. Definately going to pick up another one when I am there.

Everything that is in and growing, is growing well. The 'Fortune' peas that I planted a couple of weeks ago are coming on well, and the Swiss Chard 'Bright Lights' has overwintered beautifully and will keep us in greens until the spinach grows.

Time was pressing on, so a quick harvest before hot footing it to school to collect the nippers. Picked the last of the purple sprouting brocolli, took my first harvest from the 9 star perennial brocolli, picked my first ever amazing cauliflower and gathered some rhubarb. Considering I was only there for two and a half hours, I think I achieved a lot. Next visit I am going to get the last of my spuds in now that the PSB has all finished.

Friday 13th April 2007 - Weather: overcast but lovely and warm

Adding a couple of photos of the pond. It is now in the final stages and is as twee as can bee! I think my darling would like it to be slightly more grown up, but I like it to be fun, and once the plants all grow I think it will look more settled. (It is the floating plastic ducks he dislikes, but they are the childrens!) At the very front, before the new turf I have raked the ground hard, top dessed the grassy area and reseeded it. The area was quite bald anyhow due to an old climbing frame we had there, and after all the work, what was left of the grass was in pretty bad shape. I will post a photo in a few weeks once this all greens up and the pond plants start to grow.

To the left of the pond as you look at it is a boggy area which now has 2 gunneras planted. The dark looking soil is actually upturned turves that were left over. They will help keep the soil in place whilst everything roots, and will break down and enrich the soil for the bog lovers. At the base is a slate retaining wall. The gunneras are covered in old fern fronds at the moment just until no more frosts are threatened.

To the right is the pot on it's side full of pebbles which has water trickling from it. Here we get the sound of running water and the pond receives some oxygen.

The leaping green fish was mums, given to her by nan, and now it is in our pond looking rather splendid I think. Some of the plants we have are marsh marigolds, a selection of different iris, including a varigated one which I received from Shirlton on the a4all site. There are a couple of reeds, couple of lillies, arrowleaf, umbrella leaf (I have no idea what those two's proper names are) and a few other bits and bobs. I would like the whole back shelf full and at least another 2 waterlillies, but they don't come cheap, so will keep my eyes peeled on things like Freecycle and sales.

Easter Weekend 2007 - Weather - splendid!

This is a little add on to the usual allotment stuff just to mention our new and improved pond at home. We have really done the majority of the work over this Easter weekend. We had a small pond (I will have to try and find a photo), but it really didn't work for us. The fish struggled as room was tight, I wanted much more planting, and the space around it really wasn't being used to it's full potential, so, out with the old pond, and in with the new!

We created a much larger pond - 12 foot long and 7 foot wide. I don't know how deep! There is a large shelf at the back of the pond for marginal plants. This is about calf deep. Then the deeper part at the front of the pond is about mid thigh deep.....this is on me.....at 5 foot 3 inches tall!

The original pond was edged with brand new sleepers, but although this kept the kids out, it did look very unatural and made the pond dark. This time we have edged the pond with turf around the front and slate tiles around the back.

To keep the pond clean we have a UV filter and a pump shifting the water through it and then back out again through a pot filled with pebbles. This gives up the trickling sound that I wanted, and helps oxygenate the water.

We have a few plants in there - mostly plants that have been given to us, but I plan eventually to totally fill the rear shelf with greenery. I also have 2 small waterlillies. Again, want more, but these don't come cheap so will have to bide my time.

I will add more photos tomorrow, as I did all the planting up today, and forgot to take any snaps!

Monday 9th April 2007 - Weather: Glorious!

Oh what a beeeeeeee-utiful day! This Easter weekend has been splendid. I was up with the lark today - alarm went off just after 6am and I was on the plot just after 7am. I wanted an early start as I only had until noon as the old boy was off to Southend to join in with all the other bikers. Amazingly for me, not only did I keep notes, but I also took photos!

The broadbean plants that I set out last visit are looking great. All upright and rigid. I still had about 18 seeds left so inbetween each plant, I planted 2 seeds. Hopefully the voles/mice won't get them.

No show of parsnips or radish sown last visit, but that was only 10 days ago...although I thought the radish might have been up by now. I decided to take advantage of the slow growing parsnips, and following on from the half a row of radish that I sowed inbetween the rows of 'snips, I completed the row with a sowing of Lettuce 'Little Gem'.

The sweetpeas that I planted on plot number 2 all looked nicely settled in, and I have now planted a row of Peas 'Fortune' inbetween. I am trying to make much more use of every available space this year. In front of the sweetpeas/peas I forked over a bed the entire width of the allotment and raked it level. The ground is very wet still. I then constructed a 6 foot high netting support and sowed a 4 seed deep bed of Peas 'Alderman'. I will start another batch of Alderman off in the greenhouse in a couple of weeks time to try and get a more continuous crop of peas. I always forget to sow more peas, and they are so great, but so short and sweet.

More digging. Next to the parsnip bed, again on plot 2, I dug over another bed. This is going to be the carrot bed. I plan to broadcast sow my carrots within this bed and will do a packet everytime I visit the allotment. I had about half a packet of Carrots 'Early Nantes 2' so they went in today. I then sowed a row of Spring Onion 'Toga', a red salad onion, along the edge of the section I had just sown carrots in. I am hoping that this will help reduce the carrot fly, but again, trying to make maximum use of every square inch of space! The carrot bed is about 6 foot wide and is the entire width of the allotment so it should be able to take a fair number of carrots....well that is the plan! I will cover them with fleece to also keep the carrot fly off, but I forgot to take scissors to the plot, and my new fleece is waaaaaaay to wide and long so I want to cut it rather than waste it. As this whole bed is only going to fill gradually, I did sow a short row of Radish 'rainbow mix' at the very end.

Getting exhausted now, but I dug another bed, same dimensions as the carrot bed. I did dig this entire plot in the autumn, but as our soil is pretty heavy and wet, it really compacts down, so I find it needs forking through before sowing seeds, especially for the root crops. This is a busy bed! In here I sowed half a row Lettuce 'salad bowl', a whole row of Beetroot 'Detroit and Bulls Blood', half a row of Beetroot 'Opolski', sent to me in late winter by Super Sprout, and a whole row of Turnips 'Purple Top Globe'.

No more digging now - flagging. I tied in the bamboos for the runner beans. I know this is still very early, but if I get all of these jobs done early, when the time comes to plant, if I am short of time, I can get more done. I must say, getting the bean poles in for me, always makes an allotment look 'proper'!

I brought a big old tub of pelleted chicken manure, so the onions, garlic, rhubarb, daffs, peas, broadbeans and globe artichokes all got a couple of handfuls. Should give them all a nice boost.

Last job of the day - harvesting and just standing back and looking at how things are going. The purple sprouting is almost over now, but the white sprouting and 9 star broc is just starting to take over. Also I have 2 caulis, which I am thrilled about as I am yet to succesfully grow cauliflowers on the allotment. Fingers crossed they keep growing. The globe artichokes didn't die down at all over the winter, and the cardoon suffered in the drought last summer, but in the autumn it started leafing up again, and that to has been loud and proud all winter through. The daffs are coming to an end - they have been a joy, and provided me with over 8 vases of cut flowers for the house. I have gladioli in the ground next to them, so heres hoping they do as well.

As usual, saw so many birds, and heard even more! There was a lot of shooting on the farm first thing, getting those pigeons I imagine. But when all was quiet, woody woodpecker tap tap tapped all morning through!

Friday 30th March 2007 - Weather: wet and windy!

What a miserable day! bbbrrr. However, I had given myself the day off and promised I would spend some serious time on the allotment, so off I went.

First job really was sorting out the brassica bed as a lot of the cabbages and kale had gone to seed and some purple sprouting had finished, so out they came and I started digging. Back breaking work! Because I tromp the ground down on the brassica bed during planting to keep them growing tough, the ground was like concrete. However, I got it smashed down and weeded and I planted a double row of 'Red Epicure' Broad Beans. As I am the only fan of broadies, I don't mind growing fancy ones. I harvested a carrier bag packed full of purple sprouting, and I am glad to report I have 4 cauliflowers, the nine star perrenial broc is starting to head up and the white sprouting has lovely little flowers coming, so the greens should keep going well into late spring. That is the one thing about the seasons climate changing, the 'hungry gap' doesn't seem as long.

I still have loads of spuds to get in, so the next plan was to try and dig another area and get another 2 rows in. Two rows of 'International Kidney' potatoes are in to join the 'Kestrel' that I planted a couple of weeks ago. This leaves me with Pink Fur Apple, Vanessa, Lady Christl and Maxine to get in. I have no idea where yet! I always over do it with the spuds.

I cleared 60 leeks to make room for the potatoes, and this year they are fab. Thick and strong and no sign of rust - the air circulation must be much better up the far end of the allotment. I still have about 50 leeks in the ground over on plot 2, but there is no rush to clear them as I don't need the space at the moment. However, that will be the brassica bed, so their days are numbered.

Over on plot number 2 I forked over an area so I could get 2 rows of 'Tender and True' parsnips sown. I feel like I am very late with everything, but the cold and wet has held me up. Still, things always seem to catch up. I also sowed a short row of 'Big Ben' Radishes in between the 'snips to go with the early cut and come again lettuce that is growing in a trough at home in the greenhouse.

The final job was to plant my sweetpeas. I am determined to grow a few more flowers on the plot as they look great, cheer me up no end, encourage all the good bugs, and give me pretty flowers to bring home so I had a selection of sweetpeas germinated and growing strong in pots at home, and they are now planted up against netting on plot number 2. I also have 20 giant yellow sunflowers in pots at home in the greenhouse as I would like to do an entire row of them like you see in France.

I was hoping to get up there today (Wednesday) with the urchins, but they weren't terribly keen, so I did some pottering in the greenhouse - potted on some red hibiscus I have grown from seed, and spinach, gave everything a good watering and then continued digging the new pond! I will post photos of the ponds progress over the weekend as fingers crossed, by then the sand and lining will be in.

Last piece of news for now - finally I have an appointment to go to the hernia clinic on 3rd May. Hopefully they will decide what to do about it and then I should get a date for the operation. I can't imagine it will be this side of the summer, so by the time I am layed up for a couple of weeks, hopefully things will be quiet on the allotment. Anyhow, mum is coming to stay, so I shall have to boss her around and get her doing my weeding for me.

Saturday 24th March 2007 - Weather: cold and overcast

I am having my first major day at the allotment this coming Friday and will be taking the new camera with me, although I will be sowing lots of seeds, so not really sure quite what I will be taking photos of. However, I have been clicking away today taking snaps of all of the seedlings I have on the go. So here is just a little gallery of how the sowing schedule is going for me.

What a jumble! Anyhow, there are tomato seedlings, cauliflower seedlings, beetroot seedlings, and the two window boxes are number one sons, one with carrots in and one with cut and come again lettuce in. Everything is looking very good and I will be pleased to get the sweetpeas and broadbeans planted out onto the allotment on Friday.

Sunday 11th March 2007 - Weather: Glorious, sunny with a light breeze.

In memory of my dear friend, Sarah. AKA Supersprout.

What a glorious day, in fact, what a lovely weekend. Are we being lulled into a false sense of security with this blast of sunshine? Well, whatever trick mother nature plans to pull, we made an executive decision today, and dragged the kids to the allotment. Normally, an hour max before they start fighting and moaning, but today was oh so different. We were there until the sun started to set, and they are angels. We managed to achieve so much.

First job of the day for my love was repairing the shed roof. When we acquired the shed we didn't have any roof felt, so as a temporary measure, he used some thin metal sheeting he had in the garage. This has lasted over 2 years, but finally the high winds earlier this year lifted them and the rain has been getting into the shed, so he nipped up onto the roof and refelted it for me. The children stood on the compost heap shouting moral support and feeding him bisciuts!

Meanwhile I managed to plant, with some help from the children, 4 rows of Kestrel spuds. I still have enough for one more row, but at the moment the path is blocked by 6 purple sprouting brocoli plants, which I don't want to pull up yet as they are just starting to crop. Only a couple of weeks and they will be gone and the rest of the spuds can go in. Number one son was very good at digging the holes for the spuds, and together they planted the seed potatos being very careful not to knock of any of the sprouts.

Next we planted a row of Gladioli which I brought for 99p in Aldi. Forty bulbs - a bargain! They are mums favourite flower, so I am growing them for her.

By now lunch time was fast approaching so we popped home for a bite to eat, then my love dropped me and our son back at the plot, whilst he and our daughter shot to Wicks to get some wood and metposts as the next major allotment job is building a new, sturdier, higher fruit cage. Number one son and I had a ball. His little girlie friend arrived so they sat and chatted for a while, then he did some raking whilst I did some weeding. Then we went around and did some picking. Filled a bag with purple sprouting, brussel sprouts, leeks, beetroot, mooli, the last parsnip and chard. Not a bad collection for this time of year. We also chewed the fat with several allotment holders who were out taking advantage of the lovely weather. Amazingly enough for our quiet site, I reakon at least three quarters of plot holders came over during the course of the day.

Once the rest of the family were back on the plot, construction began, but after about an hour, the children were begining to get irritable. Whilst my love did some building and packed up, the sprogs and I went for a wander around the site. Everyone else had gone home so it is a good time to see what everybody has planted already, and the admire some of the neater plots. We had a good look in the nature pond but we couldn't see any frogspawn. now the fruit cage is well under way, I need to order a roll of netting to cover it.

Back at home....here are the tomatos I currently have sown:

Maygous , Litche, Metschalubitela, Gardeners delight, Roma, Lidl, Ghianti, Green zebra, Golden queen, Brazillian paste, Missouri love apple, White beauty, Golden green, Orange berry, Costolouto fiorontino, Extreme north, Triple ‘n crop, Federele, peacevine, Red pear, Galina, Picardy, Jersey sunrise, Teton de venus.

Wedensday 21st February 2007 - Weather: bright and breezy

Just a flying visit today - the second one this week. I popped up to take delivery of a cage! Actually, you know when you go to B&Q and see all the large rockery rocks stacked up in a circular cage, well I am now the proud owner of one of those. My boss had a large delivery of slate for a pond project we worked on, and they came complete with cages. Mine is going to be a leaf mould composter. I also had 2 more sacks of shreddings from jobs, and a bucket of veggie stuff for the compost heap.

The snow has once again flattened my brassica cage, but to be honest, there isn't much left now. I brought home all the cavalo nero as I could see it was starting to get flower buds. My purple and white sprouting is showing signs of flower clusters, so we should be enjoying that soon enough, but the sprouts have all gone now.

The onions and garlics are looking very robust and I have keeping everything crossed for a good season for them. It would be lovely to have onions that weren't full of rot and lasted a little longer into the year. I have chanced my arm and planted some maincrop red onions, so fingers crossed.

Back at home, seeds are germinating. Most of the toms are now up, along with leeks, sweetpeas, cauliflower and my very first chilli poked it's head out of the ground this morning. With the toms, I have so many now that I am planning on sowing a pinch of each, and if any don't germinate at all, I will give them a second chance, but if nothing, I will throw the seeds away. I have to be more organised!

I have taken part in a seed round robin and I think the parcel is now winging it's way to me. Very exciting. With these parcels, you never know what you are going to find. Don't really know what I am looking for, but am hoping for something a little out of the ordinary. I have started to packet up a selection to put back in, and I am hoping they are fancy enough to please the next person on the mailing list. I will let you know what I acquire.

The gasboard are coming to visit tomorrow to fit a new meter for us, so I am stuck in, so I will be sowing some more seeds. YIPPEE!!

Wednesday 31st January 2007 - Weather: frosty start, brightening later

At last, some time on the allotment. Not masses to do really, but the brassicas needed a serious talking to. Anything looking scruffy or scrawny came out and onto the compost heap. Next, staking. No matter how well I drive the bamboos into the ground, a windy day has them all laying flat again, so this time I used metal stakes - old tent poles. They ain't goin' anywhere, nohow! Finally, reassemble the netting which had all blow off in the gales. The pigeons had already started on my purple sprouting, and I could hear them coo cooing in the oak tree behind my plot, all eyeing up their supper, so if nothing else, I needed to get that net back in place. I picked a bowl full of sprouts, some cavalo nero kale and 3 heads of calabrese, Perfect for Sunday lunch. I hope the purple sprouting sprouts soon. Some of the plants are way over 5 foot tall and reaching for the heavens.

Next I planted my shallot sets and red onion sets. I know this is probably rather early, but as I have to try and fit the allotment in around the rest of my whirlwind life, they have to take their chances. The Japanese onions that Growmore sent me are looking great and are all growing strongly. I don't think I have ever had so many good looking hunions before. I will have to ask him where he gets them as it is obviously a very good source. I dug up about 6 leeks, all with at least 8 to 12 inches of thick white stem. These have only been 'earthed up' using mulches of straw or shredded paper. It's meant the leeks are very clean which is handy in the kitchen.

Next on the agenda, runner bean trench. I am moving the location of my runners this year purely because I want to swap them with the tomatos. The beans are grown up one side of my tom house, toms along the other, but I don't want to grow toms in the same place year in and year out, so they will swap with the runners. I dug my trench and filled it with soaking wet shredded paper and 2 sacks of shreddings that the boss gave me from one of the jobs. I backfilled the trench and that should provide the runners with a moisture retentive foot hold. I also plan to mulch the runner bean plants when they go in during May. I am shredding all the junk mail we receive and am keeping it bagged. When I plant, I will water the young plants well, then mulch them with wet shreddings to try and keep the moisture trapped for longer. The runners do great at the start and the end of the season, but in the middle, because we don't have access to water, they fizzle out and the beans don't always develop properly. I need to try and combat this problem, so the mulching and fresh bean trench are this years trial.

The last job was planting 3 Jerusalem artichokes that Supersprout sent me. I didn't want loads as I don't think they will be a family favourite, however, they are a good winter staple so a few will go a long way. Plus, once I have a harvest, I can multiply my future crops from my own stock as I see fit. The tubers were lovely and plump with fresh buds on the tips and they weren't too nobbly. I have planted them right at the start of the first plot, down by the shed. It is in dappled shade there, so although they might not perform as well as they could in full sun, I am sure they will do well enough for us.

That was it - I headed for home at lunch time. I then spent the afternoon making a start on my seed sowing. I will add a list over the weekend as my book is downstairs. However, I sowed toms, chillis, sweet peppers, aubergines, caulis 'all the year round' and leeks. At last it feels like spring is just around the corner.

Saturday 27th January 2007 - Weather: changeable

This isn't really a proper, I've been to the plot post, more a, I popped up to check out things after the wind, and thankfully alls well type post. Yes, after the huge winds that the country suffered a couple of weeks back, I shot to the plot, fearing the worse, but nothing had really happened. My brassica cage had collapsed, but to be honest, a lot of the brassicas have nearly finished so I do need to get up to the plot and get them sorted, which I am hoping to do on Thursday. Also, my fruit cage structure that I had started had moved around a little, but I have had a chat with the old man and he has put together some plans, and has said that it is okay to go to Wicks and spend a couple of bob on some wood and bits for the plot, so I am going to make a much more professional cage. That was it really. I pulled some chard and some leeks and some greens, but other than that, the ground was to wet to dig, and I didn't have time.

However, just to show you some colour, here are a selection of shots taken from my conservatory this month. Amazing how these wonderful things only really do their stuff during the coldest, darkest time of year.

Thursday 4th January 2007 - Weather: Bright but very windy

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

At last, the children are back at school, I have the day off, so I can get to the plot. I have been desperate to get to the plot, not for the digging, or weeding, but because I just wanted to get out into the fresh air, all on my own. I know it sounds selfish, but my allotment really is my selfish time. The family get the benefit of great fruit and veggies, and a very happy and refreshed mum.

We have a new gate. Wow the sercurity at our site is high, don't you think? However, for our allotment site, this really is high tech. Up until Christmas time, our gate was hanging on by 2 rusty screws and a good storm would have probably seen the end of it. Also it didn't shut properly which meant the deer could wander in. Lovely to see, but boy do they like young brassicas and runner beans. Hopefully now things are a little more secure.

The first job of the day was a slightly cosmetic one. Over Christmas we have received our lovely new range cooker, and it was packed inside a box, inside a box, leaving us with a vast amount of thick, plain brown cardboard. It was destined for the recyling men, but I asked around, and the general consensus agreed that if I lay is out under the apple trees, the card would smother the nettles and brambles that grow beneath, making weeding under the trees problem free (well almost), would look better than a jumble of horrid weeds, and in time, the card would break down, and add more organic matter to the ground. Well, the card looked okay, but ugly, when I had a brainwave. I had 4 sacks full of shreddings that my boss had given me for the compost heap. I tipped these onto the card, and not only did they look much nicer, they weighed the card down, stopping it blowing away in the gales, and now, the combined pile of card and shreddings will break down and really improve the ground, and hopfully give the trees a boost.
















The wind had played havoc with the brassicas knocking most of them flat. Job number two for the day was untangling the pigeon proof netting, restaking the brassicas - purple sprouting broccoli, caulis, cabbages kales, and sprouts, and then re-draping the netting over to try and keep the flying cabbage munchers away. At one point when I looked up, I was certain they were circling over head like a pack of vultures.

By now, I needed a pee, so unlocked the shed for the first time in probably 2 months. Now I have known ever since owning my shed that I am not the only resident. I have found signs of our furry rodent chums in there from time to time, but when I opened the door to be confronted by rat poop on the floor, I knew I had to have a clear out and block up any holes. As the shed was a second hand one, it came with plenty of holes around the edges. This was fine as they were covered by a work bench and stuff. Of course, rattus rattus and his mates have been coming and going as they pleased. I suppose with the cold snap a couple of weeks ago, they moved in for the warmth. So, rather dubiously, I emptied the shed. No sign of him or his mates, but plenty of chewed up netting, net curtains, fleece, a couple of chewed rotten apples and a stripped corn on the cob, all I guess from the compost heap. Patched the floor, swept the shed, and refilled it. Filled three bags with rubbish for the dustbin. I now have a lovely tidy shed. I am sure Ratty will come back, but at least I am taken away all of the nesting type stuff, and have made it a bit harder for him to break in.

After my lunch I started to dig over the plot, starting at the top end. I had dug it in the autumn, this was more of a fluff up and general weed. I also dug the last of the parsnips, a few leeks, some black winter radish, a big bunch of carrots and a few small beetroots. I am making lamb casserole from tea tomorrow so they will all go into the pot. Also cut the last of the romensco broccoli. This has been a lovely late performer and I will definately grow it again this year.

Once exhausted, I did a little more fruit cage construction. By the time I left, the basic cage was up and very strong. It is about 6 foot tall this time, so my darling better half won't have to duck when he is in there scrumping for rapsberries. I plan to buy some better netting for it as I was using a bit of a patch work quilt of different nets, and they were a pain in the bum to remove. I want something easy to use...any suggestions?

All in all, a great day. Got loads done and the plot looks great. Jobs outstanding are finishing the fruit cage and buying some corregated plastic and fittings to make a proper, permanent roof on my tomato house, because, as it does every year, it has blow away. The corregated plastic on their was recycled when I first got the plot and it has become more and more brittle over the years. I am going to go to a builders merchants and try to get something a lot more robust, and buy the proper fixtures and fittings so it stands the test of time.