Weather Watch Wednesday...week 25....29/06/11....R.I.P. Eb's...some garlic and seed bargains.

Well I know I promised you a big picture post update and I promise you it will come but for today it's mainly about the weather.

The Heatwave hit on Sunday and we reached 29 degrees...33 degrees on Monday but since then the temperature has been more manageable at around 20-25 degrees.

Not much on the rain front really but enough to keep the ground damp beneath so I still haven't watered the plot!!

Evenings have been balmy ....winds not too bad and never getting above 25m.p.h. So all in all a pretty decent June really!!

We lost another of our cats to an R.T.A. today...sad but these things happen...she will be sorely missed. xx

My beautiful Ebony, She has been buried up the allotment next to her still missed sister
Tiger- Lily.

This is a few of my garlic...I couldn't resist digging some to have a look and I am quite pleased with them.

Seed sales have already started and i got some great bargains in Wilkinsons at either half price or 75% of...and well dated too!!

Well that's all for today.....those picture are soon to appear!!

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Not quite an allotment update.

Well I know I promised you a HUGE allotment update earlier in the week but things have just been so hectic that I haven't had the time to sit down at the computer...I keep thinking that each week will be a little less busy...and you never know one of these days I might be right!!

That said however doesn't mean that I haven't been to the allotment...I have managed to get quite a bit done but I also have to confess to not having taken any photos yet so this is going to be a little preview of what I started with last weekend and then tomorrow I will get the camera out and go take some photos to share with you all.

I have to say i am quite pleased with how my allotment has progressed this year and I think I now have everything exactly as I want it so it should make next year a little easier too!!

Firstly all the tomatoes are doing well in the greenhouse and one of the 'Shirleys' is just starting to change colour now.

These........

these.......

and these were what i had to get into the ground and i have manged to plant them all out this last week and get them protected with netting too.

This is my celeriac...well as of last week...it doesn't look much but I haven't given up hope yet!!

My son having a go with the 'tiller'

So as you can see I have been majorly busy...I think tomorrow I will be going to weed round near the shed area which is the only neglected spot left and then i can quite happily put you a picture post up on Monday or Tuesday and be proud of what I have to show........I finally managed to get a second sowing of carrots in but didn't have room in the 'roots' section so they are in with the brassicas as I know that potatoes will be there next year so I don't have to worry about sowing the same thing in the same section twice.

I did have some lovely redcurrants but unfortunately one of the branches broke off in the high winds and then the birds helped themselves to quite a few of what was left.....funny how they've left the black and white currants though?!?!

I'm sure everyone else has been very busy too....I just bet they have managed to keep on top of their blogs at the same time..unlike me...maybe I'm just getting to old for it...i really didn't have this much problem last year?!?!

Anyway I am about to catch up with everyone else and i hope this little taster is enough for the next couple of days....Oh....and apparently the UK id going to have a heatwave...then again I've heard that one before so I will keep you informed on that!!

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Allotment update to follow....soon!!

Just a quick post to let you know that I am still part of the land of the living and the allotment is growing great....just been so busy I haven't had time to post....not even for the weather but watch this space for the biggest allotment update ever in the next few days!!!!


Will also be catching up with all of you too.....hope you are all getting on well in your gardens now the growing season is well under way!!!

The Thursday Forecast......week 22.....9/06/11

Well it's time to report the weather and as is becoming the norm I am late again...the allotment is but a memory of watering this week and lots going on means as usual I didn't get sat down in time last night to put up the usual weather watch so a slight change to the title has occurred....I figure I can adapt the title to my time maybe?!?!?!

Thursday ......6pm.

So the weather has been pretty static this week. Temperatures have been average for this time of year between 16 and 20 degrees.

We have had some gusty winds...but only up to about 40mph so nothing to cause any damage.

We have had a few heavy short sharp showers but nothing to really wet the ground.....but I guess every little bit helps and there is still plenty of moisture below the surface so still I am not concerned about the unusually dry weather we have been getting.

So what's the weather like in your neck of the woods??

I am going to spend some serious time at the allotment this weekend so expect great posts from me...that is if I'm not too tired to sit at the computer and type...lol


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The first Garlic!!

Just a quick post...I went down the allotment the other day to water and noticed that one of the garlic plants had been blown right over and the bulb was poking out of the ground so I had to dig it up...Didn't I???

Anyway it was a rather peculiar but pretty shape so I though I would share it with you!!

It's not the best photo in the world but you can see how the bulb has started to split...a rather pretty (and smelly!) flower shape.

I don't know why it has split like this or if the rest will be the same...but hey garlic is garlic and there is very little of this bulb left now...my Nephew likes to eat raw garlic and say what I grow is always so much better than the store bought stuff!!

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An overdue allotment update!!!!

Well it's been a week and a half since I last posted and I have got quite a lot done down the allotment but general life has kept me busy and the children off school for half term has meant I haven't had the normal use of computer which is why it's been so long.

So lets start with the weather....it actually rained all day Monday, which isn't surprising seeing as it was a bank holiday but the rain was long overdue and did the gardens the world of good!!

I have been visiting the allotment on a daily basis to water and also spent the whole day up there last Saturday and finally got the beetroot in the ground (which was long overdue!!) and also the pumpkin, cucumbers, runner beans and french dwarf beans. I also got plenty of weeds out of the plot and did some general tidying up.

Now I went a little overboard with the photos but I figured it would be a little less boring than just writing everything and there are some things I would like help with so I hope you enjoy the snapshots and any help would be appreciated!!

The broad beans are doing very nicely....these have a lovely purple flower but some have a white flower as well as I have two different types planted...we actually got a little tater last weekend and they were beautiful!

This is how it looked all over the plot before I started weeding....

This is how it now looks...I have actually took a different approach to weeding this year, I have only removed the well established weeds which accomplished two things, one was that I didn't actually pull up any new seedlings coming through and two that I didn't disturb any roots. It also made weeding a lot quicker...this is now going to be my method as I think I have spent way too much time being picky about the weeds and so therefore causing some damage to crops in the past!

The pears are doing nicely on the tree...a few have dropped in the high winds but there is plenty of fruit still there!

It has been a wonderful year for roses so just though I would share this miniature rose with you!! :-)

The rocket isn't doing so well and today I have sown some more hoping for better germination this time round!

This is the beetroot I have sown in a trough for the leaves..it has done so much better than the fancier seeds that I sowed for the garden and although I don't totally regret it I think I will stick to boltardy for both from now on.

I'm pleased to say i have radishes this year...last year was disastrous for me where radishes were concerned so i a very happy to get a crop this year!

The celery is coming along nicely.

These are my donated tomato plants in the greenhouse. I have two 'Russian Blacks', two 'Shirleys' and two that we don't know what the variety are but as they grow like bunches of grapes and were from the Harrogate show they just call them 'Harrogate Grapes'. I also have two aubergines, two melons and three bell peppers planted in here, along with some cayenne chillis in a tub.

My salad carrots that I planted in a trough are looking great...wish i could say the same about those sown in the ground....is it too late to sow some more??

We have been having fresh greens for a while now...these are starting to get a little leggy but soon they will all be eaten so I have sown some more today.

As Is usual I have failed with my Basil...I don't know why it doesn't like to grow for me but I have sown some more seed today...anyone got any basil growing tips??

I have no idea why my pak choi does this.....I get know bulb at the bottom and then it 'bolts' and flowers...today I have nipped all the tops out but I don't know if this is the right thing to do so I would be grateful for any advice here as I would really like to be successful at growing this!

I do have some lovely spring onions coming and I have sown another batch today ...yummy!!!

So that's all I have for today...there is so much more to tell but I thought all of it in one post would be too much so I am going to give you a little breather now and I will be putting another post up in a couple of days!!