Allotments 4 you

Allotment work....FINALLY!!!!

2010-03-20T17:40:00.003Z

Well I did it...I actually went up the plot this morning and did some real work. I awoke at 5:30am to glorious blue skies...(well it was getting there as the sun rose over the horizon!) and I thought 'YES!! I can get some real work done today!!!!'

Well my triumph was very short lived as by 8:30am the clouds had rolled in and the sky was a dark grey block. This however did not deter me totally and I dutifully went up the plot to get my first early potatoes in. Whilst there my Dad came to join me and gave me a hand with digging over and planting...all the while moaning about how untidy my bit looked and how neat he was...Thanks for the help Dad...I really appreciate it ...but at the same time.... :-P

Dad digging...well complaining about his back actually..lol

Anyway the heavens opened up on us but we stayed to get the potatoes in and with the two of us at it and the ground so well prepared last autumn...(and this point I am grinning and patting myself on the back!!) it only took us an hour from start to finish...and that was with a break as well!!

So that is it...my season has officially started!!

Lovely dug potato bed!

Hubby went into town when I got back from the plot and he picked me up another mini greenhouse so now I can start planting my seeds..YAY!..

Mini greenhouse.

He also bought me some beautiful flowers...for no reason other than because he wanted to...it's not a special day or anything so that made me very happy!!!

My beautiful flowers.

Oh and when I got back from the plot there was a letter through my door...it's this years allotment fees. They have gone up by 100% which seems an awful lot I know but that still only puts a years full plot charge at £18 which I am more then happy to pay and then there are extra charges for water and greenhouses. In that letter was the rent for Plot 15 (which is the plot Kate and I share) and also the fees for plot 17b....yup I got the extra land I wanted so I am very happy...but also a little daunted to be back where I was two years ago knowing what a lot of hard work I have ahead of me...It's going to be worth it though as I have greenhouse plans!!!!

What a difference a week makes!!!

2010-03-19T19:42:00.003Z

Well it was back to work on the garden today and my god what a difference just one week makes. I could really see spring sprouting all over the garden today with all the bulbs I planted from last season popping up all over the place in some glorious colours. I intended to take some photos but just didn't have the time with all the weeding and clearing of the winter debris so I hope you are happy with just the little pictures I have.

I am hoping that when I go next week I won't have missed the best of the display and can get a picture for you of the beautiful array of spring.

The snowdrops.

Some of the bulbs are very pretty but I have no idea what they are as Maureen was given a load of bulbs and I just planted them randomly around the garden to give some spring colour.

When I first went today the sun was shining brightly and although the wind was quite strong it didn't take anything away from the glorious spring day. As time went by thin clouds covered the sky but the wind did drop quite a bit and it was still lovely to be outside. Right now it's dark and a steady rain is pouring outside but it is that first spring rain that brings all those glorious scents with it so you know that summer really is on it's way to you very soon. The clocks move forward an hour in Britain next week so then I will have more time to work in the evening outside and with this happening I know that my favourite time of year is approaching. Every season has it's place and is special for it's own reasons but Summer is by far my favourite season with all the animals and plants coming fully to life. What is your favourite season and why???

Plenty of bulbs coming through...
it's quite exciting waiting to see what we will get!!

Well the allotment meeting would have been last night but I haven't seen anyone yet and I am itching to know whether I got that extra bit of land so i will be heading up there tomorrow to see if I can find Dave and see what the outcome was....oh and I will be getting some allotment work done tomorrow too so maybe another post will be on the cards for tomorrow...that is if this rain peters out overnight.

That's all for now!!!!

Weather Watch Wednesday...week 10 2010

2010-03-17T07:42:00.002Z

Well The skies are blue, the sun is shining....and there isn't a frost!!!!
Yes Folks, I really think Spring has arrived!!! We haven't had a frost in a few days now and the days are definitely warming up a little....the weather man even mentioned the possibility of double figures for today, though personally I think that's being a little optimistic..lol

I haven't been down the plot since the weekend as I have been busy with the Mum/Wife stuff and also decorating my friends place which is taking a lot of time. Typical really, the weather picks up and my time is taken but seens as I am all dug over up the plot I'm not too worried....however I may be tearing my hair out this time next week if I am given the extra land which is in very bad shape!!

Oh yeah...this is supposed to be weather watch....erm..temps between 5-9degrees, sun warm when it comes out but the wind has a nasty bite to it...only two days of rain this week...and I have sen a few daffodils coming through too!!!

I went to the Allotment!!!!!

2010-03-14T13:59:00.003Z

Well yesterday I finally got to the allotment to get some work done. I was up early and the blue skies and rising sun gave me all the incentive I needed to make a date with the allotment although I have to admit I did leave it until after lunch when the temperature had risen a little!!

I didn't do any planting as such on the allotment but spent the time sorting and tidying and the kids came along to give me a hand.

The first task was the shed, it's only a little thing but boy had I crammed some crap in there plus the spiders had major parties over the winter so it was emptied out, rubbish sorted, swept through and then the good stuff put back neatly.

Clearing the shed.

My sister bought me a redcurrant bush and I also planted that yesterday and my Nephew planted some sunflower seeds on the top border of the plot to make it prettier for summer and also to supply some seed for the birds come fall.

Planting sunflower seeds.

The other two major projects were to sort out the brussels and the runner bean canes. The canes had to be stripped of the left over debris from last year and the kids went through the pods looking for any good seeds to save...we found quite a few so pocketed those and brought them home with us.

Sorting out the bean seeds.

Then for the brussels. I'm a huge brussel fan and had put a lot of plants in but didn't get a very good crop. The seedlings were in on time, netted so didn't get stripped but the caterpillars but they didn't produce a very good crop. A lot of them 'blew' before they were bigger than peas and a lot just didn't get any bigger than peas. I really don't know what I'm doing wrong. Because I had planted so many i got quite a few brussels but no where near as many as I had hoped...anyone give me any tips??? I did ask another allotment holder and they said that brussels just don't grow well on the allotment.....I think I will give it one more try this year so I'm all ears for tips!!

The Brussel plants.

In all we spent about three hours up there and it was a very enjoyable afternoon and then as I was leaving the Chair of the committee came and had a word with me...A meting is to be held on Thursday and that's when I find out if I get a bit more land. Fingers crossed for me peeps!!!!

Seriously what is wrong with my planting skills????

Hi ho, hi ho, it's back to work I go!!!

2010-03-12T22:35:00.004Z

Well I don't think I have ever mentioned it before but I have a little gardening job that I do...it's only a seasonal thing (obviously) and I don't have to cut lawns or anything but I do get to play around in the dirt lots and sort out plants and bulbs and stuff.

Today was my first day back after the long cold winter and as always for the first day out their it was a back breaker...and of course it was a cold wet day which the weather likes to do to me every year!!

Anyway I thought I would tell you about this as after all it is gardening and it is a very nice garden...and very large...I have took a couple of photos so you can see a little bit. One of the photos if of an 'Abolution' which has been over-wintered in the greenhouse and obviously knows something I don't as it already has some lovely buds coming. Maureen was worried that what had been stored in the greenhouse for the winter may have died with the harsh weather we have had this year but they are all doing well and forming new buds.

New buds on the Abolution

This next pick is an overall view of part of the back yard....it is a very big garden having more land out front than back and has some wonderful plants in it so as the year progresses i will share these with you and show you want I find just to give a little bit of colour to my blog and also at times maybe see if you can help me out with some of the plants that I find.

A part of the back garden.

Hoping tomorrow will be warmer and brighter so that I can get up the plot!!

I really want to get some work on done on the allotment now I've started gardening again!!!

Weather Watch Wednesday...week 9 2010

2010-03-10T21:10:00.002Z

Well this should be a weather watch Wednesday but to be honest with a busy week of meetings and a funeral today my heart really isn't in the post so this will just be a quickie.

The weather has remained dry for the most part but still not warmed up very much, not getting above 6 degrees and often with a very cool northerly wind.

My friend came up from down south last weekend and I did spend the day at her house that she owns up here in the garden taming Budlias (I just realised I have no idea how to spell it so if you are confused I am talking about the butterfly bush!!) and Maple trees so we had a bit of fun outdoors there but I still haven't been down the plot yet.

Starting back with my gardening job this week and hopefully going down the plot to get started this weekend so will blog more then.

Take care all...spring really is coming!!!!!

Weather Watch Wednesday...week 8 2010

2010-03-04T07:21:00.004Z

Well Hi all....I know I'm a day late with this post but I figured you would all forgive me when I don't moan and groan about the weather all the way through it!!!

Well Thursday through Sunday which pretty much the same as we've gotten used to so I won't mention them but then on Monday....BAM!!.... it was the start of a new month and I'm pretty sure that spring decided to come along with it!! I awoke to watery blue skies with the sun shining and we even manged to get up to 6degrees Celsius at one point. Now if you live in the tropics then you won't be amazed...but I am amazed and it's lifted my spirits no end. I still haven't been down to the allotment as I really don't have anything to do yet.

Even the crocuses are starting to bloom.

I was getting quite worried reading other peoples blogs and thinking I must be really far behind this year but when I checked my garden diary from last year I found that I didn't start until mid march and I had a lot of work to do before planting, so technically I am ahead of myself this year...yay me!!

I did however spend the whole day in the garden yesterday, just your general tidying and weeding and stuff but it is always such a long job after winter so I only got the front done...hopefully get started on the back this afternoon!! Needless to say I was quite tired last night but at the same time totally energized...I just love to get outside!!!! The garden still doesn't look beautiful but it's neat and the edges are trimmed.

Nice neat garden!

I really think Spring is here folks..HOORAY!!!!!!

On a slightly different note I would like to thank allot of veg for their help on parsnips...if you're interested you can see the advice in the comments section of my previous post...or you could check out their blog.

Here's hoping you're all having better weather too!! :-)

Weather Watch Wednesday...week 7 2010

2010-02-25T13:13:00.003Z

Well as seems to be the norm of late and for this time of year nothing has been going on down the allotment or in the garden.

The weather has warmed up slightly over the last couple of days and we managed to reach 5degrees at one point. Snow hasn't fallen from the sky since late Tuesday evening and because of the warmer temperatures although it settled it melted quickly and was gone by morning. However the rain comes more often and not and most mornings are met with frozen fog.

Dreary skies.

The gardens look damp and dirty and there still is no life in the hedgerows, however my Lily-of-the-valley is making a brave attempt and has started to show it's face but not any flowers as yet.

Lily-of-the-valley showing that spring is nearly here.

On the plus side I have finished knitting up the front of my jumper with a little (well actually quite a lot!!) of help from my Mum who kind of re-wrote a pattern that even to her educated eye made no sense...Just the sleeves to go now!

Haven't done any more crocheting as I am still waiting for the next installment of my magazine to arrive. I hired myself a book from the library on Tatting today though so I will have a look at that and see how I get on whilst I'm waiting for the weather to warm up.

I think spring is on it's way though, but I will believe it has really arrived once my crocuses have bloomed, it's nice to still have daylight at 5:30pm......now roll on summer!!!!

I got so excited...but it was short lived!!!!

2010-02-18T18:33:00.006Z

Today I was very excited for two reasons. The first was that I have received yet another blog award.

This was an award sent to me by kella at Kellas musings on growing her own. It's sent to all those blogs that sparkle to her. I'm not entirely sure how my blog is sparkling as I seem to be doing an awful ot of moaning at the minute but I am very grateful and would like to forward this award too;

The everyday adventurer
Tpals Place
Soilman
Ann's snap edit
Norfolk Kitchen

These are just a few of my favourite blogs and I would love for my readers to check them out...oh and please don't think if you aren't in the list I don't love your blog too...I am just trying to even out the awards that I send...I love each and everyone of the blogs that I follow.

The other reason I was so excited today was that whilst in 'Home Bargains' I picked up some asparagus for just £0.99. A great bargain and two different varieties...I also got some onion sets for the same price.

The bargains!!

I am really looking forward to growing asparagus even though it will be a couple of years before I benefit from it.
So why was my excitement so short lived???
By the time I got home from town we had snowdrops the size of 50pence pieces falling thick and fast.....AAAARRGGGHHHHH...When is it going to stop!!!!!!!!!!

11-17 February...Update 2..week 6.... 2010

2010-02-17T17:58:00.004Z

Okay...so this is my second weekly update so far..the title on this one is kind of long but don't worry it will be a lot shorter next week as it will just be the week number and dates...(at least I think that's the way I'm going with them!!) It states week 6 as it is the 6th week of 2010 and I figured this would be easier to follow in months to come...(or maybe not and I am just waffling to make a post that is more than a few lines long!!!)

So what have I done since my last post??? Well not much to do with the allotment to be honest!!

We are halfway through half term here in England and yesterday was a gloriously (though cold) sunny day and the perfect time for a visit to the allotment, however I had decide to do the 'Mum' thing and had 5 teenagers for a sleepover Monday night and then invited my nephews for dinner on the Tuesday...you neither take several teenagers to the allotment at once....or....leave them in a house alone. So I didn't get to the allotment and today just hasn't been so nice...very damp and cold with heavy rain on and off. I know we have had warmer February's than this as I remember doing my first lawn cut in this first half term of the year...but not this year..._;(

Anyway I did go to the allotment once in the past week...and I do have to admit that I was dragged there by Kate who had got hold of some horseradish and wanted to plat it. Now we all know how wild horseradish grows so we decided to plant it on the back divider that goes into the field so it will not impeded onto any of our crops...at least that's where I told Kate to plant it and she has decided that it would be a fine place. Kate was very adamant we had to plant it the day she visited me as she has decided to plant her stuff this year according to the moon calendar and it was horseradish day according to the moon so it was planted. I have to admit to doing nothing other than keeping company and snapping a shot of Kate planting...but she did dig me up a couple of leeks so I got a little something out of it too!!

Kate planting the horseradish!!

I don't know anything really about the moon calendar but I think I will have a little look into it to see what it's all about.

Apart from that I have manged to learn two new crochet stitches and had a girls night at the weekend with the kids which included baking, face-masks, Karaoke and movies...it was fun!!!...Did you want to see those photo's too??? No, of course you don't!!

Weekly Updates start here!!

2010-02-10T20:04:00.002Z

Well I have been looking out of the window the past couple of days wishing for the weather to improve and more often than not I see ice and snow flurries which is so not what I want to be happening. I was watching the white stuff fall thick and fast earlier today convincing myself that this time last year I was bust up the plot and that the days were sunnier, longer and a damn sight warmer...then I think to myself...'Were they really??? Am I just imagining it??'

With this in mind I have decided to do a weekly update...This is more for more own benefit so I can look back and see what is happening from year to year...plus it gives me a chance to rant a little about the appalling English weather...and to keep a kind of log as to what I have done and when to see if I am up to speed with things from year to year!!

So at present NOTHING is happening in the allotment...the gardens are still pretty much dormant although I do see the odd bulb poking through here and there.

I am in desperate need of fresh air and vigorous digging but I don't think it's going to be happening anytime soon.

On the plus side, whilst the weather has been so miserable I have completed three 'Wii' games, (Sudoku Ball, Escape the Museum and Cate West The Vanishing Files).

Got on quite well with the jumper I have started knitting.
Taught myself to Crochet...well a little bit and read some great books.

Next week I may have more to report...then again the weather may still be bleak...but if that's the case i will just rant a little more!!!!!

Got the spuds!!!!

2010-02-07T18:35:00.002Z

Well as usual I have been keeping up with my usual blogs and was slowly realising that everyone was putting in their orders or buying in their potatoes already so this gave me a little incentive and off I went to make some purchases!!

Last year I grew two different types of potatoes and this year I am going to do the same although I have gone for different types. Although all the potatoes I grew last year got used I wasn't overly happy with the texture or taste which is why I have gone for different varieties this year.
Last year I grew Aaron Pilot and Maris Piper....I had never tried Aaron Pilot so that was a trial (one which I won't be repeating!!) but I have often bought Maris Piper from the super market and although they gave me a good yield I wasn't keen on the texture!!

This year I have gone for Rocket which is a first early and I grew two years ago and was very happy with and Maris Peer which is another trial as I have never had these before. Lots of people can give you advice on which potatoes to plant but as everyone's individual taste is different, I don't think they can advise you on what to grow...only what produces a good yield.

I purchased my potatoes form Wilkinsons..at the end of the days potatoes are potatoes wherever they are bought and because we only have a small store in my town it stops me playing 'eeny, meeny miny, mo' for hours trying to decide which type to pick.

I did want to grow some King Edward potatoes too as they are my all time favourite potatoes but I didn't see any in the store but I haven't totally ruled out the idea yet...I think they are a main crop so I would be putting them in a little later anyway!!

So I have my potatoes...now all thats left is to chit them. 'What is chitting?' I hear some of my readers ask...and don't worry because just last year when i started looking at other peoples blogs I asked myself the very same question. I was new to this growing thing and had no idea you had to do more than buy and then plant the potatoes!! Anyway it turns out that chitting a potato is just leaving it in a cool airy place to start to sprout before you plant it in the ground.

Of course some say you should only leave three shoots on before you plant, some say you should leave all the shoots on, some say don't bother chitting at all. Basically there is no right or wrong to this.

Some things I have found out whilst reading up on chitting potatoes is that it isn't essential and if you get your potatoes late you can put them straight in the ground. If you chit your potatoes you will end up with your crop ready for harvest slightly earlier. If you leave all the shoots on you will have a larger yield of potatoes but they will be smaller than if you only leave three shoots. Commercial growers never chit their potatoes!!

So there you have it...chitting will be up to the individual. I think I will probably chit my potatoes this year as luckily they have always been chitted in the past as I store them under my carport left in their net bags and they happily sprout themselves.

I have heard of people setting up elaborate wire storage racks in their sheds especially for chitting their potatoes or standing them in egg boxes or leaving them individually in seed trays....but after all the research I have done I don't feel the need to do this at all....maybe it's a bit of laziness but it has worked well for the last couple of years so why tempt fate now!!!

For all of you who do spend time on your specific ways of chitting I applaud you for taking that extra time out...but it's not for me!!

Oh and there was going to be a picture but I figured who would really want to see my potatoes in their net bags (plus I have run out of camera batteries!!!...lol).

Happiness Award!!!!

2010-01-30T20:56:00.004Z

Thank you very much In My Kitchen for this lovely award. Visit her blog at the link I put above to read about all the things she gets up to in her kitchen.

I had this award passed on to me because my blog makes her happy.

There are a few rules with the award which are as follows;
I have to link her blog to me and I have done that above.
Next I am to list 10 things that make me happy.

Family.
Summer.
Friends.
Writing letters.
Being outdoors.
Creating things.
Learning new crafts.
Reading.
Helping others.
Walking.

Now all I have to do is pass the award on to some of my favourite bloggers...these would be;
Kella...http://kellasvegeplotandothermusings.blogspot.com
Ratty...http://everyday-adventurer.blogspot.com
Ann...http://annssnapeditscrap.blogspot.com
Jo...http://jo-thegoodlife.blogspot.com
The Dream...http://realisingthedream.blogspot.com
Norfolk Kitchen...http://norfolkkitchen.blogspot.com
Reads....http://readsallotmentretreat.blogspot.com
Vanilla seven...http://vanillaseven.com

These are just a few of my favourite blogs that always make me smile!!!

What is an 'Allotment'??

2010-01-20T06:52:00.004Z

Well for most of us English people out there it seems like a pretty straightforward question but allotments are primarily a British thing and I was asked in one of my comments section what and allotment actually is.

So 'What is an allotment??'

In the UK, allotments are small parcels of land rented to individuals usually for the purpose of growing food crops. There is no set standard size but the most common plot is 10 rods, an ancient measurement equivalent to 302 square yards or 253 square metres.

Well that answers that question but I thought whilst I was covering this I would delve a little further into the history of allotments and provide a little more information about how and why they first came about!!

Where an allotment is situated is particularly important and it also makes a huge difference as to whether it is 'temporary' or 'statutory' since, under section 8 of the Allotments Act 1925, a local authority must seek permission from the Secretary of State before selling or changing the use of a 'statutory' site. The local authority must satisfy the Secretary of State that adequate provision has been made for allotment holders who are displaced by the sale of the site.

So what the cost??

Rental costs vary. This astounded me as I didn't realise it could cost sooo much for an allotment....but then at the same time I was astounded at how little my plot of land did cost. Some pay as little as £8.00 pa and others £80.00. The cost of a plot on my allotment is just £13 a year. This is just for the land. If you have a greenhouse or poly-tunnel...or if you wish to use a hosepipe then extra costs are added for the extra water that you use.//

Who owns the allotments??

Allotments are under the control of local councils (in our case the Parish Council). Allotments are allocated by Act of Parliament, and Councils have a legal obligation to provide the land. If Councils wish to use the land for other purposes, then they are supposed to provide land of similar quality in a suitable location. In practice pressures on Council finances means that many sites are sold for building development. This has already happened in the village over the hill from us, however our allotments are situated at the very edge of the village boundary and so I pray that this cannot happen to ours!!

When was the first allotment??

The history of allotments can be said to go back over a thousand years to when the Saxons would clear a field from woodland which would be held in common. However from reading up on it I think the true nature of allotments came about around 200 hundred years ago- they derive from the enclosure legislation of the 18th and 19th centuries - and the word 'allotment' originates from land being allotted to an individual under an enclosure award (Enclosures were put into place as the rich folk didn't like the commoners grazing their animals on common land!!).

Then in 1845 a very important Enclosure Acts was passed, this was 'he General Inclosure Act' which required that provision should be made for the landless poor in the form of 'field gardens' limited to a quarter of an acre. At this time, allotments were largely confined to rural areas.

As living changed and people moved around for jobs allotments changed and in the early Nineteenth Century the 'modern notion' of an allotment came into being. A lot of people from the country went to work and live in towns; there was a lot of poverty, and what the Victorians called "degeneracy" amongst the working classes. Allotments provided an alternative to drink and other unworthy pursuits for the poor. The spread of urban allotments was intensified by the growth of high-density housing, often without gardens.

And now??

Following a peak of 1,400,000 in 1943 there was a sharp decline in allotment provision to around 500,00 in the 1970s. By 1996 there were around 297,000 allotments plots available and, although definite figures do not appear available, since then the rate of decline appears to have decreased whilst at the same time there has again been an upsurge of interest in growing food crops. Many reasons can be given for this and everyone has their own theories but a lot of it is due to healthier living, organic growing, knowing what your eating and also the worry of G.M. crops turning up in our supermarkets. Also with the introduction of big supermarkets a large proportion of the smaller greengrocers selling local produce have been forced to close so quality has diminished of fruit and veg.

So what do I have??

I currently have half a plot on my local allotments as I only started out two years ago and was unsure of how well I would get on and also how much time I would need. Last year I found that I could have used more land to grow more stuff...and a wider variety too. I am waiting to see if I can have another half a plot but the situations on our local allotments have changed over the last couple of years and we are rapidly going from neglected plots to a waiting list!!

Keep your finger crossed for me readers!!!

This post was greatly helped by http://www.allotment.org.uk/ an excellent site which has lots of wonderful information which I read through for this post and goes into the history of allotments in great detail so if you want to know more feel free to go and check it out....but please remember to come back to me!!!!

Allotment foraging!!

2010-01-10T13:50:00.004Z

Well Like pretty much everywhere else in England...we still have the snow. Nothing at all is happening in the garden or down the allotment due to this. My brussels are still growing as is my purple sprouting broccoli and although the latter is fine I have quite a poor show of brussels. They are there on the stalks but quite tiny and because of this I haven't harvested any yet and I know that plenty of other people have harvested lots so I am quite disappointed. I had the same with my brussels last year but I thought then it was due to the fact that they went in so late. This year I was right on time with the planting so if anyone has any suggestions I would be very grateful!!

Still waiting to see if I will get the extra land that I wanted...I don't know when I will find out about this but if I do get it I am seriously considering getting a greenhouse...this means I will have plenty of room for my pepper plants and I would really like to have a go at growing melons too....probably honeydew but not sure yet...and of course I have to see if I get the extra half plot...keep your fingers crossed for me!!!!

O.K. The post is called allotment foraging because I did manage to get down the plot this week although I didn't go to do anything on the plot...just for a scrounge! With all the snow that we've been having I have been breaking my back with shoveling out of the way so earlier in the week my Dad and I went down for a root around and found a couple of decent sized bits of hardboard so armed with these and some broom handles we made some snow shovels...(at least my Dad did and I am very grateful to him for mine...Thanks Dad!)

My snow shovel!!

They aren't anything spectacular but they do the job nicely and cut the shoveling time down by two thirds!!! Today is a little warmer in my neck of the woods and we have actually got to just above freezing point. Whilst this means some of the snow is slowly melting it hasn't stopped the snow falling from the sky and now instead of everywhere being white and dry, it's slushy, mucky and wet...I am so sick of it...enough already with the snow....bring me summer!!!!

I guess I can't complain so much as we haven't had it as bad as some places but I am seriously sick of my house looking like a chinese laundry and I don't even want to think about all the weeds that are being nicely insulated under all that snow! On the plus side, with all the shoveling of snow and ice that I've been doing, digging the allotment for planting isn't going to seem nearly as back breaking!!

Just to finish off...a photo of a thrush feeding in my garden!

Happy New Year !!! (read on for free gifts!)

2009-12-31T13:04:00.004Z

Well nothing much is happening on the gardening front so I have nothing to report there but at the same time time I wanted to wish all my readers a very Happy New Year and what better way to do this than giving you all a great gift???

Sounds great doesn't it....problem is I don't have a gift to physically give to you, however I do have the means to point you in the right direction of a fantastic freebie and in turn give you a great gift!!

I will go back to how it all started. You see when I first started writing my blog it gave me an incentive to look for other blogs similar to mine so that I could see how they were getting on with their gardening and if I could pick up any tips from these.

I found many interesting blogs which I now follow and one of these blogs was called http://kellasvegeplotandothermusings.blogspot.com
It's a fantastic site which I encourage all my readers to go and check out. So I hear you thinking 'Is this where we get the freebie??', but no...the story doesn't stop there!

You see Kella is a very talented lady and a little while ago started up her own blog-shop called http://kellascreativewishes.blogspot.com which is a wonderful blog selling lots of Kella's handmade jewelery and this is where the giveaway is.

Now I know that this post is promoting both of Kella's sites but I don't mind in the least as I have had much enjoyment over reading her blog posts and I would love for my readers to check out her blog too and see what she is all about and also go over and visit her blog-shop and take a look at the wonderful things she makes and maybe you will find something there that you want to purchase...maybe you will just enjoy the browse...but I hope you will enjoy it and I know you won't be disappointed that you visited.

So although you may be able to get a freebie from Kella's blog, that isn't my gift for new year...my gift to you is giving you the chance to have a look at two great blogs that you may not have come across before!!

Wishing you all a great New Years eve and I will be back with more post in 2010 (which incidentally is tomorrow...wow, how time flies!!)

Gardening work at christmas.

2009-12-27T10:05:00.003Z

Well the last thing I thought I would be doing on Christmas day was anything to do with the garden at all...but upon getting up Christmas morning I discovered that I couldn't actually see my garden for all the white stuff!!! Yup, that's right, Christmas day was a white one in my little village....boy was it white...and the first white Christmas I have EVER got up to. It was a perfect still morning with the trees and hedgerows laden with snow, not a breath of wind, and the odd twinkling star!! I live not far from a town which didn't receive as much snowfall as us so I guess we were just the lucky, (or unlucky depending on how you look at it) ones.

It was a very pretty morning that really looked like all those pictures you see on the Christmas cards in the store. Due to the snow I spent over 2 hours in the garden shoveling it off the paths so that we could get around in relative safety...it was quite nice to be out there in the piece without traffic going by, I probably should have snapped a load of pictures but only got the one...Sorry.

Woke up Boxing day morning (that's 26th in England) to a much warmer climate and the snow all but disappeared but it is nice to know that throughout my lifetime I have seen a white Christmas!!

Happy holidays to you all. xxx

It's 'Snow' go on the allotment!!

2009-12-21T23:09:00.005Z

Well I did manage to get to the allotment over the weekend but only stayed long enough to snap a few pics. Nothing much is happening with the freezing conditions and the snow that is falling on a daily basis...on the bright side...today was the shortest day so things can only get brighter from
here on out!!!

As you can see I'm a bit rubbish at arranging photos but in these pics you can see Kate's broad beans and my garlic doing very well. I also took an overall shot of the plot and one of the fox tracks and another of my poor dead runner beans which I never did manage to get down before the winter......I will get around to it as soon as the snow is gone!!

Tree Badge....Help the world stay green!!!!

2009-12-13T08:03:00.006Z

Over at 'A Smallholders diary' I read a very interesting post about getting trees re-planted.

Being very into gardening and the allotment I am hugely into keeping the world green and the environment healthy and so I was delighted to read about this scheme that has started up. Now I know it is largely about promoting their blog too but I don't think this can be a bad thing when we can all work together on a large scale to get more trees planted on the earth improving it's ecosystem and restoring some of the natural beauty back to the world. We spend far too much time these days cutting back the greenery to put up new dwellings than we do working around what we already have to maintain what the earth has naturally produced!!

The sight that the badge comes from is a website called ruba.com. Here is how it works - by placing one of their badges on your blog, they will plant one tree. If someone then clicks on your badge and puts a badge on their blog they will plant another tree. Your badge automatically updates itself so you can see how many trees you are responsible for being planted. The trees will be planted on the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. All you have to do is make sure that you leave your badge on your blog until April 22nd 2010.

Doesn't seem to big a price to pay to be a part of this large scheme does it??? So I am hoping that you will either decide to click on my badge or add one of your own so that we can all start planting trees together!!!

You will find my Badge on the right hand side of my blog just below my entre-card widget..Happy clicking!!

The 100th post!!

2009-12-12T00:14:00.003Z

Well here it is folks....the 100th post for 'allotments4you'!!

I actually wanted to make this a really big post about 'something', and it was going to be but I kind of find myself at a loose end at the moment (and I haven't been able to say that in a few weeks) and I just felt like writing so I fear that this is going to be a load of twoffle (don't think that is even a real word) about nothing and waste my moment of glory...oh well there will always be my 200th post I suppose!

So why do I find myself at a loose end??? Well it's just past midnight on a friday evening and when all is quiet in the house and everyone is sleeping peacefully I feel I can't sleep for fear of the little boy snoring softly on the floor in the lounge by the firelight (don't worry he is on a matress) who spent the last couple of hours throwing up. It wasn't pleasant but I'm hoping that he has now emptied his system and will sleep through the night...the last time he was sick he was so tired he could barely sit up bless him and until I know he has settled for good then I will not be able to settle for a little shut eye myself on the sofa.

Outside there is a fog rolling down the street and the clock softly ticks on the mantel.....times like this I find I always end up reflecting on my life....I love the peace and tranquility of a dark winters night...living out in the country it is so quiet...sometimes you can hear the distant clacking of a train on the tracks but that is about all and I certainly don't envy anyone living in a town or a city.

I live in a humble little house on the edge of a village surrounded by fields and just a two minute walk from my allotment...it is the perfect setting...and when I visit my allotment it is in such a location that you are surounded by fields and wildlife....what could be more perfect??

Maybe now is as good a time as any to tell you a little more about me?? But then again does anyone really want to know??? After all it's an allotment blog and apart from the location I haven't mentioned my allotment at all...(course that could be partly because I have been so neglectful over the last six weeks I haven't even set foot on it...whoops!!)

So where does this post go from here??? I haven't got a clue...I can tell you that my left arm is numb and my fingers are tingling due to the 'swine flu' jab I had earlier...and that is going to remain my excuse for any bad spelling mistakes...well that and the fact that I am using my Hubby's laptop...(It's ok...he's tucked up in bed too so he'll never know!!) and I always find it more difficult to type on one of these things!! Does anyone else out there find laptops more cramped up than a P.C.?...I suppose they have to be more compact but I find myself always catching extra keys with my nails....yes guys I have nails...but only because it's winter so they don't get so worn down like in the summer when I'm in the garden or on the allotment all the time ( Oh wow...an allotment reference...I think that's two now...impressed yet??).

Well I have just read back through what I've written so far and it really is a load of old tosh with nothing of value or importance at all...I sit here wondering what you would like to know in my time of reflection...and I haven't got a clue whether any of you are interested or not......ooohh...the snoring has stopped but he still sleeps peacefully...hope it stays that way for him....

I think when I first fired up the laptop I did have something to write...but now for the life of me I can't remember what...maybe I'm going little senile?? Or maybe it was of just so little importance I can'r even get it to float back into my head...or maybe it's just because it's so late and quiet that things want to keep floating in and out of my brain...(I think I have one!!)

Do you want to know the really bad thing? I actually have posts to write up that are to do with the allotment (YAY...A third reference.....ooohhh it's fun to type the word reference...try it!!) but I just haven't got around to it lately...everything becomes so busy in december with sorting out presents and cards and getting everything posted in time so you don't forget anyone that I have barely sat down at the computer and then when I did get chance had to spend ages reading up on the blogs that I follow the other night and posting comments....if you are one of those blog owners I am sorry I was so neglectful and please know that I will keep coming by and enjoying your blogs even if I don't get chance to post a comment....erm, think I went a bit off topic there...but I won't delete, because lets face it, where would be the fun in that!!

Oh yes...posts...hang on a mo...he's stirring.....nope it was OK...no more sick....sat up, opened his eyes...then laid down and we are back to snoring softly again...why did I even write that??? It's not like you would have known I'd left the computer...doh!

The posts...yes...I have several topics to cover..all of which are allotment (that's four!) related and I am seriously going to get back into the swing of things again and get these posts up on my blogs before christmas...and before they no longer have any relevance..which I suppose is kind of stupid because they will always be relevant...at least more relevant than the garbage I am writing right now...but let's face it that wouldn't be hard would it!!

So where do I go from here?? Should I tell you about the posts that are to come?? No because that would mean I couldn't change my mind...and I like to keep my options open.....plus I have to see about geting visuals..(that only menas photo's but it sounded good!!) too.

Well I have just glanced a the clock and we are now getting close to 1am so I think I should maybe call it a night...maybe I'll put a movie on..I bought 'My Sisters Keeper' earlier in the week which I haven't watched yet so I think that is the way to go for the rest the night.

Oh...we are going to be sick again.......

Hope you all are sleeping well and I will be back in the next day or so with a post about alloments!!

The Peppers are finished!!!!

2009-11-27T14:18:00.003Z

So here I am as promised with a post for you about gardening...or the lack of it depending on how you look at it!!!

Well my peppers have been an ongoing saga over the season and today with the sun bright in the sky and the wind a little easier than it has been of late I decided it that it was time to take the pepper plants up.

The Pepper plant looking a little sorry for itself.

I hadn't actually had any peppers off the plants even though I knew there were some there as they really didn't get big enough to pick but with the weather now getting colder (though it is late November so I guess I really can't grumble!!) I decided it was better to have a few small peppers than none at all!!!

It doesn't look like too bad a harvest.....

Needless to say all the peppers were green and I didn't have a prayer of them ever turning any other colour but I did get a few small ones and they are edible so it wasn't the worst harvest in the world.

However this was the biggest of the lot!!!

I have now decided that next year I will plant in tubs and keep them in the little greenhouse from the offset hoping that this way I will have a better pepper crop next year and we might even get to eat some with our summer salads!!! As it is this year they will be tossed into stir-fry's...or at least one stir-fry ....maybe two if they can stretch that far!!!

Wish me better luck for next year!!!!

Quick apologies!!!!

2009-11-21T23:23:00.004Z

Hi to all my faithful readers...(god I hope you're still with me!!)

I just wanted to apologise for my long silence on my blog but I have been so busy I just haven't had a chance to post...and with the weather the way it's been in the U.K. the last week or so I certainly haven't made it to the allotment.

Well anyway I am grovelling for forgiveness and I assure you that this coming week I will have a little spare time so i will hopefully get up the allotment and see what damage has occurred with all the strong winds and also get something interesting up for you to read........well OK I can't promise the interesting part but there will be something to read.

Thanks all for be faithful and sticking around and please know that I have been enjoying your blogs in the absence of doing sod all on mine!!!

P.S. The reason the text is so big is so it kind of looks like a decent post...promise the next one will be...well something!!!

Autumn allotment planting.

2009-11-08T17:25:00.004Z

Well I finally managed to get down the allotment this weekend so I can actually write a post ABOUT the allotment...after all, it is an allotment blog..lol

Well I only went down really to out some broad beans in. The weather has been nice in my neck of the woods this weekend so it was perfect weather for planting. I decided to plant the broad beans in my raised bed as the earth is very fertile here and it needed no preparation...laziness really but at least they are in!

Out with the lettuce and in with the beans!!

I had to take up the lettuces first but probably just as well as we are predicted some ground frosts this week.

A few weeks ago I went up and planted some garlic in the raised bed and I was very happy on my visit to see one shoot coming through which is an improvement on the last time I planted garlic as none of it grew...but I will tell you about that another time!!

My first EVER garlic shoot..yay!!

I recieved an award!!

2009-11-07T14:56:00.005Z

Today I got an award from Ann at Ann's Snap Edit & Scrap.

Now I hope I have done this right as I haven't done anything like this before and I hope I haven't messed it up.

I thank you Ann for nominating me and I hope you continue to enjoy my blog!!

Not much of one to know what to do with things like this so I am hoping that I have done it right and I hope that everyone I send the award to will be happy with it!!

Here are my nominations for the award,

allot of veg
Allotment Blog
Blunders with shoots, bloss...
Kella's Musings on Growing ...
Mal's Allotment
Norfolk Kitchen
Our Plot at Green Lane Allo...
Realising the Dream
VanillaSeven
The Good Life

I know there aren't 15 but I hope this is ok!!

Here are the rules for this award:
1. Anyone awarded with this one must pass this “BEST BLOG” Award to 15 bloggers who he/she thinks have the best and greatest blogs.

For the new awardee…
2. To receive and accept this award.

Copy and save the award

Make a post in your blog about the award, like this one, but write in your own words, or at least a reasonable facsimile.

In your post, mention the name of the blogger who awarded you, and include a link to their blog.

Please do leave a comment in this post so I know you accepted the award. This lets me know so I can leave a nice comment in your award post too.

Remember, Remember...what it's all about!!!!

2009-11-06T22:01:00.006Z

Well it has officially passed....Bonfire night has come and gone again although we will no doubt be hearing the bangs and screams for another couple of nights yet.

It was just a small family gathering.

We bought a few fireworks of our own this year and let them off in the garden as the organized displays are quite far away and to be honest have got a little ridiculous.

With some smiles!!

It seems to me that people have really forgotten why November the 5th is celebrated...it all seems to be about making money now with stalls and rides at some of the big displays which are organized...and I can't remember the last time I saw a guy on a bonfire. Does anyone remember doing 'penny for the guy'???

Not the prettiest of the fireworks but I was a bit rubbish at taking photos!!!

When I was a kids Guy Fawkes night was celebrated in the neighbourhood with all the neighbours clubbing in together and the kids used to make a Guy and go around and collect pennies for it which then was put towards fireworks and food. It was a big community thing and it's a shame that it no longer happens. I guess with all the people moving around these days and commuting so far for work you don't get to know people so much. It really is a shame that things like this have changed...I feel sad thinking that my grandchildren won't have that safe sense of community I had as a child.
And does anyone remember mischievous night??? I certainly do, though I probably won't remind the kids of that one!!!

And how many men does it take to light a firework???lol

So what did you all do for bonfire night??
Do you/your kids know why it's celebrated??
What is your most memorable Guy Fawkes night??