Allotments 4 you

Friday Forecast....week 4.....27/01/12

2012-01-27T18:46:00.002Z

Well this will be the last January 2012 weather posting...can you believe that it will be February next week?? The thing about the weeks going by so quick is that the days are getting lighter and Spring is getting closer!!

So the the weather!

Well the winds have been pretty mild this last week, nothing over 35m.p.h.

The temperatures have varied...never freezing much but staying in the single digits night and day.

We have had a few 'sleety' showers and plenty of rain but no snow as of yet.

A couple of days over the past week have had some bright sunny spells which lull you into a false sense of security just before the heavy clouds again roll over the horizon and dump on us.

The combination of sun and rain has caused for a couple of spectacular rainbows, though, unfortunately I have no pictures to show you.

I could go and take a picture for this post right now....but the sun set a couple of hours ago and it's raining and cold so it wouldn't be a fun picture to take or show.

Here's hoping the weather soon get's warmer.....can't complain though...it has been a very mild winter so far...and at least there is new life showing coming through the ground with the snowdrops again.

Have a good weekend!!

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Nothing about the allotment!!!!

2012-01-26T19:49:00.006Z

OK..so this is going to be a short and sweet post that has nothing to do with the allotment.

It's not that I don't have posts about the allotment that need writing because I have plenty but I want to introduce you to...well 'something' I suppose.

I would like all my readers to meet the newest member of our family!!

Mistletoe, a.k.a. Misty.

That's right....I have a new pet. I don't know exactly what sex it is but I refer to her as a 'she'. Misty is a Crested Gecko...only a baby at present but with a big personality and spoilt rotten. I love her to bits. Misty was a Christmas gift from my parents and Sister and Brother-in-law for Christmas and ever since I got her I have been meaning to introduce her to you all.

Mu Hubby isn't keen on her and won't have her near him but doesn't mind her hanging out in the lounge in her vivarium.

That's all for now...hope you all enjoyed meeting Misty and if you have any questions about her please don't hesitate to ask!!

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Interviews for allotments4you

2012-01-24T07:35:00.002Z

I was recently (well when I say recently I probably mean to say a LONG time ago!) contacted by someone about being interviewed for a post on their site.

Ever cautious I asked a few questions first and checked out the site before agreeing to view the questions which I would have to answer.

The questions were mainly about cooking whilst camping which is a little off base to my main site but I was happy to answer the questions and give my personal (because it is definitely not a professional one!) opinion on what I think and would cook if I went camping....and also what I would consider a camping trip.

I'd love for you to all take a wander over to see what you think of my answers to the questions....but if you do go and check them out please remember that I answered them in accordance with a good old fashioned camping trip. So cooking meals over a fire and sleeping in a tent or under the stars....maybe hiking and carrying your backpack at the same time. None of this new age posh camper van stuff...that's not my idea of camping...my idea of camping is going back to basics and making your own fire and having fun connecting with nature.

I know that isn't everyone's 'cup of tea', but that's my take on camping so please remember that as you read through my interview.

Anyway you can check out the site and my interview here;
Camp cooking interview with Allotments 4 you
Hope you enjoy my ramblings.

What would be your idea of camping??

Do you prefer to go back to nature or take as many comforts from home as possible??

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Oh Strawberry patch....where should you go???

2012-01-22T14:33:00.003Z

Ok...so I have no intentions of going down to the allotment...it is VERY windy and those winds have a nasty bite to them so I am planning things ready for a turn in the weather and for this one i would like the help of my readers!

I have always had strawberries off Kate's patch as she has a huge amount of plants in the ground which are way too many for her and her partner to eat alone so I have always had some wonderful pickings off them. Anyway this year Kate has decided to reduce the size of her patch as she would like to get a shed and salad patch going. This will be a great idea for her but it also means that IF I want strawberries I will have to plant my own. Now it's STRAWBERRIES people...how can any sane person go a season without them so of course I want some...and Kate has even said I can have runners from her so I will be eating the same delicious strawberries.

So why do I need your help??

Basically I'm not sure the best place to plant them!! I have narrowed it down to two locations but can't decide which might be for the best....So if you all let me know what you think and maybe a reason why...it might help me to make a final decision.

Ok, so I have narrowed it down to this side of the allotment. As you know I have the shed and fruit bushes at the top end and below are the raspberry canes which are planted at the bottom end. What I don't know is which end to put in the strawberries. I think there are probably pro's and cons to each side so a little input on my readers thoughts might really help here.

So there you have it,,,this is my present quandary which I really would like some help with....I'm not really bothered why you pick a side...just pick one and let me know....maybe it could end up going to a vote. I just know that January will soon draw to a close and I have to make a decision so that I can get the ground prepared before Kate starts digging up those wonderful plants!!

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Friday Forecast...week 3....21/01/12

2012-01-21T17:34:00.002Z

Well again i ma a day late with the forecast....but in the large scheme of life I don't think a day is too bad.

The week started off cold and still with plenty of sunshine.

Saturday through Monday saw no let up on the freeze day or night and temperatures ranged from -5 - 0 degrees Celsius.

Tuesday the weather warmed up just a little and we saw sunshine again until Wednesday evening with temperatures between 1 and 6 degrees.

The Wednesday evening the rain started with a vengeance and didn't cease until today.

Everywhere is wet and the overcast skies have made us all feel a little 'bleh'

So that's it...today has been a mixture of sun and rain but with some nasty winds mixed in gusting up to 60 m.p.h. which has made the mild temperatures of 10 degrees seem much colder...the winds according to the forecast are here to stay for a while...I'm hoping that they are wrong!!

So that's our weather....hope yours is a little better....enjoy the rest of your weekend!!

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Mucking good fun!!!

2012-01-19T06:52:00.004Z

I struggled with a name for this post...and then when I first thought of this title I was worried that people might miss-read it but I thought just go for it...I hope it's catchy enough to get your attention!!

So what's it all about?? A manure or 'muck' fork. I decided when I was down the plot that I needed one to make lighter work of spreading the manure as a garden forks prongs are quite thick so it makes digging into the heap quite hard.

Anyway after a lot of searching I found one on amazon for a bargain price of just £12.03. I was a little dubious as some of them go for around £60 but it had received good reviews so this is what I decided to go for.

Well It arrived by courier yesterday...It was very well packaged.....so well it took me nearly half an hour to open it. I had a friend visiting who was in absolute hysterics watching me and immediately got the camera out!!

The photos are a little blurry...I don't think I was moving at warp speed...I think Annie perhaps couldn't keep her hand still she was laughing so much!

The handles was wrapped and taped in plastic which was a major feat in itself to open...but then this self sticking plastic was wrapped around the blades.

I unwound FOREVER...and then realized my mistake...I had wound off the prongs and onto me....another set of giggles from Annie!!

But fianlly all was well and I had a manure fork stood proud in my kitchen. In total it's 5ft tall which is taller than me but it's nice and sturdy and I can't wait to try it out at the weekend. Needless to say on the packaging feedback for Amazon I only gave them 1star for ease of opening!

Finally just a couple of shots of my fire burning brightly on Sunday afternoon....

It took much longer than I anticipated to burn down and even though we have fire's in incinerators bins only we still aren't allowed to leave them unattended....so i was there after sunset but kept toasty round the fire!

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Sun, warmth and allotments!

2012-01-15T10:39:00.005Z

Well I managed to get up the allotment again yesterday for a few hours and again had a lovely time.

The sun shone brightly all day and although the temperature didn't get above freezing I was nice and toasty as I burnt all the old rubbish from last year.

Glorious sunny day.

As well as burning all the old canes and bits of string i managed to finally get the dried out runner beans cut down and also the raspberry canes which added to the fire and kept the flames going a bit longer.

Raspberry canes now in order and ready for new growth.

I also got a little bit of weeding done and some more tidying and sorting out. In all it was a great few hours either spent hauling, standing by the fire, or having a little rest in the greenhouse in the warmth of the winter sun...heaven!!

My lovely chair in my lovely tidy greenhouse!!

Hopefully i will manage to get down the allotment again today....just a few more bits left to burn and then I will be rubbish free for the spring!!

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Spinach Beet Blues!!

2012-01-14T08:27:00.005Z

I Love Spinach!!

I guess it's an acquired taste although I do find more often that people don't pull faces at me these days when I mention it so maybe people are trying to branch out in the 'greens' department a little.

Anyway I decided I wanted to grow some spinach on the allotment as it's quite pricey to but and we do eat a lot of it so off to the shop I went and bought myself some seed.

I bought Spinach Beet...this in itself was probably a mistake and I realise it now but I guess this is how you learn what you do and don't want to eat and grow.

Firstly...spinach beet isn't actually spinach and wasn't so good once the plants got established for eating raw. Secondly it bolted very quickly and a lot of time was spent keeping it in check so that it wouldn't seed all over and also a lot would have been wasted as it got thick stems and tough leaves very quickly. This all added to work load on the plot.

Then of course there is the third and final...I cut it all off at the floor at the end of last year and yet still it grows...I guess the 'Beet' on the packet should have given me a clue but nope....tunnel vision on that day I didn't want to be in town ...get in, buy stuff, get out (if you haven't guessed it...i loathe shopping!!)

So I spent an hour yesterday digging enormous tubers at the ground and I now have a wheelbarrow full of stuff which isn't suitable for the compost heap...I love it when I have a blonde moment...NOT!!!

Wheelbarrow full of Spinach beet!

Needless to say I will be growing spinach again....just not this kind. Anyone out there ever grown spinach?? Got any good suggestions on variety? I think to be honest I have already purchased one...problem is I have obviously put my seeds in a VERY safe place...just can't quite remember where!!

Digging the Spinach up wasn't the only thing I did yesterday...I spent a good amount of time sorting out the greenhouse and the shed so I know what tools I have and also putting them in more appropriate and easy to hand places so I am all set for the new season. I also sorted out the shed guttering which had a little wind damage too.

The weather although cold was clear and bright and it felt so good to be out in the sun...the forecast is the same again for Saturday so I have plans to get some more work done and replenish my vitamin D at the same time!!

Wishing you all a good weekend.

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Computer is working again!!!!!....Forecast Friday....week 2......13/1/12....and the wind damage.

2012-01-13T07:09:00.002Z

Well the computer is all fixed and now running smoothly...don't get me wrong I'm no techie and certainly don't spend my time glued to the thing but I sure do miss it when it's not around!!

The weather this last week has been much more pleasant.

Temperatures on the warm side between 6 and 10 degrees in the day and 2 and 0 at night apart from last night when we did have a bit of a frost.

Not much rain really and much nicer winds at between 3 and 15 m.p.h. with gusts up to 30m.p.h. (and for the area in which I live that's like not having any winds!!)

Although the temperatures have been mild and we have been pretty much wind and rainless we haven't seen much sun. The days are slowly getting longer but so many of them have been heavily overcast i think I am really starting to have some serious sunlight deficiencies. I think this is probably taking it's toll on a lot of pepole as it does everyone this time of year.....I can handle the winter if only we get a few days where the sky is clear and i can feel the sunlight on my face.

The light disappeared over the horizon last night and twilight hit at 5 o'clock...won't be too long now before I am coming home from work in daylight!!

As for the wind damage...I was quite lucky and only lost six panes of greenhouse glass. I think one of them got broke by debris blowing about in the wind and then the others were broken from the wind getting inside and blowing some stuff about. Thankfully someone who dismantled a greenhouse had put the glass down near our allotment container so i didn't have to purchase any new glass as it was free to people who needed it. Overall our allotments fared pretty well in the winds thought one net tunnel looks pretty badly damaged structurally so I hope that repairs for that tenant are easy and not too expensive.

I'm sure there is more to tell but my mind has gone blank so I will leave it for another post!!

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Friday Forecast....week 1.....7/1/12....and yes it's a day late!!

2012-01-07T17:46:00.003Z

Well this is my first post of a new year and already I'm running late. I had already decided to change my weather updates to a Friday but then computer problems made things a little problematic.

Anyway I am writing this on the laptop which I'm not so familiar with and doesn't have the same facilites as the main computer so please bare with me until we get our main system fixed.

There may be a few spelling errors and I'm not sure I know how to get photos on but I will try on my next post.

So enough of the excuses...lets get on with the weather!

Well 2012 was certainly seen in with a bang this week as storms swept across the UK....I'm in the east midlands and we actually saw the lowest gusts...but living through them I can tell you they were in excess of 80m.p.h. ......even though they weren't given as being that. With that came the torrential rain and hail stones. These lasted for three days and nights but I am glad to say that for now they have abated and the rain has held off for a couple of days to leave us relatively calm days of gusts up to 30 m.p.h. Temperatures throughout the week have been changeable with the days between 10 and 4 degrees and the evenings between -1 and 9 degrees.

Fortunately the winter solstice came and went before the new year and we are seeing later sunsets...the light disappeared over the horizon tonight at nearly 5pm this evening.

Luckily we came through the winds unscathed although there were lots of trees down and many people suffered damage in our area. Great damage was suffered in Scotland and there were many casualties and a few deaths due to accidents and falling trees/debris. My heart goes out to all those who weren't as lucky as us.

I have no idea if I had any damage on the allotment as I haven't managed to get down there since the winds subsided...hopefully I will get the chance tomorrow.

That'a all for right now. Wishing you all a calm week of weather to come.

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Thursday's forecast...week 52.....29/12/11....and A belated Merry Christmas..and a early Happy New Year!!

2011-12-29T18:16:00.002Z

Well I meant to write a Merry Christmas post to all me readers but with getting everything sorted and stuff Christmas came and went without me getting around to it. It was spent with family and close friends and was lovely and relaxed just the way I like it...hope you all had a great Christmas.

The weather has been horrible of late. Christmas Day was the third warmest on record in the U.K., still cold in my opinion at between 8 and 15 degrees but some people thought it was warm enough to have garden parties or go swimming in the sea...then come Summer they will yet again be complaining how cold it is when it doesn't get beyond the mid 20's...I just can't figure some people out!!

The weather has took a turn for the worse the last few days with gales of up to 70m.p.h. and driving rain...but I haven't let it spoil my Christmas...though I haven't visited the allotment either!

Yesterday morning as the sun rose the biggest flock of seagulls flew over...I live in the east midlands and the sight of so many sea birds usually portents bad weather so i will see what the next couple of weeks bring.

Tomorrow the winds are supposed to drop so i may go up the allotment for a little fresh air and do a bit of tidying up....but I won't feel bad if I don't make it...after all I am on holiday!!

So now I just want to wish all my readers a Happy New year and Best wishes for 2012, I know I am a little early but we have some plans..nothing huge but I may not get chance again to post before the new year so here it is....Hope you all enjoy your celebrations!

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Weather Watch Wednesday.....21/12/11.......week 51.....and 'break in' news

2011-12-21T09:27:00.002Z

So lets start with the weather....We have had some particularly cold and frosty nights this week and the cold has seeped into the days too.

Temperatures have ranged between 1 and 8 degrees during the day and -4 to 5 degrees at night.
The warmer days haven't given us much though as they have been dreary and dark and rainy...I think I prefer the cold and bright.

No snow to speak of...maybe half a dozen flakes and then it has turned to sleet or rain....still chance of a white Christmas yet though.

The winds have been mild at between 5 and 30 m.p.h.

So now for the break in. Well it wasn't so bad after all. The culprit actually broke into 5 sheds but stole nothing. All these sheds had locks on which had been cut clean through (presumably with bolt cutters.) But nothing in any of the sheds had been disturbed...not even my tiller. It's curious as to why they would do this...one person said that they had done it in readiness to come back...but I think any thief with a brain would know that people would remove valuables if they had gotten broken into so I think that maybe they were disturbed. Needless to say...it still naffed me off but I am glad that my tiller is still mine and it is now safely in the shed at home.

So not a bad ending to the story and I don't know if they will be back but I do know that from now on no matter what the weather my tiller will be coming home with me!!

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Why do people do it??

2011-12-19T20:37:00.002Z

Well just a quick few lines and none of them happy.

My Nephew was round today whilst I was at work and took a phone-call for me. Someone from the allotments letting me know my shed has been broken into.

I didn't get the message until I was on the way to the doctors...(flu jab...so my arm is stiff to boot!!)....and by the time I got home it was dark so I have no idea what the damage is or what has been taken but my Tiller was still in the shed as I hadn't got around to bringing it home. I just don't understand why people do it.

I'm going to take the night off reading and tomorrow I will post to let you know exactly what has been taken...and any damage that was caused...hope everyone else is having a better Monday than me.

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A little something else about the allotment.

2011-12-17T19:31:00.004Z

Well I said in my lat post that I had a little something else to tell you that you would have to wait for the weekend for...well it's the weekend and here it is!!

That's right...I won a prize for my allotment. I know it's only 5th place but I was very proud of myself...especially knowing that the first 4 prizes went to well established allotment holders who've had their plots for many years. It came with £5 cash prize too!!

So I won this wonderful certificate and a bit of money hen I thought I hadn't done so well and certainly didn't get to spend as much time this last year. I never knew the prize existed...now I think I want to try and improve for next year. Anyway I was very pleased with myself and wanted to share my small achievement with you all!!

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Thursday's Forecast..........15/12/11........week 50.(and a little something extra!!)

2011-12-15T06:06:00.002Z

Well it's been a while since I wrote a weather post and I am sorry about that but to be honest you haven't missed much of late.

Over the past few weeks the weather has been pretty un-remarkable and mundane. Usual temperatures ..though maybe a few degrees higher than is the 'norm' for this time of year.

Wind, a bit of rain, sometimes bright, sometimes overcast.

Well that was a summary from the last time.

This last week however has turned cold. The winds have been ferocious and we've had some frosts...and rain on a daily basis though usually this has cleared up by the time dawn has broken over the horizon. I'm not sorry we haven't had the bitter temperatures of last year...but I could do without the winds!!

Snow is predicted next week..but we shall see!!

Now for the bit of something different.

I wanted to tell you about a new blog that has just started up.

This blog has just started up about an allotment and the owner is both VERY new to blogging and allotments. As is usual for being a newbie in the allotment world they were given a piece of land which needs lots of work but have gone at it with great enthusiasm and I thought it would be nice to tell you all about it and thought you might like to go over and check it out....maybe leave a comment or two for encouragement...and even some tips if you can.

Hope you enjoy http://townfarmallotment.com/ and I wish him all the best for his allotment and blog and will keep popping over myself to see how he's getting on.

Well that's it for today's post....I have a little something else to tell you...but that will have to wait until the weekend. Stay warm and dry!!!

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Time waits for no man!!

2011-12-10T18:21:00.003Z

Okay...so I am finally getting round to doing another post...it's not that I haven't been to the allotment or anything I am just still trying to get everything sorted out and some structure back into my schedule which gives me time to get on the computer regularly.

I guess I could make loads of excuses but I won't..I will however apologise to all my regular readers and now the weather is getting colder I'm sure I will get a little more time...and with Christmas coming up I will have some time off work too so I will definitely be getting lots more posts in....just a pity it's winter really...but don't worry even though we are so late in the year I still have plenty to do and tell you...it's not just the blog that has got a little neglected of late!!

Anyway I got a good proportion of the allotment winter dug today, though I have to confess that was mainly due to my son who encouraged me to go and get some work done and was a really big help...it's not very often you can say that about the teenagers of today but he was the one 'chivvying' me up so credit where credit is due...and thanks to the kick up the butt from him I got half of one of the plots finished...so 'Yay us!!'

Well there are a few pics for you to look at so I hope you enjoy them.

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So above is a little bit of an overview..this is where work still needs to be done and hopefully the weather will be kind for at least another week so i can get a bit more digging done.

Above you can see the freshly dug earth..oh and my son who was way to 'chipper' for a teenager outside at 10am on a Saturday when it was only 2 degrees!!

All in all it was a good morning...the ground was icy in places which made the digging hard work but it was worth it in the end and we both left smiling at the amount we accomplished in such a short time. I still have lots to tell so I am going to get a few more posts up this week but I will stop right here for now and go and see what all of you have been up to in my absence!!

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A long awaited update.........

2011-11-20T14:02:00.003Z

So it's been a while but I am finally giving you a little update...and it will be little as there really isn't much happening down the allotment now the colder weather has arrived!!

Firstly above and below we have mushrooms...now these didn't actually grow on the allotment but in the garden lawn and weren't picked for eating as I am quite apprehensive about mushrooms and as to weather or not they will do us any harm if eaten so the lawn was cleared of them but they are quite nice looking...could anyone identify them??

We went down the allotment to do a little bit of tidying...collect the last of the ripe tomatoes and to do a little rubbish burning...that's right we are once again allowed to burn, but only in an incinerator bin and only rubbish off the plot which I am perfectly happy with...it means I know longer have to ferry any rubbish that can't be composted back home to the bin...and it keeps you warm on these cooler days too!!

Above..the incinerator...£10 from Wilkinsons!!

I also finally got the blackberry bushes moved to their new location behind the shed where they can go wild and hopefully keep a few of the weeds down back there to. Membrane has gone down round them and some gravel placed on top so this area is once again starting to look likes it belongs to me...I will take some pics. when I next visit the allotment!

And finally above and below the kids having some fun with the rubbish before we had to burn it....you can't beat the fresh country air to put smiles on their faces!!

Well that's about all there is to tell for now. I have missed a couple of weather updates but there wasn't much to share anyway. Still not much rain to speak of which is making working on the allotment still quite pleasant though a few days have been very overcast and miserable looking!

The trees have just about shed all their leaves now which i am quite happy about as although I hate the barren look of winter...I hate having to sweep the leaves continually. Temperatures have been quite mild though I did wake this morning to thick, freezing fog so maybe all that is about to change?!?!?!

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Allotments spuds!!!!!

2011-11-06T08:57:00.004Z

So it took all week but I finally managed to get down to the allotment. As it was Guy Fawkes weekend I am sure you can imagine how dreary and miserable the weather was....foggy with misty rain in the air which meant I got very wet....but I had a plan to get the potatoes harvested this weekend and nothing was going to stop me.

First we had to clear all of the weeds ...I know the potatoes are in their somewhere!! Once that was done the digging could commence!

You have probably realized that I am not the one digging in the photo above...That's right...I enlisted a little bit of help! Due to the recent rain the ground on top was very muddy but you didn't have to go too deep before you met rock hard concrete which made digging very hard work!

Once the potatoes were out and the ground dug then the allotment looked ready fro the winter.

Above left, King Edwards. Above right, Desiree.

There were more potatoes harvested than what you see above but nowhere near the amount we got last year. Maybe the weather had something to do with it. I have never watered my potatoes and didn't this year but we have had an incredibly dry spring, summer and even autumn and so maybe this is a factor for the amount of produce. On the other hand maybe we missed loads??? Or maybe they just didn't want to grow so much this year. Whatever the reason I'm not too worried. It is quite a good crop if not my best ever and very few of them contained bugs and so not many had to be thrown away.

Currently the potatoes are in the wheelbarrow in the greenhouse so that they can dry off before being put into sack in storage until they are going to be used!!

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Allotment work recommences ......

2011-10-31T09:24:00.003Z

Well we are back from our few days away and I finally got to spend a few hours down the allotment.

The time was mainly spent sorting out the tomato plants....clearing some rubbish away...weeding (what a surprise!!) and sorting the compost heap. I did get a little harvesting done though.

Butternut squash.

I wasn't there long but the weather was still and quite warm so it was quite enjoyable. I didn't get the potatoes dug up but hopefully I can fit that in this week.

Life should calm down now a all house projects and visits from and to friends are finished for the year which means I can get back into routine...at least that's the plan!!

A bucket full of tomatoes.

Things seems to have run away from me this year and I am hoping that next season will be a lot more settled so that I can really stay on top of things.

Pumpkins!!

The worst thing now is that the clocks have moved so by 5pm we are losing light and that is the day done....it does mean I get cleaned up earlier though....guess you always have to look at the bright side of things too.

So hopefully in the next couple of days I will be giving more updates with some photos of the allotment too.

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Weather Watch Wednesday.....26/10/11.......week 42

2011-10-26T21:25:00.003+01:00

Well I don't have any allotment news for you but I thought it was about time I did a weather update which I have been seriously lacking with!!

The weather has been pretty typical for October....days are shortening rapidly and with the clocks moving this weekend nights will suddenly come VERY quickly.

Temperatures haven't been too bad when the sun has come out....but on overcast days there has been quite a chill to the air and we have already had a few light frosts.

Not much rain...but a few strong winds have been coming through lowering the temperature even more...I must say already I am longing for spring as I watch the trees lose their leaves and the gardens start to die back ready for the dormant months of winter.

A wasps nest.

On a happier note the bathroom is finished and I am very pleased with it....I have had some time off this week but it has been taken up putting the house back to rights and tomorrow we go to stay with friends for a couple of days so it will be the weekend before I can even think about getting to the allotment...and there I will be, come rain or shine so watch this space for some updates!!

It broke as we trimmed up the hedge.

Got some gardening done today and whilst tidying up a hedge came across a wasps nest...luckily it was an old one with no inhabitants...but it was kind of cool to see it up close so I hope you enjoy the photos.

It was kind of a cool to get a good look inside, we could even see some old 'egg sacks' that the wasps had hatched out of.

Will catch up with all my favourite blogs at the weekend too...sorry I have been so absent, (wow I seem to have said that a lot this year!) But that should be it now...all should calm down and get back to normal!!

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Not much Life at the allotment...but we saw Newtons tree!!

2011-10-16T08:29:00.004+01:00

So with everything that has been going on in life I haven't spent too much time down the allotment....a couple of hours yesterday doing a little tidying up but that's about it.

So I thought I would share one of last weekends outings with you again so I can put a few pictures up...and give a little history lesson too.

We all went to Woolsthorpe Manor...this is less than 20 mile from my home and the birthplace of Isaac Newton (now I'm sure everyone has heard of him!!)

You probably remember my visors from my previous post? So it was a 'touristy' thing...and also because even though I have lived here all my life I had never visited.

Woolsthorpe Manor...it was a drizzly day but we didn't let that 'dampen' our spirits!!

So what did we see there...well lots of stuff in the house...and inscriptions and drawings on the walls which they think may have been drawn by Newton himself...but the best thing was of course Newtons tree....that's right....the tree that helped discover gravity.

JB standing in front of the famous tree. It doesn't look very big as a few hundred years ago it was blown down by storms and so most of it cut up for firewood...however the tree was still rooted in the ground so one again started to grow and produce fruit...in the photo you can see where the original trunk is laid across the ground and the new shoots have grown out of this......to think we same so close to losing such an important part of history.

We also got to pick and eat delicious apples off the fruit trees...and look for the other fruit trees that are around too. It's a national trust house and isn't too expensive and lovely for a short outing.

Handing out the apples for a little snack. I have to say we were a little worried as to whether we could pick them but we were told it would be ok and really why shouldn't it, if visitors didn't pick and eat the fruit it would all be wasted and rotting on the ground. We saw pear, medlar and hazelnuts there too.

So that was our day to the Manor. My friends have since flown home and so for a day life got back to normal...then I had my bathroom ripped out....yes we are in a mess but I just keep telling myself it will all be worth it in the long run.

I know I haven't been as dedicated to my blog these last few months but with changing jobs, exams, colleges, visits, house improvements etc it has just been absolute mayhem. However get next week out the way and things will be plain sailing as jobs and colleges are now settled and part of routine and all major projects will be completed and holidays and visitors done with. That means I can get some serious work done down the allotment as I am so far behind this year I haven't even got my main crop potatoes out the ground yet....and there is so much more to do too...so with all that in mind there will be plenty of posts and updates coming your way too!!

As for the weather...we had a very mild frost the night before last so I really need to get my tomatoes harvested.....don't panic Tanya...it will all come together nicely....deep breaths..........

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A little visit to the allotment and a quick weather update!!

2011-10-08T19:04:00.005+01:00

Well I have friends visiting at the minute so not much activity going on down the allotment but I did take them round for a quick look and we harvested a few bits!!

We harvested some very large beetroot...it cooked up just lovely though!!

My self and JB eating some raspberries...he though it was great that we could pick and eat fruit straight off the bushes!!

Enjoying the view by the pond...not much wildlife around to see today though.

Having a wander around the plot....we went to feed the horses and see what else was around!!

You should be impressed...that's three photo's I have put up and I am in every one!! It was nice showing my friends what I had been growing and JB loved every minute of harvesting the fruit and veg.

The weather has cooled down immensely and it seems Autumn has hit with a vengeance. The days and nights are chilly, we've had some fierce winds and today we've had drizzly rain all day. I think that is definitely it until the spring of 2012 for the warm weather so I will have to start digging out my winter warmers!!!

Hope the weather is a little better for all of you than it has been for me....not much into this cold stuff!!

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Allotments 2012!!

2011-10-03T19:46:00.003+01:00

Yes I know we are still in 2011 and we have a few months yet but I have decided to be a little more organized this year after my seed catalouge came through my letterbox.

I went up the allotment at the weekend to take some manure up and did a few jobs but not much although I did pick another 10lb of tomatoes for sauce!!

Anyway the main reason I went up was to get all my seeds and I then went through to see which would be ok for next year.

Once that was done I wen thorough and wrote a list of all I want to grow next year and then put an order in for the seeds I don't have.

I didn't have to buy that many...and with getting them half price I am quite pleased with the amount I have.

This is the first year I have looked so early at the things I would like to grow and what I have and I'm hoping that this will save me time next year as I will be able to sow stuff when needed and not have to trail for hours finding what I want!!

I have also bought a few weird seeds to have a go at too.....full list to follow in a later post...and maybe some pics. too!!

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Name that bean!!

2011-09-30T14:18:00.003+01:00

So can you name the bean???

I will give a description of the plant and it's growing nature...I have even included a couple of pictures....however I won't be able to tell you if you're right because I have no idea what it is called so this isn't a guessing game but a plea for knowledge.

The beans in their plant-able state are about the size of a french bean and are sometimes dark purple/black and sometimes brown. The plants require a framework up which to climb and produce pretty little purple and white flowers.

The beans pods that grow are about the same size as those of french beans and are either purple, pink 'ish' or green in colour when harvested.

Above are some of the harvested beans ready for cooking.

The beans, although being a similar size and shape as french beans have a 'string' running down the seam like on runner beans. This needs trimming before being cooked as it is not very palatable.

The beans once blanched.

As is the case with some of these vegetable once blanched they all turn a vibrant green no matter what colour they started out as.

So that is about as much as I can tell you about them...I don't have a picture of the plant at the moment but I could take one if you think that might clinch an answer for you...Oh and the reason I don't know what they are is because i was given the seed from a friend who was given it by someone else who didn't know what it was called either.

Here's hoping someone will know!!

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Weather Watch Wednesday...28/09/11.......week 38

2011-09-28T19:30:00.004+01:00

Well the weather man really came through this time...the weather is GORGEOUS!!!!!!! It was 23 degrees today in the shade with a lovely warm breeze and clear blue skies....it gives this to keep up until at least the weekend so I am very happy!!!

Check out that September sky!

The nights have been quite damp which means we are getting up to a lovely fresh aroma.

Sunrise is getting late now and today it was gone half six when it came up and it was setting by 7pm so I will be enjoying this nice weather whilst it lasts.

Not much allotment activity for me this last week but with the lovely weather I did go and collect some salad stuff today for a lovely fresh dinner. Hope the weather is being as kind to you.

A wonderful fresh dinner...though I have to admit to buying the ham from the butchers...but everything else is off the allotment!!

Would you consider it a glut????

2011-09-26T20:30:00.004+01:00

Well I popped down the allotment at the weekend to do a little (okay...A LOT!) of harvesting. I only went with one intention...TOMATOES!!!

And boy did we get tomatoes.....

Above is half of what we picked!!

So would you consider this a glut?? I have only picked about a quarter of the fruit...yet I intended on growing so much as there is lots of stuff you can do with tomatoes and they are all scrumptious!!

This is 'tomato butter' bubbling away in the pan...the end product is more like jam though...I think I cooked it a little too long. But it is very nice!

This is some tomato soup that I made. A very basic recipe...I am going to be making some chunky tomato soup too!!

I have also made up some tomato and basil pasta sauce, and I have yet too make Ketchup in two varieties and some other soups and pasta sauces...and I think I may try drying some too. I still have much more fruit to harvest and yet I wonder with all my plans if I will have enough...only time will tell if I need to plant more next year.

So what do you like to do with your tomatoes??

That's it for now...but more posts to follow this week as there has been plenty more to harvest at the allotment!!

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Thursday forecast.....22/09/11...week 37...I think?!?!

2011-09-22T19:32:00.002+01:00

Well I am in from work and homework has been completed so the last thing I really want to do is sit here and right a post so it's going to be another quick one.

The weather is pretty much what you can expect this time of you...low blinding sun with a chill to the air.

We've had some heavy rain but only briefly.

We did suffer with some horrific winds last week but these have thankfully past us by without causing damage and so we are back to normal for a while.

I will be getting down the allotment for a time again over the weekend and getting some cooking done too so I will have lots to tell and also whilst my pans are bubbling away I am hoping to find some time to catch up with all my favourite blogs.

The days are quickly getting shorter and it won't be long now before we move the clocks!!

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The quickest allotment post EVER!!!

2011-09-20T14:01:00.004+01:00

I feel bad as I still have got my head into gear and myself sorted int0o a routine yet so my blog is suffering.

I promise I will get sorted by the end of the week though and catch up with you all and get myself organised...up till then here is a little progress!!

So this was as far as we got the first weekend...a huge improvement and then we moved on to the other half last Saturday.

As you can see it was just as bad ...

A little help goes a long way though...we even found a healthy looking carrot row!!

The pond area also got sorted...again no finished product pictures but we got on quite well but not quite getting it all done.

I went visiting neighbours to get rid of some of the weeds!!

Whilst we were doing this the inspector came round looking at peoples allotments...hopefully the fact that I was there doing something about it means I won't get a letter!! :-{

That's it for now...at least you didn't get the chance to get bored whilst reading..lol.

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Two weeks off the allotment...and a lifetime of weeds grew!! :-(

2011-09-11T08:58:00.003+01:00

Hi All....yes I am back. Well OK I have to admit that I have been back at home for a week now but with all the usual stuff to contend with when you get back form a holiday plus new jobs starting and college term beginning I just haven't managed to get down the allotment so had nothing to report!!

I have been up the allotment a couple of times over the last week...but only for watering and I
closed my eyes and mind off to all the weeds that had grown in my absence...but this weekend I was on a mission and so i got myself. (and a couple of helpers!!) down the allotment and worked!

Well above and below you can see what sort of mes I was in. This is just half of the plot but I can assure you the other doesn't look any better. Personally I think one photo would have done but my son was playing with the camera. See and all my readers though I had such a tidy plot!!

So you can see how much work I had on. Anyway we all worked really hard...my son and nephew helped out for a couple of hours with the weeding too which I was very grateful for. The onions got lifted, the rest of the new potatoes dug, all the weeding done...the squash plants tamed and the carrots found. I also sorted out the tubs on the gravel and pulled the weeds in that area too...all in all an excellent day!!

Above is one of the blackberry brambles I bought...it's going wild near the greenhouse so I think I will dig it up and put it near the fence at the top end of the plot behind the shed and pond...that way it won't matter what it does....what do you think??

Above again is my son taking photos...anyway this is me with the chair of the committee who came to had a chat with me about a recent bout of thefts and vandalism....the police came up to talk to her but I don't see us getting much joy from them.

So that's about all I have for now.....I fully intended on getting some 'after' photos for you but it was that dark when I finished they didn't turn out very well but I can tell you that I am much happier than I was yesterday morning...even if a little achy! I will go up the plot at some point today but purely to harvest...I think a few days rest is on order before I tackle the other side.

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We're all going on a......summer holiday!!!!

2011-08-25T22:54:00.003+01:00

That's right...I am again going to be absent from my blog...and also the allotment but only for a week and this time I have a very good reason...we are going away for a week.

It's been a hectic day with exam results, college enrollment, packing and washing but I did manage to get down the allotment and harvest a few vegetables.

The harvest from today...and I was only up the allotment half an hour!!

Today's harvest wasn't for me but for my cousin who gives me year round free manure and also for my sister...I am quite envious that they are going to be eating the first sweetcorn...but there is plenty for me when I arrive home in a week.
I harvested runner beans, french beans, beetroot, cucumber, marrow, rainbow chard, sweetcorn, baby-corn, spinach beet, tomatoes, courgette and potatoes.

This ones for Mal...I think you are probably beating me hands down!!

Above is my celeriac...or lack of it. I had trouble getting hold of seeds and then when i finally did they were a long time germinating and this is as big as they have got. I think it's safe to say i have failed at celeriac again this year but I will not give up quite yet and will be trying again next year...so how's you celeriac doing Mal??

So that's all for now hope you enjoy your holiday weekend and I will be back posting again as soon as I get home.

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Weather Watch Wednesday...week 33....24/08/11

2011-08-24T21:09:00.003+01:00

Well we had severe weather warnings issued for Monday/Tuesday for heavy rain and flash floods...we got a little sprinkling of rain and that was our lot!!

It's been quite a nice week. Not too windy and temperatures in the late teens and low twenties. Often the days have been cloudy but i don't mind this too much.

We really could do with a couple of days of decent rain for the gardens but we aren't at the desperation stage yet.

I can't believe how quickly the nights are drawing in...sun is now setting about 8:45pm.

Hope everyone else is getting some nice summer weather too.

I don't 'gnome' what to do?!?!

2011-08-23T19:28:00.003+01:00

Well I fully intended on visiting the allotment today and then writing a post about harvesting my sweetcorn. That didn't quite go as planned though so I have just pulled a post out of my head as I thought it would be nice to see what you think about this thing I think I might want to do!!

Sheep and dog.

You see in my kitchen on top of the cabinets I have some 'ornaments'. At least a few of them are but then I wanted some more animals to add to the collection and the ones that fit what i wanted are actually garden ornaments...or gnomes if you like even though they are different animals

Cat, cow and pig.

I do love my animals and think they give a bit of character to my kitchen which I like to keep unfussy and basic for ease of cleaning and hygiene reasons. However there are the times when i have to get them down and wash them so I am wondering whether they should maybe go into the garden or if they would even make a nice addition to the allotment...or would I miss them too much if i moved them from my kitchen after such a long time?? They have been residents of the house for about 8 years now...So basically I'm asking you all what you think....or how maybe you would feel about moving them...just a little insight to others thoughts might help me make a final decision. These aren't the only ones i have...I also have two ducks and three chickens but these aren't outdoor ornaments so would have to stay where they are...which is another things that is making me ponder what to do....please help!!

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Some Allotment pictures to look at.

2011-08-22T22:05:00.003+01:00

I'm quite tired after a busy day so here are some pics for you to have a look at today.

French beans and baby corn.

Rainbow Chard, spinach beet, turnips, swede and carrots.

One of the first harvests.

The above were all taken about 4 weeks ago so you can imagine how much harvest I have had since then.....the babycorn has been delicious and the dwarf beans have been plentiful this year and I have been freezing plenty for the winter.

See you all tomorrow.

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A fruitful allotment visit.

2011-08-21T21:19:00.003+01:00

Well I had a very quick trip to the allotment this afternoon (only and hour!) and it proved very fruitful indeed!!

It was nice to finally see the tomatoes ripening which are planted outside on the allotment and I manged to harvest quite a few from the plants outside as well as inside. Now I am just waiting for those in the pots in the garden to start to show signs of ripening.

Just a few of the pears which the tree planted only last year has produced.

The pears are also looking good and I picked a few for my son who is the pear lover of the household...it was also nice to see only one windfall which was being thoroughly enjoyed by the wasps!!

Wasps enjoying the windfall...nice to see nothing going to waste!!

As well as tomatoes and pears I also picked some runner beans, carrots from one of the containers, cucumbers, iceberg lettuce, french dwarf beans and and chard. I had to do a blitz through the chard and spinach beet patch cutting off all the long stems which had bolted and started to flower. This prolongs the life and also neatens up the allotment.

The Desiree potatoes coming through.

Finally above are the Desiree potatoes that I planted just a few weeks ago. they seem to be doing nicely now and in the background you can just see the tops starting to die off on the King Edwards.

So that's it for today...just a quick post really...lots more harvesting to do but I am hoping to get back to the allotment for an hour or two tomorrow at some point.

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Allotment summers = work!!!!

2011-08-20T22:00:00.003+01:00

So I mentioned in my post a couple of days ago that although I had been absent from the computer I hadn't been totally absent from the allotment...so what have I been doing down there???

Well not much to be honest but here is a little update.

I managed to finally get the ground cleared and the rest of my main crop potatoes in. The variety is Desiree. I got a good crop from them last year and they have already started coming through.

Apart from that the concentration has been on keeping the weeds down.Add about another three buckets to the above picture....

And triple again what you see above and you will about have my workload!

So that is pretty much all I have been doing....but I guess it's par for the course at this time of year...and I bet you are all in the same boat. Of course there has been the delight of harvesting my produce too but I'll save that for tomorrow!!
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Beetroot Blues.

2011-08-19T22:24:00.004+01:00

No allotment activity today as I have been majorly busy but like I said I have lots to tell you and have been keeping up with the photos in my absence so today is the day of the beetroot!!

I have grown beetroot for the last two years and the seeds I have always planted have been boltardy and I have always had an excellent germination rate and lovely healthy veg to harvest at the end.

This year however I decided I would go for some of the different beetroot. I kept seeing the golden coloured beetroot and the stripey type in the seed catalogues and the shops so I decided I would give them a go.

I can't remember the names of the seeds and I didn't write them down but I have to say I'm not overly impressed. Germination rate wasn't good and the vegetables haven't grown to the size I have become accustomed to....however that isn't the most disappointing thing about the beetroot...it's the colour!!

Although when harvested they look lovely and vibrant once coked the purple lacks the deep luster of the boltardy, the pink and white just blends together to give a very pale colour and the golden yellow represents more of a dirty brown. the taste is fine....just like the boltardy beetroot really but the colour is a little off putting and doesn't look so enticing on the plate.

The cooked beetroot.

I'm glad I decided to give them a go but next year I think I will go back to the boltardy and stick with that from now on!!

I slow roast my beetroot in the oven on a low heat until it slices like butter...totally divine!!

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Thursady Forecast...weeks 26-32...yeah it's another catch up!!

2011-08-18T17:48:00.006+01:00

Rainy Days!!

So here I am...after quite a long time of not being on the computer at all and so I hope you haven't all abandoned me.

The weather has been the typical British summer over the past few weeks though we haven't had as much rain as usual when it has come it has been major downpours which have soaked you thorough to the skin almost immediately.

The heat side of things has been up and down too...clothes can change from shorts and strappy tops to jeans and jumpers on a daily basis.

So basically then nothing new on the weather front!!

I have been really busy with home, work and the allotment which is why i haven't managed to sit down at the computer of late but routine is starting to settle in now and although I haven't posted lately I have been taking photos and so over the next few days will be updating you on whats been going on.

Right now though I am going to leave you with this and spend a little time catching up and commenting on some of my favourite blogs.

I promise I will be back tomorrow with pictures!!

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I went to the allotment...and worked!!!!!

2011-07-16T17:43:00.004+01:00

Well here I am again with another post.....just a short picture post which I should have put up yesterday and didn't have the time to.

Got quite a bit of work done on the allotment with the help of my Son yesterday so a lot of jobs were accomplished in a short space of time. The rest of the broad beans were picked and the plants and weeds cleared from this area ready for the rest of the main crop potatoes to go in.

The pond is doing nicely and the flowers are blooming ans attracting lots of wildlife.

Behind the shed has gotten a little neglected and I thought I would take a shot of it before I clear it just so you can see how weedy my allotment can get at times!!

I got the peaes all cleared out of the ground...there were a few pods but nothing worth eating so I am going to hopefully sow some more within the next week.

Above is the ground where the garlic and broad beans were...this is now ready to have potatoes planted in it.

This is the rest of the first early potatoes that I dug up.....these variety was rocket. I still have three rows of second earlies in which I have yet to start digging up.

And Finally this is everything else I harvested yesterday....not a massive haul I know but I am quite impressed with what I have got.

As you can see the peas aren't great...i am thinking of soaking and sowing them again now...does anyone know if this will turn out OK or do they have to be dried first?

Also as you can see i have a huge bag of garlic...does anyone have any preserving tips??

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Lets take a tour near the Greenhouse!!

2011-07-13T15:50:00.006+01:00

Well I promised you a good luck around the plot so I thought we would strat with the greenhouse are...why here you ask?? Simply because it is the tidiest bit of the allotment and I am hoping to get work done before I have to show photos of the rest which i am quite ashamed of at the minute!!

Well this is each side of the gravel with it's pots...as you can see a few are currently empty due to having been harvested and I will hopefully be sowing something in these over the weekend...not sure what yet though so if you have any weird and wonderful suggestion I would love to hear them!

The tomato plants in the greenhouse are trying to break through I think...They have done really well and have already given us plenty of beautiful fruit to eat.

The conference pear has produced plenty of fruit this year which I am quite excited about as it is only in it's second year. The Bramley apple has produced one fruit and the other trees just look pretty!!

This was originally going to be an asparagus bed but I killed the asparagus before I even go it in the ground so it has become a lettuce bed. I think I am going to stick with it as a lettuce bed too as it is out of the way yet easily harvest-able!

Above...celeriac...below..celery. The celery is doing great...the celeriac not so much...think I will be still waiting for it to do something miraculous next year.. :-(

And finally...I found this little critter resting on my chilli pepper plants...he is a little blurry as he was flapping his wings ten to the dozen...then he flew away...just hope i don't have eggs in the greenhouse.. :-{

So that's today's tour over...hope you enjoyed the pics...I will be back again in a couple of days with some more!!

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I'm still around...and so is the allotment!!

2011-07-12T17:39:00.003+01:00

OK....so this is probably going to be the worst post on an allotment blog in history and I have no great excuses for my absence except for the usual mundane I have gone about continually just lately which is life. Don't get me wrong....life is great....just extremely hectic but I am convinced that all that is about to change and I am about to get some semblance of control back!!

To be honest I don't know why I haven't had the time to sit and write for my blog....I have been spending time on the allotment so it's not the lack of anything to write.....just the lack of sitting at the computer.

Anyway...stuff is doing quite well if you ignore the fact that I attempted to grow peas this year.......Fishing season is back so I am off doing that at least once a week now too.....oh and I am very proud of my sweetcorn!!

All these notations and many more will be backed up this week with some pictures and I did get to sit down this morning and catch up with all the blogs I follow too.

The weather here has been changeable with temps ranging between 18 and 32 degrees. Lots of areas have had flash flooding but not us...although we have had some nice rainfall over the last couple of weeks.

The humidity levels are as usual through the roof....oh how I love the British weather!!

Anyway...here's a few pics to share to keep you interested and I will be back tomorrow with more to tell....I figure a short post each day rather than a mammoth lecture the length of a book is the best way to go forward right now....enjoy the pics!!

Stormy skies last Thursday evening whilst out fishing.

A beautiful clear Saturday...and the first tench my Nephew has caught solo.

Errmmmm....well we've all heard about the enormous turnip...now it's the turn of the radish...this was the only one that grew...the rest were all top...then this enormous thing showed up in the middle. We haven't tried any yet!!

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

2011-06-29T21:04:00.003+01:00

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.

2011-06-25T18:57:00.003+01:00

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!!

2011-06-19T22:03:00.002+01:00

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

2011-06-09T21:09:00.003+01:00

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!!

2011-06-06T14:33:00.003+01:00

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!!!!

2011-06-04T17:08:00.004+01:00

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!!

Weather Watch Wednesday....week 20.....25/05/11

2011-05-25T20:03:00.001+01:00

So I finally managed to get sat down in time to do a weather watch post which I am very impressed with myself over.

Not much to report really though.

Never did get that heatwave that the met office promised but none the less it has been quite warm with temperatures around 16 degrees during the day and 9 degrees at night.

Still not much sign of any rain but listening to a report from Anglian water on the radio today we don't have to worry about any hosepipe bans as the water table is full and there is plenty of water in the reservoirs...so that is some good news for all of those who grow there own!!

Have only been up to the allotment this week to water the tubs and the greenhouse but hoping to get up there over the weekend to do some serious weeding and finally get that beetroot in the ground!!

Every home should have one!!!!

2011-05-22T22:19:00.003+01:00

Well I have been a bad girl again this week with my posting and reading and so again I am creeping and grovelling for forgiveness but I am hoping that life will start to slow down a little now....this week it was due to meetings, doctors appointments, interviews and birthdays......Life certainly is busy!!

Then of course on top of all that there is the allotment to see to as well!!

Anyway I have been to the allotment a few times over the week although I have to admit it was mainly just to water the greenhouse and planters although last night I did spend a couple of hours there digging over and putting in some tomato plants. I have never had tomato plants on the plot before but we don't seem to have a problem with blight as Kate always has a good crop and I wanted to have a go at making more of my own sauces this year so I have planted out sixteen plants purely for this reason. I still have the four plants at home for us to pick and eat and then I have some fancier versions in the greenhouse which were given to me and I will tell you more about them in another post.

The first rose from Kate's garden which she cut and gave me on my birthday...Thank you Kate...it looks lovely now it's opened fully!!

Of course I missed the weather watch again this week but nothing much has changed there anyway...still not much rain....short sharp showers and that's about it...temperatures anywhere between 9 and 20 degrees day and night and the last few days have seen some nasty gusts up to 60m.p.h.

So there you have it...that about sums up my week...maybe this week will be more relaxing....Oh I did manage to get some gardening done too...the bedding plants are mostly in and it's lovely to see some green in the borders again....Oh and I almost forgot...what should every home have??????

One of these!!!

No...I don't mean the salad...although I think there should be salad in every house...I mean the salad spinner....It is one of my favourite buys...it is so nice to be able to wash my fresh cut leaves and then after a quick spin be able to put them in my sandwiches without getting my bread soggy...definitely a genius idea!!!

Sorry this isn't the best post of the year...but it is getting late and I want to be up bright eyed tomorrow to catch up with all of my favourite blogs!!

Sleep well all.....and happy gardening!

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The First of the season.

2011-05-15T21:52:00.002+01:00

Well I did as I promised and I finally got some of the main crop potatoes in today. The King Edwards are finally in the ground although only one row after the mice had their fill of them. That only leaves the Desiree to go so that makes me feel a little better. It certainly was a glorious morning down the allotment although not much life as I got there for 7:30am....I have to admit to loving being down there at such an early hour when all the birds are looking for their breakfasts!!

I got a little weeding done too and then was home by 9:00am to start making Sunday dinner....god I love the weekends!!

Popped back to the allotment after tea to water the tubs and harvest a few of the salad leaves that were ready for the lunches this week...and that was when I noticed that we had some strawberries ready to be eaten...not many...but enough for me and Kate to get a taster of the delicious fruit....and there are so many more to ripen off.

Oh how I love fresh strawberries!!!

Sweet juicy strawberries...DELICIOUS!!!!!!!

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So much to do...so little time!!!!

2011-05-14T19:35:00.003+01:00

Well I'm afraid the allotment and the blog have taken somewhat of a backseat this last week and I feel really bad about that!!

I haven't had much spare time at all with all of life's going's on and have just spent the last couple of hours catching up with all my favourite blogs....I didn't even find 5 minutes to do my weather watch post and I hope that you can all forgive me!

Weather Watch update.......

So first lets start with the weather of the last week just so you know what it has been like....We've had a little rain but not much to talk about though a few of the showers have been enough to dampen the ground and give the plants a nice drink. Clouds have been around most days with the promise of a good downpour which basically has been lulling us into a false sense of security. The temperatures have been a little up and down with some biting winds thrown in so I guess they have been between 10 and 25 degrees....most of the time all in the same day!!

I have managed to spend some time down the plot but not too much really...I have been wanting to get my maincrop potatoes in but as yet they are still in my shed....They will be in before the month is out though!!

I did mange to get my peas netted to save them from the wretched pigeons....luckily they haven't got too many of them and I'm hoping for a decent crop!!

The netted peas.

I also got the green pak choi pricked out...this is the first year I have grown this variety and they have done really well...the purple and white aren't very good again so I think after this year I will stick with the green...because they have done so well and the others are looking very poorly I planted plenty of these up in case the others don't come to anything!

Three extra pots of green pak choi.

Although I got my peas netted in time I didn't have netting for my brassicas which have also been slaughtered by the birds so i have sown some more of these in the green house along with some new squash seeds to replace those I lost in the frost. I have since purchased some more netting and have it ready at hand for when the brassicas are big enough to go on the plot....the reason I had no netting was because I hadn't got around to replacing it after I lost everything in the fire last year!

The Greenhouse with some more seeds ready to grow!!

So Life has been pretty hectic this weeks with work and meetings and hospital visits and stuff but I am hoping it's going to calm down a little now and that I will get to spend a little more time down the allotment soon...maybe even tomorrow.....but I am finding lately the more I try to plan the less likely it is to happen so I think I will just take each day as it comes and see what I can fit in...at least this way I won't be disappointed in myself!!

My turnips and swede have germinated in a lovely line and my first early and second early potatoes are coming on nicely.

The black eyed peas are starting to poke though the ground thought the seedling is more like that of a bean.

I have three fancy tomato plants in the greenhouse which were given to my by another plotter and they are already flowering as are the melons. The aubergines are also in the ground in the greenhouse but are still quite small.

All the pepper plants remain too small to take out of their pots yet.

The Swiss chard and spinach beet planted just a couple of weeks ago are through.

I'm, quite pleased with how it's all coming on so far...I am waiting for more runner beans as these died in the frost...totally my fault as I didn't put them back in the greenhouse overnight ...oh well...third time lucky!!

I also need to get the beetroot in the ground. This was started off in peat pots as I did last year but this year I have grown three different varieties....the boltardy has done great as always but the other two varieties aren't looking very good, (I will check the names out tomorrow) so I don't think I will be growing these again...I think I am going to stick with what grows best on my garden for bountiful crops...though I will keep trying out new things each year as you never know when something will impress!!

I managed to get hold of some celeriac seed which again was donated by a plot neighbour but as yet none have germinated and I am now thinking it might be too late to get a crop but I will persevere for a while longer!

So I think that's me about up-to-date! I hope you all forgive me my absence and I am hoping a good session at the allotment tomorrow will bring another post...maybe just lots of pictures!!

Hope your gardens are all growing well!!

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Weather Watch Wednesday...week 17....4/05/2011

2011-05-04T19:57:00.003+01:00

Well the weather has definitely had a cooler feel to it this last week with winds coming off the east coast adding even more chill to it. We still haven't had any rain and last night saw a light frosty which hasn't done some of my seedlings much good so I will no doubt be re-sowing at the weekend...a late crop is better than no crop!!

The gherkins still in pots look a little sorry for themselves..as do the squash plants in the ground!!

The sweetcorn in the ground is still looking good and it's mainly the squash plant that have been affected but only there leaves and there stems still look nice and firm so fingers crossed for full recoveries.

The sweetcorn in pots is looking a little unhealthy after the chill last night but I have moved it back to the greenhouse so hopefully it will recover.

I checked back on last year and this frost has come slightly earlier by a couple of weeks...but then again so did the warmth this year so not so different really....does this mean we really are in for some rain?? Been quite busy down the allotment and I will post a full crop update by the end of the week. Did anyone else lose anything due to recent weather?? Or am I the only one who suffered with a frost??

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Rotation of Crops.

2011-05-01T13:25:00.002+01:00

Whether you own an allotment , grow veggies in your yard or even just in a small back yard it's important to know that you should rotate your crops.

I was told by a friendly plotter right from me first getting my allotment that I should rotate my crops and that this would keep down soil borne pests and such that can sometimes attack your crops. There are only TWO exceptions that I know of to the plot rotation scheme. The first is that Runner Beans can be planted year after year in exactly the same spot. The second is if you're growing in bags or containers and will therefore be replacing the matter inside which the vegetables will be growing in.

If you know of any more exceptions to crop rotation then I would love to hear them, also for the novices out there....bushes, trees and shrubs do not have to be moved to a new location, we are talking annual veg for rotation.

When I was told about crop rotation I was told to do it three yearly which was fine until I got my other half of a plot, I didn't want to split both halves into three and split the contents over the two halves so I was a little stuck on what to do. That was until I read that there is actually a four course rotation, and that this is the best to follow.

Crop rotation isn't just about not planting the same thing twice but about how when rotated in a certain order the next crop will benefit form the previous. So starts my four course rotation scheme.

Obviously this is my first year and it can't be followed totally to the letter because of last years planting so I am going to class this as year one and work on from there.

I have split each of my plots in half which gives me my four sections. (1) section for potatoes, (2) for root vegetables (including onions), (3) for legumes (peas and beans etc) and (4) for brassicas.
Next year they will all get moved over one half to keep the rotation working.

Squash plants and sweetcorn can be slotted in anywhere but again shouldn't be grown in the same place year after year so I have chosen to put mine in with the root veggies and legumes...this may change as I see how the space grows but I am quite excited about this new system and the ease of planting up the different types of vegetables without being too restricted.

So this is how I will be working my plot form now on. It's a simple easy to follow plan which I am loving implementing as it means I can put in the right section what is ready as soon as it's ready and not worry about having to fit something in between at a later date.

So how do you all rotate your crops?? There isn't really an exact science to it and I adopted this theory as it was convenient for me so I would love to know what the rest of you do...especially as I am still quite new to this!!

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Progress on the allotment....and a little help again please!!

2011-04-25T21:10:00.012+01:00

OK...so I figured it was time I gave you an update on how the plot is progressing but rather than ramble on for hours I thought I would give you a pictorial view with few words...after all, everyone loves pictures!!!

My first picture here shows the earth just dug over, I took this so you could see how moist it is under the ground even though people are continually moaning about the lack of rain and keep wasting water on there plots! The second picture shows my first planted raised beds which has nine gherkin plants and pumpkin at the end.

Above you can see aubergine, runner beans and melons. The runner beans are on their second sowing as I had a whole packet of seeds that didn't germinate first of all. The melons and aubergines will be planted into the ground in the greenhouse by the weekend hopefully.

Various pepper plants, parsnips and calabrese. I am VERY impressed with my parsnips and will hopefully get them into the ground in the next week or so, the same with the calabrese as it's starting to get a little leggy. All the peppers will stay in the greenhouse but are a little too small to be potted on yet.

Rhe cabbages are getting leggy and will be put into the ground this week, the sweetcorn did really well and I have already put this in the ground...I just now pray we don't get any frosts before it has established itself, either way it wasn't going to last much longer in it's pots as it had got so big. There is plenty of blossom on the blueberry bushes which is very exciting!!

Above you can see the new fence and almost finished pond area plus the new manure fence and extended herb patch. The back fence is going to have blackberry brambles planted all the way along for myself and my plot neighbour to share which we will hopefully get sorted this weekend and then I will carry the gravel on right up to the fence and put a border along the bottom so it all flows in together.

So that's what I have been up to, I also got my broad beans lines plugged up with the extras I put in the greenhouse and an extra row put in front of the black eyed peas. My germination rate has been excellent this year which has made me very happy and all my tubs on the gravel are doing well, I even see celery germinating!!

And this is where I need the help...does anyone have any idea what the above plant is? My sister bought it for my Mum but there was no label on it...it has a long stem so resembles a tree more than anything but we would really like to know what it is and whether it's suitable to be planted outside so I'm hoping someone knows!!

Hope your gardens are all growing well. The unseasonably warm weather is continuing and we have still only had a light sprinkling of rain.....though a few miles away did get flash flooding at the weekend. Rain is forecast for this evening but I won't hold my breath on that one!! Still, the earth is nice and damp underneath and we are certainly no where near having to even think about watering yet!!

P.S. Just click on any of the pictures to enlarge them for a better look!!

Weather Watch Wednesday...week 16....20/04/2011 and Thank You to 'The Good Life'!!

2011-04-20T19:46:00.005+01:00

Well the weather has been pretty much the same for the last week, we had a couple of 'cooler' days but this was only by a few degrees and then the last few days the temperatures have got increasingly warm...today we were at 21 degrees which is amazingly warm for April.

Still no sign of rain and the winds have been light at just a few miles an hour.

Ground still very moist underneath so i am only watering the pots on the allotment and in the greenhouse though the water butts are getting dangerously low and I think I will have to get some tap water in them soon which is a shame!!

Still, I'm not grumbling about the weather....I'm loving every minute of it!!

This evenings sunset!

So now to my thank you. A while ago I entered a give away and won. I was very Happy to win and it was from a blog that many of you may know of but if you don't then you should definitely go and check it out and I really enjoy reading Jo's 'The Good Life' and think you will too!! Not only did I receive the garden diary as promised but lots of other goodies too including, chocolate...Yum...that didn't last too long!!, some seeds, some plant markers and some soap....Thanks so much Jo, I loved everything in the parcel and the diary is great!!

All of my goodies!!

I have been and got some work done on the allotment too, I manged to get my peas, mangetout and black-eyed peas in the ground and I have also sown some beans that I don't know the name of so maybe you can help with identification when they start to grow and some french dwarf beans. i have also started to harden off some of the plants in the greenhouse ready for transplanting outside...hope the weather is being as good for you too!!

Been very busy with the glorious weather but promise to catch up with all the blogs I follow and reply to comments by the weekend!!

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Hard work at the allotment!!

2011-04-16T18:03:00.004+01:00

Well I went down the allotment yesterday afternoon to work on breaking down some of the mud clods before they got to dry and to do this I used the tiller....took a while but I enjoyed my time and whilst I was there one of my allotment neighbours asked if they would perhaps be able to borrow my tiller next week to do theirs....I said this wouldn't be a problem.

I managed to get it all finished by 8pm and decided to call it a day and popped back down the allotment early this morning to get some carrot seed in. Whilst there I decided that I would go over Sophie's plot for her and got that one too. Then I was approached by Dave who is doing the fencing around the allotment talking about the 'mound' at the top end of my plot and how it really had to go and be leveled off for the fencing to be done...I was worried about winds across the fields but he said this could be combated if I put some panels across the bottom of the fence so started the mammoth task of sorting what I wanted and clearing the debris....and boy was there a lot of debris!!

Now if you can't remember what it looked like before you can check back through previous posts...(I was going to put a link here but can't work out how to do it..sorry)... Or if you really need me to I'm sure I can put another picture in for you...but anyway below are the pictures of how it looks now. The fence will be going in tomorrow and then i will be deciding what to do with the extra space I have gained. I know I am going to extend the pond planting area and the herb patch but I haven't totally decided what to do with the extra space behind the shed yet. I do think it is already looking much neater.

So what do you think?? Much neater and nicer?? I will take more photos when it is all completed.

It has been a glorious day today so it wasn't too bad doing such a hard job...however my right ear is seriously paying for it as this was the side to the sun and it's now terribly blistered...note to self...put sun cream on ears!!

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The little mishap of last Friday..and freezing leeks!!

2011-04-14T21:18:00.002+01:00

OK...so several of you wanted to know exactly what my little mishap down the allotment was last Friday.

The thing is I guess I could not have mentioned it at all and no-one would ever have known, it would have been my little secret...but in hindsight it was kind of funny (apparently if you were watching me it was bloody hilarious but that's another story!) and who can you laugh about it with if you keep it all to yourself, so of course I have already told my Parent and Hubby who got a jolly good laugh out of it too.

Hhhhmmmm...I think I may be stalling a little so I will just get on and tell it now...here goes!!

So I am don the allotment and I want to put in some onion sets. This I thought was going to be quite an easy task, the earth had been previously dug so I thought I can just run over it with the tiller and plonk them in...be done in no time at all.

I got the tiller out, fired it up, and went on my merry way whilst jollily listening to my mp3...totally minding my own business and without a care in the world. After I had tilled enough earth for the white onions I let go of the throttle...and...nothing...that's right, the tines kept turning and didn't even slow a slightest fraction. Now I knew that this wasn't right but it was easily solved by cutting the power and the main switch and the tiller was put to one side whilst I put in the white onions...first job completed successfully.....can you guess what happens next?????

Well as you can probably imagine I was a little apprehensive about re-starting the tiller after the throttle didn't cut out so I had a very firm grip on it and placed it on the soil where it could do no damage if the times started turning straight away and I gave the cord a good tug...and....a soft little purr came from the engine and there it stood proudly with the engine ticking over nicely and the tines not moving. This put me totally at ease and then as I was just about to get started my phone which was down near the greenhouse went off so I put the foot-stand down...left the engine ticking over and went to see who the message was from (just in case your interested it was Kate saying she wouldn't make it down that day). Anyway as I was looking at my phone I heard a noise...I turned round to see that the tines had started of there own violition which had kicked up the stand and the tiller was merrily whizzing it's way acros the allotments right through somebodies potato patch and towards some wire they had set up to protect their newly planted crops.

I though a lot of choice words and took off full pelt after the tiller managing to snag hold of it and cut the power just before it wrapped itself around the wire. I looked around and didn't think anyone had seen so I quickly re-erected the potato mounds and then re-started the tiller and kept a firm grip on it not leaving it alone for a second and cutting the power every time I wasn't actually using it.

I caught sight of Dave and beckoned him over to have a quick look at it, only to find out at that point that he had seen the whole episode and thoroughly enjoyed that mornings entertainment...so much for nobody seeing!!

So there you have it...that was my little mishap!

The tiller is now fixed and the throttle working fine......It's just as well I see the funny side of things...hope you all enjoyed it too!!

On top of that...on Saturday whilst watering the greenhouse I managed to drop my tray of calabrese seedlings upside down on the floor..so the quick trip to water turned out to be a lot longer as I then had to sift through compost to find un-broken stems to re-plant...but at least the pricking out got done and the transplanted seedling are looking very healthy!

Oh..and as for freezing leeks...it tells you in most books that they aren't really suitable to be frozen but I like to have a few in the freezer...I simply cut them into inch pieces...give them a wash, dry then and freeze them. I only use these ones for adding to casseroles and stews but they taste just fine and it means that I have them ready prepared to chuck in the pot quick...they are especially great for when you need to make up a quick vegetable stock!!

So have you all had any crazy mishaps lately?? Or am I the only one?!?! :-(

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Weather watch Wednesday...week 15...13/04/11

2011-04-13T19:41:00.003+01:00

In the event that I am absolutely crackered this will be real quick!!

Weather started off nice but has now cooled down.

We've had some windy days but no frosts.

It keeps trying to rain but we haven't had enough to even fill a teacup.

Hopefully the sun and warmth will return soon!!

I did pop down the allotment Sunday evening and put in some turnip and swede seed. This is a first for me and I have been told by other plotters that they don't do so well so we shall see!!

I did remember to take my camera down though so here's some pics...even if they aren't very exciting!!

How the bottom end plot is looking!

The rhubarb is coming along nicely!!

The herb patch fared the extreme winter quite well!

The top end of the plot, dug and ready for planting.

Plenty of redcurrants to be had this year!!
(that is of course if they don't end up burnt this year...luckily a fence is currently going up round the allotments so fingers crossed no fires this year!!)

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Sunny warmth brings busy days!!

2011-04-11T11:02:00.003+01:00

Well it has been a glorious weekend here and so I have spent plenty of time busy down the allotment.

Check out that sky!!

As is par for the course with me not once did I remember to take the camera down so I will just be telling you a little about what I did and then post some pictures later.

I got plenty of salad seeds sown in the containers around the greenhouse and now have pak choi, celery, carrot, beetroot, lettuce, rocket, basil, radish, spring onions and probably more but I haven't written a list yet so if I have missed any I will let you know.

I managed to buy some more onion sets and got those sown in the ground over the weekend too, one row of white and one row of red.

Winter greens were dug up and prepared for dinner and that bit of earth dug over. Kale was dug up and eaten, W.S.B. was dug and discarded as were some of the beyond help winter greens which got attacked by the birds though there are a few of these left for us to dig and eat.

I also dug up most of the leeks that were left to make soup and the few that are left in the ground I am going to dig up over the next couple of days and prepare and freeze them so that the ground is left free for planting.

I did manage to get a rather blurry photo of the tadpoles though...they are all doing incredibly well in the pond!!

The tadpoles were very lively in the sun-warmed pond!!

I also scrubbed my garden slabs and mowed the lawns...so a very busy weekend really.

There was a funny incident with the tiller and the calabrese but maybe I won't tell you about that....or maybe I will leave it for another post if you really want to know...Do you want to know??

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Weather watch Wednesday...week 14....07/04/11

2011-04-07T07:51:00.003+01:00

So I'm a day late again with the weather watch but it was all go, go, go yesterday with projects and meetings and stuff so I hope you all forgive me!!

The week started off cool, cloudy, a little rain and some seriously strong winds but it took a turn for the better yesterday with warm temperatures, we even got to take off our coats!!

The warm weather is said to stay for the weekend so here's hoping I can get lots of work done down the allotment!!

The temperature just outside my back door where there is a little sun trap!!

Indoors temperature...no heating on at all!! Bliss!!!

Hope you're all enjoying a spell of warmth too!

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Potatoes...how do you plant yours??

2011-04-02T20:03:00.003+01:00

Well I went down the allotment today to get some potatoes and the onions in the ground.

The onions never actually got into the ground though as when I went to get them out of the shed I founds that there was nothing there...just empty packets. A close inspection of some faeces showed that it was probably the cause of mice in my shed. They hadn't touched the potatoes at all but chomped there way through all of my onions. I got some fresh white onions form the allotment shop but they have no red so I will have to buy some more of those and put them in the ground when I get some time during the week!!

This is what was left of my onions!!!

Anyway whilst I was digging out to plant my potatoes it got me to thinking of the way other people might go about planting there potatoes so I thought I would ask.
The beauty of gardening and growing your own is there is never a right or a wrong way to go about things. As long as it is planted then essentially it will grow and there are different ways to plant your potatoes. If you have a small garden or yard then you can grow them in bags or planters. You can dig a trench out and fill with fertilizer...you can hill them up....you can dig them down...you can use manure or compost or just soil. None of these ways are wrong and everyone has their own preference. So I am going to share with you my way of planting potatoes and hope that you will share yours with myself and my other readers too.

I remembered the camera today so I will share in pictures to make the post a little less boring!!

First thing to share with you is that I'm not one to avidly 'chit' my potatoes. I buy them and then just leave them in the bags in my shed until I'm ready to plant them. They always start to chit and then they just go in the ground. I don't count the shoots coming off and I don't take any off as I invariably knock one or two off anyway during the planting process.

First I put a line down and then dig out a trench for the potatoes.

Then I spread some manure along the length of the trench, not too much though, for four rows I used just under a barrow full.

Then I place the potatoes in the trench, mark each end with a stick and then rake the hilled earth over the top.

And that's it, job done. Of course I dig the soil well first too but this was done last weekend when digging out the twitch so didn't have to be repeated today and made the job a lot easier. A line doesn't have to be put down but I do this so that I know what I am working to and the lines stay relatively straight and far enough apart, it just means I don't waste ground by veering off. I will hill up my potatoes as they grow, I didn't do this last year and not doing it is fine but last year was the first time I grew main crop potatoes and it was difficult to know where to dig after the tops had died off so I will hill them up more for a guide for digging than anything else although hilling them up does also stop any poking through the top of the soil and going green.

So there you have my method of potato planting, does it differ greatly from yours??

I guess I should have took a picture of the finished planting area but to be honest it's just a patch of brown mud anyway!!

I also weeded around the grapevines today which are just starting to show a little life, weeded the asparagus bed which still looks dead and also took the weeds out of the cold-frame.

It was a bust morning but also very satisfying!!

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Weather Watch Wednesday.....week 13.......30/03/11

2011-03-30T19:47:00.002+01:00

Well we are in the last week of March and the weather is really picking up but at the same time having a few low points.

Thursday and Friday were glorious days of sun with light breezes and temperatures between 15 and 18 degrees.

Saturday took a turn for the worst with overcast skies and cold easterly winds..temperatures about 6 degrees.

Sunday was still overcast but the winds were lighter and warmer of a southerly direction, temperatures about 12 degrees. A very sharp overnight frost.

Monday started out foggy and frosty but did warm up to reach 13 degrees.

Tuesday bright and airy with warm sun and light breezes. Temperatures of 15 degrees with some overnight rain.

Then toady was another cold spell with some cold winds. Temperatures of 6 degrees and rain in the afternoon..mustn't complain about the rain though...it will make weekend planting easier!!

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There's always a learning curve!!

2011-03-29T18:58:00.003+01:00

Well I know I promised you some pictures of my fabulous seed germination but they aren't going to happen in this post.

You see I noticed when I went down the allotment today that I have had at least one, but probably several visitors to my plot!! (And believe me they aren't the sort of visitors we like!!)

I have never grown winter greens before but with my disasters on brassicas last year I decided I would give it a go and even with the harsh winter they were doing extremely well, that is until this last week or so.

As you can see above the visitors have been feasting on them so there isn't mush left for us. I think it may be pigeons...or even rabbits!

It isn't a total loss though as they have only attacked those on plot 15....why I don't know, I'm just grateful to have some left for us!!

So the learning curve for the winter veggies is to make sure I net them so the wildlife can't get to them before we do. This hasn't put me off growing them at all, I will just make sure I protect them next year!!

And just to finish off I thought I would share with you all the twitch that I dug up over the weekend...As you can see the barrow is well overloaded....and the reason it's still on the allotment??...that's easy, I have a puncture to repair!! :-(

Twitch...you either hate it.....or....well....HATE it!!!!

2011-03-28T16:58:00.002+01:00

Well I spent the weekend digging the rest of the twitch out of the new plot I was given last year. There was only half left but it was still hard going but such a relief to have dug it all over and out.

I have two huge bags of the stuff and although I know there will be little bits I have missed these will be easy to dig out as they rear their ugly heads over the summer.

I have to admit to having a little help with the twitch removal and I certainly wasn't going to pass on the offer....now all my allotment is ready for planting out and hopeful this week I will be getting some potatoes and onions in the ground.

I read my crop rotation wrong so the raised beds aren't in the place I wanted them for the crops but I will tell you more about that in another post.

I have had some germination success in the greenhouse which is very pleasing but I haven't took any photos yet but promise you a picture post tomorrow...but I can tell you now that so far I have 12 parsnips germinated....after just one last year and none the years prior to that you can imagine my elation!!!

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Weather Watch Wednesday...week 12.....23/03/11

2011-03-23T20:21:00.002Z

Well the last week the weather has been glorious.

Warm days with temperatures ranging between 15 and 19 degrees and mild evenings of 7-10 degrees.

We had a light shower on Sunday for about 20 minutes but apart from that no rain.

The light breezes have been refreshing whilst outside and it's been nice not to have to cover the seeds every night.

The lack of rain has had a few people watering their allotments though which really grieves me as although the top of the ground is dry there is plenty of moisture beneath and the last thing we need to be doing is watering the garden in March!!!

Hope you have all had nice weather too...British Summer technically begins on Sunday with the moving of the clocks so it's bound to turn cold next week!!

Has anybody heard as to whether we move the clocks one or two hours yet?? I know there was talk of a two hour move last month to give us lighter nights and attract more tourists to the country but I haven't heard anything recently.

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Busy, Busy, Busy

2011-03-22T20:44:00.004Z

Well it's been a hive of activity down the allotments over the last few days and believe or not some of that activity came from me too!!

I have been quite busy over the past few days getting some gardening done and also cutting a neighbours fern trees down by a few feet in the blazing sun...yes you read it right I did say 'blazing' sun...and just as well really as the clocks are to be moved this weekend which officially is the start of the British summer!!

The weather has definitely turned around for us but more about that in tomorrows weather watch.

I have been meaning to post for a while but have been so tired in the evenings I haven't even turned on the computer so I am hoping to catch up with everyone's blogs tomorrow.

Tonight I am sleepy after another busy day so just thought I would share with you a few pictures of what I have been up to.

One half of the allotment has been turned and is ready for tilling and planting.

Plenty of seeds have been sown in the greenhouse!

I'll tell you about all the different varieties in another post soon.

The trees are blossoming nicely...all except the Cherry tree which it seems has died over the winter and will need to be replaced.

I hope you are all managing to have some fun in the fresh outdoor air too.

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Weather watch Wednesday...week 11....16/04/11

2011-03-16T22:25:00.003Z

Well the weather for the last week has been quite varied.

Thursday...temps high 7 low 3 degrees...winds 60mph..sunny, showery and cloudy.

Friday......temps high 10 low 7 degrees. Winds 30mph...Sunny.

Saturday....temps, high 11 low 8 degrees. winds 23mph.....cloudy.

Sunday....temps, high 12 low 0 degrees. light winds, rainy.

Monday...temps, high 10 low 6 degrees, light winds.....sunny.

Tuesday....temps, high 8 low 7 degrees...thick fog.

Today...pretty much the same as yesterday!!//

In light of the gloomy weather I thought I would share with you some of the colour from my rockery!!

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Allotment happenings over the last few days.

2011-03-15T21:17:00.004Z

Well I have been up the allotment for a few short spells over the last few days but not got around to telling you all about it so I figured I could do it all in one post!!

First visit was Saturday..this wasn't really to get anything done but primarily to release the toads and frog that we have had over winter in a tank at home. Of course we released them into our new pond and they were very happy once lowered in the water to get their first good swim for a while and then soon dove to the bottom of the boat...erm I mean pond!!

One of the toads relishing it's new home.

My nephew came with me to release the toads..he was happy to do this after keeping a watchful eye on them over the winter as he thought they deserved to be set free and was happy to see them swimming freely.

The pond get's approval from my youngest nephew!

I also got the new shipment of manure sorted and then called it a day as although it was nice I really needed to get a bath after moving the manure...it was VERY fresh..poooie!!

The I went up the allotment on Monday but only to dog a lettuce out of the greenhouse...we needed it as we had devoured all that was left in the fridge!!

The last over-wintering lettuce from the greenhouse...now it will have to be store bought stuff..but hopefully not for too long!

That was the last lettuce...I would have had enough for a few more weeks if I hadn't lost some over the winter but I am quite pleased with the amount that managed to fight against the cold!

Then this morning I was up bright and early, (even if the morning wasn't the same!!) so I decided I would take an early visit to the allotment and get a little digging done.

It was all dug over last year but it is getting quite dry in the ground so I figured there was no harm giving it a turn with the spade just to loosen it a little to make future digging and planting a little less back breaking!

The plot at 8AM.

As you can see from the picture above it wasn't the most inviting of mornings but I actually really enjoyed the solitude that the fog and the early hour gave me..it was so peaceful out there with not a soul about and I really got a lot done in the short while I was there...I'm hoping to go up tomorrow and get a little more done..I figure a little time each day will soon get it all sorted!!

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Hot beds on the allotment.

2011-03-11T16:42:00.003Z

You may remember a while ago about me mentioning the raised beds I had gotten hold of and that I had a specific purpose for them that I would tell you about at a later date. Well today is the day you find out...but I thought I would do this post mostly in pictures after a brief explanation!

The beds are going to be used as movable hotbeds. I want to be able to move them around each year for crop rotation (more about that in another post!) as I always plan (if this year goes well anyway!) to have my squash plants in them as 'apparently' they love to grow in hot beds!!

Firstly the beds were moved to their correct location and then the earth dug down and over so they were level.

Next, a couple of barrow-loads of rich manure was put into the beds and spread...well more or less evenly!

After this then a good layer of soil was put on top of the manure and that's it...done!!

The beds are now ready for the courgettes, marrows, pumpkins and cucumbers to go in in the next month or so. I'm excited to see how this affects their growth!

So that was how I spent my few hours on the allotment today. It was quite a hive of activity today with the mild temperatures and the wind having dropped a little. Kate was their and get plenty of her plot dug over and manured and also planted some shallots and broad beans. Also saw quite a few others coming and going all trying to get a head start before the mad planting rush!!

Hopefully it shouldn't be long now before the potatoes can go in!!

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Weather watch Wednesday...week 10....9/3/11

2011-03-10T12:55:00.002Z

Well I know I'm a day late with this post, and there is no allotment news to go along with it but I hope you will all forgive me!!

The weather has warmed up slighly and there is a definite improvement in the length of the days.

We are still getting those nasty winds at times but they have turned to a more southerly direction which makes them a little more bearable than the north-easterly winds we were getting.

Temps between 5 and 9 degrees.

Rained only 3 out of the 7 days and some occasionally bright clear skies have lifted my spirits and warmed the conservatory and greenhouse up to 28 degrees at times.

When last check there were no signs of life as yet in the greenhouse!!!

Spring has definitely sprung!!

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Another quick allotment trip!

2011-03-08T18:57:00.003Z

Well all I seem to be doing lately is making quick trips to the allotment.

My Mum gave me a couple of planters she didn't want so I popped down the allotment and added them to those already on the gravel and filled them do they are ready as soon as the weather is warm enough for me to put seeds in.

I also sowed some Aubergine seeds as Jo over at The good Life told me that they too need a long germination time...thanks for the tip Jo.

Apart from that not much is really happening on the plot at the minute though we have had a few dry days and I am hoping it keeps up so that I can get those raised beds I told you about a while ago in place and sorted for there future plan!!

Been gardening today...it was nice to see so much activity and I also saw some frogs out of hibernation and heading for the pond...not mine unfortunately but I will be releasing the ones I have in the tank this weekend.

I sowed a few petunia seeds around the pond and got a couple of cabbages for dinner!!

After tea the lawn got it's first haircut of the year...Yay...Spring really has arrived!!

Oh and totally unrelated...allotment4you has now officially got 100 followers and has more than 250 posts...hope you are all still enjoying reading my sometimes whiny, sometimes mundane and occasionally funny posts!!

I would just like to take this opportunity to thanks you all for stopping by.

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Quickest allotment visit in history!!

2011-03-05T10:39:00.003Z

I made the quickest trip to the allotment in history on Thursday afternoon when I popped up to get some hormone rooting powder. That was actually the only thing I intended to do but i did check on the seeds whilst I was there, no growth happening but I didn't expect any after a few days but wanted to check that they were damp.
I needed the rooting powder to try and save a cactus plant. My nephew bought some cacti last year and the Lincolnshire Show and one was looking very poorly and withered so after a little reading I have doctored it...added some rooting powder to an extra 'leaf' and now we just have to hope for the best!

The cactus looking a lot healthier...now we just have to wait!

Friday was a busy day for me but again not on the allotment. I decided I would make a lasagna for teat...I made everything from scratch but the pasta which I bought in the store. This used up the last jar of sauce I made last year out of my tomatoes so no more totally home made sauce will be used for a while.....I am really sad that all my home-grown home made stocks are depleting so quick :-( .......it will be back to tinned tomatoes as they taste better than the tomatoes the store is stocking at the moment!!

The Lasagna filling...I meant to take a picture of it all put together but forgot...I was quite pleased with it and It must have gone down well as everyone cleared their plates!

Yesterday was also Kate's (my allotment neighbour) Birthday. we had arranged to go up with her partner but Kate knew nothing of this so it was a total surprise when we turned up with a card, a bottle and a homemade birthday cake.

Kate's cake!

We had a lovely evening and the cake didn't taste to bad either...I love to dabble in the kitchen but I don't claim to be any good at it really so it's always nice when things are edible. I did warn them before the cake was cut that it would probably look better than it tasted..lol
This post was originally meant for yesterday but a we didn't get home until nearly 1am I figured it could wait a few more hours.

So how are your stocks from last years allotment produce holding out?? I think I definitely have more stocks for next winter!!

Improvments on the allotment for 2011

2011-03-03T17:51:00.003Z

Well I have a few things that I thought I could improve on for the next growing season...which is now the one that is rapidly meeting us so I thought I would share them with you.

Firstly I found that my Aubergine didn't do any good at all and that is probably because it was too cold so this year I will try again but plant it in the greenhouse.

My Grapevines have been moved to a permanent place outside of the greenhouse, I was worried about doing this initially but someone with vines a few plots over gets a good bunch off theirs so I have put mine up as a border between mine and the next plot with a good fencing structure for support...now only time will tell.

I had a great crop of runner beans last year as always but my fencing system was a little off as I didn't have enough upright posts and the beans all trailed along the bottom wire and climbed together around the main posts which whilst not being a problem for the beans themselves made them very difficult to pick and lots were missed. I have now put in plenty of upright poles to hopefully combat this problem and I have also put a row of slabs along the fence to make harvesting a little cleaner...I can spend quite a lot of time looking for my beans and I thought this would make it a little easier. I will also plant them the other side of the fence this year so as not to disturb the crops so much that are planted in front of them!

The improved bean fence with the path in place!

Lots more pots have been bought for the gravel area around the greenhouse and this is going to be 'The Salad Bar'. All of my salad is going to go here...firstly as it will help prevent slug and snail damage and secondly as it means no matter how wet it is I will be easily able to harvest only what I need as they will be easily accessible and I do prefer my salad 'just picked'. I am going to grow some baby carrots in these tubs too. The only salad that will go into the plot will be my beetroot.

I am hoping for more success with my parsnips this year and so I have sown them into peat pots in the greenhouse to be planted out if they come through...every year so far I have wasted space by planting them directly into the ground...I have also tried 'chitting' them first without much success...this way if nothing happens with the seeds then I won't have wasted the space on the allotment.

I have planted all my Pepper seeds into pots covered with fleece in the greenhouse. Although I have always had peppers it has never been a great harvest and I am hoping that by sowing a little earlier I will be in with the chance of a better crop.

Oh and I am definitely more organised this year. I have all my seeds sorted and everything is looking good...I am even planning ahead for where stuff will go and I hope that this along with all my other new quirks and strategies will give me an excellent season ahead!!

So what improvements have you made for 2011?? Or are you just that great that you didn't have to make nay tweaks this year?

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Weather watch Wednesday...week 9....2/03/11

2011-03-02T17:31:00.002Z

Well we don't seem to have been in 2011 for more than five minutes and already its March!!

The weather has been cold....VERY COLD...at least that's what it feels like since I came home at the weekend...who'd have thought it would actually be warmer on the beach then inland?!?!?!

I am a little behind with posting and the blogs I follow but I promise to rectify that today! :-)

So temperatures have been between 3 and 7 degrees and I haven't seen the sun since I left the coast at the weekend. There has been quite a lot of rain but just the mizzly stuff. Today actually stayed dry!!

The garden is slowly coming back to life and I have primroses, pansies, crocus and heathers in flower...my daffodils are nearly there too!!

Been down the allotment and got in some Pepper seeds of various varieties, parsnip in peat pots and leeks.

Now we just have to wait a little longer to get the spuds in the ground!!

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We survived going Underground!!!

2011-02-26T20:45:00.005Z

Well we are home safe and actually managed to survive the underground!! The journey down wasn't great but the return trip ran nice and smoothly with seat on every train! We actually went to stay with friends in Havant near Portsmouth and we had a lovely time and managed to cram a lot in a few days...of course this resulted in long days, late nights...and occasionally mardy kids...but it was still great!!

The weather stayed nice for us and was actually warmer down south then in the east midlands. I can't wait to visit again...hopefully when the weather is a little warmer so we can enjoy the seas and beaches more...we also would like to go and visit the Isle of Wight next time.

Obviously I didn't get any gardening done whilst I wasn't at home but it was nice to see Laura also growing her own in her small back garden even though she lives in the middle of a town and today when we left her Hubby was actually making her some raised beds to put on the concreted area in their back garden so they will have more room to grow veggies this summer as they aren't allowed to dig up the lawn for beds and also the garden is small so the kids need that little bit of lawn for the trampoline!

I am actually quite jealous that she has already started sowing her seeds with the extra warmth the have at the south end of the UK.

We had a lovely time at the beach...it was cold but I wasn't bothered in my winter coat and wellies...we still hunted for treasures!!

We were looking for crabs and did manage to find a little hermit crab in a tiny shell but we threw him back into the sea!!

And whilst there my Nephew turned into a God and helped support the sea..lol..I love the way this photo turned out and it wasn't even planned!!

We also visited Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth Harbour and Clarence Pier whilst we were there...next time we are hoping to go over to the Isle Of Wight.

I didn't see any allotments on our travels of the surrounding areas but spotted a few on the train journey home today. I thought about taking some pictures...but the camera was in the case and my phone has been playing up so I didn't get any...but know that the thought was there and I guess that's what counts!

We arrived home to light shower's but clear patches in the skies...I'm hoping tomorrow will be a warm day so we can release the toads back into the wild for the spring!!

Also I would like to get organized and start some seeds off!!

Weather watch Wednesday...week 8...23/2/11

2011-02-23T11:18:00.002Z

Well this is just going to be a quickie post as we are going away today.

The weather has been mainly wet this week and even on those occasional dry days it has been overcast so not much has been done on the allotment over the last few days although I didn't manage to get in the broad beans I purchased to replace those I lost in the cold weather we've had.

Temperatures have been quite low ...between 3 and 5 degrees although today does seem a little warmer...the clouds have managed to keep the frosts at bay!!

So now we are off To Havant to visit friends for a few days...should be nice although their weather is no better than ours...have to admit to being a little apprehensive about using the underground as I never have before...keep your fingers crossed for us!!

Rain, rockery remodeling, Rain, planting on the plot...and RAIN!!

2011-02-19T18:52:00.005Z

Well it's certainly been a busy couple of days. I have a rockery in my garden which to be honest was just a hideous mess which I was ashamed of and I have wanting to be taking it apart and rebuild it for a while now so i decided that 2010 was definitely the year and I was going to get on and do it. So my plan was to start it on Friday. The Dave paid me a visit and said that he was going to Homebase and didn't I want to take a ride down to pick up some compost. Well because we don't have a car I jumped at the chance and decided that whilst I was there I could pick up some extra plants for the rockery which I was going to re-build.

So off I went....we got the compost and I got some lovely Alpines, primroses and pansies...I picked up enough to put in my strawberry planter as-well as the strawberries had died over the winter and I wasn't overly impressed with the amount I got from the planter so I figured it would make a lovely planter in the garden instead!

Anyway by the time we got back...had a bite to eat it was getting late but I was still intending to do the rockery...it was a cold damp day but there wasn't any rain. Then I got a phone call from green thumb to say they were going to come and scarify my lawn and so I had to wait a little longer.

As you can imagine it got quite late and I didn't want to start something I couldn't finish so I sorted out the strawberry planter and decided the rockery could wait just one more day!!

So here is the planter...I forgot to take a before picture so just believe me when I tell you how much better it looks!!

So it was today that was the day to start the rockery...and what a beautiful day for it...not a sun in the sky...and not a dry bit of land in the garden...or the street...or anywhere really. In fact it had rained that much in the night there were huge puddles in the street and it was still pouring outside when I got up...as you can imagine...not the weather I really wanted to see today.

This is my hideous rockery which I am ashamed to show you.. :-(

But I was determined not to be beaten...so I thought...I'll wait a while...the rain has got to at least ease off eventually.....and after a few hours it did. It was actually close to lunch than anything when I started but with the help of my son (no matter how reluctant) we soon got it pulled down and then there was no going back!!

As you can see there are plenty of plants on the top of the rockery and I didn't want to lose these so I dug them out and put them to one side to sort out what I was going to plant after I had finished.
Quite conveniently Dave popped in to let me know some allotment business so he was quickly enlisted to help too. This left my son as errand boy and he took the newly bought compost (of yesterday) up to the allotment for me and became tea boy!!

Well I had a general idea of how I wanted it to look on completion and with a little (OK...sometimes a LOT!) of guidance from Dave i managed to achieve the effect I was after and then got my new plants in...I also sorted out the old plants and split some and replanted them .
The garden was a complete shambles after we had finished and I had to wash all the forks and everything down, as well as six pairs of gardening gloves and the slabs...but I have to say I am soooooooooo pleased with my finished rockery!!

Here it is in all it's glory...obviously it will look better as time goes by and the plants fill out...but what a difference!

Then to finish the day off I had quite a few plants which had spread so much I didn't want to put them all back on the rockery so these were sorted and I took them up to the allotment to go around the pond and at a little more greenery and life to it...again they will soon fill out...I also put in some sweet peas seeds.

A little bit more greenery round the pond!

So although it was wet, cold, muddy and at times pretty gross I have had an enjoyable day outside..well basically just playing in the mud. I am happy that I am getting all these little bits done before the allotment gets really busy at it means after a busy day on the plot I can sit down in my garden, or round the pond...and be totally happy with things!! I just need to buy a couple of packets of wildflower seeds now for round the pond area and I'm set!

I also picked up some more broad beans yesterday as I lost quite a few plants to the extreme cold over the winter...didn't get those in today though...maybe tomorrow weather permitting....or in a day or two!

So how eventful has your weekend been??
Done anything fun??
I now have to start the ironing....have sympathy for me...sigh...

P.S.....I'm sure you've noticed how careful I was with the camera...you got to miss all the mess...but imagine as bad as can be...triple it...and you will have something near the mess I made of my garden!!

Weather Watch Wednesday...week 7...16/2/11...and a bit of gardening with friends!!

2011-02-16T20:33:00.002Z

So first the weather.....well the strong winds have stayed away but the winds that have remained have turned from west to east and have brought a chill to the air keeping the temperatures in the single figures over the last week and causing a few light frosts in the evenings.

Rain has been par for the course with showers most days although there has been let up at times and the sun has occasionally shown it's face.

Today was nice and bright for most of the day and we managed to escape the rain that the gathering clouds threatened so I managed to get to my gardening job, had a little company there too...

First company...resident Robin one...always comes to see me and isn't at all timid and loves to sing me a beautiful song as I unearth bugs for him.

Then we were joined by his more timid friend/mate...who has shown her face a couple of times but got quite brave today and came quite a bit closer to me.

And then I was amazed to be joined by a third Robin...(can you spot the three?)...could this be a baby from last year??/ Or someone looking to steal a mate?? I really don't know but the third one was very skittish and kept ruffling his feathers at me...so adorable!!

So there you have it...three friends joined me and kept me company today as the clouds gathered overhead...the air was very damp and it didn't dry the thinnest of washing but it was lovely to get outside!!

Popped up the allotment today just to take up the compost I bought yesterday...will go up at the weekend to start filling the pots.
I'm very eager and as I have a greenhouse this year I really don't mind if it's raining.. :-)

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Happy Valentines Day!!

2011-02-14T18:32:00.002Z

So did you all have a nice day this Valentine's??? Did anyone get anything special?? We aren't huge believers in Valentines so you can imagine my surprise and delight when my Hubby walked through the door with a dozen red roses for me...personally I think he is a little mental for paying that price...but it made me smile big time.

My roses... :-)

As for the allotment...not much going on there really. I had another delivery of manure yesterday so thought I would get it sorted straight away...I also decided it would be a good idea to extend my manure pile a little for more room...this would require me cutting some wood to hold the board in place.

It was wet, cold and windy. The wood was wet and so was the saw so it kept sticking and being very annoying...not one for much patience I decided after struggling to get half way through cutting it that it would be a good idea to stamp on it to finish it off.

This may have gone better if the wood hadn't been suspended between the raised bed and wasn't so long. Oh don't worry I stamped on it and broke the wood to them required length...but I hit it with such a force that the longer end of the wood shot up and smacked me on the side of the head and face.

I didn't concuss myself and a quick look revealed that no-one else was dumb enough to be up the plot in the poring rain but boy did they miss a good laugh at me beating myself up with bits of wood in the rain...anyway I thought you would all enjoy my little mishap.. maybe you have done something as silly as this in the past....although I wouldn't be surprised if I'm the only one!! My Hubby and parents dutifully laughed at the tale...my Hubby got a punch for it!!

Still a little tender....having to brush my hair VERY carefully!!

Happy Valentines!!!!!

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A little planting on the plot!!

2011-02-12T22:16:00.002Z

The weather has been changeable today but I managed to get down the allotment between showers and get a little planting done. The earth was VERY wet but this did mean I didn't have to fetch any water.. :-)

Firstly a few grasses and a small holly bush around the pond...which by the way I have decided doesn't matter too much if it isn't dead level!!

My Lingonberry bushes went in as well...I had a hard job getting hold of these and I have never seen the berries sold in English stores so I can't wait for them to produce some fruit!!

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2010 Disasters, allotment rents and a Birthday present.

2011-02-11T17:26:00.004Z

Well I wanted to share with all my readers the prices of our plots...but didn't want a post entirely dedicated to that so will do a disasters post with it to lighten things up a little. I think the 2010 growing disasters is a good place to start...and let me tell you there were quite a few!!

First off...I lost all of my runner beans plants to a late harsh frost which was a bit of a downer for me, however this was remedied by planting more beans but it did mean that my harvest started later than I am used to and I didn't get as many beans as the previous year even though I did have the same amount of plants.

The summer brassicas were just an immense no go...we had such a problem with the flea beetle last year that they totally devastated the summer brassicas and many of the winter ones too. I had no summer brassicas and only had a few winter veggies as I went out and bought some plug plants which I have never before done in my life.

But all this wasn't the biggest disaster of 2010...nope...I think I would have to call the biggest disaster or 2010 my radishes!! Yep, you definitely read it right....radishes which usually grow like weeds and you are trying to force down people throats were a total disaster and totally un-salvageable. I sowed them three times and out of all of those seeds not once did I get to harvest a single radish. I can tell you I am glad this wasn't my first year of growing as I may have given up there and then as I know how easy they are to grow!! The seeds germinated ...then they bolted...then I was left with spindly stems with a flower on the end and nothing under the earth....so in the end I gave up but i will grow some more again this year...hopefully it was just the weird weather we had.

Another thing that didn't amount to anything was my celeriac...I had never grown this before and was kindly given some seedlings by an allotment neighbour. This did however mean there were no instructions...but I didn't think that was a problem. However when I had lush leaves at the top and decided to try harvesting i found again there was nothing under the earth. I have since been told that this can often be a common thing with celeriac, also you should pluck some of the top foliage to give the plant extra energy to form the bulb under the ground. I don't feel dis-heartened at all by this and I will certainly try them again this year..I have to admit to never having eaten celeriac and so I am hoping for at least one good one this season!!

The there was the aubergine plant...it looked lovely but never fruited...I have since found out that I may have been better off growing in the greenhouse and this is duly noted for this season!

My Aubergine.

Also didn't have as much success with squash this year, That was my fault though and only down to the way i out my plants in....I know not to make the same mistakes as last year though so things can only get better....well they can't get any worse anyway!!!!

So now to the rent...I actually photographed the paper I received so I wouldn't have to re-type it...I know lazy me...but anything to make life simpler...and besides which...an extra photo is nice no matter how mundane!!

Below you will see that it says I have 1 1/2 plots but that isn't right, they have just never put Kate's name on the books too...I when we first got our plot we were told we had to decide who's name was going to go down...we weren't actually issued half a plot each. Now they are issuing half plots I will talk to Kate and see if she wants it changing!!

So there we have it..Parish council rates have gone up 50% so a full plot has gone from £12 to £18, The association and NAASS prices remain the same. This means that a full plot of 25' by 100' is £24 for the year.

So...how does this compare with your prices??? Don't forget to tally into it the amount of land you have too. Obviously plot sizes are rough as I don't think anyone has ever measured them out....just walked along a bit and stuck a marker in the ground......well that's what it seems like to me...you can clearly see in some places the sizes differ!!

The Birthday Present.

And finally the birthday present...this isn't my present but one that we (My parents and Hubby) have bought for a friend. I think it is a darling little thing and with the hangers it is a really nice feature. We planted it up and put it in place in her garden today. She is away on holiday until after her birthday so it will be a nice surprise for her when she gets home...unless of course she arrives back at night...then the fact that there is a glow in the middle of her lawn may give her a fright as the lantern on top automatically switches on when it's dark...errmmm...never really thought of that before putting it in place...oh well I'm sure she will love it!!

Hoping to get down the plot tomorrow to get some plants put around the pond...still debating on whether or not I should level it up????? What do you think?

Weather watch wednesday...week 6....9/2/11

2011-02-09T22:25:00.002Z

Not much to say on this front today.

The temperature has been unseasonably warm for January and reached double figures most days.

The winds started last Thursday with gusts up to 80mph and didn't leave us again until Tuesday morning.

Tuesday was lovely and sunny if a little frosty throughout the might.

Wednesday...Light rains to start but clearing later and again just reaching 10 degrees in temperature.

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A glorious day on the allotment.

2011-02-08T20:27:00.002Z

Well I awoke this morning to a much better day...I couldn't see it at that point as it was still very dark but when my Hubby came in form work I asked him what the wind was doing and he simply answered, 'It's gone!'....boy did I love that phrase and it totally lifted my spirits.

I got up and leisurely pottered about doing bits and bobs for an hour or so until the sun rose into a beautiful clear sky, I have some unexpected time off work so then I got on with the cleaning getting done for just past midday so that I could spend a few hours up the plot.

Although we had a light frost in the night the sun was warm and it was lovely to be out in the fresh air. My main plan today was to get the pond area finished but I also knew that there were some water-butts for sale at the allotment so I sought one of those out too as when we put some new fence posts in to stabilize the fence more after the recent winds we found the ground very wet at the back of the shed and this was where the two fence posts had rotted through. We think this is due to the water off the shed roof so have erected some guttering and I wanted to capture the water for the garden. The water butts were £16 so I got one of those but as it is really big and doesn't have a tap system I decided I would use this one on the allotment and take the smaller one from the plot home. I didn't want to waste the water in the butt so I transferred half to the new butt...then moved the original one to put the new one in place. I then realized I was going to have a dilemma when wanting to get the water out...I don't know if I've mentioned it before but I'm kind of short and don't even reach 5' so I then thought it would be a good idea to dig out the earth to lower the new water butt so I would be able to stick my watering can in the top.....two full barrow loads of wet earth later and it was in pace...I then took the remaining water from the older butt and put in the new one...this has half filled the butt so there is plenty of room for more water.

Here is my new water butt in place and half full, pipe installed to collect the water from the greenhouse!!

Oh and talking of the greenhouse I should let you know about my glass breakage...now most people would put it down to the wind but I'm not so sure. The winds were incredibly strong but mainly south westerly over the last week and it was a pane on the north side of the greenhouse which was broken...again you think, 'well maybe something blew into it', but the strange things is the glass wasn't broken near the greenhouse...it was up near the cold frame and that's where it was smashed. The bottom pane of glass was laid over the path un-broken...four of the glass clips were near the glass laid on the path...and the other four were inside the greenhouse in one of my seed trays on the top shelf of the staging...oh and three plastic pots which I sow my beans in were gone form the middle of the large seed tray. Now even I think this is a little clever for the winds that we have had and was wondering if someone had been playing games. Anyway the greenhouse is patched up for now and will hopefully be repaired properly at the weekend and a quick rummage in the recycle pot dump replaced the three missing pots.

My rhubarb potted up and put in it's final resting place...It was just starting to sprout so I'm hoping I got it moved just in time!

As I went to the allotment to finish my pond area off I had to decide where to put my rhubarb without it getting out of hand...in the end I decided on putting it in a pot to keep it under control and situating it near the manure heap....it will get plenty of nutrients here and always be out of the way!!

Then I finally got on with the pond area...the two barrow loads of soil I removed for the water butt came in handy for topping up the soil round the pond and now I just have to get some plants sorted and growing round the edges. Dave has offered me some grasses which he has in pots and I am going to sow wild flower seeds to attract all sorts of different wildlife. This is where we are going to let the toads go when the weather gets a little warmer and I am hoping that more will join them and maybe we'll get some frogspawn. I won't be putting any fish in it and it's not a 'real' pond but I wanted a little water feature to attract more wildlife to my plot.

My pond...which is actually a boat shaped sandpit but I got it for a bargain price at the end of last summer!!

So what do you think?? It isn't anything spectacular but ponds and pond liner were in excess of £50 to buy and I really didn't want to spend that sort of money.....I think once the plants get growing and I get some wildflowers growing behind and trailing down it will be a wonderful place for the wildlife to hang out with me.. :-)

Other wind damage was just a bit of down pipe that came loose and has been wedged back in place ready to be fixed properly at the weekend.

On a sadder note...some people have been having problems with a fox and there livestock...now I know they want to protect them and everything but I hate the fact that they caught the fox...yes they have lost a few chickens...but the fox was only acting on instinct...maybe they should have reinforced their pens. Well it doesn't really matter as the vixen was caught some time in the last week and although I am grateful they didn't kill her she has been moved far away and I think it is sad that she has been removed from her home territory...she has had a den around here for a few years now and last year I know she was around as I saw her footprints in the snow. All that said though I know that last year she had two cubs and also the year before that so I am hoping that the cubs will be fine and we will probably see the vixen again anyway as she might make her way back to familiar territory.

OK...that's all from me for now...I'm sure my limbs are going to protest tomorrow about all the heavy lifting so I decided it would be a good idea earlier to move all my bedroom furniture to vacuum and dust all the skirtings...that said I think I deserve a sit down and a nice cuppa!!

Hope everyone elses weather has improved too.....oh and please forgive any errors...as I think I am too tired to read this back for mistakes.

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80mph!!!!!!

2011-02-05T19:08:00.001Z

Well that was the winds of yesterday and last night...so today was spent repairing a fence before it took a nose dive to the floor.

Not exactly fun...especially when concrete three foot thick had to be chiseled through but it is done and secure and the winds have now dropped to a much more humane 40mph.

The wind is my least favourite weather purely because it can be so destructive.

Luckily my allotment has stood firm and suffered no damage although someone's shed has blown over.

Hope you all haven't suffered with the wind.

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Introducing the allotment.

2011-02-04T11:07:00.015Z

It occurred to me the other day that I have never really introduced my allotment properly so nobody has any idea of the layout of the plots or the positioning of my plot within the allotments.

Now you have to remember that I am no great shakes as an artist but I can just about manage a few straight lines and I'm great with a marker so this is a bright visual post for you all so that you can really get a feel for my plots.

This is an overall view of the plot though it definitely isn't to scale..lol...my plots are the pink areas and the yellow areas are Dave's...I thought I would show you his too as he has featured on my blog.

So this is a basic layout of the plot....I think all the plots are supposed to be the same size but I know that isn't the case though I don't think this is reflected at all in the rent you pay. My plots actually appear to be square but they are rectangular......I'm not going to worry too much about that though as it is just to give you an idea of how the allotments are laid out. I have to admit to cheating just a little on this as I took a photo off the board on the allotments. This means that it started out as black and white so I coloured it myself...it also means the other plot holders names are on it too but I won't worry too much about it as you can't see them too clearly and anyway if you visited the plots in person they would be there for you to look at as you wished!!

My plots up close and personal...and very nearly to scale!!

So above is the layout of each of my half plots...to the left 17A and to the right 15B....these are very nearly to scale as I went out with a measure and then transferred all this into squared paper using 1 square per foot although the right hand image isn't quite long enough as the paper was a bit too short. Plot 17A measures (approx) 47 ' by 26' and 15 B measures (approx) 51' by 25' at the shortest edge though as you can see it goes off at an angle and at the right hand side edged gains another few feet.
You can click on the images to enlarge them for a clearer picture. Green dots represent fruit trees, red dots represent fruit bushes. Black circles are composters, blue circles are water butts. The brown dotted areas are logs for mushrooms or seats and the brown shaded areas are planters for salad to be grown in.
As you can see there is a pond area on the right hand side and I will fill you more in on this and take some pictures when it's complete.

My journey from house to plot.

After I had spent all the time and effort on preparing for this post my most helpful (NOT) Hubby then turns round to me and says...'You could have used google earth!' As you can imagine I was a little miffed but it turns out it wouldn't have been that much good to me as the photo of our area is very old and there are houses and stuff missing and the plots look quite different but I did put the above picture in so you could really appreciate how close my allotment is to home.

This means that as a general average our plot are 100'by25' for a full plot. We have 51 plots available and last year 38 residents...all plots are full but some have multiple plots. This year there will be a few change of residents but only half plots are being issued to new tenants to get the waiting list down which currently stands at 13. I'm not sure how much our plots are going to be this year but will let you know as soon as I have the bill in and then we can all see what we are really getting for our money and how it differs from place to place!

That about sums up this post...I hope you liked my fantastic artwork...and my introduction to our allotments....I had lots of fun doing this so you could all get a better idea for things...I wonder if any of you live so close to your plots...or in the layouts are anything similar??

Weather watch Wednesday week 5.........2/2/11

2011-02-02T17:12:00.005Z

Well it's another weather watch day and a new month. It's hard to believe we are in February already....but this is one part of the year I don't mind moving fast. The weather hasn't been too bad over the last week. A couple of light frosts at night have made for some crispy mornings and we have had a few drizzly days but also a couple of bright ones to balance it out. Today has been cloudy and miserable, the thermometer read 9 degrees but with gust of wind up to 50mph it has felt considerably colder.

The sky at 5:00pm.

On the major plus side the days are slowly getting longer and tonight the sun was still up...JUST...at 5:00pm.....it would have bee really nice if there hadn't been so much cloud.
I have noticed the mornings getting brighter too and it's all these little things that keep me going.
We still haven't had that amazing cold snap they were predicting but I guess there is still time.....more time for cold and snow before the season is out....come to think of it even when the next season is in!!

The golden crop of 2010.

2011-02-01T14:00:00.004Z

Well I have to admit that I intended on doing a run of posts throughout December on my 'growings' of last year but as I didn't get around to it I thought I would do them now...and what better to start with in dreary January than my 'Golden' crop.

Sweetcorn...this was my first year of success and I was highly pleased with myself and the taste...I am hoping for a great crop again this year and I hope to plant more of it too as it didn't last us very long.

Lovely Sweetcorn!!

The plants were strong and stood well to the winds...I got at least two beautifully juicy ears from each plant... :-)

So what do you think was your personal best in 2010??

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Growing green in the house!!

2011-01-30T22:25:00.003Z

Not everybody has the pleasure of owning an allotment...in fact their are many people who don't even have a balcony let alone a yard or a garden but this shouldn't deter from having a go at 'growing your own' if you really want to give it a try.

For most of those without the aid of outdoors they think of growing in windowsills and this is a great idea but you are limited on what you can grow and also have to turn your pots on a regular basis to stop your plants from leaning and straining to the light.. Sometimes this can be a chore to people but then others don't seems to mind so it' is entirely up to you...I have found that the best thing to grow on windowsills are herbs...they thrive well in the indoors humidity, are very pretty and add a wonderful aroma to your room...and also your cooking.

But there is another way to grow indoors!!!

The seed sprouter!!!

Yep...if you want to give it a go then you can try sprouting your own seeds...it's easy, nutritious and also great to do with the kids as the results come within less than a week. As you can see I have recently invested in a seed sprouter which I got for half price from Thompson and Morgan as I am a member of the allotments association but you don't need anything fancy to sprout your seeds...and you can even hide them inside a cupboard whilst they're sprouting if you don't want them hanging around on the counter.

Snow peas.

So far I have tried out four different packets of seeds, snow peas, mung beans, alfalfa and a sandwich mix. We haven't wasted any at all although I wasn't so keen on the snow peas but my son loved them.

Alfalfa.

Now as I mentioned before...you don't need a fancy sprouter and growing them is quick and easy...all you need is a jar, water and somewhere to stand them...the seeds need to first be soaked in water for a few hours although I have been leaving mine overnight and then drained and either left in a bowl or jar with holes in the lid. The seeds need to be rinsed twice daily which is easy with the sprouterr as you just dink the whole thing in water but if you grow them in a normal bowl then you can just pour them into a sieve and rinse under the tap....the seeds are usually ready to eat in a few days so it takes no longer than growing cress.

Mung Beans.

Sprouting seeds do not need the presence of light and can in fact be grown inside a dark cupboard which gives them different tastes and textures than when grown in an airy room. As there is no compost there is no extra outlay of cost and no mess making ideal for those who want to grow something with there children or who live in apartments/flats. You can grow as little or as much as you want at any one time and you can mix your favourite seeds together and grow your favourite combination all in one go.

You can eat these raw or cooked in stir fries and casseroles so their is no limit to what you can use them for........and there are hundreds of different seeds that you can try!!

As you can see from above I have added a few of those I have tried already an i have loved being able to try all the different varieties so far an can't wait to start some more of this week.....and the best thing I have found is that even though it's still winter I am eating something totally fresh that I have grown myself which is making me just a little bit happier about having to wait for spring!!!

Weather Watch Wednesday..week 4......26/01/11

2011-01-26T20:46:00.002Z

Well the weather has been pretty much what you would expect for January.

Wet, cold, miserable, windy.

That pretty much sums up the week. We have had the odd bright spell and sometimes the temperature has been a quite mild at 7 degrees but mostly we have been looking at frosty nights and days and temperatures between -5 and 3 degrees centigrade.

I took my seed potatoes down to the shed at the allotment but I am hoping to get down there tomorrow and cover them in the knew sacks that I have bought just in case we get any more really cold weather as i don't want to lose them as I did the rest of my winter stock that I had stored

Today it's rained and we have had a biting easterly wind so I spent a productive day at home cleaning carpets and the house to keep me occupied.....still longing for the spring!!!

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A nice surprise on the plot...and a little telling off!!

2011-01-25T20:33:00.002Z

So I managed to get down the allotment over the weekend and get the tubs emptied of the old compost...I added this straight to the compost bins to help make more compost over the year. I haven't had any benefit from these yet but as they only went into place last year i don't expect anything from them until at least next Spring.

That job done I then sorted out pots to make sure I had enough for the beans and corn I want to plant in case I needed to raid the re-cycling dump....that done I didn't really want to go home so I decided I would tackle the carrots that I hadn't managed to get out of the ground before the cold spell hit.

My carrots hadn't been protected by anything and I could see a few peeking through the top of the soil so resigned myself to digging them up and adding them to the compost bin...so imagine my surprise and delight when this is what I found......

Lovely jubbly carrots!!

That's right...some wonderfully smelling and decidedly large wonderful looking carrots....okay so some are a funny shape but I really don't care if my carrots aren't straight...the smell and colour is wonderful. These have obviously been frozen and thawed a few times over the last couple of months so i have scrubbed, peeled sliced and frozen them and I will use them for mashing and soups or stews and things.I am delighted that they weren't all devastated in the terrible weather we had!!

So where did the telling off come from?? Well myself actually...a mental telling off from me to me!! You see I think I have been rather neglectful of my blog over the winter months....I don't really know why as I have lots of posts trolling round in my tiny little head and I don't know whether it's down to sheer laziness....the fact that I lost the plot....(Ha Ha) or just the fact that my 'mojo' went away for a little while and I didn't feel like writing but I promise to be getting on with things more and up to speed with all the posts I have before the spring planting is started...I think maybe doing this will also give me a little focus as I have got seriously itchy feet to get sowing under way and I know that it's way too early to start....i wonder if Hubby would consider moving to a country where there is no winter?!?!?!?!......No to be honest I don't want that at all but i feel like i might actually be a real 'allotmenter' this year as i am organized and I have my plot as I want it which has made me really eager to get on with things....or maybe it's just that I'm more organized this year than I ever have been so I had so much to get done last year that I didn't have time to moan about the long winter???

Oh god now I'm waffling on like a raving lunatic...oh well I guess that's' winter for you

Mmmmmm....Cabbage.

On the plus side...when Hubby decided he wanted 'cabbage' with his dinner toady i felt immensely proud to be able to poddle off down the plot and pluck one out of the ground...I guess all isn't lost yet....there are still a few pickings and I think some leek soup may be in order too!!!

Oh and incidentally I am 'site of the week' over at Nature Centre Magazine. It's a great site some of you may have seen but if you don't know it go and check it out as there is lots of great information and some lovely down-loadable wallpapers too.

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A couple of hours well spent on the allotment!!

2011-01-21T17:19:00.003Z

Well I managed to get down the allotment for a couple of hours this afternoon and although it was VERY cold the sun was bright in the sky and the air was still making it lovely to be outside.

I originally went down to empty out all the old compost from the tubs of last year but it was so cold that they were all frozen solid so that job wasn't accomplished today.

I did get the cauliflower patch sorted and all those that had been devastated by the harsh weather were unearthed and put in the composter and the lettuces in the greenhouse were sorted too. I lost a couple of those but for the most they are in pretty good shape and I just removed a few of the limp outer leaves so that the hearts would benefit.

I saw Dave up the plot and when I was last chatting to him I had talked about getting a couple of raised beds..the reason for them will be revealed in another post but I mention them now as some plot holders have handed back their allotment this year and so what was there is up for grabs at the minute so he took me down and I acquired to sturdy portable raised beds which is just what I was after as I don't want beds that will be fixed in one place. Dave got some great fence stakes and we also found some chairs by the container which Dave had and an umbrella stand which I got for my umbrella this summer.

So all in all it was a great day, I got a little work done, saved myself some money and enjoyed the fresh air...I think I feel a bit like Craig over at dykesedgeallotment...lol

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