Filling those gaps

That time has come where it is time to find things to sow which will fill the gaps where things have failed on the allotment. This year I have been a little wiser about my sowing for example not direct - as this only makes a banquet of young leaves for the slugs to eat. I know the seed packets say sow direct but I need to keep a beady eye on them and I am making use of the space in the grow house. So I have a tray of Romaine lettuce which has just germinated. Tonight I've sown pak choi and fennel.

Roll on making those spaces work.

the view from the patch

It has been a very hot and busy day and on my second visit to the patch this is the view that made me feel serene and at one with the patch. That was the original reason for getting the patch to give me a space to relax in and to be productive. I love the stillness and soft light on summers evening at the patch, I could even lose track of time if I was allowed to. I would also love to be floating (champange in hand) in that balloon

I'm still planting things out at the plot, today I put my three 'jack edwards' climbing beans out, only three out of nine seeds germinated. I feel a little sad aout the sucess rate as these are seeds from the seed swap and I might not be able to save seed to swap back. One thing I am proud of are my celariac plants they look so lush and shiny green but it has to be said that they are so so so slow at growing. I hope the slugs don't get them (like last years mini celariac) as I am looking forward to seeing them grow.

One rather stinky job I had to do was to decant my nettle 'tea' brew the bucket it was in was emitting an aroma across several plots distance and the flies were swarming. I poured it into a milk carton and it has a sludgey green colour and is think. It has probably been brewing for a month now so what do you think Mrs Be ok to go?

A photo never lies

Here are the first produce I have taken off the allotment. The aroma is fantastic. However they have been cunningly positioned to hide the slug or perhaps bird bites.


I am a little irritated with the local garden centre at the moment. These strawberries were supposed to be a late variety 'symphony' I picked them specifically to be later. Now we haven't had Wimbledon yet so how can they be a late variety?

The same garden centre when I asked them about the cranberry I bought (yes admittedly an impulse purchase so I should take what I get) told me it was suitable for the local soil, now I have found out it needs ericacous grrrrr. It is not happy so how am I going to help it.

Quiet chugging

I've not really had time to post for the last few weeks and I'm not really sure why, but I suppose, if I look back I've been burning the candle at both ends trying to squeeze things in. Another reason for not posting is probably because a lot of what I have been doing down at the patch has been a long list of chores and therefore a little dull.

I have heard nothing since the day of rectification passed, no letters, no nods or winks from the members of the allotment association who may be in the know. I have no idea if I met the standard and I don't think there is much more I can do. It's funny though when you talk to other plot holders quite a few of them have had letters. Some of the more long toothed plot holders imply that there is little more that will happen as it's just muscle flexing. Well I'm not sure, but I am chugging on as I intended anyway.


I got absolutely soaked on Sunday and had to abandon these dwarf beans 'Empress of Russia' down at the plot in the guttering that I had grown them in. I did manage to get then into the ground yesterday. I'm excited to see what they turn out like.

I got by first delivery of chicken poo this weekend my source is my neighbours over the back, it looks like it will be a regular supply. I have just bunged it in the darlek on the plot and hope that will be OK. I'm not very expert at the composting. Having chickens near by is great. Now if I do get a glut of produce (possibly unlikely) then maybe I can swap for fresh eggs which would be a cool deal.

My seedlings in the grow house are starting to diminish as they get planted out so I made a couple chilli plant purchases at the county show I thought that they would do well in the grow house over the summer. One is a jalapeno and one is a lemon drop I have very little knowledge of the different varieties and ease of growing so we shall see.

Rectified?

Well tomorrow is the big day its the day by which I need to have the plot sorted according to that nasty letter I had a little while ago

You can view the plot from every angle here, I took the shots tonight as evidence. Lets hope it is enough. Well what do you think, be honest, am I cultivated enough?

a bigger weekend

I love bank holidays it is an extra day for the weekend and extra time to be busier in, as I always try to do lots of nice things as well as chores. With weather like we have had this weekend it would be wrong not to make the most of it.

So I have squeezed a lot of visits to the plot in around all the other fun, I suppose this activity is necessary because I know that the deadline is approaching, and because their is a lot to do so that we will have enough to harvest later in the year. I am running behind. Also seeing Chelsea all week makes me wish for a lusher more cultivated patch.

We live only a few miles from Wimpole Hall and have visited so many times. I never tire of it, for some reason we have never looked at the walled garden (the vegi bit) before now. We have spent loads of time in the formal gardens and walking over the wider grounds. It was lovely the heat from the brick walls was palpable. The gardens had lots of interesting things to see such as the little apricot fruits on the trees and a range of scarecrows. They also had plants for sale and I thought a tray or two of lettuce would add to the look of the plot and at a pound a throw it seemed reasonable

So here are my Wimpole lettuces in a shot taken from the ground as per my tiny plot's suggestion. I quite like the angle and view - its probably the view the slugs will see just before they munch them!


Also I'm really chuffed as on the plot my salmon flowered peas are flowering and this is the furthest I have managed to get with growing peas so far. I'm so excited we might get to eat our own peas. Today I received a lot of brassicas from my mum, in exchange for her grandson for the week what a good half term deal eh?

A wet day finally

Wet at last, all week the rain has been promised but very little has fallen here. It sort of seems like it has been skirting around us, in fact I have been concerned that the allotment was about to turn into a dust bowl. It seems a little annoying that when I has time to spend at the allotment I had to do it in this mornings showers. I still managed a three hour stint.

'Operation make sure the plot looks cultivated' is in full flow.

• I've done some digging
• I have also covered the area for the butternut squash with a mulch of horse poo, newspaper and grass clippings I plan to dig it in a few weeks
  
• planted out artichoke and cauliflower plants (spontaneous purchase they were in the 50p bargain bucket section of the garden centre)
• sown some mexican hats for a little flower border.

Next week its time to put 'operation tidy up' in to action. Yes lads we are getting ready for the big push on the 29th. Military planning is what will get me through inspection. Oh and the help of a squadron of soldiers, pass me the yellow pages somebody.