Courgettes

The first, decent courgettes of the year. Others have started foxtrot but either have been eaten or gone bad at the end! I'm sure this time last year my courgettes were great! I'm also worried my sweetcorn isn't going to do anything - they're tiny compared to next door's. Oh well....the joys of allomenteering!!!

After-work delight

I popped to the allotment after work cos I knew there was some brocolli that needed to be picked.  I got quite a bit - some had actually started flowering (Chico and Mabel are now tucking into that, thnak you very much!)  Also noticed an onion going to flower so that came up too and well as a garlic, as I was dying to know what it was like!  Ok, so the garlic was a bit little but I'm sure it'll taste great!
I'd planted some more beetroot, swede, peas and beans the other weekend and they had germinated so I picked a few to thin out so we have bean and pea shoots and swede and beetroot cress!  I decided to lift the rest of the little carrots so there's quite a veg-feast for tea tonight!  Just need to find a recipe....

 

.....and the result:  beef and brocolli stir-fry with rice! 

Jammin part 2

Homemade, homegrown 'Hot mexican' chilli jam (not too hot - will leave seeds in next time!)

Beetroot and chocolate cake

The future part 2! :-D

Jammin!

The first ever pot I've made! It's the future!!!

Busy busy busy

Good morning!  Despite feeling very achey, itchy and sunburnt (I'll never learn but it was cloudy and drizzley yesterday!) we had a very busy day up at'plot and didn't get home til 8ish. 
The plot was looking a complete jungle so Alex got strimmer and strimmed!  What a difference already and it's not all done yet.  Put some old underlay down (thank Garden Hoe!) and made a proper path.  Now, it's looking all lovely again!
All the potatoes are now up but think the blight got to some but still got plenty.  Anyone want any??  The potato patch was cleared and raked so now got peas and beans in.  The brocolli is growing and showing some flower heads and the onions and garlic are very nearly there too!
There's still no sign of next door so I went scrumping again and rescued some black currants.  There weren't many so topped them up with a few raspberries that I could find.  Anyway, I've already been busy this morning and the next post will show what happened to the currants! 
I'll also post a pick of the beetroot and chocolate cake that was demolished at work.  That's a recipe that'll be a Julia special!
The sun is out now and off to get ready for more allotment fun (may also christen new bbq up there too if anyone wants to join us!)
Bye for now!

Today's bounty

Right, I've had a snooze so time to tell all about the allotment adventure of the day. Despite feeling fuzzy-headed (don't know why!!) I was up and off earlyish and in a mission! Went to buy a greenhouse type thing in the hope of saving my tomatoes. Got the plot and it looked like a jungle!! Serves me right for neglecting it for a week! So got my hoe and my trowel and tackoed the weeds. I cleared quite a lot in the beds but need to do the onions and tidy a bit more.

I planted more borlotti plants and was delighted to see some seeds I'd sown had started to sprout! Then I had to tend to my courgettes the poor things. Slugs had had a feast and they were looking a bit feeble so the pellets were scattered! And same for the sprouts and broc (the broccoli is starting to show some flowers!!)
And so to the tomatoes. I put the greenhouse up, put the toms in and gave them a prune. There are some teeny tomatoes showing so I hope they are happy and start to show more!
After the hard work and as a reward I dug some potatoes and pulled more beetroot! (guess what's for tea!)
Suitably achey, prickly from nettles and worked-out it was home time. I had a peer at the wild strawberry (got a fright by a frog!) and picked a few berries. So here's a photo of today's loot:

Beetroot!

Here's the first of the allotment beetroot :-) there doesn't seem to be a lot of it despite sowing a fair bit of seeds so I will cherish this first lot! It's in the pan cooking away....any ideas for what to do with it? I'm thinking beetroot dip...mmmmm!

Rhubarb crumble

First harvest

Here's a photo of my first harvest - a bumper crop of delish radishes:
















I also rescued some rhubarb from the neglected neighbouring plot and the crumble is in the oven as I type.
I must sow some more radish and take the tomatoes up to the plot alnd plant them in their grow bags.  Just hope they'll be ok in the poly-greenhouse and that the frost stays away!

Trees!

I'm really looking forward to my fruit trees producing fruit and I know there's a while to wait yet!  I get excited about the jams and yummy stuff I could make if there's enough.  I'm still waiting for the fig tree - apparently it's not been picked yet!
Thanks to Thompson and Morgan, I've just purchased a quince tree which was on my list.  I'm hoping that'll come next week when I'm off :-)  Also spotted on the T&M website was a reduced-price Mirabelle de Nancy - I'm SOOOO tempted and will bring back memories!  (shall I? Shall I? Shall I????!!!)

Finally - I MUST take the tomatoes up to the allotment and get them planted.  They're taking over the place!

Quince
Mirabelle

Update at last!

It's been a while since I updated last - I tried last weekend but it disappeared! Anyway....I had a little session this afternoon - it was a much needed respite and what a day!  I'm sure it's been the best so far (weather-wise!)  The trees are bursting their leaves and the seedlings are growing up very quickly. 
Two of the new beds have been ready for planting since last weekend so I planted two courgette plants (I cheated and bought them from the garden centre!)  I've had to re-sow my yellow courgette seeds as a cheeky little critter sniffed them out in the cold frame and scoffed them!  Needless to say the new plantings are on the windowsill and are beginning to poke their leaves out of the soil.
The sprouts and the brocolli were getting big so I took the plunge and planted them out into the brassica bed.  I've kept some behind just in case, but the weather and the temperatures seem to be ok for the next few days so hopefully they won't succum to the frosts.
I also sowed a row of swiss chard - the bright lights kind. I will do another row in a couple of weeks.
Next to be planted out is looking like the sweetcorn - they are shooting up on the windowsill; and the first lot of radishes will be harvested very soon! 
So as you can tell, things are happening at last and now Monty is on so I'd better pay attention to him!
Bye for now!
Julia

The results are in....

....and it's the FIG!!  Thank you all for voting. I've gone for the 'brown turkey', despite not liking the name (I prefer violetta or the rosetta) but I've read up on it and it seems to be suitable - hardy and good fruit (and cheaper!)  Here's a link to what it'll look like:
fig-tree-brown-turkey-

I look forward to it!

Lasagne part 2

One hour later.....

Lasagne

Part one of my lasagne. Now for the hard bit!

Be prepared to go "wow!"

A cup of tea after an afternoon's digging is WONDERFUL!! Well...we've got all the beds done and one of them is just about ready to be planted. Think one or two beds will get covered for a year to sort the weeds out but the plot is looking as it should be now and I'm feeling very achey but extremely....soothed. Gardening and digging does wonders for the soul :-)

So here's and update on planted things ... potatoes, beetroot, carrots and parsnips are in one bed. Radish, leeks, squash, swede, broccoli and sweetcorn are in the cold-frame. Onions and tomatoes are on the windowsill, garlic is in a bed too and broad beans are against the arch. Fruit-wise there's plum, cherry, braeburn apple, pear, rhubarb (and more from a neighbour!) raspberries, redcurrant, gooseberry and blueberry!!!! (just watching Hugh F-W making lovely stuff with fruit as I type :-D)
Needless to say, I can't wait for things to grow!
Being inspires by others who are planting Jerusalem artichokes...never had them before though. And mum wants celeriac and fennel too! Just need to work out where everything should go....

A cheeky planting

The wait for the weekend allotment trip was too long so I did a little planting this evening! Thought I'd better re-pot my chillis so they've got more room to let the roots grow (GRRRRR! as Richard Jackson would say) the sweetcorn seeds also got planted...got 6 pots so will that be enough??
Planning on a little visit to the plot straight after work...no hanging around THAT place longer than needed for me! Just hope my other allotment plantings are surviving!

Cherry tree buds

Arch and new bed

Alex's handiwork

Raspberries

And the winner is........

RASPBERRIES!!! 

Thank you to all who voted and the raspberries are now in.  I must confess that I'm not a huge fan of raspberries (it's a pip thing)  but hopefully there'll be enough to make jam! 
Also in are the potatoes, despite Monty saying it's too cold for them but they are chiited and they're in so there!  I sowed some swede and some squash and they're in the cold frame.  Just a bit of a failure to report...alas the caulis did not survive the week in the cold frame (*sigh*)  oh well, life goes on, we live and learn (etc etc!)
The beans looked strong and I planted them out - great root system!!
And finally today Alex put the first of the bed together and it's now in place!!!  Not a bad couple of hours work depite the bit of rain and mud!

Photos will be available soon - once I've worked out how to get them off my iphone!

And what a reward!

Sunset on the way home:

The results:

Good stuff for the bed

Hard graft

Finally a beautiful, sunny day and lots of jobs done! The garlic is in the ground and the caulis and beans are in the cold frame. Alex sorted the planks, mum planted sprouts, broccoli and radish (in a reclaimed baby bath!), dad wheelbarrowed compost for the bed and we all dug! Hope you're not aching too much - your help was much appreciated. Things are seeming a lot easier and I think the beds will be up and running soon!

March in your garden

March in your garden

This weekend

I'm so looking forward to spending some quality,restorative time at the allotment this weekend. Hopefully there will be some sun too!
I need to make a to-do list so I'll start here:
1. Plant the redcurrant - DONE!
2. Re-pot 1 blueberry and put all on fruit bed - next week
3. Get compost and fill up beds - 1 DONE!
4. Start prepping boards for new beds - DOING!
5. Plant potatoes?? - next week
6. Decide what else to plant! - sort of!
7. Drink tea - DONE!
8. Sow flower seeds: poppy and borage - DONE!
9. Take pots and arch from garden - arch: DONE!


More ideas to follow! Please comment if anyone has other suggestions!

PSB recipe! YUM!!!

http://bit.ly/h0ouJA

Sent from my iPhone

No dig weeding

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/feb/26/alys-fowler-lasagne-gardening?cat=lifeandstyle&type=article

Here's an interesting article about the 'lasagne' method of weeding. Would like to try that sometime....sounds my kind of weeding!!

Spring is here!

It's officially springtime inmy book, and the weekend weather is looking great so definitely getting the wellies on! Time for making the beds, methinks, and will have to get forcing the rhubarb! Not only that but have got a redcurrant bush to plant (and do I dare to plant caulis out???)

Some progress

Weeding- done. Digging -done. Rhubarb - in. Gooseberry - in. Back - aches!! (and excitement at new buds appearing on cherry tree!)

Little progress

I'm wishing the weather would dry up just a little so that a little more digging and weeding can be done! Some good news...got some planks from Irene the association secretary to make more raised beds. However, just one problemo....the weather!!!
Have discovered rhubarb starting to sprout around the plot so lots of crumble to be had come spring! (other rhubarb recipe suggestions welcome!
Oh and not forgetting the seeds that can now well and truly be called seedlings! 

Caulis and onions!

Rain, rain and more rain

It's been to wet to go to allotment so did some seed sowing instead. Pepper Topepo, red and white onions, plum and cherry tomatoes, 2 broad beans, garlic chives and coriander are all in their pots. Charlotte and Pentland javelin potatoes are chitting too. The gooseberry bush has arrived and waiting to be planted as is the rhubarb!
The caulis and sweet onions are growing too so it's all going on!!! I just need to work out how to post a photo straight from this phone....

The Bonfire...and trees!

Had a lovely day yesterday...the bonfire was great and the company better!  Started on chopping down the brambles at the back of the plot so that's a bit clearer now.  Phil turned up on the bike and did some digging - thank you Phil, and for the thoughts about the shed!  The bonfire was lit - it started of with a plume of black smoke which was a bit worrying at first, especially as the neighbours were pottering away.
Cathy, her sister and Luke arrived with sparklers, tea and buns, which were delish, and thank you to them too!  Got the trees potted and sunk into the ground - hopefully no-one will run off with them and if they do, Luke said he'd go and sort them out for us :-D  Anyway, here are the pics......

The blazing bonfire :

 Luke and sparkler:

Alex and his little helper planting trees:

And here's a link to Cathy's photos:
http://yorkshirewints.posterous.com/a-winter-bonfire

First seeds sown

Sweet spanish onions and cauliflowers sown and propogating on the windowsill.  To be planted April-June.

Bonfire

You are all invited to the first allotment bonfire!  Please meet on Saturday 29th Jan at 1pm onwards (weather permitting) in the carpark at Northcliffe woods (Norwood end) and, yes, sparklers are encouraged! :-D
Hope you can make it! x

Destruction of the 'shed'

Finally got the keys so everything is official!!  Got to work on the shed today - yippee!!!!  Can't believe it took most of the day to do (well, yes I can really!)  and it still needs rubbish clearing but that's for another day.  Hopefully, the weedkiller will do it's job and it'll be easier to clear next time. 
Cut back a bush which turned out to be a gooseberry bush.  Haven't cut it all down so will get some goosegogs this year.  A new one will be arriving soon so get ready for gooseberry pie, gooseberry crumble, gooseberry jam....!!
Met the neighbour too - the one on the other 'half' of the plot.  Her name is Adele and she's Irish and is wanting fruit too. 
Anyway...here are the photos:

Before:

After:

The first dig pics

The results!!  Notice the kind-of cleared brambles behind me:

Alex working well:

 The bonfire to be!

Muddy boots (and jeans!)

A soggy Alex!

Website 2

Another website to come back to - especially for the fruit trees that'll go on the plot!! http://www.gardenbargains.com

A Soggy Start

Went up this afternoon in the pouring rain!  First time Alex had seen it too.  We managed to have a dig of the 2 beds, chopped some brambles and piled the rubbish ready for a bonfire.  Not able to put weedkiller down as it was far to wet.  Next time!  Now home getting warm and dry, with a brew, flicking through a seed catalogue! :-)  Pics to follow soon! x

First things first

Next weekend will be the first where I start work on the plot.  The first plans are to measure up and clear the first raised bed ready to sow something (caulies maybe?)  Must remember to get some compost so it's nice and ready!  Once that is sorted, I can get working on clearing the weeds on the rest of the plot - joy! Roundup here we come!
After that (another weekend I think!) will have to get to work on the 'shed' - volunteers to help with the vines inside will be welcome with a promise of bangers and beer (or tea!) 
Will update next weekend on the progress made and hopefully some photos.
Julia.x

A Useful Website

http://www.allotment.org.uk/

The first pic

This is the very first photo of the allotment when we went to have a look and decide if to take it on!  Hope there will be a difference between now and the end of the year (or summer!)

Hello and Welcome!

Welcome to the allotment blog!  Here you'll get uptodate info about the allotment and the progress that's being made.  I'll post info about what's been done and what I've planted so if you go along too and do some work you know what has or hasn't been done!  Please feel free to post anything too - especially if you've done some work there! x