Where to start?

Gosh, it has been a while since my last post, hasn't it? Sorry about that. I hope everyone is well. Lots have happened in my life since then: my fiance returned from his posting "down South" in mid-April and then he became my husband at the start of June. Wedding planning got in the way of anything else but it was well worth it as it turned out. We've just returned from our honeymoon (2 lovely weeks in Scotland). I was thinking of the plot while away and we even managed a visit to Inverewe Gardens on the West coast.

Not sure where to start really though it is worth noting how behind I am with everything. Not a surprise. Currently on the plot/jungle, there are globe artichokes producing, Jerusalen artichokes getting taller by the day, broad beans that are short but thinking about podding, fruit ripening (red and blackcurrants, damsons and gooseberries), garlic and onions growing merrily, potatoes flowering, and a couple of tomato plants. The sage has flowered in a stunning blue/purple.

I spent some time in the garden Sunday to reign back the jungle that had grown in our absence. I cannot believe how much it had grown. The fennel plant by the patio door was way over our heads and was starting to put our house in the shade. The best thing was finding some sweet peas that had flowered. They are red though, not the orange I was expecting. They smell amazing.

In the afternoon, I spent 3 hours at the plot. I moved the compost bin up to the top of the plot where it'll get more attention and filled in with material taken from the garden this morning (mainly fennel), paper shreddings and comfrey (which was putting the 2 tomato plants in the shade). After some hoeing and raking, I then planted out 12 tomato plants (6 Legend and 6 Ferline) and sowed some parsnips. Then I planted out some poached egg plants in a row next to the broad beans in an effort to give the invading black fly something else to think about. I finished off by hosing everything down including the black fly on both the broad beans and globe artichokes. After losing the battle of wits with the midges recently, I am in no mood to leave these wee beasties alone.

Photos to come soon when I can find the right lead...

Twisted firestarter

Well I finally got round to a bonfire last Sunday. I finally caught up with Bramble Man (first time this year!) and we inspected both our plots. I casually mentioned my plans to have a bonfire one day and he said there was no time like the present. He carefully built up the foundations on the bottom of Plot 35, me watching as his apprentice (I clearly remember being taught to make a bed and lay a table in the Brownies but have no recollection of learning anything to do with setting fire to things). Then we both forked loads of bramble cuttings and other plant debris onto the medium-size bonfire over the course of an hour and the way was soon cleared. Now I have little excuse not to start digging up the bramble roots.

I've not done much gardening at all this Bank Holiday weekend. Have been focusing on indoor stuff. I am pleased to report that the germination of the seeds sown last weekend has been very good. All but two of the crops (sunflowers and nasturtiums I think) have sprouted and when sprouting has taken place, it has moreorless been 100%. I used Sainsburys peat-free compost for the first time. It seems good. I'll wait to see if thrips start to appear though (a problem I have had with peat-free in the past).

Back on track

The last couple of weeks have been light on the gardening front with lovely visitors coming to stay and a cold knocking me a little bit. I'm now back onto it though. I have managed to get the spuds in (8 rows of 10 or so) where Beds 5 and 7 have been combined. Today, I planted out some sweet peas in the garden, potted up chillies, tomatoes and rhubarb (the aubergine and peppers which finally made an appearance need another week methinks) and sowed some kale, cauliflower, perpetual spinach, oregano, cabbages, Brussels sprouts, nasturtiums, poached egg plants and sunflowers. The flower seeds area bit out-of-date so they may not come to anything. Still, you've got to be in it to win it.

Over to Plot 35 tomorrow...

Photo meme

I was asked by fellow plotter mangocheeks, of Allotment2Kitchen, to pick a photo meme. This was a while ago and I have been struggling to find one ever since. Sorry about that. Nice idea though. Ideally, I'd have found one of me as a kid with my paternal Grandfather which whom I spent many a happy hour in his greenhouse taking in the scent of the tomatoes and making mud pies. He grew amazing leeks which were cooked in lashings of butter. The scents of tomato plants and freshly cut leeks are probably my two favourites and I think I always knew even from very young that I'd have an allotment, just like my Grandad did, when I grew up. Unfortunately, I don't think I have any photos of all that. I found the following photo which I like:



This is me a few years ago pottering around in our back garden. Our two cats were always "helping" me whenever I was pottering. I just like the fact that this photo captures them looking a bit like trouble. Sadly, the one on the left is no longer with us. The one on the right still likes to "help" though. I think this just captures how chaotic my gardening normally is.

Back to work

Sorry for the lack of photos in recent blogs - I really need to get a new camera.

I spent a couple of hours over at the plot yesterday and cut down the rest of the brambles. Result! Now I can start digging the roots up and plotting a nice bonfire to get rid of all heaps of debris from previous seasons.

Today, the sun was shining so I spent longer over at the plot. Still chilly mind. I dug over Bed 4 and part of Bed 6, removing the grass path between them. I dug up the Jerusalem artichokes and gave some of the best looking tubers to my neighbour to grow. My back certainly feels like it has had some exercise. I removed a barrow-load of stones from the beds as I went along.

My main task next week is to plant out some spuds. I've got visitors coming the weekend after so it is next weekend or the last weekend in March. Either way is fine but I'd like to get them in asap. I plan to dig over Beds 5 and 7, removing the grass between them as well, to make 1 larger bed for the potatoes. It has been 3 years I think since I last grew spuds in that spot so this should be fine, although blight is still to be expected.

And I've got some sweet peas to plant out. It is due to dip below 0C tonight so I'll wait a few more days before setting those out to catch the sun. However, today has been so nice and sunny that someone went up in a hot air balloon.

Drier than expected

Today was not half as wet as it was forecast though it was grey for most of the day. Yesterday had sunny intervals and was quite mild at 7-8C. I nipped over to the plot yesterday to cut down some of the brambles at the bottom of the plot. It was amazing how much I managed to cut down in 2 hours. Another session should do it and then I can start digging some roots out.

While I was over there I met my new next door neighbours - 2 couples who seem to be sharing their plot. They seem very nice and I look forward to talking more to them over there.

I came home with a bag of leeks and turned them into soup along with some potatoes from last year.

At home, the sweet peas need planting out but there is no sign of the broad beans. 1 of each of the chilli varities has germinated and the onion seedlings are getting longer (poor germination rate of the white onions). No sign of the sweet peppers or aubergine. 1 rhubarb seedling beginning to sprout. I am putting the poor germination rates down to the light and me sowing too early.

If next weekend is dry then I can cut down the rest of the brambles and dig over one of the beds. Quite frankly, I need the exercise.

Happy Valentines Day

It was much milder today than it has been of late. About 7 degrees Centigrade. Oooo. The sun came out too.

Yesterday, I tidied up some of the pots on the patio at home. They had got into a right mess. Now I have more room for new plants.

Today, I started slowly by sowing some seeds: rhubarb, aubergine, peppers and chillies. I have put the chillies into the airing cupboard to keep them warm. I also sowed some salad leaves and Paris Market carrots in pots on the patio. I covered these with a pane of glass lent by a neighbour. It's good to get an early start.

After that, I headed over to the plot. The soil was almost perfect for digging. I dug over and weeded the bed where the parsnips were - about 4x2m. I found some small parsnips as I went along. It seems that the ones I chiseled out before Christmas were the largest there were. I also dug up some Jerusalem artichokes from the neighbouring patch of soil.