21. Them were the days...

I have just read the beginning of my last post. It seems so long ago!

Instead of it being to hot to work, I am now sat in the house sheltering from the rain that has stopped me yet again from going to the allotment.

I have been a few times since my last post, but it has been a few weeks since I last did any proper work.

The last time I made it, I planted some shallots for over wintering. I also had garlic and onions, which I have since lost!

I wonder if I will even be able to get in the allotment for all the weeds, I am sure they have been loving this wet weather.

20. Stop Thief!

With the weeds almost getting to the height that they were when we first took on the allotment, we decided we needed a full day at the allotment. I had high hopes of weeding, planting green manure and harvesting tomatoes. The weather had other ideas. It was hot and sunny. I am no good in the heat, I get sunburn after being in it for more than 30 seconds, and I have no energy to be able to work on an allotment!

We weren't beaten though, a friend from the City Farm that we volunteer at, came to see the allotment and dug out all the weeds from two beds. I then planted my green manure in one of them. The rest of the time, I managed to harvest some tomotoes and tomatilloes and I pulled a couple of tomato plants out as they were looking a little worse for wear and the greenhouse is overcrowded.

Other than that I sat in what little shade I could find and planted some dwarf beans in a container. They had been at the allotment a week already and were looking a little wilted, so I decided against putting them in the greenhouse for now.

Mark was there as well, and was quite annoyed to find that one of his pumpkins was missing. It was a pretty good specimen, and was next to another one that had obviously been eaten by animals - a messy eater that definitely wasn't the dog as she wouldn't waste anything! The pumpkin in question had been removed cleanly from the stalk(?) and there was still the indentation in the straw that it had been resting on. Nothing else in the allotment had been touched, tools, raspberries, tomatoes etc were all fine.

We decided it had to have been stolen - there are plenty of gaps in the hedge if you are skinny! We had heard the horror stories of weedkiller being used on people's crops, holes being drilled into cabbages and squashes so they couldn't be shown. And it was happening to us!

Mark was annoyed because he was very proud of the pumpkin, you never think that it is as easy as putting a little plant in the ground and leaving it to it, so he was pleased to have done so well. And then someone had knicked the thing! But in a way, isn't it the ultimate compliment to have your vegies stolen for a show? I don't suppose they will be bringing it back though with a little red 1st attached to it though, will they?!

I thought our allotment site was the last place this would happen. Half of them are empty and full of weeds, and there is a dumping ground just inside the main gate where an allotment used to be.

Talking of shows, I made my show batch of chutney last weekend, it looked much better than the last lot as there were hardly any green tomatoes this time. Although, I may have gone a little overboard with the chilli. It had quite a kick when I tried it fresh, so I hope they don't get stronger as it matures. The little old dears doing the judging won't know what's hit them! Which reminds me, I haven't got a label for the jar yet...

Weather wise, I feel like I am in limbo. The mornings are getting cooler and it is getting dark, but the weeds are still growing like mad and it was too hot to work at the weekend.

19. Lazy Days

I had a bit of a low day at the allotment today. I think it was because I am in holiday mode, coming to the end of a week and a half off work. I am feeling pretty lazy, but there is a lot to do at the allotment.

The tomatoes and tomatilloes are taking over the greenhouse, so much so that I find it difficult to water them! Although they have a hydration system, I know some of the spikes are blocked, but can't get to them to unblock them. However, I don't want to hack at them too much as there seems to be tomatoes on every shoot. I think all I can do, is vow to keep them in better shape next season so I can water them etc better. However, I did manage to pick some ripe tomatoes, and more then two this time!



Outside, there were also some ripe and almost ripe tumbling tomatoes, but the plants themselves are looking a little past their best. I thought that the good weather we had had in the past few days would have made them perk up, but they seem to have sunk too much in the water tank, so that they aren't actually tumbling over the tides as they should.

I was very disappointed that something has eaten my sugar snap peas, that have only been in the ground for a couple of weeks. Although there are a few peas growing still, so I will look into what has eaten them, and see if I can prevent more damage.

On the rest of the beds there are weeds everywhere, so I packed up my tomatoes and went home in a sulk.

However, when I got home, I forced myself to make some chutney with the tomatoes. As I was adding my home grown onions and chillis to the chutney, I realised that maybe I had done better than I thought in my first year on the allotment. I have one and a half jars of chutney for a start. It won't be for 3 - 5 weeks before I get to test my chutney making skills, however!

18. A Foraging we will go...

We had another good harvesting day at the allotment a week ago. Finally, two tomatoes were ripe and ready for picking - only another 999 to go! I was particularly proud of this chilli pepper, although it was the only one on the plant. And we also found a potato that hadn't been dug up a few weeks earlier. I have a few chilli plants, but the one that seems to have the most is one I kept from last year. I plan to keep this years that I have grown from seed and see if they are also better in their second year. Although I also have some romano pepper and sweet pepper plants, I haven't got any peppers growing on any of them. I don't know why, but I have never been able to get any decent peppers, whether they have been in a greenhouse or on a windowsill.

We also went foraging along the paths of the allotments and got a full tub of blackberries, and another tub of plums. There are also loads more of each still to ripen. We also met a really nice man, who said we were welcome to go to his allotment if we wanted more blackberries, as he was over run with them! He had a basket on the front of his bicycle that was full of tomatoes, peas and potatoes, that put my small tub of produce to shame. Still, it was good to see someone else working an allotment, as a lot are vacant and full of weeds.

Later that day, we took the dog for a walk along the canal near our house, and picked two more tubs of blackberries. What was good to see, was the three other couples that had had the same idea as us. I can't believe that people pay money for blackberries in supermarkets, when there are so many growing wild on public property, just waiting to be put into a jam or crumble. As Matt has fallen in love with our breadmaker, the blackberries were straight into the breadmaker, with some preserving sugar, and put on the jam setting. Of course, it had to be tested, on a slice of toast the next morning. Delicious!

17. New arrivals

I have had trouble getting seeds started recently, so I have been buying young plants instead. As well as my onion and garlic harvest, I have also harvested my potatoes (a little disappointing in numbers but great in taste), mange tout (excellent crop) and peas. So I have quite a bit of space now - well all of it really, there are just the soft fruits left in the ground now.

I have been purchasing most of my plants from our local City Farm. It was them that first introduced me to tomatilloes, that no one else I know has ever heard of. And last year, they were growing quite a few yellow courgette plants. They are also very reasonable. In the last month, I have bought 4 courgette plants, 1 butternut squash plant, some lettuce plug plants and a half tray of sugar snap peas. So hopefully there will be some more harvesting days soon!

Finally, there has been a new recruit at the allotment. Beth is a two year old staffy that me and Matt adopted last week. She has already made an appearance at the allotment and loves the place. I didn't manage to get a photo as she didn't stay still long enough! She will mainly be in charge of entertainment. She did apply for a security role, but when tested (my brother came round to meet her), the initial noisey warning worked well, but it was followed up by licking his hand, so that role is still open. After she spent five minutes running round the allotment with a broken broom handle in her mouth, entertainment officer seemed much more fitting for her. Surprisingly, no plants were harmed during her visit, so she will make another appearance again soon!

16. It's not about you joggers...

It's about harvesting veg grown by my own fair hands (if slightly muddy).

I had my first harvesting day (mid July when I started writing this post!), and it was such a great feeling!

The car boot was full of onions and garlic, and it was a gorgeous day. As I left the allotment, I thought that this is what life is about. It might take away some hours from my free time, but in the peace and quiet of our allotment, protected by 8ft high hedges from the rush of city life, it certainly doesn't seem like a chore. And after a few months of turning up and doing a minimal weeding, I had a bumper crop. Admittedly, they won't be winning prizes, but I can confirm that they taste great!

And now to the weather...

Where has the sun gone?! I have possibly a hundred small green tomatoes in the greenhouse (I went a bit overboard), and they are not showing any sign of turning red. I have taken down the screening, that I had needed to protect my baby plants in the spring - back in the days when we had too much sun! Now the plants are as tall as me, and covered in flowers and fruits, the sun is nowhere to be seen. The weeds outside are loving the wet weather, however!

And of course, not forgetting the wildlife...

I am pleased to announce that we are doing our bit for the honey bees which are in decline. They absolutely love my tomato and tomatillo plants in the greenhouse (there are plenty of bee sized gaps between panes of glass even with the windows closed!). I have also bought a lavender plant, which will be a permanent fixture near the blackcurrant plant. My lavender plants at home are always covered in bees, so this should keep them coming back when the tomato flowers have finished.

Mr Fox has also had a fun time lately. Mark forgot to close the greenhouse door last week, and the fox got in and had a great time throwing gloves and empty fruit juice cartons around the allotment! I wish I saw him more often, so I could get a photo.

15. We have had a fatality...

Yeterday was a sad day in the greenhouse. There has been a fatality.

I quickly visited the allotment after work yesterday, and unfortunately, one of the tomatilo plants had given up the ghost. It had always been the runt of the litter, and it had been left without water for too long. The rest of the tomatiloes, and indeed the other plants, don't look the least bit remorseful. In fact, now it is a bit cooler in the greenhouse, they are looking full of life!

Hopefully, that should be the last of the casualties as I have a new hydration system on it's way to me as we speak. The one I had been using before, consisted of the water bladders that walkers use which have a tube attached. I manged to save some faulty ones that had been returned. I put a few holes in one corner, and hoped that the water would drip out slowly and water the plants. No such luck! They are still full two weeks later!

Outside of the greenhouse, the alootment has burst into life. The bedding plants that I was disappointed in, have suddenly doubled in size and grown flowers!

Both myself and Mark are having trouble with our over wintering onions. They should have been ready April - May, but the stalks are still refusing to fall over and signal picking time is here. Some have gone to seed, which I quickly cut off, but I think it may have been too late.

I must put a photo of my blueberry plant on here. As it is my star pupil at the moment! It is kind of cheating, as the plant is in my garden at home. I have had it in a pot for a couple of years now, and this is the first time it has flowered, it doesn't do things by halves though, it is covered in flowers. Well it was, the flowers have now died off and are turning into lovely little blueberries! In fact, I need to go do some research. To cover or not to cover? I don't want some cheeky blackbird eating the lot!

Finally, I would just like to congratulate myself in typing another entry only one week later than the previous one!

14. Lazy sunny days

I am ashamed to see that again, I haven't blogged for 2 months.

My little side project has also fallen by the wayside. A while ago, I decided to take a picture of the path leading from the main gate, each time I arrived at the allotment. It is quite a nice view of a worn out path with grass growing in the middle of the tyre tracks, and hedges and trees on either side. When I put them all together, it was meant to show the changing seasons. However, for the past month, when all the growing has been going on, I have forgotten to take my camera!

Anyway, more news on the wildlife front - Mr Fox is still visiting the allotment. I put some black weed supressor down over part of a bed. And low and behold, when I next visited, there were large muddy footprints on it!

The big news at the allotment is the re-hiring of a member of staff. I managed to trick Matt into coming to the allotment a couple of weeks ago. And he is hooked! He is now in charge of all the hard work - weeding, digging etc. And I do planting, watering and decision making. Woo hoo! Unfortunately, the weeds are still beating us, growing twice as fast as the vege's.

My brother managed to fix the water pump. He found a little hardwear shop, explained the problem and waited while the assistant went into the back room rumaging about, and of course had exactly what we needed. We now have almost icy cold, fresh water. It's great not having to pray for rain all the time. I think if we had to rely on the water butts, the tomatoes would have been long dead!

It's funny how, I now notice what the weather is doing more. I have never been much of a sun worshipper, but it seems to bring colours alive so I always welcomed it. This week though, I have had to go to the allotment everyday to water, and still a couple of the plants are wilting. I was only in the greenhouse for a few minutes on Sunday before I was losing my temper with the hydration system I was trying to set up!

On the vege side, things are looking surprisingly good. First Early, Second Early and Late potatoes are growing nicely, I haven't seen any flowers yet, but the grass is higher than the potato plants so it's not surprising! There are flowers on the mange tout plants and the peas. The onions are looking pretty good. However, they are overwintering onions and they should have been ready to harvest in April, but are still looking on the small side. The garlic is doing really well, people keep complimenting me on how well the leeks are growning, so that tells you how well the garlic is!

That is my update for now. I will try and add photos later...and update you again before August!

13. Summer time, when the weather is high

Yes, I had to do a search to find the correct lyrics. But just count yourself lucky that I went to the Mungo Jerry link and not New Kids on the Block!

I finally managed to get to the allotment today after two weeks. I definitely picked the right day though. The first thing I did when I arrived was check the thermometer in the greenhouse. It was a balmy 45 degrees!

A month ago (really must update this more often) I was exstatic that spring was finally here, and today it was like a summer's day. And I wasn't the only one that thought so. The birds were singing their hearts out, there were butterflies a plenty, and the bumble bees were buzzing around wherever I went.

Now, I know that most people that read this blog (all two or three of you) are more intersted in the animal antics than the veg growing, so...

The bees are back! Last year when we had managed to clear the allotment of most of the 4 foot tall weeds, we noticed that there was a bumble bee nest under the pear tree. I was particularly pleased about this as they are supposed to be in decline. So we tried not to disturb the ground too much nearby as they leave their nest in winter, and I was hoping they would return. And return they have. Unfortunately, they haven't returned to their old nest. Instead, they have taken up residence in our pile of cuttings that are waiting for us to make a bonfire. Obviously, the pile looked like a permanent addition to the allotment. Even the wildlife are passing comment on our laziness now!

My other wildlife news is the butterflies. They were in and out of the allotment all day today. Unfortunately, we don't have any flowers, so they never stayed long. However, in my little nursery (more later) in the greenhouse, I have already got some tequila sunrise plants growing. They are only about 1cm tall at the moment, so I hope the butterflies are patient. Apparently, butterflies live for 2 to 14 days, so they are going to have to tell their ancestors about the allotment!

Mark was not as concerned that there was nowhere for the butterflies to settle as he thought they would lay eggs on our veg and the resulting caterpillars would eat everything!

Back to the vegies... In the greenhouse, the home made propagator has become a little nursery. All of the seeds mentioned in my last post, have now germinated. And two weeks ago, I planted more. Upon inspection today, they have germinated too. The only ones left are chilli seeds and romano pepper. Both of these were not bought, but saved from chillis and a pepper that we had at home. These are also showing signs of life, but are a little slower than the others.

I couldn't believe the speed that these peas and mangetout grew. I hope the rest of the progress goes as well. It was so hot in the greenhouse, that everything was starting to wilt a bit.

Work was a little on the slow side, mainly due to the gorgeous sunshine and comfy garden chairs!

12. Spring is Sprung!

Finally, I found a little bit of spring, lurking behind the wheelie bin.

Last year, I bought an ornamental bucket full of mini daffodils. I put them in the front yard to add a bit of colour. When they stopped flowering, I put them in the back yard, which is a bit more sheltered - and forgot about them. This week, I found them lurking behind the wheelie bin. Despite the yard getting no sun, they had grown buds and were about to flower. They are now reinstated in their original place, desperately trying to draw visitor's eyes away from the weeds on the path!

Armed with the fact that things were finally beginning to grow, I set off for the allotment. Unfortunately, time was short so I only managed to prepare the ground for the fruit I had bought and do a little watering in the greenhouse.

As the weather has been so rainy and even snowy since my last post, I have taken the opportunity to wander around the garden centres. I have bought two summer raspberry plants and one autumn raspberry plant, one blackcurrant plant, and a lemon plant.

I didn't plan on the lemon plant, however, it was only £4 from a well known hardware chain. I did have a lemon plant a few years ago. It never fruited, but lived quite happily on the south facing balcony of a top floor flat. I figured that now I had a greenhouse, a lemon plant would thrive. Two weeks later, it's not going entirely to plan! Half of the leaves have curled up and gone slightly yellow. It appears, it doesn't take long to get hot in the greenhouse! I may install one of those drip feeders that you attach to a bottle of water. If it is struggling now though, what will it be like in mid summer?!

Apart from the fruit plants which are still sat in their pots, I have planted some seeds. I tried this about six weeks ago at home, but nothing germinated. So, I have tried again. This time, the seeds are in the greenhouse, where they should get more sun than on a windowsill. I also put a sheet of plastic over them, in the form of a home made propagator. A week after planting, there are still no shoots, but I am still hopeful.

Outside the greenhouse, things are looking better. The leeks that have been left in over winter, are looking nice and healthy, and like they may put in another growth spurt before I pick them. The overwintering onions also look to be doing well, and the garlic has grown quite a bit as well.

Back in the greenhouse, there is another visitor. All the large holes have been blocked up, so the fox hasn't been playing with the gardening gloves for a while. However, when I went to check on the lemon plant, there was a hole in the soil, next to the roots. It appears we still have some holes to fill, maybe a mouse or rat sized one! No wonder the lemon plant is looking so sad!

11. Are we nearly there yet?

The mornings and evenings are getting lighter, but it is still really cold and there is no sun.

My visits to the allotment have been few and far between at the moment, mainly because of the weather. I went a week ago with good intentions of putting another row of wine bottles in (I am getting over-run with the things, thanks to donations from various people). However, the ground was frozen so no digging could be done. I spent an hour tidying the greenhouse and moving the onion seedlings to the other end of the greenhouse away from the couple of broken panes. This was in preparation for the manure, as I read that if you put a small pile of fresh manure in the corner of the greenhouse, it will radiate heat. I was hoping this would keep the frost out so I could start growing things.

About three weeks ago I made some seed pots from newspaper and put them in my old juice carton seed trays. I planted tomatilloes, carrots, aubergine and a couple of types of flowers. I have been watering them regularly, but not too much and not one of the trays has the even the tinyest of shoots pushing through! They currently reside on a small table next to the window in the dining room. This window gets the most amount of light in the house, but still nothing.

However, in the bathroom window (which is downstairs and doesn't get good light), some bulbs that I bought on offer in B&Q, and never got round to planting, have sprung into life on their own accord - I just left them there over winter thinking they would sprout in March/April time. I may move a tray of seeds into the bathroom and see if they prefer it there. It is a bit warmer and very damp in there.

I am a bit behind with my potatoes as well, which is a bit annoying. I decided to order some from a magazine instead of going to the garden centre, as there was an offer for less potatoes but more varieties. However, I am still waiting for delivery and I know my parents and brother already have some happily chitting!

So, if you see Spring on your travels, send it my way, I have been waiting for ages!