Allotments are safe (for now)

We awoke to an email from our council telling us that our Allotments were closed after the news from the Prime Minister last night. SHOCK! But I had just seen that Michael Gove MP had clarified that allotments can stay open as a source of exercise. It's simple - just practise social distancing!

Andrew was on the case in a flash and tweeted our council twice about the discrepancy and within a couple of hours it was all sorted out and things are fine again. Our little haven and extra food source is safe and open - phew! - big sigh of relief = Aahhhhh-llotment. Let's just hope it stays that way!

Sunday felt like a proper summers day but sadly I felt too mentally ill to go to the allotment. Andrew ventured forth however and got the first harvest of forced rhubarb (Glaskins Perpetual). Joy! - we hopefully will eat it tonight in a crumble. He also got more purple sprouting broccoli- oh it was delicious in our tagine :)

Andrew also bought in lots of grow bags and compost to the house so we can grow extra food on the
patio this year. The idea being we can help out family and friends with fresh veggies when needed. So
far we've had 100% germination on everything so we have a lot of seedlings.

We've got Broad Beans (The Sutton), Spinach (Amazon F1), Radish (Scarlet Globe) and Turnip (Purple Topped Milan) hardening off in the wee makeshift cold frame at the minute and they look great.

 More stuff is in the greenhouse, with candles lit if its going to get near freezing:

• Beetroot (Boltardy)
• Leek (Musselburgh)
• Spring Onions (White Lisbon)
• Cabbage (Greyhound)
• Mangetout (Oregon Sugar Pod)

And lastly we have celery and celeriac in a heated propagator, they are slowly coming up.

Yesterday saw Andrew bring the big potato pots up home and one wasn't emptied! Surprise spuds and

they look and feel beautiful - we'll take any happiness we can get

In the coming days there will be lots more sowing done. Plus the newly chitted potatoes (Pentland
Javelin) need planted.
We usually do this on St Patrick's day but the weather was awful this year.

That's enough for now I think,
Be safe, be kind, look after yourselves
Hugs
Carrie

Seedling success (so far)

The world appears to be crumbling around us all with Corvid-19 and to be honest it's all a little bit scary, so let's just remind each other to be safe, to wash those hands and look out for each other albeit from a distance. No more on that topic from me - I think we are a bit saturated with information and what if scenarios...

Instead, as this is an allotment based blog, we should all focus for now on seeds and seedlings and how utterly joyful it is that things are going so very well on that front. At least they are here; I certainly hope they are with you, if indeed you have started.

Happy happy us we have the following seedlings:

• Broad Beans 'the sutton'
• Cabbage 'greyhound'
• Spinach 'amazon F1'
• Beetroot 'boltardy'
• Spring Onion 'white lisbon'
• Turnip 'purple topped milan'
• Radish 'scarlet globe'

It's such a joy to see them all and I especially like this bit of germination when they are just pushing the soil aside and making the final preparations to show themselves :) Even on my darkest mental ill health days - these babies bring a wee smile to my face.

Mangetout

But all the seedlings are at home, "what news from the plot?", I hear you ask. Oh well I am pleased to inform you that there are buds on the blueberries, purple sprouting broccoli for the harvesting and wonderful forced rhubarb, umm, forcing away!

The garlic and neighbouring tulips are looking super healthy too so we are pleased and aching to get down there and do some of the other many jobs we have in mind.

Happy weekend
Carrie

P.S. Just one thing, say you were to be self isolating for a few weeks - what are your favourite novel recommendations - for a good time? Maybe your all time favourite book? maybe one you just finished? I'm really interested to know. 

Now....

HUGS 

With thanks to the Bee Gees

I haven't been online much and only wrote 2 blog posts last month but my mental health has been seriously poor and I haven't done much of anything to be honest. However this isn't what I want to talk about - I have the Bee Gees' Greatest Hits playing and let's get groovy :)
"Night Fever - we know how to do it!"

The weather.... I don't want to talk too much about the weather as it will only get us all down, BUT lordy, it has not be favourable to the allotmenteer, has it!? Here, by the sea, we have just had pesky rain, hail and very cold winds, enough to stop us from going to the plot. Why, could someone tell me, is the weekend weather always worse than the weekday (when we can't get stuff done!)?

Seed planting at home has begun, just a few trays so far but enough to be us excited. We (rather Andrew to be honest) has been planting them in the dining room so I can take photos and be involved.

Next seeds I'll be planting as Flighty, wonderful Flighty send me some of my favourite flower seeds and I always have room for pretty, bee friendly flowers ;)

Here's the seedlings we have at the minute.... Spinach, Cabbage and Broad Beans :)

We have lots of seeds to be sowing but we aren't worried as we don't want leggy seedlings when it gets time to plant them out; it looks like it's going to continue to be poor for a wee while yet.

Oh and the potatoes are just beginning to chit and are firm and healthy.
"You should be dancing!"

This weekend has better weather in store, according to the weatherman, so fingers crossed my friends, we can but hope. Love and hugs ("love it such a beautiful thing!")
Carrie