More Allotment Patio

You join me outside with Andrew who is planting up another vegetable crate to add to the lovely jumble of allotment pots we have on the patio. Everything is going terribly well and there aren't even any pests on the plants (bar one slug), unlike at the main allotment plot where everything is being tackled by everything! It can't just be me - there are a lot more insects (hover flies in particular) and sweetly singing birds around this year - no??

So we are making an allotment box out of an orange plastic crate; we got this one discarded outside a farmers' market. Andrew carefully opened up a grow bag with scissors running along one end and poured all the contains out into a trug. Then he trimmed the other end and cut up the seam along the back length of the plastic. Laying this rectangle out, he lined the crate before emptying all the compost back in, spreading it evenly. This one is being planted up with coriander plugs, spring onion plugs (multi sown) and carrot seeds (rotundo - little round ones), see above.

Toby is over by the tulips and the water feature (which he frequently drinks from) laying in the sun and every now and then stretching and getting more comfortable; he's being a good boy.

Elsewhere in the patio allotment the mangetout peas are starting to romp away up the trellis support, the turnips have gone a bit bonkers with a growth spurt and the radishes are so juicy and plump we are eating them everyday with baby perpetual spinach too.

The potatoes are just starting to show their tips which I find very exciting and the broad beans are slowly (strongly) climbing up by their bamboo sticks and the flowers teasingly get bigger every day.

In the greenhouse my flower seeds are looking lovely but still a little too wee to plant up yet in the empty pots I have beside me. We also have baby celery, purple sprouting broccoli, Brussel sprouts, kale and lettuce seedlings in there, all looking well.

In the cold frame here, we have leeks (multi sown) and a wide variety of chard and beetroot varieties.

I hope you are having a good weekend my lovelies. Stay well and happy growing!
Hugs
Carrie xx 

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 

Recently on the plot

Cars in the near distance, a great mass of geese in the sky and many sweet song birds in the hedgerows - the noises that both accompanied our visit to the plot and soothed our minds. Sometimes, even in the damp, its a truly wonderful place to be.

I got to work with the oscillating hoe, did I tell you we got one? Haha, I feel we haven't quite gotten over the shock and joy of this new find.

During the week Andrew got us more seeds in Poundstretcher (varieties we wanted and for only 79p) and 3 bare root fruit trees in Lidl for £15! Bargains. The online bare root tree order fell through as though we'd paid the £5 delivery fee, they wanted £15 more!? £20 to deliver a £15 tree, no thank you.

2 Prunus and a Malus (more in a future blog post)

Due to Storm Ciara the ground was sodden so we couldn't plant the trees but we put them together in a big pot with lovely new compost. The pot is in a sheltered corner until a better day.

Next, posts where first driven into the ground in the back of the site. Then, we had bought wind break netting on Saturday so we screwed it up with batons and cut offs we have had around the place. Little rustic looking from the back maybe but functional!

Somehow having created a little barrier off from the rest of the field, I suddenly had the feeling of belonging. Belonging to this small plot that is ours, more so than I have in years. And with that I felt more assured that I am an allotmenteer, I belong to this wider circle of people and the feeling was lovely (if fleeting).

* We've been eating the PSB and the kale tops, this week too. Don't overlook those bolted kale flower buds, they taste wonderful!

It's really time to give the shed some loving! We have so much to get rid of out of it, a corner to repair and lots of fresh paint needs applying. We had thought of getting a new one but this one is dandy - just hard done by. As we had the tools with us, I bravely decided to take down the lovingly handcrafted 24a sign I made some years ago out of odd broken up tiles; time to move on.

Love and hugs (especially as it's St Valentines' day!)
Carrie

The fun begins!

Last weekend at the plot we worked hard, fitting a new water butt tap, lifting the last of the weeds and grass and mulching the heck out of everywhere; great work but a boring blog post, ahaha. However yesterday Andrew had a day off and we spent it making notes in our
new allotment planner book, going to the local nursery for netting and an oscillating hoe (the best thing EVER) and going to the plot to make further plans.

Andrew and the new oscillating hoe. Look at that soil, lovely

On the plot at the moment - 
the Purple sprouting broccoli is ready, the garlic is flourishing and the kale has bolted.

We have decided that the back of the plot is going to be home to our 2 fruit bushes, rhubarb and fruit trees. The rhubarb 'glaskins perpetual' crowns are just poking their sweet heads up through the thick mulch now and I for one am very excited. We are going to get 2 more crowns and simply fill that space up with rhubarb-y yuminess.

The damson tree is going to get a friend in the shape of a cherry 'stella' tree, we're just waiting on it arriving. The blueberries are just going to stay the way they are and the apple trees support arch is coming out now that they have established and are happy (the timber is rotting away anyway).

The seed buying started at the weekend and more last night and more this afternoon. Little but often, getting our favourite varieties for the best price and new fun types to try alongside. It's almost the most exciting time of the whole allotment year I think - this panning and anticipation.

The potatoes are chitting away in the shed - 'Pentland Javelin' first earlies.

There shall also be changes made around the shed and compost areas but I'll leave those as a surprise. Oh and we are taking a big interest in the hedgerow line behind our shed and are going to make it a better place for all the many birds and insects that live in there. All shall be revealed in time :)

Hugs
Carrie

Are you local?

So there we were on Saturday morning last lambasting the weather for being so terribly cold and windy (and secretly both wishing we had nowhere to go). But work was waiting to be done for our plot and by golly we were the only ones to do it!

Hence we went to our preferred local builders/farmers supply shop but it was closed due to a bereavement. The place was humming with people obviously waiting for the hearse to pass; boy that puts your day into perspective. After a think we remembered the other local builders' yard and though it was busy we got posts and wood boards.

On the way to the plot then we nipped into the nursery next door. Looking for bare root fruit trees and a cherry 'stella' in particular but no tree for us. However I got new gloves and they kindly gave us six used compost bags.

Dropping off the wood at the plot we realised it was time for a coffee break (with apple sponge). We drove off to Whitehead (quite local) to fulfil this need and after we had refreshed ourselves we took those 6 empty compost bags to the sea side and gathered a lot of fresh seaweed.

lovely (not too rubbishy) seaweed

Oh it was a heck of a weight but when we got back to the plot with it all, it only covered most of one bed! Wow. Like when you cook spinach, this seaweed will wilt down to nothing much and introduce loads of good nutrients into the soil.

almost covered the whole bed - note broken fence in background..

And so that was Saturday, boy I look forward to the days when there is light much longer into the day.

************

After a good day it is very common for me to have a bad day, mentally. This is exactly what happened last Sunday (and has lasted all week, even now). Therefore I didn't get to the allotment on the second afternoon and thus there was no hammer action for me! I know you are all terribly sad about this. Take consolation in the fact that I later learnt Andrew fixed the fences, the worst raised bed edges and such with an electric screwdriver and screws - where's the danger and excitement in that?! Haha

Andrew's hard work

That's all for now friends. I haven't been to the plot today either but I have hopes that tomorrow will be a better day (I always have hope!)
Love
Carrie x

First visit to the plot in 2020!

Hello darling friends - I live! Yes, it has been a lifetime in blogging terms but I am still here, still going strong and despite the weather I am still your stubborn optimist!

Who would believe it? - The world seems a mess with this climate emergency and so much serious, scary politics and it's only the 3rd week of the new year. It would break one's heart if one where to dwell on it all. So instead let's just focus on the macro level and think about the poor wee neglected A24a 😊 How's it doing?

It was with much trepidation we visited the plot last Sunday and though the path down to it was a boggy mess, the plot itself was surprisingly OK. Better than that in fact as all our garlic [Solent Wight] was up and (bar two which looked like they had be pecked by birds), all look great! Plus, right next to that is a lovely line of tulips coming up too, the gorgeously dark colour of the petals hinted at in the leaves.

Another bed blessed us with utterly delicious kale [Cavolo Nero] to harvest and take home for dinner. It went into the loveliest curry, made by Andrew. Also in that bed we also have super healthy looking purple sprouting broccoli  growing well - things are looking good!

The only downside is the rotten wood all round the place that needs replaced and fast. The main fence has snapped in two at the entrance as well - this Saturday guess who's going to the timber merchant?! I can't wait to see the whole place revamped and ready to face the year and indeed years to come. We have a keen vision for 2020 (haha, 2020 vision) and we have to make a start with new bed edging and possibly even an extra tree. Watch out world - I may have a hammer in my hand this weekend! 😮

Andrew's photo of the plot and me photographing the kale - my photo below :)

Much love and best wishes to you all

Carrie x

A ray of sunshine

One day in the mental health darkness of the past week stands out - Monday. Bless it. Monday was my saviour in that Andrew took the day off and we went to the allotment for some much needed ecotherapy.

looking a lot better = happy soul :)

We weren't there for that long but we did get stuck in to our respective areas and weeded our wee hearts out. I was at the blueberry bed at the back of the plot whilst Andrew finished the squash bed and started tackling what is still the kale bed. We now feel as though we are getting on top of things and the excitement is building for the new ideas that we want to implement (the trees and hedging and keyhole paths).

blueberry bed - BEFORE

 blueberry bed - AFTER

Andrew happy at work getting rid of those darn weeds

Toby was a good boy especially as he was close to both of us - what a nervous little fella he can be!

Now we find ourselves firmly in the grip of Friday and have just been to one of our favourite cafes for a coffee and a wee talk about the plans for the weekend. Boy do I look forward to my weekends 😀

Hugs to all and may you have a lovely weekend yourself.
Don't forget the clocks go back on Saturday night!
Carrie xx

Back on the plot

Two days at the plot, reclaiming it from the weeds and general neglect has given us a boost that was sorely needed - friends we are back in love with allotmenting (or as I keep calling it in my head 'aplotmenting'!?).

** The first day back was Sunday afternoon on the 6th of the month and Andrew planted the garlic! The Solent Wight is in and I have my fingers crossed it will do much better this season. We planted the last lot last April as plug plants and they simply didn't do, maybe because it's best to plant your garlic direct in the autumn and let it get a darn good freezing before it starts to put on the growth in spring.

looking good

Andrew got the two espalier apple trees pruned that day too whilst I continued my struggle with reclaiming the plot from the grasp of nature. Honestly I felt unwell and too weak to enjoy the activity and the sight of the place so overgrown and in need of tremendous renovation and filled me with dread. Usually I'm excited by tidying up and improving but that day it all felt so overwhelming.

pruning the apple trees

No photo, sadly (oh how I tried) but I saw a lovely frog on the plot and there was such bird song and more worms than usual. But my mental health was just too poor - I felt utterly ashamed to be myself even though no one could even see me. Time to go home. (I'm getting panicky even thinking about it)

** On Saturday 12th we were back and I was in fine fettle and ready to work hard! Oh we have exciting plans I so hope we can achieve :)  A new shed, lots of fruiting trees, and a curtain of wonderful native hedges to provide shelter and a sense of a secret garden for me.

exciting new plan!

The rain tried to put us off but we simply waited the worst of it out in the car and then got started. Both of us tackled the re-wilding of the plot and by the time it was getting cold and darker we had reclaimed some paths and most of the rotation beds - hoorah! We even had time for a freshly brewed tea there on the plot bench.

stopping for tea

The new wee slit paths are being put in so as to facilitate my shortness and inability to reach anywhere near the middle of our beds to harvest or tend to the plants. Incidentally, we brought home a harvest of potatoes, a last sweetcorn cob and some kale :)

harvesting potatoes

Love and hugs to you all - I hope you will tag along for our renovation journey
Carrie xx