A triumphant plot departure

OK, before I tell you a single plot thing or show you one photograph we must address a very unexpected and wonderful piece of allotment related news...

This past Saturday I walked home from an afternoon at the plots by myself! All alone, on my lonesome, unaccompanied and indeed, solo. WHAT? Yes my friends it is possible, though it has taken me a good few years now to even think of trying. I did it, I survived and I may even do it again 😌

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cheeky fern

It was a cold day and though the sky was blue there had been a lot of rain the night before = a soggy field of plots. Never mind though; we had plans to enact and dreams to conjure up about our little slice of Eden.

Toby guarding the weeds and my bag at the blueberry bed

Toby at the path between the trees

I finished off weeding the blueberries (finally) and got the areas under the apple trees and path cleared too. It doesn't sound like much but boy it was a hot mess and the weeds were wicked and had long roots.

rotten apples at all stages of decay under the trees

Andrew finished his bed too which was mainly grassed over and then he tackled the external paths (those between the different plots) and used the strimmer the hack back the knee high grass there. The whole place is a lot safer now.

Next up we thought about our hedge and tree options for the make over. Plus this coming weekend there shall be skips on site and we have a lot to get rid off so we're really looking forward to it.

See you soon,
Hugs,
Carrie

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

September's plot visit

I come today to my blog with a confession - I only visited the allotment plot once this past month! *you all point and say "shame" at me* But at least I went, right? And it got me feeling bad and wanting to work harder over the winter to have a better growing year this time round :)

We are going to plant more trees on the plot and more flowers in the hedgerow for the fabulous bees. It's rather exciting. First we need to clear and cover the beds and gather seaweed and other organic soil improvers and plan, plan, plan! Oh and how I would love a new shed, but alas we can't have everything.

Anyway that visit saw us clear one bed and gather a pretty surprising harvest. Please enjoy the story through the magic of my photos.....

The plot from the far end looking back at Andrew 

and Toby

A BEFORE of bed 1 😟

AN AFTER of bed 1 😀

Toby doing a stop check on the apples we harvested

Most of the harvest before the heavy rain came 

Yep, we got thoroughly poured on just as we have finished the first bed clearance and gathered up what we could as a harvest from across the plot. I have some nicer photos of our wee harvest though....

The loveliest squashes, only a few apples but they were wonderful with our bounty of damsons in a couple of crumbles :) And we ate a good lot of the potatoes and scallions with the climbing beans for dinner!

I mean I know it's not great and you aren't sitting there gobsmacked, but I should remind you that in comparison to the work put in this was a lot of good tasty food.

We were away all weekend camping and walking and I look forward to sharing that soon. I hope you are all happy and have your bulbs picked, if not planted already - our garlic arrived today, hooray!

Love and hugs from (a sleepy)

Carrie

My grandfather's brush

You know the old saying, that you're still using your grandfathers yard brush; it's just had the handle replaced 5 times and 7 new heads. I love that and but it's slowly happening to my camera! There's a little story....

I've been away for some time now and first it was illness, then it was a walking holiday and then serious mental illness upon return which has yet to calm down (to be brutally honest).

Let me say Cumbria is a spectacular place, a haven on earth and I encourage you to get there and hike!

Whilst we were there there was an accident with my camera in that someone (not me) thought they'd carry it for me and unbuckled it from my backpack without a word...it then bounced off the ground, rolled off a hill edge and landed in a rocky stream. Equals busted camera LCD screen and a very shocked and sad me. Plus an eternally sorry ginger haired husband.

So I recently received a new Sony a6000 body and add that to my replacement Sony a6000 kit lens last winter and 'my camera' is still as good as new. Lordy please let that be the end pf the accidents.

Anyway, first outing with said camera happened yesterday when I made my triumphant return to the allotment. Yep, haven't been near the place since the last post.

It was a jungle! There be monsters in there for sure, but with Toby on our team how could we fail to be victorious?

Before

After

Oh those photos aren't quite right, I need to tweak by settings on the new camera body *blush*

Let's talk mismanagement and neglect....
* The garlic died back - there is not one single plant
* The leeks bolted, every single one
* The peas look quite sad

But - the spuds are going great, the broad beans look super healthy and though I couldn't get as far down the weed choked paths to see them, I am assured the apples are lovely (need thinning though).

There was torrential rain which stopped play but we did quite well really. Recently its been touch and go as to whether we continued at all but we're more positive now. Andrew even went back later on Sunday night and planted out some things (squashes and peas?)

For now I leave you with a big hug
Carrie  xx

More therapy from the allotment

Sunday was a BAD day but somehow I was able to pick up a pen and notepad and write what was happening as it was happening an in so, kept the screaming voice and the self harm thoughts inside my head. I wrote...

"Staring into the middle distance, barley able to speak; I was slightly rocking still, even after the medication. The only things that I could think of that might help were sleep or the allotment. It was difficult to get my body to move never mind climb the stairs but I bloody did it and in 15 mins we were off. 
Toby got terribly excited and was squeaking and squealing like a pig to get going - he is so enthusiastic.
The day was bright with bits of blue sky, though the ground was still very saturated from recent downpours = wellies."

There was joy in abundance as we drove up to the parking space - new horse manure and of course, Toby has to pee on this tuft of grass every time he arrives at the plots :)

It was the paths just as one walks onto the plot that made me itchy to get to it right away. I took my 'before' photograph of course and by then the shed was unlocked and I got my gloves and bucket - to work! (gosh it looks so cold but it didn't feel it)

For Andrew the sight of a new load of horse manure was what got his heart racing and he worked on clearing and mulching the back beds and basking in the glory of the wee damson tree's new little buds.

Back with me and Toby at the over end of the plot I was straying from the paths and getting into the last bed to be cleared. I ripped out the blotted chard plants - only 2 of 4 and weeded like crazy, especially round the wee leeks.

We said we would only be there an hour but when the time came up I begged Andrew to stay a little longer and he couldn't say no. We got last bits done and I took some photos and I felt OK (that's good/happy for a 'normal' person). I couldn't believe it; standing there with mud all over me and in my hair (I am so messy!), my nose dripping and not able to feel my face, haha - it had gotten cold quick BUT  there was also a complete absence of tension or screaming in my head. - Hurrah

Looking at the sun setting over the field, I had turned the day around (with help from Andrew) and my Sunday had been worth living...

Hugs for all - I love you dear reader
Carrie

90 mins at the allotment

Triumphantly I returned to the allotment last Saturday and it was wonderful. We are now getting into lock down mode with only kale, beetroot and leeks growing at the moment and everything else getting ripped out and composted or pruned back.

It was a mild afternoon and I was no longer there than the coat had to come off and the work began in earnest. Well, I did have to take my 'before' photo, before I got started. How does Toby always manage to get his bum in my photos? haha.

We took down the bean poles and the netting for the sugar snap peas and then I happily started in on the constructive deconstruction (and you know how I love that) pulling out all the climbing borlotti, sugar snap peas and broad bean plants and putting them on the compost heap. Then gathering all the weeds and chucking them in a heap elsewhere (a lot still in flower and I DO NOT want even more weed seeds in my freshly cleared bed). We had a wheelbarrow with some compost in it from, well, some other time we were there and it was added into the bed once I had everything cleared and what weeds I could get to were removed. Looks good no?

Andrew pruned the apple trees (yep, I know we are a little behind, but better late than never). He also ripped out the old and exploded, hahaha, courgettes and started turning over the soil in a different bed. We will be adding a horse manure mulch to it next and the old bean bed too.

Although most things were looking rough and tired I did of course find some beauty in the mess including some of the borlotti beans we recovered in very good dried out state - perfect for soups and stews or maybe even planting next year :) Did you know they are also known as the cranberry bean?

I look forward to returning and will keep you posted.
Hugs
Carrie

An essential guide to early Autumn planting

I never use pre-prepared pieces from any companies that send me stuff but I received this a little while ago and thought it was well written. It's a sad thought but the summer is over my darlings (and we must be brave) and make use of these fleeting weeks to get some yummy foodstuffs in the ground.

I'm sorry; my tiny brain was blown by a trip last week to Berlin which was just amazing and thus as I haven't recovered yet it has come to this - using other peoples words on my blog! I would add to the following though - GET YOUR SPRING FLOWERING BULBS IN TOO!

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What to grow and how to get the best results

 By The Greenhouse People

With autumn drawing near, now is the perfect time to prepare for a season that’s bursting with potential. In September the ground is still warm so it’s a good time to try some late sowings and it’s also when the UK’s biggest campaign dedicated to organic produce takes place.

From cupboard staples like garlic, onions and shallots to the more exotic pak choi, early autumn is the ideal time to grow tasty vegetables.

Here, The Greenhouse People share the tips and tricks every gardener should know to make this autumn as plentiful as possible.

Baby spinach

 

We all know Spinach is bursting with iron, but it’s also a fantastic source of other vital nutrients like magnesium, an important mineral for bone health and maintenance, and potassium essential for helping to maintain blood pressure.

Luckily, with the right know-how, you too can grow these nutritious greens at home. The trick is to plant spinach as early as possible in autumn to help them reach maturity before the temperatures drop too much.

Spinach can be grown in a greenhouse or even a conservatory and it’s advisable to put a protective cloche around the plants in the day and a horticultural blanket at night to help them thrive.

Finally, adding a thick mulch around the base of the plan will keep the surrounding soil warm.

Garlic, onions and shallots

 

Garlic, onions and shallots are all members of the same family and these clever kitchen staples will virtually look after themselves over winter, to be enjoyed in summer.

When it comes to watering, give them plenty until November time when you should start reducing the amount of water until early spring. A well-textured soil with incorporated bulky compost will hold on to enough moisture to see the crop through winter.

Garlic, onion and shallot bulbs thrive in open and sunny sites. If exposed to sub-zero temperatures, there is a risk of bolting which means that plants produce flowers at the expense of harvestable bulbs.

A relatively undemanding crop that gives good yields; the perfect choice for beginners.

Pak choi

 

Pak choi is an oriental vegetable also referred to as Chinese cabbage. It makes a great addition to stir-fries and is a perfect meat accompaniment. The other good news is that it’s a cool-weather plant, making it a great candidate for your Autumn vegetable patch.

For optimum results, it’s best to plant pak choi seeds in moisture-retentive soil. You should also ensure you keep the plants well-watered throughout the growing period.

It’s also a good idea to keep an eye out for pests which love this Chinese cabbage like flea beetles, aphids and cabbage worms. Either pick or hose them off regularly.

Fortunately, Pak Choi is fast-maturing so you should be able to start harvesting the young leaves after as little as 30 days.

Kale 

Kale was once hidden away in niche health food stores but it’s now experiencing its heyday.

Rich in antioxidants, kale is a wonderfully versatile crop that can flourish in most conditions. It’s also less prone to attracting pests and developing rot diseases than cabbage and broccoli, making it an ideal veggie for gardening novices.

To get the best out of these vibrant flowers, you should plant bulbs around two to three times their depth, facing upwards, in enriched soil with compost or manure from the previous season.

Summer is slowly fading, but it’s not all doom and gloom. With these handy hints and a fresh outlook, you could soon be on your way to reaping the many rewards this autumn has to offer!

love and hugs
Carrie