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

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

Daily photo challenge update (week 5)

It's Friday already and time for another fabulous photograph roundup :) The Fat Mum Slim September prompts finished with these being the last few, below.

Currently reading... North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. Almost finished in fact.

What's my name??? 😂🤣

My inspiration is...everywhere!
In capturing moments of beauty (big and small) to help me cope with mental ill health.

October is a free choice month which basically means you can take a photograph of whatever you wish but you have to do a new one every day. This means we're getting to see the things that really tickle people and most photographs are a little more personal. I prefer the challenges better when everyone has their own take on the same subject however.

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Our garlic bulbs arrived - hoorah! We got 'Solent Wight' again this time from Simply Seed and have high hopes that unlike last year's batch (supplier?) they we love our allotment and do excellently well. It's been sad not having our own supply this year - it seems the plot now has all the diseases going and the soil is poorer but we have plans to change that. It was reassuring to read the Sarah Raven called this variety 'the best of all British garlic varieties which does well in our colder, greyer climes'.

We also got lots of tulips to plant there and at home and some gorgeous tete-a-tetes.
That's part of our weekend ahead though.

I hope you are all well and happy,
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

Blueberries, apple blossom and garlic

What weather we have been experiencing! - it's beautiful and all that but please my darling friends, know that this is climate change and we can't with all good consciousness celebrate it popularly. This is a problem and we should not be sunbathing in April with temperature records being broken and being portrayed as exciting - this is not right.

In saying that I am sitting outside with my two boys (Andrew and Toby the wonder dog) drinking a cheeky shandy in the shade and having a lovely late afternoon. If that makes me a hypocrite I'm sorry but it is brightening my mood and depression is an evil mistress....

So, what does all this weather mean for the allotment? Well let me tell you, the hosepipe ban from years ago is still in affect and that is a little annoying. We all have thirsty seedlings and trees in our plots and most of us are not young and fit enough to use umpteen watering cans (back and forth over and over again). I'm sad for a lot of of my plot pals but that's life I guess.

But anywho - at the plot we have got our new blueberry plants in and are excited; very excited at the glorious blossom on the apple trees (see also the new header when I finish it) . I am obsessed with blossom and all new growth these days - such HOPE!

The blueberries are a variety called Vaccinium ( blueberry) 'corymbosum' which you can learn about here. For a comprehensive guide to growing delicious blueberry bushes you can not go wrong with following the advice of the RHS. Here is the relative link, I encourage everyone to give them a go 😀 

We also planted out the young garlic plants! It's the first time in absolute ages that we have had to use new stock as last season saw the end of the 'Gault' strain but we are happy and optimistic about 'Cristo'  and the root systems looked very healthy.

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I am collating a list of our permanent fruit varieties and the seeds we are growing this year so you (and we) can see how well they do over the coming months. It will have it's own page which you can click into on the menu bar. Remember we are in Northern Ireland so much of what we experience weather wise may be different than yourself.

Hugs and love
Carrie