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

12th season on the plot!

It's a Saturday afternoon and here i find myself all alone. Andrew is off in the Mournes hiking and Toby has found a little rectangle of sun through the patio doors to lie in. I sit here with my thoughts which is OK because I haven't felt well enough to write in ages and now I can.

It's our 12th year on the plots! That's pretty amazing, right? One down side is that we need to replace all the fencing and all the timbers for the raised bed edging but on the good side, we don't mind the hard graft and are excited to see it all look new and with improvements. (Frown turned upside down).

The potatoes were finally planted last weekend into the 4 or 5 big pots we have for them. We're only doing Pentland Javelin this year because we like them and because we can never eat all we grow. (We didn't plant all of the above by the way). Sadly there isn't a place here where you can get unusual varieties or choose a few different loose ones and try experiments.

I spent a long time clearing the very neglected blueberry bed of grasses, thistles and dandelions. We have dug up the old bushes and are getting new ones to replace them as after 12 years they're a bit tired. We also really wanted to put a path down the side of the bed to help with harvesting; sadly the plants were where we wanted that path.

But, look..I found this little self seeded strawberry plant in there. I have it here at home now in a little pot out in the back garden :)

There are beautiful blossoms on the apples and plum trees, I love me a pretty blossom. In the same bed, the new rhubarb crowns are settling in nicely and maybe next year we can harvest a couple of stalks.

Elsewhere on the plot, the beetroot has started to bolt magnificently so I lifted a good few for consumption and the leeks continue to get fatter and stronger (we lifted a few of those too - yummy).

Apart from that we have broad beans and garlic here at the house looking good in their seed trays and hopefully soon to be planted. Plus new baby leeks, kale, peas and spring onions are hopefully germinating and will soon poke their leaves through.

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I have a feeling we are going to have a good season at the plot and the allotments in general have a happier air about them with abandoned plots being taken over by new excited people and more evidence of everyone getting suck in :)

Hugs and love
Carrie x

Just me

beautiful catkins on the birch

It's all go around here today with washing outside on most people's lines and the noise of lawn mowers filling the lazy air now and then. I've been outside myself, to put our own bedclothes on the line and marvel at the beautiful birch tree while Toby does his security detail -  making sure no other dog has been in his sacred space since he was last out. He gives off a few barks to remind everyone how fierce he is.

the last of the tulips in a pot

The birds are singing merrily and eating their fill now that Andrew has both mixed seeds and peanuts out for them (they are well looked after!). There isn't much else happening in the garden at the moment, things are growing and buds are fat but the daffs are going over and the tulips are rather tatty round the edges. We'll need to get some little plants to brighten up the place again; fill my little stepped display.

I have been fighting hard and we had a lovely hike last weekend and have a 2 day hike organised for this weekend. Plus we are ready to tackle that allotment and get some seeds planted! The potatoes weren't even done, per tradition, on St Patrick's day as it was simply too wet and too cold. I can't wait to get there, really. I have high hopes for the blossoming trees and the new garlic and broad beans.

Now we're getting into the summer-y vibes. It's time to plant, grow, get healthy and be happy.

Hugs and love
Carrie xx

[Hobbies] Keeping me going right now

I find these past months that it is almost impossible to sit and watch TV to take my mind off things, and boy does my mind wander. I feel that I NEED to be doing things all the time, until I get so tired I need a nap. The darkness does it. I hate the dark days in particular; these darker nights are bad too but when you need the 'big light 'on in the middle of the afternoon, gosh, it feels like the world is ending.

So I have taken to hobbies in a much more serious way. Sadly my good intentions to write more here are not yet (I stress, yet) coming to fruition but I am at least coming up with more ideas.

BOOKS

I have always LOVED books. Oh, the joy in escaping life and reading a story about about some other people and getting lost in their adventures.
At the moment I am reading 'A Man Called Ove' and have 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' lined up as well as Dante's Inferno.. I love a good mix. Recently I also received a lovely book called 'The Wellness Garden' - which is the book I was supposed to write! haha It's all about ecotherapy, in the garden, allotment and out on walks....

CROSS STITCH

This is an old past time that I have just come back to and I am a little addicted. I've done 2 samplers already, one with my own twist, one of two secret pieces, plus I'm in the middle of a crazy Van Gogh piece too. I love it, it's hard work with the old double vision but I'm one for taking on a challenge and internally yelling "take that double vision" usually with a naughty cuss word added *blush*

(HYGGE) DECORATING

I seem to be mentioning this every winter now like a broken record but 'hygge' is a huge help to me. I love the ritual of getting my candles and the various holders out of storage and placing them around the living room and getting new batteries for my fairy lights - bliss.

This winter we have gone a good bit further and are redecorating the dinning room - making it what we always hoped but haven't got around to. It's funny how you end up settling for second best...
I recommend freshening up some paint, decluttering, getting flowers (even fake ones) for a vase and adding to your bookcase - second hand book shops rock!. Little things make big impacts at this time of year.

YOGA or WALKING
Moving about and not getting stuck on the sofa the whole day (like I do somedays) is very important. Doing housework can count as exercise but what I am talking about here is time, private time for you and your body to have a little dialogue and share a little love.

Easy yoga videos are available online for free and you don't need to be bendy to do them - the point is that you work with yoga to get more flexible and not just do the stuff because you already are!

Then there's the walking, be it anywhere, in the hills, round the street you live in - nosy about you, get that heart pumping harder, feel the cold air and then, ohh, a cosy house upon return.

PENPALING/ POSTCROSSING

This is old school these days, I wonder in fact if many young people know how to handwrite a letter or send a proper paper postcard. Plus, it breaks my heart, but a few years ago my favourite Post Office closed down and now there is a piddling wee thing tucked into a local Spar shop instead AND our stamps are totally wick compared to other parts of the world.
BUT
I love to write letters to my penpals and Postcrossing is so much fun, I urge you to check it out. Send a postcard to someone random out of the whole world and get one back from another totally random person. They are usually lovely postcards of where they live and they tell you a little about their life - interesting!

JIGSAWS

Yes I know this may sound a little lame, but if all else fails ( and I am truly sick) - I do love a jigsaw. I'm extremely particular about what type I like and how big they are allowed to be though, none of those with loads of sky or heaven fore-fend - I once saw a plate of baked beans as a puzzle! - nightmare.

Whatever you have that keeps your brain and body active - keep at it and keep those gloomy thoughts and days in check!
Hugs
Carrie

Daily photo challenge round up (17)

Another Friday has raised it's head and this time it looks really rather autumnal and crisp. The flowers are starting to go over, the trees are an utterly delightful shade of red/brown/orange, the sky seems bluer. Toby is back to fighting fallen leaves in the patio one of his favourite pastimes and I am thinking ahead to a new jumper for him.

I'm ready, it's going to happen anyway but now I am ready for the coming darker mornings and nights, the nip in the air and more rain and/or snow. The blankets are out, the cosy clothes have been sporadically worn, candles are making there way into the house and we are in the midst of a big DIY planning session = time to wake up to Winter coming.  Goodness knows if this winter we will see extremes in the weather as we did this summer, but I'm prepared and it's almost HYGGE time :)

Here are this week's Fat Mum Slim photo a day prompts....

Day 22 - waiting

Waiting for a table for a moment, not coffee this time but bubbles 😁🥂

Day 23 - hanging

LOVE this paste art with the girl's hair hanging down from the ceiling

Day 24 - bite  

Currywurst, one bite is never enough

Day 25 -  playful 

The Berlin Wall's playful take on the beer drinking culture there.

Day 26 - kind act

It doesn't have to be a big act. 

Self kindness - taking a moment to savour a coffee and clear my mind.

Day 27 - flowers

Loved this wildflower garden and bee hive at the Rowallane National Trust property. So pretty and productive. Love 🐝🐝🐝

Day 28 - entertainment 

There were so many things I could have chosen for this prompt but then I realised I'd been staring at this bundle of fur most of the day so far... even whilst asleep, he entertains me.

Keep warm my lovelies! I hope, like us you are enjoying the fruits of your allotment, (we're having a delicious vegetable curry with our own pumpkins and kale in) and are winding down.

Love and hugs

Carrie x

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