September Catch-up

I haven't blogged for over 2 months as have been lucky enough to have had some solid paid work to do, but it has really taken it out of me! Visits to the plot have been ever more important in doing something other than struggling through archaeological reports and then struggling to recover! The plot isn't struggling though and it has been a lovely, productive summer.

This was at the beginning of the Great Cucumber Harvest: we've had smooth ones, knobbly ones and gherkin ones (as usual I lost all the labels with their proper names) but they've been brilliant this year. The French and runner beans have produced a great amount, and patty pan squashes and turks turban rather good too. I've never had so many tomatoes ripen so quickly at home, in fact the harvest is nearly over, but the plot greenhouse ones still have plenty to come on. Courgettes have finally provided us with a much coveted glut.  And raspberries (Autumn Bliss) have belied their name by producing from May/June (in the greenhouse) to September and, by the looks of it, way beyond.

Here are the Ratte Potato Queen and King (top of the slope) addressing their followers, who include several ducks. Their subjects are legion as the following picture suggests

 

I'm really pleased with Ratte, and will definitely grow them again- really prolific, really tasty. Also putting in a good effort are the chillies. A mixture of varieties grown- the picture shows the type that I used to pick out of  late night kebabs. Sadly I don't eat chillies at all, but will grow them again for those that do.

 

I'd also like to say well done to the sweetcorn- small but perfectly formed. The second year of growing has seen a 100% increase in crop from the previous year, when they all failed.

And I am happy with this year's flowers- constant sweetpeas, a massive show of verbena and borage (loved by the site bees) good dahlias, sunflowers (not enough) and new for this year: gladioli- an allotment staple.

I like to keep a few hot water plants in the greenhouse too- though I don't see them most of the time, they really brighten up the view inside the scruffy glasshouse.

 

And this is the view into our plot from the adjoining communal area: we cleared the gateway to restore the way through when we took on the plot. You can just see one clematis I planted in this area (Polish Spirit)- but I want, no demand, more, many more- I am a clematis addict!

 

Oranges and Lemons

Oranges and lemons are not something we grow on the allotment!  But there are lots of lemon-yellow and bright orange flowers around at this time of year- they seem to have taken over from the purples and blues of a few weeks ago. Let's see what we have....



Ah yes- the sky before our massive storms last week- eerie!

....but not a dissimilar colour to this osteospernum...

The orangey yellow of courgettes of courgettes is very distinctive of the squash family

 

But tomato flowers are of a more lemony yellow

 

And this type of sulphurous yellow seems popular with hoverflies, who are, of course, good at eating aphids and pollinating

 

A stamen (or pistil?) of an evening primrose flower is quite architectural when seen close-up. And of the purest yellow...

 

Oranges are well represented at the plot too- this pompom dahlia is rather cheeky and gorgeous

 

And the bean flowers are pretty as well as potentially productive

 

I'm a big fan of nasturtiums- I just love them. To look at. To eat. Self seed. What's not to like...

 

 

Is it just me or does this carrot look like it is in the throws of giving birth to a baby carrot?

 

 
It's a shame to see these new yellow signs popping up around the site - but we have had widespread thefts on an industrial scale. I think the signs are too small- see the hand as a scale. More on the thefts some other time....sigh....

But on a nicer note - we have retained some of these "weeds"- ragwort- because they are feeding these lovely orange and black caterpillars....

 

...of the cinnabar moth....  and in a few weeks we will see the deep red and black of that lovely moth.

 

Enjoy the oranges and lemons all around your plot or garden at this time of year!

Just Clinging On! (Wordless Wednesday)

A cucamelon winds its way to the top!

Sunshine, Slugproofing, Slow-growth and Sweetcorn

Whoa, it's been hard work this year!  Last year was our first on the plot and mostly consisted of clearance (very rewarding); introduction of new infrastructure (ditto); and experimentation (interesting). This year we can't get away with lots of gaps and small plantings, and it's been tough to sow enough, grow on, plant up, harden off, plant in the ground and then put in place effective slug and snail defences.

Gateway to summer

 It should get easier as time goes on and I get timings right, and if we can largely wipe out theft of seedlings from the allotment plot I'll feel more confident about leaving young plants in the plot greenhouses- this year I didn't dare to, and keeping everything going on a couple of windowsills has been like one of those puzzles where you move blocks around to create a shape.... kind of fun.

The top of our shed at home has been the hardening-off site for young plants, providing some slug and snail protection not present at ground level. I lost approx. a third of tomato plants to slug/ snails this year- unprecedented!  By sticking the bitten off tops into a pot with a plastic bag on top I saved several as they rooted nicely.  The sparrows have been enjoying this impromptu "green roof" and bathing and drinking in a little tub of water I left out
for them.

The roof of the shed at home- spot the birdie!

Despite the sun and good growing conditions a lot of growth has been slow for me this year- I reckon its the compost!  We need to get enough good home made compost to mix with the bought peat-free,  I don't think the mix of nutrients (if any) is right in the peat-free alone.

We may be luckier with sweetcorn this year than last- in the picture you can see all the slug defences in action: jagged edged plastic bottle cuffs, copper tape, and crunchy dry slug barrier around it.  Hopefully the sweetcorn will have a better chance than England did in the World Cup.




Talking of which: when the disappointing games get too much the allotment is a good place to creep off to- and it is certainly looking bright this time of year.

 The plot is a good place to think happy thoughts.


 A rose for Christine ......

 

                                                                                             .....and a rose for Julie

Springtime Catch-up!

This time of the year all plants on the allotment, in the garden and in nature whizz along.  I just love the vibrant zingy greens of tree leaf, and new grass and perennials; the new salad leaves; and the sharp splashes of bright pinks, purples, and yellows from budding roses, alliums, and the later tulips. Not to mention my favourite clematises (is that the correct plural?) - that's the ones that haven't been pinched off the plot that is...another story!

New lettuce and turnips zooming along in the greenhouse

 I love alliums!

The bursting buds are just as good as the open flowers

 

And the first roses are unfurling

Plenty of fruit to come too: redcurrants

The veggies are also coming on. Last year's chard and spinach is still producing well and we've had our first really good picking of mustardy salad leaves.


Mustardy salad leaves, with carrots, radishes and more parsley to come: growing in the old water tank, away from slug and snail

The sweet peas and peas got a trifle nibbled (aka eaten to the ground) by slugs and snails. I have now trialled wool pellets alongside the existing plastic bottle cuffs with jagged tops and copper bands to keep the voracious molluscs off. The wool seems to be proving that final bit of protection in a slug and snail-full year so far. Both types of peas are re-sprouting now.

I've also been busy sowing. I stagger this over the season, little and often, cos with ME you get overwhelmingly knackered and ill from doing too much. I'm feeling more under par than usual at the moment so the pattern is to totter off my bed of knackeredness, fill up a pot or two with soil (all kept handy by the back door) bung in a few seeds, put 'em on the windowsill and hey presto!  ....Even more seedlings to anticipate potting up- with help of
course!!



  Oh and by the way we've had more new life on the plot: four of the dearest robin fledglings from a neat nest in the wiggly hazel- they kept that very quiet til the babies were up and flying!

Happy Spring!

Budding Promise

Things are a-stir on the plot, things are a-stir everywhere! On the plot today I ignored the fact that there seem to be loads more slugs than last year already, and just concentrated on the shoots and buds that are appearing, and some lovely flowers out in the afternoon sun- nothing fancy just pretty spring blossoms!

Can you tell what this is yet?

It's the first gooseberry!

 

I wonder what colour this tulip will be? I love the green bud

 

This is a shoot of one of 5 clematis I've added to the plot- like my Dad before me I love them! Mind you so do the aphids by the look of it!

I think this is the cherry, but it could be the pear. The apple blossom is pink

A Spanish bluebell. Would be nice to have the native ones. Something for the future

The wiggly hazel is such a bonus on the plot. I've planted a blue-ish clematis to go through it during summer

Grape Hyacinths are nothing special, but they look lovely close to

Just showing that there are veggies on the allotment too -honest!

My favourite tulip- I think it's called Strawberries and Cream. If it isn't it should be
 

Weather great for gardening- lots to do!

At last most of the UK seems to have had reasonable weather for the time of year. Down in the South East we haven't had a decent frost which may mean diseases haven't been killed off, but we'll just have to see.  The sun and warmth really makes me want to get out and grow! 

Still being a newcomer to the allotment (this is our second season) we have a lot to learn, and I already feel a bit behind in sowing seeds. So far I have:

Set potatoes to chit   (oops, left most of them in the box they came in for too long: hence long weedy sprouts!  Knocked some off and hope more come!)

Far too long and pale!



Will do better with these!

 

Sowed broad beans   (patchy germination, maybe the rough compost I sowed them in hasn't helped)



Sowed sweet peas  (I need to sow a second lot, they were great last year, and I am greedy for more!)
 Planted out some banana shallots, some garlic I'd started in the greenhouse, and some random spare leek seedlings from last year

 

 

 

Nice strong garlic

More garlic, and leeks

And we have:

Prepared the potato and broad bean beds
Cut back the raspberries and top dressed them
Pruned the apple, pear and cherries
Pruned the gooseberries   (the giant one we have inherited, and I also made cordons of some spares- Monty Don reckons it cuts out pest and disease problems)
Sorted out the greenhouses
Painted fencing
Reset the brick edges of paths and beds


Fiddled and diddled about with other stuff!

Oh and we have enjoyed:

Purple Sprouting Brocolli: how delicious it is compared to the shops!

Cavolo Nero: now this has gone to flower we are just cutting off the whole of the top and eating it flowers and all- yum yum

I love this time of year!