Clairesallotment's Blog

I very rarely go to the allotment at the weekend, and it’s lovely to see the weekend gardeners. What a lovely day it is, the sun is shining and no jumper was needed. I strimmed more grass, weeded a load more and planted quite a few sprouting broccoli plants. I love sprouting broccoli it makes a lovely change from the larger stuff you get in the shops and you can harvest it from autumn through to spring. After I planted them I watered them in and then put a few pellets around them to protect from the slugs, then covered with a frame and netting to protect from the birds. Home then for lunch and watching recorded programmes of Pointless….I got a pointless answer I was very chuffed.

What a busy bee I was this morning on the allotment. I’ve sown the rest of my red onions, so now they’re all in. I strimmed a load of grass on the paths. After all the rain we’ve had the grass was getting rather long. I didn’t do it all in one go, but did a section and then went and did more weeding, then came back for more strimming. I think I’ve managed to get half of one plot mowed which is more than I thought I’d get done. To my utter surprise the strimmer started straight away. Considering as it’s the first time I’ve used it this year I was expecting it to be a bit of a battle. I’ll see if I can get down tomorrow as Sunday looks like a wash out.

Popped down again this morning. The rain came and went, but didn’t stop me doing what I went there to do. I took down a load more red onions and got them in. I’ve still got a few more to plant, but they’ll have to wait until Friday as I don’t have the car tomorrow, and I don’t really want to take them down on my bike. I also weeded a load more and put up 2 wigwams for the runner/french beans. It’s slowly getting there, but still loads more to do. Oh, and some seeds arrived that I ordered. They took nearly a month, and came from India!! I didn’t know they were going to come from there. I’ll make a video when I sow them.

I forgot to mention this before, and Mark just reminded me. I got a nesting box attached to my shed at the bottom of out very short garden. It’s been there for 6 years or so and nothing has even taken an interest in it…..until now.
A few weeks ago a pair of Great tits (all sorts of jokes are rushing through your head I know) took an interest in it, and now they’re nesting. I’ve seen the male birds keep flying in and out of the hole with food in it’s mouth. I might have baby birds soon.
I’ll let you know how they get on, and try to take a picture, but I don’t want to scare them.
I have Great tits in by big box!!!!! Innuendo’s are a plenty.

Sorry I’ve been away for a while, but I’m just getting over a bout of Bronchitis. I had it about 5 years ago, and then got it again. I was not happy, it kept me in bed for 5 days. The doctor gave me some really strong antibiotics and they’ve done the trick. I’ve still got a cough, but feel so much better. I went to the allotment this morning and got stuck in to more weeding. I’ve done another bed and then started to plant some red onions. I got done all the ones I took with me which I was pleased about. More tomorrow so hopefully it won’t rain. I’ve got loads of bits to do.

Woke up this morning, and wondered what that big, bright, round, yellow shiny thing was in the sky! Goodness me it was THE SUN!! It’s been along time since I’ve seen it, I’d forgotten what it looked like. The weather must have realised it was Georges’ (my little boy) 10th birthday, and decided to shine today. I went to the allotment for just under 3 hours this morning, and got all the rest of my potatoes in. Wow, I’ve finally done them all. Now the next job is to start planting the red onions.

Here is the photo of George holding a couple of the massive parsnips that I dug up earlier this week. I can’t remember how to add a photo to a blog, so I had to wait for Mark to have 5 minutes to do it for me.

Massive parsnips!

You know when you get so wet, you can’t get any wetter? Well that happened to me on the allotment this morning. After 2 days of not being able to get down there because of the weather I thought “Sod it, I need to get some more of those potatoes in”. So I got down there at just after 10 this morning, and left at noon. I’ve just got home, and when I say to you the ONLY item of clothing I didn’t have to change were my socks, I think you’ll understand!! I’m going to have lunch now and a lovely warm cup of tea. I did get some more potatoes in so that was good. Oh its just started raining again.

Well, since the hosepipe ban came into effect on 5th April it’s done nothing but rain! It’s absolutely pouring at the moment, and will be for the rest of the day. Maybe if they cancel the ban the sun will return? Here’s hoping.