Clairesallotment's Blog

When I arrived at the allotment this morning it was drizzling, but as the morning went on the sun came out, and it was very pleasant. I’ve manage to get more of my potatoes in. I’ve got over half in, and am just short of getting two thirds in. We’ll have to see what tomorrow brings, but apparently it’s supposed to rain hard all day. I also found some parsnips that I’d sown last year growing in a tyre. I had to remove the tyre to dig them out. They were enormous! So that’s more to add to the rest of them.

Yes I forgot to do this yesterday and should have put it in before Monday’s but I’m hungry and I don’t function well when I need food.
Sunday was spent in the greenhouse potting up all my tomatoes. I think I’ve done them all. I mixed all the varieties together, so it’ll be a surprise when the fruit. I like surprises. Only nice ones mind you.

Well it was going to be touch and go to see if I would be able to go to the allotment today. The clouds were looming, and just as I was about to leave the heavens opened! Well I wouldn’t be going to the allotment to day, but I wasn’t going to be stopped from doing any gardening. So I pootled off down the greenhouse and potted up all my Sprouting broccoli. It’s only when you come to pot them up, you then realise how many you planted a few months ago. OMG!!!! They weren’t easy to sort out because they’d got all twisted with each other. I should have potted them up a few weeks ago, but other things happened. I’ve taken the ones I need and then shared the rest between my sister and the allotment plant sale. I also potted up the squashes I’ve only got about 7 of those, so that was easy. Lunch now I think. The rest of the seed potatoes are in the boot of the car, so I’m hoping tomorrows weather will be drier.

Going to the allotment today wasn’t going to happen. I looked out of the window this morning and it was pouring with rain. Yes I know we need it, but why can’t it rain at night? Decided to see what it would be like at 10am, and it was still raining, so decided to spend the morning potting up seedlings in the greenhouse. I’ve just come in after being in there for and hour and a half. It’s getting to the stage where I’m running out of room, and every time you want to do something you have to reshuffle bits. I ‘ve potted up a load of cabbages, chillies, tomatoes and cucumbers. Other bits are nearly ready, but not quite yet. If I have a bit more spare time this afternoon, I may pop and do a bit more. Spare time, what’s that?

Well George went back to school today, but Emily doesn’t go back until tomorrow. She’s old enough for me to leave her for a couple of hours and go down the allotment. I’m not far away and she’s quite sensible (most of the time anyway).
Got more of the white onions in, not quite all of them, hopefully I’ll be able to finish them off tomorrow. I think I’ve got about 25 or so to go. I’ve filled another bed with them, so will have to find another bed in which to pop the last few in. I’ve also dug up all my leeks from last year. They made it through the winter, and look fantastic. I’ll be using them instead of onions for a while.

Another morning up the allotment. Got loads more done which was good. Still loads more to do, but every time I get a bed weeded it means I’m 1 step closer. After I’d done a load of weeding I planted some of my white onions. I’ve got so many that I wasn’t able to plant them all today, and I also planted all my garlic. The car doesn’t smell of onions and garlics now, which it did when I got in it this morning.

I’ve done more today!!! Gosh I have been a busy bee. I sowed a few more Dwarf French Beans this time the varieties were Stanley and Purple Queen. There I was merrily sowing away and I emptied the last of the packet into my hand when a bright mottled pink round seed came out of the pack? It’s about the size of a peas seed, but isn’t a pea. I don’t know what it is, so I’ve planted it in a separate pot to see what it grows into. I’ll let you know. I hope it’s nothing illegal…that would be interesting having the police come round and search my greenhouse. I then had a tidy of my greenhouse as over the winter it had got a bit messy, I even cleared out my tool box. Goodness me I found all sorts of rubbish in there. I think a tip trip is needed over the weekend. And then I removed a large box and what did I find…..my favourite thing in the world, a big bugger of a spider!! Needless to say I didn’t kneel on the floor again. I’ve got to tidy the shed tomorrow, heaven knows what will be lurking in there.