Friday 13th May 2016 – I may be stroking it too much!!

Posted on May 13, 2016 by clairesallotment

This morning I was up my allotment again. This time I wanted to tackle a rather large bed. To my surprise, all the rain has made the soil very easy to dig, which is brilliant. The bed I was working my way through today must have been about 2 meters by about 6 meters. In 2 and a half hours I managed to go from a bed that was full of Groundsel to a bed without out any weeds in at all. I remember my nan picking the Groundsel to give, as a treat, to her Canary bird that she named Henry! Blimey that was a few years ago now! I was rather pleased with what I’d managed to accomplish. It was 2 barrow loads of weeds, so hopefully that’ll give you some idea of what I had worked my way through.

All ready fro next weeks sowing fest! Can't wait.

All ready for next weeks sowing fest! Can’t wait.

Then this afternoon I was back in my greenhouse potting up my Lemon Grass into a much larger pot. I sowed the Lemon Grass from seed on March 3rd and it’s been growing very happily on my kitchen window sill every since. Now they’re getting too large for the 3 inch pot I put them in, so it’s time to move them to their new home. I hope they’ll be happy in their new pot.

 

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Thursday 12th May 2016 – The rain has gone, now it’s time for Brassicas!

Posted on May 12, 2016 by clairesallotment

After 2 days of constant rain, it’s wonderful to see the sun again. Apparently we had half a months worth of rain in the last 2 days. Now I don’t mine rain (I prefer the sun), but not all at once. So with the sun shining again I put on my wellies and went back down my allotment. The plants had clearly loved the rain, as the Asparagus had got all excited and I had to harvest a load more spears. The Carrot seedlings are now growing really well, and have got so much larger since I last saw them a few days ago.

Carrots seedlings are doing well. I'm keeping my eye on that slug to the right of the picture.

Carrots seedlings are doing well. I’m keeping my eye on that slug to the right of the picture.

Unfortunately the weeds liked the rain as well, so I’ve now got lots of weeding to do as well as all the rest of the stuff. I managed to dig over another couple of beds which was great. The rain has made the soil very easy to dig which is brilliant. I think I ended up with 3 barrow loads of green waste which shows that I had a great morning.

That's another couple of beds done. So nearly a quarter of my area is done, just the other three quarters to go.

That’s another couple of beds done. So nearly a quarter of my area is done, just the other three quarters to go.

After lunch I went into my greenhouse to pot up some more of my brassicas. I’ve got loads more to do, so it’s going to take me a fair amount of time I potted up 18 Sprouting Broccoli “Red Arrow”, which I also grew last year and they did really well. Hopefully I’ll had the same results this year, or maybe even better. But I still have loads of other varieties to do, but I’ll let you know as and when I get round to them. Hopefully by the end of the weekend I’d have got them all potted up into 3 inch pots.

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Tuesday 10th May 2016 – Planting out my Sweet Peas

Posted on May 10, 2016 by clairesallotment

After the recent hot and sunny weather, it had to come to an end sometime, it always does. So far this morning we have had continuous drizzle. It’s supposed to get much worse later on, but we’ll have to see about that. So with the weather the way it is today I won’t be on my allotment, but instead in my greenhouse doing all sorts of stuff. This morning I’ve been planting out my Sweet Peas that I sowed just over 2 months ago. The 2 varieties I have are “Hi Scent” and “Incense Mixed”. Hopefully they’ll be very happy in their new homes.

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Eating rhubarb flowers

Posted on May 9, 2016 by clairesallotment

Interesting.

Alan Carter's avatarOf Plums and Pignuts

There’s an unusual perennial vegetable lurking unsuspected in many gardens at this time of year: rhubarb flowers. You should remove the flower stems from rhubarb to stop it wasting its energy on seed production in any case, so instead of chucking it on the compost, you could use it, as they do in the far east, as an exotic seasonal ingredient.

rhubarb flower stems

The secret to preparing rhubarb flowers is to know that the tiny individual flowers that make up the head do not contain any oxalic acid, the substance that makes rhubarb so sour, but the flower stem does. The stem is a branching structure that goes right inside the head so you’ll never get it all out, but if you just cut off the most accessible bits you’ll have got rid of most of it. Also be sure to remove the stem leaves, which are presumably as poisonous as the basal ones…

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Monday 9th May 2016 – Oh my goodness, I’ve done all my Tomatoes!!

Posted on May 9, 2016 by clairesallotment

It’s taken me a while to pot all my Tomatoes on into 3 inch pots. Well I did sow lots of different varieties this year. This afternoon I managed to finish the last ones off. I’m very excited. I’ve potted up 18 “Black Opal” and 27 “Cherry Snow White”. So looking back at the numbers, this year I have…..oh dear me….226 tomato plants!! Lots of different varieties, so lots of different sizes, shapes and colours! I’ll keep you posted on their progress and show you the next step when I come to it.

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Monday 9th May 2016 – Allotment update and some bonus Beetroot.

Posted on May 9, 2016 by clairesallotment

Today was another glorious day. Although thankfully not quite as hot as yesterday. Still very humid though, but at least we had a little breeze blowing which was wonderful. I spent just under 3 hours on my allotment this morning, and managed to get loads done. I filled more tyres with soil and chicken manure and transplanted more Strawberry plants that are growing out of their designated place. I then dug over another couple of beds, and then moved some soil from the compost heaps. So all in all, a good mornings work. I’m exhausted now and very dirty and messy.

I wish all my other beds looked like these ones. Hopefully they will in a couple of weeks.

I wish all my other beds looked like these ones. Hopefully they will in a couple of weeks.

So all in all, a good mornings work. I also did a little update on how everything is progressing, which I hope you enjoy.

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Saturday 7th May 2016 – Potting up Sweet Peppers and lots more tomatoes.

Posted on May 7, 2016 by clairesallotment

Yes today is World Naked Gardening Day (first Saturday in May), and this afternoon I’ve been in my very hot greenhouse wearing minimal clothing. Gravity takes over on certain parts of the body as you get older, and naked crouching is never very attractive, whatever age your are. This afternoon I potted up 18 Sweet Pepper seedlings. They’ve been growing well, but were very slow to start. Like me they don’t like the cold.

Once I had done the Sweet Peppers, I then continued with the mammoth task of potting on my Tomato seedlings. I’ve managed to pot up loads more, but still have a couple of varieties left to do. Hopefully I’ll be able to get those done tomorrow. So I now have another 18 “Moneymaker”, 12 “Bountiful” and 45 “Garden Pearl”. Not sure where I’ll put all those, but I’m sure I’ll find space somewhere. Now it’s time to put on a t-shirt and go and get some Fish and Chips for dinner. It’s been a busy day. I had a bell ringing competition this morning. In our Guild, we have 4 Districts, and we were competing against each other. Sounds a bit like The Hunger Games, but no one dies. You’re told what method to ring, and this year it was Double Norwich Court Bob Major (like you all know what that is). You’re judged on your striking, rhythm and general performance. It’s very competitive. I’m very please to report that we came first!!  I’m still in shock. The last, and only time that our District won was in 2011, and the competition has been going for decades. We won by one and a half points!! So to celebrate we’re having fish and chips and I’m having a beer.

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Naked Gardening Day!

Posted on May 7, 2016 by clairesallotment

Today I shall be wearing as little as possible… #NakedGardeningDay

 

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Friday 6th May 2016 – What a hot afternoon.

Posted on May 6, 2016 by clairesallotment

I’m not complaining, just incase you were wondering. This morning I was working, so was only able to go down to my allotment this afternoon. Not that this was a problem at all. I think this is the last bit of work for this half term, so that means much more time to play with my plants. I managed to dig over another couple of beds which was great. I found another rogue Sarpo Mira potato, again it was a large one, so how I missed that I don’t know. I also harvested 5 more spears of Asparagus. They’re grow so much in the last couple of days. More are poking through the soil, so I’ll have to pick more on Monday! Mark’s complaining that his wee is smelling of Asparagus, but I think he’s making that up. I also managed to fill 6 tyres with chicken manure and soil and then plant some more Strawberries that have decided to grow outside the massive Strawberry bed I have. If any of them are really small, then they’re thrown away, but I want to find a new home for as many as I can, and I still have lots more tyres to fill.

Some more strawberries in their new home. Still loads more to do.

Some more strawberries in their new home. Still loads more to do.

After a couple of hours I came home. Hopefully the next couple of weeks will continue to be wonderful and then I can spend all of next week and the week after on my allotment. I’ve still got lots to clear before the mass planting out of tender crops begins at the beginning of June. I’ll keep you posted on everything I get up to.

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Thursday 5th May 2016 – More Tomato Seedlings

Posted on May 6, 2016 by clairesallotment

I’m gradually working my way through potting up all my Tomato seedlings. I’ve got loads to do, so I am getting them done when ever I have a spare few minutes (or half hour). This afternoon I managed to pot up 9 “Red Bodyguard”, 18 “Tigerella” and so far 18 “Moneymaker”. I still have loads more “Moneymaker” to do which hopefully I’ll be able to get some done tomorrow, but definitely over the weekend, when I plan to get loads done in the greenhouse. When potting up your seedling, if any are too small and weedy then just throw them away. Exciting news on the bird front, I think my Great Tit babies have hatched, because as I was in my greenhouse, one of them was flying back and forth with food all the time. Such a busy little thing. I managed to get a photo of it as it was just leaving the nesting box.

I think this is Daddy emerging from the nesting box. Babies need feeding all the time.

I think this is Daddy emerging from the nesting box. Babies need feeding all the time.

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