Friday 2nd May 2014 – My Asparagus is finally in.

Posted on May 2, 2014 by clairesallotment

I sowed some Asparagus seeds last year in a pot in the greenhouse, with the intention of transplanting them when they were big enough. However, other jobs at the allotment took over, and I never got round to it. I left the pots of asparagus in the greenhouse, and didn’t give them any attention at all. I thought that I’d killed them, but some how they were still alive. When I went in the greenhouse at the beginning of the spring this year, I looked at them, removed their brown tops and there looking at me were some new shoots! So today I planted them out in the allotment. They have a lovely bed, full of manure and leaves, so hopefully they’ll forget that I abandoned them. I won’t get any spears until next year as they need time to settle, but hopefully they’ll grow well, and I can harvest some in the near future. We love asparagus at home. I roast it in the oven, and sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top. Mark reckons it make his wee smell, but I’ll take his word on that.

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Thursday 1st May 2014 – I managed to miss the rain.

Posted on May 1, 2014 by clairesallotment

Having looked at the weather for today, it didn’t look very likely that a trip to the allotment would be on the cards. But not wanting to be told what I can and can’t do, I took the plunge and went down the allotment. We’d had lots of rain the night before, so weeding was a bit tricky, so instead I decided to best spend my time wood chipping more of my paths and pulling up the long grass and weeds from the fruit patch (when the soil dried out then I can weed). I found my 2 Gooseberry bushes, and then can across my Goji. It’s a very robust plant and seems to survive being covered in grass. I did get a fair amount done, but my lower arms are all scratched from the thorns on the Gooseberry bushes. It then started to drizzle again, and I felt that after just under 2 hours of weeding was enough and went home for a well earned cup of tea. Just as well I left when I did, as when I got home it really poured with rain. Tomorrow is supposed to be dry, so I’ll get up there again and carry on. Along with 3 chaps from the Council who were mowing the grass, I was the only allotment holder. I’m either a hardy gardener, or slightly insane!

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Wednesday 30th April 2014 – Yet more carrots!

Posted on April 30, 2014 by clairesallotment

As I was sowing some carrots a little while ago, I realised that I’d not got as many as I usually do. For some reason I had not got any purple ones. How this happened I don’t know. So last week on a rainy day I went to my local garden centre and bought some more. I have now planted “Autumn King 2” and “Rainbow Mix”. Hopefully we’ll now have enough carrots to last us a while. We do eat lots of them, and they’re used in so many meals. I also managed to dig over another small bed, and started on a huge one. I then watered lots of my seedlings, which are growing well. We have been forecast heavy down pours the last few days, but as yet have not got anything. I’m sure we’ll get lots of rain soon, but the ground has been getting rather dry. Not something I would expect to happen in April. So another successful morning which is good. And finally a very Happy Birthday to my lovely son George! He is 12 today, and has been saving up his Christmas money, pocket money and birthday money to put towards a new drum kit!! Mark and I are going to put the rest of the money towards it. It’s an electric one, so not a huge amount of noise. He’s got a very good beat, and always has, so if he works hard at it, then maybe instead of being a fireman when he’s older he can be a drummer in  a rock and roll band.

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The Big Allotment Challenge episode 3

Posted on April 30, 2014 by clairesallotment

This episode started off with carrots. I love carrots, what ever colour I decide to plant that year. I’ve grown various colours over the years from purple and black, through to rainbow and the ones we know, the good old fashioned orange ones. There are so many varieties to choose from, and here is one of my videos to show you, here are some varieties you may want to plant. As the contestants showed us the varieties they were going to grow, I kept saying…”yep, grown them, and them, and them, oh they’re good ones”. It was lovely to see that they all had decided to grow different varieties, and also in many different ways. Some were very technical, and used dust bins, drain pipes filled with sand and pots. But Kate and Eleanor were the only gardeners to sow their carrots seeds straight in the soil in their patch, and then won “Best in show” for their carrots. Congratulations ladies! Alex and Ed grew the longest carrots I have ever seen, and Gary and Pete managed to grow some carrots of such bizarre shapes I did have a giggle. What ever shape and size your carrots are, it doesn’t matter, they all taste wonderful. Next was the table decoration and gladioli showing. I love gladioli, they are all such vibrant rich colours, and do attract the bees. They do have a tendency to bend over if they get too heavy up the top, so staking is essential. And finally chutney. We all make this at some point with various gluts of produce, it’s finding a recipe that’s the tricky bit. Such a shame we had to say goodbye to Michelle and Sally the most glamorous gardeners I think any of us know. I’m sure they’ll look back on their time on the show as a wonderful experience. How they manage to keep their nails looking so immaculate is beyond me. I’m forever catching mine.

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My first Lottie and Dottie Sow Carrots review

Posted on April 25, 2014 by clairesallotment

It’s been a very rainy day today, so no going up the allotment. But seeing my first review really cheered me up, click HERE to read it.

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Thursday 24th April 2014 – Peas are in, and bean poles are up.

Posted on April 24, 2014 by clairesallotment

It’s been another glorious day today, but rain is due the next couple of days, so I made use of the fine weather. This morning I managed to clear another bed, which was good news. My friend Clair may be able to get me some more manure in just over a week, so I need to have beds ready to be manured straight away. I also decided where I was going to grow my beans this year. You must never grow them in the same place year after year, because the soil needs time to replace all the goodness in the soil that the beans need to grow. When setting up a support for your beans, be them French or Runner, either make a round wigwam or a long ridge support. It depends on how much room you have. I’ve got space for 2 ridge supports. But I have grown them in round wigwams before. They both grow just as well. I’m growing Climbing French this year, but won’t sow them until the beginning of May, so I’ll let you know the variety then. But today I sowed a row of Sugar Snap Peas “Sugar Ann”. I’ve only sown a short row now, and will sow another short row in about a months time, and continue doing this until the seeds have gone. Sugar Snaps like Mangetout don’t freeze at all well, so they have to be eaten as and when they’re ready. So it’s best to sow them little and often. This year I’ve supported my Sugar Snaps with short sticks, criss crossing over each other. I’ve tried all sorts of ways, and I find that this works best. I have made a video, which I’ll have to ask Mark to put up soon, then you can see. Some packets say they don’t need supporting, but having done what they packet says most of the time they do.

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Wednesday 23rd April 2014 – Back to the hard graft…but it’s fun!

Posted on April 23, 2014 by clairesallotment

Both the kids are back to school, so it was done the allotment to see what had been happening since I’d last been. Not much to be honest, except the fact that the weeds and grass had grown more. We’ve had some rain recently and some lovely warm weather, so the perfect combination to make plants grow, especially the ones you don’t want to grow like weeds. Now all the potatoes, onions and various other bits are in, there isn’t much more sowing to do for the moment. So now it’s time to clear any beds of weeds and get them ready for June when all the tender crops go in. I’ve got lots to do, so I’d better get on with it. I did do 2 beds today, so that’s a start. Out of the seeds that I’ve already sown straight in the soil, the Radish, Carrots, Parsnips and Spring onions are all coming up very slowly. I think I may buy some more Carrots next time I pass the garden centre as I didn’t buy as many as usual. The Broad Beans seem happy and the Garlic and growing well. So all in all I’m a happy bunny. Hopefully the weather will allow me to go down again tomorrow, so I can continue clearing weeds. I did 2 barrow loads today, hopefully the same if not more tomorrow.

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The Big Allotment Challenge – Episode 2

Posted on April 23, 2014 by clairesallotment

This week they started off with Runner Beans. You had to show 6 perfectly straight ones, and none of them were allowed to be past their prime. It’s much harder than it sounds. I love growing Runner Beans, they are very giving, and keep producing until the first frosts. They are a little high maintenance, as they don’t like the cold, one little bit. A bit like me really, I prefer to be all snug and warm. There was no mention of when to sow the seeds though. To decide when is the best time to sow them, you have to work backwards. Let me explain. Find out when your last frost date in your area is. Beans don’t like frost as it will kill any bean plant that it comes in contact with. Where I live in the SE of the UK our last frost date is 31st May. Then work back 4 weeks and sow your seeds then (the beginning of May). Make sure you keep them in the greenhouse as this protects them from the frost and cold. Then 7-10 days before you plan to plant them out, get them used to the scary world outside, but putting them outside during the day, and bringing them in at night. If high winds are forecast during the day don’t put them outside as the wind will damage their leaves and maybe their buds. The day after your last frost they can be planted outside, and supported by canes. Four weeks in the greenhouse is enough time for the plants to become sturdy enough to be ready for planting outside. They won’t be too tall and start to twist round each other. They should be about 12 inches tall, which is manageable to more without damaging them.

Here are my videos on How to Sow Runner Beans. Then How to Plant Runner Beans outside. Can’t seem to find the video I did on harvesting Runner Beans, but make sure the beans inside don’t get fat, otherwise the bean has gone too far.

The second challenge of the summer wreath was very interesting, I’m not sure I would have the patients to do something like that, but they all looked very pretty. And finally the challenge to make a sauce and relish. Some very interesting combinations there. Not sure if I’d try the really hot chilli sauce the fabulous men with beards made, or maybe I will, but with fewer chilli’s. I think they’re fab to watch. I think they said something like “We do as little work as possible”. Brilliant!!

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Tuesday 22nd April 2014 – One back, the other tomorrow.

Posted on April 22, 2014 by clairesallotment

Well George is back to school today after the Easter break, and Emily is back tomorrow. It’s been a wet night and morning, so going down the allotment wasn’t really an option. But I had some seeds to sow in the greenhouse, so it was time well spent. Firstly I sowed some Okra “Clemson Spineless”. This can be very tricky to grow in the UK as it needs heat, and we don’t always get it. It may have to grow inside the house on the kitchen window sill, and if we do have a very hot summer, then it can go in the greenhouse. I’ve never been very successful with it, but I’m determined one year to be able to harvest some. I also sowed some Sweet Pepper “Romano Mixed”, these tend to do fairly well, so I’ll keep you posted on how they get on. Then it was time for some Sorrel “Red Veined”. I’m sowing this as I would mixed lettuce leaves, and will grow every month or so, to get a continuous supply throughtout the summer. And finally some Chick Peas, again these need heat and humidity, which sometimes we lack in the UK. I’ve also started these off inside on the window sill, and will have to see how the summer turns out to see if they can go outside or stay in the greenhouse. As Lottie and Dottie sow Carrots is out, I’m making some little films on how to sowing, grow and harvest. I hope they work well with the book. I chose “Paris Market 5” which are little round orange carrots. Tomorrow is supposed to be good, so I’ll be down the allotmeht for several hours hopefully. Got lots to do.

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Woman and Home magazine May 2014

Posted on April 21, 2014 by clairesallotment

Just a quick mention that I’m in the May edition of Woman & Home magazine. They’re doing an article about allotments, and it starts on page 59.

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