Spring work

Spring work!

So a new year a new blank canvas!
I've started a few weeks back to dig the plot in preparation for this year's crops. So far I have planted garlic, shallots, potatoes and some broad beans.
I think the time to remove that black sheet hasn't arrived yet! I'll wait for the autumn I think unless I find some volunteers to help me dig it earlier.
The fruit bushes are in bloom, lots of redcurrant, blackcurrant and gooseberry flowers, let's hope the pollinators are out so they become lovely berries.
I've also been busy at home sowing lots of seeds!

30th June 2012: Harvest

Today I picked a trug full of redcurrants. Some aren't ripe yet, but will be if I leave them in the conservatory for a few days.
I also harvest the first chard leaves, and also noticed the courgettes are getting ready!
Yum!

23rd June 2012: Happy Summer not!

So it is the summer, that's what we're told. I guess it's one of those summer where there's no hope for growing tomatoes or any veg that require a lot of sun.
This week, with the help of Will's dad, the black weed suppressing fabric has been put down where I'm not growing anything. Photos can distort distances, so I thought I should say that the black sheet is 10m long by 4m wide, or if you only understand imperial 32.8x13.12 feet. it's folded a tiny bit on the long edge so it 'only' covers roughly 3.5m in width. We had a bit of wind on Friday so I was worried it would blow away but it appears the weights on it are doing the job.
Wildlife is also thriving on my plants. Lots of blackflies on my broad beans, meaning that a lot of ladybirds are feasting too. And then this chap on the tall plant that you can see on the back left side of my plot. How pretty is this? For info the plant is called a Mullein and the caterpillar is of the Mullein Moth :)

Jubilee weekend

So far I had time to go to the allotment twice this weekend. In between showers that is!
I have been planting and weeding.
On the planting side I have finished planting the rest of my tomatoes.
I also discovered that on top of bindweed, I also have couch grass, horsetail and speedwell. The worse spread are the couch grass and the bindweed, lots of weedkiller at the end of the growing season me think!
I also have a few plants as shown on the picture. It looks like carrot leaves and has pretty pink-ish blooms. Anyone knows what it is? If yes let me know... Ragweed maybe?

Bindweed!

The veg patch on 27th May

Ok I admit, I'm cheating with the picture. If you look at the plot from the other side it looks really overgrown and in need of TLC.

I haven't had time to come over the last 2 weekends due to us being invited to 2 weddings. So this weekend the weather was gorgeous and we went there. Of course one can expect weeds growing during that time, but I wasn't expecting to see so much bindweed. I reckon the previous has rotivated the plot and I'm paying for this.

So I focused on pulling the weeds where I've already planted, and used a weedkiller in the part I haven't planted. I used glyphosate, which is absorbed by the leaves, so I have to wait for the product to go down to the root and kill the plant before I can remove them.

I also planted my peas and more broad beans. I didn't get the time to plant my tomato plants, I didn't have time to clear some space for them. I also need to plant my courgettes and squahes, and also my runner beans and my chard.... Lots to do this week after work and if it doesn't rain

Saturday 14th April: the rain is here

Today is a rainy day. I guess it's a good thing, it's going to water my crops, I could also go out with my new allotment jacket, kindly offered to me by Sean, a work colleague. It's a good fit it should be waterproof enough to keep me dry.
I should be sowing my carrots, beetroots, parsnips and get my runner beans canes ready, which I should have done earlier, really. My cauliflower are ready to be planted in the soil too. With that rain, I can't do that today. I think tomorrow will be sunny, so we'll do this then.
In the meantime, this morning I sowed my courgette and squash. I went for 2 different courgettes, Rondo di Nizza and Cavilli F1 and 2 different squash, Uchiki Kuri and Yellow Scallop. The moon isn't right for them.
Tonight I'm invited for a dinner with friends, I prepared a chocolate mousse for it. Can't wait to eat this...

10th April: Easter Work and yet some rain

Le potager 10/04/2012

 So today has been sunny and we spent the morning in the allotment (well a couple of hours)
After a few days of rain/wet weather, grass has come out where we dug.
So we cleared this up and Will also dug a bit more on the far left corner.
The rhubarb is doing well, can't wait to pick some up.
Today I planted some lettuce and also a second row of broad beans. I didn't put any slug pellet or anything, we'll see.
The potatoes have been planted a week ago and the onions are doing well.
Below are more views of the 'Potager' as well as a few shots of my baby plants.
Note: I have tomatoes (Green Zebra) and chilli (Numex Twilight) to give away for any takers....

Close up on the middle

Hi Will!

The plants (tomato - chilli - cauliflower - mint)

More plants (Pak Choi - Lettuce - Chard)

More plants (Tomato - Chilli - Sweet Peas - Cavollo Nero)

24th March: More Planting

What a fantastic sunny weekend! I went to the plot yesterday morning, and I'm about to go back this morning again. What are the progress so far? 

• Andrew has been doing a cracking job at digging the soil for me. As you can see on the pictures below, there’s still a bit left but this bit will be left as it is for now and we will cover it up with tarpaulin to try and kill the grass off.
• the broad beans are coming out!
• The rhubarb is doing great!
• I planted some Jerusalem artichokes some time ago
• I planted my onions last weekend
• I planted some summer flowering bulbs and some poppies (bare root plants_ in the border (where the soil is darker).
• The leaves of the bushes are out and I think I can tell what type of berries they are. My guess is that the big one is a redcurrant tree, as the leaves don't have a strong smell, and the tiny other one is a blackcurrant... 

Today there's a few jobs to do, like raking the soil and trying to level it, removing as much grass roots of the soil as possible etc etc....

27th Feb: The crop

So here we are, the tomato have germinated. This year, I'm growing Gardener's Delight and Alicante, but also some Green Zebra, whose seeds I collected myself from a tomato I bought in France last summer. According to various websites, Green Zebra are not hybrids, so I should be ok with them. If anyone wishes to give it a go and re-home one of my green zebra, let me know!

26th Feb: first planting and more clearing out

So today I've planted my broad beans, directly into the soil. My tomatoes and lemongrass has also germinated, I'm now awaiting for the chilli (Numex Twillight from my own chillies)
More carpet has been dug out. It looks like we may be at the end of it, unless there's another beginning somewhere. We'll find out soon!

Note the pile of carpet that came out of this area

Nice view!

The line where I sowed my broad bean can be seen here

Rhubarb!

another nice view

What a mess!

25th Feb: more digging and more clearing out

Today I went on my own to the plot. Will's dad has been busy during the week and did more digging for me. I started clearing out the plot and cutting the grass around, I think a strimmer might be a wise purchase!
Tomorrow I'm going back, with Will's dad and the plan is to sow my broad beans straight into the soil, while Andrew do more digging for me.
Few few photos below to see the progress

19th Feb: starting the hard work...

This morning the sun was shinning and Andrew, Will's dad, and I were in the allotment. We discovered fruit bushes that were hidden in overgrown grass (2 gooseberry bushes, and a currant) and also 2 rhubarbs!
We also discovered some carpets, if you didn't know it was possible to grow carpet, this is the proof! And it also can layer on 3 to 4 levels.
Have a look at the pictures below of you don't believe me. That's it for today, it's now time for a nice roast lunch cooked by Will's mum Sara. Oh and did I forgot to mention that Will wasn't with us in the allotment today? He fell off his bike leaving work n Friday, his bike slipped on diesel that was probably left by a bus. Not nice..

The plot!

Carpet that is under the grass (more to unveil behind!)

Bushes

Rhubarb!

18th Feb: first sowing

That's it, the sowing season has started.
Today: tomato and chilli.

Seeds on windowsill

13th Feb: The contract has been sent out

That's it, I've signed the contract that we received on Friday. It's been sent 1st class back to the council so in theory I shall be able to start on the plot at the weekend.
At the weekend it was Seedy Sunday in the town hall. I swapped all the seed I wouldn't use to some I may use. I also bought some horseradish roots and a book on organic gardening... I was advised not to plant the horseradish in the soil but in a pot instead, as it apparently spread like mad, a piece of advice I will probably listen.

5th Feb 2012. I'm back... on a new plot

Happy me! After being thrown away from my previous allotment as the landowner allegedly 'sold' the land, I received a letter from the council letting us know that a plot is available for us on one of the council allotments, if we want it.
Below are pictures we took this afternoon, from opposite angles. The plot is 111sqm and goes from the path that can be seen behind the compost heap to the front of the photo, and as far as the bush that can be seen below the second house from the left. There's a square of bare soil, where we'll start first... can't wait to get stuck in!

the new plot!

view from the bush, I think it's a blackcurrant bush. it's ours up to the bank

25th August 2011

Today Will's dad Andrew and I went to the plot here are the photos I took of it. Andrew also lifted the spuds for me. Check out the plot. It looks good, doesn't it? Thanks Andrew for all the time and effort.

the allotment on 26th June

It's been a while and the photo I'm adding aren't even from tonight. That's the plot as per 26th June. A lot of weed to keep us busy. Under the yellow mesh are the Brussel Sprouts. Since this photo I have added purple sprouting broccoli and purple kale as well as a few more strawberry plants.

The tomatoes looking good

The tomato plants are doing o.k. and I've started spaying them with Bordeaux Mixture to start preventing blight (one of my neighbour mentioned a few black leaves on her tomato)
Finally, below are a few photos from the plot... I promise I'll update this with newer photos soon

The maize and my squash

the pumpkin and the spuds in the background 

Strawberries, yum!

The pumpkin, from above

Spuds and spinach, already going to seed :(

Courgettes

Photo of the week

The photo was taken last night after watering. Bye bye for a week, we're off on holidays.

Cycling to the plot!

The allotment on 2nd May

And here lies the proof that today I cycled to the allotment! It was hard (especially pushing the bike up Whitehill)

One can see, it hasn't rained much last night, despite the promising weather forecast, so today I watered well. I also removed the attempted netting for the Brussel sprouts. I decided I will repot them in bigger pots and transplant them in the allotment when we're back from France. I also sowed two rows of parsnips and fancied sowing leeks too, but then realised that the packet suggested to start them off in a planter, which I will do presto.

The tomato plants are looking a bit better today, I think the lack of water wasn't very good to them. the courgettes on the other hand seem a bit pale to me, compared the the one at home. We need to get some netting and create a windbreak somehow.

So the work for tonight at home is:

1. Repot brussel sprouts, tomato, pepper and purple sprouting in bigger pots.

2. Sow leeks

3. Water

4. Relax (if I have time)

Progress Photo 21st May 2011

The allotment as we arrived

I always make the mistake to forget to take an after photo so I will do so as I'll go to the plot tomorrow. The weather was great this morning, it was sunny and warm, ideal for a morning in the allotment.

Will came with me today and insulated the shed, that will be good to store things over the winter, such as dahlia tubers.

On my side, I de-weeded, then planted some sweetcorn, a dahlia, 2 tomato plants and some marigold around the tomatoes.