Plot 13

Flowers, Peas and Tomatoes!

2008-08-17T12:56:00.010Z

We try growing different things each year; sometimes they work, and sometimes they don't. This year we have had some limited success with some wild flowers, peas, and tomatoes, for the first time.

Whilst the flowers that have emerged looked nice, there was plenty of room in the flowerbed for more to emerge:

We have tried to grow peas on a couple of occasions, and have never been particularly successful. Although they start off well, they soon get eaten (I think by birds). Nonetheless, this year has seen a couple of plants survive:

Until now the highlight of the year has been the courgettes, however they have now been superseded by the tomatoes. Whilst lots have grown, only a few have ripened (a problem everyone seems to be having):

Nonetheless, there is nothing quite like growing something you can eat there and then:

We have even managed to get some to grow in our front room!!

Today's Allotment

2008-07-13T19:35:00.007Z

As promised in the last post, this post brings the user up-to-date with the current state of the allotment. Whilst we don't spend as much time on the allotment as we wish, and the weeds are continuing to be a struggle, we did bring home a large bag of veg today :-)

Section 1
Jerusalem artichokes, potatoes, and some bits and pieces that refuse to show much in the way of life:

Section 2
Mostly onions (interspersed with annoying bits of grass), although at the top there are also 3 surviving butternut squash plants surrounded by lots of weeds (the rest were eaten by slugs).

Section 3
Cucumbers and courgettes...which we discovered were EXTREMELY tasty today.

Section 4
Broad beans, runner beans, some barely surviving peas and more tomatoes than you can shake a stick at:

Whilst the allotment is never as successful as we wish, it does seem to be becoming more successful with each passing year:

There is nothing quite as rewarding as eating your own vegetables.

Blogs are Great!

2008-06-24T10:20:00.008Z

Blogs are a great record of things that change over time, unfortunately they are only really great if they are updated regularly! I have been too busy to update my allotment blog regularly, so here is a quick update of the last two months. Last time I blogged seedlings were growing, and a little green house had been put up. Since then most of the seedlings have been eaten and the greenhouse was blown over (and broken beyond repair). Such is the lot of the allotmenteer.

The squashes (see photo below), cucumbers and courgettes were all planted out.

Although they have since been battered by slugs and the weather. Only a couple of the courgettes seem to have survived so far, whilst it was a bit disappointing to discover yesterday that some of the cucumber plants that were beginning to show cucumbers had been broken by the weather. This is the largest this particular plant will get:

Nonetheless overall things seem to be improving with every passing year.

Hopefully we will have tomatoes this year for the first time:

Since this photo was taken we have planted out even more plants, and probably have about 70 in total. If we get just one tomato off of each we will probably be happy.

As always beans continue to be the lifeblood of our allotment, and last night we added some runner beans to our collection broad beans:

We even, occasionally get time for some more cosmetic work, such as the adding of borders around the flower beds:

Irregular blog postings don't really show all the highs and lows of the allotment life, so my next post will try to be a much more methodical catchup of everything that is going on. After which I will attempt to post more regularly.

So much to do!

2008-05-03T12:05:00.005Z

The allotment is a joy at the moment. Whilst there is a lot to do, there are so many things happening it is all very exciting. A few of the bits and pieces from the last couple of weeks:
The propogators have been very successful, and the tomatoes were transplanted before they got too big.

We knocked-up a plastic greenhouse to keep our seedlings in.

And we had to deal with a rather angry wasp nest.

The next few weeks promise to be even more busy.

A very productive Tuesday

2008-03-28T19:43:00.009Z

Following the extensive propagating work on the Monday, we managed an equally productive Tuesday resulting in numerous photographs of mud.
Mud covering peas and beans:

Mud covering lettuce seeds:

Mud covering carrot and parsnip seeds (can you tell Emma planted them in the wrong rows?):

Emma also planted a primrose:

Whilst I attacked the tree with a saw to stop its over-shadowing shenanigans:

Very productive and photogenic.

Propagating Again!

2008-03-24T20:18:00.005Z

Last time we tried propagating it didn't quite go to plan, although that was almost 2 years ago and I am hopeful that this time we will be more successful.

We have started to propagate tomatoes, butternut squashes, cucumbers, and courgettes.

Whilst the planting all went to plan (with the help of our new ABC tablecloth), the lack of a sprinkling watering-can did cause blood to be shed. To provide the sprinkling effect holes were dug into the cap of a plastic bottle. Unfortunately the corkscrew also dug a hole in my finger:

Luckily there are few flesh wounds that a monster plaster can't cure.

Wild flowers...hopefully

2008-03-08T19:41:00.003Z

Only a few hours after the last post showing a rectangle of mud on the allotment, another rectangle of mud:

Whilst it may look like Emma's shallow grave, it is actually a flower bed where Emma has been sowing wild flowers (if that is not a contradiction).

There seems to be loads to do on the allotment at the moment, and whilst we got some carrots and parsnips sowed there are loads of bits and pieces we need to start potting indoors (something that has not worked particularly well previously).

Everyone seems to be in the same situation, and the allotments were busy despite the rather miserable weather, so we chose to do the neighbourly thing and not play the radio. Really we should try to get up there earlier.

The world's laziest blogger?

2008-03-08T09:13:00.004Z

To ease the process of blogging I have taken to sending photos of the plot directly to my email account via MMS, so that I don't have to worry about resizing the images or uploading them to the computer. Nonetheless I have still failed to blog last weeks work on the allotment, and I am therefore making a very short post before heading back to the allotment in a few minutes.

Whilst the picture may look like a square of mud, it actually represents a lot of digging and planting. In a few months this will represent a flood of Jerusalem artichokes and potatoes...possibly.

The Joys of the Allotment

2008-02-10T14:05:00.000Z

I have had an extremely productive morning painting the allotment shed whilst listening to my new wind-up/solar powered radio:

Is there a more English way of spending a Sunday morning than listening to the Archer's omnibus, followed by Desert Island Discs?

The shed before:

The shed after:

A noticeable improvement.

Jerusalem artichokes...boiled

2008-01-27T20:05:00.000Z

At last we have found a good way to cook the Jerusalem artichokes!

After we failed to have success with ether roasting or frying before Christmas, last night (and again tonight) we discovered that steaming for 15-20 mins is an extremely easy and tasty method...and there are still plenty left in the ground to dig up!

Saturday Snowdrops

2008-01-26T13:32:00.000Z

You can always tell those weekends that we mean serious allotment business; we make it on the Saturday morning rather than putting it off until the Sunday. Hopefully it won't be too much longer before we can start to go in the evenings too (Emma looks remarkably un-thrilled at the prospect).

Today saw lots more digging, but there are also signs of life with the emergence of some snowdrops:

Whilst the appearance of anything new is always exciting, it is also a reminder that we have a million and one things still to do...so it will be back to the allotment again tomorrow.

New Year, same old digging

2008-01-14T21:00:00.001Z

Sometimes it seems as though all we do on the allotment is digging over patches of earth. But the theory this year is that if we get it out of the way now it will be easier in a few weeks when we will start the planting. However, Emma failed to see the positive side as it drizzled constantly for the two hours we were there. In fact at one point she was so fed up with the situation she deliberately put mud in her eye so that she could have a bit of a break.

Catching up on Plot 13

2007-10-27T09:31:00.000Z

Although we have been to the allotment over the last couple of weeks, I have not had time to update the blog. So here is a rather large, picture intensive, run down of what has been going on.

A couple of weeks ago we arrived at the allotment to find that the brambles at the back of our shed had been cut down:

It seems that the likely culprit is the council as the brambles disappearance has coincided with other allotmenteers being sent warnings about their allotments. We just find it annoying as they weren't in anyone else's way, enclosed our shed area, and offered potential of blackberries next year. Unfortunately they don't seem to put the same gusto into providing my flat with a recycling box, the topic of at least a million pleading emails to the council....but this is not the place for such discussions...

The allotment has also seen the sudden, and now regular, appearance of a cat:

Whilst this may not be worthy of note to most, it needs to be mentioned in advance to explain what is likely to be a slowing down in the work-rate. Whilst Emma has spent the last 6 years stating that she doesn't like cats, the weekly appearance of the cat is always met with the laying down of her tools, and comments such as "oh David look", "awww, isn't he sweet", etc, whilst she does nothing until he strolls off again. It wouldn't be so bad, but he is always back five minutes later and it all starts again!

At the moment most of the work on the allotment is digging the ground over, especially those areas where nothing grew this year and have just become covered in weeds. However, the Jerusalem artichokes are continuing to grow, and have now got flowers on top:

And we have just planted some Brussels Sprouts:

We also scattered some grass seeds a couple of weeks ago in an attempt to create a more defined path between some flowers and one of the vegetable patches, and that seems to have made a bit of a showing:

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the Veg World

2007-10-07T07:16:00.000Z

After what has been a fairly disappointing harvest of crops this year we are starting to prepare for next year. They were still a few bits to dig up however, and yesterday we got a few potatoes, some stumpy carrots, a few onions, and some parsnips that turned out to be extremely tasty.

All that we really have left in the ground now are the Jerusalem artichokes, and a little prod with the fork yesterday seems to suggest that they are not quite ready yet.

There is still plenty to do though, and today will be filled with planting some flower bulbs.

Beautiful beetroot sandwiches on the allotment

2007-08-25T16:53:00.000Z

When we first took on the allotment we thought that there would be plenty of occassions when we could spend our weekends there enjoying the weather, the view, and whatever book we were reading at the time; just doing a bit of light weeding and watering. Unfortunately the allotment has rarely managed to get to the 'bit of light weeding and watering' stage, and on those occassions it has, the weather is either rubbish, or we have had something else that needs to be done.

However, we just got to spend a very enjoyable day at the allotment. Enjoying the weather, not killing ourselves to do anything specific, or having to rush off anywhere else...and the highlight was the opportunity to have some of Emma's freshly pickled beetroot:

Everyone should have an allotment on days like this.

Beans, beans and beets

2007-08-10T19:54:00.000Z

As it was a nice sunny day, and the majority of my work at the moment consists of reading numerous books and journal articles, I decided to do my reading in the shade of the shed on the allotment! With my new top-of-the-range phone I have a personal office wherever I go...I must have the best job in the world.

Whilst there I collected some more beans (both dwarf and broad) and some beetroot, which we have plans to pickle this weekend:

Bastards!!!

2007-08-02T18:57:00.000Z

The allotment has been very hard work this year, and with very little reward besides some rather nice broad beans...and the fault is being placed very firmly on the bizarre weather. Nonetheless we have continued to toil away, only to find today that our shed has been broken into!!!

...Obviously at the point the photo has been taken I have removed the lock with the piece of wood hanging off it.

Whilst there was nothing of value, annoyingly the only thing that they took was the hammer....the one I need to fix the lock that they had broken....bastards.

Catching up on the allotment

2007-07-01T18:19:00.000Z

With the PhD thesis refusing to be finished Emma has been doing sterling work on the allotment...although in truth she hasn't liked spending too long up there without me. This blog includes a number of photos that she has taken over the last couple of months that I have been too lazy/busy to blog about.

The loganberry bush is growing well, and since this photo was taken (8th May) there has even been the appearance of a couple of berries!

..and the broad beans which showed no sign of beans in this photo (28th May) have since become over-burdened!

The beginning of June also saw exciting growth in both the Jerusalem Artichokes....

...and the parsnips, carrots, beetroot.

Unfortunately the lack of my influence on the allotment was beginning to tell at this point:

We have spent the last couple of days working hard on clearing some of these weeds, and underneath there are lots of Emma's flowers:

We even got as far as planting some spring onions:

Although the spring onions should have been in by the end of June, we are hoping they won't notice the difference.

....and now I am up to date and exhausted from such a long (and probably rather boring) blog.

Perfect rows of onions on our anniversary!!!!

2007-04-29T19:15:00.000Z

After weeks of anxious waiting the Jerusalem artichokes finally arrived, and 7am yesterday morning we headed off to the allotment, cleared the designated area, and put them in 18 inches apart and 5 inches deep. Like many people we had never seen a Jerusalem artichoke before they arrived, but rather than taking a photograph and using this as an opportunity to educate the public...we just planted them and took a picture of the newly watered patch:

Other parts of the allotment continue to flourish, with this week's highlight being the perfect rows of onions:

Today also marks the one year anniversary of us having an allotment! Whilst it was a big job at the start, and there have been depressing moments, overall its definitely been a pleasure.

Lots of life on a packed allotment!

2007-04-22T13:46:00.000Z

It's always exciting when there is lots of life above ground rather than just taking photographs of rectangles of earth with bits of string stretched out over the top. The broad beans are looking extremely healthy:

And the mini-apple-tree is already sprouting leaves:

As well as getting to enjoy the signs of life, we have also been continuing to plant more things. Today saw the addition of two sorts of lettuce and some cabbages. We are running out of room on the brassica section of the allotment, and may have to plant our courgettes amongst the legumes...although how the beans will react is anybody's guess.

Between stretching her toes and demanding I put more effort into the digging Emma has drawn up a plan of the allotment that shows how much we have planted so far(click on the picture to enlarge).

Yet more beans and berries!

2007-04-15T12:47:00.000Z

We have just spent an extremely productive morning at the allotment planting some berry bushes that arrived in the post yesterday, and some dwarf beans that Emma bought during the week. We would have planted some lettuces, but Emma 'forgot' to buy those...which is quite surprising as we had a big conversation about them last week...namely how I wanted lettuces and she didn't!

These berry bushes seem to have a bit more life in them, than the blueberry bush which seems to be playing hard to get, and the olive tree which seems to be wilting in the hot British weather.

We have tried a new design with our canes for the dwarf beans this year:

Which turned out to be an extremely user-friendly way of doing it, and we will probably do the same thing for any future beans (unless they have fallen over by next week).

Pea shoots and tuberons!

2007-04-09T20:39:00.000Z

The first signs of life are now appearing on the allotment from the seeds we planted a couple of weeks ago, most noticeably with the peas:

With such encouragement we soon got down to sowing the parsnips, carrots and beetroot.

nb. Whilst the term 'tuberons' should be used to refer to the tuberosus family of root vegetables (e.g., potatoes and the missing Jerusalem artichoke) I have used it here in the incorrect sense to bolster its self-image on Google...ONLY 199 hits!!!!

Chitting and lots of brassicas

2007-04-07T18:37:00.000Z

Whilst the whereabouts of the missing Jerusalem artichokes is still a mystery the morning was started by a delivery of potatoes of the melody variety. These are now chitting away in an old egg box:

According to the instructional leaflet they need to be left for about six weeks before they can be planted!

We did however spend a produtive morning planting some other delights, most noticeably the brassicas: broccoli, calabrese, Brussels sprouts[1], and spinich:

As well as another half row of peas.

[1]Whilst the Wikipedia recognises the common usage of 'Brussel sprouts' the Oxford English Dictionary will brook no such behaviour...unfortunately 'Brussels sprouts' doesn't flow so easily, so I shall now live in fear of their regular appearance in conversations!

Apples and Sunflowers

2007-04-06T19:36:00.000Z

Unfortunately as the nice weather approaches there is hardly time to make a blog entry between trips to the allotment as we seem to be there so regularly!

Just yesterday we were planting a mini apple tree:

This is one of those occasions that you curse the demise of the hyphen. Will it be mini-apples or regular sized apples on a mini apple-tree? Time will probably just tell that our apple tree doesn't like to produce apples of any description!

We also planted some sunflowers next to the shed:

You can't help but feel positive about sunflowers...thanks to the encouragement of Blue Peter everyone has managed to grow at least one sunflower!

First thing tomorrow morning we plan to be there once again, planting some healthy greens and another half row of peas. Although the big question still remains:
"Where are our Jerusalem artichokes???"

Onions, garlic, and some flowers

2007-04-01T18:38:00.000Z

There are a million and one things to do on the allotment at the moment, but somehow it always takes longer than we expect. Nonetheless we managed to plant our onions and the garlic...even though Mr Fothergill's garlic was decidedly dodgey...we may be looking elsewhere for our seeds next year!

And most importantly...from Emma's point of view anyway...she sowed some pretty little flowers....oooh!

(Nb. all exciting things are happening underground at the moment so it's a fairly generic photo).

No more letters from the council...yet....

2007-03-29T15:36:00.000Z

The deadline for us to have cleared the allotment of weeds passed on Monday, and as yet there have been no more nasty letters threatening us with eviction. This is probably due to all the planting we did at the end of last week.

(It has taken until now to make a blog posting due to the silly old PhD write-up getting in the way)

We have planted:
A gooseberry bush

A blueberry bush:

An olive tree:

And some broad beans and some peas:

The huge metal poles for the broad beans have been selected in the recycling spirit of allotmenteers...they were found amongst the rubbish that was left on the allotment. Unfortunately they are about 10 foot long, so had to dig a hole about 4 foot deep so they wouldn't fall on anybody's head.

After planting the olive tree we did wonder why we had planted it in a pot rather than straight into the ground....especially as it looks such a small pot in the photo...but the packaging said it was an option, and I can assure all worried readers that the pot is much larger than it looks in the photo!

All Dug Over!!!

2007-03-18T17:40:00.000Z

There were times when we thought it would never be finished, but at last the allotment is all dug over!!

Obviously such an event deserves more than a mere picture in the blog....so we have VIDEO!!!! YEY!!!!

It's only a short video, but it allows you to appreciate the amount of work we have done over the last couple of weekends...and also answers the question I am constantly being asked:
"David, where are you going to put your brassicas???"

Improvisation is the allotment watchword!

2007-03-17T21:01:00.000Z

Another exhausting day at the allotment, but whilst there was plenty of digging and clearing, the highlight was the resurrection of the third composter...the amputee we thought would never compost again!

Whilst its new access-hatch (the head of a spade we dug-up) is not quite as neatly fitting as the original that went missing in the dreadful storms of 2006, it'll do for now.

Tomorrow morning we are hoping to finally finish digging over the whole allotment...but there again that's what we thought about last Sunday and again today!

What weeds?

2007-03-17T09:25:00.000Z

A letter arrived from the council at the end of February:

The highlights of which include
"plot...neglected...clear...of weeds...[or]...notice to quit"!!
In fairness the plot is looking a bit run-down:

But in our defence, we have been waiting for the onset of spring before digging it all over and planting lots of exciting bits and pieces!
Anyway, last week we dug up over half the allotment ready for planting (unfortunately I am not allowed to be a full-time gentleman gardener/blogger until my PhD is finished, so this is the first opportunity I have had to make a posting).

There is still lots to do before the March 25th deadline, but there have been definate inroads made; and yesterday saw a lunchtime trip to Woolworths result in lots of bargain seeds and plants ready for planting, so we are looking forward to another hard-working weekend...just as soon as I finish this entry...

Not all sheds are made of such stern stuff

2007-01-14T11:04:00.000Z

After visiting the allotment to drop off some bits and pieces in the composter, we realise how lucky we were when our shed blew over. Today we saw sheds that had received much worse treatment: one had had it's roof blown off; one had fallen over on its side (in a similar manner to ours); and one looked as though it had started to blow over, and then just crumpled into pieces!

The crumpled shed just goes to emphasise how well built our shed is...maybe it is time for me give up on the PhD and take up my true calling as a carpenter.

Unfortunately this blog entry is devoid of pictures as Emma forgot the camera...but maybe it is for the best as it would be a bit ghoulish to have photos of other people's sheds in pieces.

A bit of MDF and a bruised thumb

2006-12-31T18:33:00.000Z

This morning the shed window was finally patched up, and the empty plant pots and bits of old wire are safe from the local hoi polloi. It is, admittedly, not the most scenic of windows, but in my opinion far more practical; afterall, what is the point of a padlock when the plastic window can be simply pushed in?

As with all the simplest DIY tasks, they quickly become a chore in my hands; for every nail that was successfully banged into the MDF at least a dozen fell to the floor and my poor thumbs were beaten to near submission.

But at least I can go out tonight without worrying about the weather attacking the shed, and the New Year can be spent on the much more enjoyable task of planning the future produce!

A Suicidal Shed?

2006-12-15T14:20:00.000Z

Was it just the wind? Or was the shed trying to kill itself after being ignored for too long?

Yesterday, or some time in the past couple of days, our shed blew over. The image of the shed that we had in our minds from the last time we saw it did not prepare us for the devestation that greeted us after we quickly responded to the phonecall from the allotment supervisor:

Where I am standing (the floating circle of white on the right....it may be best to enlarge the photo) is where the shed was originally!
The composter, selflessly broke the shed's fall:

And miraculously the shed escaped virtually unscathed!!!! Although the manouverings it must have made to get in that particular position are most confusing.

The window fell out, but that is all....it can only have been put together with 'pure craftmanship'!
We managed to get the shed upright, and move it back to its original position; where it is now weighted down with breeze blocks and black bags filled with dirt:
Rather than blowing it over, the wind will now have to rip it from its base!

The Full Picture

2006-08-20T15:54:00.000Z

Today we spent a couple of hours trying to clear some more ground at the allotment. With so many other demands on our time the job is taking a LONG time.

As the plot next to ours has now been cleared for a new allotmenteer it has given the opportunity for a full length photograph of our allotment; providing some perspective to the time it will take us to clear the ground.

The above picture has not been compressed (unlike the other pictures in this blog), so clicking on it will allow it to be viewed in more detail. The area of the allotment that we have been cultivating up until now can be seen as a mere drop in to ocean compared to the allotment's full length.

Pickled Beetroot!!

2006-08-17T20:51:00.000Z

As winter approaches it's time to store our provisions for the long cold months...unfortunately this is limited to three jars of beetroot, so we may have to rely on the supermarket for a little while longer.

This is the highlight of the allotment so far for Emma so we just have to wait and see how the pickling turns out.

Preparing for next year

2006-08-13T15:47:00.000Z

Today we pulled up the last of the beetroot, leaving just a few carrots and spring onions...and the ever-producing beans. Since the demise of the thin fleece the new rocket that we sowed seems to have given up completely.

Now is the time to start preparing for next year's crops. The first task of which is clearing the large area of the allotment that has not been touched since we first took on the allotment...which in reality means since the 1970s.

A couple of hours constant digging in the rock-hard earth resulted in a massive blister and a small corridor through the wilderness. Many more hours are needed to be spent on this, and then comes the even bigger task of designing the allotment for next year!

At least I know that I am not wasting my time at the allotment..I am obviously a fashion leader...although being called a eco-warrior is possibly a step too far!

Desolation on the allotment

2006-07-27T16:49:00.000Z

The allotment is looking remarkably desolate at the moment. The lettuces had finally given up the ghost, and those remaining had to be put into the composters.

The thin fleece was found to have moved, been ripped and have a mysterious goo on it...suspects include: the wind; the locals; or the fox with the mange.

The beans are still growing by the handful, and are definately the most satisfying vegetable that we have planted, so it's not all bad...although we could really do with some more things put into the ground.

5-A-Day and all that...

2006-07-23T09:22:00.000Z

Sometimes we go to the allotment and apart from a little hoeing and pulling up the odd lettuce...which were only worthy of mentioning the first time... there is little to report to the blog; on other days, like yesterday, there seems to be 2 or 3 entries worth!

As stated in Monday's entry, we planned to get on top of everything this weekend, and in true David and Emma style this resulted in our strolling up to the allotment at 5pm. Despite this lacklustre start we managed to finally put the shed on the slabs!

Impressive when you consider it was achieved through the my tipping the shed and kicking at the slabs whilst Emma pushed them...very professional.

We also managed to plant some rocket under a thin fleece; this will hopefully protect it from the flea beetle which gave the last lot such a hammering.

So, as we dragged our aching bodies back through our front door at 10pm did we think it was all worth the hassle? Well, we also brought back 5 different sorts of rather muddy vegetables, so we were quite pleased with our lot...especially Emma who has been waiting months to start pickling the beetroot.

Overgrown... or Full of Life??

2006-07-17T21:17:00.000Z

After a week away - trekking across Hadrian's Wall - we have returned to find the allotment in full bloom despite the hot weather: beans are popping out all over the place; carrots are edible; a whole new lot of radishes are starting to appear; and even the lettuces seem to have held on for a little bit longer.

There is still lots to do though, and the time just doesn't seem to be there...six concrete slabs that were taken up at the start of July continue to lie forlornly around the shed...

...but this weekend we hope to have one last push at sorting out the allotment for this year.

NB:Whilst the pricked out lettuce seedlings grew stronger; we once again managed to leave them too long...oops.

Soooo Busy!!

2006-06-29T08:30:00.000Z

A propagator sitting on our sideboard should have been the easiest thing in the world to keep an eye on...unfortunately not:

The books warn us that "seedlings quickly get leggy"...we have grown the daddy-long-legs of the lettuce world. Attempts have been made to prick out some of the seedlings that were still standing, but we will just have to wait and see.

Propagating Frankenfoods

2006-06-18T18:56:00.000Z

We were reminded today of the need to keep a better eye on the allotment. Since pulling up a load of radishes last weekend, those that were left in the ground got a bit carried-away...not exactly the sort of thing you can have as part of a side-salad!

Our latest addition to the good-life will hopefully be easier to keep an eye on:

Filled with more potential lettuces!

A new construction!

2006-06-11T21:31:00.000Z

Over the last week the beans have gone from strength to strength, and have necessitated the building of a new construction for the allotment.

...and what better way to admire the bean-support-system than in one of our new chairs.

...hats are optional.

Self-Sufficient...almost...

2006-06-04T17:08:00.000Z

Hours of hard work, hundreds of pounds on tools and a shed, and quite a number of aching muscles; but it has all been worth it.

Not the largest radish in the world,but extremely tasty nonetheless. Another week and the rest should be ready...who wouldn't look forward to a plate of radishes?

The rest of the time was spent transplanting some of the lettuces. There were far too many for an extra row so many seedlings were thrown on the composter. We just have to wait and see whether they will continue to grow after the trauma of moving, or whether we have managed to kill the only healthy looking vegetables on the allotment.

We also identified the first signs of life amongst the beetroot...all vegetables have now been accounted for!!

Having some lunch

2006-06-03T21:17:00.000Z

As quickly as the worms escaped from the earth-turning fork they were gobbled down by the local blackbird.

The big news of the day was finally spotting the carrots!! But as with the spring onions (which Emma delicately stood on!!!!) they are too small at the moment to be of much of a photo.

The newly camouflaged shed

2006-05-28T17:34:00.000Z

The weather has finally been dry enough for the shed to be painted; it no longer sticks out like a sore thumb to the local pikeys.

Today has also be bolstered by the spring onions becoming recognisable shoots! ...still too small for a photograph though.

Evil little sods....

2006-05-27T20:08:00.000Z

The radishes have been subjected to severe punishment:

It's a similar story for the rocket as well.

Both seem to have been attacked by flea beetle, with the radishes being given an extra beating by the slugs!!

These particular crops are not looking as though they have a successful future ahead of them; although there is still time to sow some more this year...maybe with the help of some derris or a horticultural fleece...

Other work today included some more hoeing, digging, and the thinning out of the beans...busy busy busy.

A little bit of thinning

2006-05-24T13:51:00.000Z

The allotment has continued to grow...even on those days Emma forgets the camera!
The camera has missed a visit from the local fox, and the start of the hoeing, and our first visitor; can life really get more exciting than that??

The plants have continued to come on leaps and bounds (compare to photo on May 12th). The beans can now be seen without a microscope and the radishes have had to be thinned out. There is still no sign of the carrots, spring onions, or beetroot, but I'm sure there is plenty of time yet.

The thinned-out radishes have been thrown onto the composter along with a variety of household bits and pieces...should we really be throwing in half a loaf of bread?

Compost bins and little green shoots

2006-05-12T21:43:00.000Z

The allotment is coming on in leaps and bounds. The latest additions are three X 300 litre compost bins. Unfortunately they are not the easiest things in the world to carry...especially in the pouring rain!

But on the brightside, after I had carried them all the way there we were greeted by the first signs of life in the vegetable patch. If you look really closely you can just about see the the thin green lines of the radishes, rocket and lettuce.

Pure Craftsmanship!

2006-05-10T08:24:00.000Z

The fact that the blog entry is being placed a day after the events took place emphasises how long yesterday really was. I had to wait around from 8.30am, and the shed didn't arrive until 1.30pm; needing loads of tools that I didn't have. Nonetheless, 7hrs later, with the borrowing of tools and a little bit of help, the shed can only be described as a work of art!!

It just needs to be painted now so that it doesn't stick out too much and encourage the local kids to vandalise it!

Please Grow...

2006-05-07T15:31:00.000Z

Within a week we have turned the wasteland into a true vegetable plot. We have spent the day preparing the ground and sowing our first seeds: Dwarf beans; beetroot; radishes; rocket; lettuces; carrots; and spring onions.
If nothing grows it won't be for the want of trying.

We also cleared a space for our new shed...THE SHED ARRIVES IN TWO DAYS!!!

4 X 4

2006-05-01T18:12:00.000Z

We have managed to convert a small section from lumpy grass mounds into a lumpy section of mud, ready to be dug over again and then raked. Despite the large number of weeds still floating around on top of the mud we have great hopes of it all being sorted out by the rake!

Although it took 7.5 hrs of back-breaking work, we were accompanied by a robin that spent half its time getting in the way as it searched for food.

We've got an allotment!!

2006-04-29T19:11:00.000Z

Today we selected our new allotment, plot 13. To say it was overgrown would be an understatement; this particular plot has not been in use since the 1970's. Since before Emma was born!

This was not the only plot available. We were initially offered a half plot that had already been weeded and dug over....but what's the fun of that?

David