Autumn days

Had the most gorgeous day at the allotment today. The site is surrounded by mature trees and amongst mainly green were spaced firecrackers of yellowy red. I planted my red onion sets and did some weeding.
Before I started I noticed G on the other plot seemed to be trimming his artichokes worried that there was another job that needed doing I asked him. He told me that you can pull the new stalks near parent plant (use medium sized ones) and trim and pull out stringy bits then boil in water with lemon juice. Once cooked drain then roll in flour and fry in olive oil. The water you've drained off can be drunk - it''s meant to be good for your liver. I forgot to buy lemon so haven't tried making it yet.
I did a spot of digging in the old french beans ( the roots are really good for the soil as they are nitrogen fixers and the rest of the plant helps loosen the clay soil we have).
I had a cup of hot chocolate and a sandwich with bread I baked that rose really well this time.
I felt so rested from being outside all day.

Autumn planting

I don't mind digging in the rain but if the ground gets too wet then you damage it by trampling over it. Please let it stop raining for a while. I still have my onions, garlic and broad beans to put in. Japanese onions can be put in now as they can cope with winter, other onions can't.
Also I've decided not to grow runner beans next year as I really don't like them. That frees up some ground for other stuff. My strawberries didn't do so well - too little rain and I didn't water enough and too much competition from weeds. I may grow them in pots in trays next year or not bother. My carrots did well though some of them were dug up and eaten but at least they left me most of them. At the allotment we have deer, badgers, pheasants, moles and lots of squirrels. I've started some digging but I should really have tried to get more done before the weather gets worse. Crop rotation is doing my head in as some group of plants take up sore space than others or stay in the ground longer. Just need to suss out where carrots are going next year and make sure I don't manure it as they hate it and it makes them fork.
I have some broccolli (well it's calabrese really) coming and have had some nice bits. My butternut squashes are colouring nicely and my Ukrainian pumpkins are enormous- will have to wheelbarrow them home. First year for my Autumn Bliss raspberries- v nice but not loads- possibly because it's the first year.
Still have one row of potatoes to dig up. Had quite a bit of scab again this year- it does affect the flavour. Think it means the ground is too limey and needs to be more acidic.

Allotment

Friday I had the loveliest day with my eldest. On Thursday he'd gotten into trouble for chatting and laughing. He'd said he'd been distracted and that he'd found it impossible not to laugh. Friday morning he had a stomach ache and was really wound up about what he saw as the injustice of being told off the day before. So I took him to the allotment instead of school. He wasn't well enough for school.

At the allotment we dug up potatoes. We had a fork each and I told him to feel around them to check the potatoes hadn't gone mushy and to put the good ones in the bag.

We planted raspberries then I got him to cut them down above a bud. He asked what a bud was. I told him to look up the stem and see if there were any places from which there might be signs of life emerging and he spotted the buds straight away. He pruned the raspberry canes.

He dug and found centipedes.

I've started chitting potatoes - charlotte and desiree.

Mothers Day I went back to put some manure around the newly planted raspberries and got led astray by fellow allotmenteers barbequeing chicken which they served with beautiful turkish bread and salads. I sampled various drinks- homemade cherry brandy, plum wine, whiskey and a german spirit. They seemed a bit surpeised when I went back to my digging. I was glad I hadn't cycled as I hink I was over the limit. It was so lovely standing in the sun drinking and eating.

I planted some onions but still have more to put in. One of my fellow allotmenteers has started off carrots in toilet rolls in the greenhouse which he will plant straight in the ground once the frost passes.

I feel so much better when Ive been to the allotment. Happy growing, happy spring!

NaNoWriMo

This is the first time I have done this and it feels great to have some focus and goals to meet. Hurrah I've got 2,146 words so far - mean to get 3334 by midnight to stay on target. Am dodging kids and husband to keep on course but it's hard. They've disappered now and Blogger has sucked me in. Oh no!



I wasn't going to go to the allotment this am as I had all these words to write but after I dropped the kids the sun and the autumn leaves wouldn't let me stay in so I went to my plot. I planted three rows of Japanese onions - unfortunately I kept forgetting to buy garlic but I can always plant some of the garlic I grew last year. I did a bit of hoeing. The chickweed has gone mad-luckily it's shallow rooted so not hard to get up. There's loads of forget-me-nots and I can't leave them all as would lose half a plot to them so have relocated some to flower bed next to shed and will take rest home to put on top of tulips filled pots- hopefully will be a lovely combination. Keep forgetting to take my camera- real shame as there were two pheasants strutting their stuff at the allotment. Back to me writing now. Happy Nanomonth to all undertaking it.

My produce

This tomato (yes it is just one tomato sliced up!) grew outside in my garden. It's called Big Boy and I will definately grow it again next year as it's so tasty. The onion's from my allotment. I put a few golden marjoram (yes from the garden-oh dear sounds like I'm showing off.) leaves on it and drizzled some olive oil over it all.

Sexy photos of my borlotti beans. Can eat pods lightly boiled when young or when get to this stage can shell and put beans in soup casserole etc. Or dry them and store. If you want to cook them from dry you need to soak them overnight covered with an inch of water. The next day boil till tender.

Some of my desiree potatoes harvested from the allotment. My father-in-law planted them as my arm was in plaster. They have a bit of scab due to dry weather. It's not serious - you can just peel it off and cook as normal.

Echeveria

Haven't made it to the allotment for a while - hopefully go soon and dig up the rest of my potatoes and see how the leeks are getting on. I love the silvery green of the leeks' leaves - I also love eating them though they are still a bit small for that. My youngest starts school on Thursday and I feel a bit sad though she seems very happy.

Above are photos of my beloved Echeveria coming into flower. I keep it outside in the summer but bring it in when it gets cold as it cannot cope with frost.

I need to get to the allotment shop soon and stock up on Japanese onions, aquadulce broad beans and maybe peas as these can all go in the ground in Autumn for earlier crop in spring. I need to start digging horse manure into the ground soon - except where I'm putting carrots and parsnips next year as they hate fertile ground- it makes them fork.

Beginning to harvest

Yesterday I harvested some more lettuce- I have grown three different kinds. The red ones look gorgeous against the lime coloured ones. There was one solitary tiny cucumber so I ate it - delicious. Currants aren't very plentiful but we did treat them badly when they were given to us so are grateful that they are alive and have produced anything. Picked our first courgettes - forgot to tell hubby. The baby ones are lovely can even eat them raw. Today I found out I'd won a pair of tickets for the Latitude festival- very excited. The last thing I'd won before that was an egg rack. Have been picking and using onions from allotment and also more potatoes. Am digging up potatoes as I need them. When all their foliage dies back it will be time to dig them all out as otherwise the slugs might get them. Carrots are still tiny and will need thinning out to let the remaining ones have enough room to grow bigger. Had meeting last night to find out daughters first teacher's name. So it's real my baby's going to school.Boo hoo.

let it grow

My friend and I left our kids to their own devices in the front room and this is what they got up to. It was so cute that they had made a bus for their 'mens' as they like to call them. They got round not being able to bend the red head to sit by giving her a side bed on the bus. Good improvisation.







Took new friend I met at poetry workshop to my allotment and she helped to hoe and said lots of nice things about my plot.

Onions and garlic are growing well as are the broad beans, strawberries and cabbages. It was so lovely to be at liberty to spend time outside in the sunshine in such a peaceful place.

allotment fix

Our allotments run a small shop open on Sundays between 10am and 11.30am. I usually remember that I want to buy something from there after it has shut but today I made it! I bought half kilo of red onions called Red Baron and half kilo white onions(Must look up name). Along with your purchases you can get free advice from the retailer (allotmenteer volunteers). He told me that the onions I bought will store well and should last me till spring next year. The japanese varieties I planted in autumn can be used as soon as they grow to a reasonable size as they will not store. The general feeling of spring in the air galvanised me to sort out the potaoes I had harvested last year. We harvested them in July - Mid August and are still eating them. However quite a lot of them have sprouted and gone rubbery. So I dragged the sacks out and chucked the ones that were too far gone into the recycling(no point putting them on my compost heap as will start growing there) and took the sprouts off the ones still relatively firm and kept them. If the potatoes have turned green beware -never eat green potatoes as the green is poisonous. Sometimes I just cut out the green but not sure if that's what you are meant to do so can't advise you to do that. After the shop I popped into the allotments - dug up three leeks for tea, chatted a bit and felt dejected that I couldn't dig yet like everyone else is doing. Still it was lovely to be there in the fresh air. Going to hospital on Wednesday to have plaster off and to check bone has healed so fingers crossed....

sun, plastic and onions

Loved the sun today. Hubby and kids on holiday so we all went to the science museum. Great exhibition of plastic - how can something so wrong look so great. There were massive ribbons of red plastic hanging down and kids chased each other through it like it was some weird forest. There was a big sign that scientists are trying to find a way to make plastic out of plants so it can biodegrade I suppose. Then we headed out to Hyde park lovely winter sun so delicate. Lots of walking and tea and biscuits - perfect day.
Too muddy for digging still- maybe ill dry out during the week. Need to get some onion sets as can start planting them now. These are the type of onions you can store. Wonder if it's too late to get some raspberry canes. We all really love them and have been planning for two years to get some but not got round to it yet....
Need to do a bonfire at the allotment have lots of bindweed roots to get rid of. I love the smell of fires. Round here you can only have fires from end October to end of March or is it the 1st -better get on with it anyway. Saw some cherry blossom the other day in someone's front garden - that can't be right can it?!

snow, prints and vegetables

So lovely to make it to the allotment yesterday. kids weren't keen to go but once we got in there they loved it. the snow on the pavements and roads near us had turned to grey slush so they (and us) were so excited to see the allotment still blanketed in white snow. round the trees the snow was pockmarked with zillions of dots and then the kids found some alien and animal footprints. Here are the pictures from the allotment:-

I've still got leeks (in foreground) they are brilliant coz the cold doesn't bother them at all and you can just harvest a couple as and when you need them through the winter to early spring. Behind them the dark green plants that look like they've got tens of mad waving hands are Black Tuscany kale. Unfortunately I have found out i prefer curly kale so will grow that next year instead. Fortunately my neighbours guinea pigs like it and again just break off some leaves as and when required.




This picture looked a lot better in my memory than it did when i downloaded it. Anyway it's one of my brussel sprout plants given to me as seedlings by another plot holder. With brussels you harvest them from the bottom up breaking off leaves as you go. As you can see we are near the top now so not many left but still nice to have some veg off plot.

I love brussels even the shop ones and these taste much better.





Some rosehips.








Think these are monkjack(?) deer prints but not sure. Drop me a line if you know what left these tracks.






Couldn't see how the broad beans were doing as they were buried and didn't want to damage them looking for them. Garlic stalks were sticking up on plot number two -forgot to take photo. Snow had left onion stalks buried.

If we don't get another load of snow I've got to go to the allotment tomorrow. I have been missing it but has been too treacherous and icy to risk with my broken wrist. My friend said it was really magical over there with snow everywhere. The allotment is surrounded by huge trees and is a really lovely peaceful place even without snow . Time always slows down when I go over there. I want to go and check on my broad beans that i sowed in November and the garlic and japaness onions i planted about the same time. They have all sprouted but i want to make sure my broad beans haven't been nibbled. My neighbours had his got at but he didn't know by what - nothing usually bothers the broad beans at this time he said. I'm not an old hand at growing vegetables so don't know. The japanese onions don't store well so will be using them as soon as they are ready(May?) and will plant some types that do store in Spring.