Recharging my batteries

Spent five days with my family at my in-laws. Very relaxing no cooking, cleaning just relaxing. Have been back home for a few days and have managed not to run around like a headless chicken. Son seems to have warmed greatly to the allotment and is happy to spend hours digging one great big hole. Though he wasn't quite so happy today when his sister started trying to fill it. I'm glad I understand now that the role of the little sister is to irritate. Harvested loads of french beans today. I will blanche them for two minutes,drain, put cold water on them,drain again and spread them on baking trays to put in freezer. Once they are frozen I will bag them. I spread them on trays first as otherwise they end up all stuck together and difficult to use. We have loads of courgettes too so they are finding their way into all sorts of dishes. Neighbour at allotment let our kids harvest their blackberries. They had great fun getting their fingers all red and sticky and they got a fair amount of fruit too! I made a apple and blackberry crumble - yum. Harvested some more onions and garlic and have more potatoes to dig up. The potatoes - called Charlotte are delicious yellow waxy ones. The cucumbers have done well and the kids love them we have long ones and round yellow ones. I must take some photos. We've had a few tomatoes but most of them are still green though some are bright yellow. I didn't buy any yellow ones but it must have the wrong label as they don't look like they'll ever go red. Lettuce is good too as is my lone kale plant. It's a busy and happy time at the allotment.

sunshine and rain

It's so exciting going to the allotment this time of year as things grow so quickly. Spring you spend time waiting for seeds to germinate then protecting the seedlings- everything seems slow then bam in the summer it all takes off. The courgettes are growing on the tails of their flowers, coming quicker than you can eat them. I have lovely cucumbers -variety Passandra that my friend recommended - they never go bitter. I picked some of the beetroot as they are growing too close together. I will boil them in their skins for an hour or two till soft and then eat them. Dug up some more potatoes and garlic too. I need to sow some more carrot as half a row did not germinate. The other row of carrots looks great but not big enough to harvest yet. I started to dig up my broad beans as between the black fly and the squirrels there's nothing left. I am going to put in some more dwarf french beans instead as I love them and that means I'll be able to harvest some later. There's loads of black fly this year (dry weather) but on the plus side less slugs. The ladybird larvae are starting to eat their way through the flies. So nice to see so many ladybirds. The rain held out while I was at the allotment then drenched me completely on the way home. Me and the plants were well watered. (I like the rain)
My friend T came over on Monday and let me take some photos on her camera and emailed them to me. What a treat! After she's gone I realised I'd taken pics of the plants but none of my child but she'd taken some.

Chilean potato climber still flowering months later along with second flush of roses.

Tomatoes yipee!!!

Cosmos

Clematis has turned into wonderful fluffy seed heads

White lavender.

A day of two halves

I had a lovely afternoon at my poetry workshop. It's brilliant for getting feedback on work. It's a really good group as they don't just say 'that's lovely' but point out bits that don't work and offer solutions. Unfortunately I returned home to find out someone had nicked our ipod and cameras while I was out (kids and hubby in house at the time-they saw nothing which is good). On the course the tutor had by coincidence said that when stuff was taken from her she always rationalised that the thief needed the things more than her. Well I hope they put it to good use. Anyway that's why there are no photos - plus can't work out how to attach existing ones on new laptop. I took some friends to the allotment the other day - one friend hates all creepy crawlies but she did well. But then she did say she was going to shower and change all her clothes when she got home. At least she stayed an hour - it's progress.

My dwarf french beans have germinated -hurrah - I love them! I put in my leeks last week - can't remember if I've told you already. They had all sprouted like blades of grass in a pot -the next stage is to plant them out. You make a hole 15cm deep and about 10cm apart with a fat dibber then drop a blade of leek in each hole. Even at this tiny size the leeks give off their instantly recognisable pungent smell. You don't fill soil in around them but instead fill each hole with water.
While we were sulking around in the garden my daughter found stag beetle. Amazing creatures-took a photo on my phone but have no idea how to download from it. A nice gift.

day out

Had a day out to Myddleton House a few days ago. This structure was in the middle of a wisteria glad pergola. Kids loved running around it and hiding from each other. Later the kids found a gentle slope to roll down but my friend complained that they weren't doing it with the same abandon she'd done it with as a child. So there followed a ten minute lesson from me and my friend on how to roll down the hill. It didn't half make me dizzy. Why do you seem to get dizzier as you get older or is it coz you do less dizzy inducing things? There were lots of different types of irises. I love them they look like they are dancing.




Here's the photo of the currants- my husband's friend gave us them and he can't remember if they are red or black currants. So here goes currant watching.

It's been really hot in London so naturally I have caught a cold!! At the allotment I have sown dwarf french beans and we have been doing weeding, weeding and more weeding.

seeds

Very excited have got my seed order from Plants of Distinction. My friend introduced me to them as they do lots of different and some heirloom varieties. Got some brilliant broccoli from them last year - it's a variety called Parthenon F1 and the heads on them were a really decent size and very tasty. I love broccoli and this was almost perfumed it was so gorgeous. My friend grew Cucumber Passandra F1 last year and said it cropped really well and the fruits eren't ever bitter so that another one I'm doing this year. I will grow these as well as Cucumber crystal apples - these are round cucumbers and are delicious as long as you pick them when they are no bigger than duck eggs and while they are still yellow and not turned orange. They taste almost like melon - the kids love them and one friend who hates cucumbers loved them. Also got some purple dwarf french beans - first year doing these so will let you know how I get on.

The other seeds I've ordered are from Thompson and Morgan - get a discount if order via allotment. So I await more goodies. Can't wait to start sowing but bit early yet. Cast due to come off 4th March - can't wait for that as well.

It's great the days getting longer can't wait for evenings pottering, sowing and planting.