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.

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.

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.