Poetry and potatoes.

I'd put potatoes on my new plot as they involve a lot of digging opportunities to come across and pull out bindweed. It always amazes me how bindweed can regrow from any tiny bit of root left in the ground. My potatoes did have more scab than I've ever seen but it was a dry summer and i didn't water them . One of the old hands told me that there often is a lot of scab in ground uncultivated for ages. As the scab is only skin deep and does not affect the potato I'm not too concerned. Have not been to allotment for few days as son's birthday party preps took over and the accompanying panic over somehow inviting 17 kids to our small roomed house. it passed very well thanks to my sister. The kids loved it. I loved their dancing.
I went to a poetry reading locally which involved 4 published poets reading from the floor then people were invited to read from the floor. This was the second time I had read from the floor and it was worse than the first time. I could hear my voice tremble and had to slow down which was good as I often race through my poems wanting to finish asap. I got a great round of applause and two of the published poets said what a v good poem it was. Members of the audience also gave me very positive feedback. I have been walking on air.

More harvest and autumn planting

My carrots and parsnips have done pretty well this year. My first year my carrots were tiny - once you peeled them there was nothing left to eat! Parsnips take ages to germinate and I thought I'd keep the weeds down while waiting for them. Unfortunately I weeded the only two that germinated as I didn't know what their leaves would look like. My friend had told me they look nothing like carrots but not what they look like.

Autumn is not normally thought of as a time to plant but there are some things that can go in now. I've bought Japanese onions sets, broad beans and peas from the allotment shop. I haven't tried growing onions from seed yet - I just buy the sets(tiny onions that grow into big ones) but maybe next year. The onions that you plant in autumn have to be used pretty quickly as they don't store well-unlike the ones planted in spring which store well. The broad beans can go in up till beginning of November. Last year the birds had most of mine -very upsetting as I was looking forward to the boiled beans being fried with garlic and onion. A fellow allotmenteer recommended letting the weeds grow up round them once the pods start to form as the birds don't see the beans. Peas - now I don't really know a lot about them so will let you know how I get on with them.
Today I had a whole morning at the allotment- first time in ages. It was a perfect day for it -sunny and not too hot. Lots of bonfires - I love the smell of bonfires- makes me smile. I drew a plan of my plot as I need to rotate the types of veg to stop a build up of pests and diseases. Lucky for us the allotment gets free deliveries of houshold compost recycled by the council and manure from the local stables. I did a bit of hoeing -trying to cut down the weeds before they get big and cause more of a problem. Then I dug a trench lined it with compost then filled it with soil from the ground next to it making another trench then so on till whole row had compost added to it. I do a bit each time i go so I don't wear my joints out too much. I feel so much calmer for spending time working there working.

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.

thanks - I've been tagged!!

It's a great honour to be tagged by Leatherdykeuk



I've never been tagged before.

The "Your Blog is Fabulous!" Award stands for: Integrity. Commitment to Excellence. Stubbornly Optimistic.

The Rules:List five current obsessions:

1. My allotment - digging and weeding. I get excited when I pull a bundle of bindweed roots out of the earth.
2. Writing. I have many poems at different stages of completion. I have lots of notebooks but for some reason seem to end up writing on the back of old envelopes. I also have a novel in progress that i've ignored for a while but it's not going away.
3.Tea - I'm drinking an awful lot of it out of my favourite mug (I have 2nd and 3rd favourites too incase 1st not available)
4. China or porcelain plates. Even the kids eat off them- visiting mums look anxious but if they break they break.
5. Crystal glasses. I love the way they sound when you ping them and how they look as delicate as slivers of ice.

I love all the blogs I follow so please take up this tag if you wish.

Elderberries, starting school and harvesting

Sorry have not posted for a while have been going through the trauma of my youngest starting school. It is like taking off a plaster slowly as she started for one hour, then a couple, then morning, then staying for lunch then finally fulltime. I am amazed I have picked her up at the right times. I can't understand why a four year old needs to be at school all day though I'm sure I will savour the hours when she is. But I'm not sure it's for her good really. Anyway will see how it goes and if she needs to go part time longer at least I am lucky enough to be able to do that. We have loads of elderberries growing at the end of our garden and this is the first year I've managed to do anything with them. The berries made me feel quite errie as I pulled them off their stems. I could imagine generations of women doing it and cooking them for a cold remedy. And long ago some of those women being seen as witches. I was on the edge of society cooking. I do get a bit dramatic sometimes but pick those berries and have a good look at them - they have a silver glint on them that is quite mesmorizing. I tried to make cordial but heated it too long- now have a jar of delicious goo. As recommended by fellow blogger Rachel I put a spoon of it in hot water with honey for a delicious drink to sore sore throats. I also just eat a spoon of it when I feel like it.

This is an allium seedhead from my front garden. In spring I will try and grow some plants from seed. I wonder if you need to soak the seeds first - they look very hard and dark.

I have been getting quite a lot done at the allotment. I'v dug up most of my potatoes. As I dug them out I dug in some compost so that the ground is ready for spring next year.

If you really stare at the picture on the left you should be able to see the very start of brussel sprouts forming on the thick stem. There's a lot of white fly on them - the butterflies have been busy.

The sunny weather has given the courgette another burst of life. My friend grew one in her garden. I think they are great as have lovely floers and produce a lot of veg per plant(you only really need one -maybe two as back up).

My climbing purple beans and lovely and tender even when I leave them too long. Any runner beans that have been left to grow too long(and are still green) and hence are tough - I recommended shelling them and using the beans in casseroles. Or you can boil them till tender then drain and fry with onion and garlic in olive oil.

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.

Ukrainian dancing

Driving to a 60th anniversary celebration of a Ukrainian old people's home I suddenly remembered lying in the hot sun next to a field of potatoes turning my 11 year old legs red. I was pleased with my sunburn as we were in those days till someone pointed out my white ankle socks. It was a lovely day - the home had put on free food and entertainment which was very nice of them. I wanted to show my son some of his roots. He says he is English. I waiver between envying his certainty of his identity and grief that he feels disconnected from his ancestors. Many of the people at the celebrations are bringing up their kids speaking Ukrainian(they are third generation) but I have taught my children a few words. I speak to them in Ukrainian sometimes but more to stop me losing it. I do find the whole concept of identity confusing. My son watched the concerts - he said he liked the dancing a little bit. The blokes get the best dance moves and boy did they dance well.

I loved the yellow of my son's fried egg sandwich we had at Ally Pally by the boating lake. I pedalled him around in a pedalo boat - not been in one since childhood.

Have had loads more tomatoes - so wet today did not pick them. Used the ones we picked the other day to make delicious pasta sauce.