31 May 2006
29 May 2006
An unexpected harvest
I am very worried that we are running out of space. We still have six sprouts to plant and the leeks need to get in the ground. We made the decision to clear another of the beds at the top which is full of self-setters (potatoes that is). These are some that were not dug up last year by the previous occupants and have sprouted under the ground. It was a surprise to find that, this early in the season that potatoes were forming.
Enough to enjoy with our mixed lettuce and radish salad (all home grown of course) but it is a shame that the raddish are bigger than the potatoes.
p.s. We can confirm the rumour that eating too many raddish gives you wind.
28 May 2006
A quiet month on the blog
I realise that there has been more work that reporting in May so today I will make up for it. Another very busy day and this time I remembered the camera, so prepare to be amazed.
The beans and peas are all in. So that we can stagger the harvest we have a mixture of plants and seeds and a mixture of varieties. There are two rows of broad beans, one from plants started in the greenhouse and one row directly planted in the ground. Strangely the beans sown are covered with flowers but only about eight inches tall whereas the others are about 18 inches with not many flowers. Peas are doing well - half plants intercropped with peas. French beans and runner beans the same. I mixed up the labels so there are two varieties of French and four of runner but won't know which until they flower. The potatoe hawk (remember him) is still working well at keeping the pigeons away. Twiggy sticks support the peas, chichen wire for the broad beans, netting for the French beans and a reconstruction of the hanging gardens of Babylon for the Runner beans.
The cabbages and sproats have joined the Boy Scout movement to stop the pigeons eating their tops out and I am hoping that they are going to turn out to be very good for the brain as the CDs on the ends of their tents are supplied by the Open University. They do look like very happy brassicas.
Moving down to the main beds below the little greenhouse. The fig and kiwi are growning well, the onions have really benefitted from all the rain, we have radishes, parsnips and turnips, chard and carrots, the bed with 109 gladioli and the one at the bottom which has lettuce, more onions and more carrots. On the left we have main crop potatoes (desire of course) and below that the fruit bed. At the moment the paths are still marked by green string but we have compacted them enough that the ground cover and wood chippings are going down. Since this photograph was taken I have planted four climbing outdoor cucumbers donated by Baptista. He is under the impression that he talks perfect English but we know otherwise. Between us we managed to translate his Italian into climbing outdoor cucumbers (not bad as neither of us speak Italian). We are most greatful for his contribution. The plum tree he gave us in March is growing well and he is always asking after our bambina as he calls Katy.
I bet you are wondering how the tomatoes are doing in the greenhouse. Well, wonder no more. They are growing like mad and covered in flowers. I have planted basil and corriander in the border underneath them so the smell when you open the door is quite mouthwatering.
The bottles on top of the canes are for protection as it would be easy to take your eye out on one of those things.
I never really occured to me that they would be anything other than plants that had started off as seeds in pots on the bedroom windowsill so they excitment was almost too much to stand when the first tomatoe was spotted. It is about the size of a large marble at the moment but that is not the point, it is the first of many I am sure and it will soon grow and ripen.
On a slightly different note, I think we must be getting something wrong in this allotmenteering game. Everybody else goes home mid-afternoon looking relaxed like they have just had a stroll in the park but we are still grafting at 9.30 at night and look like a couple of hippos who have had a good day wallowing in the mud and are hardly about to walk through exhaustion. What are we doing wrong I wonder!
The beans and peas are all in. So that we can stagger the harvest we have a mixture of plants and seeds and a mixture of varieties. There are two rows of broad beans, one from plants started in the greenhouse and one row directly planted in the ground. Strangely the beans sown are covered with flowers but only about eight inches tall whereas the others are about 18 inches with not many flowers. Peas are doing well - half plants intercropped with peas. French beans and runner beans the same. I mixed up the labels so there are two varieties of French and four of runner but won't know which until they flower. The potatoe hawk (remember him) is still working well at keeping the pigeons away. Twiggy sticks support the peas, chichen wire for the broad beans, netting for the French beans and a reconstruction of the hanging gardens of Babylon for the Runner beans.
The cabbages and sproats have joined the Boy Scout movement to stop the pigeons eating their tops out and I am hoping that they are going to turn out to be very good for the brain as the CDs on the ends of their tents are supplied by the Open University. They do look like very happy brassicas.
Moving down to the main beds below the little greenhouse. The fig and kiwi are growning well, the onions have really benefitted from all the rain, we have radishes, parsnips and turnips, chard and carrots, the bed with 109 gladioli and the one at the bottom which has lettuce, more onions and more carrots. On the left we have main crop potatoes (desire of course) and below that the fruit bed. At the moment the paths are still marked by green string but we have compacted them enough that the ground cover and wood chippings are going down. Since this photograph was taken I have planted four climbing outdoor cucumbers donated by Baptista. He is under the impression that he talks perfect English but we know otherwise. Between us we managed to translate his Italian into climbing outdoor cucumbers (not bad as neither of us speak Italian). We are most greatful for his contribution. The plum tree he gave us in March is growing well and he is always asking after our bambina as he calls Katy.
I bet you are wondering how the tomatoes are doing in the greenhouse. Well, wonder no more. They are growing like mad and covered in flowers. I have planted basil and corriander in the border underneath them so the smell when you open the door is quite mouthwatering.The bottles on top of the canes are for protection as it would be easy to take your eye out on one of those things.
I never really occured to me that they would be anything other than plants that had started off as seeds in pots on the bedroom windowsill so they excitment was almost too much to stand when the first tomatoe was spotted. It is about the size of a large marble at the moment but that is not the point, it is the first of many I am sure and it will soon grow and ripen.On a slightly different note, I think we must be getting something wrong in this allotmenteering game. Everybody else goes home mid-afternoon looking relaxed like they have just had a stroll in the park but we are still grafting at 9.30 at night and look like a couple of hippos who have had a good day wallowing in the mud and are hardly about to walk through exhaustion. What are we doing wrong I wonder!
27 May 2006
A very busy week
It really has been a very busy week, despite the rain we have had two evenings of hard work. The ground is nice and soft so the weeds pull out easily. We have all but emptied the small greenhouse and everything going in the ground - french beans, runner beans, cabbages and sprouts. The winter veg seeds have been sown in the seed bed and the raddishes are still being thinned as the parsnips are starting to germinate.
The big news of the week is that we have been entered into the Hampshire Allotment of the Year competition. I think we might be in with a chance if it was Basingstoke but to be county champions is pushing it a bit. Aparantly, you do get extra points for it being your first year so who knows!
The big news of the week is that we have been entered into the Hampshire Allotment of the Year competition. I think we might be in with a chance if it was Basingstoke but to be county champions is pushing it a bit. Aparantly, you do get extra points for it being your first year so who knows!
21 May 2006
Can't go out to play
Even though it has rained all day, it was not going to stop the Sunday trip to the allotment. We made some grow bags out of rubble sacks, filled with compost and then stapled at the end. Now that the beans are ready to be moved out of the little greenhouse we can fit six grow bags in there with four tomatoes in each, that makes lots of tomatoes. They really were looking very tired and limp on the kitchen window sill so they have moved to their new home quite happily. It also means that we no longer need to have the light on in the kitchen and daylight floods in again.
Unfortunately, the sprouts and cabbages have had to stay confined as it was just too muddy. No hoeing either so the only other thing to do was potter in the greenhouse. Or sit and balance a hanging basket on your head. Which ever takes your fancy.
Another exciting thing happened today (not allotment related); we have a dove nesting in the clematis outside the kitchen window. We haven't noticed it before due to the curtain of tomatoes blocking the view. All day long it has been going back and forth with twigs in its mouth in and out of the hold it has made. Good in one way that we will be able to watch its comings and going, bad in two ways, we will have to make sure that the cats don't take a liking to baby doves, and we will need to put a bird toilet on the ground or the lavender will not be smelling as sweet as last year.
The title of today's entry is not strictly true. We did have an exciting start to the day when we got up and out at 10am to go to the OBAGS (Old Basing Allotment Gardeners Society) plant sale. We splashed out on membership at £2 for the year, which was well worth it as we can use the shop, which is open every Sunday from 10am-12 noon, for great prices on all sorts of essentials such as blood, fish and bone, grit, canes, fleece and much much more, at greatly reduced prices. We treated outselves to a hanging basket complete with liner and two trailing toms (another £2 for the lot) a couple of garden plants and a lemon grass. It was also a chance to catch up on the news from our great friend Len Brickell (fellow bowler) who runs the shop now that he can't manage to garden. Still rolls a mean bowl though!
.
Almost forgot the really big news of the day - you remember the walking stick cabbage, they have germinated and we have more than I expected. In fact, I think we have enought to give everybody a walking stick, make a deep bear trap and create an avenue as an entrance to the allotment. The bad news is that they are no longer on special offer, so if you missed buying them, you will have to pay the full £1.99.
Unfortunately, the sprouts and cabbages have had to stay confined as it was just too muddy. No hoeing either so the only other thing to do was potter in the greenhouse. Or sit and balance a hanging basket on your head. Which ever takes your fancy.Another exciting thing happened today (not allotment related); we have a dove nesting in the clematis outside the kitchen window. We haven't noticed it before due to the curtain of tomatoes blocking the view. All day long it has been going back and forth with twigs in its mouth in and out of the hold it has made. Good in one way that we will be able to watch its comings and going, bad in two ways, we will have to make sure that the cats don't take a liking to baby doves, and we will need to put a bird toilet on the ground or the lavender will not be smelling as sweet as last year.
The title of today's entry is not strictly true. We did have an exciting start to the day when we got up and out at 10am to go to the OBAGS (Old Basing Allotment Gardeners Society) plant sale. We splashed out on membership at £2 for the year, which was well worth it as we can use the shop, which is open every Sunday from 10am-12 noon, for great prices on all sorts of essentials such as blood, fish and bone, grit, canes, fleece and much much more, at greatly reduced prices. We treated outselves to a hanging basket complete with liner and two trailing toms (another £2 for the lot) a couple of garden plants and a lemon grass. It was also a chance to catch up on the news from our great friend Len Brickell (fellow bowler) who runs the shop now that he can't manage to garden. Still rolls a mean bowl though!
.
Almost forgot the really big news of the day - you remember the walking stick cabbage, they have germinated and we have more than I expected. In fact, I think we have enought to give everybody a walking stick, make a deep bear trap and create an avenue as an entrance to the allotment. The bad news is that they are no longer on special offer, so if you missed buying them, you will have to pay the full £1.99.
16 May 2006
What do you think of those boys?
I don't know if you remember me telling you about the marker raddish, well they have well and truly marked. Time to start thinning and we were shocked at what a magnificent crop we had. This is just the first thinning - loads more to come.
Shown here with a 20p to show you how big they really are.
It is a shame the village show is not soon as I think we would have a great contender for the funny shaped vegetable category.
p.s. the parsnips are starting to germinate which is what the raddish is all about.
13 May 2006
Yes we will have tomatoes
Yesterday was Katy's birthday and she had a lovely day out and we had a lovely evening and a BBQ. Back to the allotment today with lots of excitment.
There are flowers on the tomatoes and the peppers in the greenhouse are growing like mad. We have five cantelope melon seeds that have germinated as well as four giant pumpkins, five of each yellow and green courgettes.
Carrots are appearing as well as turnips and parsnips. Onions are growing like mad but still no sign of chard. The maincrop potatoes are finally peeping above the ground. In the bean bed the broad beans and peas are doing well and I think it may now be safe to put out the runner beans which are hugh in the little greenhouse. The french beans have been nibbled by something so time for them to face the big outside world as well.
The first lot of staging has gone into the greenhouse. It was touch and go whether it would fit throught the door but it made it by a whisker and looks great and is as high as a kitchen worktop so no back breaking working on the ground any more.
There are flowers on the tomatoes and the peppers in the greenhouse are growing like mad. We have five cantelope melon seeds that have germinated as well as four giant pumpkins, five of each yellow and green courgettes.Carrots are appearing as well as turnips and parsnips. Onions are growing like mad but still no sign of chard. The maincrop potatoes are finally peeping above the ground. In the bean bed the broad beans and peas are doing well and I think it may now be safe to put out the runner beans which are hugh in the little greenhouse. The french beans have been nibbled by something so time for them to face the big outside world as well.
The first lot of staging has gone into the greenhouse. It was touch and go whether it would fit throught the door but it made it by a whisker and looks great and is as high as a kitchen worktop so no back breaking working on the ground any more.
11 May 2006
The walking stick cabbage
Big excitement last night when we opened the seeds from The Daily Mail. A very unusual selection of 12 varieties including The Walking Stick Cabbage.
This is the picture from the packet and the description that Thomson & Morgan give is:
Height: 15 feet Description: A peculiar vegetable for the garden, the stout stems which carry a crown of ‘greens’ can be used to make walking sticks. Plants reach up to 2.1m (7ft) from an early spring sowing, and up to 3m (10ft) in the second year! A real talking point.
If we do manage to grow them to 15 feet we really will be the talking point of the allotment, but I really can't work out how you harvest the cabbage (unless you are 15 feet tall, which this small boy obviously isn't). and also why would you want a 15 foot long walking stick!
p.s. If you can't resist trying yourself you can buy from Thomson & Morgan, currently on special offer at only 99p per packet (bargain if you ask me).
9 May 2006
The first harvest
It was worth the wait but here is the first success from the vegetable patch. It is truely a treat for all five senses:
- it looks like a raddish
- it has a wonderful peppery taste
- you can feel the soil on it (washed that off before eating)
- you can hear the crunch of a freshly picked vegetable as you bite into it
- it is the sweet smell of success to come.
8 May 2006
Recipe of the day - comfrey tea
How do you make comfrey tea I hear you ask. Well first you have to make the tea bag. That involves shoving a lot of comfrey into a pillow case and tying the top. You then find your tea pot (an old dustbin will do fine) and steep the tea bag for a week, poking it with a blunt stick daily.
Alegedly it is the best tonic for tomato plants but the smell leaves much to be desired. It is a shame that there is no such thing as smellie-mail or I could share it with you.
Here is a photo of the tea bag ready to be dunked.
A double blog today as you will have noticed from the picture, I am modelling the latest in allotment wear. I am afraid I could not meet the high standard set by James and Katy back in March, so have gone for my own style with unmatching knee pads and gloves (I have another set the same somewhere).
It is true what they say
Roumour has it that it always rains in England. Well to prove the New Englanders right, it really did rain.
Time to go home for a cup of tea I think, and maybe a crumpet and some cucumber sandwiches.
We have gone international
Due to the lack of internet this post is a few days late. Our first visitor from across the pond at the weekend but no slacking, work to be done. I just hope the tomatoes dont have American accents!
3 May 2006
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