Update for Easter

There is a lot going on in all three greenhouses, at the moment but not a lot to photograph as seedlings are so small so I will make sure that regular updates are given. The little greenhouse is home to the brassicas - Kale, sprouts, broccoli etc, as well as dahlias in pots on the ground.





We are diversifying at the allotment as I have a pasion for basketry, I have planted a willow bed. I got the cuttings from Yorkshire Willow. There are a total of 17 varieties (listed below) so we have planted them in such a way that they will make an attractive screen for the ducks as well as being practical.

I am not convinced that I will be able to make anything worthwhile for Christmas 2009 but I am hoping that the willow and wine will solve all my Christmas and birthday problems for years to come.

I think a book on willow weaving would be a good birthday present if anybody is wondering what to get me.




One problem is that the ducks are walking all over the sticks and we are sure that they will nibble off the young shoots when they appear so a bit of duck defence building. Nick is always one for innovation so the netting was a bit that we scavenged and the posts were the frame of Katy's old bed (thank you Ikea).

I can hear you saying, this seems a larger area that the willow bed. A cunning plan here as the rest of this area is going to be for the vinyard. We found one grape reduced at Country Gardens this week so have one already. This is a red wine grape so we will be planting a red rose at the end of the row. We have eight roses in the nursery bed on the allotment. As well as the one red we have three pink, two white and two peach. We are not going to rush to get the others as we need to get appropriate varieties. It is OK for the red, but not sure that we will find pink or peach grapes so we may be keeping a rose bed at the allotment.


The fruit trees are coming out in blossom with the peach having lovely delicate dark pink flowers, but my favourite is the apple blossom with its delicate white flowers and yellow stamen.





Apple isn't too impressed and prefers to lie down amount the blackcurrent bushes. We had to do a bit of animal husbandry this week as she was limping and after close inspection we found a small cut on her foot. We will keep a close eye on here but if there is any fear of infection we mighty have to bring her home for a good clean and to get her some antibiotics if it gets infected.








The big greenhouse is only designed for short people at the moment (or those who can duck) as hanging baskets are started with plug plants. The have a mix of geraniums, coriander, frailing petunia, trailing alysum, and soon will have some tumbling toms added.








Good timing for going back to work on Tuesday as we have a lovely crop of salad leaves ready for cutting. We have done one full cut already and they seem to be growing fast. I have another lot ready to follow on. The boxes next to them have spring onions and carrots growing so we should have a green salad soon.







It shouldn't be long before we have some lovely new potatoes. I have planted two lots in the greenhouse, and the warm weather in the last couple of weeks has really brought them on. It should only be another couple of weeks before we see flowers. The only fear of growing in this way is that you get a lot of top and not much underneath i.e. not a good crop of spuds.








You might think that the whole week has been spent on the allotment. Well, this is not the case.

A couple of months ago we bought a chair at auction for £12. It is a lovely looking chair but somebody had decided that it would look better as a black and white minstrel's chair so there was nothing for it but to start stripping





Two hours and a lot a scraping and scrubbing later, it is starting to look fantastic. It looks like it is traditionally made with elm seal and the rest in Oak. There is still quite a bit of work to do but it should be a lovely piece of furniture when it is finished.

It only remains to be seen if its final home is in Hampshire or Kent.





Willow varieties


1. Salix Alba (White Willow) - White willow is a tall tree which generally grows to between 15 and 30m tall. The bark is greyish-brown in colour. The twigs are brown or olive, Buds are dark brown. Salix Alba is common by rivers and streams. It generally becomes scarcer westwards, especially in Wales and Scotland. Full sun to light shade; ample water; tolerates a wide range of soil and conditions.

2. Salix Alba Chermesina (Scarlet Willow) - Rich yellow to red rods giving excellent winter colour. Can grow to 7m, very attractive, yellow-red annual growth, with the colour improving the more pruning is done.
Full sun to light shade; ample water; tolerates a wide range of soil and conditions. Of all the many types of Salix alba, this is one of the best for winter colour. Great ornamental willow.

3. Salix Alba Fragilis (Flanders Red) - Basketry willow that is wonderful to work with due to it's slightly waxy skin. The red autumn colour dries to an orange. Great ornamental willow. Changes from the green in summer to red winter. Full sun to light shade; ample water; tolerates a wide range of soil and conditions.

4. Salix Alba Vitellina (Golden Willow) - Golden willow is a tall graceful tree which can grow to 30m. The year old twigs are its most distinguishing characteristic as they are bright yellow or orange making them very conspicuous in winter months. Thrives in wet conditions and variety of soil types, full sun or part shade. The strong flexible rods are excellent for basketry. Coppicing yields 2m stems with little branching. Ideal for hedges or to enhance winter landscape with colourful stems.

5. Salix Candida - Very attractive willow with thick stems, growing 1.5m per year in sheltered locations, having large “furry” leaves, with large yellow catkins. Salix Candida is from North America, a very ornamental willow which grows into a small shrub up to 2.5m in height. The hairy rods remind of deer antlers. A further feature of this willow are the very large buds.

6. Salix Daphniodes (Continental Purple) - A hardy daphnoides, taller rods can be used as uprights in living willow sculptures, with the smaller rods being pliable enough for basketry. Great winter colour with new growth.

7. Salix Fragilis Decipiens (White Welsh) - A basketry willow with a very light bark colour, giving a good contrast when used together with darker rods in coloured basketwork.

8. Salix Nigricians (Black Willow) - Fabulous willow with wonderful pitch black bark which has a purple sheen to it. Young growth is a lovely black and green. Grows to 10m. Shining ebony coloured stems throughout winter. Prune hard annually in spring for best bark effect. A lovely ornamental willow. Full sun to shade and will tolerate a wide range of soil types.

9. Salix Pentandra (Bay Willow) - A large willow shrub or small tree usually growing to 5-7m high but exceptionally known to reach 17m. Salix pentandra is frequently found by streams and rivers and on wet ground. Bay willow appeals to gardeners because of its attractive foliage and catkins and is said to have fragrance like Bay leaves.

10. Salix Purpurea (Purple Willow) - Can grow up to 5m high or make a lovely shrub or hedge. Stems are slender, tough and flexible, tinged with purple. This is a traditional basket making variety, producing medium-fine rods up to 2m long. It has lovely blue/green leaves, and very attractive foliage with colourful stems which stand out in winter especially. Ideal for basketry, hurdles, or furniture. Full sun to part shade, thrives with regular watering, will tolerate range of soil types.

11. Salix Purpurea (Cohu Blue) - Slender leaved variety, can grow up to 5M. It has lovely blue/green leaves, and very attractive foliage with colourful stems which stand out in winter especially. Full sun to part shade, thrives with regular watering, will tolerate range of soil types.

12. Salix Purpurea (Green Dicks) - Produces a fine rod with a pale green/yellow stem, which changes to a whitish green in the winter. Can grow up to 5m. Bright olive green new growth, vigorous, especially with an annual pruning. Full sun to part shade, thrives with regular deep watering, tolerates a wide range of soil types

13. Salix Sachalinensis (Sekka) - Rods curve round and can be used fresh or dried in flower arrangements. Catkins appear in February, turning first pink and then golden as they mature. Sekka will grow to around 4m height and makes a lovely feature in a garden. Excellent ornamental shrub. Can grow into huge tropical shrub. Very distinctive shaped leaves not found in any other willows.

14. Salix Tortuosa (Corkscrew/Contorted) - A fast growing, spreading deciduous tree which can grow up to 10m with narrow tapering bright green leaves. The corkscrew effect in the stems being most evident after leaf fall. More drought tolerant than most willows. Contortion increases with vigor so pollarding enhances it. Thrives best in moist soil conditions and prefers full sun.

15. Salix Triandra (Black Maul) - Salix Triandra or ‘Almond Leaved Willow’ is a small bushy tree or robust spreading shrub that can reach 8m. The bark is smooth and dark grey. The twigs are olive-brown, the leaves are regularly serrated and dark green above and green below. One of the most attractive and fragrant willows and is being used more frequently as a garden shrub. Owing to it’s dark maroon-black new growth and very bright autumn colours it is highly ornamental. Triandra is a traditional basket making variety and has deep brown stems. It is also ideal for hedging, and living willow structures. Full sun to part shade, thrives with regular watering and will tolerate wide range of soil types.

16. Salix Viminalis (Common Osier) - Fast growing yellow/green variety, long shoots but lower number of shoots than other varieties. Hardy vigorous variety, producing long straight stems with growth up to 2m a year, traditionally used to make baskets for fishing and agriculture. Other uses include living structures, furniture, drawing charcoal, wind-breaks, soil stabilisation, waste filtration, and fuel. The stems or ‘Rods’ are very tough and flexible, ideal for construction of living willow structures. Happy in full sun or part shade and thrives on regular watering. It will tolerate a wide variety of soil types.

17. Salix Viminalis Tora - Hardy fast growing yellow/brown variety (cross between Salix Viminalis & Salix Schwerinni). Long shoots and a somewhat lower number of shoots than other varieties. Its yield is the highest of all varieties available. Very hardy vigorous variety, producing long straight stems with growth up to 3m a year. Similar in properties to Salix Viminalis, traditionally used to make baskets for fishing and agriculture. Other uses include living structures, furniture, drawing charcoal, windbreaks, soil stabilisation, waste filtration, and fuel. The stems or ‘Rods’ are very tough and flexible, ideal for construction of living willow structures. Happy in full sun or part shade and thrives on regular watering. Will tolerate a wide variety of soil types.