A quick 20 minutes... PAH!

I should have sorted this post out mid-week but I just didn't get round to it. I went to lottie for a quick raspberry pick. Ya know, a short 20 mins to harvest the first of the fruit ready for picking, then back home to do other things. Well, as usual, that 'quick 20 minutes' turned into a full-blown 3 hours! To be honest though, I was really pleased to actually spend a good chunk of time really working the plot. I got the hoe out and did lots of weeding. The generous watering the plants are getting is, of course, benefiting the weeds too. Once the hoe gets pushed around the plot is transformed and looks nice and tidy. I have very tidy plot neighbours so I usually get guilty if mine looks messy. Silly really!

I also re-jigged bits of the plot I'd planted out. Some plants were being overshadowed by others so they needed to be moved to get more light etc. The peppers in the med bed were being dwarfed by the tomatoes so they got re-homed. Also the charlotte potatoes from last year have popped up again (great, as they were SUPER delicious) and were encroaching on my aubergines. Aubergines, why do I bother? Last year they didn't do all that great and this year they don't look all that great either! Maybe next year I will learn not to bother....!

FINALLY, I have success with sunflowers. This is the 3rd or 4th lot of seed I've tried to get going and by a miracle I've got 4 plants looking pretty good. The rest of the seed were a no-show and the earlier seedlings I tried just got munched. I am amazed at how hard I have found it to get sunflowers growing happily. Aren't they meant to be a doddle, something a child could grow?! Anyhoo, I've moved these into final growing positions and put in some support canes. The way I got them to grow eventually was like with the peas - in plastic bottle tubes in an attempt to keep the slugs away.

I mentioned the rogue charlotte potatoes just now. Well, I had to dig up some of the plants that were growing through the path and over the aubergines - they had to go. Even harvesting a little early I got a good crop from the few plants I culled. There are still lots left. I am sure I will have charlotte pots popping up in the 'road end' big bed for lots of seasons to come, which to be honest, is no bad thing :)

I also spotted this red lettuce (variety unknown - any ideas?), growing under the patio apple, seemed to be nibble-free. Odd, I thought, as I've avoided planting lettuces due to the expected battle with the slugs. I can just about handle the holes in spinach as I love spinach so much. Well, reading blogs and lottie sites, as I do, I learned something I didn't know. Red lettuces don't appeal to slugs. Well I never, why didn't anyone tell me this before?! That's it, I am definitely stocking up on red lettuce seed to grow my own. I actually prefer the red varieties of lettuce anyway - it appeals to my artistic eyes more than the green. These are a few leaves I grabbed to munch on. Tasty :)

I also finally planted out the last lot of sweetcorn that was struggling along in the containers I'd planted the seed into. Poor things needed space to grow. I planted out 24 seedlings so if their older brothers are anything to go by they should do well. Fingers crossed.

Oh, and I did pick some raspberries and it did take a 'quick 20 minutes'! I just got the ripe ones from outside the netting and it was enough for a bowl of rasps for pud. However mostly they need a little more time before the main harvest. I also brought home some of the cornflowers which are making a great sugarsnap support, as well as looking fabulous.

The weekend is ear-marked for catching up on my glassy goodies business but I am getting a 'go down the allotment' urge already! I also need to do something with all those blackcurrants I picked the other day.

Thinning out, planting & harvesting

Last night I popped to the allotment. Just for a little while after work... but then stayed 'til it was dark! That's a habit I am getting into. Too many jobs, not enough time.

My seedlings did pretty well sown directly into the soil in rows, under the cling film cold frame. I took the frame itself off a while back when the frost had gone and almost everything I planted has gone great guns. So much so, I think I have too much! The kohl rabi was my task last night. I thinned out all the seedlings and planted them in-front of the sugar snaps/cornflowers. There was a reasonable amount of weeding to do but the soil is lovely up this (shed) end of the plot and the weeds came out easily. I am very pleased with the kohl rabi seedlings and I am hoping they will now start to swell. I had some seedlings left over so I gave some to a plot neighbour and some to a friend at work. She also got a chinese lantern - seedlings are popping up from one I bought last year which I thought had died a death, and some cosmos - also self-sown from last year's plant.

I also harvested some radishes which look mighty fine :) I thinned the seedlings a couple of weeks ago to give them room to swell. I like this photo :) Anyone know any good radish recipes?

These are leeks I grew from seed. I am going to thin these out too and sow them in place. I ran out of time last night.

I read somewhere you can germinate shop-bought seeds. This is my 'bean experiment' so I will see if anything grows. Just a bit of fun really. Not the end of the world if it doesn't work!

I picked my first ranunculus too. It is a bright poppy-red but looks orange on this pic. Pesky camera!

I also planted out the aubergines, patty pans, butternut squash and marrow plants I bought from Potten Farm in Kent. I did this is the dark though so no photos yet!

I've just been to the nursery near work to get a few more things. As the seeds I planted did nothing and I want to grow them, I bought a tray of self-blanching celery and two trays of celariac. I also got more seeds and some flowers. Photos to follow :)

After saying I wouldn't grow them again, like I did with the tomatoes, I bought a pot of runner beans! Aww, but... there were 8 healthy plants in one pot... it wasn't much money... last year's were super-tasty (but SO prolific!)... ah, I am sure I will enjoy them this year. Note to self - create a STURDY frame this time! No idea what sort they are. It just said 'runner bean'. Hmm!

Shock horror!

Yes, I actually went to the allotment yesterday! It's been about 3 weeks. Finding the time to go is getting difficult now, what with evenings being too dark to go up there. I don't get home from work until 6.30pm so can't see a thing! Well, I got quite a bit sorted out. Attacking things with secateurs and putting raspberry nets and bean canes away. I need to go back up there to continue cutting back/burning. I am going to trim the soft fruit back hard as it hasn't been done for a while, I think. During the summer it was almost impossible to walk through the bushes to harvest so I am trying to make things easier for next year. I also still need to dig over the ground and get some bulbs in. I'm mulling over just keeping the 'shed end' for next year and letting someone else take on the 'road end'. 50x7m is a lot of land to tend for one person!! I picked up some pumpkins from the plot and my chilli plants is still covered in chillis, the aubergine still has lots on too. There are potatoes still in the ground which I am wondering if they will still be there or will have been eaten away. Only one way to find out! I did cull the kiwi plant yesterday - it didn't fruit and I hear without another plant it probably won't. I'll find something else I'd like to grow up the shed next year. It was nice to see the Lady's Mantle I thought had died after I moved it perking up again. It has produced some new growth so that is good to see. I find them very pretty plants. Especially when water droplets get trapped in the fan-like leaves :)

Some clearing, rearranging and harvesting

Managed a few hours down the lottie and mainly did weeding. I also moved some stuff around too that was getting swamped by my enormous cosmos and rudbeckia plants. Remembered the camera so a photo-tastic post for you!

spinach is doing well but it has been seriously nibbled! picked loads for my spinach and ricotta lasagne. there is lots left. yummy :)

weeded beds - flowers, herbs and butternut squash. i moved the lady's mantle out from under the cosmos to give it a better chance. i also moved the tree onions and dug out the golden courgettes as they were pretty much done for. i'm pleased the butternut squash pulled through though :)

hooray! the verbena my friend gave me is starting to flower. love these :)

cosmos. just look at it!!

butternut squash starting to perk up and form some fruits :)

the white dry stalks are from the tree onions i have already harvested. it is good to see they are still growing. not tried the onions yet. i was told they are HOT! i moved them out from under the shadow of the cosmos/rudbeckia giants so hopefully they do ok.

pretty rudbeckia. i picked some more for the flat :)

spotted this busy bee on the globe artichoke flower. i love bumblebees, me!

the blueberry still has a few berries on it but the leaves are turning lovely colours so i took this snap.

the sweetcorn is tempting me every time i go to the lottie! not quite ready yet. the taller ones are the babycorn!! the aubergines are still flowering and fruiting.

i dug some leftover spuds out of this patch last weekend. the courgettes are still going strong and the pumpkins are ok. they were looking a bit yellow and sad so i gave them a good water in the hope they perk up. there are still some pumpkins forming.

runner/french/dwarf beans harvested. these are so delish eaten as is :) so sweet!

there are so many runner beans on this frame that they are pulling it over! this is only a few plants too. i will not need more than this next year!!

I also picked some aubergines, some courgettes and the remaining green tomatoes from the shed toms which FINALLY got chucked out! Hooray - I feel liberated.

First pumpkins & a catch up

I've been bad and haven't had much time for the allotment. I've been down to harvest but not done much but mow the grass and plan really. I've only had the plot for a few months but already I am thinking of changing my plans. Firstly, I need to get rid of the grass as I am wasting time mowing it when I could be doing something productive. I am thinking more flowers for next year as the ones I have have really brightened up my flat. I need to get some bulbs in now I think so am mulling next year's plan over. I won't bother with brassicas again I think - too much effort and liability! Def want to have lots more peas - a full row or two. Runner beans about the same (about 6 plants) but try some more exciting varieties, maybe a purple one? More pumpkins and squashes - something like 'petit pan' for def and certainly more sweetcorn. I must plant more onions and some garlic for next year and maybe try some fruit trees. Long list but it does sound like a plan doesn't it?!

So, already harvested my very first pumpkins. I don't know what variety they are unfortunately. They are such a gorgeous colour and shape it seems terrible to cut them up! I gave one to a friend of mine who was with me when I bought the tiny weedy looking plants. She was touched I think and blogged about it here. :) The other I gave to my older brother as he's into growing veg but didn't plant pumpkins this year. I have one on the plot almost ready for me to try which I am looking forward to :) The 4 plants I got are going great guns and I have to keep twisting the plant back into the bed, off the path! Think I will get a great crop of them.

Finally, my tomatoes in the shed have started to ripen. I thought they'd stay green forever! I am not doing the whole tomatoes-in-the-shed malarkey again next year. They needed far too much attention. It was like having kids! ha! It also meant I didn't have much workspace in there. My excuse for not sowing as many seeds as I had planned. I am also pleased the chilli plant I bought is producing fruit too. I picked some teeny red ones and some bigger green ones. There are still plenty on the one plant so that was a bit of a good buy. They are now cleaned up and in the freezer for when I need to use them. The sweet peppers are producing too but not quite ready for picking. The tomatoes I had in the plot have all rotted with all the excess rain we've had which is a shame. The cherry toms especially were going great guns. Hey ho. At least they were only cheap reduced-price plants. You win some...

My aubergines were doing well but have been eaten by slugs. There are more coming on so hopefully they won't get so eaten. The 5 plants I have are still flowering so I'm pleased with their progress :) I am still being inundated with courgettes and runner, french and dwarf beans. The sweetcorn is fattening up and I can't wait for that to be ready.

I had planned to spend some time at the allotment this week, clearing out the brassicas and digging up the spuds. However, I have been a social butterfly instead! I am going to go do some work on today. I need to dig! I hope things are going well for you :)

Progress photos

More things going on down the allotment...

The partially fixed vandalised door. Grr!

Pertpetual spinach seeds starting to come through

Scarlet emperor runner beans starting to form

The Prince french beans starting to form

1st money maker aubergine looking promising

Yellow marigolds ready to be planted out - not sure where yet!

Cosmos sensation FINALLY flowering and such a pretty flower - currently my desktop image

this plant is huge! my aunt gave me this and i can't remember what it is but it is about to flower - hooray!

My folks are visiting this weekend and have brought their gardening clothes! I am always more than grateful for their help. Mum is keen to go away with a good harvest :)

What's going on down't lottie? - PART 2

More photos of the 'growings on' (groan!) down the lottie...

2x 'garden pearl' tomatoes in full flower. Lots of flowers! I like this variety as it is teeny tiny and grows close to the ground rather than up so I don't need to stake it. Both plants are looking really healthy and I even spied a little fruit forming. It's about 1cm across so really 'ickle!

The 'money maker' aubergines (I have 5 plants) are all in flower now. They're looking beautiful. Such dark stems and lovely purple flowers.

Here's another photo of the sweetcorn. It's now about 25-30cm high and is looking really good. I was a bit worried they wouldn't take at first but it is always nice to be proved wrong :)

I spotted these self-seeded rogue nasturtiums growing at the end of the soft fruit. They're very pretty with the leaves a blue-green.

There are more raspberries than I know what to do with!

The globe artichokes are looking very productive with a fair few on each plant. I will have to try them soon, maybe next weekend when my folks come to visit again.

The 'money maker' tomatoes are producing fruit now in the shed. They are SO thirsty though and are such a responsibility! I need to water them every day and I think even that might not be quite enough. Worse than having a pet :P

Very first cauliflower starting to form. Yay! Exciting :)

Sweet williams, self-seeded. These remind me of my childhood home where these grew wild in the meadow.

Double geum. This plant has given a wonderful show of colour.

Finally, the cosmos sensation if starting to show signs of flowering. It has grown really big and although the feathery leaves are interesting, I was hoping it would flower for me.