by Philippa | Jun 16, 2014 | Allotment
The last week has been the perfect storm of hot humid weather and downpours of rain so when we arrived at the plots this weekend it seemed the weeds were what had been doing the most growing! Despite the weather being a bit overcast and drizzly we had a good long visit on Sunday and by the end of the day both plots looked pretty tidy.
Neil was a digging demon, I think he set his mind to finishing the digging on plot 118 and just kept motoring on, even though he was dripping with sweat and had already done a tough round of circuits that morning!
Meanwhile I did a lot of planting out from the items in the coldframe that were bursting to get out. The courgettes were planted out on both plots. The regular green zucchini variety hasn’t germinated is two sowings of several pots each time which is odd so we just have the one green variety in the dundoo organic. Neil is pioneering the crushed eggshell method of trying to stop the slugs, we’ll see if that has any success!
The brassicas that had been in the coldframe for a couple of weeks were ready to go out. You can really see the difference between those that have spent longer in the greenhouse or coldframe compared to the ones that have had more time outside. The red cabbage (drumhead) look better than we have ever grown, at least at this early stage. The cauliflowers (snowball) were a bit small and flimsy looking but I’m hoping that being outside will mean they pick up and get a bit sturdier in a week or two. They were joined by the pointed red kalibos and candissa cabbage varieties as well as the Brussels (Evesham special and Hastings).
We planted some more peas along the rustic pea frame Neil made with the sticks pruned from the raspberries and plums last year. The squash and the leeks from the greenhouse were put into the coldframe, the leeks particularly will be ready pretty soon if their current size is anything to go by. The rest of the brassicas that were in the coldframe but too small to plant out were transferred outside to hopefully firm up a bit before being planted out in the next week or two.
The zinnia and aster were planted on plot 118. They are apparently half hardy annuals, so a bit like the dahlias if we protect them over the winter they should survive for future flowerings next year. The poor acroclinium still didn’t get planted out, that’s two weeks where they have been passed over! Next week definitely!
There were just a few sowings to make for June, the kale (dwarf green curled) and cavolo nero (cavolo di toscana) and wallflowers (fairlady mixed) and sweet Williams (auricula-eyed mixed). Incidentally, one plant from last years cavolo nero is still standing and still growing, the rest bolted in the early hot weather but somehow this one has lasted. I think it officially wins the prize for longest growing crop on the plots.
At least after all the weeding we did across both plots we had the reward of a full punnet of strawberries! Pretty good considering there was only one or two reddening last week and we thought they would all be munched before this weekend. Very tasty indeed! With that and the first signs of fruit on some of the tomato plants this is the start of the excitement!
by Philippa | May 17, 2014 | Allotment
We were due to go on holiday on Sunday, straight after the Great Manchester 10km, so an hour or two on Saturday was all the time we had to do some of the jobs that really couldn’t wait until our return.
The peas and sweetpeas had been outside for a couple of days and were ready to be planted. Leaving them for much longer, particularly if the weather was going to be warm would have made them too leggy and pot bound. So we planted them out along with the climbing French beans and the broad beans. The previous days had been quite hot and due to not being on mid week to water, the broad beans were very flopped over. They looked a bit pathetic after planting out but it didn’t take long for the good soaking to start to work and they looked much perkier by the time we left.
There were a few other casualties to the heat. The sprouting broccoli and calabrese varieties I sowed last week and which had germinated successfully had completely collapsed and despite watering they didn’t look as if they would recover-it would be pretty miraculous if they did but we’ll see! It is always a bit of a worry that there will be a heat wave while you are away but by planting out what we did we gave ourselves the best chance of things being in good nick when we get back!
by Philippa | May 12, 2014 | Allotment
We knew we were in for a wet weekend this weekend. We also knew that Saturday was a working party day at the site. Always seems to be the way! Thankfully it didn’t put everyone off and despite having to periodically hide from the heavy downpours, there were up to 17 members helping out! The plan was to clear some of the back of site 3 so that a poly tunnel could be dismantled and brought across from the bottom end of site 2.
We made good progress, clearing a large area, laying membrane, taking the poly tunnel apart and bringing the parts over. Unexpectedly, there was also the offer of about 60 flagstones from a local house, which are going to be used around the tunnel. Given the number of helpers and the fact that Steve had his van, it was too good an opportunity to miss, so after two trips and endless carrying of flags, they too were shifted onto the cleared site.
After all the work on the site, we didn’t manage a great deal of time on our own plots, but then again we didn’t have a very long list of things to achieve. Last weekend, after the monthly meeting we did manage a short burst in the greenhouse before we set off to Milton Keynes for Neil’s race. I planted a selection of brassicas and by this week they were all sprouted-borecole (scarlet), calabrese (minicole and green sprouting), sprouting broccoli (purple and red arrow), cabbage (tundra) and broccoli (summer purple).
All the things going on in the greenhouse meant it was time to start moving some more stuff out to the coldframe. We took the dahlias, lupins and marigolds out of the coldframe and to take their place transferred some of the brassicas and all the broad beans, climbing French beans and peas in.
We then potted on all of the tomato varieties into both greenhouses, digging the pots into the greenhouse beds in the 118 greenhouse. We put a handful of organic feed pellets into the tubs before transplanting.
Then on to slightly more delicate transplanting, pricking out the zinnia and chrysanthemum into separate cells. One thing is for sure, I think we will have plenty of flowers this year! A slightly amusing bit of innovation from Neil while in the greenhouse. It became obvious that our tray of pak choi was providing a comfy warm seat for one of the resident allotment cats. So Neil fashioned an anti cat bum device. Here’s hoping it works!
We know we don’t have a lot of time next weekend and so it was good to get these jobs done as while they weren’t urgent, by the time another week had passed they really would be! Now all we need is some sunshine to dry off!
by Philippa | Apr 20, 2014 | Allotment
This recipe served two but is easily scaled up or down and can use lots of things you might bring home from the plot. This weekend we came back with the last of our leeks which have been a great crop this year as well as a tray of purple sprouting broccoli which has been the most successful we have ever grown despite an inauspicious start. But there is no reason why you couldn’t use other veg, such as spinach, chard or peas as alternatives, depending on what you have available and what you like to eat.
Knob of butter
Splash of olive oil
2 large leeks, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Leaves from a few sprigs of thyme
150g orzo
1 tin of cannellini beans, drained (or flageolet or butter beans)
Bunch of sprouting broccoli (or other veg as suggested above)
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp cream cheese
Handful of grated Parmesan cheese
Block of halloumi cheese, sliced.
Melt the butter with a splash of oil over a medium heat. Add the leeks, garlic and thyme and cook down for about 10 mins until tender. Meanwhile add the orzo and the beans to a pan of boiling water for about 8mins. Halfway through this cooking time add your broccoli or any other veg you are using to the boiling water. When done, drain and add to the leeks with the lemon zest and juice and a generous amount of seasoning.
Heat a frying pan to medium high and fry the halloumi in a splash of oil until golden on both sides. Stir the cream cheese and Parmesan through the leek, bean and orzo mix and serve with the halloumi on top. Enjoy!
adapted from a recipe appearing in April 2014 issue of Delicious magazine
by Philippa | Apr 20, 2014 | Allotment
The weather was much cooler today and it was very very windy so I took refuge in the greenhouse with a mammoth planting session. Neil loves sunflowers so there are several trays of them (Pacino, earthwalker and ring of fire). I also did cabbage (savoy vertus, pointed red kalibos and red drumhead), pak choi (joi choi and rubi), leek (almera), celeriac (prinz), cucumber (cucino), squash (honey bear), climbing French bean (cobra), peas (early onward, purple podded, sugarsnap and Oregon sugar pod) and watermelon (charleston grey). The staging is now heaving and it is pleasing to see all the trays in various stages of sprouting.
I also planted some flowers as well and discovered my new favourite seed! They are for the acroclinium and they are like little dots of cotton wool, all fluffy and white. Although I had to be a bit careful with it being so windy that they didn’t get blown away!
Along with the acroclinium (double mixed) we now have aster (milady), zinnia (Oklahoma), chrysanthemum (rainbow) and ipomoea (grandpa ott). The dahlia and marigolds we sowed a couple of weeks ago have all germinated really well and so we pricked out the marigolds to individual cells of the seed trays. We haven’t been great at doing this in the past with our flowers and so we are trying to do better this season. So we now have nearly 100 marigolds! Oh well, if there are spare we can put them in some planters and I’m sure they will be appreciated in the gardens of friends and family.
While I was in the greenhouse Neil was on to his second DIY job of the weekend, building a coldframe. It certainly kept him quiet for a good while as there were lots of angles to cut. In the end he had to move on to another job as he needs to buy some longer screws (in all the boxes of screws we have there aren’t any long enough, which seems unlikely but true!) so he cleared the couch grass from the rear of plot 118.
We both then tackled the digging over at the front that Neil started on Friday. It is so much quicker with two of you on the job and satisfying how much progress you can make. So much so we were able to plant the potatoes that we have chitted, only one variety this year, Charlotte, in three rows.
We think we have passed the milestone of digging over half of plot 118, woohoo!
Another exciting milestone, we spotted the first signs of the asparagus! I’m sure that it has usually arrived by this time of the year and so I had thought that maybe it had died so I’m pleased to see it again, fingers crossed we might get a crop of it this year (only about four years after we planted it ha!).
We took home the last of the leeks-I think it is a record as this year we have eaten every single leek we grew! Also a bundle of rhubarb and a tray of purple sprouting broccoli that would not look out of place in the supermarket! The leeks and most of the broccoli made a tasty tea for two. Recipe to follow…
Recent Comments