It’s July already!! I feel like I have been away for ages and need to introduce myself again.
It hasn’t actually been that long since my last blog post but it feels like forever. Sorry for the delay, my personal and uni life have taken over the last couple of weeks so although I have continued to share my journey in pictures, a blog update is certainly overdue!
I have so much to share I don’t know where to start!
With all the heavy rain we have had for the past week, No.27 is really taking on it’s own personality now, full of growth, greenery and flowers.
I certainly do love allotment life, from digging the first trench, sowing my first seeds, harvesting my first beetroot to defeating the weeds one by one. I always leave the plot whether its after 10 minutes or 3 hours with a sense of pride and accomplishment for what I have achieved. You really can get a lot done in 10 minutes if you put your mind to it by the way 🙂
Amongst all the chaos that surrounds me at the moment, I promised myself 3 hours at the allotment Saturday morning and I couldn’t wait! It is hard work but such a great escape!
My aim was to trim the grass edges of the plot, tackle all the weeds, especially the flower beds and between the raspberry canes and maybe harvest a few goodies to take back for tea.
I can very happily say I achieved all those tasks; I think it’s just about setting a time limit and then cracking on.
The beds were looking tidier, the chillies and tomatoes fed and re-tied with string from the top of the out-house/greenhouse (they are as tall as me now) and the cosmos deadheaded.
I could now go round and check how everything was progressing in more detail, the first of my squash or pumpkin are starting to form and flower. I say ‘or’ because I planted a row of each but am not sure which row is which.
I thought I was going to lose my broad bean plants before any real growth began, but all of sudden beans are showing everywhere. Does anyone have any tips on how I can make the plants stronger? The slugs tried to have their way at the beginning but I still feel like I am missing something looking at other people’s crops.
Now it was time to see what I had ready for harvesting; one row of ‘boltardy’ beetroot is nearly all ready, so I harvested four, huge beautiful purple beets. I hung them in the air thinking “I grew these myself from seed!”, so proud of myself. They looked delicious and I couldn’t wait to get them back and in the roasting tin.
“What else can I find?” I said to myself, so next I lifted another ‘Charlotte’ potato plant and dug deep to find as many as I could to join the beetroot for my tea.
My three hours was up and it was time to head back, drop off my harvest at my parents for later and go to my old primary school fete. My sister now teaches at our old school and my niece is a pupil, so its a great excuse to go back, see how the school has changed and bump into old faces.Brings back great memories of the cross country and 800/ 1200m races won and the unbelievable amount of times I did hopscotch in the playground.
Here is a collection of more photos from the week, I could talk about each one of them endlessly for you but I don’t want you to leave before I finish so I won’t. Not today anyway!
Hi Annabelle.
Nice to hear that things are progressing well at No 27 despite the wet weather.
With ref to your broad beans. I always grow in a double row and then loosely tie a band of twine all around the perimeter of the plants at various heights. Tieing them to strong supports. It stops them blowing over. I can send you a pic if not clear.
I noticed your sweetcorn in your pics. This year I have sown a low growing trefoil green manure in my sweetcorn plot to act as a weed suppressor and then when the sweetcorn plants are removed at the end of the season I will dig the nitrogen fixing trefoil into the plot. I will let you know how it gets on?
Best wishes.
Hi Steve, yes the weather isn’t holding me back too much yet, just need more time at the moment.
Thank you for the broad bean tips, I have seen a few people do this so I might try two rows next year.
Yes, definitely let me know how you get on with the trefoil green manure! I was thinking of sowing some over winter.
My strongest broad beans are usually those that have over wintered, Aquadulcia Claudia sown in November. Spring sown broad beans are more likely to be attacked by blackly before producing lots of beans, just because they fruit in black fly season whereas Autumn sown ones fruit earlier. Another advantage of Autumn sown ones is that you can clear them in June/July (when French beans and peas are usually starting to produce a lot) and grow something else in that space – I’ve planted winter brassicas where mine were.
I grow them in a block so they support each other.
Thank you! I will have to get digging some more space when I have time and plan to try sowing the variety you mention in November and see if they do any better, fingers crossed!
I love my allotment too.
I feel so lucky to have my own patch of earth over at the community garden.
Awesome update thank you for sharing have a blessed day
Thank you Linda, have a great week!
A most enjoyable post and lovely pictures. It’s good to see that you’ve started harvesting and eating vegetables you’ve grown.
Happy plotting! xx
Thank you! Being able to start harvesting is very exciting and makes all that digging completely worthwhile! The beetroot and potatoes were delicious! Happy Plotting too! 😀
Looking brilliant, as did the roasted veg!
Thank you very much! The roasted beetroot was delicious!
My favourite way to eat it, so pleased you are getting so much out of your allotment. Food and fun! 🙂