Spring, Spring, Spring

Spring is here, the clocks have changed, we're on our way out of lockdown and we found this bowl of a clay pipe on the allotment. We haven't found anything for 'the allotment museum' for ages (in fact, I need to re-find the museum!). It's probably late 19th/early 20th century so not that old but still interesting.

And here's a classic Spring sight on our plot. Lovely grape hyacinths.

Jamie and I started a new project last week. I had Thursday off work, so we started work on the HAHA Wildlife Plot

In normal times it would have been a fun job for a work party. There's still a lot more to be cleared but not bad for two long days of work. We wouldn't have wanted the sun out but it may have been less exhausting if it wasn't blowing a gale on both days - oh, and if I hadn't been mainly sitting on my butt for the last year!!

Much as we'd like the site to have a pond, it's better for individual plots to have small ponds at the moment due to the ever-present lease which doesn't allow us to have a pond plot. There was also the concern of accidents and covering it with a strong enough grill detracts from the appeal somewhat.

So we decided to convert the pond into a bog garden and the rest of that plot will be a wildlife plot - with wildflowers and other wildlife-friendly plants. It already has the bug hotel, which needs to be refurbished and now it has a compost bin and stone piles for solitary bees.

We've re-planted a few plants that were already there, like this Jacobs Ladder, cowslips,  forget-me-nots and a couple of iris. 

Plus one of the buddleja that I grew from a cutting ("a cutting from my sister" I was going to say, that doesn't sound right!!) and some Snakes Head Fritillary that were reduced in the Garden Centre. We also have some bog plants on order from Bakker.

Now, I hope you'll agree that the empty plot, which is prone to horsetail, looks better though rather empty at the moment. However, what we didn't bank on was the number of frogs in that pond. There must have been 50 or more quite small frogs. There was no frogspawn so we thought we had timed it ok but we're not so sure now. Anyway, the 4 little ponds around the site now have new residents but we hope the bog garden works and the frogs should appreciate that damp area to at least visit...

Our own plots are just waiting a little longer before we get down to some proper planting. But we're happy to see the shallots on Plot3 have sprouted. And the celeriac at home have germinated - though they are the weakest little things at the moment; too small even for my macro camera to focus on.

So, this week we're expecting two hot days - yay! I've booked two 2-hour lunches :-) And then, over Easter, the weather is going to turn Wintry again :-( Well, that's disappointing but not so surprising, it's what British weather does after all... But the hedgerow is coming to life and the path nearest the hedge is covered in wild white violets (they may well be Common Dog Violets as there is no scent at all) which look very pretty.

And the wallflowers are in full colour on our plot - so glad I stuck them in the ground a couple of years ago, rather than disposing of them.

The song title is from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers - what a wholly inappropriate film for the 21st Century! Well, I guess it was acceptable in the '50s..!

Hold On

Such a windy few days! I’ve been busy all week with work, but have enjoyed looking out at sunshine, rather than needing to brave the wind. I have a decoupage project that I’m working on so have been cutting pictures out of the seed catalogues but it has been making me want to buy more. I’m sure you know what it’s like!

We had a few hours on the plot this afternoon but it was still horribly windy and rather cold. Our plots gained some pots and compost bins but luckily the only damage was to a table; the glass tabletop landed in the manure pile so didn’t smash 😆. I was pleased to see that our polytunnel is still intact and most of my mangetout have germinated as have the marigolds.

We’ve set up an old fire guard as shelving for more seeds in the polytunnel. And have sown the celeriac seeds at home. I was amazed to see how tiny the seeds are!

I sowed all 40, as they can be tricky to germinate. I could have sowed them in a tray but I was keen to use these cut-off milk bottles. They’re under a cover in Jamie’s foil-coated windowsill germinators. And we have some more marigolds germinating at home too. They make such a great display and bees like them.

Meanwhile more buds are appearing everywhere you look and the birds are pairing up. It seems so Spring-like, until the wind cuts you in half! I wouldn’t want to be a seedling out there right now... just need to hang on a bit longer...

We left the site just as it started to rain, having achieved little, but at least it was a bit of time spent outside. Look at it, just waiting...

To be honest, I would have sowed something outside if it had been a bright sunny weekend. Instead, I’ll hold on.. What a great song, provided by KT Tunstall.

Someday Soon

Oh, I do love a close-up of a chitting potato at this time of year :-) Here's another for your enjoyment (or at least, for mine) 

Look at those tiny emerging leaves, so cute. Talking of er.. cute... here are some more <ahem> 'babies'.

Lots of teeny tiny snails waiting to emerge from hibernation just in time to breakfast on our seedlings. Pesky things! I hope now they've been revealed that a thrush will find them - over the hedge, where I moved them to!

 

HAHA arranged a manure delivery in the week so lots of people were working on the site at the weekend, even though it was cold. I wheel-barrowed 5 loads to Plot3 - it couldn't be further away from the manure pile, so that was a workout that my lockdown-body isn't used to!

We had a lovely few hours on the plot yesterday. By the time we got there, the sun was just strong enough to burn off the clouds and coats and jumpers were soon removed. Especially as we were digging. I dug a trench where I'm going to try again to grow celeriac.

 

The shredded bills and well-rotted manure will hopefully provide enough water retention to help these thirsty plants to bulb up. We'll see... I know they need A LOT of water. Anyway, first I need to get the seeds to germinate, which I'll do at home as they like to be warm.

 

And Jamie dug the carrot trench. He got the raw deal. There were so many roots in that part of the plot - well, there certainly aren't any roots of stones left in there when he'd finished.

Last week I was eating this really tasty Chestnut and Fennel soup - I topped it with some Seaweed (Kelp) Flavour Boost with either chives or chilli to add a bit of interest.

 

The song title is provided by KT Tunstall. Because, someday soon I'll be making soup with home-grown veg again and sitting on the plot watching things grow... And we'll be out of lockdown (my fingers are crossed).

Epic

 Everyone was out enjoying the sunshine at the weekend.

The ladybirds were sunning themselves, out from their Winter shelters. We saw Brimstone and Peacock butterflies and I even uncovered a little frog. So, I had to stop digging that last part of the plot. I knew toads hibernated underground but I didn’t realise that frogs do too. There was another rhubarb plant in that spot, but it had rotted away under a mass of nigella. We'll get another one to put in there later in the year.

The robins and wrens were in full song and the kites and buzzards were out in number overhead. It really has been a beautiful 3 days, with sunshine pretty much all the way through - what luck that I’d taken Friday off work.

We got lots of clearing done - the potato patch is ready and waiting, including removal of the mammoth bramble. It had taken over our path, and beyond, a couple of years ago and intertwined with rolls of chicken wire and other netting - ugh. As you can see Jamie took the saw to it, but not until it totally spiked and scratched us. Horrible thing! I don’t think we’ve seen the last of it!!

Jamie dug a runner bean trench and filled it with soil from pre-used tomato and potato bags. Exhausting work in the heat of the February sun!

We stayed until the Sun started to dip on Friday and the temperature soon started to drop. The temperature showed as -3° overnight.

My seeds haven't popped up yet, but the marigolds that Jamie had covered with a plastic bag in the polytunnel have started to germinate. The anemone is continuing to flower in the pots, such a pretty flower but it's fighting with weeds which I can't clear because there are a few bulbs still waiting to emerge.

So for the end of February our plot is looking better than it has done for a few years, but still lots more to do and I think I need more seeds :-) Maybe I'll wait to see what offerings fellow plotholders have to share a bit later in the season...

Talking of which, Ivan gave us a lovely crop of purple sprouting broccoli which we added to a Quorn curry on Friday evening.

What a great weekend - some would say 'epic' or maybe it's just an excuse to use this song title by Faith No More after I saw the video on a Top of the Pops from 1990 last week :-) Hooray! Now it's March!