Hungerford allotment blog - grow your own, harvesting and vegetarian cooking. Enjoying allotment wildlife, weather and other things that catch my attention.
Enjoying time on the Marsh Lane Allotment site in Hungerford, Berkshire.
A record of successes, failures and a handy reminder for me.
From 2017 each post title brings a song to add a little extra music to the world - enjoy!
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!
Bramble is definitely a survivor. We used to have a blackberry with fierce thorns that needed pruning every year - it was deadly. In the end we got rid of it and planted a thornless much friendlier version. Wild bramble pops up all over though for which I suppose we need to thank the birds.
It felt like spring had arrived for a few days last weekend. I can easily imagine the joys of a bramble intertwined with wire netting. I was once told at work that I needed to fill out an accident report whenever I took a scratch from a plant, I told them they would need to set up a work station in the office for me then as I would be spending most of my time in there if that was the case. I never heard anymore about it.
My goodness that is a lot of Snails, if i had that many, i think i would have put them in a bucket and transport them to the hillside behind our house. We have lots of birds, but no way would they be able to feast on that many.
Smiling at your gifted PSB, we just spotted some in our garden ready for the harvesting and will enjoy simply, though your dish does look really good and comforting.
You are so ahead with your allotment, i have still to dig the earth in my garden of weeds, so a few days off work is planned in the next few weeks; and some sunshine. Its been hailing here most of the weekend.
We do seem to be ahead, which is unusual. I guess because we had so little growing on it last year. I’m finding myself wishing the months away though, which is bad as they’re speeding by anyway! I need a day off but will wait for another turn in the weather, though we haven’t had hail yet...
Bramble is definitely a survivor. We used to have a blackberry with fierce thorns that needed pruning every year - it was deadly. In the end we got rid of it and planted a thornless much friendlier version. Wild bramble pops up all over though for which I suppose we need to thank the birds.
ReplyDeleteI don't even recall seeing any fruit on this bramble. I'm glad most of it's gone... for now!
DeleteIt felt like spring had arrived for a few days last weekend. I can easily imagine the joys of a bramble intertwined with wire netting. I was once told at work that I needed to fill out an accident report whenever I took a scratch from a plant, I told them they would need to set up a work station in the office for me then as I would be spending most of my time in there if that was the case. I never heard anymore about it.
DeleteHaha. That would be a lot of paperwork!
DeleteNice robin again and it's starting look very spring like in your allotment.
ReplyDeleteThanks, yes, it’s so tempting but really should wait a few more weeks....
DeleteMy goodness that is a lot of Snails, if i had that many, i think i would have put them in a bucket and transport them to the hillside behind our house. We have lots of birds, but no way would they be able to feast on that many.
ReplyDeleteSmiling at your gifted PSB, we just spotted some in our garden ready for the harvesting and will enjoy simply, though your dish does look really good and comforting.
You are so ahead with your allotment, i have still to dig the earth in my garden of weeds, so a few days off work is planned in the next few weeks; and some sunshine. Its been hailing here most of the weekend.
We do seem to be ahead, which is unusual. I guess because we had so little growing on it last year. I’m finding myself wishing the months away though, which is bad as they’re speeding by anyway!
DeleteI need a day off but will wait for another turn in the weather, though we haven’t had hail yet...
ps its weird that this comment of mine (above) appeared here, not in your snails post.
ReplyDeleteHaha, I know! I was searching for the snails 😃
Delete