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!
The temperature last week dipped to -9.2° in the polytunnel. Brrr certainly not gardening weather but bright enough to tempt me out for a brisk early morning walk to see the Sun.
As well as frosty walk weather it’s soup weather so I’m glad I pulled leeks and parsnips last weekend before the ground solidified!
I made this delicious curried leek & parsnip soup - flavoured with garam masala and a bit of curry powder. Hmmm, spicy but not hot - just how I like it and it served me for three lunches. That little bowl was just a taster.
Yesterday we went to the plot but it was far too cold to hang around. The leeks have taken a battering from the cold snap but we expect them to recover now that the temperature has - though Storm Isha is now blasting them with strong winds and more rain 😒 Lucky I puddled them in quite deep.
I did have to check the ice that had formed in the buckets, of course. I should have been more creative but my hands were too cold!
The robin didn’t appear at our visit yesterday, poor little chap out in the cold! The swans don’t seem to mind, but I did wish I’d taken some food for them when I saw them the other morning.
This photo was taken on one of the frostiest mornings last week; idyllic though it looks I think I’d only be good as a Summer boat dweller (and maybe not in Britain 🤭)
And those canal photos have given me the opportunity to use this excellent song by Ocean Colour Scene from 1996 (28 years ago - whaaaat?!). Batten down the hatches everyone!
Good pictures, especially of the canal. I hardly ventured to the plot last week, and certainly didn't linger. It was definitely armchair gardening weather. Let's hope that it improves soon and we can get plotting again. xx
Thankyou. Yes, Christmas seems so long ago it really feels like it should be time to start prepping but it's been wet again this week so we'll have to wait a bit longer...
Some beautiful photos and an interesting read. Soup sounds very tasty. (Linda)
ReplyDeleteThanks for popping by Linda! Have you made anything interesting with your parsnips?
ReplyDeleteNo, just enjoying them roasted, and been giving them to friends who appreciate home grown (and don't mind washing mud off)
DeleteGood pictures, especially of the canal. I hardly ventured to the plot last week, and certainly didn't linger. It was definitely armchair gardening weather. Let's hope that it improves soon and we can get plotting again. xx
ReplyDeleteThankyou. Yes, Christmas seems so long ago it really feels like it should be time to start prepping but it's been wet again this week so we'll have to wait a bit longer...
DeleteLove the idea of Leek and Parsnip soup, I’m going to give that a go!
ReplyDeleteI’ll certainly be making it again myself - maybe tomorrow if my stored squash has gone off 🤔
DeleteWow that was really frosty. Love the reflections in the first photo
ReplyDeleteVery cold! Good for the parsnips though 😊
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