The patch holiday neglect?

So you go away for a bit of summer fun in the Isle of Wight (highly recommended for a holiday) then you come back and a quick check at the patch reveals.

• slugs have munched my lettuce
• my pumpkin has doubled in size
• lots of ripe red cherry tomatoes
• a couple of kilos of courgettes
• beans ready to pick on the tepee's
• a rather dry and thirsty patch
• knee high grass (again)
• a sea of weeds

It may not look beautiful but it is bountiful, I left green patch with lots of produce. In return I have given it a well needed drink (nettle tea for my pumpkins). I think that the green patch has manged quite well without me.

Need to find a system for watering

We were away for nine days and there was a bit of a hot spell whilst we were away.

I hadn't seen the neighbours to ask them to water the few bits on the remains of the grow house (I have taken the cover off).

I knew I would come back to devastation as the aubergine and chilli's are in pots and the tomatoes are out stripping the confines of their grow bag. I have never really looked at watering systems, I wouldn't know where to start and not sure that it is an expense I am willing to pay for a few items. I suppose I could look at low tech Heath Robinson style methods for getting around not being able to water. So let me know what you do to get around the need to water while away.
Luckily I watered them in the nick of time when I got back and they have resuscitated fairly well they are more resilient to such abuse than I thought.

Allotment Open Day

So much more enjoyable than last year our end of the site wasn't roped off.

I actually felt like I belonged to the allotment association. People talked to us. It was well attended and people were walking around looking at the plots the site completely bustled with busy people. We strimmed our plot to improve the look while we were there.

The competitions were great and in usual form we didn't manage to get our act together and put anything in.

I loved the entries for the unusual vegetable and the display of potato varieties.

calm

Today I felt stressed, it was stressed for no particular reason, looking back I think it was mainly about when I would manage to squeeze a visit to the plot in. We wanted a whole family visit. But when meals and other events loomed and then took precedence things were pushed back. Add the heat of the day making being there with the kids difficult then we put off our plans at several points today. We haven't been down there for a week because the rain has been against us, but intense sunshine can be just as bad for my redheaded brood.

My biggest fear was what will we find? Tomorrow is the allotments open day they might have fire bombed our plot to improve the look of the site. Also the recent rain might mean that the slugs have taken control.

In the end I went down on my own after tea with no major plans in mind. I planted some pinks along side the strawberry raised bed, and I just drunk in the relaxing atmosphere of a warm evening and golden low sun. The pinks were destined for a home garden project that hasn't fully materialised and if I left them in their pots then they would be doomed to death. A shame as I had grown them from seed. The smell of pinks take me back to childhood rapidly, strangely its a smell that I hated for so many years, but now I want to grow them for the first time ever. Weirdly I love their aroma.

We will be down there tomorrow armed with a strimmer and there is stuff to crop as well

But for me it was a perfect end to the day a great destresser and a it was a good day because I heard the voice of my aussie friend and avid green patch reader. I hope you and your new addition continue getting bigger and better like my pumpkins!