Caterpillars

Things seem to be moving so fast down at the patch each time I go there it looks so different.

Pak choi seedlings are growing well.

I'm getting a great crop of raspberries. I planted out two courgette plants which surprisingly I got from a small shop in town they look reasonably strong so I'm hopeful for these.

My butternut squash plants are now down to one (of nine) which is very disappointing.

Good news is Owen's sunflower is growing strong and mine, his dad's and Huw's were no shows, so I planted fresh seeds on the quiet. There were little seedlings there on Friday and today they are gone presumed munched. I don't know whether to sneak a couple of seeds in again or just leave it as Owen will be chuffed that his one is winning.

I got my leeks in today and have sown some more chard and beetroot. I also have sown a short row of khol rabi I have never eaten it so have no idea ehat it is like, I bought the seed just because it could go in now.

Sadly I have pulled up all but six of my broad bean plants, the black fly had got so bad the plants were turning brown and dying. I'm going to quickly dig over where they were and pop in some early carrots which should give me a crop of small carrots late in the season

I also noticed something strange about the gooseberry bush, the centre of it seemed to be turning brown. On closer inspection the leaves appeared to be missing and the brown colour was from the branches I looked hard to see what was causing it and it appears to be caterpillars. I think I may be facing a situation where I shouldn't have counted on my gooseberry chutney so early.

Shopping opportunity

Today to cheer myself up a bit I took myself off to a garden centre hoping that they might have some bargains for me. Sadly nothing going cheap. The remaining marrow, courgette and aubergine plant selections were ropey and very expensive, They looked like they needed to be reduced and shifted before they die in situ. I had hoped to get a courgette plant to replace the one that mum gave me which was reduced to slug fodder.

I turned down free tomato plants this year as I thought they would be too much work on the patch. My need to buy some thing today meant that I now have a "big boy" tomato which I put on the patch tonight.

I've sprayed my broad beans with washing up liquid to try to help with the blackfly I'm not sure that this is going to work I may have to give up on them. Which is a shame as they have come so far.

Squash

I planted out five butternut squash plants today. They are the surviving five of nine. As a bit of an experiment I made a slight mound on the newly dug earth and covered it with some landscaping fabric which I have pegged down. Through this I have planted the squash plants.Lets see how they grow! Oh yes I liberally sprinkled the edges of the fabric with slug pellets.I also harvested nearly 2lbs of raspberries today so perhaps its eton mess for pudding this week. I might even have to do raspberry jam if they keep on coming.

Sunday outing

Our allotment association had their annual outing today the site was noticeably quiet and the shop was shut (it only opens on a Sunday).

We all went to the patch and for me it was a bit of a mixed blessing, as all but me would rather be somewhere else it felt. I finished the area of digging and weeded around the fruit bushes. Owen helped me sow some pak choi. John elected to do some strimming but he couldn't get the strimmer fired up either (not just my incompetence but its malfunctioning after just a couple of uses how expensive). I feel that I will be reading the manual as bedtime reading tonight hope they have a comprehensive trouble shooting section.

Owen watered my trainers while I was wearing my gardening shoes which was an unexpected bonus for the day. This picture was taken by Owen of me (its rare that I appear in photos) and he just took one shot it seems very well composed for a five year old perhaps he will catch my photography bug.


We had our own outing in the afternoon as a nearby village had an open garden event it was a lovely insight into what can be done with different style gardens although most were classically cottagey which wouldn't work for our place. Owen really loved the ponds he spotted a frog in one of them. It was a little stressful to keep him under control in some of the gardens he seems to have this headstrong independent streak at the moment and just tries to go off and explore on his own.

I read yesterday's Guardian magazine and its uplifting piece on still being able to sow things and having a second chance of getting good produce. Therefore I have bought some kale and rocket seeds to expand what we may have available to eat into the autumn.

Digging

I know that all the digging should be over by this time of year, but down at the green patch there is still much digging to be done to create much needed space.

Huw was shattered after rhyme time our regular Friday gig, I was planning an alfresco lunch at the patch but joy of joy he was asleep by the time we had walked there.

I lifted the landscaping fabric and began to dig I had turned over about a third of the area by the time Huw woke for lunch. I gave him some biscuits for pudding to help his teething and to keep him occupied. By the time he had finished them I had managed to cut back the nettles that were leaning over the main site path (want to avoid a letter asking me to sort!). Huw seems happier if I am doing jobs where I'm obviously in his sight. All good things come to an end and he signalled it was time to go, but I'm pleased with what I had done and left the patch very upbeat.

We had raspberry milkshakes this evening - yum yum.

How things can change. I returned this evening to do some quick strimming on the middle of the patch. Could I start the petrol strimmer? No, I gave up after several attempts and began to dig again until I became the evening meal of the midges. Nasty itchy arm time.

Twice

Today I visited the allotment twice and its been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster.

Huw was not happy that we had visited in the daytime I managed to check around the plot and do a bit of hand weeding. It was very depressing as my courgette has been eaten the mange tout are dying and the dwarf beans are yellowing. My broad beans have extensive black fly. On the plus side my firetongue beans are germinating and my spinach has appeared in a nice neat row. There are some raspberries to be picked.

Most annoyingly my neighbours had chucked their wheel free wheelbarrow onto my plot. I chucked it back. What will be their next move? Have I declared war? I think they think the front part of our plot is abandoned but we have 5 poles not 2.5 poles like them so yes I am growing nettles and waist high grass on the front half of the plot.

I left in a huff with screaming baby accompaniment.

After a few hours of cooling off and rallying my gardening spirit I returned this evening. (No sign of the neighbours thank goodness)

The highlights of a lovely evening at the plot were digging the old failed salad bed ready for my pak choi seeds to go in.

Picking some raspberries our first bit of produce from the green patch

I hope to do a visit tomorrow evening with the strimmer.

Allotment ache

I now understand what people mean when they say they are aching to do something. I haven't been to the patch for eight days now and I feel a physical aching to get on with things which is a strange sensation, if I don't go tomorrow I will burst I think.

Why haven't I been? Well its a combination of the weather, when I have had the opportunity it has been raining, and the lurgy. Oh yes my son has brought home the school lurgy although he has not succumbed to it himself. The baby and I have been unwell. I have only just started to eat and drink properly again today and it started on Saturday.

So its the last time I do a to do list and fill the weekend with essential plans, as it tempts the fates!

A small thought is that the ache I feel may not be due to some strong emotional passion for my plot and mother earth etc but the physical remnants of my disease.