Rectified?

Well tomorrow is the big day its the day by which I need to have the plot sorted according to that nasty letter I had a little while ago

You can view the plot from every angle here, I took the shots tonight as evidence. Lets hope it is enough. Well what do you think, be honest, am I cultivated enough?

a bigger weekend

I love bank holidays it is an extra day for the weekend and extra time to be busier in, as I always try to do lots of nice things as well as chores. With weather like we have had this weekend it would be wrong not to make the most of it.

So I have squeezed a lot of visits to the plot in around all the other fun, I suppose this activity is necessary because I know that the deadline is approaching, and because their is a lot to do so that we will have enough to harvest later in the year. I am running behind. Also seeing Chelsea all week makes me wish for a lusher more cultivated patch.

We live only a few miles from Wimpole Hall and have visited so many times. I never tire of it, for some reason we have never looked at the walled garden (the vegi bit) before now. We have spent loads of time in the formal gardens and walking over the wider grounds. It was lovely the heat from the brick walls was palpable. The gardens had lots of interesting things to see such as the little apricot fruits on the trees and a range of scarecrows. They also had plants for sale and I thought a tray or two of lettuce would add to the look of the plot and at a pound a throw it seemed reasonable

So here are my Wimpole lettuces in a shot taken from the ground as per my tiny plot's suggestion. I quite like the angle and view - its probably the view the slugs will see just before they munch them!


Also I'm really chuffed as on the plot my salmon flowered peas are flowering and this is the furthest I have managed to get with growing peas so far. I'm so excited we might get to eat our own peas. Today I received a lot of brassicas from my mum, in exchange for her grandson for the week what a good half term deal eh?

A wet day finally

Wet at last, all week the rain has been promised but very little has fallen here. It sort of seems like it has been skirting around us, in fact I have been concerned that the allotment was about to turn into a dust bowl. It seems a little annoying that when I has time to spend at the allotment I had to do it in this mornings showers. I still managed a three hour stint.

'Operation make sure the plot looks cultivated' is in full flow.

• I've done some digging
• I have also covered the area for the butternut squash with a mulch of horse poo, newspaper and grass clippings I plan to dig it in a few weeks
  
• planted out artichoke and cauliflower plants (spontaneous purchase they were in the 50p bargain bucket section of the garden centre)
• sown some mexican hats for a little flower border.

Next week its time to put 'operation tidy up' in to action. Yes lads we are getting ready for the big push on the 29th. Military planning is what will get me through inspection. Oh and the help of a squadron of soldiers, pass me the yellow pages somebody.

My mean green cutting machine

Let me introduce you to my new toy, I assembled it today. It is very basic and was very cheap. I also think it has a real retro vibe. Yes it is the colour green but it is also environmentally green requiring only my power not petrol. Now my paths should be up to the scrutiny of the allotment patrol. It would be a little easier to use if the paths were less undulating.


Just as I had finally worked out how to assemble the mower and as I began to run it over the path there was a rumbling of a petrol mower behind me. The main path was being cut and low and behold a voice said if you move the box I'll do the path for you. Wow the first bit of lotty help I've had and something that they are not supposed to do. My only guilt came with considering telling John that I had done it. There was fun in knowing that he could never use the mower and achieve such excellent results can you imagine the frustration that would bring! I resisted.

I've sown some climbing beans today 'jack edwards' but I can see that people have already planted their bean plants out on the site - I am truly running behind.

working weekend

I really feel that this weekend we have had a big push on with things down at the plot. So don't let them refer to me as being uncultivated now.

It started on Friday night with a quick dash to the plot after dinner, we all went down as I need John to help me fire up the strimmer as often I have trouble starting it. I think the pull cord might need tightening. I gave the plot a good strim until I could do no more, thats the point when I start to shake. The paths looked better than before.

On Saturday I returned with big plans and alone. The ground is far to hard to dig at the moment as we have had no rain for over a week, so I gave up quite quickly. I desperately need to clear some couch grass but will wait and see what the start of the week brings softer damp earth hopefully. I planted out sweet peas instead. Filled the raised bed with top soil and my strawberry plants went in. Then did loads of weeding around the blueberries.

Once back home it was time in the quiet of the evening to sow more seeds: courgette, additional sweetcorn, celeriac and leeks.

Finally, today we had a little family trip to the plot. Owen and I planted out some rather ropey and spindly sunflowers. Don't tell the allotment association but I put a little more ground cover down, they don't like the fact that the land is covered. but I have little choice as the weeds are about to go nuts. I did have a major grumble in the shop about my letter, but I think it was just to make me feel better.

John was an absolute star he set about weeding the raspberries without being prompted.

We are looking better

A secret to share

I have a little secret and it might be said to be a dirty secret, its so bad that it has taken a week for me to share it with you. I needed to calm down a bit first. I probably am not calm enough yet even.

Last week we returned from a couple of days away camping (first time with Huw it went well!). On the door mat was a brown envelope and inside a letter. 'Your plot is uncultivated' it said.

I don't think that John has seen so much steam coming out of my ears in many a year. How can they they say this, it is not as if I haven't been trying, I've been there regularly and I think that the patch looks better than last year. Its true that I might have poor cultivation skills compared to some, especially when you consider my broad beans are taking their time. There is not a lot to see at the moment. However, no matter what, I am attempting to cultivate the plot.

When did they do the inspection? Who did the inspection? I want to know. The members of the allotment association have seen me down their doing things, buying supplies it is not as if I have be AWOL.

Well the letter says I have until the 29th of May to rectify things. I want to say here and now the things I am doing now are the things that I was going to do anyway and are for me and not to make the town council and allotment association happy. So there!

It should also be remembered that there is an area of cow parsley, nettles and tree stumps that may take me a few seasons to get round to tackling (I thought a more formal wildlife area might be best for this bit of the patch). The tree stumps might never be removed due to expense. They can't be expecting me to have this area under control can they?

Sweetcorn out

Wow it would be fair to say that Owen was very keen to go to the allotment today when I got back from work, I'm not sure that I can believe it. I think he really sees the sweetcorn as 'his vegetable' from all of the things that we grow and he wants to ensure that they are planted in the ground properly.

It's funny I asked him to count up the plants (25 he said) so we made 25 holes and then popped the plants in. We ran out of plants for the holes, did we make too many holes? Or is Owens counting a little bit off? The bed does look a little bit odd as there is a bare patch in the middle it will give our neighbours something to talk about.

We also put the competition onions on the plot one labeled for Huw and one for Owen, let the competition begin maybe the slugs will be the winners.