June arrives and with it Summer...almost!

Today's visit to the allotment has shown how the increased temperature is finally kick starting things. I planted out lettuce and sweet pepper started off in the greenhouse. French beans are coming along nicely and the corn is starting to grow again. I picked my first radish from seed planted less than a month ago (delicious!)

Left side of the plot

Right side of the plot

The fruit bushes are coming along well and it's now more clear which are which - Blackcurrant, Gooseberry, Blackberry and Raspberry. Sadly my strawberries that I transplanted haven't taken too well (thankfully I have loads coming through at home.)

Although I still have about a quarter of the plot covered in grass and weeds, I am running out of room for things I still want to plant so I can see how I can manage a full plot in years to come.

Mid May update

So we are soon to the point where risk of frost has passed here in the Uk, so more tender plants can start going out. Today I took a gamble and got my corn planted. 18 this year, in a neat rectangle, and will hopefully do better in the allotment than those I planted at home last year.

I've also got some more beans on the go, making it three lots of canes dotted throughout the growing space, with rocket and lettuce seed in the ground straight rather than from plants, they. Should hopefully catch up quickly. 

Broad beans and potatoes are coming along nicely. 

And a few bits and pieces in pots, both outside and in the greenhouse. 

April drawing to a close and things are flying!

 Nice surprise at the allotment today, visiting first time in a week to find the things I planted in the greenhouse have taken off. Some very solid Sweetcorn F1 plants along with some French Climbing Beans. Clearly very tasty as slugs have munched through a couple already along with month of the peas I planted.

The climbers are now safely in the ground but I forgot my homebrew I was planning to use for beer traps. Hopefully they'll survive the night.

Things planted in the ground last couple of weeks are starting to show up, lots of Kale and the first Broad Beans. I'm amazed the soil is producing anything. Right now it's dried and looks like solid clay. 

Back at home, the fruits are looking promising. Raspberry canes have shown themselves and are sprouting up through the lawn. Dug a few up and replanted in the beds, so hopefully they'll produce this year too.

I'll also bought a new cover for my small greenhouse and used the torn cover from last year to make an ad hoc cold frame.

Greenhouse up and a brand new friend!

Couple of hours at the plot today and some lovely sunshine. Managed to get another 6' square of digging/weed clearing done and set up my little plastic greenhouse that I've fitted nicely into my lean-to area. I've planted a few peas in pots and put them in there to get started.

Also while I was digging, a new friend came to visit, no doubt looking for worms!

New Season, 2015 - And we're off!

So this year I've taken on a half plot at my local allotment and there's a ton of work to be done.

 Not only is this a much larger growing space but it comes with a shed and makeshift greenhouse/lean-to. It's not fully covered but will be a good spot for the small plastic greenhouse I picked up on sale at the end of last season.

The plot also has a nice set of backberry and raspberry bushes as well as what I'm told are blackcurrant bushes.

After a couple of weeks of rain, I managed to get a couple of days digging and transplanted my strawberry plants from my old raised bed.

I've made a started on planting beans - Borlotti and Yard Long Beans, all in toilet tubes. I've also started off Tomatoes in a 50p propagator (another end of 2014 season bargain) - 5 x Supersweet 100 F1, 5 x Sungold F1 and 14 x Tigrella.

A Fistfull of Courgettes and a Shoebox of Spuds!

A few days away from the allotment and naturally the courgettes have been cropping like crazy again. Another 7, including a monster, to the neverending pile.








I also dug up the first batch of potatoes. These were from a bunch of old spuds I found at the bottom of my veg drawer, nicely sprouted. It was the very first thing I planted in the allotment and I'm very happy with the results. I got more from 3 plants than I did from 7 plants in my bag garden.







And finally, the most recent planting, some late peas. I've never had success with peas at home, so this was a nice surprise, our first pod! El and I popped it straight away and shared all three peas within.

As an aside, last week I had a productive time in the kitchen. Courgette and Chocolate Muffins, Courgette and Cheddar Scones and Courgette, Pear and Tomato Chutney. I'll get through these courgettes yet!

End of July and the courgette's just keep on coming!

I now have 9 courgette plants, between home and allotment. I realise this might be a bit of overkill (especially given I have a monthly vegetable delivery from Abel and Cole and someone forgot to request NO courgettes...)

So needless to say, the fruits are starting to come thick and fast and the usual hunt for recipes is afoot. I also have a couple of very thick rows of kale and am getting a bagful of leaves a week off it so today I made my first proper soup of the summer season, Courgette, Kale, Pea and Mint and it's delicious!

The rest of the plots are coming along nicely. Runner beans are doing better than ever. Had about 8 batches off so far and still flowering like crazy and my daughter's sunflowers are well over 6' tall

First crop of cucumbers are coming through and cherry tomatoes are just starting to ripen.

This year is my first attempt at corn in the home garden and it's looking good!

And the small plot at the allotment is thriving. Hard to believe I've had it less than two months!