Friday 20 July 2012

Utter Allotment Shame

A summery day, we had 1 ~ hoorah! The 12th of July was a stunner and Andrew, Maggie and I took ourselves off up the coastline of Co.Antrim. I may be biased but that is one of the best drives in the world and it's right here on our doorstep. It's perfect, just stopping at little beaches along the way and letting Maggie run whilst we chased her and also looked for cool beachy treasures.

The fair I was at last weekend was brilliant, there were lovely and friendly stall holders, it was really well organised and then loads of lovely people came and they had their shopping heads on :) It was a real buzz.

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The rest of our time off was spent in the back garden or just loafing around. We did want to go to the allotment a lot but well, it's such an unholy mess that we simply couldn't face it. The Council isn't keeping the paths clear and the grass and weeds are knee height, a significant number of plot holders haven't bothered their asses over the past year and those disastrous messes are full to the brim with more flowering grass, weeds and diseases. I am furious, so angry at the lack of any care and the complete unenforcement of the rules ~ the council is failing us and ought to be kicking these people out! For goodness sake, we have a 2 year waiting list with people desperate to try growing their own.

pretty, yes, but this is suppose to be cultivated and growing lovely food!! (The plot next door)

So it's now been a whole week since I was anywhere near my plots. My hay fever has been very severe this year and with the afore mentioned mess of the plots in general I have been so bad I couldn't breathe last Friday night and ended up retching so much, gasping for air, that I threw up twice on the footpath. It was truly very frightening and reminded me of those asthma attacks when I was little; I thought I was going to die. I didn't die :)
I was put on different meds though and they nearly killed me again! I had to come off them after 3 days; 3 days which are lost to me, I either slept or was dizzy and very confused, those were my options :) But hey - I ditched them and I'm still here fighting away with a runny nose and itchy eyes. Thank goodness we live by the sea - last night's visit to the beach was a joy!

Andrew has been and collected the last of our broad beans :( It was fabulous while it lasted. We have kept some, blanched and frozen - a nice treat for those winter months. I don't know if it was just us but we had to skin our beans this year as they were quite tough otherwise. Must be something to do with the weather... He also brought home a load of spuds - boy those plants are doing us proud, it just never seems to end.


I shall be going to the plot tonight; fingers crossed I survive. We know (Andrew has seen) that the raspberries and currant bushes and gooseberries have been going mad with production so we need to fight off the birds and actually get some this year! As I write this I am just thinking I have most likely jinxed us simply by saying that out loud. Tut tut, I ought to know better.

I leave you with a photo of our raspberry+ harvest from 2 years ago - an image that sold well at the fair :) Oh I get so proud when people ohh and ahhh over photos of our produce :)

Hugs. I'll be back on form soon!

9 comments:

  1. So pleased that the fair was a success for you! It looked that you had plenty for people to choose from.

    Sorry to hear about the neglect at the allotments -- especially with a waiting list of hopeful plotters!

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  2. Hi Carrie this year over here has been the worst ever for hay fever. As to your fellow non work plot holders I have the same problem on my site I am so fed up I have asked for a "use it or lose" notice to be issued see if you can do the same, you need to be relaxed not wound up over what should be relaxing pastime,I have said the moment it stops being that I shall give up, all the best to you and all, David

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  3. It seems lots of people are negliecting their plots this year.

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  4. The allotment association around our way look after the plots, and they stipulate that anyone new renting a plot needs to keep it in good condition or they lose it... can well understand the frustration you guys are going through; it's hard enough growing sometimes as it is.

    Stall looks great btw - also in that picture, it looks like you are wearing a pair of those ladybird antennae!

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  5. Is there not someone who is responsible for the running of the plots, we have a management team although I sometimes wonder if they actually do anything. Our council leaves them to run the show. Maybe there is someone else at the allotment that feels the same as you. You are entitled to run the plots yourselves, form a society and get all the good plot holders together, then you can complain to the council and get things changed.

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  6. Carrie girl you look WONDERFUL !!
    Your photo stand looks amazing with your gorgeous pictures : )
    What a shame about the allotments not being looked after .. no wonder you are discouraged .. I would be too and darn noisy about it as well! haha
    I would love a beach drive adventure .. there is nothing like the sea so I understand why you think it is the best drive in the world on your doorstep : )
    Take care sweetie !
    Joy from across the ocean .. wink wink !

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  7. Don't lose heart carrie. I garden in the countryside right next to big fields and loads of hedges. We've always got weeds around us. Sometimes my husband just strims them off, the ones that are right next door.Then i sometimes think I should sprinkle annual flower seed just along the edge to see if it would grow and pretty it up! My daughter'sand I are trying to get up to St. George's market soon to look at the craft stalls. Can you belive I have lived here 20 years and never been! Shame on me.

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  8. Sounds like your lottie is producing a lot more than my plot. Lots of things just failed to germinate because of the cold and wet, and those that did manage to produce a leaf soon had it nibbled off by snails. Even the tomatoes in the greenhouse are pathetic this year. I think its because the cold wet windy weather has kept the pollinating insects away. Gardening is a battle against nature and nature ALWAYS wins. Love and luck.
    Lynda

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  9. I suppose some take allotment to grow weeds..... aha. We are familiar with orchids lovers, and now weeds lovers!!..... I love to say something about the last photo "terbaik!!" in my language which should translate as "the best!!"

    I wonder how's ur summer..... our summer is too long...., yearlong!

    cheers carrie and andrew.

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