Having a nosey at other plots

Our field is always so quiet that it sometimes feels that any work done must be that of fairies or leprechauns (though we all know they are cheeky and rambunctious, so probably not them). Often I'm amazed when I take a dander around that plants are growing and thriving as they are; though more often my true suspicions are confirmed - few plot holders are bothering.

I love to nosey around, always seeing something on another's plot of interest and I am overjoyed to say that new people have moved in to the plot beside us (14a) and clearance has well and truly started there too.

Isn't it fabulous that we plot holders all get the same amount of land yet not one person does the same thing with theirs! Each plot, each half plot is a slice of someone's personality and circumstances.

So here are just a few photos from around field A that caught my eye last weekend....

Birdhouses

Almost everyone has at least one birdhouse - this makes me very happy

 A love for sunflowers and marigolds

What a fantastic colour to see all over the field at this time of year

The different states of plots at present

Abandoned; dug over and covered for winter; still producing (and this one oh so neat!)

Moments of love 

Such love has gone into painting this shed; Andrew being romantic *blush*; letting the birds share your table

I love these sort of little vignettes and I hope you do too, there will be less of them as the winter comes along and many people decide it's too cold/damp/dreary to go to the plots at all.
Love and hugs for your upcoming weekend!
Carrie

Reacquaintance with Field A

Boy it's been a really long time since I took a walk around the plots on our field, though as you know, it's also been a really long time since I have been on the field at all.

Well I went on Saturday and Sunday there and it was, for the most part, okay. I still felt extremely weak and tired from the flu but it was a joy to get back to our plot and see the changes. I will talk of 24a tomorrow and show pictures of our harvests etc but today I thought I'd ease us all back in with some photos of random scenes around Field A (A for awesome, hahaha)

Starting with the plot of shame, our shame, 14b....

Cosmos still going well, apples on the tiny 'family tree', a pumpkin 'Crown Prince', artichoke flower

 Walking over to the opposite side of the plots...

Seriously, if I rolled up in a ball I would be the same size as this pumpkin!; nasturtiums in the compost; amazing display of sweet peas; a pretty darn run down shed :(

 Way over at the opposite side, wow, it had been so long...

cameleon (not native); grapes on the vine; rather abandoned plot but still has beauty; hops :)

The return walk to 24b....

So I hope we all feel more acquainted with the place again and tomorrow I'll focus on our 24a, just don't talk to me about 14b for a while (a few months would be good).

Love and hugs

Carrie

Signs of hope and happiness

As you may remember, last Saturday I wrapped up as warm as I could and went to the lottie to see for myself the glory of the horse manure delivery. (Who in their right mind ever gets to write a sentence like that!) Anywho, I was suffering with the flu and didn't want to just stand about whilst Andrew shovelled some into the compost heap (see below) so I took myself off for a wee dander round our field (Field A - the first and best, haha, I'm biased).

Naturally I started with a walk through 24a to get to the path out. Goodness I love Kale and the 3rd pic is off a little glass globe style thingy on a pole :)

So this was the first time I had my good camera out with me for a long time; these are just some photos I liked, searching out moments that spoke to me and trying to capture them 'in camera' (ie. no computer effects used). This year I really do want explore that side of myself again - hopefully the blog will benefit :)

Finally back at our plots and this is all I am willing to share of the disgraceful 14b. A wilderness if ever there was one and somewhere that is soon to be attacked, once I get over this flu. There are fabulous plans in the making for this half plot - so far our work hasn't quite paid off over there but we are determined.

 Back then on 24a and I thought these were pretty cool; naturally freeze dried raspberries. Oh and two suicidal gnomes - sad, so sad....

Hope your day is going well, better than the guys above, that's for sure! We just got a packet full of packets of seeds through the letterbox :) Andrew ordered some vital items, we'll also pick some fun new things together. I'm going to let him open the packet and see everything first. So much happening and people think Winter is a dead boring time to be a gardener!

I just ran out into the back garden with my hot water bottle and saw that YES the Snowdrops are through and starting to open :) Happy signs indeed :)

Hugs

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.

****

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!

Petite Brunette seeks free (organic) weedkiller, bug killer and blow torches!!!

I didn't order this weather!! What the heck is going on? It's raining, grey, blowy and darn right miserable out there, plus I have a blanket wrapped round me to help me feel cosy, it's JUNE! I have been trying to figure out what the word is that I have been looking for and I have it now....I am irked, blasted well irked.

So in the vain of this irk-y feeling I am going to moan, oh yes my friend, it is time to get something off my chest.

As I shared (with fanfare), we are now into our 5th season on the Lottie and all is going quiet well for the Gaults. But there is something that has been annoying me for quite some time now, something that has been getting up my nose, under my skin and rubbing me up the wrong way... THIS! >> There are so many people that have seemingly become bored with their soil 'toy' after so long and have let their plots go to gardening Hell!! To be honest I am fuming, really rather red in the face and though a non-violent person I could happily smack some butts!

Look at these examples, only the ones that surround our own plot! There is a waiting list for crying out loud and people have these in this state! ARRRGHHHHH. I know that any reader of my blog will be angry too and I thank you for your collective empathy for my present state.

We are naturally getting all the weeds of the day on our plots because of these plots and my hayfever (which up til now has been in check) is going mad with all this grass that has just been left to go to seed. I feel like getting tape from the Police and cordoning off these plots as crime scenes!

If that wasn't bad enough the green fly and aphids have returned in force. Yes I could squish them betwixt my fingers but seriously, with this many on one rose, it would be a green goo bath and I am just not strong enough in the tummy for that. Plus, there are no worms, none and only a smattering of ladybirds - they have abandoned us, left us to fight for ourselves and oh, woe is me!!

the Honeysuckle was sprayed with something - look how pretty it is now though!

There I feel much lighter for getting all that off my chest. I have so much to tell you about or wonderful plants that I could burst but patience my darlings, patience....For now let me show you the baby potatoes I dug up on Monday. These came from a couple of left over plants we had plonked in the ground whilst we waited for the Strawberries to come; now they're here was Goodbye spud plants and Hello tummy :)

Boiled and crushed with added homegrown garlic and peas - yummy!

A happy explosion of growth at the lotties

Though I wasn't at the lottie too long on Tuesday (it's still blasted well cold here!), I did run around like a huge friendly burglar with my camera, capturing hope filled photos; bundling them up in my swag bag and running off home to enjoy and share :)

So here my lovely partners in hope pilfering (a new classification of crime, haha), I share.....

So many Blueberry flowers

Cherry Blossom and some tiny fruits

Garlic

potatoes doing well but we still need fleece on hand for frosty nights

peas being planted

baby broad bean



first green gooseberries

the mint plant that never dies :)

first red gooseberries

so many redcurrant flowers

just a little of the Jersualuem Artichoke plants

Honeysuckle

tiny alpine flowers - such joy

succulent and babies

Baby Scallions

Baby lettuce






Hope you like it - I am finding these photos and a few new ones of Andrew's potting shed seedlings quite uplifting - especially as there were many that Andrew feared weren't going to do anything and now they're flourishing. I'll post more photos but as for tonight - I am being looked at by a lovely bottle of Red Wine - yum ;)

And tomorrow we are off to the Garden Ireland Show - hurrah - first time for us :)