Succulent Seedlings

As I mentioned in my last post we have some great looking seedlings all ready to go into the ground this weekend - finally!
Apart from the Sweet Peas which came from a lovely friend, everything shown here (or sown here, hehe) has come from vegetableseeds.net and I must say I am very  impressed with the germination rate of everything.

 * Pea 'Kelvendon Wonder'
A really popular pea variety that we have grown for the last years - oh it tastes so good and each plant gives loads of pods, each pod gives about 6 juicy peas each! It's main crop, dwarf  variety and we tend to plant some in succession through out the summer so we are never lacking :)
Maggie also likes to cheekily eat this straight off the plant - they hang at just the right height for her, gggrrrr, hahaha.

 * Broad Bean 'Aquadulce Claudia'
Okay so we really adore this bean variety and it is a must on our allotment;  haven't grown it?! you must. It is the easiest thing to grow ever, so hardy that you can sow the seeds in winter if you want (if your plot isn't swimming like ours does) so tasty you'll fall in love, so healthy and packed with goodness you will feel good just holding the packet :) You get lots of beans from these and we even get gluts so it's great that I can tell you from experience...these freeze really well :)

 * Rainbow Chard (sometimes called Swiss Chard)

Funny how colour can sometime affect how you feel about a vegetable - normal chard, blugh, it's okay. Rainbow Chard is fantabulous to look at with the sunlight streaming through it, I would have it in my garden as pretty plant :) It wilts fast but grab it take it home and cook it and all the goodness of a spinach is there on your plate but in yellows, pinks, purples - it makes me happy just thinking about it. 

 * Beetroot - 2 types 'Boltardy' and Yellow Cylindrical

Until I had real beetroot and not the vile stuff pickled and brought out at Christmas, I thought it was disgusting, evil stuff.  Now, I adore it. Roasted in the oven or on the barbecue you will find the Gault's eating beetroot all summer long. Hint - HP sauce is amazing on it!!! We always grow Boltardy and again in succession as these babies reach adulthood in 3 months so you can have loads and write Beetroot into a search engine and you will see why you want loads for yourself and your family - it's so incredibly good for you! (P.S. the clue is in the name - they don't bolt easily)

I can't remember if we grew Yellow ones last year or the year before but there isn't much difference in taste, even the striped white and purple ones taste the same; it simply makes that big plate of salad out on the patio look even better. 

 * Leek 'Musselburgh'

This had been our fail safe, go to choice for leeks since we started growing our own. They are really hardy and overwinter well even in our soil, they aren't too strong tasting and it gives you such joy to harvest something from the plot in the darkness of those winter days and they don't need lifted all at once either so not glut worries. Think soul warming soups, hearty and filling risotto - yummy. As someone intolerant to onions these have saved the day in our kitchen and we always have a load every year :)

And lastly the Sweet Pea 'Cupani'

These are my favourite sweet pea ever and I wish I could remember to plant in successions for even more throughout the summer but I never do. They are a fabulous red/pink and purple and are stunning. Butterflies like them and I generally have an arch way of them and an obelisk.

I realise that excited as I am you are probably really rather bored now; like looking at a million photos of someones new baby. Yes very cute, they look so healthy, you're happy for me, what adorable green leaves..... I shall leave it for now, but there are more seedlings and photos to be taken, so until next time....

Namasté

Companionship

So here I sit alone for yet another day, with housework, books, Maggie and that constant feeling that I ought to be 'doing something worthwhile' with my life. I'm exhausted as I am every single day with all my medications, my double vision flaring up more often and a sense of deep sadness and anxiety that rarely leaves me now. All in all I feel both pathetic and incredibly frustrated almost to the point of anger at myself. It's all negative energy pulsating through me but at least it's energy none the less and things are getting done, albeit on a smaller scale than I would hope for.

BUT then again..

To my mind one of  our principle duties and privileges in life is to be there for others, bringing a smile, reassurance and love into their lives. I talk a lot about how I am nothing - I have no job, no degree, no children, but I do offer one thing....my heart.

*****

Heartbreak

This past weekend we didn't get anything done on the plots as we fostered a little pup from the pound. We had him for the weekend and into Monday morning and tentatively called him Otis. He was a chihuahua border collie mix (think about that one for a while, hehe) and was utterly adorable, full of love and trust and in need of a little help.

He hadn't been neutered yet, he had a wee problem with his bum but the thing that ruined it all was I was allergic to his hair. I was really heartbroken, his health problems could be sorted but I couldn't stop itching, parts of my face swole up and my eyes puffed up like soufflés and even my ear tubes hurt. There was no way we could keep him and he was returned to that concrete cage in the pound again.

I'm still feeling upset about it but Maggie is benefiting from my need to nurture and she has been groomed, tickled, chased, given biscuits and allowed off the lead nearby to truly bound around :) She is my bestest pal.

*****

Gardening

But you come here to hear about gardening and what not - it is an allotment blog after all. So to tie in with the theme of today I would love to talk about companion planting and learn what your experiences have been like.

I am planting my marigold seeds tonight and the peas and beans are going into the ground at the weekend. But in our experience with chives, marigolds and nasturtiums we have yet to see any noticeable improvement in having companion plants. Yes they certainly are worth trying and maybe we haven't done it on a big enough scale; they do big in a lot of pollinators which is always good and they look gorgeous. So obviously I recommend them whole heartedly - there are so many companion planting ideas here; I think we ought to try more...

But I have waffled on long enough...there's a small dog in need of tickles :D

Thank You so much for all the comments on 'The Glorification of Busy' Post - I will answer them all later xx

Namasté

Autmn Clear Up - part 2

Oh for shame, it has taken a whole week for me to get myself in gear and show you the further fabulous adventures of the clear up, for shame indeed. Without further time wasting, here is the broccoli and kale bed makeover.

Main things - Broccoli gone, weeds gone :) Kale delicious!

This was the pea bed and some random cheeky poppies too ;) I may have had something to do with that *whistles calmly to deflect attention*. All cleared now (big good strong poles and netting saved) and looking good. Plus the mint has been planted in the huge barrel we found a few years ago washed up on the beach - grow until your heart is content Mint plant of mine :)

Really would like to point out that the mess behind the now ex-pea bed is the other part to plot 14. We have 14b, that jungle behind the wind break is 14a *rolls eyes*....

*****



Have you pruned back your Summer Raspberries??? It's time my friends.

Cut out all those canes that had the fruit on them just leaving a few inches above ground level. Then secure those new canes that have grown this year, that rubbery twisting wire would be good but honestly we have never had any problems with good old string.

We do have a sneaky way of tying it though....

twist the string a couple of time in between the wire and the cane - it acts as a cushion so the cane isn't rubbing against the wire in the blowy winds of Winter. No need to thank me - just sharing the knowledge ;p

 

**********

Finally a teaser for what is to come......

Maggie is trying to give a hint here, by placing herself exactly on this spot and letting me take her photo, she hates her photo being taken, so you know she feels strongly about this.

does that bed not look a little big to you? Seems Andrew may not know when to stop!

 Hugs, have a fab weekend xxx

 

Berry Boastful :)

Looking back on the photos for this post I can't help but feel a little down. It was 2 Saturday's ago when these were taken and we had the best day at the lottie - look at the sunshine so apparent in the pictures (though often it was very overcast); today is the 1st of August and it has done nought but rain and rain heavy all day today. Anyway - I do have some hope that we shall get our Indian Summer. Hope, we must grab on it with both hands!

So here is my boasting bit. Oh yes, behold and feast your eyes upon these fantastic statistics, the weight of fruit I harvested:

Raspberries ~ just a small bag half full
Red Gooseberries ~ 1kg 600g
Green Gooseberries ~ 200g
Blackcurrants ~ 2kg 50g

Darn it all to heck though, as we haven't done a darn thing with it all, bar eating the raspberries, it merely sits in the crisper drawer in the fridge - so really I have no reason upon which to boast ~ shameful!

I took this particular photo because I was really scraped to bits all up my arms and through my gloves by these thorns. I thought there was a great proverb just waiting to be written about this, you know, how the sweetest rewards come only through getting hurt along the way, but I can't think of how to say it all posh, I'm not that clever but the lesson stands..... :)

We lifted the last of the early potatoes as well and cut the artichoke heads off - a nice wee gift for Mamma G, I hate them and she loves them = good swap for a homebaked wheaten, yummmmmmm.

We also got the 1st of our peas - look how carefully they were carried by Andrew - we love fresh peas.

Funny though, so does someone else and the smell of them was driving her crazy - leave alone with them for a minute in the back seat (our own stupid fault) and this was the result. Oh she knew she had been bold, hahahaha.

One of the most beautiful things on the allotment (in my humble opinion) are tendrels on pea plants, I just love them.

Summertime and the growing is easy

We haven't managed to get much done (make that nothing done, to be honest) at the lottie over the past days. The weather was bad then it was too good not to go to the beach after dinner and then we where away all weekend at a Wedding in Donegal. So there, excuses out of the way. I did on the other hand do some weeding in the back garden yesterday and gave the patio a good brushing *grins with pride*.

(N.B. a 'seasonal side salad' in one of Donegal's fancy Spa Hotel restaurants was.... Watercress - what!!!????)

But though we haven't been giving a whole lot of love to the lottie, she sure has been sending it our way. I picked 3 and half pounds of Blackcurrants last week, a pound and a half of Raspberries and about a dozen big, fat, perfect Strawberries (most of them had been partially eaten by birds - ggrrrr; it's bad enough that we lost a load to birds but for them to only eat most and not all, well that is just darned annoying!)

Then last night Andrew had a wee harvest for dinner and bought home a bounty of Broad Beans, Peas, Mint, Sorrel, Green Garlic and mixed Lettuce leaves. Oh and a beautiful bouquet of Sweet Williams, Roses and Carnations for his lovely wife (ie. Me, haha).

We sat outside and podded the beans and peas and then ate a Gault classic - beans and peas on toast (with pancetta, mint, lemon juice and sorrel), it was fabulous all washed down with non-alcoholic beer in the sunshine; happy times. It is nights like that and super fresh meals like that which make the soil improvement in the rain and bitter winds of winter all worth while :)

 

Hope your gardens and lotties are flourishing! xxx

Oh it's beautiful!!

Yesterday Andrew had the day off - yipppee. We had to visit my psychiatrist - boo hisss but after that (which to be fair was very helpful this time) we were somewhat free. Andrew is on a stag do (oh. dear. god! I hear you cry, but don't worry they are all good guys) and so we needed to get him last minute things to take and food for me for the weekend.

It's all really stressful already and he's only gone from dinner time yesterday; I'm not used to being on my own and fighting the depression and anxiety and bad thoughts by myself and Mamma G is on holiday too. My best friend is busy all day but she's coming here this evening and will be with me tomorrow.

Anyway, enough about that, I have a timetable written out for myself to keep me busy and calm (hahahahahaha, calm!!!?) and this is blog writing time - yay!  So in preparation I went to the lottie yesterday and took lots of photos. It was lovely, no one else was there and the bird song - oh, it was delightful - are birds ever sad? I like to think all their songs are about love and peace and happiness - wow I'm a total hippie :)

At the very top of 14b these are delicious Jerusalem Artichokes all growing and getting fat and juicy ready for me to eat later in the year, yumm - good start to the visit. Then inside the plot we are at the nursery section where I must say (whilst touching the wooden coffee table with my foot) everything looks fabulous! The carpet is a sophisticated touch don't you think? And look at the strip behind the cold frames - these are our chives in flower and I may blow your mind away with the following news...... Andrew has been using the petals scattered in amongst the carrot seedlings. Carrot fly hate the smell of onion (so do I) so we're hoping this will help - I'll keep you updated ;) Cool huh?

 

So then there are gooseberries that have survived the sawfly attack - I have hope we'll still get a nice wee amount, there's 5 plants so there is a good chance, right?? Stay hopeful. I'll not put up a photo though, it looks a little on the pathetic side.

 This is my special flower bed and I am so happy with how it's been going - daffs, tulips and now perisan buttercups, roses  and guems :) Plus loads of other in bud - eek!

The whole point of this bed was of course to bring in the happy friendly bugs like the bees and the ladybirds but also to make little old me happy, having beautiful fresh flowers in the house. Thing is I haven't been cutting them - hahahaha. They look so pretty. I really need to toughen up :)

Lastly for today (I'll show you a24a tomorrow - tease aren't I?) Is an overview of the lettuces, carrots, beets, parsnips and glorious beans and peas. Nothing quite as exciting as the tippee going up is there?

Hugs and best wishes for a lovely weekend xxxxx
Thanks for all the comments on the last post - you're the nicest followers ever - mwaugh!

The Sun is shining

There is blue sky, I can hardly believe it but when I'm not looking at the screen in front of me my eyes drift up to the Velux window and yes, it's still there - all that blue! July was officially the dullest on record and boy did we all feel it, the oppressive, heavy clouds every single day and rain, oh rain all the time! But it's the 2nd of August and although it was nasty yesterday I'm thinking maybe someone has told Mother Nature that it's August and it's about time we had some bright skies.

I'm super excited about this as Andy is off on a weeks holiday. We are stay-cationing if that makes sense (we're not going away on holiday) so it couldn't be nice and blue at a better time :)

We had baked rhubarb, ginger and cardamon pods with cream last night for dessert (after a very healthy dinner of peas (frozen, but still ours) and mixed beans (broad and runner) and chorizo on toast - just before you call me a fatty). It was delicious and very tart and cleansing, plus there's more in the fridge - Happy Days all round.

Must dash, shower to have and then get my hubby out of bed and into the sunshine. Big hugs to you all xxxx

All just peas in a pod

We can all rely on Mother Nature. She gives us what we need whether we realise it at the time or not. I needed that rain yesterday, I needed to turn my face away from the world and into her arms. She let it rain and that was the tears I could not cry.

She is always there for me making beauty appear all around me, giving me storms to cuddle up under a blanket with and feel safe, warm, protected. Looking into her eyes I am calmed, her voice is the bird song, the waves breaking; her smile is hope.

Nothing like a biological mother, she is much more -stronger, wiser, ever knowing. She tests me in ways that help me learn, to appreciate. Never malevolent, she pushes me to the limits to experience unease and heartache but only in order to feel the extremes and enjoy the beauty of laughter and peace all the more. She takes and she provides and there is a home in her heart where I am free.

I look around today and see the same mess, the same dull grey clouds; hear the same droning noise of cars and trains, the almost unbearable sound of my own breath and my fingers taping on this keyboard, alone in this room. Yet somehow today I sense the magnificence of simply being. One of many billions who have walked this earth, I am still unique and so are you.

(The last of our sweet delicious peas, now all gone, all done for another year)

So let's get on with it - what we did last weekend.

Haha! I have copied a letter 'u' and shall now go through the whole blog pasting them in, hahahaha, can't stop me, evil keyboard!!!

So all these blasted nervous breakdowns and major panic attacks have really left me in a pickle this week. Plus, my keyboard has decided that there simply aren't enough 'u' s in the world and keep throwing them in everywhere except when I actually want one!!! Oh oh, now they have gone altogether! Eeekk.

I would like to start with the very 1st crop planted on the lotties this year, the Broad Bean. I planted them out, yes little old me. It's becoming a tradition, in that I did it last year as well and I am happy to report that I did not panic at all doing this delicate work; I am gaining confidence it would  seem. With the little sun tunnels over them I reckon they'll be fine and Andrew, when he visited after work yesterday, said they looked perky, so I'm happy. We'll do another sowing direct into the soil very soon, once the frosts die back.

Speaking of soil, I thought you may appreciate a little soil porn *blush*. This was worked very hard with a lot of manure and seaweed and homemade compost added. Andrew ridged the beds up over winter and now, with the help of our Azada they just crumbled apart. It's really lovely soil and I don't even think it will need riddled this year. Yippee! all that work work paid off.

Then another task for me - just look at how sunny it was here on saturday. I planted ot the Sweet Pea seeds into loo rolls. We do this because the cardboard bio-degrades in the soil, I mean we plant the whole seedling in it's loo roll! It works really well and as Sweet Peas love to have long root systems and are fragile with it, the roots don't get bothered at all. I must just point ot Andrew's very clever string use here to keep the rolls all tightly packed together and more strudy. Clever boy. I planted 'Cupani' and some free ones that came with a magazine, I believe it just said 'tall' on them. Fingers crossed my new home will have nice fresh flowers often.

Here is the hubby planting more Peas, but the edible type this time. I know 'Kelvedon Wonder' was one variety, as we really like them but I think he ended up sowing 2 or 3 types. See the use of a pencil to push the seeds down - I use my finger but his are too big, especially when it's 2 to a pot!!

Finally, I have a photo of our new greenhouse. We bought it in Lidls, so not dear but it is really well made and very strudy. I was inside it - it's 3ft high and 6ft long, so I found it comfty and well, warm as it should be. There are vents in the side and the front zips open in 2 layers -first the green bit can be rolled up and tied out of the way to reveal a mesh, which keeps the bugs out but which can also be zippered open and tied back. I swear one day, this plot WILL look good, hahaha.

Posted, with shame, I hope that the letter problem didn't stop everyone from reading :(

hahaha fixed it!

Potatoes, Beans and Peas

Oh last night was utterly stinking on the lotties - the weather has just been rotten and we're on the final countdown to the outdoor Family Fun Day; it's on Saturday! Eeek. Things have to clear up or else we need to find a 4-field sized marque. At least the roads have improved look at this >

So although working for a rather short, damp time, I managed to tie in all the billowing Raspberry canes and harvest lots of runner beans. The runners are going very well again this year despite the weather. We love these 'Enorma' ones, they live up to the name and they taste excellent. We're going to have a glut soon as this year they are all pretty much at the same growing point and the yield is high on this variety. I cut a good few which we'll eat tonight, the one on the far right is 38cm long, and that isn't the longest we've had.

Although the weather has been bad we have done well so far, bar the fact that the wind has knocked down a good few of my precious sunflowers (no photos of that, just to upsetting, it may even give you nightmares!). I've finished lifting the peas ('Greenhusrt longshaft?', 'Longshaft Greenhurst?' or something completely different; we grew 2 types and head-like-a-sieve-girl here can't remember) now and just have the remaining bagful in the fridge. We have mangetout coming now and boy are they sweet and tasty and more broad bean seedlings and borlotti beans coming along. That's just the start of it! There's also French Dwarf beans and green beans; legumes rule!

We've had some fabulous dinners too. Simple food but done right. The 'Maris Piper' bed had to lifted due to blight starting to get into the tubers, so we'd had lots of lovely spuds. Plus we've also been slowly chomping at the 'Maris Peers' and have some 'Duke of York' for tonight. I took this potato/tomato picture last week, growing on one of the Maris Peer plants. Of course I knew these things existed but I'd never seen it before - nature is marvelous.

So here's a little taster of what we've been eating. A simple dinner, yes but as I said, done right. These are little individual layered pies with our own courgettes (doing very well this year, growing in an old chicken manure pellet bucket!) sliced and seasoned with herbs and white wine vinegar on the bottom, and mixture of thoroughly roughed up boiled potatoes and peas (our own again) and a little cheese sprinkled on top before a light grilling. So good! On my goodness. Andrew (as usual) finished before me and then proceeded to stare at my bowl until I'd finished. Like Maggie I think he was hoping for a little leftovers ~ no such luck!

A 'harvest hat' for a change, I forgot my basket

So, yes, once the raspberry canes were dealt with and the runner beans harvested and photos taken I had to run back to the car. Taking my Strawberry and Mango fruit tea with me. I sat there whilst Andrew had some committee stuff to attend to. It was cold and raining and blowy - this is August. Look at it!! And it just got worse!

So, yeah, we did actually do some work last week!

What with feeling poorly and all I haven't really been keeping up to date with the actual Allotmenteering that's been going on, rather I've been moaning and what not instead ~ not good.
So, here's a catch up. I'm going to start with what I think is the most exciting thing, my Sunflower hedge!!! I planted it up on Saturday and boy am I looking forward to seeing it all grown up. Andrew has done the unthinkable and taken my flower seeds out of my Lottie bag, so I can't tell you the variety of these ones, but they're smaller than usual and multi-stemmed in a gorgeous red colour. I really hope they grow well.

I fact I love this idea so much that I'm going to plant loads of Sunflowers on the new half plot 14b this weekend, just putting the seeds straight into the ground. These ones will be the extra tall ones that tower at 180cm (I'm 158cm on a good day) and have one BIG flower each. I'll do another hedge type arrangement and maybe throw some in randomly elsewhere - we can't get the whole plot cultivated this summer! So I'm going mad with flowers, hehehe.

As for 14b I started to dig over the flower bed and level out the start of the path. Boy was it hard work but I wanted to do it right. Double digging and riddling away and then I did the silly heel dance over the path area to try and get it smoother. At some stage we'll put big paving stones down and I think plant low growing alpines around them. It's all just at the planning stage at the moment.

I finally got that Elecampane in the ground, it's so healthy Rosie!! (But the purple poppies...they didn't make it.) And during the week I put an old obelisk in beside it to grow more 'Cupani' Sweet Peas up. The weather is supposed to be stinky tomorrow so armed with ideas from James' book I'm off to the nursery to see what else I can get. I'd like the bed (which will be quite big) to be all purples, reds and pinks. I never buy myself flowers for the house so I'd like to have my own cut flowers to brighten my living room. There will of course be lots of yellows and oranges on the plot too from companion plants. It's nice thinking about all this.

Lastly I planted my 'cheeky' self -seeded Nasturtiums out in by the trees in the fruit arch. 4 of them, hehehe, Andrew can't get away from them. He's going to read this but heck - I have 2 more and I'm letting them live as well!!!

So that was some of my work. Andrew did work hard too but are you really interested in him??? Oh, you are, okay.....

My dearest one planted out our Runner Beans 'Enorma' and our French Beans 'Cobra'. Each plant at the base of a wigwam support. I LOVE the French Bean one made out of recently cut down tree branches, very rustic and in my opinion more Allotment-y if that makes sense. I like ram shackle, which reminds me, Andrew also planted out our Borlotto Beans by the rusting gates and climbing rose. Fingers crossed it should look very pretty and hopefully be very productive. These are the Beans we got free from the Council when we renewed our tenancy *.

He also started our wind break fence but I'll leave that for another time when he's finished and I can tell the whole story.

To finish, I just want to mention our new neighbours. As usual I can't remember names very well, but I think there is a Katie and possibly a Don in the family? They also have the cutest puppy - Arnold, a baby Mini Schnauzer like Maggie, oh how I wanted to take him home!

Can you tell I've had caffeine this evening???? I don't usually drink it as I get a little hyper, hence this LONG bloggette, hehehe.