An award? for me!!?!

I have been given a award, yes, little old me. This came from allotofveg, whose blog I read regularly and who I am glad to say won it herself and then passed it along to me, like a 'you are a good read' chain award.

I think I am supposed to write 10 things about myself and then pass it on to some people I think deserve it. So, if you will allow me to be so self indulgent I shall do just that. Incidentally I have no idea where this originally started but thank you to whoever made it up and allowed us 'winners' to be both praised by others and be completely egoistical within the one bloggette.

I shall be passing it along to Joy at GardenJoy4Me and VP at vegplotting, both 'great reads'.... Quite frankly I would pass it on to everyone on my blog roll if I didn't think that sort of went against the idea. Love to all my fellow bloggers, you're all winners in my eyes x

1 ~ I like instructions, rules to follow to the letter. That way I know where I am and where I have to go. (Shame on you Jessica for not proving detailed instructions about this award process. Are you sure I just have to write 10 random facts about myself?)

2 ~ Apart from working on my Lottie and thus getting to write about it here, my other great passion is for taking photographs. These things combined make for a happy girl. Now I just have to find a way to become filthy rich whilst doing them.

3 ~ I wish to become filthy rich as I like travelling and want/need to see more of the world. To go on holiday is like packing up your clothes etc and just leaving behind all the crap in your life at home in the wardrobe. Unfortunately it is still there when you get back but for those glorious days away you are free! Yes, the depression and anxiety do come along and somehow pass through customs unnoticed but for some reason you can kick them in the butt and make more of an impact on them when in a sunnier climate.

4 ~ I LOVE MY HUSBAND Andrew, he is lovely.

5 ~ I'd be lost without my little dog Maggie. We adopted her some years ago from a dog pound (horrid places) and I knew she was 'the one' just by the glimpse of her nose that I got before we got into the kennels properly. Love at first sight for me, though her hair was so overgrown and matted I don't think she could see, poor baby. I hope she's happy with us.

6 ~ Like most people I never got to know my idols, my paternal grandparents. My papa had a stroke when I was a young teenager and was gone in soul for a long time before he eventually died. My most cherished childhood memory is of him and I would love for him to have met my husband; I think they are alike. His back garden was an allotment. My Nana fought Cancer gallantly and was forever the lady. I was only beginning to know her as a person (not just as my nana) when she was taken, too soon. I think of them everyday and the pain of their absence never seems to ease. I guess that is love for you.

7 ~ I have permanent double vision! A real pain in the ass but I have to live with it. Yes, I see 2 of everything and one of those images moves around all the time - tiring to say the least. Also another reason why I love photography - you only need one eye to take a picture.

8 ~ My favourite vegetable to grow on the plot is the green bean - very prolific and very tasty. They just seem to want to grow and make the plot look so abundant and like I know what I'm doing, with wigwams and all. Plus, if I had to eat one veg every single day forever more I could do worse (my real favourite is Sweetcorn which is also very impressive looking to grow on the plot. I have 2 favourites) and I had loads of them in Brittany recently with steak -yummy!!

9 ~ My favourite fruit to grow on the Lottie is the Raspberry, just because they are GORGEOUS and you seem to get a nice steady crop of them, a few more everyday, rather than a glut. I love raspberries. Berries in general are a wonderful gift from mother nature and should only be eaten in season if you ask me, which I know you didn't but I'm telling you anyway. A ripe berry plucked from the plant, warm with the sunshine, popped in the mouth - joy incarnate.

10 ~ Lastly ECOTHERAPY ROCKS! That is a fact and you can take it to the bank (if you trust banks, which I don't).

Thank you for reading this, if you did in fact make it the whole way through. Happy Thursday to you all x

Real Green Heroes, on our Lotties!!!

I give the blog over to those who work on plot A1. I have mentioned them before, you remember, I was so excited to find out on the open day who they were. See here. Well listen to this!.....

If you don't remember (shame on you!) the Plot is owned by the Conservation Volunteers and consists of volunteers from 2 charities; Mindwise and the Drug and Rehabilitation Center. They work down at the plot every Wednesday and learn all about growing tasty, organic fruit and vegetables ~ as well as having a good time, they're getting gentle exercise and ecotherapy and they get to take produce home. What's not to love?

Well, the hard and valuable work they do has not gone unnoticed I am very pleased to say. Drum roll please.....They have been awarded the 'BTCV Project of the Year' in the Green Heroes Awards! Congratulations to them and may they realise just how bloomin' brilliant they are.

The Green Heroes Awards was new to me and luckily Maria (from Conservation Volunteers)explained that they are given out 'in recognition of outstanding work volunteers of all ages do across Northern Ireland to improve their local environment'. That means there were other projects from all over the country involved in this and our group won!!

On top of that the group also won an award for their Brussel Sprouts at the Gourmet Garden Competition and not any old award but, yet again, 1st prize! We have real bonified regional champs in the camp guys.

I should point out that A1 expressed it's gratitude to the N. Ireland Social Care Trust and Carrickfergus Borough Council for their valued support. Long may it continue.

Congrats again.

Guerrilla Gardening and Garlic Braiding

We planted Daffodil bulbs down in Field A, a whole load of them and no one saw us and no one will know it was us, hahhahahahaha. Guerrilla gardening! Just you wait till spring, oh, the shock on everyone's faces.

Everyone in Field A : 'Oh, where did these lovely daffs come from, oh how fabulous. What wonderful person/s could have done this!!!'

Us : (pretending to also be shocked) 'Wow, they are lovely, who ever did it must be amazingly fabulous and just all round great people. Bless them, may this year be a fruitful one for their plot/s'

Everyone in Field A : 'Yes, bless them; may blight, slugs and caterpillars avoid them forever more!!!'

Us: (giggle) 'Indeed'

So sssshhhhhh, don't tell anyone, it's a surprise. We did it together and the bulbs were lovely; fat, hard and blemish free. Hopefully they will naturalise over time, now wouldn't that be pretty?

*******

After that I started to make my 2nd Birdhouse, this time with a pitched roof. More difficult than I though and I got my first woodwork injures ~ a very small cut on my finger and a hammer blow to the thumb. I feel like a real craftswoman now! Unfortunately I got very peeved with the whole project after 3 hours and my double vision was horrendous so I threw it into the shed in a huff and didn't take a photo.

Andrew on the other hand laid a path between the 'grave' and the raspberries. Finally! I think it's starting to look much better down there and the rockery plants are in too so over time I think it will look pretty.

Then he also braided garlic. I was hoping to do it, but he took charge, I have forgiven him now but at the time (and I think I hid this quite well Andrew) I was deeply hurt. I was the one who found the website that explained how to do it and printed out the instructions after all... But he did a fantastic job so I can't be angry.

Before and after tidying up

Just to end this rather fab week of Grow Our Own news ~ Andrew, Maggie and I won a prize in the 'Best Kept Allotment of the Year' competition this year! A big thank you to the judges at Sunnybank Nursery. We get to go to a 'do' in October as well in the town hall, posh.