Paths, pruning and a pumpkin

Andrew was off for a few days (hurrah) so we got to spend some time out and about at a National Trust Estate, worked hard at the plots and also got some art up in the house - you know, all those things you really want to just get cracking on with but time (or the lack of it) gets in the way...

So the paths - I have to say that the Council still isn't doing the majority of the work they really ought to be - there are overgrown pathways at the plots still and on Saturday I took a fall :( Well Andrew and I have taken it into our own hands and the grass paths around our plot edges have been cut down to nought with shears first and then lawn mower-ed with our little old fashioned hand powered/sweat powered machine.

This strip took 2 hours alone, but on the plus side I have sore and toned arms :)

Andrew pruned back the fruit arch yesterday and found an apple up top which he ate as his reward and I cut back the blackberry (or bramble berry as I like to call it). It makes me nervous, still after all this time, to do what I call 'proper gardening'; but this was easy enough, just cutting the stems that had fruit on them this year and tracing them all the way back to the ground level. I was all eager to do the tying in of the newer stems but it's so darn fiddly and with double vision I just hadn't the patience. There were other things to be getting on with.

I am still on top of the weeding on 14b (mostly). I shall take a bow here if you don't mind - it's blasted hard work with so many untended plots surrounding us and blowing their nasty seeds onto my lovely soil.

Lastly - here is our total pumpkin harvest for the year. It wasn't the best year for us, haha. This one looks good from afar though :) They will taste lovely I know but this time last year we had an attic floor carpeted with glorious squashy -ness. Nevermind :)

 I have a photo of an amazing one on our friend's plot. I don't know what he's feeding it but it's twice the size of my head, goodness know he will lift it.

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

 

Food Glorious Food!! (updated)

Grow Our Own

Eat Our Own

Here's is some of the utterly delicious food we are eating right now :) It's like food pornography, these photos, hahaha. Enjoy......

 

 

 

 

all we needed was a Noodle Tree and this would be all our produce :)

 

 

and lots of Autumn Raspberries but somehow I never manage to get a photo of them ;) yummmy! Far nicer than the summer ones in my opinion.

I have most of my next Autumn Clear Up post ready, all the Before and After photos done :) So just hold on a wee bit longer and you'll see the transformation and an idea of what changes are to come to the plots - ooohhh!

Just One of Many

 

All this talk in the aftermath of the Olympic and Paralympic Games has me feeling a little unremarkable, haha. I feel I shall never be known for a great act but in a way I am asbolutely fine with that as well. It would be nice to be special but then again to my Hubby I am at least :)

It got me thinking about things in life that truly are found in their millions and could be seen as unremarkable and thus these few photos came to mind. I took them at the allotment and though they are everywhere, literaly weeds, they are stunning in their own right. Just like we all are, whether we have a medal or letters after our names, money and fame, or not...

I accidently put this up on my photography blog but it was meant for here.

I also wanted to take the time to thank you all for reading this blog. 3 days ago I crossed the 50,000th visitor mark and I am truly humbled, thank you for having an interest, thank you for reading about Ecotherapy. Again I am struck by how this is merely one of many blogs out there on gardening but YOU have choosen to bless me by visiting - I'm nothing special, yet you make me feel 10ft tall....you have my thanks and my love...

hugs xx

Suicide Awareness Day and Nature

Morning

Today it rains, it's grey and dreary and it brings me to a bad place. I reflect too much upon the dark side of Nature and see sadness and struggle everywhere. Life is a desperate search for the light, for space and time to grow, pushing past others, using them to help you get where you want to be. Life is fighting off disease and death, but it is a foregone conclusion that everything that lives will die. So why try, why fight, why have hopes and dreams when control does not exist, everything is chaos?

Watch an insect for a short period and you will see it moving in such haphazard directions looking for food, running from predators, hiding from sight. There is no difference between you and it, you too are here for only a blink of Mother Nature's eye, trying to survive, to be happy. But I know I have beaten down at most turns, blocks have been set up in my path - it's all like a child playing with that insect, there is something bigger with the power, laughing at your actions.

***

 

Evening

But after a day of sleep and an improvement in my mood these thoughts can change round and life becomes incredible. In the incomprehensible vastness of space and time here we are, capable of thought, feeling and experiencing this, our little slice of being.

Do you think a plant or an animal cares for the future with aspirations and worries? I think they live in the moment never questioning it and just getting on with it. Yes our brains may give us the problems of over analysis and fear or the 'what if' but can't we just focus on the moment too? Living everyday we do lose a piece of ourselves, but most assuredly we gain so much more - who can put a price on love or indeed emotion of any kind? It's all a rich beautiful tapistry and should be in awe that we can feel anything at all...

 

So today it still rains so as the grass will be greener, the vegetables can grow, I can put the lights on and cuddle up to Andrew and Maggie, I can appreicate the crisp dry Autumnal days to come all the more and I can just get on with it, realising how bloody lucky I am :) ...

***

Today is/was Suicide Awareness Day, it's had an odd effect on me, making me think of those attempts, those bad times that sneak up on me regularly and take the feet from under me. But as is the purpose of these days, it had made me think and thank you for taking time to listen - it has helped so much.

***

Autumn clear up, part1

This is a vignette of my Saturday spent at the allotment. I decided to bite the bullet and really get stuck into 14b, a place of fear where weeds ruled and one felt so overwhelmed that even walking past it I would pretend in my heart that it had nothing to do with me and tut at it as I do with other 'abandoned' plots, yikes!

Andrew was rebuilding his horse manure stocks (a man's poo heap is his castle!), he got roughly 13 wheelbarrow loads of the stuff for free, though we did give over a big bag of veggies. So I was alone most of the time, thank goodness for my MP3 player and some darn good music. In fact please do take a moment to enjoy this.....

Tree Hugger - by Antsy Pants
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R378SwPH-b0

So here is the scary before picture, there is a wonderful life affirming after photo but that is going to have to wait until tomorrow ;). For now here is the 'mid way' photo to compare :)

I was overjoyed to meet this little fella....

seeking shelter from the sun with Maggie, under the wheelbarrow = cute!

Maggie wasn't much fussed, hahaha. In fact Maggie didn't seem that interested in the other friend I made, I think she is either really ditsy and genuinely doesn't notice or just gets jealous when I give affection to 'someone' else, hehehe. I swear when I started out on this allotment journey I would have been sick in my mouth if I was even asked to hold and appreciate a snail but I have grown....

I think maybe I have 'grown' too much as on that Saturday morning we were out for our weekly morning coffee wake up and a lady killed a wasp against the cafe window; I was a little shocked and upset. Silly me I know, but I hate it that people kill insects for no reason other than they don't like them. Hell there are some people I don't like, I don't think it would go down well if I just killed them nonchalantly with a rolled up celeb gossip magazine.

Don't get me wrong, when it comes to me verses snails and slugs etc for my veggies I take no prisoners but that just means I fling them all into someone else's plot - don't judge me!!! I throw them into abandoned plots, honest I do or over by the hedgerows. I am really too soft.

****

Oh but I have 1 more thing to share, hehehehehehe

It was only a matter of time, glad it wasn't me though! The frame is still good so Andrew will make a new seat bit, in time, as if he hasn't enough to do!

Antidote to a crappy day

Oh shitty crap poo, I had a terrible meeting with my new psychiatrist today and it has me all shook up. One thing I will say to anyone who is seeing mental health professionals - take someone with you who knows your story and can talk for you when things get all messed up in your head.

It really has upset me. I know that a SHO is given a file and told to go see patient 'x' but I would at least have hoped that that person would have read a little more than the most recent letter in your notes and know what blasted name to call you! Honestly I thought a little bit of research would be needed before you spoke to someone in that situation - you are dealing with someones mental well being!

Anyway, it's over now and the next time will be better. As for my ruined day, well I have the antidote....

and looking at the Vegetable Seeds UK website and wondering what I shall spend my gift voucher on. Oh temptation, temptation.... Check them out, there is a link in the side bar :)

Good health to you all and enjoy your weekend friends xxxx

P.S. I am in the market for a fab new blog to read so any recommendations, send them my way!

The prodigal daughter returns

I made my return to the Allotment yesterday, the famous phrase of 'be the change you wish to see in the world' on my mind and the beautiful music of Elbow in my ears. I was calm, I was ready, I was back; Carrie was back.

The paths had been cut, what a blessing, as I was able to walk to my plot without fear of falling or worse - falling onto something I couldn't see in the long grass. Andrew was with me, it being lunch time and I was so glad as the panic did set in but with him there I was okay. It calmed down quickly enough and soon I was alone. Alone for 2 hrs! It flew by.

****

The shame now lays entirely in our hands - the paths cut, it is easier to see just how the weeds have taken hold of our plots. Oh how I needed to get stuck in :) I would be there today too but for the rain and that thunder earlier and plus, I'm excited and want to write this down before I lose that sense of achievement.

I did a lot more work than I have photos for but this gives a general idea. No weed was left unpoked and prodded and I even broke a tang off the hand fork in one attempt - I got the blighter in the end! I've heard Baking Soda is a good anti-weed defence so I'm going throw a load of that around the patio bit and see if it works (I'll let you know). Goodness knows I don't use the stuff in the kitchen; I never bake unless it's Christmas *blush* and even then.....

So I did some beds too and under the bench but these photos are from when Andrew joined me after dinner - we are a power house team! Maggie naturally oversaw the works and later ended up right up close to the fire - see she wasn't working hard enough, I was warm alright!

This was a mess, more than you can see but what a sense of achievement and the red/blackness - that's weed suppressing membrane and some old carpet. The 'after' photo is shaky and dark but I was shaky, you'll see why in a moment and it was dark :)

Then I had the privilege of digging up the very last of the early spuds. It was going really well right up to the very last potato which exploded in my hand - boke! It was runny, like a fresh egg and smelt so disgusting that Maggie tried to get away from the area but her lead stopped her and I tried not to throw up everywhere (we had company at that point see). I did naturally take a photo of it - had to share the complete horror :)

It was dark when we left - Andrew had been working over on 14b (that is a scary weed infested place I am just too delicate to tackle at present) and also cut the grass with our crappy little push mower (blisters on his hands poor thing).

I'm tentative when I say this.....I'm looking forward to going back. Plus I have so much more to share with you about harvests and lots more photos :) Yep, I'm back :) woooo hoooooo!!!!!

A Tea Garden for the soul

Thank goodness it's today, that's all I can say. Well, it isn't really, I have quite a lot to say in fact and I am glad to be back and in the bosom of my little Blog. I have had a horrendous week, okay the house did not burn down, no one died, I had food and water but I also had a very nasty breakdown - very nasty
breakdown indeed.

Yesterday I thought it was all over and I was all better but no my mind has other ideas. I even texted my best friend and told her all was well - haha - the world always has a plan and we aren't even consulted. So I has spent a week unable to talk, walk, read or write properly and it has been a quiet and lonesome hell.

*****

Today I am out in my garden :) I am showered and fresh, I have a warm coffee by my side and the sun on my face, Maggie is attacking random leaves that to her pose some threat to us all (thank you Maggie) and Andrew is reading. I can hear a lawnmower yes but that only started up (shakes fist) but other than that I was basking in the sun with the soft trickle of our new water feature as the only sweet and dreamy sound......

I honestly can't remember when I last showed you our back garden, our absolutely fabulous, hand designed, hand-made-by-my-hubby back garden. But things have moved on a pace very recently so I know this shall excite you AND I have photos :)

Flowers and glorious growth on all the plants over the past couple of months.

The water feature adventure ~

It started with the lifting of the patio (I swear we didn't kill anyone or anything and bury it, it was totally as seen in these photos) and the laying of conduit for the pumps, yes plural - we have another surprise waiting in the wings. Rocks we have gathered from all over the place, favourite beaches up and down the Antrim coast.

He drilled a hole in my house wall! Dear God this was a little scary but I trust him, cough cough.

 And .....

So now we edge ever closer to the completed Tea Garden of the Soul, only a couple more things to do and then we sit back and watch it grow :)

Cranachan - a gift from the Scottish gods

Hey lovelies, I'm back sort off. I haven't been to the lottie (Andrew has though) but I have been eating really well - our own carrots, kale, french dwarf beans, runner beans and loads of raspberries and blackberries - yummmmy! A pile of spuds will have to be sent off to my sister-in-law too (it's so fab when people get itchy waiting for more of your home grown goodies).

But I was in Bonny Scotland last week and was introduced to my new favourite thing ever - Cranachan, oh just say the word over and over and I purr like a kitten. Now you may look it up and see a million variations on the recipe but I am going to tell you how the chief at our pub/hotel did it and I swear you will never look at any other recipe ever! Well until you see the new and exciting Gault's low fat Blackberry Cranachan recipe ;)

Naturally we all know that the vast majority of the raspberries we grow here are Scottish, for goodness sake they all have 'Glen' at the start of their name, such as Glen Ample (which we grow) and Glen Cova, Glen Doll, Glen Fyne, etc. Well in Scotland they just grow like weeds I tells ya - take yourself for a wee dander and bam! you walk into hundreds of them, you'll never grow hungry out for a walk there.

The Hotel Allan Ramsay's Cranachan

•  a lovely little glass - presentation is very important people!
• Raspberries
• Raspberry jam
• Double cream
• Whiskey (honey toned)
• Scottish oats
• Honey

* Lightly toast your oats and let them sit in a wee dram o' whiskey :)

* Whip up that cream like there is no tomorrow (burn some calories too) and add a little honey to it if you want.

* Play with the different food stuffs, layering them all like a trifle. Oats at the bottom, then a dollop of cream (with honey mixed in - or spoon a little on top), then raspberry jam over some juicy raspberries, then repeat until your glass is full and gorgeous looking.

*End with a raspberry on top and sprinkle a few more oats.

We made a load when we got home with our Blackberry glut (which is still continuing). But you know, shame on me, I didn't take a single photo ~ when you're at home all dignity goes out the window and you just unceremoniously get stuck in, you know its true. I bet there are some of you out there that even lick the plate, hahaha

Gaults' Low Fat Blackberry Cranachan

a lovely glass - presentation is still very important!

Blackberries

Blackcurrant jam

Fromage Frais zero fat

Whiskey (honey toned)

Scottish oats

Honey



Just do the same as above in the layering idea, but in the wonderful knowledge that this is healthier and indeed could possibly count as good for you, hehehe. We didn't bother toasting the oats (we didn't have the patience) and we just spooned some lovely honey on top of the Fromage Frais. We fell down on the Whiskey though as though it was Scottish it had a peat tone - a little overpowering but we do like our whiskey in this house so it was fine :)

How not to grow your own

I feel I have been uninvited to the party. I feel as though all the things that are barring me from being at my allotment are being done to personally harm me. I know that sounds stupid but let us not forget that I am mentally ill ~ it pains me to say it but that is the truth. On top of that I am psychically disabled by double vision and access down at my plot? ggrrrr - I swear, I give up.

I am not willing to put myself through another afternoon and night like I have just been through. I go to the plots to try and see beauty, to gain a feeling of usefulness and purpose, to feel embraced and protected my nature. There have been times in the past that being there, doing my hard work has lead to moments were I forgot to be afraid, forgot to hate myself, forgot that I was 'different'.

Yesterday I was there 5 mins and took the biggest panic attack; the paths are not safe, the main road to fields A, B and D are still not even tarmacked and there are whopping great big potholes that someone like me just can't see properly. (I don't know how a wheelchair user would get down there either), the grass paths STILL are not being looked after, so I am walking from one plot to the other (both my plots) scared by the sudden entanglement of my feet and ankles in the grass (so long now) and the worry of what lies beneath all that growth - did someone forget to put tools away, will I fall again and this time land on broken plastic or some nails that have been dropped or scattered by the wind, it wouldn't be the first time.

I am not able to go to my plots and thus there shall be no more reports of what is going on, no more boasting, no more spending time out in amongst the veggies and fruit I have tended for 5 years. No more photos of pure joy and amazement at what can be achieved. I have been very effectively, uninvited to the party. Me, one of the people to whom the allotments meant so much, they even helped me feel better and reduced the amount of medication I was on.

Unless things change and I have absolutely no hope that they will, my journey in Allotmentherapy will have come to an end. I sit here in tears as I was also in tears at the site yesterday. The place is a mess; it grew too quickly and the infrastructure was never in place.

It is with the utmost saddest that I am forced to stop. Maybe I can still gain therapy through continuing to write this blog (it has been one of the best things to have happened in my life) through the eyes of Andrew, I don't know. But after my bad fall in the town centre and my numerous trips and falls at the allotments in the past I simply feel that yesterday (surrounded by abandoned plots) was the proverbial straw that has broken my spirit.

I am too upset to continue writing but I am so glad that I have managed to get this off my chest, it has been crushing me.

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.