Cornflower seedheads

I was gathering seeds from my deep red/black cornflowers, when taking this pic, I rather liked it.

Plot Views October

I've been very organised this year, and continued to clear weeds and plant in new ground freed up by old crops, such as planting leeks where my new potatoes were. This was tricky as the leeks could have really gone in sooner, but fortunately this year we have had a mild autumn so far, so they've had a good chance to get growing. You can see the gradual decline generally from last month though.

I have taken a risk and moved the ailing red sprout plants over to this side where the other ones are doing really well. I know you shouldn't move sprouts but they looked so feeble anyway, I thought I might have nothing to loose! (unfortunately the weaker plants are hiding behind the big vigorous ones to the left,so you can't see them)

My 29 leeks, the ones which have survived the slugs

October on the plot this year

...and October last year

The Big Freeze or Indian summer?

It's well an truly an Indian summer in the south this year, and according to Countryfile, it looks set to stay warm here for another week at least. On the plot today I noticed how rigorously the weeds had returned since my tidy up in September. Not only the weeds, but potatoes and broad beans were pushing up their heads, and some mysterious seedlings, that must be one of the wild flower varieties from nearby.

Broad beans

Wild Flower seedlings

I have capitalised on this warm spell by sowing some more spinach and rocket next to my leeks, and I even got my garlic planted in good time this year. I have put a closh on the salad just in case... fingers crossed the weather doesn't take a freak turn for the worse, as was suggested on the Express headline this week, -20 due apparently!

An apple day's pickings

Today was the fourth year we attended the Herstmonceux Allotment's Apple Day. Basically you pitch up at 10am, and help pick the apple harvest at the nearby orchard. After a couple of hours of hard graft (and much scrumping on the job) you stop for a well earned hearty bbq and rest. It was a fab day due to the unseasonably hot weather, there was no better place to be than in the heart of the weald enjoying it's bounty!

 

 Musquee de Provence Squash

 View down to the orchard

Tired pickers!

I almost forgot to mention (...thanks to Sue) that you get to take home a big bag of fresh apples for your efforts!

The last pickings of....

...flowers from my plot, they are all over now. I have been especially pleased with them this year. I've taken a bunch or two home each visit which has definitley been worth the effort to grow them alongside the veg, not to mention the benefit to insects!

Golden Beet

This year I've been really pleased to grow some Golden Beets, I actually really like the flavour-very sweet and the colour is just amazing! Next year I'll definitely be growing more and devising ingenious ways to cook with them.

Dreaming of my new garden - trees

We have finally secured a house to live in! hooray. It has a fantastic 'blank canvas' 130ft (about 40ft wide) rear garden. This may mean I will no longer be needing the allotment, I am due to hand it over in spring next year and I was planning to apply for another when we moved. Now this garden could provide a sizeable area for a vegetable patch. Not sure what this could be called? perhaps just Whitley Road instead of Furnace Lane?

Anyway I have been very excitedly planning what to create in this new space. There are so many elements I want to include, like a work shed/office; veggie patch; childrens area; orchard/wood; beach garden (as we are about 300m from the sea) and various seating areas.

For some time I have been dreaming of trees strangely enough. I'm not sure why, but I've become mildly obsessed with ornamental trees like eucalyptus, Betula albo-sinensis septentrioalis, various japanese maples and flowering cherries. The house already has a well established conference pear and I have recently bought an Egrement Russet apple to complement my morello cherry currently in a large pot. I'm planning on a nice fig tree near the decked area as I love the slightly tropical look of the broad leaves, Ficus 'Briogiotto Nero' being my favourite variety. Nothing can beat a ripe fig with parma ham and squidgy mozarella.

I have been hunting for some birch trees in anticipation of this new garden, to act as a screen at the bottom. I had two weeping birches in large pots on either side of the aisle at our wedding in a large  barn. I'm half Finnish, so the birch as well as the pine is very reminiscent of Finland, I absolutely love the sound of the leaves in the breeze. Today I bought a pretty standard birch as I saw it half price at one of my favourite garden centres, and next to it was this beautiful Prunus Chocolate Ice, the leaves long and flame red providing the perfect compiment to the dinky birch leave. I think these two relatively close by will look lovely in the autumn with the sun shining through. The Prunus should provide pretty pink spring blossom on bronze foliage which is an added bonus.

I don't normally do this but...

...couldn't resist - Silent Sunday

Compare this

I found this pic back in my archives of the plots when they were first allocated a year and a half ago.

Compared to now, looks like they have been there longer.

September tidy

I've been continuing to try to regain some control over the plot since it went awol in July and August. I cannot believe how much grass, docks and dandelions have taken over already. This spring just passed, I was cursing myself for not having tidied up the plot the previous autumn, then in Jan/Fed the ground was solid and the clods attached to the weeds were heavy and a chore to separate. So I'm trying to be sensible and get some done now. I even had a little help!

and at the end of it all, a healthy pile of matter for the compost heap!

My Brassicas

Ok I had a go at growing these this year, as I've not really tried before. I think I know why now, they need a lot of attention to get going, lots of netting and protection from slugs and pigeons. I'm not the most diligent gardener at the best of times, obviously this year more so due to having a baby, but I feel sorry for my slightly pathetic attempt! My red drumhead cabbages are riddled with holes, from slugs or caterpillars I know not, but I'm hoping they may recover a bit in the colder weather. This one is the best one on the plot and actually has a recognisable head to it.

The red bulls blood sprouts look great on one side of the plot but very poor on the opposite bed, strange as the latter had more attention earlier on.

Actually I have one success, the white sprouting broccoli is growing great guns, strange to think such a monster came from such a small seed.

I think next time I'll be staking these to make sure they don't get blown down by any storms

Mellow fruitfulness

I couldn't resist taking some photos of my Egrement Russet apples, they looks so, well autumnal in their orangy brown jackets.

An acer my dad kept in a pot on the decking area, it's leaves are just tinged with red, soon it will bleed all over the leaf.

Some climbing Jasmine leaves, also ready for autumn

and who could talk about autumn without mentioning a blackberry, this one is poking through the fence at our back boundary in the garden, usually considered a pest, in autumn it becomes very welcome bearing fruit.

Polytunnel mystery

Ok so two weeks ago I planted  a load of cauliflower and lettuce plants, a few days ago I returned to water them, and found this....

..all completely, utterly gone.....not a trace, in either tunnel! amazing work slugs

So be my witness, I planted three more, this time exposed to the elements. Wonder what poor fate will be set upon them?

..good luck caulis, I'll hopefully see you next time.

Flexing my green fingers

I've had a very productive gardening day, making the most of this lovely late summer sun we're having. This morning I visited the garden center looking for bargains in the sales. I was particularly looking for trees to put in my new garden (of the house we haven't bought yet!!) A few were knocked down to half price, mainly ornamental trees rather than the fruit variety but I was seduced by an Egremont Russet apple tree which I ended up paying full whack for, as I had to have it. While I was there I picked up some cauliflower and winter lettuce plug plants to put in immediately. So I popped to the plot to do just that, and I was particularly keen to get the rest of my leek seedlings in too. In between Charlie's squeeks I manged to plant 12 cauliflowers, 12 lettuces and about 20 leeks. Then I moved on to tidy up my tomatoes, the Marmandes have done so much better here than at home, I'm guessing because they are planted in the ground rather in pots. If I could only keep the slugs off them though, they obviously want a sneek preview! I pulled the last of the onions to dry out before storing and eating. I then picked a punnet of raspberries before heading home.

Later in the afternoon, I pottered about at home potting up my Echinacea White Swan plants that were severely pot bound, and some Minette basil and oregano too. The onions were layed out on the wooden bench to dry while I picked some figs from mum's tree.

A very lovely green fingered day.

Processing and Storing

Last year was a bit of an experiment on my plot, plus I had to dig it over completely to get anything started. This year I've seen more of a normal turn of the seasons and seen my plan of crop rotation work in practice. Of course not all of being an allotment holder is about working on the plot, it's also about eating and processing everything that we grow! This year I've really had to think more about this as I'm experiencing the gluts of one type of fruit and veg coming thick and fast. From trying to imaginatively come up with ideas for storing courgettes to picking and bagging endless batches of peas, there are means and methods of storing this fresh bounty for the cold winter months. I'm really excited about opening up a bag of tiny fingernail sized broad beans to make pasta with feta when it's cold and bleak outside, or making a raspberry sponge pudding. Making such things seems like a ray of sunshine when the memory of summer has long since passed.

My mother has been nagging me constantly about using up all my tomatoes, and she has a point, I will be kicking myself if I didn't when I use up the last batch of sauce for pasta. Really, I think there is not a more beautiful sight than these plump plum and cherry tomatoes sauteing in garlic!

Preserve of the rich

I have been busy making jams recently, mainly raspberry as my harvest has been bountiful (yes bountiful,not bootiful as Bernard Matthews would have said) and plum. I also saw a recipe for cassis which I'm keen to try as I have a stash of my blackcurrants languishing in the freezer waiting for processing. Another idea I had this year was to try raspberry vinegar, as I saw it mentioned in an article in one of the Sunday papers recently, I think this is an excellent alternative to the bolt standard method of preserving. One of the problems I have each year is the distinct lack of available jam jars. A jam making session can easily fill 5/6 jars, which has left me with a quandry and a pile of overripe fruit. So I looked into buying some in bulk as I'm probably going to use them each year now. When cruising the internet, I found Harrod horticultural do a good range of preserving jars and labels at very reasonable prices. They are well work looking at if you are interesting in that sort of thing! I especially like the new Padova flasks which is what I will be bottling my raspberry vinegar in (as shown)

On the window sill

My mum pretty much always has something edible 'ripening' up on the window sill, whether it be a shop bought mango, some home grown plums or strawberries, there is always a treat on offer. It truly reflects the seasons too, and I may even post a regular piece to demonstrate the point.

So at the moment on the window sill is....

A homegrown cucumber from my aunty, and one from my allotment, some damsons from the roadside and a trio of figs from the front garden.

Thoughts on colour

"My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece." ~ Claude Monet

...and after a haircut

Plot trimmed and tidied

The shocking truth

Ok here it is, my rambling neglected plot!

How did that happen so fast?

Ostrich Feather Asters and the rest

My range of cut flowers was expanded this year, and it's well worth it when I turn up on the plot to see a riot of colour from the road. I must have saved quite a bit of money on the various bunches I have brought home, not to say I would have bought flowers anyway as I much prefer the garden variety. Here is a selection of what was on offer this year, forgive me for not providing names for all, I will refer back and update later!

Ostrich Feather Asters, wonderfully fluffy and decadent

Purple Larkspur and Queen Anne's Lace (with scent)

the allotment staple, sunflower

Ok so not a cut flower, but couldn't resist adding this Icelandic poppy

Long stemmed heritage sweet peas