About me



I'm a half Finnish designer who has since taken a break to bring up my children. I used to work in Graphic Design, but now I prefer working with textiles and illustration. This blog is about my allotment and garden. I have been gardening for many years and grew up watching my mum and dad do the same. I began my allotment in Jan 2010 in memory of my father who passed a way just before then. I also love cooking and finding inventive and delicious ways to make my produce into meals. I'm growing with my experiences, and welcome any helpful advice! Sometime soon I hope to use my garden as inspiration for my art.
Showing posts with label comfrey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comfrey. Show all posts

Wednesday, 16 March 2011

Four seasons in one day


 Yesterday was my weekly update on the plot. The day started of frosty, so I had to wait for the sun to burn off most of the cold in preparation for digging, which in turn made the countryside look very autumnal with the mist laying low on the fields. Then by midday it was almost mid summer, with scorching (yes I even felt like I may need sunscreen) sun, but I'm sure it was probably only about 12C.I had to shed a couple of layers while working and was truly soaking up the spring sunshine. Then by about 3pm, the mist rolled in again and cloud blocked out the sun, and we were back to winter!

The plot is structurally coming on nicely, and I'm excited for the children (or perhaps just for me) as I have created some paths and seperate beds, not quite raised beds, just sectioned off areas, for them to walk and play around. When I was younger I used to love visiting country house gardens because they were exciting to explore with their different 'rooms'. I want to recreate a tiny part of this idea on my plot as it makes it an inviting place for them to visit.

So, I have a salad bed, and now a courgette bed behind...
In the salad bed I have planted some general cut and come again lettuce and some radishes, just to keep my enthusiasm going (as my carrots have not come up elsewhere)



...the path leading up to this is a climbing bean and flower tunnel, to the right of which will be a sweetcorn block.


 In my roots bed, I planted more Early Nantes Carrots (not sure if the others will ever germinate, will give them a couple more weeks before resowing there). I also sowed rocket and parsley, intercropped between the roots.

Then, as I had frivolously bought some additional early potatoes, I decided to put them in, the shoots had reached almost 2" long. The variety is Foremost, which don't necessarily get the best recommendations across the web, but we shall see, the proof being in the eating. This time I've added a little comfrey to the trench, not something I've tried before, but most books say potatoes are a 'hungry crop' and as this bed has only been mucked this year, they might need an extra boost.


Garlic update...

Wednesday, 9 February 2011

Risky planting

I got rather carried away yesterday in the warm spring air, and began some planting of seeds on the plot. This was rather precarious as we could well still have a return of winter which could jeapardise everything. I was counting on my closhes being here by now, but my Kings Seeds order is being rather tardy.

I have planted Amsterdam and Sugarsnax carrots, Spinach (a mistake, I didn't realise how fussy it is compaired to perpetual spinach...) Jetset onion sets and a few parsnips to make up a short row of carrots. Well if it doesn't work, hey ho, start again!

Signs of life: Comfrey
Rhubarb
Strawberry
Digging new raspberry bed
 Progress, right side ready for action