Sunday Promenade

In Italian fashion we had an afternoon amble along the seafront at Eastbourne to get a feel for the place. It was a bit dank and misty and a little morose, but it had a je ne sais quoi! I do like the look of the promenade, especially the art deco band stand. The ice cream parlours are supposed to be quite well recommended, unfortunately we didn't have time for one. It did bring back some naughty teenage memories of courting young lads under the pier!

Morrisons find

Just been for a spot of shopping and found a fab deal on fruit trees in Morrisons, only £5! So picked up a Morello cherry for me, one for mum and a coxs pippin for mum too. They also had ornamental trees like weeping willow, rowan and silver birch for a mere £2! wow. I also found a great deal on log lawn edging, just £2.50 a roll, so had two of those.

Today I've potted up my tomatoes and chard and will hopefully have time to plant some wild flowers in pots later this evening if it's light enough (so excited about light evenings now) Pretty much all my seedlings have germinated now so it's turning into a busy time, except the asparagus pea and pepper, perhaps they need warmer temperatures? I think the pepper might need to be brought indoors.

Last night I found some strawberry roots that came with comfrey root on ebay (apparently you need block 14 variety to stop it self seeding everywhere) so am waiting for that to arrive. I'm going to inherit some of mum's wild strawberry plants and possibly an artichoke when it decides to rear it's head. I've also noticed a patch of rhubarb struggling back to life which I thought had bitten the dust, so I'll have to keep that happy and take it to the allotment when I can find a suitable place for it.

Freyja ne pas de dents

Probably very bad French attempt to say that Freyja still has no teeth. She's almost a year old! It doesn't stop her eating but she sure could grow some gnashers, it would make my life so much easier!

What do you remember?

I often try to think back what my first memory was and now I have children wonder what theirs will be. At the moment Hugh has a few 'themes' he repeats endlessly, I wonder if he'll remember them when he's older? One being an incident when one weekend we noticed his nether regions were a bit sore and needed the attention of a doctor. Due to it being the weekend this meant a trip to A&E, yes every parents delight, so I sent Mike to duty his fatherly duty! I turned out all was fine and not needing further attention, so Mike decided to go and wash the car, Hugh is particularly fascinated with automated car washes, but every time we put him through, he gets very upset and scared, so it's a love hate relationship. After that day, Hugh often gibbers something about daddy, doctors and car washes! Recently we took a trip to see my friend in Wales, who has a little boy the same age as Hugh, called Alfie. When we got there Hugh broke out in chicken pox, so he also recounts, Wales, Alfie, Chicken pox and Castle (a day trip we took) It's so interesting seeing their minds develop!

More pics of progress

Spuds in foreground, broad beans at the back

Blackcurrant two weeks ago

and this week with leaves opening

Mystery plank fairy

Now this is a quandry. I mentioned two posts ago about seeing some planks of wood on a fire in the woods near my plot. I had leaned them up against and old derelict shed intended to return and collect them another day. Today when I got to my plot, they were there by my compost bin!!??? who is the mystery plank deliverer? who saw me rooting around in the fire? and how did they know who I was and where my plot was? it's very strange, slightly creepy but kinda cool all at the same time.

Sh(aching) all over

Had a good weekend. After the news about our house we feel buoyed up and positive about everything really. Plus the clocks have gone forward, this can only mean one thing! more time in the garden!! (Mike groans)

So this morning I headed to the plot to get something planted at last. I spent a good couple of hours weeding again and then thought, enough! I have to plant something, anything, just something which isn't weeding. I have one trillion bits of couch grass to remove and it's like some kind of mental and physical torture. Anyway, back to the point, I prepared and planted some first earlies, Pentland Javelins, not all of them, I've saved some for home as an experiment to see which grow fastest, I will plant some tomorrow here. Then on a buzz, I thought, hey what the hell, let's get those broad beans in, they were already outgrowing their pots, having been potted up once and have been in the cold greenhouse, so shouldn't be too shocked by the ground outside. I feel so much better having done that. Look at my lovely plot now, I'm in love with it!!

Scaffolding planks and netting

It seems almost impossible to pick up scaffolding planks for free, I will take anything and collect them, but cannot find anything on freecycle. I did find some wood on a fire pile the other day on the walk to the allotment, but it's in such a position I can't collect them by car, or carry them by hand which is a pain as they would be perfect.

As for netting, that's really expensive too! I have resorted to buying net curtain material on ebay to protect my seedlings. I'm looking to make some kind of frame to put over my plants to stop the pigeons which always seem to be pecking at something when I arrive. I haven't actually planted anything on the plot yet, but I'm planning all this in anticipation of planting imminently, like tomorrow! My fruit cage is still unfinished, just four posts standing there. Never mind, it will get done eventually.

Moving?

Today we had the estate agent visit to give us an evaluation. We were pleasantly surprised at the news, we were out of negative equity and now in a position to move. Which has thrown us in a quandry, we have to act on this news if we are to move up the ladder. I'm feeling sad already about leaving my fledgling allotment, even though realistically I won't probably be moving till after the summer, it leaves a bitter sweet tinge to this growing season there. We are looking to move to Eastbourne, and will most likely not have much of a garden to speak of so I'm dearly hoping we will be able to find another allotment there and there isn't too much of a waiting list. The prospect of having to clear another plot fills me with dread though. Which reminds me, I received my allotment contract the other day, and must send it back signed.

Freyja was sick again today, we are all still suffering the last remnants of a bug I think, despite this we all enjoyed tempting fate by eating a large supper of moules frites which Hugh loved!

Sissinghurst

As thoughts turn to spring, I've been longing for a trip to Sissinghurst. I'm not sure I'll make it in time to catch the amazing displays in the Lime Walk, but hopefully I'll catch it at some point. It's such a wonderful place, like a living tapestry, different every day, surely the closest thing to heaven? As I'm not concentrating on flowers this year, I will just have to make do with a few National Trust gardens!

Peony Sarah Bernhardt

I finally got around to buying a Peony, not a pot ready plant but a tuber I think (?) It was only a few pounds as opposed to over 10quid which would be the cost of a pot sized plant. I've no idea how to plant it, but I guess it's pretty tender so I've stuck it in some compost, slightly damp in the greenhouse and will hope it wakes up in time for early summer. I can't decide whether to keep it in a pot and take it to the allotment or plant it at home. Either way, I'm very excited about having a peony at last, I do hope it flowers this year!

What a wonderful day

Not often I say that! but even a pretty basic day that has gone well seems wonderful after such a trial of illness. Hugh is back to his normal cheeky self, with rosy cheeks and a pot belly, but good to see after the pale wane former self. Freyja is still a bit poorly with her chicken pox, but it's going and can only get better now

Somehow I've lost 3 pounds and my nails are growing too, I think it's down to a bit more sleep - I read this article about how an extra half and hour or so can make such a difference.

Also my seedlings are coming on apace, I now have tomatoes, rainbow chard and carrots breaking through!

A collection of oddments

Wednesdays are always nice for me as Hugh goes to nursery early, which sets me up for the day. I'm ready to go, dressed etc by before 9am, which isn't a common occurance in the Warren house! Today I went straight to town with Freyja, only to pick up some mundane bits and bobs, but I still managed to get to the library and pick up some gardening themed books. I was really there to find some toddler taming books but they had moved the section and I didn't have time to find it as my parking ticket was running out. Saying that Hugh has been much better today, and more willing to eat so I'm putting his previous behaviour down to feeling poorly.

Whilst the kids were sleeping after lunch, I was able to get into the greenhouse and pot up my broad beans and peas, they are really taking off and have great root systems going on. I'm going to have to review what needs to be done next on the growing shedule as I feel like I've lost track completely.

Beautiful afternoon

What a wonderful feeling to have warm sun on your face, strolling down a country lane with a blue sky and green shoots peeping through.

Hugh turned a corner today, and seems to be keeping food down at last (he's been ill with a bug these past two days) so finally we can look at getting back to some semblance of normality after all the ills of late. As life has been on hold, I've not been able to plan beyond a few hours, so we haven't done much this weekend, also it rained heavily yesterday so not much to do anyway!

Mike has just come on and dampened my spirit by saying he thinks he's found a chicken pox spot on Freyja's back, oh great, just when I was full of the joys of spring, and the end of our 3 week period of ill health *sigh* I thought she was past the incubation phase, but maybe not  :(

Anyway I had a lovely afternoon on the allotment, it was very busy indeed. A chap was rotivating a plot next to mine for a family with two young girls, they came along later to do a bit of weeding and have a chat. They really are first timers and don't have much idea of what to do at all, so I offered my help if I can give any! Then Vika turned up, who've I've met before (she has a boy the same age as Hugh) and we had a great time having chats while weeding and digging, it's amazing what you can cover in a couple of hours! Lastly the councillor was walking her dog so popped in the check on progress. It turns out that plot next to mine on the other side has been wrongly allocated and she will have to be evicted, also she's erected a shed without permission, (they need planning permission in our area for that) I can't imagine how annoyed she will be when told that she's on the wrong plot having rotivated it, planted raspberry canes and put up a shed and apple tree. Oh dear.

Digitally growing flowers at the V&A

Combining my two loves, growing plants and design!

LoveitLoveitLoveit

Beautiful girls dress I would love to get Freyja for summer

#2 Allotment update

I was caught short in my last update, so here's a more thorough version. Bearing in mind I've been working through almost medieval conditions physically (ok this fortnight the family have had chicken pox, tonislitis and a sickness bug) I think were I'm up to on the plot is quite admirable under the circumstance, but still it's quite behind with respects to being ready to plant things.

Overall plot (looking from the back to the front):

The area covered with cardboard and filled bin bags is to have broad beans and peas, the bed opposite (right) will have asparagus and artichokes (double dug bed). The area covered with fleece on the right will have carrots and parsnips, onions and shallots, it has had sand added to loosen up the soil. The black weed suppressant material beyond that will be a late spring/early summer project, hopefully I'll clear that and add sweetcorn, courgettes, and squash. Behind that are my fruit bushes, you can see the rudimentary outline of a cage which will probably change as it doesn't work at all right now.

The covered area in the middle will be a seating area eventually, with something for the kids to do (any suggestions, I've thought of a tyre sandpit and a mini garden, but that's about it) One day in the future I'd love to have a willow arbour here. Beyond that is my potato patch, probably already too small for the amount of potatoes I've bought! You may also not that in the foreground I've employed Alys's technique from the Guardian's allotment blog, which suggests you cover cleared ground with carboard (to suppress weeds and seedlings thrown up by the digging) which will eventually rot down and be digested by worms, it's held down by sacks of sealed weeds which will anaerobically rot down and produce a delicious gloop for my plants.

So that's it to date. I've also been planting a lot at home during our various illnesses,to keep my spirits up and momentum going. So far I've done 4 varieties of tomato, a plum, regular and two cherries; cavalo nero; rainbow chard; carrots (in plug pots so hopefully they won't be upset by disturbed roots); broad beans and peas (1st lot have germinated, second lot recently planted); asparagus pea and sweet peas. Sigh, roll on summer

Broad beans are up

Pentlan Javelin's starting to sprout (probably well behind)

and to make me feel better (as progress slows), here was the plot in January

Spring time at last

Today was positively tropical compared to recent weather. I decided to head down the allotment this afternoon despite probably not being quite well enough. The children were driving me nuts and we've been inside on the other two nice days, so I couldn't miss another.

So here are some updated pics. My allotment looks so different to everyone else's as they have mostly got their's rotivated. I'm quite jealous of their blank canvases, but am secretly hoping all the couch grass and thistles will grow back all over the place, having been removing mine in back breaking fashion. Only time will tell on that count.

My house

Google virtual terrain kind of gives me the creeps! I was looking at my house and wondering when that image was taken, I think it was over a year ago. Feels slightly intrusive, but I'll post a pic of my house anyway.

Google maps

Went for a virtual walk to my allotment!!

Feeling Rotten

I should be glowing from being spoilt on mother's day, but I have come down with tonsilitis and feel very miserable indeed. I feel so rotten I've had to ask Mike to take a day off work to look after Freyja (mum had Hugh). All I've felt like doing is roll around in bed and moan (and not in a good way!) Enough of my misery.
Mike and I have been having a daydream of moving to the coast, first of all it was Hastings (as you can pick up a 7 bed mansion in the region of £250,000) and now Eastbourne. Hastings is a bit dodgy and has the worst schools in England, so possibly a bit of a gamble hoping they might pick up by the time H and F go to secondary school! We would have to give up the dream of the kids going to grammer school though which is a bit disappointing....listen to me, I've moved already!

I'm so damn annoyed to be ill when the weather has finally turned so good. I did go out to the greenhouse to plant some seeds, so now have tomatoes, chillis, sweet peas and carrots on the go. I've put the carrots in plug pots so hopefully I can plant them straight into the ground without disturbing the roots.

On Saturday I had managed to dig the plot a bit more, but it was so difficult, I ended up ill! I pulled out 6 bin bags of weeds in two 3x2m patches, so you can see the kind of challenge I have in store.

Bye for now, and fingers crossed for healthy tonsils tomorrow

Table cloth from Huset

I love this tablecloth, it takes me right back to when I was a child in Finland staying at my granny's. I can instantly smell the larder in her kitchen, the faint whiff of wood, and the aga burning. I would sit at the table and drink a glass of milk, or perhaps she would give me a homemade cordial made from lingonberries growing in her huge cottage garden, which would be sweetened with sugar and diluted with water.

Remember this

Thought of you today, but that is nothing new. I thought about you yesterday and days before that too. I think of you in silence, I often speak your name. All I have are memories and pictures in a frame. Your memory is a keepsake, with which I'll never part. Heaven has you in its keeping, I have you in my heart.

March jobs in the garden

General Jobs in the Garden

Have a good tidy up and finish those odd construction jobs because you are going to be busier still later in the year.
If you have any horticultural fleece, you can peg that onto the ground a week or so before you plant. The small rise in temperature of the soil can make a big difference

If the weather permits you can plant your onion and shallot sets. March is usually the right time to establish an asparagus bed if you are starting from crowns. Mid March should let you start planting those early potatoes you've had chitting and talking of root crops, you can plant Jerusalem artichoke tubers now.

Things to Sow

• Beetroot
• Broad Beans
• Early Peas (but they may do best started in a gutter in the greenhouse then slipped into a trench)
• Brussels sprouts – early varieties like Peer Gynt will be ready in September
• Kohl Rabi
• Leeks
• Lettuce
• Radish
• Parsnips
• Spinach Beet
• Early Turnips

Sow in Heat

Windowsill or a propagator in the greenhouse will come into use now to start off your tomatoes, peppers, aubergines and cucumbers.

Summer cabbages and early cauliflowers, early carrots will get away best under a cloche. If you set your cloche up a week or two beforehand, it will warm up the soil so you will get even better results.
Many of the crops you can sow directly will also benefit from cloching, especially as you move northwards or started off in modules in a cool greenhouse or coldframe and then planted out later.

Freyja's hair and crawling

I love it now Freyja is growing up into a toddler, and is sporting a crop of hair now. She's going to be quite dark when she grows up if it this colour now. My hair was ash blonde, almost white when I was her age, and now it's a dark blonde.

Freyja is almost crawling! She's mastered the backward shuffle and keeps finding herself wedged up against walls and stuck under chairs...must be annoying for her. She also seems very keen to pull herself up when on my lap. Her laugh is becoming more pronounced, and it's definitely quite deep throated and 'dirty' as my mum said!!

She's developed an annoying habit of scratching her forehead in her sleep as some kind of comforting motion. As a result she's always scabby and bloody in the morning and looks like she's done ten rounds with Mike Tyson. Tonight I've put her hands in some socks to try and tempt her away from doing it, needless to say she was quite upset when she couldn't scratch away, but sometimes mum knows best.

Sadness

I've had quite a few tears over dad in the past week or so, I'm guessing this was triggered by going to Mike's grandad's funeral, and then visiting dad's grave. Also as we've been poorly and the weather so inclement, all these elements have compounded as a general malaise. I hate being miserable, but I want to grieve, but I guess it can only be done slowly and in private. I'm still seeing dad's robins, and I still wonder if he's with me.

Spotty Hugh

My boy is still covered in chicken pox spots. Although today he's been decidedly more cheeky, a sign that he's returning to full health. Lets hope he doesn't wake every hour tonight, or refuse all food offered tomorrow :)

Governments plans to allocate allotment space for many

Interesting article detailing the government's plans for freeing up land for allotments.

Winter Allotment advice

From Alys Fowler, my new heroine

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/video/2010/jan/05/allotments-winter

Wales and Chicken pox

So I am writing from our new Sony Vaio on our new internet connection, it means we can now upload photos much quicker, watch tv online and generally be a bit more up to date all round (I'm looking forward to the home movies). It does mean I've not got any music or photos on this laptop, so it may be a while before I can post with images.

Onto business, Mike and I had a lovely trip to Wales to visit my friend who lives near Chepstow. She has a little boy the same age as Hugh so it was handy that they could play together and take some of the pressure off entertaining the little mites. Unfortunately on Sunday Hugh broke out in a rash that appeared to be chicken pox, so he was a little poorly from that point on. Despite that we had a great time catching up over wine and dinners.

Now we are home Hugh seems a bit worse and isn't sleeping well at all. It's the first significant illness he's had and I feel terribly for him with all the itching and discomfort. There isn't much we can do but apply Calamine lotion and wait for it to fade. I suppose Freyja will have it too.

Moomin memorabilia

Over the years I have been collecting these moomin mugs, I have about 10 now, and three bowls and some cutlery as shown. I had no idea they were fetching £20 odd apiece! That's means I have quite a valuable collection now. Must not give them to the kids!

Scandinavian design

Being half Finnish, it's in my blood, I cannot resist good Scandinavian design, it does make me dream of a loft style appartment though!

Haven't got much to say today

But I wanted to post as we'll be off to Wales this weekend to visit my friend Beth. I'm also very exhausted after taking the kids to Jumping Beans after doing a power shop in Sainsburys at the crack of dawn. It's beautifully sunny again, but with a biting cold wind. I got Hugh's Bob the Builder coat yesterday (ebay) and he's very pleased with it, and has had many comments from my friend's children. It's the kind of thing I would have snottily turned my nose up against in my former child days, but they wear you down and you end up buying them things you know will make them happy! Hugh loves receiving packages from ebay, as very often they are wrapped in brown paper so he sees them as presents. There's nothing better for him to know the postman has brought him a little package with a t-shirt or book in it, it's very sweet. I should get him into posting cards and letter really.

I'm signing off to make potato pancakes with beetroot salad and salmon.

Enjoying the sun

I was all set to catch up on the housework today, but then I looked outside, saw the sun and thought 'I can't possibly stay inside hoovering with the weather like that'. So I did gardening instead (what a surprise) and sorted out my front patch as it's been woefully neglected since I took on the allotment. Now all the leaves have gone, there are flowers. Freyja enjoyed a bit of quality time there too, smelling the lavender and trying to eat crocuses! (perhaps she has a taste for saffron)