Autumn allotment reflections

It's been a very successful year at the allotment. We are still enjoying the Autumn raspberries, squash and kale. We have a second crop of potatoes as well as our very first cauliflowers coming through. Our evening walks to visit our little kingdom and harvest handfuls of raspberries have got me thinking about our work down here over the last four years. Up to now I've spent a lot of time criticising our work and planning what to do better next time. I've wasted time worrying about when our allotment was going to turn into the perfect plot. 

I can see now that the perfect plot is already here, evolving with each season and year. We are slowly learning about what works on our plot and adding new vegetables to our repertoire every year. I'm ridiculously proud of my lavender hedge and some of my happiest hours are spent just pottering around the plot. I've learned to appreciate what we have and take advantage of the aspects of our situation that we claim no credit for. We recorded another bumper blackcurrant harvest from a bush we inherited and this week we collected rose hips from the rose that grows neglected on the boundary of our plot. Rose hip syrup is a wonderful cocktail ingredient and I will use it to create a suitable concoction to toast our allotment achievements this year.

The recipe for rose hip syrup is here on my older blog. I'm pleased to report I now have a proper food processor which ensured the chopping of the hips was completed with no mechanical whining which was certainly a relief. You can hear me talking about rose hip syrup and a hot cocktail for Halloween or Bonfire night this coming Saturday on the Flavour programme on Cambridge 105. Get out this week and make some rose hip syrup so you are prepared and ready to go.

Allotment diary part 9: messy abundance

Growing things on an allotment feels very grown up. As I'm often surprised to find that I am actually an adult, I find myself playing down the grown-up aspect of it. I say "yes I have an allotment but it's tiny" or "I do have an allotment but its mainly weeds". Both of things are true. But neither the size and straggly state of my allotment negate the joy and abundance it brings to my life. Today beneath a tangle of grass and dead leaves I unearthed a feast of sweet strawberries. Amongst the the ground elder and the bindweed Anthony dug out the first potatoes.

Inside the world's worst fruit cage, the gooseberries are growing fat alongside the wild mint and the blackcurrant bush, heavy with ripening berries, is touching a ground concealed by speedwell.

My proudest allotment accomplishments are a hedge of lavender and a row of marigolds. The allotment is no show garden but that's OK. In between the weeds, the ants and the stones there is happiness.

Allotment diary part 8: allotment joy

Our next door allotment neighbour is very experienced. His plot is immaculate and several times bigger than ours. He doesn't laugh at our efforts though. He encourages us and says nice things about my lavender hedge. He also gives us lots of things. Today, it was a beautiful bunch of asparagus and 60 bean seeds. He also tried not to look too disapproving when I planted out some of my courgettes in my impatience to get the summer going. He thinks it is a little early and he will probably be proved right.

These neighbourly interactions bring me great joy. The allotment gives me something else every time I go there. Peace, quiet and relief from a world which now and again gets a bit overwhelming. There is something so soothing about weeding around my chard plants, checking to see if any seeds have germinated in the last week, testing the gooseberries and admiring the progress of the blackcurrants. It doesn't really matter to anyone other than me and Anthony but every little bit of progress lifts my spirits and gives me more satisfaction than ticking everything off my to-do list (and I really like ticking things off my list).

And we are making serious progress this year. I've fallen behind a little with my allotment diary (the overwhelming real world again) but we've got lush looking potatoes:

We managed to erect some (very) rustic netting around the blackcurrant and gooseberry:

My marigolds are blooming and all is well:

Allotment diary part 7: allotment dreams

I've discovered the secret to really enjoying the allotment. Tea and cake. I'm a member of Cambridge Blue Belles WI and we have our own allotment. I had been down to see it once or twice last year but already overwhelmed with my own allotment I had never been down to do any actual work. Last week I popped in for a quick visit and weeded the herb bed. In return I got a bag of nettles to take home, delicious tea and cake and lots of ideas for what I want to do next with my own plot. 

The first of these I instigated on my own plot yesterday. I'm a sweet pea lover but tend to grow them in a haphazard way in my back garden. The lovely gardening Belles are similarly sweet pea obsessed and were building a cane support structure while I was there. Seeing how easy it was inspired me to just get on and do it. Result: slightly wonky sweet pea structure now built on my allotment.

Both the blackcurrant and gooseberry bushes are shaping up to have their best year yet. They really need to be netted to ensure we get to enjoy them and not the birds. I had a dream about netting them last night. I'm worried. I need to get back down there.

The potatoes are growing (with only a little bit of frost damage) and the strawberries are covered in flowers. The rhubarb is going crazy. It's all starting to come together. My next mission is to get a shed. 

Allotment diary part 6: mid-week allotmenting

I tend to hide indoors on school nights. If I do go anywhere I end up grumpy and tired the next day. But the delicious weather this week tempted me out. Mid-week at the allotment: crazy. I didn't really do much down there. Just admired the first potato shoots coming through and appreciated the latest crop of weeds.

We did also take our traditional trip last Sunday. We planted the second early potatoes (Charlotte variety) and I created a rustic flower bed in front of my compost bin. I planted nasturtiums, poppies and night scented stock seeds. I'm comfortable with the ramshackle look at the allotment.

I'm an unashamed lover of marigolds. Some of last year's survived the winter and are already in bloom. Their cheery orange petals inspired me to sow a whole row across the allotment this weekend.

I'm trying to convince myself  I can see the difference in the front and back shots.

Allotment diary part 5: catch up

I'm catching up with the allotment and I'm catching with writing about the allotment. This journal stuff is hard work. After a week gallivanting around Dublin I had to get back to work at our little patch of earth. The rhubarb had grown so big it had pushed off it's bucket and the leaves on the gooseberry bush had appeared out of nowhere.

I got some beetroot seeds planted along with a second sowing of chard. Weeding around the blackcurrant bush I found this beautiful memorial to last year's growth:

The ladybirds love my sage plant. I think it's a ladybird "love" hotel.

I planted some seeds indoors too: courgettes and tomatoes. Probably far too late. Allotment front and back pictures below. I'm living in hope of a miraculous transformation any day now.

Allotment diary part 4: cheating

My strict allotment schedule has already slipped. I've bunked off. I'm back in Ireland. 

I missed the sea. I got my fix yesterday, walking along the coastal path from Bray to Greystones with an old friend. Sea, mountains, gorse and rain. Wicklow really has it all.

I'm getting seedling updates via text and I'll be back on the straight and narrow next weekend. I've got lots more seeds to plant.

I think I need to get home and give these fellas some TLC

Allotment diary part 3: shoots

Monty was right. The bucket-on-the-rhubarb technique works a treat, though I probably shouldn't be taking it off for the sake of a photograph. A couple more weeks and I think it will be ready for consumption.

We planted potatoes this weekend! The first time we have planted anything in the back bed of our allotment. This feels like real progress. We also have these lovely leeks doing well. The man with amazing allotment next to us gave these to us as seedlings late last year. He is really generous and doesn't laugh too much at our sporadic efforts. When these leeks are ready I'm going to make a big pot of leek and potato soup and pretend I'm at home with my mum who makes the best leek and potato soup in the world.

The first of the seeds I planted last week are already sprouting and I've kept to my strict seed sowing schedule (kale this week). I'm going to run out of space in my living room soon.

The sun came out this week for my front and back photos. Hopefully in a couple of weeks you'll be able to see a real difference.

Allotment diary part 2: progress

It may not look like it but we have already made progress on the allotment. We bought new/old shears at Homestuff with History (one of my favourite shops), we dug over the back bed again fine combing for roots and pesky weeds and I planted the first seeds. Planting seeds got me very excited mainly because I got to use these lovely coloured markers. 

As is my sad, significantly-over-30 way I was watching Gardener's World on Friday night. Monty told me I should put a bucket over my rhubarb to force it to produce beautiful pink shoots. So of course, I put a bucket over my rhubarb. I adore Monty. He is just so deliciously soothing after a week of work. Oh and I also planted sweet peas. Monty told me it was time. I was powerless to resist.

Allotment diary part 1: spring clean

I have a drawer full of perfectly swirled socks, leggings and tights. It's all the fault of a brilliant if slightly mad book I read last week. I threw out half my wardrobe and made sure my clothes were feeling "happy" in their drawers (you really have to read it).  The joy of the contented socks and the early spring sunshine went to my head and I skipped down to the allotment to continue the digging we started last week. 

We were neglectful of the allotment last year. We grew a few things, potatoes of course, but we never seemed to get to grips with our little patch. This year, inspired by my sock success, is going to be different. I'm going to document our progress here. At the moment it's a lot of bare earth:

Looking from the front (out of control sage bush) to the back (by the fence and compost bin) sides marked out by the freshly dug boundaries.

The allotment from the back fence. This is the first time we have dug the back bed. The new annexe.

 

 

 

 

Memorial to a broken spade. You served us well.