Wednesday 16 July 2014

July at the allotment

It's not looking particularly pretty at the allotment at the moment.  A week away and not enough hours down there mean there are weeds, and for some reason I don't seem to have enough produce growing.  But let's have a look round anyway.




These are radish seed pods.  If your radishes bolt and flower, fear not, the pods are just as delicious.  Some of them were really peppery.  Perfect in salads and stir fries.


Tigerella tomatoes.  I've never managed to grow these successfully before, so I'm quite excited.  They should be nice and stripy when they're ripe.


The beautifully neat plot in the background isn't mine.  I've no idea how people stay on top of the weeds, it's impressive.  The other plot next to me has been taken in hand as well.  The new plotholder cleared it in about three days, and that's immaculate too now.  Which makes mine look even scruffier.  But hey, I have flowers!


And the beginnings of some courgettes.  This one is tromboncino, which is oddly shaped - bent and bulbous at the end.  It's a climbing one and I've grown it in amongst runner beans before now.




The sweetcorn is doing well.  The middle boy has grown ordinary corn (Sundance I think) and the littlest boy has popping corn (Fiesta) from the James Wong range.  I've heard that the badgers wait until the cobs are perfectly ripe, then they demolish every last plant and leave not so much as a niblet.  I have a cunning plan though.  I'll pick the corn the very day before the badgers eat them, thus thwarting their evil plans.  Imagine how sad the little people would be if the badgers win.  The pressure is on to get it right.



There's a squash or two rambling about the place.  Ukichi Kuri and Queensland Blue I think.  Does anyone else have trouble with disappearing labels?  I think I need some bigger ones, the tiny ones I use just seem to get lost.  Sometimes I find labels from the plotholder who used to have the land.  It's intriguing to see what things and what varieties he grew.  He had the plot for 45 years, so he must have picked up a trick or two.

Shall we venture up to the wild(est) end of the plot?  It's where the fruit lives.  And probably the wild things too.

I'm wondering if this Japanese wineberry is ever going to do anything.  It's had these fuzzy buds on it for ages, without anything happening.


Gooseberries and blackcurrants ripe for the picking.  I took some gooseberries home, the blackcurrants will have to wait for another day.  There aren't as many this year, maybe last year was exceptional.  In fact I still have some of last year's blackcurrants in the freezer.  We had far more than we needed really.  I'm thinking about cordial.



This is the plot as viewed from the shed.  Under the enviromesh there are six sprout plants that I got from the "Free Stuff" area at the top of the site.  I've not grown sprouts before, and I'm hoping for a little crop for Christmas lunch.



The little lavender is flowering and attracting bees.  A nice touch on a fairly rampant plot.  The weeds are growing like mad.  I relied on the forecast of a possible heavy shower and didn't do any watering today, so of course it has stayed dry.  So everything is in dire need of a drink as well.


I'd like to put in some French beans and maybe one or two other things as well.  There's some space now where potatoes and onions have been harvested.  The plot needs to be a bit more productive if possible.  The carrots and beetroots I sowed failed, which is disappointing.  I don't seem to be able to grow things directly in the ground.  If I put in small plants I stand a much better chance.  I'm not sure why.  It all works for Monty Don, it's very frustrating.

As from the end of the week I'll have three little helpers with me on plot visits.  I'm considering offering cash for weeds.  Is this a viable plan do you think?  They are still a bit obsessed with World Cup stickers.  If I offer 1p per weed, then for every fifty weeds they can buy a pack of stickers.  Or is this kind of bribery considered to be psychologically damaging these days?  I never know what I'm supposed to be doing.

Thank you for all of your sweet comments about the feathery thing.  It was back to wellies today.  I'll get the biggest boy to take a welly photo of me in the holidays, to balance things out.  I never intended to have a blog with no photos of me on it, but I so rarely have pictures of myself to share that it's somehow turned out that way.  Must try harder.  Again.

25 comments:

  1. Whoa, your sweetcorn are doing brilliantly, not a tassel to be seen here.
    Let me know if the cash for weeds thing works. I may have to go out in search of small boys. 1p sounds like a good rate of exchange too, especially for a dandelion. There are dandelions here that could pass for triffids.

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  2. Gadzooks.. I have been swimming and going to the beach and I missed commenting on your last posts! I disagree with your middle and older boy on your feathery hat. I think you look like royalty and very pretty. Loved your garden pix.. we don't have any veggies in our garden.. much to my chagrin. Each year I say.. maybe next year? ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  3. What in the world is a tromboncino hahah They are weird looking. You have so many things growing! I wish I could go to an allotment (I've never even heard of those before) and just stand in the middle of all that growth. So many different people growing different things in different ways. It's probably so lovely.

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  4. It looks way better than pretty to me - it looks gorgeous with all that green life bursting out everywhere. Even green grass paths! What a joy to stop by here. I will come back.

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  5. Love the look of those stripy tomatoes - I've never tried growing those but I'm quite tempted now. 'Cash for weeds' is an excellent plan - everyone's a winner!

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  6. It looks great to me and I did read somewhere that a few weeds protect the plants so not to have clear earth like your neighbour is probably better. Maybe he/she has used lots of chemicals to get it like that. At least you won't have extra weeds coming across onto your plot. We used to grow Tigerella tomatoes and they were delicious. I am so envious of all your produce and that first photo would make a lovely calendar picture. Hope the extra helpers work well however yu manage to briube them. I'd say it's a good idea as long as they don't get too carried away and cost you a fortune pulling up veggies in their enthusiasm. I am sure you will look just as lovely in your wellies.

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  7. I like the cash for weeds idea! I wonder if I could find someone to come and weed if I paid them per weed, they could earn quite a bit I reckon!! xx

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  8. Looks like you have a lot going on allotment wise! The sweet corn looks great, I was so disappointed by mine last year I haven't attempted any this year, in fact I haven't grow too many veggies this year, all that heavy rain washed any early seeds/seedlings away or the mice got them - jolly world of gardening isn't it?? But at least it's always different!

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  9. Cash for weeds I like that idea, and no I don't think it is bribery at all! Your allotment is amazing so productive how satisfying. I wouldn't worry about weeds tho' if they don't grow there must be something wrong with the soil. Your soil must be in good condition to have so lots if weeds growing in it!

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  10. We paid by the pail full rather than count individual weeds. 'The Labourer is worthy of his hire.' And if one of them picks lots and earns a lot it's a good example of earning your daily bread. We had one who would do most any chore for funds - didn't spend much - just liked having it - and when he left home he had a nice bank account to pave the way.

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  11. As always a most enjoyable post, and terrific photos.
    I think that you're being a hard on yourself as it looks and sounds like you're doing okay on the plot. Try sowing some more carrots now, as I'm going to do.
    I would pay them per job rather than per weed as it'll save you having to count them!
    Happy plotting! Flighty xx

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  12. I think you have lots there, don't be so hard on yourself. I'm growing Fiesta corn too & its huge, I have some cobs on it too albeit little ones, so far I'm really pleased with it. Cash for weeds sounds a super idea, go for it.

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  13. You have a fair amount of produce I would say! Those tomatoes are going to be great and you have tons of squash! Several years ago we found a couple of gooseberry plants in our yard - its so exciting when you discover things from previous people's lives. (Gooseberries do not grow wild here, so they were planted at some point.)

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  14. Love the look of that weird shaped courgette. I'd love to try one of those.
    I try my best to label plants correctly but never manage it. I've somehow got two yellow courgettes mixed up. Sunbeam and Atena Polka are the varieties and one has a fancy cream stripe to it which I now think is Sunbeam but I've labelled it Atena Polka. That phrase must try harder comes to mind.

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  15. Your allotment looks lovely, and believe me we all have weeds, you should see my yard! You looked spectacular in your dress, the feathery thing and those shoes! Oh my I want a pair of those right now. Boys are boys, if you look good they simply can't tell you that because you are their Mom, it isn't allowed.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  16. Those tomatoes. Wonderful! I have no (success) luck with tomatoes. Your allotment looks like its working hard!

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  17. I love the gooseberry and currant pictures. I am wary of saying what's bribery and what isn't as a parent. Honestly, I vacillate on what's acceptable for my own kid more than "you're supposed to". but hey I never said I was a good parent!

    I am kind of obsessed with World Cup stickers, more than my son. Should I send you my doubles?

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  18. I would absolutely offer cash for weeds. We do that kind of thing sometimes. I think that if you make them do it for free as often as you pay, or slightly more often, there isn't any harm. You've got a lot growing there now, I love the look of the tomatoes especially.

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  19. I see so many goodies growing in your plot friend!!! It all looks lovely if you ask me!! And yes offering money for weeds is such a fair deal!! Happy gardening lady!!! Nicole xo

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  20. if that's your garden 'not looking pretty" - wow, well i'm not looking forward to it when it's looking great! there may be weeds but all i see is lush green abundance (and i'm green with envy).

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  21. Your garden looks quite nice to me! And, I think it is brilliant to trade weeding for some stickers. That's not bribery ....it's working for pay. ;-)

    The weeds have taken over my lawn here. I worked a bit today to save the pepper plants from the deer, repot some orchids and try and save my bat plant from the snails/slugs. Next week ---- it's weeding time. Do you think I could borrow a boy or two?

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  22. Wow, your plot is looking so good! So much variety. I love the gardening experts that just smother the weeds with mulch rather than spend time pulling them out :-)

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  23. Okay there are weeds but hey there is so much fabulous food and flowers too!! What amazing rich colours in your photos ;)

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  24. Well I think you have a lot of produce here! I am very impressed - all that goodness, just there for the picking. And all that hard work paying off. You say you should try harder. Really, I think you do a pretty amazing job as it is! xx

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  25. I'm quite jealous of your wonderful plot! I'm sure your lovely veg and flowers are distracting enough to not really see the weeds. And our Japanese wineberry is the same, I seem to remember from last year that the fruits come quite quickly after the buds open, and definitely later than the blackcurrants and gooseberries. They are small and a bit sticky to touch, but lovely in taste.

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