Category Archives: Allotment

tucked in for winter & onion sets planted

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underground treasures

Just in time, which means just before the rain arrived in earnest, I got the onions safely into the shed, the red ones strung rather inexpertly along the shelf. Note also the very useful Spanish hand tool bought in the … Continue reading

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summer’s lease hath all too short a date

The last allotment flowers of summer 2013… the scent of roses is gorgeous!

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new toad & mellow fruitfulness

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late roses & leek planting

Today brought a lovely late flush of the rose ‘James Galway”, perfect for the delicate two-tiered glass vase I bought from Stamford antique market. The rest of the rose bushes are somewhat lost amid the purple haze of verbena which … Continue reading

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various alliums

Just as the newly shorn golden fields on the outskirts of my village are redolent of this time of year, so in its own small way is the onion patch showing off its harvest. The red & white onions, shallots … Continue reading

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hyacinth beans & ripening tomatoes

I nearly missed it, this first flowering of the lablab purpurea  ‘Ruby Moon’ that I had planted as a weedy little seedling at the edge of the sweet pea trench planted to grow up the new archway. But here it … Continue reading

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bees abuzzing

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It’s lovely to see and hear so many busy bees over recent days. And different varieties too. There seem to be an increasing number of big fuzzy bumble bees alongside the other smaller ones, all buzzily going about their buzziness… … Continue reading

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allotment show success

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a productive day

I particularly like the Spanish marmalade jar, bought in anticipation of this very purpose. I also made this wee hat today (with lots of hand washing to avoid jammy stickiness!) – it was rather fiddly to do on circular needles … Continue reading

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self-seeded verbena bonariensis? – yes, it was!

the evidence

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high summer abundance

Suddenly it’s all happening and the huerto takes longer to harvest than to maintain. The most delightful surprise from a culinary point of view for me has been the golden cylindrical beetroot, which has grown huge and yet, to my … Continue reading

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allotment supper – before & after

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now that’s more like it!

  So at last the sunshine is well and truly here. And everything is starting to look abundant and as imagined back in the cold days of hope and muddy hard work! I’m particularly pleased with the stripey tigerella tomato … Continue reading

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Paint Job

the newly painted shed – 3 coats later

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broad beans – first harvest

The broad bean harvest was an eclectic business – I’d planted several varieties; the inevitable Aquadulce Claudia (planted in January indoors) then Crimson Flowered and Imperial Green Longpod (which lived up to its name), Witkiem Manita and some other little … Continue reading

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first strawberries

first strawberries from hanging basket

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Fruitful Developments

Despite the lack of sunshine, there are now some signs of fruit beginning to ripen. Some tantalising strawberries are reddening in the hanging baskets (the ones in the ground are still quite green, though prolific, in amongst the jostling raspberries, … Continue reading

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Seedlings or Weeds?

In the rose bed, of the 3 verbena bonariensis bought from Wisley last year, one is putting up nice new growth, one is definitely a goner and one might just be feebly coming back. So I had been thinking of … Continue reading

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rain, slugs & a present from Rosie Rose

So, despite the rain and the cold and the slugs… the beans are in. As are the tomatoes, florence fennel, courgettes, squashes and lettuces. Also more lettuces and a new row of celery, courtesy of my friend Julia. In fact, … Continue reading

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