Category Archives: Allotment

Biodynamics and Hope

Posted on May 14, 2017 by Ruth Paris

Having applied a biodynamic horn manure preparation to the soil some weeks ago, I now imagine a sparkling invisible web of life enlivening the huerto… “Spring drew on, and a greenness grew over those brown beds, which, freshening daily, suggested … Continue reading →

Posted in Allotment, greenhouse, pigeons, sweet peas | Tagged biodynamics, greenhouse, hope, horn manure, quince, spring, tomatoes | Comments Off

blossom

Posted on April 11, 2017 by Ruth Paris

Posted in Allotment, Shed | Tagged apple blossom, espalier apple, lilac blossom | 3 Comments

‘beach hut blue’ this year

Posted on April 2, 2017 by Ruth Paris

Although propitious for planting roots and flowers today, my lunar calendar warned of the ‘worst Saturn‘ aspect so I contented myself with a short inspection of the emerging asparagus and then set to work on the shed. I much prefer … Continue reading →

Posted in Allotment, painted shed, Shed | 4 Comments

seeds and auriculas

Posted on March 31, 2017 by Ruth Paris

Acquiring the greenhouse has set in motion other developments: I’m now also the proud owner of a heated propagator and have been busy planting seeds today, now that the moon is waxing again. The various old tins and boxes in … Continue reading →

Posted in Allotment, auricula | Tagged auriculas, heated propagator, moon phase planting | 2 Comments

greenhouse (contd) & black gold

Posted on March 25, 2017 by Ruth Paris

A trip to the glazier sorted out the broken panel and after a lot of pinging of fiddly wire springs and throbbing fingers the greenhouse is fully glazed – & washed inside and out. A kind addition to the ebay … Continue reading →

Posted in Allotment | Tagged black gold, flower sprouts, greenhouse | 5 Comments

greenhouse – the story so far…

Posted on March 21, 2017 by Ruth Paris

You can infer the drama between images… (paving slab cutting with mallet and chisel in particular being left to your imagination – a horrid job; no wonder Jude the Obscure was such a misery) Then there was a rather nasty … Continue reading →

Posted in Allotment, greenhouse | Tagged eBay, greenhouse, greenhouse base, slab laying, tree lopping | 4 Comments

snowdrops and a new leaf mould path

Posted on February 18, 2017 by Ruth Paris

Transplanted from my parents’ garden a couple of years ago, these clumps of snowdrops are a lovely welcome to the allotment site, planted underneath my damson tree. A productive day, and a delightfully warm one, sufficiently so to have lunch … Continue reading →

Posted in Allotment, no dig, no dig method | Tagged boscobel rose, leaf mould, mulched path | 7 Comments

feed the soil, not the plant

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Ruth Paris

Still committed to the no-dig principle, I increased my order of composted manure to 30 sacks and managed myself to trundle them from the gate where they were delivered all the way down to plot number 10. Whew. I’ve now … Continue reading →

Posted in Allotment, no dig, no dig method | Tagged compost, mulch, no-dig allotment | 2 Comments

what I learned this year

Posted on December 18, 2016 by Ruth Paris

As I shovelled this year’s precious harvest of compost from the bin to mulch the raised beds, I pondered the allotment year that’s ending and what I have learned: >> The no-dig method has completely won me over, supported by … Continue reading →

Posted in Allotment, no dig method, peas, pigeons, strawberries | Tagged golden beetroot, morello cherry, no-dig allotment, salvia amistad | 4 Comments

cornucopia

Posted on October 24, 2016 by Ruth Paris

Posted in Allotment, allotment recipes | Tagged cavolo nero, chard, spinach, ushiki kuri | 2 Comments

autumn update

Posted on October 3, 2016 by Ruth Paris

A gorgeous day. The salvia ‘Amistad’ I planted among the roses has taken over! I hadn’t realised quite how big it would grow… it clearly likes the situation. Along with jerusalem artichoke flowers, tulbaghia violacea and verbena bonariensis it makes … Continue reading →

Posted in Allotment, asparagus bed | Tagged asparagus bed, oca, red sweetcorn, salvia, verbena | 1 Comment

Cosmos

Posted on August 24, 2016 by Ruth Paris

Cosmos is the universe perceived as a complex yet orderly system; the opposite of chaos. Which is the aspiration at the start of each season for my own little piece of it. However, by this time of year, it tends … Continue reading →

Posted in Allotment | Tagged beans, Chaos, Complex system, cosmos, tomatoes, yellow raspberries | Comments Off

seaweed, cosmos, asparagus et al

Posted on August 16, 2016 by Ruth Paris

At last it seems the asparagus bed may be taking off. Another large top dressing of seaweed from West Wittering seems to have really helped and new shoots are arriving almost every day now. Perhaps next year there may be … Continue reading →

Posted in Allotment, asparagus bed, cosmos, onions, sweet peas | Tagged asparagus bed, cosmos, seaweed top dressing, sweet peas, texan onions from seed | 1 Comment

amazing what a bit of warmth can do

Posted on July 22, 2016 by Ruth Paris

Posted in Allotment | 2 Comments

ah, now I remember what it’s all for!

Posted on July 7, 2016 by Ruth Paris

Posted in Allotment, allotment recipes, onions, peas, produce, strawberries, sweet peas | Tagged baby broad beans, charlotte potatoes, mangetout golden sweet, mangetout shiraz, raspberries, shallots, yellow courgettes | 2 Comments

poppy

Posted on July 2, 2016 by Ruth Paris

How poignant that on the 100 year anniversary of the calamitous inception of the Battle of the Somme, this reprieved self-seeded poppy should finally reveal its sanguineous colour.

Posted in Allotment | 1 Comment

sunday best

Posted on June 27, 2016 by Ruth Paris

The allotment judges will be doing their rounds soon so I assuaged my post-referendum bleakness with a weekend of tidying. It’s not so much a desire to ‘win’ – more a sense of wanting my beloved huerto to be looking … Continue reading →

Posted in Allotment, peas | Tagged asparagus, box hedging, courgettes, crimson flowered broad beans, gooseberries, lettuce, quince, Real Seed Company, strawberries, tomatoes | 6 Comments

early summer promise

Posted on June 10, 2016 by Ruth Paris

This gallery contains 12 photos.

If you click on an image you can see the detail better. Particularly pleased with the gooseberries this year. And the red sweetcorn is starting to grow…

More Galleries | Tagged allotment, brassica cage, gooseberries, hanging basket, onions, strawberries, sweet peas, sweetcorn, tomatoes

pigeons, peas and red sweetcorn

Posted on May 31, 2016 by Ruth Paris

After such a good start and me feeling all pleased with the peas and pretty birch structures, Nature has struck back in the form of pigeons who have pretty well demolished all the healthy young plants. Windmills are clearly not … Continue reading →

Posted in Allotment, peas, pigeons | Tagged Alan Kapuler, Double Red Sweetcorn, Peace Seeds | 4 Comments

progress

Posted on May 7, 2016 by Ruth Paris

With a bit of warmth things are progressing well, and some nice leeks and psb for supper. More seeds planted today: beetroot Chioggia / Cheltenham Green Top and yellow cylindrical as well as a white variety; two Turkish chillis Urfa … Continue reading →

Posted in Allotment | Tagged Aci Sivri, Cheltenham Green Top, purple basil, Rocquencourt, Urfa Biber | 4 Comments