Leighton Lottie

Will it or won't it snow ??

2010-11-29T19:31:00.002Z

Well it snowed a bit here on Saturday night but nothing that settled really. They say that we should get a good dose this evening but we will wait and see. It was -2 degrees celsius at 17:30 this afternoon and dropping....

Some of my knitting completed.

2008-11-26T19:21:00.004Z

Well I eventually managed to get some of my completed jobs photographed and I post them here at last. These are all projects that I have made for Kirsty's 18th Birthday tomorrow. I know that the colours are BRIGHT but Kirsty just adores unusual socks and bright colours - so I had to make her ones that beat everything she could buy at a shop.

Andyne and Byron's hat and miser mittens have already been given and am still trying to get photos of them.

Stripes everywhere

2008-11-10T17:44:00.003Z

I have not been blogging for a while but thought that I would let you see the first quilting I have done in 4 years. I attended a workshop on Saturday, 8th November in Poole called "Stripes like Bridget" not knowing what to expect and was pleasantly surprised by the result. I have decided to make some new cushion covers for my lounge. Here is a picture of my version of stripes. It is the blue, grey and floral block.

If I ever get a a chance to see Bridget's paintings I will definitely do so. She started her stripe painting in 1962 and only finished many years later - so I don't feel so bad about some of my UFO's hiding in the cupboard.

I am also going to a quilting workshop in Weymouth at the end of November called "Around the World" at Pauline's Patchwork which I am really looking forward to. I think that it is going to be really challening and tiring - I have never made a quilt top in a week-end. Mmmh - what have I signed myself up for?? Mom and I have decided to make a week-end of it and stay in Weymouth so it will be a nice break for her to get to meet all her old cronies.

Another productive week-end!

2008-10-14T19:35:00.006+01:00

The photos above show a couple of the flowers I had on the lottie this year including the lovely sweet pea wigwam above. The date on the photos is wrong as the camera keep going back to the original setting and I'm too challenged to change the date every time I take a photo. I had months of lovely bunches of flowers in the lounge - not to mentioned the delicious smell which wafted through the whole house. The nastirtiums in the photos are mainly self sown and are making a bid to take over the lottie - I will have to get them in hand next spring and be brutal in weeding the seedlings. The dahlia and cosmos flower bed which I started this year has been very productive and I think that this year instead of lifting all the dahlia tubers I am going to give them a good mulch and protect them with cardboard and fleece and leave them in the ground over winter. Hopefully they won't rot off.

Well - I managed to get down to the lottie on Sunday at about 11:00 and DH got out the lawn mover and did a lovely job of cutting all the grass. It is amazing how much better the lottie looks when the grass has been mown. I'm sure that DH hopes this is the last cut of the season ! (Fingers crossed - last year we ended up cutting the lawn almost all winter).

The SA corn has been very slow in maturing this year so after harvesting only four immature cobs I have decided to leave the rest on the plants and see if this last burst of lovely weather will finally ripen them. I find that sometimes nature seems to catch up in a last spurt of energy. If not, I think that it will be the last time I use these and will start using UK seed. I have also left a hubbard squash on the vine hoping that it can get a bit bigger as all the other squash has already been eaten - so I do not have a lovely stock like I did last year. I notice there are quite a few baby squash on the vine as well so will leave those and hopefully they will get to a decent size before the first frosts strike!

I cleared out the last of the beetroot in the raised bed, I was quite amazed as the bed looked quite empty but right now I have a decent pot of beetroot cooking away for me to bottle. Yummy - something to eat with all those lovely stews over the long, cold winter. I then manured it with chicken manure pellets and popped the garlic and some overwintering shallots in it. The broad beans I planted a couple of weeks ago are a couple of inches tall now so I have placed some fleece covering over the raised bed to protect the baby plants from the frost. I will have to keep checking and staking them as my lottie gets a lot of wind rushing through. I have tried planting raspberries across the bed last year but I think it will be a year or two more until they can create a decent wind barrier.

I also took the protective mesh off the early sprouting broccoli (white and purple), and the cauliflowers, then weeded the bed and staked the plants. I also then re-netted the whole bed with mesh to protect my brassicas from the flying rats!(pigeons) they are an absolute pest down at the lottie.

Also managed to clear out the last of the tomatoes out the greenhouse - leaving me with about 2 kgs of green tomatoes. Guess which recipe I will be digging out of my collection?? - Yes, green tomatoes chutney!!

DH erected the table to go in the greenhouse for all my precious little babies to overwinter safely and I have already got my autumn sown sweet peas, cleome and a couple of other seeds planted after reading SR's book saying that she got a better performance out of them if they were winter sown. I will keep you posted on the outcome! If anyone wants some home saved sweet peas give me a shout and I'll pop some into the post for you. Can't remember what kind they are but mainly peach, pink, lilac, magenta/purple but he smell was absolutely divine this year.

What a Rainy Week-end!

2008-10-06T15:41:00.002+01:00

Well at least the wet week-end got me to stay housebound and get a couple of baking jobs done. Jacquie came over and we managed to get a batch of soetkoekies, romany creams and rusk (biscotti) done to last a good couple of months.

Last week-end I managed to get all the japanese onions planted - both bulbs and some seedling that I purchased. I am going to do a comparison and see which one is the better performer. I tried to plant Japanese onions from seed last year with dismal failings. Watch this space.

Also got the gemsquash bed cleared out with about 2 dozen squashes retrieved for storage. Did a quick clear out, remanured it with chicken pellets and then sowed the broad beans. I find that my autumn planted ones are harvested before the dreadful black fly attached - twice now I have had my spring sewn broad bean crops dessimated with black fly.

Summer 2008 Overview - The Good, the bad and the ugly

2008-09-29T15:50:00.001+01:00

This year, despite the weather office saying that this August has been the wettest and most miserable since 1942! – it has been very good for me on the allotment – despite the little time I have managed to spend there between all the visitors but we had a decent crop of garlic, shallots, potatoes, French green beans and tons of tomatoes!! I have processed about 10kgs of tomatoes for the deepfreeze. I have liquidised them, oven roasted them and whizzed them into pasta sauces and even made tomato soup and still they keep coming!! If anyone wants some seeds of the “Peacevine” tomato which has been the best producer this year let me know and I will pop some over ot you. It is an old heirloom variety which I got from a seed swap and comes from the Victorian era - I have been really impressed with it. We also got a good crop of gem squash and about 4 lovely big Hubbard squash. My mielies have still not fruited yet – they are quite late, but I am sure that we will get some good mielies as they are looking very healthy.

My green peppers and aubergines have been a disaster as have the melons – I do not think that I will try them again next year – a waste of time and effort. I must get Ron to bring me some more seed back with him in December – I have no more mielie nor hubbard squash seeds left. I also harvested my first load of Swiss Chard last Saturday and managed to get half the potatoes lifted and all my leeks in – a bit late but we have had really good rain since Sunday I am sure that they will catch up.

What a crazy Summer

2008-09-29T15:45:00.004+01:00

We just got Jacquie and Mom and the kids settled int otheir new home and just managed to get everything cleaned up and back in its place and my sister Debbie came over for a month to visit us from New Zealand.

It has been really lovely having this time to catch up and get to know each other again. We have been very busy as Debbie and I went to London for four days and did all the touristy things and then the ladies popped over to France for the week-end to see a friend of mine. In the end poor Jacquie could not go as her passport was in with the children’s Visa applications. We had hoped to have it back by the time the trip came around.

Debbie really enjoyed her visit and I think she managed to charge her batteries up. She had been looking after Krystal’s son (4 years old), Seth full time almost for the last 9 months and was really worn out. I know why the Lord gives us children when we are younger! I think if I had to have a baby now I would either eat it, or put it down and forget where I left it!!

I was thinking after Debbie went home how really sad it is that we loose touch with each other not living close. Only now I appreciate how much fun it was growing up with all our cousins – going fishing and camping together etc. Now I am sure that I would walk past my cousins children in the street and not know who they were – for that matter I think I could walk past some of my cousins and not know them either! Although at the time when we were growing up with all the squabbles and fights you wished you were an only child.

Brownsea Island and the Merchant of Venice

2008-07-25T09:16:00.002+01:00

Week 31 – Friday, 25th July 2008

Well the weather turned out lovely for Wednesday evening for our trip to Brownsea Island and the play of “Merchant of Venice”. The trip over on the ferry was lovely as they did a bit of a tour of Poole harbour and its surrounds. Once there, everyone sprawled out on the grass with their picnic baskets whilst the geese, peacock and chickens prowled the parameters for any titbits.

I only got a slight glimpse of one red squirrel’s tail as it scurried up a tree, but the main impression that I got was that they were definitely much smaller than the grey ones. There was also a lovely video showing at the hide about them. I can now understand why so many people call the common garden grey ones “tree rats” – what a pity that the poor little red ones are almost now existent around the UK.

The show itself was lovely and the costumes were exquisite. At times the sound was not as good as it could have been when the actors were faced away from us. All in all it turned out to be a lovely night out albeit that I only got home past 12pm! The moon on the way back to Poole harbour was wonderful, looking like a big, yellow slice of leftover cheese. I took pictures but will download them this week-end and see if any of them actually captured it properly.

Baby its hot out there

2008-07-23T10:28:00.002+01:00

Week 31 – Wednesday, 23rd July 2008

The hot weather is holding well and it looks like it will last until the week-end at least. I am planning on having a lottie party on Saturday and Sunday and have invited everyone along to get the weeds under control. Ron has said that he will barbeque some sausages and hamburger patties for anyone who turns up. The lottie has really had to take a back step with everything going on lately. But I am sure that by the end of the week-end it will be beaten back into submission. I also need to clear out the old pea bushes and their frames and get the rest of the leeks in for those lovely winter soups.

Although the hubbard squash has been attempting to take over the lottie for some time now – the little fruits seem to start growing and then become yellow and drop off. I have even hand pollinated two of them so that I could keep seed this year and they are also not looking that great. This time last year I already had a couple of decent size ones. I so wanted to enter one into the Lottie Show on 9th August, but it does not seem that I will be able to.

My Peacevine tomatoes are however doing very well and although very green at the moment, are lovely sizes. Maybe they will ripen in time for me to enter some into the show. I have been very impressed with these heirloom tomatoes and got them from my HSL swop this year. I will definitely be drying some seeds and distributing them far and wide to keep this heirloom alive. Only hope that they taste as good as they look.

This evening I am going to Brownsea Island to see the “Merchant of Venice” with a couple of girls from work. I am really looking forward to it as I have never been to Brownsea Island nor seen the play. I am also really looking forward to seeing live red squirrels and I do love the little grey ones that visit my back garden even though most people call them “grey rats”.

I even managed to remember my binoculars (as we are seated right up at the far back left) so not sure how much I will actually be able to see and hear. At least if I cannot see or hear anything I can wander (with my eyes and binoculars) around the scenery. I also packed my camera and will definitely be taking some lovely photos – so hopefully I can put some lovely photos up. So armed with my raincoat and anti-mosquito I am ready for anything.

Laminating and Painting?

2008-07-22T13:41:00.002+01:00

Week 31 - Tuesday, 22nd July 2008

Now that all the family are settled in their own place, Ron and I went to look at some paint and laminate flooring. Everyone tells us how easy laying laminate is, but I am not so sure. I think possibly murder would be a good option once we got started! Why is it that men NEVER read the instructions before they start?? Anyway, we decided that we would do the front entrance and the bathroom which is only about 4 square metres in all and if we get that done easily enough, we will then do the lounge and passage. We also got a lovely Beech floorboarding - so fingers crossed we manage to lay it easily and that it looks half decent.

I have also decided on the paint colours I want to redo the house in, but I think there is little chance that Ron will buy and repaint the whole downstairs before Debbie arrives on 3rd August. So unless Debs gets a huge spurt of power and wants to tackle it I do not see much happening until the end of August – mid September 2008.

Managed to pop down to the lottie and water the greenhouse - just as well as the tomatoes there were wilting it has been so hot. Also picked about another pound of french beans and gave them a good drink of water. I will prepare them and blanch them for the deep freeze. The swiss chard that I transplanted a couple of weeks ago it looking strong and healthy - only hope that they don't start bolting with this heat ad I want them to go thorugh the winter. Also need to transplant another tray of them once I have managed to lift all the potatoes on the week-end.

When I got home Tez and Kirsty had not only mown the lawn, but also run the hoover over the downstairs and cooked Spagbol! I could get use to this kind of treatment.
I made a potato salad for dinner tonight and Tez will spice and pop the chicken into the oven this afternoon for me. It is just too hot for slaving over the stove. Then I have some strawberries and cream for puds! No, not home grown – they have all been eaten and did not even make it to the kitchen. I must admit I bought them from Sainsbury’s on Sunday.

The great move is over....

2008-07-22T13:40:00.000+01:00

Week 31 – Sunday, 20th July 2008

The move this week-end went much better than I had expected. We managed to get the keys early on Friday evening and ended up getting quite a bit of cleaning done. The house, despite the owner’s best efforts, was still a bit of a tip. That’s the problem with having tenants in your property. I however managed to get the whole conservatory, walls, floors and all cleaned but the skin on my hands is starting to peel off – I just cannot wear gloves as they aggravate me no end! So it’s my own fault. We cleaned until 23:00 and then called it a day.

We then started at around 09:30 on Saturday morning and did not stop until about 16:00 when I called it a day and went home - I was almost dropping with fatigue. Maureen also came over to help us out and she went through the house like a devil.

We went past on Sunday afternoon for some tea and cookies and they are almost all settled. They still need to find homes for things but the worst is over. But the house is really looking good now. Ella donated a whole lot of her lovely garden pots to them and there is a particularly lovely peach / orange loose leaf, open face dahlia which I am itching to get my hands on some of its bulb for my collection. Absolutely lovely!

Nightjars and Glow-worms

2008-07-18T08:45:00.004+01:00

Week 30 – Friday, 18th July 2008

Mom and I went on the Guided Nightjar Walk at Sopley Common – our first ever. Our little intrepid band of 13 turned up with Nigel Brooks leading the motley crew. One thing Mom and I realised at the outset is that we were sorely unprepared. Mom did not bring a rain mac and we brought no insect repellent whatsoever. However the Gods were kind to us and despite a couple of spattering’s of rain, the heavy clouds that had been threatening all day did not open up and teach us a lesson.

It's amazing how many times we have ridden past this spot and never known that the heath lands exist, but I will definitely be coming back. Some of the group pointed out Hawkley tower in the distance and told us that use to a refinery and there is also power station there. The refinery apparently had now been mothballed..

Nigel gave us a bit of a talk advising us that they were starting to fight back the old forestry pines and silver birch that had begun to invade the heath lands and in a couple of years the landscape would be much different. There are a number of heathers growing on the heath lands – we saw apricot and pink varities.

We heard a Woodcock in the distance but did not manage to see it. We saw and heard a couple of Nightjar’s in the distance, but then when we moved higher up on the ridge, one Nightjar actually circled the group of us and then hovered above our heads. Boy it was lovely - a big thanks to Nigel and the Dorset Wildlife Trust.

If you want to see more information on this bird here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightjar. On the way down we managed to see 2 glow-worms. I looked the information up and this is a wonderful UK site : http://www.galaxypix.com/glowworms/. Needless to say I slept like a baby.

Guess what's at the top of my Santa List this year?

2008-07-17T14:53:00.004+01:00

I am probably deliciously naive in my thinking at this stage It’s the taking responsibility for it that’s firing me. I have just finished reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver which has been a real challenge for me to review my life style choices. Although I do have an allotment and buy my free range eggs from "Ron the Chicken Man" down the allotment road from me - I have always hankered to have chickens of my own. My Dad had them when I was a child - for eggs and table - mostly bantams and some silkies.

I have done some homework and have found a supplier close by who supplies live chicks and poulets @ £8 each (two weeks old). I would therefore not have to have the poor things posted to me. I shudder to think of the state they would arrive in even knowing that they can survive for three days without food.

I would like to have some heirloom breeds (to keep the breeds alive) - and this is where I would like some input from you all. I have chosen the breeds that I think I will be interested in are but any input of experiences would be appreciated:

Chickens for Eggs :
Large :
Sussex / New Hampshire Red / Cochin / Orpington / Scots Grey and Boven Marans (x breed which I believe lay well in the winter months - from the same supplier).

Bantams :
Orpington, Scots Grey, Plymouth Rock
I also like the Faverolles (which originate from France) and are also a good dual bird e.g. table and eggs. I am looking at dual as when the chickens start slowing down on the laying I would possibly look at harvesting them for the table. Sorry if I offend anyone in this thinking but I am trying to be practical. However, the jury is out on that one and I do not know if I would have the guts to actually kill them.

Turkey for Christmas :

The only kind he provides is Norfolk Bronze Turkey - anyone got any other breeds that are heirloom that they have tried and found better? I have already checked with my council and they say I could easily have chickens at home. The one problem I might have is a rooster. I want to get three females and a rooster so that I can start making my own little chickens. I am not sure if I will get large or bantam - can any one advise me on the size of the eggs which is the better option - as I do want the eggs mainly.

My allotment does allows us to keep chickens - but I only have 5 rods with three fruit trees so not much space there. Oh, decisions, decisions!! I am so tempted to jump in with both feet but just know that it is a big responsibility. Ideally I would like to attend a course but the only one I can find around these parts is Hugh Fernley W and he's expensive and a bit far away! Anyone know of something closer to Dorset/Hampshire that run decent courses?

I have seen a wonderful chicken house - see the picture above - (http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,43759.0.html) or see post at Allotments 4 All posted by IsleworthTW7 - returning to poultry) that I think is the kind that I would be prepared to put my chickens in. I wonder if I would be able to put chickens and a turkey in the same coop?

One guess what's on the top of my Christmas list to Santa this year!! Poor Santa - he almost definitely will not fit down the chimney this year.

Plants for Free

2008-07-17T14:22:00.001+01:00

Week 30 – Thursday, 17th July 2008

As it was a leaf day on Tuesday I managed to get the last sowings of coriander, parsley, basil and various lettuces done. Also split the peace lily that I rescued from Karen’s dustbin and managed to cut it into four new baby plants. Have potted them up and placed them on the greenhouse staging to recover. I will give one or two of the plants to Jacquie and Mom for their new house. I think their downstairs toilet with the sky light will make a good place for one of them.
Also see that the begonia pieces that I rescued off Geraldine’s plant before sending it to plant heaven has started shooting roots and will need to be potted up in the next day or so. The plant stand that I have offered to give Jacquie will need to be sanded down and repainted to make it half decent for them to use in the entrance. Whilst I am doing this I might as well do the hat/scarf stand at the same time!

Our summer baskets have started filling up really nicely now and are looking grand. I was a bit worried when we made them up as we use mostly home sown plants and looked a bit ragged. I only bought in three trays of plants for the fillers. I must say that I was really chuffed with myself when I managed to walk out the nursery with only the three. It was hard – but I did it!!

Hopefully the weather will stay decent so that we can attend that Guided NightJar Tour at Sopley Common this evening at 9pm. I found out about this tour from someone who visited my website. Whilst I was nosing around on Snowgoosey and Tattyanne’s site I picked up the information and did a google and voila – I found a guided tour just around the corner from me. I am really looking forward to it as I do not know a lot about UK birds and wildlife and need to increase my knowledge. I have even got Mother to agree to come along. The guide says that we might even see glow worms. Fingers crossed – and I will really try and take along my camera and get some shots if I can. Mmmhh!! now where did I put my binoculars??

Weeds 1 - Me Nil!

2008-07-17T10:38:00.002+01:00

Week 30 – Tuesday, 15th July 2008

Popped down to the lottie with Mom to water the greenhouse – the Peacevine and Brandywine tomatoes are doing very well and have very well formed, big fruits – still green but I can almost taste them! Got a couple more Sungold tomatoes off the bush – yummy! One of the Red Brandywine has started ripening so should be ready by the end of the week when I visit again. The chilli plants are not doing well this year and I have suffered loads of slug damage. None of the aubergines (inside or out) have any formed fruit yet but there is a flower or two – so fingers crossed I might even get some fruit this year. The melons have also all been munched by the slugs so I will be taking my last, precious plant down to the lottie on Friday to plant out and spread lots of organic slug pellets about to give it a fighting chance.

I also managed to get all the shallots harvested. It seems a bit early this year but all the plants had died down already and the slugs were starting to move in for the kill. So I pulled a decent harvest and have arranged them on racks in the lottie shed to dry out. I have two types of shallots this year – a small, golden type, which Dave from work gave me (not sure of the variety) - which I will use to make up some pickled onions and another one that I bought from the Potato Day in Whitchurch – also the name escapes me. On looking back on my earlier notes I did not seem to make a note of the name. Tsk! Tsk! I really need to get my labelling skills up to scratch.

The Sturon onions that I planted are not that great and only about 8 decent size. The rest seem small and undeveloped so I have decided to leave the smaller ones in for the time being and harvest later just in case they put on a final growth spurt. Their leaves are still green so fingers crossed!

The sweet pea wigwam is still flowering its socks off and for the last 6 weeks we have been picking large bunches of flowers at least twice a week. I will start slowing down by the end of August to allow the plant to set seed for next year. The colours and smell have really been heavenly and I really must try and remember to take my camera down so that I can post some pictures here.

When I went to feed the French beans, to my amazement I found that there were actually about a pound of beans once picked. I had not really seen any major flower action there and the plants do not seem as strong as last year but the beans lower down seem to have made it. I gave all the beans a good feed of seaweed and made a note the bean frame and its environs need a major weeding. I also harvested some lovely beetroot and once home managed to pickle 3 pounds of beetroot and blanched the French beans for the freezer. Just enough to either add to a stew or serve as a vegetable side dish. I am however sure that I will be adding to them shortly.

The Yellow Mange Tout that I planted also had a very slow start but is now really going wild. I think that I will stop harvesting now and allow the plant to set seed so that I have enough for next year.

As I have not been down to the lottie that often or for long periods I am afraid that the weeds are winning 1 – 0 at the moment. We will be moving Mom and Jacquie this week-end so do not think that I will manage a visit to the lottie as well. Will rally the troops together and set a definite date for the weekend of 26th/27th July to wage war on the weeds and whip the lottie back into shape. All the potatoes will also need lifting and the sweet potatoes need to be put in as well.

Review your Life - Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

2008-07-16T11:24:00.003+01:00

Week 30 – Sunday, 13th July 2008

Did not get too much done today and seemed really flat – all I managed was to get to church, have lunch and then went and laid on the bed to finish reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver which I have really enjoyed. I ended up having an afternoon siesta.

The book is really thought provoking and challenged me to review how I can change things about my choices, to think about the way I live and shop which can make a small difference to the world. A lot of the statistics in the book are really scary. I would really love to get my hands on a similar book but with UK stats and historical data. Must have a good look at the library next time I am in there.

There are also some lovely recipes in the book which I have copied off her website and will definitely be giving them a try - especially the bottled tomato sauce and antipasto. Her bits on her turkey adventures is really very funny and I must admit, I have started itching to try and get a turkey - or two - to raise for our Christmas dinner - especially since last year when our local butcher wanted to charge me £35 for a 4kg turkey. A bit pricey I think. So needless to say we had no turkey! I have started doing my homework and have even found a local poultry farm which sells rare breed chickens and turkeys (2 weeks old) for £8 each. So I have decided that when I get my second allotment, I will definitely think of getting some chickens for eggs and turkeys of my own. I have thought about the slaughtering part of the turkey but "I'll think about that tomorrow".

Holly Flops and Beheaded Sunflowers

2008-07-16T11:16:00.001+01:00

Week 29 - Saturday, 12th July 2008

Got stuck into the garden after finishing off the oven. Its kind of funny how you get this lovely sanctimonious feeling in the pit of your stomach when you have managed to do something that you have been putting off for months done!

I also gave the kitchen a good once over and hopefully got rid of that irritating little spider who insists on spinning webs in the corners of the kitchen window. I know that I love nature but the little blighter gives away the fact that I have not dusted so he really is not playing the game.

I managed to get some lovely strong 6 inch bamboo canes and got all the Holly Flops standing straight-ish and tied to within an inch of their lives. A couple of them have started looking a bit scraggly but I do not have the heart to cut them down yet. Planted out the Echinacea into the flower border where the Dicentra is starting to die down. I will also need to cut her back but am holding off until the last minute. Hopefully by then the Echincea will be giving a show that will ensure that I do not miss her. I cannot believe that from that small little pot I bought at Kingston Lacey at the first garden show I went to she has now become this huge shrub that dominates the bed from early Spring until mid Summer. She was my first plant I ever bought in the UK!

Wollygog – the black Sunflower that Byron has been nursing since tiny, which he planted himself has unfortunately lost his head in the last wind storm we had. The flower is already formed so I might still be able to save some seed from him so that Byron can try again next year. Sunnyboy, the yellow sunflower - is still standing strong and tall and hopefully will live to flower. They have both topped 6 foot and counting.

I finally managed to get the lavender plants which I grew from seed this spring out into the front garden beds. I really want to try and get these two long beds to be almost all perennial and low maintenance. I already have geraniums, grandmother’s bonnet and Flemish poppies who all self seed themselves and come up every year. Also planted out the last of the poppy seeds that I received from the CGS seed swap and despite them germinating late hope they might give us a show for late Summer and self seed for next year.

Dirty Ovens and Moods

2008-07-16T11:08:00.001+01:00

Week 29 – Friday, 11th July 2008

I had been in a strange mood all day and when I got home got stuck into the oven. Now I am a strange person – when I am agitated or upset about something I start cleaning! Which in itself is not a bad thing mind you? The stove was long overdue a good cleaning and one of my most hated jobs – that and cleaning out the deep freeze and fridges.

I used this new oven cleaner that Ella recommended called “Ovenpride” which is really good. The one thing that I will not repeat again is leaving the stuff smeared on the oven overnight. Although it did clean well I think that next time I will wipe everything off the stove after four hours. The oven racks and stuff though I will definitely leave in the bag overnight. The one problem I had was that the bag leaked and the next morning the cleaner had leaked all over the paving outside. The cleaning seemed to have done the trick and I was in a much better mood afterwards. Even managed to get to watch Gardeners World in between.

Slow Season

2008-07-16T11:01:00.000+01:00

Week 29 – Thursday, 10th July 2008

Popped down to the lottie and dropped all the composting material. The lottie is looking really windswept and I feel really bad that I have not been able to come down as often as I would like but life seems to be so hectic at the moment. There never seems to be a spare minute to myself to slip away and get stuff done.
The tomatoes in the greenhouse on the lottie are looking really good with lovely tomatoes lower down the bush. I cannot wait until I can sink my teeth into a lovely ripe tomato. I must admit that the Peacevine tomato that I got in my HDRA seed swap this year is really impressing me. The tomatoes are a bit heart shaped and the most prolific plants this year really – only hope that it tastes as good as it looks. The Yellow Brandywine (in the house greenhouse), is not doing too well, but might still pick up later in the season. The Red Brandywine is doing OK and the others are slow but doing well. The only home grown tomato I have had to date is the Sungold’s. They are lovely but not flowering as much as last year – not sure if this is because I have been nipping out all the side shoots – maybe I should have left them all to their own devices – I did last year and got some lovely fruits.

The cucumbers in both greenhouses are really not doing well this year and despite me putting down slug pellets, they seem to be getting struggling. They really seems to be struggling this year and the plant at home has only tiny little fruits on but the vine does not seem to want to take off – normally this time of the year it is twirling its way around the greenhouse in a bid for freedom.

This however seems to be a national problem as I was listening to Terry Walton on BBC 2 last Friday and he says their stuff all seems to be a couple of week behind that of last year – so maybe it will pick up.

Welsh Poppies and Granny

2008-07-16T10:50:00.001+01:00

Week 29 – Sunday 6th July 2008

Managed to get into the garden for a while and try and beat the bush back into submission. The Holly hocks have now been nicknamed the “Holly Flops” as the wind has really battered them down this year. Surprisingly enough the Delphiniums have stood up to it and for the first time this year I have some half decent Delphiniums. Will try and save some seed this year for next spring. The Delphinium Requiem that I got from Di really do live up to them being slug resistant.

The Golden Hops on the arbour is now starting to look really tatty and not its best, but is still trying to take over the garden. The Welsh poppies (meconopsis) which self seeded from last year have really put on a good show this year and they came up just in time to hide the ugly daffodil leaves which were not yet dead. They also gave some lovely shade to the hellebore babies that I have planted out into that bed with the snowdrops. Hopefully next year I will have a lovely show all year round. I put in about 8 pots of snow drops that I got from Kingston Lacey so hopefully they will be happy and start bulking up and giving off a good show.

Isn’t if funny how plants seem to do so much better than the ones you molly coddle! I will definitely try and send some seed to the CGS seed swap this year as they are a really lovely poppy. I always think of Granny Kay when I look at them.

Broken Ribs and no butterflies?

2008-07-16T10:28:00.000+01:00

Week 28 – Saturday, 5th July 2008

Got down to the lottie for two hours and managed to get a couple of odd jobs done. Also ended up picking a huge bunch of sweet peas for Mom. The perfume of them is really quite breathtaking. I am a bit disappointed with the Cupani that I have in a container on the back veranda though as I have had very little flowers off them and the scent is minimal. I was led to believe that they were the best smelling of them all and the original brought over from Italy by the monks! Oh well, will just keep feeding them and hoping for the best.

The dahlia’s and cosmos bed is looking really beautiful and we should have loads of vases of flowers right until the Autumn. The gladiolas have come up next to the shed – but no flowers yet! First time I am growing these so not sure when and how they flower. They are all flopping around a bit so will have to make a plan when I am next on the lottie and have time.

The pumpkins and gem squash plants are also looking very healthy but only have lots of leaves and no fruit that seems to be maturing. Not sure if it is just because there is not much bee action! The flower opens starts forming, then turns yellow and rots off!! I tried fertilizing two Hubbard Squash fruits and have marked the potential fruit so that I can start saving my own seed as this variety was from seed that I brought back from South Africa and will also need to save some of my corn this year. Hopefully it will take – fingers crossed! I harvested one zucchini about 15cms long and 10cm wide – the first of my ingredients for chutney. I think I feel a chutney making session coming on.

In the afternoon we went and helped Steve and Helen get their garden whipped into shape – it was in an appauling state and since Mom and Jacquie are taking over the house – we did have a vested interest. The garden was full of dead and overgrown trees and shrubs but after a couple of hours – several bags of rubbish later and a HUGE pile in the centre of the garden that needed to be carted off to the tip it was looking much better. That was the agreement – we came and helped but Steve had to dispose of all the rubbish. This backfired slightly as later in the evening he phoned asking Ron to come and assist and pull the trailer he had managed to loan to the tip – so Ron ended up dumping the stuff after all. Jacquie was a real trooper and was in there next to me despite her having broken ribs.

Well, it’s a long story – the broken ribs! At Rosemary’s beach party the kids were all piling on to one another so what does Jacquie do – jumps on the top of them (4 high now) – then Ron gets it into his bonnet to jump on top of the whole pile. Needless to say the pile came crashing down and he and Jacquie fell to ground quite hard. Jacquie could not move for about ten minutes and seemed to have lost her breath but she says that she definitely heard something pop! I have been watching her closely in case she has done some serious damage to anything so that I can shoot her off to A&E.

Garlic, garlic, every where...

2008-07-02T16:06:00.003+01:00

Week 27, Saturday, 28th June 2008

Managed to get down to the lottie for the morning and dropped off all the composting stuff. Managed to catch up with “Ron the chicken man” and pay him for the last two months! I was getting worried that he was sick and tried to have a look at his chicken coops to see if all was in order. Turns out we were just missing each other all the time and he thought I was ill.

Anyway I managed to harvest all the garlic – the bulbs were a bit on the small side but a good harvest with almost 100% success. I have taken them home to dry in the shed and will try my hand at garlic plaiting soon. I cannot see any difference at the moment between the bought white garlic from the French pink garlic (bought at last years French market), which I saved and planted, maybe when they are dry and cleaned up a bit the difference will become clear.

My elephant garlic was wonderful – will try and remember to take a picture for the blog. From 1 bulb we bought for a quid at the last potato festival I harvested a huge bulb plus about a dozen little bulbils around it. So I have pulled off the babies and will store them for next years harvest.

Turned the now empty ground over, added pelleted chicken manure and then put in a row of beetroot seed and two rows of Swiss Chard seedlings that have been waiting in the wings for open ground. Hopefully this position (which is shaded by the Cardoon) will keep the plants cool and help with bolting.

Picked a huge bunch of sweet peas again – a lot more pink and peach colours coming out now but the stems seem to be getting shorter the higher up they get? Not sure why.

The afternoon was booked for Rosemary’s 13th Birthday Party on the beach at Hengistbury Head. Jacquie did hamburgers which were lovely and the kids all enjoyed building their own. I was a bit dubious about taking the barbecue down as there were huge signs “£500 spot fines” but the guys were adamant and sneaked it on. The weather was OK but the wind was really mean and had us skulking behind some rocks which acted as a buffer.

Wonderful Sungold tomatoes - first fruits

2008-06-24T10:35:00.001+01:00

Week 27, Monday, 23rd June 2008

A lovely day today with lots of sunshine! Mom and I tasted the first Sungold tomatoes – boy were they good. There are lots of tomatoes on the plants both at home and on the greenhouse and even the cucumber plants seem to have stopped their sulking and have begun to romp away. Can’t wait for things to really get going. Seems strange that we have already had the Summer Solstice and we are now on our way to Autumn again. Yikes! Think that I will rather think about lots of lovely ripe tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, melons, etc.

Got the Job!

2008-06-24T10:33:00.002+01:00

Week 26, Saturday, 21st June 2008

Well I got lovely news last night. I was offered a position that I was interested in and am so happy. I really need a change and a new challenge. My family and I have been really blessed over the last couple of weeks I am very thankful and count my blessings.

Despite me having an embroidery class at 14:00, Mom and I still managed to nip down to the lottie and drop all the composting dregs.

The lottie is really looking well with everything just going mad. The British corn that Rosie planted is starting to come up and the mange tout tepee is going bonkers! I picked another batch of mange tout which we can add to some vegetables at dinner. Also picked enough beetroot to make a meal and give the remaining ones place to start bulking up. The dahlias are starting to put on some good growth as are the cosmos – I must remember to head them next time I am down so that they can bush out some. Have been eating strawberries from the planter at home but not enough at one time to make a meal though. Will have to look at bulking my strawberry patch up on the lottie next year.

The greenhouse got a good watering and I refilled all the two litre bottles. All the bottles, bar one had emptied - so this time around I have not tightened the lids that much – I will see how that goes. All the bottles are vacuuming too much and it does not seem that enough air is getting in. Mom picked a huge bunch of sweetpeas and there are still tons on the tepee. Will try and get back next week-end to do some real work

Experimental Watering Bottle Tops

2008-06-24T10:32:00.000+01:00

Week 26, Sunday, 15th June 2008

Managed to get down to the lottie for an hour and fitted the bottle tops for the watering bottles in the lottie greenhouse. This should save me time having to go out quite so regularly to water. Fingers crossed, that’s the general idea any way.

Everything is looking good on the lottie with the French beans starting to make their dash for freedom up the bean frame. No flowers yet, but patience. The gem squash and pumpkins are looking very good and we already have a couple of flowers on the Hubbard squash – can’t wait for harvesting. I might even enter one of my squash for the lottie summer competition on 9th August. The Ambo FE potatoes that were left in the ground by accident are flowering and I will have to dig them up soon. The label for the New International Kidney has got lost and I am not sure which row they are – it would seem that some of the labels have gone MIA all together. I have tried seeing the flowers but there is not one row that is obviously flowering profusely besides what I think are the new Sarpo’s I am trying this year. Maybe the flowering ones are the NIK’s with the wrong label on. Mmmm! Will go and investigate when next down there and have a bit of a dig around. We managed to forage a lovely huge bunch of sweet peas and some mange tout.

Jacquie's got wheels!

2008-06-24T10:31:00.001+01:00

Week 25, Saturday, 14th June 2008

Went out to Sturminster Newton to fetch Jacquie’s car from Trevor and Tracey. Still think they are nuts going back to Zimbabwe with all the political unrest going on at the moment but hey – they are adults and should know what they are doing. Tracey did not even bother to put enough petrol in the tank and I am sure we just made the garage on fumes. It was quite a laugh when we got to the petrol station to fill up – we did not know what kind of petrol to put in. I must admit I felt quite foolish but in the end we decided to put in unleaded.

Got the House!

2008-06-24T10:30:00.001+01:00

Week 25, Thursday, 12th June 2008

Mom and Jacquie got the house! Another one off the list now. They have accomplished so much over the six weeks they have been here it is amaxing when you sit down and actually take stock of the full picture.

Baby it hot, hot, hot

2008-06-10T11:42:00.007+01:00

Week 25, Tuesday, 10th June 2008

26 Celsius and boy it’s hot!! Yesterday was also very hot and Ron popped up to the lottie and watered down the greenhouse and gave the whole lottie a good soaking. Hope this saves all my babies from frying. The kids all ended up spending the day at the beach and all came back with sunburns.

Once the sun went down last night (21:00), I suddenly got a burst of energy and ended up pruning the Rambling Rector who was again making a bid to take over the garden. Once I had tidying it up you can now suddenly see the Etoile Violette and the Niobe Clematis flowers much better. Unfortunately The President Clematis on the arbour is now past its best with only one flower hanging on. I think I will need to give it a good feed this week-end followed by a good soaking.

The Dicentra is now also almost past its best so also got a bit of a haircut. Once I had neatened it up I can now suddently see and use the walkway. The geraniums were starting to look a bit tatty so they also got a good scalping and already there are baby leaves just waiting to take their place. The hollyhocks have got a bit of rust but I have cleared up all the infected leaves and will need to check them regularly but in all they are now excellent, big plants and should make a lovely show later in the summer. The grapevine is also looking very healthy with lots of little bunches of grapes on - I will need to read up on maybe thinning out the vine so that we at least get some fruit this year.

Now that I have cleared the beds a bit I will be able to plant out the dahlias, Rudbeckia and the Nocatina plants waiting in the wings into their final places for the Summer show.

Hanging baskets, hanging baskets everywhere

2008-06-09T09:24:00.001+01:00

Week 25, Sunday, 8th June 2008

After church and lunch we finally got round to getting out all the paraphernalia to plant up our hanging baskets. Jacquline and I managed to get seven baskets planted up and hopefully they will give us months of lovely colour. They are now hanging in a cool place to allow them to recover for a few days before we put them into their final positions for summer. Must admit that they are looking very sorry for themselves and sulking somewhat!

Went and had a look at the prospective house for Mom, Jacquline and the kids and it is wonderful. It will fit them all in without a problem and there is so many cupboards and hidey holes they will not know what to do with themselves. There is also a lovely little front patio/garden area and although the back garden is overgrown with weeds and in desperate need of a little TLC we will whip it into submission quickly. It will be a lovely, private garden that they can sit in or even have a barbecue. Fingers crossed the owner decides to let up rent it! It has already been 6 weeks of indecision on his part and it quite frustrating.

Sweet peas, baby pumpkins and black fly

2008-06-09T09:16:00.004+01:00

Week 24, Saturday, 7th June 2008

The weather was wonderful today and Mom, Rosemary and I managed to get down to the lottie at 11:30 after feeding the birds, watering the greenhouse and tomatoes at home.

First I tackled planting out the celery whilst rosemary planted out three rows of sweet corn. Then I planted out two rows of leeks so that we have some lovely soup this winter. Whilst we were doing this Mom tied all the French beans and sweet peas onto their respective frames. I then put straw down in the strawberry bed and netted the whole thing. Hope this will be enough deterrent for the birds to leave our strawberries alone. I then planted out about 6 more Violette cauliflowers. Not sure what the kids are going to make with purple cauliflowers.

I then tackled the plum tree and reduced the new growth to 2 – 3 pairs of leaves. I did not know that I could do this at this time of the year but my lottie neighbour said I must do it or else next year all the fruit will be too high for me to reach it! I then also cut off all the tips of the cherry tree that I could reach as the black fly this year is horrendous this year. I Must remember to bring down some washing up liquid next time to spray the spring sown broad beans as they are being desiccated by the black fly – despite having nasturtiums all around them.

There is no fruit on any of my trees this year except a couple of sickly looking cherries but after speaking to my lottie neighbours he says that he also does not have any fruit this year. I can’t believe that last year this time we were thinning the poor apple tree out as it was groaning under all the fruit.

I must keep a close check on the greenhouse that I do not get anything going in there – I dare not leave the door closed in this heat or else everything will frizzle. The first early potatoes have still not flowers and actually are not looking too well – unless Maureen weeded all the haulms away last week-end. The Ambo orphans that we missed last year have come up in the corn bed this year and are flowering their socks off – I will have a root around next week-end and see what treasures lie hidden.

The pumpkin that we planted onto the hot bed has romped away and there is already two little baby pumpkins formed. I have now removed the lace netting that was protecting them as they look strong enough to deal with whatever Mother Nature throws at them.

We then picked all the peas and yellow mange tout and Mom even managed to get a whole bunch of wonderfully scented sweet peas for all her efforts.

Sweet Etoille Violette...

2008-06-06T12:19:00.000+01:00

Week 24, Thursday, 5th June 2008

Saw the first Etoille Violette Clematis flowers amongst the Rambling Rector this morning – it looks beautiful. I really must get the camera out before all the flowers fade. The Niobe is also doing well and should burst into flower soon! The little rose that Geraldine gave me has not yet started flowering – cannot wait to see whether it is pink or white!

Found this lovely poem on a blog site (21st Century Housewife) - and think that I will make it my theme poem called “Dust if you must” - Dust if you must, But wouldn't it be better; To paint a picture or write a letter, Bake a cake or plant a seed, Ponder the difference between want and need?Dust if you must, But there's not much time, With rivers to swim and mountains to climb, Music to hear and books to read, Friends to cherish and life to lead.Dust if you must, But the world's out there, With the sun in your eyes, The wind in your hair, A flutter of snow, a shower of rain, This day will not come around again.Dust if you must, But bear in mind, Old age will come, And it's not kind. And when you go - and go you must, You, yourself, will make more dust!

Broad Beans and Blackbirds

2008-06-06T12:04:00.000+01:00

Week 23 – Saturday, 31st May 2008

Saw 5 baby blackbirds which could not have fledged more than a couple of days ago on the bird feeder this morning.

Rosemary and I went to the Lottie whilst Jac’s tackled the washing. She starts her new job on Monday and is a bit apprehensive as it has been a couple of years since she was in the insurance industry. But she is tough and she’ll crack it with her eyes closed. I think that insurance is a bit like riding a bike – once you’ve done it you will never forget it.

Finally got the table out of the greenhouse- after nearly having to dismantle the whole thing with a penknife. We finally managed to get it manoeuvred out without too much damage to the tomatoes, the greenhouse or ourselves – thank goodness!

I then gave the tomatoes a firm beating down cutting out all the laterals that seem to appear overnight and staking them. Had to move three aubergines as the tomatoes had begun to crowd them out altogether. Also planted out the last three scotch bonnets and melons (after cutting the ends of 2 litre bottles off them) and placing them around the plants. Hopefully this and a liberal sprinkling of slug pellets and fingers crossed they will romp away. I re-sowed two cucumber plants as the ones I grew earlier were looking worse for wear. I have put it in though, planting it quite deeply and hoping that the damaged stem will shoot roots and romp away. I will hopefully move one back to the greenhouse at home once it has established itself.

Rosemary weeded all the grass and weeds on the side of the greenhouse which was starting to block the light into it and we laid some old weed suppressing membrane which hopefully will keep the weeds down a bit. She then planted out all the cosmos seedlings into the dahlia bed so we should have lots of lovely colour this year and lots for the vases.

I finally got the winter brassica and spinach bed weeded and turned over! Must admit the task looked quite daunting but I soldiered on and in no time and after a bit of a slog I had cleared it. Despite having kept the mint in containers last year, some of the roots had escaped and were making a bid for supremacy in the future corn bed.

We got the autumn sown broad beans picked and finally managed to pull all the winter manure that we had let flower in a clump. Was rather surprised at the good yield especially when remembering that the beans were quite pot bound when I planted them out way back when and never expected anything from them. Not a huge meal by any means, but served with mixed vegetables for tomorrows dinner will be great. Everyone will at least be able to taste what broad beans taste like. The bumble bees were still visiting the green manure flowers on the compost heap when we left. The spring sown broad beans are flowering and starting to set nicely.

The Hubbard squash we planted in the hotbox is looking pretty happy despite all the rain and all the squash plants seem to have made the transplanting. Yummy lots of lovely squash this autumn!! The peas Maureen and I resowed are coming up very well and the first batch is ready for picking. Byron’s jobs next time he is down at the lottie! If we just keep picking, shelling and freezing then eventually we will have enough to cook and serve at dinner for 9!

Managed to get 2 big bags of topsoil and 3 grow bags from the lottie shop so we can now finally plant up our hanging baskets for the summer.

All the gooseberries’ have disappeared – there were definitely a few a couple of weeks ago and I still thought that I must check whether they needed thinning. It was either the pigeons or rabbits. No sure which. That will teach me to net them when I net the currants! The Tayberry is recovering and has put on some new growth so fingers crossed it will grow big and strong and give us Tayberries.

My neighbour came over and gave me 6 sweet potato plants. I was really pleased with them because I only managed to grow one plant this year. I need to get some big containers and pop them in quite soon. Will place a wigwam structure over the pot so that they can scramble up as they are members of the morning glory family. That reminds me, I have a couple of morning glory plants that I need to put into their final planting positions for the summer.

The plum and apple tree despite having blossom earlier this year has produced no fruit whatsoever. My neighbour says that they had the same thing happen on their lottie. So it would seem that this year there is going to be very little fruit. The Bramley seedling and the apricot tree have some good growth this year but I do not think that I will be getting much fruit from it this year. My neighbour came and showed me that I need to shorten my plum tree’s laterals to 2 – 3 leaf buds. The cherry tree seems to have a lot of black fly so will need to give it a good trim when next on the plot. Also need to pinch out the tops of the spring sown dwarf broad beans.

Week 22, Saturday, 24th May 2008

2008-06-06T12:01:00.000+01:00

Lots of salad leaves for picking at home, and the spring sown broad beans are starting to set. The autumn ones are fattening up nicely and should be ready soon. Looks like a very good crop of blackcurrants on the way, and first flowers on new potatoes, squashes and pumpkins romping away, tomato flowers all over the place with lots of little tomatoes forming.

Week 24, Wednesday, 4th June 2008

2008-06-04T12:13:00.000+01:00

Spent a while in the greenhouse at home and did some housekeeping with the tomatoes. I swear that you turn your back and they make a dash for freedom. But lots of tomatoes’ flowers in sight.

Got the last of the tomatoes (Black Japanese Trifle and Italian Beefsteak) in the green house, re-potted into their final big pots and put onto the back patio until they are a bit established. After that I will move them out to the front where they can get baked by the sun and give us lots of lovely tomatoes. Also got the tumbling tomatoes planted out into a hanging basket with the surviving French marigolds. Must plant out the dahlias in the back bed and stake them before they get root bound and too big.

Week 24, Wednesday, 4th June 2008

2008-06-04T12:12:00.000+01:00

Despite the last fortnight being pretty wet and soggy, June is finally here! - not long until the longest day now (21st); garden is going great guns, with poor Ron having to mow the lawn almost every week – not only at home but on the lottie as well. There is lots of wildlife about doing their thing, huge amount of flowers in the garden, everything being as it should.

Saturday, 10th November 2007

2007-11-29T15:29:00.000Z

Well the two lots of Provence Peas and Broad Beans are up with a few of the sweet peas that I planted late October up. There are still lots of sweet peas and a whole tray of Feltham First that have not surfaced yet. Bit of a mess when I got to the lottie as the ratty-mouse had got into the greenhouse and had a good dig around all the pots to find something to eat. Not much damage overall though.

Lifted two celeriac to have with some Venison sausage - can't wait - yummy! Very impressed with the crop this year as it is the first time that I have grown them. Have around a dozen to lift. The celery has also done quite well and amazingly the ones that I cut down have started to resprout. I have got some in the deep freeze with the rest on the lottie to pick as and when needed.

Harvested some of the Barlotti seed that Jeannine gave me and they are really pretty. Got some small, black ones and some round brown speckled ones. Must remember to ask Jeannine what the name was. I am sure the one was a Christmas Lima and the other I am not sure about.

Still lots of little beans on the vine which I will leave to grow to their maximum before the plant finally shuts down.

The nights are getting darker earlier and not much chance of getting to the lottie for a nosey after work - especially when stuck in a traffic jam.

Week 41 - Mint to rule the Lottie!

2007-10-16T16:07:00.000+01:00

Saturday, 13th October 2007

The weather was grey and dreary with occasional drizzle throughout the day and very humid so by the time I got home I was absolutely drenched! Maureen and I got to the lottie at about 10:00 after quite an eventful morning. Woody had done a runner earlier on and what with heating soup for the thermos to take to the lottie, getting batter ready for vetkoek, it was mad, mad, mad. Anyway quite a good day as we got 2.5 rows of garlic in. Also planted out the Japanese onions that I had startedoff in August. They were not really looking very happy but there you go – they are in – they have got two chances, live or die! It looks like all the Florence Fennel has bolted before making bulbs so I will leave the flowers for the butterflies – at least someone gets some joy out of them.

Also managed to mulch the asparagus bed and cut off the fern heads. So that bed is all nice and comfy for the winter. Planted about 20 Super Aquadulce broad beans in double rows in the old hot box which should be well manured and have good shelter for the winter to come. Maureen also potted up some sweet peas (saved from this year) and sowed some Feltham First peas for an early spring crop into root trainers– that’s if the mice don’t get to them first. Once the Douce Provence and Metoer arrive I will also plant those out into pots. Staked the purple sprouting broccoli and netted it against the pigeons and managed to clear the last of the brassica’s. Netted and staked the Red Rubin Brussel sprouts which have developed into lovely strong plants with a wonderful red/purple hue to their leaves.

When I went to move the mint from the old brassica bed to put it into the new brassica bed for next year, I found that the mint had tried to take over the world – well OK – the Lottie! Thank goodness I had the foresight to plant them in pots. This year I will plant them out into bigger pots which might halt them from making a bid for freedom. Put one of the huge spare mint plants on the Lottie community table for anyone brave enough to want mint on their Lottie. Now only have the celeriac and a few purple sprouting brocolli left in the bed – have started mulching the bed for legumes next year and will complete the task when all produce has been harvested.

Managed to get the greenhouse cleared out and the beds manured for the winter. The table is now back in situ for all the baby plants who will brave out the long winter. We enjoyed some lovely home made soup from the thermos made from a lot of the vegetables off the Lottie.

Then went off home for a nice hot shower and watch the rugby - well done England and South Africa! Now for the big one next Saturday. Go South Africa!!

Week 39

2007-10-10T15:45:00.000+01:00

Wednesday, 26th September 2007

Now that the In-laws have left and all the summer vacation is over we can get down to some business and start getting the lottie into some sort of shape before the winter really sets in.

Went down to the lottie and managed to get clear all the aubergine plants out of the greenhouse beds. Not a very good harvest with only 2 small fruits. I managed to get all the lambs lettuce, mizuna and mibuna transplanted into the greenhouse bed. Met Keith the new allotment owner from across the way and we did a bit of bartering some of his Pink Fir Apple Potatoes for some of my Swiss Chard – Bright Lights and some South African white maize. Ron the Chicken man also popped over with half a dozen eggs in thanks for his apples and maize.

Saturday, 29th September 2007

Maureen, Vaughan, Ron and I went up to the lottie and it was absolutely wonderful having so many hands. Ron did all the rotovating whilst Vaughan used his brute strength to remove the dead plum tree. It’s a shame we lost it but it now gives us much more space in the new brassica bed for next year. The bed itself was rotovated and clover sown to get it through winter.

We uncovered the manure hotbox that the pumpkins had been growing on and despite it shrinking to a quarter of its size it uncovered the most beautiful compost for the garden – black gold! Anyway we cleared up all the old corn in the onion bed, harvested the last or the kohl rabi and turnips and ron rotovated it and added lots of lovely well rotted compost. Then we sowed Phacelia as a green manure to protect the beds during the winter.

Maureen tackled and got the leek and Florence Fennel beds weeded whilst I tackled the asparagus bed and all the horseradish which has decided to spring up inside it. They looked quite good once we had finished.

Week 37 - Wrap up of the Harvest 2007

2007-10-10T15:36:00.002+01:00

All in all this year has been good and bad. I had to cut down all the potatoe haulms early in August resulting in very small potatoes for my main crops. Most of my tomatoes succumbed to the blight as well. Did not get much of a harvest from the courgettes but the ones I did get were pretty good. The French beans were really good this year ad I picked and stored approximately 2kgs for the freezer.

The Barlotti beans are also looking good although I will leave them on the frame until they are really nice and dry. The best producer this year was the pumpkins followed by the South African maize. The British sweetcorn was erratic with small cobs and very bad pollination – but the little there was tasted delicious.

The onions were huge but once stored and when I started using them for the kitchen found them to be a bit funny and ended up peeling half of onion away to make it fit for human consumption. Maybe all that rain did it.

The swiss Chard, Bright Lights has been going hell for leather and I have been picking and giving away like crazy. I think if the family saw green they would run for the hills. But I have managed toprocess them into Spinach and Feta Cheese Samoosas and have frozen them to be enjoyed during the long, dark days of Winter.
The garlic was good although the bulbs were small and I have enough to get me through the winter at least. So not a total loss – could have been worse!

Week 36 Cornwall Summer Holiday

2007-10-10T15:36:00.001+01:00

3rd September 2007

We went down to Cornwall for the week and managed to get to visit the Eden Project. What a wonderful thing man has created. What impressed me most was the regeneration that this project has brought to an almost dead part of the world. We spent five lovely hours mooching around the place and I could very easily have spent another 5 there! I would love to go again in a couple of years and see how the gardens have matured.

Week 32

2007-10-10T15:13:00.000+01:00

Saturday, 11th August 2007

Went off to West Dean College to the Chilli Festival. What glorius weather we had - it was absolutely sweltering. There was a good turnout of people and so many chilli products I could never have imagined it. Had a wonderful Picnic lunch under the trees and afterwards I was the only one with any energy to pick myself and drag myself thorugh all the vegetable gardens and greenhouse.

I was green with envy to see that they had wonderful tomatoes and no sign of blight. I have lost most of mine - even the Fantasio which I had in the middle of the asparagus bed - so much for blight resistant.

Week 23

2007-10-10T15:11:00.000+01:00

Saturday, 9th June 2007

When I got to the lottie I noticed that a few of my white onions were going soft. After speaking to Ron the Chicken Man I decided to lift all of them and dry them out in the greenhouse. Lost about 6 onions in all. I have left the red onions in as they do not appear to be affected and the garlic but will watch them closely. I then re-manured (with chicken poop pellets), the spot where they had been and planted out the Bicolour corn that I had ordered from Real Seeds. Also planted out a few rows of celery and the squahes in between the corn. Once the corn is a little bigger I will be planting Borlotti beans next to the corn in a “3 sisters method” that I believe the old Indians in America used”. They will provide me with lots of beans for soups in the winter. It is also good for the little space I have. I just hope that I have not made a mistake planting three different kinds of corn but hopefully as I have staggered their planting and tried to leave as much space between them as possible they will not cross pollinate.

Today we also managed to get the flower bed dug and planted up. We dug in all the home made compost from home and then covered it with a ground sheet and planted the dahlias and chrysanthemums through it. It is really starting to look pretty. I just hope that they take and we will have armfuls’ of flowers for the vases at home.

Maureen managed to get all the hanging baskets planted up and strung them in the fruit trees, they really look lovely and hopefully in the Summer will provide lots of colour as well as be a deterrent for the black fly. They are a sacrifical crop and hopefully will encourage the black fly to them instead of to my lovely beans. Talking about beans, we had to erect quite a strong barrier as the rabbits had shorn off all the runner beans that I had planted and then I replanted almost the entire runner bean frame. So fingers crossed we might even get a bean or two on our plates.

I notice that the second sowing of broad beans have been attached by black fly. I will have to remember to bring some soapy water with me when I next visit to spray on them. The beans are starting to form nicely on these plants. We also managed to weed the carrot bed where I had such a bad germination and replanted more carrots. Maureen has challenged me! See who can grow the best ones! Well with my track record she is sure to win as nuts are nuts. Anyway I sowed the new fresh seed that I had ordered from Real Seed so maybe we will be lucky and get some carrots. Got a lovely bunch of sweet peas off the lottie which I gave to Maureen for all her hard work. She also got the only two lettuces that had come up.

Sunday 10th June 2007

I only managed to pop down to the lottie after church but Maureen and Vaughn had been there for a couple of hours and Vaughn, bless his soul had cleared all the wood that I had piled at the compost bins (and in my way), up against the back fence out of the way until Nick can make my bed borders. Maureen had cleared the pea bed and we quickly had a whole new lot of peas planted up. Just hope the sky rats and partridges don’t get them all. These should be ready to harvest July August.

Week 22

2007-10-10T15:05:00.001+01:00

Saturday 2nd June, 2007

Well I have got a little helper. Maureen has offered to help out on the lottie and today we just whizzed through all the jobs. It was really lovely having someone to help out and just to talk to. We got the onion bed weeded – don’t think that they have much more to go. The white onions are huge now and the red ones are also a decent size. The garlic has got rust but Ron pulled one bulb and they are a bit on the small side. I have read that the rust will not harm them so I am leaving them in for the time being. Maureen planted out all the sunflowers into bigger pots, the last sowing of peppers and also put in the squash and pumpkin plants. Nick surprised me and came over and told me that he had cleared the bed in the greenhouse on the lottie because he was bored so I planted out the aubergines into the green house with a Tangella tomato plant. We also prepared the last hot box and planted the Hubbard squash into it. Draped net curtaining over it and fingers crossed we will be getting some lovely pumpkins this year. Maybe even have some that we can store for a while. Terrence popped over at lunch time and mowed the lottie so it is looking a lot better.

At the end of the day we went over to Tim’s allotment and picked some rhubarb. I made some lovely rhubarb jam but at the last minute panicked that it was not going to set and put in 125ml pectin which made it immediately firm up. I have bottled 4 bottles and fingers crossed it will be edible. I must pick some more rhubarb to make some chutney which I believe tastes like mango chutney.

When we went to the tip to drop off the rubbish we found a lovely long hosepipe I can tell you I was over the moon. It was the one thing that I was desperately in need of and had been purloining my absent neighbours when the plants were dying of thirst. Well it was better than carrying watering cans up and down. Ron has linked it up and I am away. What a lovely time I had watering the lottie. The hosepipe was on from the time I got there until I left. Such pleasure! I am sure my vegetables think they have died and gone to heaven. I noticed that the redcurrants have ripened and although there are not lots of them I must remember to pick what there is before the birds get them too. Hopefully now that I have netted the other bush which is still green we might get some.

Week 20

2007-10-10T15:03:00.000+01:00

Tuesday, 15th May 2007

Brought Ron home from the hospital after his shoulder op. Fed him and he was in bed asleep by 18:30. At 19:00 I was so bored and when the sun came out after all the rainy days we had, I decided to quickly pop down to the lottie and check up on everything. Watered the plants in the greenhouse and moved a few things into the cold frame so that I can start planting them in situ over the week-end. Ended up picking and shelling 480 grams of Broad Beans.

Week 18

2007-10-10T14:57:00.000+01:00

Wednesday, 2nd May 2007

Had the Care Group around at ours for dinner. Made a chicken casserole which unfortunately was ready an hour before the guests arrived. Put it in the oven to keep warm but unfortunately the chicken became so soft it turned into landmine chicken. Oh well, the guests seemed to enjoy it and John had about 4 plates. Bill and Phillipa brought along a wonderful fruit salad and Maggie made rhubarb crumble – yummy!!

Friday, 4th May, 2007

Managed to get a flexi day off today so off to the lottie to get the last of the Main potatoes in. The day was absolutely wonderful and I spent the entire day digging and planting potatoes – got four row in – does not sound like much but the ground is hard and it was tough going.

Saturday, 5th May 2007

Went down to the lottie for the morning as I have an embroidery class at 17:30. Ron also came down and managed to fix the door of the cold frame which had unfortunately broken. He got a lovely door from the tip for £5 and it is as good as new. Managed to get the last two rows of main potatoes in. Now have Kerrs Pink, Bambino, Ambo, Nadine, Valour – still need to assemble the potatoes barrel and I will put the Cara potatoes in there. Neil from Plot 87 said he would bring his Mantis Tiller along tomorrow morning for me to try out. Also planted out the Feverfew and the Artemesia into the Raspberry and Currant bed as they were growing out of their pots. Got home at about 14:00 had lunch and then managed to prick out most of the beans, squash and melon seeds into 9cm pots. Will take these down to the lottie greenhouse for final planting once they have been acclimitised in the coldframe.

Week 17 - Birthday Boy

2007-10-10T14:53:00.000+01:00

Friday, 27th April 2007

Did not get much done at the lottie this week-end as I had a lot of catching up housework to do as it was Ron’s birthday on the Sunday and we had a couple of friends (Vaughn, Maureen and Nick and Danny and Nick from next door) around for a braai. John and Carol had been invited and just did not bother to pitch. No explanation!!

Week 16 - Sow - Sow - Sow

2007-10-10T14:51:00.000+01:00

Sunday, 15th April 2006

Was on tea duty at church so afterwards shot down to the lottie with a whole lot of plants to put in the cold frame and greenhouse. Took the bucket of stinking seaweed with. Thank Goodness. It was stinking hot and as I was not feeling too well I managed to get a row of salsify in and went home and had a cold late lunch. Spent the afternoon in bed as my back was really aching. Ron put up the wires in the greenhouse for me for later in the season to string the tomatoes, cucumbers and melons on.

Monday, 16th April 2007

Managed to finally sow the following : Courgettes : First Sowing : 16/4 green bush; Jemmer; De Nice a Fruit Ronde. Squash/Pumpkin : Early Butternut; Pottimarron; Early Summer Crookneck; Rolet Gem Squash; Green Hubbard Squash; White Custard; Squash, Cherimoya, Custard Apple; Melon's: Melon 'Petit Gris de Rennes'; “Ananas d’ Amerique a Chair Verte” ; Minnesota Midget and Zatta (sim. To Brattoma Buana) - for curiousity - it looks ugly from Red Parcel. Also managed to get the curly parsley pricked out. Planted 18 mielie seeds.

Friday, 20th April 2007

Ron went down to the lottie and mowed the lawn. He also collected 13 paving stones that John Goddard had donated to the lottie and placed them around the greenhouse. It is looking good! It was a bit early for the daffodils but we could not live with it any longer as it was starting to resemble a jungle. It is looking much better now – a bit shorn but better. The lottie is really coming together again. Have been going down regularly during the week to do a little bit of digging and clearing of weeds to prepare the beds for carrots and watering the plants in the greenhouse.

Week 15 - Organised Chaos!

2007-10-10T14:49:00.000+01:00

Sunday, 8th April 2007

Went to church in the morning and then after a quick braai before Ron went off the work went out to the Somerley Craft and Garden Fair. The weather was gorgeous and far better than the mud bath of last year. I sat in the sun eating my first ice cream of the summer. I managed to get quite a few unusual herbs such as tarragon, African basil, Woodruff (companion plant for the raspberries), and some more Egyptian walking onions. Also got two Monarda plants – one pink and one red – I do love them so – they remind me of flamboyant ladies out at a race day with floppy hats and they are perennials to boot!! Popped past the lottie on the way home and gave everything a good watering. Also got two unusual but pretty shrubs for the back garden. Managed to find a salt pig at long last.

Monday, 9th April 2007

Climbed into the front garden and got the chipped bark mulch down – hope it keeps those blasted cats at bay. The next course of action will be to buy some Catnep and plant it in the open glade just past their house. Maybe that will keep the damn moggies at bay. Grr! If it’s not Woody digging up my stuff it’s the damn moggies! Also managed to get all my delphiniums planted out (they were clambering out of their pots) into the ground. Just hope that the resident hedgehogs will keep the local slug population down and give them a fighting chance – might even get some flower spikes this year. Did managed to prick out all the pepper plants.

Wednesday, 12th April 2007

Managed to get down to the lottie after work and get another two rows of parnips in (not pre-germinated as before), as the success rate on the last one is pretty poor. I put htree seeds per station – so lets see what happens. Anyway I am not too perturbued if they do not all come up as how many parsnips can I roast anyway. To date I can only see one that has come up! The lettuce that I grew as a catch crop on the same rows has not even made an appearance yet? I can see a few Spring Onion, White Lisbon though. Also got in the Mokum baby carrots and the Paraster 4. Planted a middle row of onion sets to deter the carrot fly.

Thursday, 12th April 2007

Managed to get two trays of the tomatoes pricked out into pots the next size up. Good germination except for the Marmade. They are looking pretty healthy. Will not bother to resow as I have more than enough other varieties (approx. 12) this season!! Also managed to get the Morning Glory – Heavenly Blue repotted and into the greenhouse. The PTP6 and the Red Parcel arrived today and boy did I have a seed feast choosing new varieties to grow. Especially interesting was the black salsify (they say it tastes a bit like asparagus), curly sea kale (to fill the hungry gap in Jan / Feb and another variety of asparagus ??. There were some really lovely choices in the Red Parcel but I’m afraid that the PTP6 has become a bit of a dumping ground of the other members old seeds. Pity, as this was a good way of trying out things that you would not normally.

We are scheduled to glaze the greenhouse on Saturday so I will be moving a lot of the bigger plants onto the lottie greenhouse and give me a bit more room for the more iffy plants.

Saturday, 14th April 2007

Poor Terrence was in hospital with a grumbling appendix. So Ron and Nick got to the lottie about 9:30 and got all the glass in – only cracking 3 panes. Danny came along and ended up tying up all the broad beans and planting rows of marigold and poached egg seeds. Also sorted out the sweetpea wigwam – tidying up, tying in and replanting a couple. She seemed to enjoy it – time will tell…. It was a lovely day and I managed to get all the cabbages ?? in that I bought from the lottie shop and also sowed a row of early sprouting broccoli and calabrese. The First Early potatoes Epicure and Vivladi have poked their little heads out of the gorund – what a lovely sight – I was starting to give up hope. Also noticed the first pods on the broad beans – will have to keep a sharp look out as they can grow rather quickly and I want them young and tender. Cadged the neighbours hosepipe so managed to give the lottie a good dousing – hopefully give all the vegetables a well deserved drink which will do them no end of good. Ended the day by having a lovely braai – Nick came around and TD was let out of hospital.

Week 14

2007-10-10T14:45:00.000+01:00

Sunday, 1st April 2007

Woke up with a headache and started searching the shops for breeze blocks to use as a foundation to hold the green house down before we put the glass in. The winds can get quite bad and the lottie is pretty unprotected. Spent the whole morning but could not find the right bricks but did get three bags of compost. When I got to the lottie I found that Nick had got impatient and started digging foundations for the greenhouse smack bang in the middle of the grass patch next to the potato patch. It really broke my heart telling him to stop. He really wants to help but hinders more sometimes. He never listens to what you want him to do so although he is willing he tends to get in the hair. But he helped a lot with the erecting of the frame. I was so mad when I got there I stood on a pile of glass and heard a pronounced “crack, crunch”. Lordly knows how many panes I broke. (Post Note : 6 panes in all!!)

Tuesday, 3rd April 2007

Ron managed to get the right breeze blocks from Travis Perkins and collected them. He went down to the lottie to get the foundation laid for the greenhouse and ended up nearly chopping his hand off. Two stitches at the surgery later. Lord that man is a walking accident just waiting for a place to happen.

Thursday, 5th April 2007

Got a day’s flexi off and had a bit of a lay in as I ended up reading until the wee hours of the morning. Managed to get to the lottie around lunch time. Went via the stables and picked up another load for the hotbox. Ron came with and finished the foundations. With the blocks being so heavy we don’t need to cement the whole thing in and only have to bolt the frame to the bricks. Don’t think a hurricane will lift it. Got two rows of the second early potatoes in - When I got home I found that my asparagus crowns had finally arrived so these are the first thing on my list for the day.

Friday, 6th April 2007

Went to the raising of the cross on Friday morning on the village green and did not even stop for hot cross buns and a natter. My asparagus crowns were waiting so it was off to the lottie. Ron was working and it was a glorious day. Managed to get another couple of bags of compost from the stables for mulching the raspberries. Managed to get the two trenches dug for the asparagus and was very glad to see that my hard work in the Autumn in digging in all that poo had really paid off and was now lovely and mature. It should make a lovely home for the asparagus. I can just say thank goodness this bed will last 15 – 20 years – don’t know if I have the strength to dig more trenches like that. Terrence commented “ are you going to bury Nick in there?” Out of the mouths of babes….

Nick managed to lend a generator so that he can screw the green house frame down and instead of just screwing the couple needed he ended up with approximately a dozen and burnt out his drill. Grrr!! That child makes me so made at times. He also started helping me build frames for my vegetable beds but instead of making them flush with the ground he made them knee high (I can just picture me going head over tit over them when I was staggering around with a huge bag of compost) - and when I pointed his mistake out he lost his cool, packed his stuff and went home. When he left I found out that he had screwed one of the borders to my plum tree. Grrr!!!!

Also got the gutter peas planted out and needed to replace the Feltham First peas which had been shredded to bits by the wind and replant them with Sugar Ann. Managed to finally replant the Bramley Apple tree into a bigger pot where hopefully it will stay until I decide where its final home will be. Planted out some Calendula under the Damson tree for colour. Now lost all my cabbage seedlings so cheated and bought a tray from the lottie shop. Will try again direct into seed trays.

I have needed to do quite a bit offhand watering which is quite strenuous – will have to look at investing in a hose pipe soon if this weather continues – where are those April showers that everyone carries on about.

Saturday, 7th April 2007

Spent the day at the Fun Day at the church and then cuddled up in front of the telly for the rest of the evening as Ron was on the late shift.

Week 13

2007-10-10T14:42:00.000+01:00

Monday, 26th March 2007

I think that the hedgehogs have come out of hibernation because they seem to be driving Woody nuts. They have made their house under the shed in the back garden. I cannot make out if the hedgehogs are eating the food I am putting out or Woody. The slugs and snails sure seem to have dramatically dropped off - so I am almost sure that they are back in action.

Managed to get all the tomatoes seeds in – they are now snugly in the propagator – GROW little babies – GROW!! Must have about 10 varieties!! Lord knows where I am going to put them all. Also managed to get all the sunflower seeds pricked out and some of the Aubergine and Chilli plants done as well. Found a packet of cardoon seeds lurking in my collection – thought I had sent all of them away on swopsies and forgot to keep myself some – so a bit of a bonus. I believe you can eat the leaves – they taste a bit of celery but I think that I will grow one or two just for the flowers. Anyway put a few seeds in to see if I can get a couple of decent plants for the lottie.
Thank goodness that I checked the Cactus dahlia “Cerise Pink” stools on top of the fridge (they’ve only been up there for about a fortnight) - and they were fighting to get out of their container. Took a couple of cuttings to use for swopsies with Mikey and others on Allotments 4 All later on. The begonias are not doing much though so gave them a good watering and put them back on top of the fridge. The dahlia sttols are being consigned to the greenhouse. I will need to think about getting the flower bed dug and manured for planting out later in the season. Must make up my mind about whether or not I lift the Bishop of Llandoff and move to the lottie and make the back garden pick theme ??

I also still need to prick out the cauliflower seedlings – they are also reaching for the starts – maybe tonight after I come back from the lottie and planting the last of the first early potatoes “Vivaldi”. Also want to put in another row or two of carrots as it is a good time to plant root vegetables now.

Most of my cabbage plants seem to have bitten the dust. From two whole trays of pricked out seedlings they all seem to have died. Maybe I started them too late. Will have to plant a row on the lottie and see if I have any better luck. From my autumn experience with the cabbages that I planted I have a horrible suspicion that I have club root ! Fingers crossed it was only cabbage fly that attacked.

Tuesday, 27th March 2007

Went down to the lottie after work and got the last row of “Vivaldi” First Early Potatoes in. Did quite a bit of watering of the seeds planted. Can see some life in the pea patch where I planted the calendula as a companion plant. Otherwise no other real life showing yet.

Wednesday, 29th March 2007

Managed to climb into the lawn out front. Ron raked out all the old growth and I started making holes in the left side of the lawn. Will have to go and buy some fertilizer, weed killer to put on the lawn and hopefully it will come right and look good this year. That is if we do not get another drought as it currently being predicted.

Thursday, 28th March 2007

Got all the pepper seeds from Real Seeds so quickly went and potted them all up. Pricked out some Par-Cel seedlings – will have to leave the rest until they are a bit bigger. Will keep the Melon seeds until mid April to plant out. Ron and the boys are going to attempt to dismantle my new green house tomorrow. So fingers crossed it goes well and they do not break too many pieces of glass. Hopefully I will be the new owner of a lovely BIG greenhouse on the lottie by the end of this week-end.

Saturday, 31st March 2007

Ron and the boys managed to get the greenhouse down with only 6 panes of glass broken. Went down to the lottie after my ribbon embroidery class and helped unpack the glass panes. What a job it has turned out to be. Only hope that we get the damn thing together again!! Went and got Kentucky chiken for supper as a thank you to the guys.

Week 12

2007-10-10T14:38:00.000+01:00

Saturday, 24th March 2007

The weather started out lovely and warm and then turned really ugly with icy cold winds. However I managed to get three rows of first early potatoes in, the rest of the Rocket, Epicure and Duke of York. Dug out a row for the new potatoe “Vivaldi” which I saved from shop bought packet. Will need to get them in this week during the “dark of the moon”. The Rocket potatoes that I planted on 11th March in the greenhouse is really doing well. Also managed to move the rhubarb crown that I had forced and a couple of Forget-Me-Nots that were smack bang in the middle of my new pathway (next to the potatoe patch). Planted out two healthy looking rhubarb crowns from the rhubarb in the two spots where mine had not taken and put the rest of the crown on the lottie table for anyone who needed one. Also moved the “canna” which turned out to be some unknown plant – will have to see what pops up – seems to be a kinda lily bulb. (Have now found out that this is a kniphophia plant.)

Did a quick stir fry before going out to the South African club and tasted Jerusalem Artichokes for the first time and liked them – they taste a bit like water chestnuts but with a nuttier flavour. Thank goodness Ron and I both like them as I have a row of them snugly planted at the top of the potatoe patch – although they have not yet poked their noses out of the soil.
Gerrard brought me three lovely bags of mulch and some lovely deep seed trays (industrial size) for pricking out. Pays to work for a nursery. Will mulch the back garden and front borders over the Easter week-end. Must go up to the site at Hurn Airport and see what they charge for mulch.

Sunday, 25th March 2007

With Marlize and Stephane arriving from France did not get much done in the garden. Had a thorough springclean of the corner of the kitchen that had started resembling a toxic waste dump with seeds, packets, plants, etc. I did however manage to pop a couple of plants that I bought into the back garden w (from the Jigsaw stand and the CGS plant sale ) into the ground – they were – Forget-Me-Nots, and a couple of primula’s – one gold laced. We ended up taking Stephane and Marlise around Stewarts with Ron and TD in tow- and not a peep out of either of them.

Week 11 - Has Spring sprung?

2007-10-10T14:31:00.000+01:00

Tuesday, 13th March 2007
Left work at 16:16 as the weather was beautiful outside and could not sit in the office a minute longer to check on my newly planted seeds. Gave them a bit of a watering but they were still surprisingly moist for the hot weather we have been having. Also tried to work out that PH Soil Meter and check what the ph of the Asparagus bed is. Just cannot seem to get it to move of PH 7. Will have to try and pop it into vinegar to see if it works and registers Acid. The Sara Raven seeds that I ordered finally arrived – minutes the most important one – the Brandywine tomatoes and the Morning Glory seeds. Don’t think that I will be ordering from them again in a hurry.

Wednesday, 14th March 2007

On inspecting the green house this morning I noticed that some of the new lilies that I potted up on 1st March are already poking their heads out, as are the new dahlia tubers (which took a bit longer). Looks like spring has finally sprung. I think that when I close up the green house tonight I will bring the cucumber plants back in – they are really looking a sight for sore eyes- might be a bit too cold for them at night in the unheated green house.

Managed to find a tree surgeon that is prepared to deliver wood chippings that I can use on my paths, free of charge. The only problem is that it is in loads of 4 cubic metres at a go! Have put up a notice on the board at the lottie asking if anyone else is interested in sharing the load with me.

Friday, 16th March 2007

Managed to get a rain butt off the free cycle website. Yippee!!! Also managed to find a lovely big greenhouse from the swap shop at work. They only want £25 and we have agreed to dismantle and move it on 14th April 2007. So I will be able to grow lots of lovely things in it. In honour of the new greenhouse I ordered some extra special black chilli and melon seeds from Real Seeds. Lordy knows how much watering I will have to do as they are already saying that it is going to be a HOT summer so that means water, water, water.

Managed to get all the Granadilla, Hyssop and Chicory seedlings pricked out. The windowsills are starting to heave with the sheer volume of seedlings I am trying to grow on. Still a bit of space on Terrence’s windowsill but he keeps plonking the curtains on my babies and they are not doing too well there. Will have to start moving some of them into the cold frame at the lottie. But will wait until the cold snap has moved on.

Sunday, 18th March 2007

Woke up with a bit of a hangover this morning even though I had only hand 2 glasses of wine. I really am loosing my touch. Was on cleaning duty at the church this morning so could not even have a lie in or pop down to the lottie early. However, the weather was absolutely atrocious all weekend so did not even manage to go down to the lottie for a quick once over.

Wednesday, 21st March 2007

Nipped down to the lottie last night to check everything out and drop off some frames that I had saved from the skip at work. I am sure that I will be able to use them for something. The peas and sweetpeas are looking pathetic but then again the wind was blowing up a storm. Checked on the seedlings that I put in on 11th March but no sign of life yet. Watered the stuff in the cold frame. Then off to Stewarts who had the launch of their Rewards Programme. I was a bit disappointed as the queues for something to eat and drink were long and there were not such good specials around. I did end up buying a Sungold and Big Boy tomatoe plant, some Asparagus Peas and a packet of new delphinium seeds. Me, delphiniums and slugs – the battle rages on!!

Week 11 - My Spring Garden

2007-10-10T14:21:00.000+01:00

Tuesday, 13th March 2007

Left work at 16:16 as the weather was beautiful outside and could not sit in the office a minute longer to check on my newly planted seeds. Gave them a bit of a watering but they were still surprisingly moist for the hot weather we have been having. Also tried to work out that PH Soil Meter and check what the ph of the Asparagus bed is. Just cannot seem to get it to move of PH 7. Will have to try and pop it into vinegar to see if it works and registers Acid. The Sara Raven seeds that I ordered finally arrived – minutes the most important one – the Brandywine tomatoes and the Morning Glory seeds. Don’t think that I will be ordering from them again in a hurry.

Wednesday, 14th March 2007

Friday, 16th March 2007

Sunday, 18th March 2007

Wednesday, 21st March 2007

Week 10

2007-10-09T16:38:00.000+01:00

Monday, 5th March 2007

Got some OKRA, Chicory Leaf and Musselburgh leek seeds sown. The granadilla plants have come up as well. Will need to keep an eye on them and pot them on soon.
Also managed to put another sweet potato into water to see if I can get some slips off it. Fingers crossed!

Friday, 9th March 2007

The daffodils out the front that I planted last autumn have really come up nicely and really cheer on up when you look at them - although the King Edwards are still not all up yet. The Clematis Armandi is also starting to flower and you can faintly smell that wonderful Vanilla smell. I remember last year when it flowered the smell wafted all the way around to the back garden.

When I popped in for a quick visit to the greenhouse I noticed that the pea seeds that I planted on 28 Feb have just started poking their little heads up from the soil (only 10 days to germinate!) – I seem to have conned the mouse with my nifty contraption that strung the guttering off floor level.

It would seem that I have eventually managed to get green peppers to germinate – only hope that I can bring them to full adulthood and get some fruit off them. The chillis I planted in late January are still not even poking their heads out – don’t think the seed was viable even though I dried it in the garlic container – maybe it was too dry and killed the chilli? Anyway have had a little scratch around and maybe something pops its head out. Will give it another couple of days.
After returning from the hospital and some shopping as ASDA found out that Gardeners World was not on thanks to Crufts. Hhhph!!

Well all was not lost, I spent the rest of the evening finally pricking out the rest of the hellebore orientalis and ex Ballard varieties – it is amazing how big and tough the root system is for such small seedlings. I now have tons of seedlings and Paul (the chap who gave the seed), says that there might be some doubles in the pack. He also said to look out for darker stems which would indicate darker flowers – so far I could only see a couple. Also managed to repot the yarrow for later planting on the allotment as I have read that it is a good tonic plant as are Foxgloves - so I will have to keep my eyes open for any self seeded babies in the garden which I can transplant onto the lottie. They say the Victorians planted them under fruit trees as it improved the storing power of them.

Finally brought the cactus dahlia bulbs (Cerise Pink) and the begonia tubers in from the shed – they don’t seem to have suffered too much and have come through the winter quite well, although I did have my doubts as when I got back in January and checked them there was a slight mould on the dahlias – I just sprinkled some Sulphur powder on them and it seemed to do the trick. I think next winter I must put them into the garage rather. They are now all potted up in damp compost in plastic on top of fridge in kitchen. Must remember to check them occasionally.

The cactus dahlias (cerise Pink) will be planted on the lottie in the flower bed together with the stunning spider Chrysanthemums named – Froggy (lime green), ? and ? (all in shades of pink through green) that I ordered through Gardeners World magazine special – the order is three of each plant so I have decided that I will be splitting them and planting some in the back garden and the rest on the Lottie with the dahlias in the flower garden patch. I also read that the Chrysanthemums are good companion plants on the lottie as they have natural pest-killing properties. They will also give me a good selection of cutting flowers for the house for the entire Summer whilst the folks are here. Hoping to have vases and vases full of lowers. Got some lovely pots of Phlox (pink) and Forget Me Not from the Jigsaw Appeal table in the foyer, at the hospital, for a £1 each, which I will pop, into the back garden for a little extra summer colour. The Okra seeds have already started popping up – gosh they’re in a hurry!

Saturday, 10th March 2007

Spent a lovely day on the lottie – the weather was absolutely lovely and got quite hot at times. Arrived there about 9:30 and Ron later brought me an English breakfast sandwich before going to work. Only got home at about 17:00 – so a good days work done despite the muscles being a bit stiff and achy – had a lovely hot shower and eventually had a cup a soup and toast for dinner. Terrence was not impressed!

The mystery bulbs turned out to be daffodils after all – it was really lovely turning up at the lottie and seeing their cheery faces bobbing in the wind. I also have a lovely cannas coming up which needs to be moved as it is in the middle of the new path besides the potato patch. Will put it into a large pot so that I can move it around to where I need extra colour. Holding my breath to see what kind it is – at the minute it looks like a bog standard as the leaves don’t look variegated. Will lift it next weekend and give it a bit of T&C.

All in all a good day as I managed to get the onion bed weeded – again!! Must get Gerrard to get me some mulch – must also check the leaf compost bin as there might be some compost there that I can spread on the onion patch and save a bit on the weeding. The onions are looking good though!!

Also managed to plant out the Feltham First peas and erect their peas sticks (from pruned raspberry plants. I then surrounded the whole thing with Pea netting and despite trying to put up some fleece and taking up kite flying in the process – eventually gave it up as a bad job. I will just have to watch the weather forecasts and dash down to the lottie to put some fleece on if frost is forecast.

Also put in the first sweet peas wigwam and planted some companion seeds and planted out the last of the broad beans. Eventually found the Giant Pascal Celery seeds and got them in the propagator. Also put some Thunderbergia ‘Salmon Shades’, Morning Glory ‘Grandpa Otts’ and sunflower seeds potted up for a bit of extra colour on the lottie and maybe a couple of the trellis’ at home. The Sarah Raven seeds I ordered have still not come – only hope they get here in time for me to sow them – especially the Brandywine tomato seeds.

Sunday, 11th March 2007

Lent Phil’s trailer – but had to empty it first – the tip was an absolute madhouse. The boys (Ron and Terrence) came to the lottie with me bright and early and we removed all the old carpets that we have lifted and all the wood prunings from the fruit trees. The lottie is now looking much better with all the piles of rubble gone.

After getting back from the dump and having a late brunch with the boys, Terrence and I went back to the lottie and managed to get one row of the first early potatoes, Epicure in so should be able to garden the first row 10th June. Or thereabouts. Ron was working the late shift so did not come back with us. Also managed to weed and dig over half of the root bed and planted 1 x row Student parsnips (pre-germinated – this is a mew method to me and I will see what the outcome is) – as catch crops planted 1 x row Tom Thumbs Lettuce and 1 x row Wild Rocket with the parnips, 1 x row ?, 1 x row White Lisbon spring onions, 1 x row Early Nantes carrots, 1 x row Boltardy Beetroot – also planted companion rows amongst the sowings.

Terrence sorted out the wooded border for the new asparagus bed and erected the arch over the front gate. I got the grape vine in and attached to the arch (with cable ties) so hopefully that will keep the grapevine and the trellis from being blown away in the wind. I popped the Jasmine that Geraldine gave me on the opposite side. So fingers crossed, we should get a lovely show this summer, not to mention the wonderful smell.

Week 9 ending 3 March

2007-10-09T16:34:00.000+01:00

Monday, 26th February 2007

Have taken the week to try and get on top of the jobs to do at the lottie. The weather is not playing the game but managed to get a good couple of hours in. Saw two HUGE, fat bumblebees today.

Planted the last of the garlic and finished filling the new bean trenches since the asparagus bed hijacked the original ones that I dug out in the autumn. At least the asparagus should benefit from all that hard work. They say a well prepared bed should alst about 25 years. Also managed to get the Brassica bed weeded. Should now have enough bean trenches to meet our needs. Also managed to get another couple of bags of compost into the Poop Heap. It’s amazing how the level drops. Also got all the Jerusalem Artichokes planted.

Tuesday, 27th February 2007

The weather was absolutely disgusting so Ron and I went off to check out a possible garden shed up for grabs in Poole. The shed was in a disgusting state and far too big, so back to the recycle boards begging. On the way home we did however stop off and do some shopping at “In Excess” and managed to get some thin trellis for the back garden from Stewarts and an arch for the lottie – so all was not lost.

Wednesday, 28th February 2007

John and Maggie brought me some guttering – Yippee! Now I will be able to sow some early peas for onward planting at the lottie. Will just need to make sure that the mice don’t get to them first. Planted two varieties of peas – Sugar Snap Delikett and Kelvedon Wonder.

Thursday, 1st March 2007

It turned out to be a lovely day so Ron painted the new trellis out front while I pottered around repotting the hydrangeas, delphiniums, split the mint into smaller pots for planting on at the lottie around the brassica bed. Pruned all the Fuchsias out front and started weeding and pruning roses in the front garden. Managed to get the sweep peas seeds and wigwams erected. They don’t look too bad. Also potted up the lily bulbs and the lily of the valley that I got from magazine specials – free - just pay post and packaging (£2.95) – cheap at half the price and practically something for nothing. I now have four pots of mobile lilies that I can move around into bare patches of the garden that need some cheering up over the summer. Potted up some First Early Rocket potatoes into a pot and they are now in the greenhouse – hope to get some really early new potatoes from them – will put the rest of the Rocket onto the lottie.
We then installed the trellis and I spent the next couple of hours typing in the rambling rose and some other creepers and gave the roses a slight pruning. All in all, a good days work.

Friday, 2nd March 2007

Well managed to get down to the lottie for an hour to collect some compost for potting at home. While I was there the windsock was blowing in the right direction and I tried to start a fire! No luck just lots of smoke and very little fire and then to add insult to injury just when I seemed to be coming right with the fire the heavens opened up.

Must remember to put some firelighters into the lottie box in case I get lucky again. Met my new neighbour across but one – name of Kat – she only got a quarter of a lottie so I count myself lucky!

Saturday, 3rd March 2007

Woke up to a lovely surprise – one of the little yobs threw a rock through my driver side window – so with phoning the police, who did not seem to perturbed but merely gave me a case number and said that as they did not gain entry they were not even going to send a patrol car around to view the damage. Also phoned the insurance company to set up the repair of the window (and a £50 excess). So with all this going on I did not manage to get down to the lottie which was maybe a good thing as I had a ribbon embroidery class in the afternoon. No one saw anything and the chap over the road said that it happened about 12:40 and by the time he got out the kids had disappeared.

Did however manage to get a bit of weeding done out front and put some seaweed extract on the fuchsia’s and front beds. Also gave the roses some food and Ron brought out the saw and took off the old, dead wood from the two rose trees that I have not been able to do with my normal secateurs.

Week 8 ending 28th February 2007

2007-10-09T16:32:00.000+01:00

Sunday, 25th February 2007

Ron and TD came with me and we went off to Dorchester to the Cottage Garden Association meeting and a talk by Jekka McVicca. It was really lovely and the talk was not too bad. At least I learnt that I should put my Sweet Cicely seeds in the fridge as it has not been cold enough to have enough stratification to enable the seeds to germinate. So I will now pop them into the fridge for a couple of weeks. Also managed to get a signed copy of Jekka’s new book on herbs, which is quite a good read. I was disappointed that Jekka only had seeds on her stand and not plants – I only got one packet on garlic chives from her!

Oh well, at least I managed to get a Fewerfew and prostrate Rosemary from the plant table sale. While I was at the talk Ron and TD went looking for Chessel Beach – they found it but the tide was too far out and they were almost blown away. Stopped off at Liz and Gerrard and he will try and get me some more potting trays and some wood chips for the walkways at the lottie. Fingers crossed!

Week 6 - ending 10th February 2007

2007-10-09T16:28:00.000+01:00

Wednesday, 7th February 2007

Ordered the last of the seeds on my wish list from Sara Raven website. Also ordered a couple of companion plants e.g. Morning Glory and Summer Savoury. Also after placing an advertisement on the RBCH swap site have found a swap for an electric mower for a petrol one - Jane Faramus. Am going through on Sunday, 11th to collect and do the swap. Then hopefully I can make a quick stop at the lottie and give the grass a chop!

Saturday, 10th February 2007

Have been hit by the dreaded lurgy so have been unable to get down to the lottie. Have however managed to swop my electric lawnmower for a petrol one – so at least the problem with moving the lottie has now been sorted. Did manage to prick out cabbage seedlings though.

Week 5 Sunday, 4th February 2007

2007-10-09T16:25:00.000+01:00

Was going to give church a miss today to allow me extra time to work at the allotment, but in the end decided to go. I was so stiff when I woke up – not sure if it was the digging or if I’m coming down with the dreaded lurgy. Everyone at work has been infected and TD is not doing to well either. Just as well I ended up going to church as Joel was looking a bit down in the mouth and I ended up standing on a chair and giving me a huge big bear hug.
Measured the potato patch and it is 6ft x 27 ft long. So more than enough space – might even get the corn in as well. Have decided that I am going to interplant the FE potatoes with bush beans which I have read make good companion plants. Also will add a row or two of Jerusalem Artichokes at the start of the bed (closest to the shed). If nothing else the flowers will make a good show! The sweet potato I was trying to use to get slips has collapsed in on itself and been assigned to the compost heap. I will have to go and get some more – possibly a little smaller will be better. Will now split and put one in water and another in damp soil – see which method works!
Autumn Raspberry Patch – no its not weeds but green manure! OK with a few nettles in between !Franco was going to meet me at the lottie today for a cup of coffee and a look around but never turned up. Met my neighbour from across from me, Janet – she seems quite nice and is also a woman working her plot. Finally introduced myself to Martin (the Brit flying flagman) and he seems OK. Managed to get the Autumn fruiting raspberries cut down and was quite amazed at all the dead wood (even after the great chop last October). There was a lot of nettles around so I pulled them all up and popped them into a bucket to make some nettle soup for putting onto the early crops. Waste not, want not.
Woody did a runner and when I eventually went to find him he has throwing himself at the chicken coop down the road with the chickens going mad. Only glad that he did not manage to get one of them. Managed to get a couple more broad beans in along the brassicas and root bed. Should be good for mid season beans. Also have nearly managed to fill up the Poop bed – a couple more loads and it should be filled. Can then put some soil on top and have a lovely hot bed for the squashes. The grass in the orchard and out front of the lottie is really long and in dire need of a cutting. Will have to make a plan about a petrol lawnmower. Also a shed will not go amiss either. Then I can make myself a little hideaway and spend hours down at the lottie no matter what the weather. Bought a bucket of chicken manure from the lottie shop and managed to spread some over the onion bed, spinach patch and the broad beans. Will have to think about putting some kind of mulch down soon. The garden at home also needs a good seeing to and a good layer of chicken manure. The Clematis need to be pruned and a general tidy up will not go amiss.
Emptied out the potato barrel at home and found tons of little potatoes. This was the King Edwards from last season that I had not had a chance to harvest. Looked good but when we used some they were glassy and inedible. Well - I won’t be doing that in a hurry again. At least I can now clean the barrel for planting the Valor in and got quite a bit of good soil to use as a mulch in the back garden. Not sure if I must leave it at home or put it on the lottie. Space was a problem last season with it next to the shed.

Week 5 – Saturday, 3rd February 2007

2007-10-09T16:16:00.000+01:00

Managed to move two students onto next week’s class so had the whole day to me at the Lottie. What bliss!! A whole day to dig worms. Went down to the Lottie with the preparing of the asparagus bed at the top of my list of “To Do things”. However after digging and weeding for about one hour I have hit the roots of the fruit trees. So its back to the planning and find another spot for the Asparagus beds. One option is to move it to the plot of land that I prepared for the beans (next to the strawberry bed). Will have to check the PH though as I dug two deep trenches in that part and filled them with fresh horse manure.
Neville turned up for a chat and a bit later with about 10 Summer fruiting Raspberries – I did not have the heart to say no so ended up putting them in a small bed where the asparagus bed would have been - next to the Orchard. Managed to get the Agapanthus clump thinned (nearly snapping the shaft of my fork), out and made a whole row backing on the Summer raspberries. Should make a lovely show when planted up with some Cosmos later in the season. Neville has also showed me how to prune the autumn fruiting raspberries so I will have to give that a go when I get time.
Will have to read up about them in the Fruit Expert. Went to the tip before going home to drop off a couple of bags of weeds that I don’t want to put on the heap and managed to bag a bunch of bamboo canes and a rocket like thing which I will use in the back garden to grow something up and over – only cost 25 pence each. Cheap as chips!

Got My Lottie

2007-02-01T14:40:00.000Z

September 2006

Wow, eventually got my lottie after just 12 months on the waiting list. Was first asked to have a look at another plot but what a mess – glass everywhere. Got Tim (from Church) to come and give it a butchers but even he says not to touch it. Too dangerous with all the broken glass. So fingers crossed have turned that one down. But I am assured that I am next on the list.

It is Plot 11A and is in quite bad condition as it has not been worked for well over a year. Although it has lots of potential and established apple tree (variety unknown as yet), a peach tree (not sure if it will fruit), and two kinds of plum / greengage – will still have to work out which is which. The only extra tree that I would like to look at is a cooking apple – will have to do some research but do love the ?? apple as I have been getting some fruit off Helen’s tree and it makes a super apple crumble.

October 2006

Ron managed to make the most beautiful cold frame ever. I am so chuffed with it I have to put a picture in the scrap book. Mmm- wonder if he will make me another one for the house garden?? Ron also got all the compost bins built – what a superstar!

November

Have ordered a Brambley one year old apple tree. Jim Masters has kindly offered to collect it for us from Adam and Kim Powell, Talaton Plants, Ivy Cottages, Talaton, Exeter, Devon, EX5 2SD. £10 for a one year old tree, stake and tie. Not bad. Got the details from Amateur Gardening magazine.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - 2006

Grew Green Hubbard Squash from SA – only got one fruit of decent size. The rest bloomed and then rotted off. Maybe you only get one plant per vine. Also grew Hubbard Squash – had around 10 fruits from this – Yummy. Green pepper never amounted to much and eventually winter won out. Got no chillis from my plants but the plants given away produced well. Will have to think about repositioning them into a hotter, sunnier position.

UK Records inlucd the warmest July with an average temperature of 19.7 C and the warmest every September at 16.8 C. We enjoyed the warmest April to October period last year with average temperatures of 14.6C. Even the entire autumn was hailed the warmest on record with an average of 12.6C. – Amateur Gardening, January 13th.

There were hose pipe bans for large areas of the UK and I felt really guilty when watering my garden with a hosepipe so tried not to waste any. As I did not water the grass it died back badly but has now started bouncing back, thanks to the lovely rains we have had since the end of November through December.

2007 – A new year

Solstice is gone, and the days are getting a bit longer - not that I'm noticing it yet, but the birds are; the garden chorus is singing away in the dark mornings.

This year's resolution - cultivate as much as humanely possible, but make sure it does well. Feeling a bit nervous that winter has been so mild - the slugs will be popping out pretty soon, thousands of them. Well that's our Easter holidays planned - two weeks of organised slug-hunt! I'm already planning tactics.

PS: Note to self – save up some bottles and nick some of Ron’s beer for slug traps!

Week 2 - Saturday, 13th January

Ron and I decided to bite the bullet and go and see if the lottie was still there after all the terrible weather. First time back to the plot since getting back from South Africa - glorious winter day, and a real heart-lift. The plot looked better than I had thought but the onion bed was really crying out for a weeding. Good to see the rhubarb poking its head out from where I did not even know it was. I have got a lot of discovering to do on this new lottie. Also spotted some bulbs coming up under the peach tree. Mmmh wonder what they are?

The spinach bed (above), also needs some TLC and the broad beans are in bad need of staking – although I am amazed that even one is still standing as I believe the winds and weather was fierce over December. The Feltham First peas in the cold frame had been attached by slugs and were consigned to the compost heap. Must remember to put down slug pellets before any new plants added to the frame. Nipped sweet pea tips out.

Ron helped dig the holes and I managed to get the new rhubarb crowns planted (donated by some kind soul on the lottie) – four in all – should make lots of lovely crumbles in years to come.

PM : Took the heated propagator out of moth balls and gave it a good cleaning. Washed out root trainers and replanted the Feltham First Peas. Also planted some Italian onion and glory vine seeds and placed in propagator.

Week 3 - Sunday, 21st January 2006

Rushed over after church and only worked a couple of hours – the wind picked up and it became really cold and unpleasant. However managed to get all the manure over the prospective potato patch and managed to weed the spinach bed. Geraldine came over and helped weed the onion and garlic bed. One down one more to go!

Ron also came over and helped prune the poor congested apple tree – only hope that we did not kill it.

Deepest darkest winter. Hardly a bird to be seen anywhere - this last cold snap may have taken a few, or perhaps they've just moved into gardens nearer human habitation. But I must keep my eyes peeled for any ladybirds.

Not much at all to do on the plot, except on the fruit bed - mulch the rhubarb and plant the Bramley Apple tree (when I eventually decide where its going to go!!!!).

Week 4 - Wednesday, 24th January 2007

Drew up complicated rotation plan for crops on allotment that would allow me to harvest year-round and try out all the seeds I have, including the odd experimental ones. Went to pot. Realised plot half the size of the plot in my head that I've planned for. Oh well, back to the drawing board. Stopped off at Tesco’s and bought a couple of packets of seed for the lottie.

Week 4 – Friday, 26th January, 2007

Managed to get Lemon Drop and Two Spanish Chillis planted four per pot. Forgot to wear gloves when splitting the dried pods opened and anything my hands touched for the entire day burned. Moved the Feltham First Peas from the propogator up into the spare room to grow on and cranked up the heat in there. Also managed to get two packets of sweet peas planted up into the root trainers – will have to plant the others two per pot.

Week 4 - Saturday, 27th January, 2007

Went down to the lottie at 09:30. Neville met me there and agreed to rotovate the top piece of the lottie which is going to be the new home for the potatoes this year. Cheap at half the price and saves me a lot of back breaking work. Managed to get the broad bean patch weeded and all the plants staked. Does not look too bad now. PS: Must remember to plant some more broad beans along the fence in the Roots and Brassica beds. Saw my first lady bird happily munching away at some black fly on the broad beans.

Week 4 – Sunday, 28th January 2007

Ron agreed to take me to the Hampshire Potato Day in Whitchurch and I managed to get most of the potatoes that I had chosen plus a few more - don't know where I'm going to plant them. If all else fails I will have to look at planting the extra's into tyres. As a thanks for taking me to the Potato Day I stuck him and Terrence to lunch at the pub across from the Testbourne Centre.

The potatoes I got are: First Earlies – Epicure (Christchurch variety), Duke of York and Rocket. Second Earlies – Nadine, Charlotte and Yukon and Late Main – Ambo Kerrs Pink, Cara and Bambino. Also got some Valour which was recommended by the chap giving the talk on potatoes and I am told will go right through until Christmas harvest – so might plant these in the Potato Barrel to make it easier to harvest them in the cold in December. Also got some Moulin Rouge which is a cross between Desiree and Pink Fir. Terrence was given 3 “Smile” and one “Blue Moon” potatoe that I will help him plant and grow. When I got home and could not wait to get chitting. Have now put them all safely into their temporary home to happily chit away! ?? Varieties in all – Lord, I only hope I got enough space to plant them all.

PS : Must remember to take a tape measure down on Saturday to measure the potatoe patch and work things out on paper e.g. how many potatoes per row etc.

Also got some elephant garlic – 1 clove 50p!! Did a good seed swap at the HRDA table and got quite a nice selection of Dwarf French Beans, Tendergreen, The Prince, Magpie, Stangen Blaukhulside, Vermont Cranberry, Climbing French Bean “Fabes de la Granja Asturiana, Ryders Top O’ the Pole, Red and White, Parsnip – The Student some Cardoon and some Forget Me Nots. Quite a good swap considering I did not buy one of the packets of seeds that I swapped for. Other seeds purchased for stock were Peas – Ambassador, Sugar Ann and Alderman and a small amount of Runner Bean “Red Rum”.

Also managed to get 6 bags of horse poop over to the lottie to start off the Poop Compost Bin. All in all a good days work!!

Week 5 – Tuesday, 30th January 2007

Managed to order 10 1 year old crowns of “Connover’s Colossal” Asparagus, an electronic soil tester and thermometer, and some organic fertilizers from the Organic Gardening website. Must leave work early to pop into Stewarts this afternoon and get that compost on special – 3, 25 litre bags at £2.99 each!!