Clearing up for the New Year (brain and allotment)

Couple of hours pottering round to clear head between Christmas and New Year.  All looking nice and ready for new planting.  Might try and get some onions in soon.

Can't decide about the paths. A Google search on 'path allotment' gives a billion hits with ideas aplenty, unfortunately most being contradicted in the next piece you read.  Conclusion - do whatever you think is best.  Wonderful.  

I'm thinking wood chips over a plastic membrane!  Oooh, fancy!   Although I am tempted to extend the herring-bone brick thing started by my predecessors.

Sprouts

It's probably not on everyone's top 10 list of Things-To-Do but just spent an hour in the rain and mud on Christmas Eve harvesting Brussels Sprouts for tomorrow's turkey dinner.  

I've heard that some people buy sprouts from a shop but I'm not sure whether that's true or not.

Windy or what?

As we move into the darker wetter days when there's not a great deal to do, along comes the mega-wind and takes out 3 sheets of glass form the greenhouse. 

I didn't take a picture because its just too sad.  Try and get to the glass shop before Christmas or I might block it up temporarily with some board.

Horseradish sauce

I didn't plant this Horsedradish but decided to dig it up to see what's what.  

Interesting that something a bit ugly can turn into something so tasty.  I guess that in the-olden-days, people just sampled everything and found out which things tasted nice, and which things killed them.  They must have been very adventurous to have a go with a horseradish root - good decision though.

Dig . . .Peel . . .Grate . . Sour cream . . . .absolutely delicious

Rainy days and Mondays

Oh no, the scarecrow's face got a bit washed off in the rain.  Moved to greenhouse to prevent further deterioration until the  Scarecrow Builder returns with paintbox.

The scarecrow builder

Which one is the scarecrow and which one is the scarecrow builder?

Scarecrow

A present from Elisa to scare the crows away.  Hope it lasts through the winter till next year when I'll need to scare them away - and the pigeons of course.

Leeks for lunch

A few weeks out and about and everything seems to be in a state of disrepair.  

Leaves everywhere and not much growing except sprouts (ready in time for Christmas I hope), broccoli (still not to sure this is ever going to flower) and leeks, which are looking very nice indeed.  I think I should plant some more so we can have a regular crop over the winter.  Starting to get addicted to Leek and Potato soup off the BBC Website.

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 onion, sliced

• 225g/8oz potatoes, cubed

• 2 medium leeks,sliced

• 1.2 litres/2 pints vegetable stock

• 150ml/5fl oz double cream or crème fraîche

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

More blackberries

I froze the first lot 'cos I'm not exactly sure what I am doing with them.  For the next harvest I'm going for a Blackberry and Apple Crumble.  Apparently very easy to make but we'll see.  

Apples courtesy of Loraine.  Picture of finished bake later on but, here's the foraged ingredients to be going on with. Hope there's enough, I'm not very good at guessing 300g.

The greehouse is finished!!

I don't like using exclamation marks so much, but I'm so chuffed that the greenhouse is actually built that I though a little exuberant punctuation was probably OK.

So, here it is, screwed down to the base and completely glazed (shout out to Colin for the loan of his drill).   

It would have been a complex 3D puzzle anyway but it was made worse by the gap in time from actually buying it to getting around to putting it together.  I had forgotten that a few sheets of glass were needed so that fooled me for a while. A quick trip to Abbey Glass for the last few panes and its done.

Not sure if I'll actually be putting anything in it until next year but I thought this view was rather nice on a sunny October day with a lovely reflection of the rest of the site.

Manure

Bit of a dilemma.  It's manure-ordering time for the Allotment Association so I thought I should get some.  The deal is you get a big pile, leave it for a bit under cover and then it rots down into a nice non-smelly load.  "£24 a load" seems reasonable but then I found out that a 'load' is 4 tons and I haven't really got space to put it.

So, I canceled the order and I have loads of offers for others on the Site to pinch a barrow-full of their 'load'.

It comes on Tuesday and I imagine everything's going to be a bit smelly for a while.

(I didn't think a photo was needed for this item . . .)

Brazil

In Brazil which is all very nice and everything but I can't help thinking that the sweetcorn will be ready.

Blackberries

Coming thick and fast and I'm checking out recipes.  I've decided to freeze this first batch to see how it goes.

Spuds 2: bugs

Nice crop of spuds here drying in the sun.  Closer inspection though and a load have small (1 mm) holes in them.  I cut one open and found a long centipede-type thing inside, brown and a bit horrible.  So I'm throwing those away and find its about a third of the crop,  Nightmare. Could this be the start of the potato famine on Banner Cross Rd?  Actually I guess I could have cut out the creepy-guy and be left with most of the potato,  I'll do that next year if things get tight.

Spuds

Took the chance in between block laying (see 'Greenhouse base wall' post) to get the final row of potatoes up before the slugs get them.

I thought potatoes were going to be a bit boring but there almost the best of the lot.  Plant a few  little seed potatoes back in May, remember the gift from Ron, and then dig up a whole bunch for each one planted.  Had some for Sunday dinner - roast and boiled - the highlight of the meal!

Going to plant a lot more of these next year as well as some 'earlys"

Greenhouse base wall

Finally, the wall is built. Took a morning off work to get it finished.  More back-breaking mixing, lifting, levelling, measuring.  Quite a relief to get back to the office in the afternoon!

Final corner is a bit iffy but I'm sure it will be OK when the greenhouse is screwed down.

More greenhouse

I'm not going to post a blow-by-blow account of this greenhouse but I thought it'd be quite nice looking back at this one.  4 corner blocks in position at pretty much the correct level.  

Back-breaking but very satisfying.

Courgettes into marrows

Turn your back for a second and those dainty little courgettes turn into massive marrows.  I didn't even know they came from the same plant!

"You don't get many of them to the pound missus!"

BTW that's a pound coin on top.

Greenhouse construction begins

Flattening the base-to-be and getting ready to sort out foundation.  Digging is even harder than I remembered but I guess it counts as exercise (sort of).

Greenhouse breaking news

Bought the greenhouse, £75.  Only problem is that it has to be dismantled and transported from one side of Sheffield to the other.  Still, what else are Sundays for?

Totally dismantled and most of the 'bits' I.e. glass etc. moved back to Allotment with o ly a cople of breakages.  Just the big sections to go and Mike comes to the rescue with his truck.  All now moved and re-construction underway.

Probably going to build a small wall of blocks and lift greenhouse onto it but can't quite decide.

More Broad beans . . .

. . . and more,and more and more. 

 Actually I call them Fava bens now because I think that sounds a bit cooler.  The other guys on the allotment don't know what I'm on about of course and probably think I'm from America.

Anyway, tried freezing a batch this morning.  1 minute boiling water and then plunge into iced water, dry them off a bit and straight into a freezer bag.  

That's Winter sorted out - well for 1 small side dish anyway.  Think I might pick and freeze a load more today.

Greenhouse

Very exciting day tomorrow, going to look at a secondhand greenhouse #how-sad-am-I

Hope it looks as good as this one I've grabbed of the Net.  I'm tempted to just go and buy a new one but for 2 things.

Firstly they cost more money; and secondly I don't really want a shiny new one on my plot.  I'm basically a recycling, Eco-warrior kind of guy.

Spacing veg for next year

A few images of things growing and how the spacing between them isn't quite right.  Looking forward to making adjustment next year.

Courgettes

These need a LOT of room, at least a metre apart. Mine are about a foot apart (nearly forgot to always use imperial units for the allotment).  Makes it tricky to get to the middle one and the leaves shade everything else.  Probably not enough food for them either.

Second, leeks.  Too close to the courgettes and I think they should be further apart.  Maybe need a bit of earthing up.

Finally, sweet corn.  Spacing s OK but I should have put a few more in I think.

Zucchini flowers

Took a bunch of flowers along a few small courgettes to try out this Tempura thing

And cooked, getting a bit dark in the garden now so not the best pic

Taste great though, particularly the little courgettes.  I'm getting some more of them today, the 4 plants are starting to churn them out.

A pruning knife

There comes a time in a chap's life when it's time to get a nice pruning knife, and today's the day.  Hand made in Sheffield by A Wight and Sons, rosewood handle, carbon steel blade, it's a beauty.

Broad beans

Or Fava beans as they're known in the US (and maybe other places too).  Anyway there are masses of the now and it could be I've planted slightly too many.  Bit close together too so I'll remember that for next year, and do what the planting instructions actually said!

They taste very good in a Tapas thing (with pancetta, sherry and a bit of Pimento).  Bit of a discussion on eating them raw and whether they ate toxic or not - turns out they're ok to eat raw and there's a nice JamieO recipe in his Italian book for raw beans on bruschetta.

Ciao for now.

Harvest time continues

Well it's coming thick and fast now! Strawberries in abundance, so much in fact that I'm tempted to try a little jam-making.  The WI web-site looks like the one to me.  

Broad beans are looking very pickable and feeling nice and soft (tip of the day from site-neighbour Ron).

Going to try a few tempura courgette flowers tonight. 

Check out this basket of produce. Just imagine it next year when I actually know a bit more about this business.

Potato flowers

Potatoes are getting pretty high now with some very attractive flowers

 

The Strawberry Harvest begins

Wasn't quite sure when to pick strawberries when only a few are red and most are green.  With the sun over the last few days they're all ripening quite nicely.

Here's punnet number 1.  Sweet.

More Artichoke rumblings

Not quite sure when I should pick these.  This one could be ready.

Courgette flowers

This I what I've been waiting for but thought they'd never make it past the slugs.  They did though and it could be tempura flowers very soon.  Funny looking plants that I always imagined would be taller.  Maybe I need some sticks?

Peas

Very disappointing performance from the peas and it as something I was looking forward to.  I planted a stack of seeds and then a few extra seedlings but they've pretty much all been eaten by the birds.  My next door neighbour, Everton, warned me of this and I thought I'd protected them with varied sticks but next year I'm definitely using netting.

Sunny days

Unnaturally sunny days in Sheffield means lots of watering and even a bit of weeding.  Beans are doing well (although still waiting for the sign of an actual bean pod), strawberries are starting to 'redden up' - technical term, and artichokes continue to appear.

Netting purchased to cover up strawberries from birds.

Globe Artichokes

A week away from Sheffield means everything has a chance to grow on its own without me poking my nose in every 5 minutes.

Check out the Globe Artichokes  - need to check on how to pick, how to cook and how to eat.

A View of general growth - beans and potatoes.  Close inspection of Broad Beans showed up some Black Bean Aphids I.e. bean aphids that are black, rather than aphids that live on black beans.  Whatever, I sprayed some stuff on them that we had already and I'll check whether they need another spray tomorrow.

More runner beans

Bought from the Sharrow Shop and planted but none of them seemed to come up.  So planted some more in (5 inch) pots and after a while, here they come.  'Enorma' variety from Tamar Organics.

Off to the US for a week tomorrow so this is what they look like as I leave.  Interesting to see how much they will have grown in pots in a week.

A week later

Random potatoes

After getting the allotment and giving the two main beds a good forking over, I planted many things in nice neat rows in the normal allotment fashion.  What I didn't do was clear out the random veg that the previous occupant had grown so, now I have a few random 'rogue' potato plants growing in slightly odd places.

I nearly dug them up to keep things nice and neat but changed my mid and 'earthed up' a little to see what happens.  A few more free potatoes.

A gift!

Nice gift from Margaret a few plots away from mine (down 1 along 3).  Some Broccoli, Sprouts and Cabbage grown from seed and now ready to plant.  Warned about the fact that the birds will eat the lot unless I protect with netting so I did that tonight.  Bit ramshackle with a few holes and I actually saw the robin inside the netting, but I think it should keep the wood pigeons off.

Also found about Club Root, a horrible disease (fungus thing) that affects brassicas. Only brassicas thankfully.  If you get it on your plot, and it is about on other plots, you can't grow brassicas for 20 years apparently!

Lets see if these gifts grow and I'll find out about Club Root soon enough.

Broad bean flowers

The broad beans are coming on very nicely and there's quite a few flowers.  My sources in the smart restaurant scene tells me these can be used as garnish and are edible. Might try that but presumably if you eat the flower you don't get the bean?  I'll split the crop between flowers and beans perhaps.  Anyway the bees like them.

Here's a photo of the latest state of affairs; potatoes in the foreground, then broad beans with strawberries in the distance, now nicely bedded down with straw by the way.  Artichoke is looking good but no flowers yet.

Sunny week at last

A few days of sun and things are starting to grow, including the weeds. Broad beans are looking good  and loads of flowers on the strawberries.  Of course everything needs watering a lot now.  Sun all day and rain (a bit) each night would be perfect.

Here's a photo of half of the plot, broad beans in the foreground, artichoke to the left and strawberries in the 'distance'.

3D Model of Allotment

Slightly sad, but I decided that it would be really nice to create a 3D computer model of my plot showing where everything was planted.

OK, Major Sad I know but I still did it.  Using SketchUp, here's the results.  I quite like them but I will be tweaking here and there to make them even better.  I might put a bit of work into the shed, get the door right and everything.

Snooker, Leeks and Baby Corn

Causal conversations on leek-growing over a game of snooker makes me think - "I need Leeks!".  In fact I'm concentrating so much on the fact that I need to be growing leeks I actually took my mind of snooker, and lost.

Still, off to Bell Hagg Garden Centre in the morning where they've got a new shipment in.  Perfect.  4 trays, no better make that 3, there seems to be a lot in each tray.  They're a bit odd, leeks, in that you buy these tiny seedlings and each one turns into a single leek. Not quite sure what I expected but I thought everything grew into multiple copies.

 Also, couldn't resist some Baby Sweet Corn to plant alongside the other 'normal' sweet corn.

Planted all the leeks and think I got the spacing about right but I'm sure the rows are a bit close at 6".  Doesn't leave much room for 'earthing up' which apparently I've got to do as they grow to keep them nice and white.  (Photo to follow).

Actually got a couple more courgettes because I am absolutely determined to get some courgette flowers this summer.

                                                                     

Patience is a virtue

Very rainy today and people starting to comment on my usual lack of patience and how could I possibly wait for things to grow.  I don't know what they mean!

Rhubarb Fool

First thing made out of produce from the allotment.  Bit of a cheat because it was there already but a single stalk of rhubarb harvested for Rhubarb Fool sampler.  Only made 2 dessert glasses but I thought it was very tasty even if other's in Davies family found it a little tart.  That's how it's supposed to taste for goodness sake (note to self: slightly more sugar next time, and maybe a touch more ginger).

Photos to follow next time I make it but here's one that's not a million mles from my effort

Birthday present (late entry)

Forgot to put this photo when I took it.  Birthday present (earlier in May) from Elaine to add to my growing collection.  They're actually a bit dirty now so I thought that I should keep a record of them being nice and shiny.

 I wonder if that's a business opportunity - dirtying-up shiny new garden tools for new allotment owners? 

You can even see my reflection of me taking the photo - bit distorted in the trowel.

More planted

Super-nice Bank Holiday weekend so got a stack more random stuff planted.  Peas, lettuce.  Rocket seeds were amazingly small and I've probably planted too many but we'll see.

Bought some sweet corn plants from B&Q  and manged to get them in too.  Starting to wonder if I'm putting things in the right place but lets see how it all goes and I'll know better next year.

Its raining the day after the Bank Holiday so, perfect!

Might do a bit of path construction on the rainy days, or some of those cute raised beds using the big pile of paving stones Ive been left with.

Slug guards (pat pending)

Courgettes have taken a bit of a hammering from the slugs so I created these slug guards out of a plastic bottle and some copper strip. Hope they work!

Getting something in, at last.

After a bit more weeding and a fairly wet week we get a lovely sunny Sunday and a chance to get something planted.  It's harder work than I thought and I planned to get loads of stuff in in the 2 beds.  As it was I couldn't get quite that much done, unles I stayed there all day (which was tempting), but managed to plant courgettes, broad beans and runner beans.  The courgettes I was growing from seed actually look a bit weedy so I bought some nice stronger looking ones from B&Q instead. Looking forward to tempura courgettes flowers - hope that the slugs don't eat the plants before they have a chance.

Put up a runner bean frame too and got some planted with a nice big lump of well rotted manure. Lovely.

First planting

Determined to get something in this weekend even though there's a little bit of rain 'in the air'. Beans and courgettes will have to wait a few more days as there still 'hardening off' in the garden.

 Potatoes are in, trenches dug, rotted manure added and then seed potatoes (gift form allotment neighbour, Ron) planted at 12" or so spacing.  Think I might go back to imperial measurements for this allotment gig.

Anyway here's a couple of snaps of trench and filled in bed.  Wonder when they'll show?

Broad Beans

Coming along nicely and looking forward to getting them in the ground this weekend.  And building some bamboo pyramids of course.