Beaucoup de Garlic

Finally, something is in the ground.  Garlic.  2 varieties - Solent Wight, that actually said 'Plant in Autumn' but I ignored that bit, and Arno, that said in 'Plant in Spring' so that's good.  

When you split the bulbs up there are a surprisingly large number of cloves to plant so, if it all grows, I think I'll be looking for a bike, a beret and a stripes T-shirt later this year.

Here we go again!

The seed arrives, the sun comes out - excitement mounts for Year2. 

Time to get some potatoes chitting too, although there's quite a bit of commentary around (internet-based of course) on whether to chit or not.  Maybe I'll chit half the potatoes and not chit the others, and then write up the results as an academic paper . . . or maybe I won't.  Perhaps best to switch the internet off and listen to what the other chaps at the allotment say.  

Oh no! They're all saying different things too!

Seed packets from the Real Seed company look nice though.

Seed Catalogues

How did I miss the excitement of this through my life so far?  Reading Seed Catalogues on a rainy Saturday afternoon.  I know it's probably all on-line but the paper versions are an absolute joy.

Boring everyone stupid with long rambling discussions on the pros and cons of F1 Hybrids and the tyranny of the seed suppliers in effectively making sure that us gardeners can't collect seeds if we follow the F1 route.  I'm not totally sure yet but I'm probably going the 'real seed' route.

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