Well hello. Lots to catch up on. Last weekend we spent a lot of time on the plot which was great and had a visit from K's mum and dad. And this weekend from The Neighbour and Oscar Dog - see next blog.
There is now so much to do. We cast our minds back to a few months back, when it was just digging and grumbling - and to this time last year, when we didn't have much going on other than the potatoes and the raspberries - and it seems like a different patch of earth. Our activities today and last weekend are pretty similar, so think of this as the Plot Omnibus. We took the digital camera with us today so as to present you with a montage of the plot - you can view these in a Special Picture Panorama Spectacular in the blog after this.
Generally, we are very pleased with our progress. There are the highs and the lows - but by and large things do seem to be growing. This is now the list of plants/crops planted by us in the plot, in no particular order. First early potatoes, maincrop potatoes, peas, nasturtiums, kale, purple sprouting broccoli, winter cabbage, broccoli, French beans, butternut squash, courgette, corn (3 sorts), raspberries, strawberries (2 sorts), blueberries, poached egg plant, runner beans, sweet peas, carrots (2 sorts), onions (2 sorts), garlic (2 sorts), radish, rocket, french marigolds, pumpkin.Lessons to be learnt - plant more maincrop and less first early potatoes; plant less broccoli; clear bank over winter; do salad crops at home; more support for peas; re-think beds; decking in front of shed.
We love the peas which are podding, the brassica seedlings in the Pagoda which are fab and the numerous leeklings. Not to mention the flowery potatoes. And last but absolutely not least - the jewel-like strawberries which have been coming over the last 2 weeks. They are bright red and perfect, sweet and juicy. Ants do not seem to like them. Maintenance involves a lot of weeding - some in the beds and some trying to thwart Mother Nature sidling in from the bank. And our first courgette flower has appeared. Blueberries are forming and also the first red raspberry has been spotted. We are particularly pleased with the courgettes which have suddenly shot off, beans and corn - I secretly think that the Magic Compost Vegetable Juice stuff has kickstarted them. They now look happy, strong and thriving.
We think the garlic will go over soon - it is going yellow and most of the elephant garlic flowers have been removed to get even more humungous bulbs. And we anxiously speculate about when to dig up the first of the potatoes as a sample. We decide to do it next weekend. We plant some more corn seedlings in the Pagoda and redo the mousetraps. Unfortunately we had a sad task - a robin had got caught in one. We know this is collateral damage in the great scheme of things but it saddens us nonetheless.
Other work included mowing the lawn (which is looking fabulous) and N making more improvements to the decking in front of the shed. We have erected a temporary barrier for the comfrey as it is getting a bit too enthusiastic. Too late we realise that we should have stopped it from flowering, so that the plant gets stronger. But then the bees would not have come and we couldn't have that.
Second sowings of peas, carrots and radish all showing.
Mouse count = 6
Rabbit = 0
Slugs = probably several thousand
Weather note: generally fine, not too hot, bit cloudy
Much labour this Saturday, as we prepare for the start of summer, glorious summer.
We brought to the plot five paving stones that had been liberated from our back garden - to form a salad bed at home - which were installed, resting on a bed of wood chippings, as an elegant walkway from our gate nearly to the Pagoda.
T
he seedling broccoli were planted in Bed 1 next to their slightly more mature brothers. Much of our salad leaves, which had bolted, was harvested, and eaten for supper. Several radishes were ready, too.
Weeding proceeded, N's delicate fingers being put to rough usage. Carrots and onions now really looking seriously like they should. Especially pleasing as others on the site have had their carrot seeds eaten by mice (rabbits are so yesterday).
K sowed some more carrots and radish, and transplanted the various leeklings (blogs passim) to a temporary site in the seedbed. We hope they don't get too comfortable but better to be in the earth than lolling ungainly-like in containers whilst waiting for space to get free. Also sowed some flower seeds, including poached egg flower - then to be given some of these already growing by Jan and Pat. Always room for more.
Pest control activity on the apple tree which has the ant thing going on. Apparently ants like aphids. The leaves are beginning to look stressed. Borrowed some toxic stuff and blitzed the tree. (We try to be organic as far as possible but sometime you just gotta...)Potatoes getting on well, no earthing up required in N's view (which may turn out to be a catastrophic misjudgment).
Our comfrey thrives - attracting much bee action - although we have a lingering guilt about
simply using it as future green compost rather than cherishing it for its own qualities.
A deck, made of pallets, was installed. It, like all else in the plot, will require nurturing, maintenance and vigilance.
Nice cup of tea and a sit down on our lawn (which we attempted to mow with the mechanical mower).
Traps put down for mice on Saturday, with a peanut butter treat for the doomed. We are
subseqently advised that, although traps are better then poison, cheese is the bait of choice. Mr G: "They're vermin; just small rats." By Sunday, two traps had sprung, but no corpses.
Strimming accomplished on Sunday, when a few more bean plants take t
he place of the weakest on our teepee site. We hope the corn will flourish, especially as it and the courgettes and butternut squash all got a good dose of the Magic Vegetable Water (which is truly stinky).
Weather note: mild, cloudy, soil still soft after the tumultuous rain last weekend
These were the spares seed potatoes we sowed next to the comfrey - we retrieved two-thirds of a bucketful. Over lunch with our allotment guest, Mr Perry, they were deemed to be delicious.
