Once again, technical issues prevent photos being added at this time but we couldn't carry on keeping you in the dark. We promise a picture only spectacular soon. We realise too that while there has been much work on the plot, you probably don't believe us given the length of time since our last communique. We have been preoccupied with holidays and garden improvements. Of the latter, we can only reveal at this stage that we are now the proud possessors of a New Greenhouse. This means that not only can crops be started earlier (a source of much anxiety when we spot others' more advanced seedlings) but be able to grow tomatoes, peppers, aubergines and cucumbers. Hoorah! We just have to get the damn thing up now without breaking anything. Perhaps we should dedicate a separate blog to the GH... We digress.
A summary of each bed's contents and progress follows.
Bed 1 - some onions have sprung up from the seed planted a while back (two sorts - red and ordinary). Only some have appeared but we are now the proud possessors of several Giant Onion seedlings courtesy of Mr G, purchased at the recent Allotment Plant Sale (19 April) as well as the overwintering onions. The chard is going positively bonkers in the spring air and we have had lots to eat and some spinach to. The parsnips have failed to come up - I glean from books that parsnips are fairly fussy about soil and it is noticeable that the ones sown in the carrot bed (bed 7) have come up. The shallots are doing their hippy thing.
Bed 2 - garlic is doing very well but again the onion seeds sown are variable - they come up in little patches which is frustrating. May have to rethink the onion strategy. We baulk at sets. It seems like cheating. No matter, we have sown some "emergency" onions in the temporary Greenhouse facility at home for transplantation.
Bed 3 - we have now moved into quadrants for the various broccoli as this bed is quite big. Several spring cabbage seedlings purchased from Homebase are doing very well, as are two cauliflowers (purchased from the aforesaid plant sale) - this is quadrant 1. Quadrant 2 is a daring experiment in direct sowing of seeds cutting out the middleman of the seedbed. Here are winter cabbage, summer sprouting broccoli and red cabbage. They have come up and are looking sprightly. Remedial netting has been applied to defeat the White Cabbage Butterfly, curses on it for being both beautiful and deadly. The nasturtiums are beginning to come up but only a few marigolds so far. No matter - we have sown marigolds at home for transplantation.
Bed 4 - purple sprouting broccoli has been good but now coming to an end. Not so sure it is worth the extremely long wait but tasty nonetheless. We have planted our maincrops there (2 weeks previous). I find potato planting timings a little arbitrary but they were planted before the end of April which is the main thing. We worry about being able to eat all the potatoes ars we are still eating last year's crop (which my sister pronounces as very tasty mashed).
Bed 5 - this bed is still in transition (to use a work phrase). The kale are well and truly spent. We have let them flower both in a homage to their mighty performance and to admire the lovely yellow flowers on these strong yet delicate purple plants. They will, alas, be pulled up soon to make way for courgettes (both varieties now sown at home), beans (ditto), corn (ditto - but as last year I am unhappy with their progress), squash. May be reduced to buying some corn seedlings, chiz. We have had frustrations with sowing peas and mangetout in this bed as for some reason very little has come up. We may have to resort to emergency measures and will probably sow some at home. This bed will soon look very different. A little patch of rocket, sown a few weeks back, is now resplendent though no radishes (unless we have eaten radish leaves without knowing of course).
Bed 6 - we sowed peas there a few weeks back and have patchy success with germination. Application of mousetraps didn't seem to help. Remedial resowing has resulted in a few more plants but we were saved from doom and despondency (we love our peas) by the kind offer of some 14 extra seedlings from a kindly neighbour with some to spare. N had to repair the netting structure which was blown around by the wind but is now looking fab.
Bed 7 - carrots sown at various times are coming up as are the parsnips. N very excited and applies himself vigorously to the thinning process. Might see if I can sneak another row of parsnips in without N noticing - is it too late?
Pagoda - one apple tree (Cox) in better shape than the other, which again has been beset by ants. The first apple tree has blossomed well, as have the loganberry and the bigger blueberry. Little blueberry is still in short trousers. Raspberries, both summer and autumn now getting going, and the seedbed is pretty full of broccoli (various sorts), red cabbage, leeks (two rows) and of course kale. The first lot of broccoli seedlings are now quite big and will need to be moved soon. The sweetpeas are beginning to sprout upwards.
The Bank - first earlies have come up and looking good, with second earlies beginning to show. I sowed some sunflowers on 19 April, but none look to have come up yet, though the Bank is not the most hospitable environment what with the never ending battle with The Weeds. One asparagus of the two crowns planted has made an appearance too. The rhubarb is being eaten by something but is otherwise growing. (These two latter crops can not be eaten this year of course as it is their first year.) The comfrey is about to blossom - these plants are incredible in their rate of growth. Many flowers on the strawberries (which have self-increased due to runners).
Other developments have been the welcome arrangement with a nearby horse stable whereby we can purchase good manure for 25p a bag (proceeds to Association). We now have a lovely stash of the stuff gently maturing in one of the compost areas.
Weather note: mostly typical spring weather, mixture of sun, wind and showers. We have got sunburnt a couple of times up there but have still managed to enjoy our allotment picnics. It has been more dry recently and we have had to water. Otherwise, fasten your seatbelts for the next phase, which will be a positive orgy of planting in Bed 5 and expansion of contents in Bed 3. We are definitely more organised this year - but can we match the success of last year? This must be the gardener's dilemma, and incentive.
Good things: potatoes, garlic, apple tree, various brassica seedlings coming up so reliably, carrots, shallots, sun
Bad things: patchy onions, peas, mangetout, little blueberry, wind blowing stuff about, usual slug anxiety
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