Allotment Update

Thursday was lovely, sunny weather and both children at school or nursery all day. What luxury! I decided to make the most of it and do some digging! Took some water down to the allotment - we still have no water there, although we have been told it will happen in June. In the meantime we are all having to find inventive ways of keeping our crops going.
I had a lovely surprise when I got there - water pipes being laid! Hurray! (We are to have a self filling trough or something like that!)
I haven't managed to clear all my plot yet, and the grass was getting a bit long. I took the hand shears down and gave it all a good haircut. At least it won't be reseeding itself everywhere. Unlike my neighbours plot (you can just see all the grass seedheads next to my compost bin above). They have only cultivated half of their plot, the rest is just growing unchecked.

I managed to dig over a bit more of the large bed and planted some brassica seedlings (not sure what they are, I was told cabbages,broccoli and sprouts), and sowed some yellow podded dwarf french beans. My runner beans are just poking through under the canes at the far end. I just have this corner of the bed to sift through and a few more brassicas to plant in it. I did wonder if they would take as they had got rather limp, but I nipped back yesterday with some more water and they had perked up and were looking good!

Sadly my courgettes didn't fair so well. I mulched them with the grass cuttings last week, but it obviously wasn't enough with the lack of water and they had all shrivelled up. I gave them a good water, but next day they weren't looking any better so they will have to come out. Luckily I have 4 squash plants in the greenhouse that need some space, and some more yellow courgette seeds, so I will put them in there. The potatoes are suffering on some of the plots - leaves are looking dry and curling, but so far mine are doing well - considering I haven't watered them. Must be all that manure I put in with them! I've also had some peas - the dwarf Kelvedon wonders have all podded, they just need to plump up a bit more. The rain has finally happened today so that will do them good!

Finally in this pic you can see the carrot and parsnip bed in the foreground, with carrotfly deterrant marigolds planted around the edge. All the parsnips seem to have germinated!

The green bed on the left has sweetcorn in it. I have some more to plant in there.

My onions have started to produce flower heads. I think in response to lack of water. I've nipped them all off so hopefully I will still get some useable onions from them. Looks like I have a little lawn at the front of my plot now!

Finally, I like to walk around the other plots on my way home. Look at these runner beans in their pretty willow obelisks.

And look what I spotted nestling on the ground on this plot! I hope he picks it soon or the slugs will beat him too it!

I love this salad bed - what lush lollo rosso!

And finally back to my bike, parked by the school plot - how lucky are we to have a school gardening club? Doesn't it look fab?

As I'm writing this now, the rain has set in, so no more trips with the aquaroll for a few days at least! And hopefully that digger will have done it's job and the waterboard connected us up. I can't wait to see the plot again in a couple of days - there is nothing like a bit of rain to really get things growing!

Oh yes - if any of you are wondering about the fate of Sugar the naughty chicken, she has been sorted. But don't worry, she is still alive and kicking - I managed to grab her and Al clipped her other wing. She had already had one wing clipped but it obviously wasn't enough. I wasn't sure whether or not clipping both wings would work but it's done, and so far it seems to be working. Either that, or I shrieked at her so loudly the other day that she has learnt her lesson! I've seen her pacing the perimeter, but so far she has kept out of the veg patch. Phew!