Time flies

It seems like absolutely ages since I last spent time at my plot! I've made the dash down there to water the greenhouse but not much else in the last few weeks (my weekends have been taken up with visits to relatives, friends and my Hut).

Absence however has this remarkable power - the allotment goes wild. I now have metre-high poppy plants everywhere (the first one is in flower, a lovely large pink bloom). The weeds are also huge (despite pulling them up everytime I see one - how do they escape!).

On the plus side I do have lots of fruit this year - a bumper crop of pears, apples and plums (see pic) and it doesn't look too bad on the cherry and gooseberry front either.

In the greenhouse things are going well - I had over 100 tomato plants of different varieties but have managed to give many away (hurray!) and potted on the others. Still many toms in pots they have outgrown but will hopefully get to those this weekend. There are quite a few toms already on the plants - some the size of golf balls!

I've finally managed to grow carrots - after my third attempt at sowing seeds. Wonder what I did wrong. And I've only got about 4 parsnip plants after sowing nearly 3 packets of seeds!!!

I've also planted out sweetcorn and squash as well as beans (trying the 'three sisters' again this year).

Harvesting-wise I've had a continuous but small supply of strawberries (they rarely make it off the plot), a few early onions, asparagus and lettuce. The cherries are ripening and I guess the garlic will need lifting soon.

Meet Jimmo

Hi all

Pleased to meet you. I'm Jimmo the Scarecrow. Elizabeth and Elizabeth's Mummy made me - with a little help from our Girl Guide knot-tying friend Clare. I'm protecting Elizabeth's strawberries from the birds. And I hope adding a little something special to the plot.

Jimmo

Weekend work

Spent Saturday at a friend's house - started work on her greenhouse. Miles of beading to be slotted into seemingly hundreds of bits of aluminium. After a while we gave up and went for a walk but I have been told that she's working away in front of the telly! Will be back soon to help put the frame up and glaze it.

Meanwhile, back at my own plot... on Sunday I put together the new raspberry bed (no. 1 of 2). I also planted some more broad beans and put in the left over red baron onion sets (near the broad beans). Two year old and I also planted sweet peas into loo roll holders and they are sitting on her south facing window cill awaiting germination.

I have a trough of strawberry plants that I rescued from the site of my greenhouse before I put it up. They live in the greenhouse and have their first flowers. Hopefully I'll have so me early strawberries. My purple sprouting broccoli seems almost ready to pick and the last of
my brussels are looking very plump (should have picked them a while ago but couldn't face any more nor give them away!).

Think also that I spotted my first little asparagus poking it's head up. Better get on and weed the bed whilst I can (shame to lose the dead nettles - bees have been visiting them).