The big change was back in May 2013 when I was made redundant .i.e. put out of work.I thought I would have more time for my allotment but as the year progressed I found that I had to start a business if I ever was to work again and that one fact took away any spare time I might have had. I harvested my potatoes and onions and pruned the grape vines. I managed to tidy up the compost bins and mulch up the Rhubarb. MY final act for the allotment society was to chair the allotment society's AGM. A had given in my notice with a month to spare so I was a sad time to be giving up something I had been doing for ten years. However I think the Society is in a better shape than when I started there. My soil is in fantastic shape. My plot has been divided into two plots, the two new people that have taken over seem very enthusiastic. The fact two people have taken over what I did myself says something about the effort I put in. One of the consequences of giving up the plot was having to tell the folks I got the manure from of the decision. We had a great system which worked beautifully. I enjoyed having the run out to the stables and a lean on the fence chatting about the horses.
However I can now concentrate, what little time I have, on doing my own garden. On Saturday 29th my friend came by and brought his shredder. An Alder has grown into a monster in the time we have been in this house. It was decided in the Summer that the tree was coming out. We got the ladder up and got busy with the bow saws. It always surprises me just how much wood there is in a tree. We trimmed the smaller branches and passed them through the shredder. The bigger branches were put to one side. Once the crown was removed we moved to taking down the trunk. That went well, nothing and no one damaged. We logged the trunk in to manageable pieces for Steve to take away. The bigger branches were sawn into small pieces and wheelbarrowed to the top of the garden to be fuel for the Chiminia. The shredings were put on the Raspberry and Blackberry beds as a mulch.
Whilst Steve was about he pruned the Blackberry bushes. I have not been brave enough to tackle them in all the years they had been in. They were way to dense. I pruned the minerette Apple and Pear trees in preparation for their move. I also did the step over Apple tree to. The Hawthorn, Willow and Hazel from the border hedging got a light pruning . Just enough to clear the path. All the prunings went through the shredder. The shredder is a marvelous thing if a little noisy.
Part way through the day Hazel made us some Bacon butties. Is was really nice to be working outside after almost a week of Christmas indulgence. It was barely above freezing yet I was soaked in sweat by the time we were finished. The garden looks much brighter. Now the tree is down to manageable proportions I can start cleaning out the jungle that is the fence. The fence is hiding behind three feet of Ivy, Honeysuckle and Berberis. I think more tea and bacon butties will be needed to help clear this area.
Monday, December 30, 2013
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Soaking up the gravy
Well it has rained all day today. The forecast for tomorrow is for rain all day. Digging spuds seem out of the question. The soil will be as sticky as a sticky thing. Cottage pie for tea tonight. The potato mash topping will be White Duke of Yorks. Lovely and fluffy. Perfect for soaking up the gravy.
Saturday, October 05, 2013
Leaning on the fence chatting
The summer is clinging on. It is still hot enough to get sweaty digging spuds even in a polo shirt. Trailer duty as usual today. The stable folks are having a manege built in the paddock by their house. Much fun had leaning on the fence chatting whilst the bloke tries to get on with digging a hole. Work...I could watch it for hours. I also came away with a big bag of cooking apples.
Back at the lottie work to do. Bed1 from which I harvested the peas last week is now sporting a green fuzz. The weed seedling are enjoying the nice weather. I decided the first job should be tidying the grape vines. I ended up with more vines on the ground than on the wires. Not quite true but they got a savaging. There are quite a lot of grapes on the vines. I tasted a couple. Pure acid. They could be gooseberries. More chateau Rawdon I think. The sun was hot on my neck whilst I busy with the secateurs.
No more excuses. I got the trays out and set about digging up the spuds. The soil is perfect despite the bit of heavy rain we had earlier in the week. Luckily a new lottie member came a had a chat so I had a reason to stop for a few minutes. He is repairing his fruit cage. The net needs securing for the winter. I think he got tired of the constant bang as the stapler drove home yet another staple hence the break for a chat. The spuds came up easily and are a good size. I did not slice that many with the spade. I was pleased to note that there was very little blight in evidence. A very occasional tuber would be effected. The soil was so light and moist I even raked it over so it ready as a seed bed.
On getting home a had a little job which was to nip over to my neighbour's garden and harvest the Pears and Apples from his minaret trees. I do this every year. He likes the idea of the fruit trees but would rather me have the fruit than let it rot on the floor. I have a about two hundred Apples and about thirty Pears. The Pears are going for wine. Not sure what to make from the Apples.
Degsy got a little TLC as a fixed the indicator that was not indicating. I even had a little time the pack the empty supers into the garage for the winter and wash the oily patches off the drive.
Back at the lottie work to do. Bed1 from which I harvested the peas last week is now sporting a green fuzz. The weed seedling are enjoying the nice weather. I decided the first job should be tidying the grape vines. I ended up with more vines on the ground than on the wires. Not quite true but they got a savaging. There are quite a lot of grapes on the vines. I tasted a couple. Pure acid. They could be gooseberries. More chateau Rawdon I think. The sun was hot on my neck whilst I busy with the secateurs.
No more excuses. I got the trays out and set about digging up the spuds. The soil is perfect despite the bit of heavy rain we had earlier in the week. Luckily a new lottie member came a had a chat so I had a reason to stop for a few minutes. He is repairing his fruit cage. The net needs securing for the winter. I think he got tired of the constant bang as the stapler drove home yet another staple hence the break for a chat. The spuds came up easily and are a good size. I did not slice that many with the spade. I was pleased to note that there was very little blight in evidence. A very occasional tuber would be effected. The soil was so light and moist I even raked it over so it ready as a seed bed.
On getting home a had a little job which was to nip over to my neighbour's garden and harvest the Pears and Apples from his minaret trees. I do this every year. He likes the idea of the fruit trees but would rather me have the fruit than let it rot on the floor. I have a about two hundred Apples and about thirty Pears. The Pears are going for wine. Not sure what to make from the Apples.
Degsy got a little TLC as a fixed the indicator that was not indicating. I even had a little time the pack the empty supers into the garage for the winter and wash the oily patches off the drive.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
In a quandary
I could put it off no longer. The weather is dry and has been for most of the week. She who must be obeyed and daugter had gone shopping. I had no excuses left. I went to the lottie with one goal which was to dig up the potatoes. In preparing the soil for the spuds I cleaned it of weeds. Whilst the spuds were growing they created and effective cover that no weeds could grow save the creeping thistle. It grows from a rhizome under the soil rather than a seed so not much cab stop it except constant weeding in order to weaken the rhizome. The outcome was that now the haulms of the spuds have died back the bed is clean of weeds so I need only dig the spuds up and not combine it with a weeding exercise.
I started at the end of a row and carefully put the fork under were I thought the spuds would be. I was not far off. The trouble was that the soil was so light [thanks to all the manure and work over the years] the fork tines just slipped through the soil hardly disturbing the soil. I change over to the spade. That made a better job. Soil and spuds moved. The spuds came up quite clean as the soil was dry. I left them in the sun for a while as I harvested the row. The sun dried the potato skins and soil alike. The soil just fell off the spuds when I shook them in the tray. At the end of a row I collected the spuds. They filled one of the two trays I had brought with me. The spuds were a good size. Most of them were larger than tennis balls. Some showed signs that they had bulked up a second time probably after a period of rain. I set off on a second row. That too yielded a full tray of spuds. I only had the two trays so that was the end to the harvesting for today.
I worked along the row. The air was warm but there were no flies to bother me. There were lots of birds squabbling in the hedgerow and high overhead a Buzzard was calling. It was all very pleasant. Since it only took me an hour and half to harvest the two rows I set about weeding the paths by the area I harvested. I hindsight it might have been better to weed the paths before harvest to make access that bit easier. The paths gave up a fully wheelbarrow load of assorted weeds. I dumped these wees onto the new compost pile. The pile had dropped a good few inches since last week which mean s the compost process has begun. I tramped the new load of weeds in the bin. I checked the adjacent compost bin. No snakes to be seen but there were lots of sloughed off skins. I am in a quandary, empty the compost bin or leave it for the snakes.
I was encouraged by the potato harvest so next visit more spud digging.
I started at the end of a row and carefully put the fork under were I thought the spuds would be. I was not far off. The trouble was that the soil was so light [thanks to all the manure and work over the years] the fork tines just slipped through the soil hardly disturbing the soil. I change over to the spade. That made a better job. Soil and spuds moved. The spuds came up quite clean as the soil was dry. I left them in the sun for a while as I harvested the row. The sun dried the potato skins and soil alike. The soil just fell off the spuds when I shook them in the tray. At the end of a row I collected the spuds. They filled one of the two trays I had brought with me. The spuds were a good size. Most of them were larger than tennis balls. Some showed signs that they had bulked up a second time probably after a period of rain. I set off on a second row. That too yielded a full tray of spuds. I only had the two trays so that was the end to the harvesting for today.
I worked along the row. The air was warm but there were no flies to bother me. There were lots of birds squabbling in the hedgerow and high overhead a Buzzard was calling. It was all very pleasant. Since it only took me an hour and half to harvest the two rows I set about weeding the paths by the area I harvested. I hindsight it might have been better to weed the paths before harvest to make access that bit easier. The paths gave up a fully wheelbarrow load of assorted weeds. I dumped these wees onto the new compost pile. The pile had dropped a good few inches since last week which mean s the compost process has begun. I tramped the new load of weeds in the bin. I checked the adjacent compost bin. No snakes to be seen but there were lots of sloughed off skins. I am in a quandary, empty the compost bin or leave it for the snakes.
I was encouraged by the potato harvest so next visit more spud digging.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Volunteer Potatoes
The weatherman was right about the weekend. Sunday was gorgeous. The trailer run was executed but with change to the usual routine by dropping the load of to my buddy, drinking tea and chatting on his new decking. The trailer was returned to the then I went to the lottie.
Come what may I was determined to harvest the peas and onions. Considering the state of the plot that what quite a tall order. In fact the weds came away quite easily. The dense cover of peas had suppressed most of the weeds. I only had to spot weeds a few dock and a couple of bushy grasses that had seeded from the bird food thrown from the feeders. It was hot work. The sun was bright and hardly any breeze much less a wind to speak of. As I harvested the peas and rolled up the vines and weeds I came across a number of volunteer potatoes. They are potatoes that have grown from spud missed in the last harvest. I collected enough for two dinners. It will be a mixed plate of White Duke of York, Cara and Red Fir Apple.
I filled one of my big compost bins with the harvested vines. Even climbing on top of the pile and trampling it several times only succeeded in bring the pile down to the top of the bin. The grape next to the pea patch was straggly so I gave it a good pruning and trained likely vines against the wires. More brash for the compo heap. Finally with my energy running low I tackled the onion bed. Three was not much to do except pull up the ripened onions and clear away what weeds were present.
All the goodies were loaded into Degsy. In the short time after shutting the back door to Degsy and taking a walk round the plot to make sure nothing was left that should not be left, the cab had developed a rich oniony smell. When I got home I found she who must be obeyed in teh garden chatting to an old friend of ours from Manchester. the friend had been at Champany's for the weekend. I could have done with a massage but had to settle for a shower and a brew.
Spud harvesting next weekend. If my back is better!
Come what may I was determined to harvest the peas and onions. Considering the state of the plot that what quite a tall order. In fact the weds came away quite easily. The dense cover of peas had suppressed most of the weeds. I only had to spot weeds a few dock and a couple of bushy grasses that had seeded from the bird food thrown from the feeders. It was hot work. The sun was bright and hardly any breeze much less a wind to speak of. As I harvested the peas and rolled up the vines and weeds I came across a number of volunteer potatoes. They are potatoes that have grown from spud missed in the last harvest. I collected enough for two dinners. It will be a mixed plate of White Duke of York, Cara and Red Fir Apple.
I filled one of my big compost bins with the harvested vines. Even climbing on top of the pile and trampling it several times only succeeded in bring the pile down to the top of the bin. The grape next to the pea patch was straggly so I gave it a good pruning and trained likely vines against the wires. More brash for the compo heap. Finally with my energy running low I tackled the onion bed. Three was not much to do except pull up the ripened onions and clear away what weeds were present.
All the goodies were loaded into Degsy. In the short time after shutting the back door to Degsy and taking a walk round the plot to make sure nothing was left that should not be left, the cab had developed a rich oniony smell. When I got home I found she who must be obeyed in teh garden chatting to an old friend of ours from Manchester. the friend had been at Champany's for the weekend. I could have done with a massage but had to settle for a shower and a brew.
Spud harvesting next weekend. If my back is better!
Monday, September 02, 2013
Righteous compost
I dropped the trailer of muck off as part of the fortnightly ritual. The allotment, by allotment I mean weeds, have staged a miraculous recovery following the mega-strimming they got a few weeks ago. The cultivated plants (Onion and Potatoes) have died back which makes things look worse. The grapes vines have lovely little bunches of grapes but I doubt there is enough rain and sun to make them mature before the autumn kicks in. The Pea patch is a riot of plump pea pods and weeds. The good thing is that in harvesting the peas the bed will get cleaned up at the same time.
As usual I had a sneak peek in the big compost big and was rewarded with seeing two grass snakes. One was almost adult in size but the other was a juvenile. So I feel quite righteous about leaving the compost bin alone for most of the summer.
As usual I had a sneak peek in the big compost big and was rewarded with seeing two grass snakes. One was almost adult in size but the other was a juvenile. So I feel quite righteous about leaving the compost bin alone for most of the summer.
Saturday, August 03, 2013
A reasonable trade off
The plants seem to be making up for lost time from the late spring. The fruit bushes in the back garden are bent low with fruit. It is hard to get tired of eating Raspberry and Blackcurrants straight off the bush. The Apples seem to be getting bigger as you look at them.
I am happy to report that honey bees are still around. I left some wet comb [honey comb with a some honey left on it] in the wax extractor in the greenhouse. I though the combination of the extractor inside the greenhouse might render the wax for me. No such luck. However the the bees have found it. The other day there must have been fifty honey bees and a dozen of more bumblebees in there robbing the honey. They had to pay the price by bumping off the greenhouse glass roof until they found their way out.
All the doors and windows in the house are open so we can enjoy the beautiful weather. We get more unexpected visitors. The garage has been adopted by two very big and very active common Toads. There are a few Toads in the garden and H keeps bumping into them as she harvests the fruit bushes. The dining room has a new fixture, although I think it will only be a temporary arrangement, A Magpie Moth is spending the day with us. The picture below does not do it justice. Click HERE for some proper information on the Magpie moth. Having read up on the moth I find the caterpillars of this moth like Currant and Hawthorn plants as hosts. We have both in the garden. A few leaves for a pretty visitor seems like a reasonable trade off.
I am happy to report that honey bees are still around. I left some wet comb [honey comb with a some honey left on it] in the wax extractor in the greenhouse. I though the combination of the extractor inside the greenhouse might render the wax for me. No such luck. However the the bees have found it. The other day there must have been fifty honey bees and a dozen of more bumblebees in there robbing the honey. They had to pay the price by bumping off the greenhouse glass roof until they found their way out.
All the doors and windows in the house are open so we can enjoy the beautiful weather. We get more unexpected visitors. The garage has been adopted by two very big and very active common Toads. There are a few Toads in the garden and H keeps bumping into them as she harvests the fruit bushes. The dining room has a new fixture, although I think it will only be a temporary arrangement, A Magpie Moth is spending the day with us. The picture below does not do it justice. Click HERE for some proper information on the Magpie moth. Having read up on the moth I find the caterpillars of this moth like Currant and Hawthorn plants as hosts. We have both in the garden. A few leaves for a pretty visitor seems like a reasonable trade off.
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