I decided that the runner beans that I've been growing at home in loo rolls really needed to be liberated so I went up to the plot at about 7pm last night. My day off was full of important stuff like going for therapy to sort out my 'flying phobia' (Greek holiday looming ahead) and going to the dentist, so I didn't get chance to get to the plot in the daytime as planned.
To be honest there is something quite magical about the evening time at the allotment, I'm not sure what it is but I always love the feeling of peace. Most of the time when I've been up there at that sort of time I'm the only person there and I just love the feeling of pottering which is when I find gardening really therapeutic.
I've got loads of stuff almost ready to put in the plot all growing like mad at home in loo rolls, newspaper pots and modules. The beans that I planted last night are 'Wisley Magic' runner bean and I have 'Best of All' runner beans, French climbing beans and Borlotto beans to put out as well. The plan is to have 2 double rows of canes with a different variety bean on each side to accommodate the 4 different varieties. I think my problem will come when we have the harvest to end all harvests and we're eating beans until we go blue in the face....I just can't do it by halves!
Video below shows the plot on Easter Monday (9th April) once we had dug all the plot and before we'd put many things in. If you have your speakers on you can hear the birdsong (very peaceful) and then at the end the train going by, the track runs right behind my plot. For some reason you have to click the arrow twice to play this video. (Wed 23/5/07 Just found that at work I don't have to click twice! Oh the joys of modern technology!)
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Labels
- Asparagus (2)
- Beans (3)
- Broad beans (2)
- Carrots (2)
- Cauliflowers (1)
- Felco (1)
- Green manure (1)
- Japanese onions (1)
- Leeks (1)
- Onions (2)
- Parsnips (3)
- peas (1)
- Potatoes (3)
- Pumpkins (1)
- Spring cabbages (1)
- Swede (1)
- Woolie rose (1)
22 comments:
I enjoyed the video, but next time give us a commentary !! LOL.
I know, I did think maybe I should but I thought I might sound like David Attenborough or David Bellamy!!!! LOL
Sorry to go off-subject, but have you found the flying therapy is working?
I abso-lute-ly hate flying - spend the whole time saying the Lords prayer, when I'm not even a believer!
If it works - recommend your therapist.
And thanks for the anti-rotovator advice! Guess I'll just have to do it the hard way.
One more thing before I leave you in peace! (God, I hate posting on people's blogs, it makes me feel like a stalker!)
As a man who obviously has flair and style did you know Cath Kidston's garden will be open in July for the Red Cross? She lives near Stroud apparently. My friend and I are planning to go, as we reckon it will be rather fine, as gardens go.
NO!!! Don't feel like a stalker!! I've been writing this blog since last year and waited ever since until this month for my first comment to arrive!! It's great to hear from other people, you are now contractually obliged to continue sending in postings!!! :) (only jesting!) And no I didn't know about Cath Kidstons garden being open but I'm VERY interested to know more...do you know when and where?? I'd love to go! I can just imagine what style her garden would be.
.....and I'm not sure if the flying phobia therapy has worked, I guess I'll have to wait until D DAY! I went to Gloucester Natural Therapies Clinic in Kingsholm just by the coop shop past the Rugby ground. http://www.gloucesterhealth.co.uk/
I had a therapy called NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming, it was a one off session lasting just over an hour and cost £40. I feel ok about it but as I say I've just got to wait...I'll keep you posted!
The garden day is July 1st, 2-6pm. Trillgate Farm, Slad, at Bull's Cross of B4070 Stroud to Birdlip, 1/2 mile out of Slad "terraced lawns, herabceous topiary, orchard with wild flowers and bubls, beautiful hidden valley." AND teas!! mmmm..
NLP sounds good - Derren Brown uses it a lot in his shows.
Just got some old carpet from Freecycle! Yay..
fantastic, I think we'll have to make a trip there then. Thanks for letting me know! Freecycle rules OK in my house...I've had loads of great stuff, carpet will be good to cover part of your plot.
A disaster!
I found out the address of the bloke who previously had my plot, and put a note in his door to ask if I could buy the key to the still-locked shed. He's just rung, v. Mr Angry, to say he doesn't know what's going on, Accord have no business giving me the plot - he's paid up to date for it, he's just not been recently due to a bad knee, etc etc.
I don't know what will happen know - both of us will no doubt be on the phone tomorrow first thing to Accord to try and sort this out. Thing is, the plot has so obviously not been touched for ages,and Roy-next -to me says that Mr Angry let all the produce go to waste last summer, and just abandoned it.
I'm so so miffed.
To cap it all, I went up there tonight to do some digging and the robin and one egg appears to have disppeared, leaving a barely alive baby chick struggling.
Hardly a disaster of a global scale, I know, but I'm reet pissed off now!
But I must say, I just realised earlier when looking at your garden website that you transformed your garden in such an amazingly quick time. It must have taken such effort to do it so quickly.
Oh no! I have to say that I'm not surprised that Accord have buggered up! Do you deal with Mrs. Baldwin?? DON'T take any crap, they have mucked up in some way and it's not your fault. In the contract signed when you take over you promise to keep the plot weed free etc so Mr. Angry can take a running jump.
I just found out our nest box has got a blue tit family and I became almost hysterical with excitement so I can understand why you're so worried about the robin.
Our garden did take loads of effort but my 'better alf' did loads too so it wasn't just me. I'm sorting out pics of work in progress to add to garden website to show how we did it etc.
Hope all sorts out, remember not to take crap from Accord, I had to get shirty with them, you are the customer and they buggered up!
Hey!
Just read through your allotment blog from start to finish and wanted to say how interesting it was to read! My g/f and I live in Gloucester (Abbeymead) and are on a waiting list for an allotment just over the M5 in Upton St Leonards which we should get in time for next years growing season all being well, so its great to see the progress of someone localy who's a year or so ahead of us. Only problem is it makes me want an allotment even more now! :)
Thanks Cuke, I'm glad you enjoyed the blog.I left a comment on one of your threads on Allotments4all site but I don't think you saw it. I commented that I had to get a plot on a different site to the one I originally wanted due to waiting lists, had you considered a different site if you wanted to start immediately? There are still plots on our site.
Ahh yeah, must have missed that! :)
We didn't really consider different sites to be honest, the idea only occured to us when we drove past the ones in Upton one day, we like the old village feel of Upton St Leonards (I'm only 29 but I still think there is somthing delightfuly oldie worldie about being part of village life in some way) of course who knows what the allotment 'community' (if any) will be like...
Having to wait a year to get an allotment is probably not a bad thing anyway (even if it does try my patience at times) as we've never grown any veg between us in our lives so we're having a kind of practice year in the garden at home at the moment.
If I'd really thought about it I'd have looked around for other sites back in April when we put our names down at Upton, but it's getting a bit late in the year now to be taking on a new plot I'd have thought, by the time we'd prepped it all it'd be too late to grow anything much.
I think you've probably made the right move, at least you'll know if you enjoy veg gardening by then.
Oooooh I'm loving it! :)
Hi Womble, Cuke, et al,
Triddly dee, triddly dah! I fought the law and the law won!
Just e-singing there, cos I'm rather happy.
Accord were very apologetic ( well, the man who 'does' our site was,) and have now given me a much nicer plot, that's been 3/4 covered in carpet for long enough to have got rid of most of the weeds. I sat there today, under an elderflower tree, in the pishing rain feeling smug.
Now I going to have to do some work! Getting some seedlings from Freecycle tomorrow, so will have to dig a few holes PDQ.
Yeehar!
Fantastic news Cole! Glad you stood up to them and hopefully the new plot is even better!! I think I saw the offer of veg seedlings on Freecycle, I got some tools and stuff off a very kind bloke in Tewksbury tonight via freecycle....yeah!
Sorry to talk to someone via you, but Cuke, why not consider getting a plot at Tredworth for a while - I think they have spaces all the time - just for the 'practice'?
How many times can we ask for stuff on F'cycle? Is it still the once a month rule, or have they changed it?
I also suggested Tredworth to cuke but I think he's happy pottering at home until he can get one in Upton that he really wants. I think it is once a month with the Gloucester freecycle, they are quite quick to tell you off if you break the rules!!! Can you guess I've had my wrist slapped!! :(
God, ditto here!
One more mistake and I reckon I'll be blackballed - or whatever the phrase is!
If I didn't need them more than they need me, I'd be out of there!!
lol... I thought I was the only one!! Sam at freecycle must hate me!!! (I do admire their work though!)
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