Thursday, July 19, 2007

I bought myself a toy!

Just before we went on holiday my rechargeable grass strimmer finally packed up so by the time we returned to the UK the grass paths at the plot were more like a wild meadow up to our bloody thighs! My plot neighbour told me that ARGOS were doing some very reasonable strimmers so I popped along to look. £49 later I am now the proud owner of a great Spear and Jackson petrol strimmer and the plot is looking tons better.

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Unfortunately I am camera-less at the moment, I broke mine earlier in the year and had been using D's instead but that now seems to have mysteriously disappeared, so I'm unable to show any pics of the plot, probably a good thing though as it's gone totally crazy with weeds! Having said that though the crops are all doing well and we are slowly munching our way through a complete potato mountain. The broad beans were never a success as they got blackfly in a bad way and I hadn't put enough plants in either, we did have enough for about 2 meals but that was about it. I am determined that I will sow mine in the Autumn/Winter this year to give them ahead start and use a normal variety not 'The Sutton' which is a dwarf variety.

We're doing ok though with the rest of the plot and actually seem to be have a good amount of different plants coming on :

Onions (red and white)

Carrots (Autumn king and early nantes)

Potatoes (Nadine, Maris piper, Duke of York, Pentland Javelin, Pink Fir apple)

Beans (Runner best of all and Wisely Magic, French beans, Borlotto / borlotti)

Peas (meteor and Greensage)

Butternut Squash

Cabbage (Savoy best of all, tundra and some B&Q bought plants that were going cheap!)

Courgette (Tondo di chiaro di nizza)

Sweetcorn

Parsnip (Tender and true and White Gem)

So it's now going in the right direction but there is SO much work to be done, once the paths are sorted we should be able to stay on top of things now that we have the strimmer, I really need to get a compost bin built and I have never finished sorting out the door for the shed (see earlier Laurel and Hardy experience!)

Bloody hard work 'aint it this allotment malarkey!

4 comments:

Cole said...

Wow - I am seriously impressed by the amount and variety of vegetables you've got there Womble! What a shame you can't take any piccies cos it sounds fab.
Have just been up to my (compared to yours) little bit of scratching in the dirt, to harvest the Chard that's gone bananas. We're off on hols tomorrow so 3 friends and neighbours were given a large Chard bouquet whether they wanted it or not!

glosterwomble said...

I've never eaten chard so it wasn't on my list, maybe next year I'll be adventurous!
Have a great holiday, hopefully you're going abroad to escape this bloody rain! At least your plot doesn't need watering.

Cole said...

I'd never 'done chard' either til now. It's one of those spinachy things that you eat cos you're old and sensible and you know its good for you.
Unlike Disneyland Paris. Which has no vitamins or iron.
PS WigglyWigglers (google it) have two open days these next two weekends - you might like it I reckon.
Will it ever stop pissing down?

glosterwomble said...

Bugger I don't know if we'll get to the Wiggly Wiggler thing and I'd have loved to do that, might have to twist D's arm into us going.
Have great time with Mickey!