23rd July - Sweetpeas and Bark

You might remember that the last time I blogged I mentioned my sweetpeas and that on gardeners world Monty Don had suggested cutting all of the blooms off of the plant every 10 days to get more and more flowers.  I don't cut them every 10 days but I do cut them as my last job every Sunday.  Last week I gave a good sized bunch to my mum and this week there were twice as many flowers again.  I have a lovely bunch of flowers on my windowsill every week and the scent is amazing every time you walk into the room.  I have never grown sweetpeas before so I'm really pleased with them.  The whole flower bed is actually really nice; the cosmos are flowering beautifully as well and I also make a point of dead heading them every week so they'll keep flowering.  I'm not so good at remembering to deadhead the cornflowers but they're still flowering really well too; I really must try and remember to deadhead them more often!

This week we had a load of bark chippings delivered to site.  One of the other allotment holders had found a company who said they would deliver for free; they don't have somewhere to store the chippings and therefore have to pay to have it removed.  Many people at the allotments use the chippings for paths or for mulch so it's a great relationship to foster.  The delivery included some logs that will be lovely for sitting on once they've dried out.  The chippings included quite a bit of leaves and some twigs and branches but it was easy to pull out the big twigs and the leaves and the resulting chippings were really good quality.  I got 4 barrow loads and put a thick mulch in front of the shed, where there is the most traffic and where the chippings that were there had mostly disappeared from being kicked about.  I've put as much as I can up to the step with the hope that a thick enough mulch will suppress the weeds that grow up between the weed membrane and the slab.  I also didn't manage to get a good thickness of chippings down the side of the shed last year when I first spread the chippings and so I made a point of ensuring that I got a good covering this time.  We are hoping to keep getting deliveries and so hopefully I will be able to do my whole plot again this year.  

I got one of the logs, it was from the base of a tree so it flares out at the bottom but it's still got a good thickness at the top for sitting on.  I might grab another couple to make a little seating area, although I'm not sure where I'd put it in my current plot.  If I get another I will make sure I have space for them and I think it will look lovely.  I think it is important to have different places around the plot to sit so that you get a view from different perspectives.  I have really enjoyed sitting on the bench at the bottom of the plot as much as I like sitting in front of the shed.  

Also this weekend I bought a new addition for the allotment.  I do have a few gnomes around the pond, they are very twee and I wouldn't have them anywhere else but they make me laugh.  This week I was in Asda and I found a pride gnome and I just couldn't resist him!  He is one of the big gnomes that they do, I wouldn't normally spend that amount of money on something like this but I just fell in love with him.  I have put him next to the bench so he can't be seen from the gate.  I really hope that he'll be safe there.

I don't think I have anything else to share this week, I have done a video but it's a bit long so I might re-do it but otherwise I'll post it and hope you don't get bored before the end lol.

So, until next time, happy gardening :-)

16th July 2017 - Cabbage and Leeches

Hi everyone, sorry I haven't blogged for a while - there is no particular reason other than life getting in the way!  In the last couple of weeks I haven't actually had that much to do on the plot, I have been keeping on top of the little bit of weeding I have to do and I've been deadheading the flowers but it's that time of year when everything is growing happily and other than harvesting a few things I don't really need to get too involved! 

Having said that I did want to do a summer prune on my cherry tree to help shape it into the fan on the fence and I wanted to re-pot my peach tree so I have done both of those jobs this weekend.  I also had a few bits still in the polytunnel that needed sorting out so I planted out the gypsophila.  Gypsophila is one of my favourite flowers, I know it's often used as a filler in flower arrangements but when you let the flowers bloom they are really delicate and pretty so I'm really pleased to have some growing (and I grew them from seed so I'm even happier with that!)  I also had some very sad looking lettuce in a tub that I planted into the bed in the polytunnel.  I don't know how they'll do but the won't be any less happy than they were in their tub.

I was delighted to find the lily flowering in the pond, it's a bright white flower with a really yellow centre.  As you can see from the picture the duck weed had gone wild and I also noticed that one of the oxygenators had gone mad as well so I decided to pull it all out.  In doing so I also pulled out the water forget-me-not and split it into 3 plants because it had got really unruly.  I've given one plant to my neighbour, put one back in the pond and I'll take the 3rd to school for their new pond.  I had to get right down to the bottom of the pond, and into the silt to pull some of the plants up.  When I'd done I noticed that I had some small leech like creatures attached to my hand!  I pulled the first one off and it bunched itself up; as I pulled it off it pinched.  The second one had obviously been on for a bit longer and when I pulled it off there was a small cut (like a paper cut) on my finger.  The weird thing is that it didn't bleed when I pulled them off but they were definitely biting me.  I am doing a bit of research because I really don't want to have them attaching themselves to me again :-(

I had to create a squirrel proof cage over my strawberries after they chewed through the normal netting.  I worked really hard to get the cage over the strawberries, I snipped the chicken wire to fasten the pieces together and then I used my pegs to fasten it to the ground.  Once I'd done I realised that I can't get in to the flipping thing myself now lol.  I'm going to use the wood from my old fruit cage to create a frame and then I'll be able to lift it off easily.  Until then the slugs are having a field day with the few strawberries that the squirrels have left!

I harvested one of the savoy cabbage from the polytunnel.  It was my intention to use it tomorrow to make the bombay veg that I have with my beef keema and it wasn't until I was halfway home that I remembered I'm away all week.  I brought it home and Mr L said he probably wouldn't use it so I took it to my friend who will use it.  She has 2 kids who I'm certain will love me forever for bringing them a HUGE cabbage to eat every day this week!!! hahahahaha

The cabbages have done really well and I'm really happy with them.  The outside leaves have had a tiny bit of snail damage but despite not netting the polytunnel against cabbage whites at all I have had no caterpillar damage on them at all (unlike my cauliflower, which are netted against the butterflies) - how does that work?!

Finally for today, I have been busy harvesting my sweetpeas for a few weeks now, each week I get more and more.  I watched Gardeners World this week and Monty said you should remove all of the flowers once every 10 days or so to increase your yield.  I've been doing it every 7 days and get a good bunch.  This week I took them to my mum because I didn't see the point in bringing them home when nobody in the house would appreciate them if I wasn't here.  They smelt amazing and I really hope she enjoys them.

I will try to get back into the habit of writing every week so until next time...

Happy Gardening!

25th June 2017 - Seating & Sweet-peas

 I didn't really get up to the plot much this weekend but I did manage to get a bench for my plot, with the intention of putting it against my back fence; I have said before that sitting in different places around the plot is such a nice thing to do because it gives you  a different perspective to your plot. I had some pots that I've put at either side as well to make it a nice area.  This part of the plot is pretty horrible really, there are lots of weeds that come through from the plot next door  and it's really quite difficult to manage.  If I am going to sit there then I need to think again about how to manage that area.  I did get a climbing hydrangea that I was hoping to grow against the fence but it needs a south facing aspect so I'm not sure how it would do against that area which is north facing (but a see-through fence so also south facing).  I think if I could get the hydrangea trained from the back of the bench and going both ways that would be lovely.  I might need to just bite the bullet and go for it! (I'll keep you posted)

This weekend I also managed to get some of the bits and pieces that have been sat in pots into the ground.  I have a yellow snap dragon which flowered beautifully last year but has been in the same pot since then and the last of my aquilegia winky blue that was just starting to get a little bit sad in its pot.  I bought the aquilegia for a specific project and I didn't realise that I would get 6 tiny plants.  I have kept 3 and given 3 away.  The ones that I had already planted into bigger pots have started to flower; I'm hoping that the last little one will soon catch up.  As you can see from the picture, the winky blue is actually purple with a really pretty yellow centre and white on the edges of the petals.  I don't know if it will be good the bees but they do often like purple flowers and I'm hoping they will be attracted to the flowers.  We will see (and I will report back).

I also had quite a few fuschia's in cells in the polytunnel with some summer bedding plants that I got around to planting into a hanging basket; I've put it on the right side of the garden arch, just above the pond and I'm hoping it will be a riot of colour over the coming weeks.  I realised that I didn't plant my freesia bulbs.  I will have to do some research because it might be too late for them now but if not I will get them planted somewhere next week - argh!!!!

I also, for the first time ever, was able to bring home a small bunch of sweet peas.  I have never managed to grow any before and this year I was worried that I'd again have lots of leaves but no flowers.  I did try and grow some from seed but because I planted them in the winter and then wasn't able to get to the plot to water in the polytunnel I managed to kill them!  I therefore ended up buying 3 small pots and it wasn't until I watched Gardener's world that I realised that the the sweet-peas would do better if they actually only have 3 or 4 to each area.  I therefore ended up pulling out about 5 from each pot and it's probable that I could have managed with just 1 pot!  I have been doing some research and I'm hoping to be more successful in growing from seed next year.  In the mean time I can start to enjoy some cut flowers from my plot :-D

Finally, this week I decided to put my name back on the waiting list for another half plot.  Ideally it would be one very close to mine so that I don't feel like I'm managing two plots.  I would want a second plot to primarily be beds.  If it's close enough there would be no need for a shed but I might take the greenhouse from home and transport it up to the new plot.  I'm already talking as though I have the new plot even though I haven't lol.  If I do actually get another half plot I will no doubt be blogging about it so you'll likely be the first to know!

Until next week then - happy gardening!

Setting up the wormery

18th June 2017 - The Great Get Together

This weekend was the anniversary of MP Jo Cox' death and to remember, her husband suggested that people got together and celebrate.  I therefore got a couple of friends from site and we had a BBQ at my plot - Mr L and all of the little L's even managed to drag themselves up there!  We laughed and had some food and drink and it was such a lovely way to remember someone who gave so much to the community.  At a time when there is so much division it is important that we remember Jo's maiden speech when she said...

"that we are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us" 

I am certain that Jo will not be remembered as the victim of a terrorist who wanted to silence someone who was fighting hard for the Remain Campaign in the discussion about whether the UK should leave Europe but as someone who stood up for the rights of all people, regardless of their background, skin colour or religion.  She was a proud Yorkshire girl and I am certain that her children will continue to hear wonderful things about her from everyone who ever met her and from many who didn't.  RIP Jo - you were a wonderful human being and you will continue to inspire me and many other people x

Due to being at the plot very late at night I had the opportunity to see all the lights I have at my plot.  I don't normally get to see them because I go home before they turn on so it was really nice to see how they looked.  I particularly loved the bee lights over my arbour and the lights in the pond; they were really pretty.  I also have some ladybird lights in between the windows on my shed; I have seen them lit before but alongside the other lights they were really effective.  I would like to think about putting more lights around the plot, particularly away from the shed and the arbour.

This weekend was so hot (30^oC in the shade!) it was really too hot to do any work.  I tried to weed under the hedge, next to the pond, but even doing that was really hard work.  I did move my potted foxglove into the space and I'm hoping it will seed into the area.  I also found an hydrangea that I planted into the space last year and I'd forgotten all about it, now that I've found it I'll keep the ground elder down and remember to water it.  I had to cut back the poached egg plant because it was so big it had started to dip into the pond.  

The flowers on my bee table have started to bloom and they're looking really lovely.  There's poppies, some cornflowers in both blue and purple and some pink flowers that I don't know but that are really lovely.  I've already started to see plenty of bees around them so it's definitely working.  I am thinking about moving the table at the end of the season because I might put a bench under the shed window.

I've also been able to install a new system into the shed that will let me charge my phone at the plot.  It also has 2 pendant lights that I might hang.  I'm not really sure how they work yet but at least I have a way to charge my phone, which is a big deal especially when I'm up there all day.  I've recently put my name back on the waiting list for another plot.  If the plot next to me comes free then I would put more beds in which means I'd be able to grow so much more stuff including a bigger strawberry bed and a big asparagus bed.  At the moment I can't have very many permanent beds because I just don't have the space.  Wouldn't it be exciting if I had 2 plots to talk about?!  If I did get a plot next to me then I wouldn't need to move my shed or polytunnel, it would just be a case of having plenty of beds to do whatever I wanted.  It would be really nice to get the plot sorted and nice because it really has been left for too long.

Until next time - have a good week and happy gardening!

Brief view of the allotment at night

11th June - Figs, Flowers and Cabbages

As you know, I scooped up all the leftover plants after the plant swap last week and this week I took them along to the school.  Each child has 6 weeks of gardening lessons as part of the creative curriculum with means that they rotate through different skills on a Friday afternoon.  Coincidentally Littlest L is on the gardening rotation so she was delighted to see me turn up with loads of plants.  I took a small group and showed them how to weed a bed and then we planted various plants into the space.  They decided that they wanted to plant some of the brassicas, some beetroot and some chillies!  It was a very odd combination and we talked about why the chillies might not be happy without any cover but they still wanted to plant them and then told their teacher that they would need to construct some kind of cover for them - that might be interesting!  The allotment society also had some plastic chairs and garden toys that I have taken to give to the early years group at school so I'll be delivering those later in the week.  

Back to my plot and I am not ashamed to say that I was pretty giddy to find 2 of my figs ripening nicely.  I put the fig back outside just a couple of weeks ago after moving it into the polytunnel over the winter.  I didn't remove any of the fruit that were bigger than my thumbnail before winter and I didn't remove any of the fruit to reduce my crop.  It has been pointed out that I might have bigger fruit if I do that but I'm just excited to have lots of fruit so it will be interesting to see how they progress now that I'm starting to take a crop from it. 

You might remember I showed you my cauliflower last week, it had started to form a head but still had loads of leaves.  This week it's head appears to be fully formed and there are hardly any leaves.  I know that I'm supposed to cover the head to stop it from going pink but I struggled to do that because the leaves were so small.  I can't remember what variety of cauliflower they are but my neighbour suggested they might be a mini one, in which case that one might be ready to harvest when the others haven't even begun to form a head yet!  Sticking with brassicas the savoy cabbage experiment in the polytunnel have gone absolutely mental.  They are starting to heart up now but they are absolutely massive.  The bed is 3 feet wide and the cabbages are spilling out over the edge or being pressed up against the poly.  I think if they had the room they've be 3 feet across each!  The 6 cabbage that I have in there are taking up more than half of the whole bed, which is 10 feet long!


I watched with interest when Monty Don said that you could plant normal garden canna lilies in the pond, even if they're not pond varieties and so this week I was in Aldi and saw some nice ones that were very cheap and so I thought I'd experiment.  I took the plant out of its pot and removed as much of the compost as I could before replanting it into a pond pot with aquatic soil.  I have no idea if it will work but I thought it was an interesting experiment for less than £5 and it adds a little bit of colour to the pond.  I've currently put it in one of the corners furthest away from the shed but I might move it depending on how my aquatic canna performs.


I planted some more cornflowers into the flower bed and a small clump into the bee table, my plan for those is that they will self seed into the bed and I should see plenty of cornflowers growing next year.  I was also delighted to find my first peony flowering when I arrived today.  The only disappointment was that it was only a single flower rather than a few.  I was hoping to get a bit of a bunch for cutting and bringing home but instead I've decided to just enjoy it on the plot.  The variety is Shirley Temple and they are a beautiful pure white and smell amazing.  I've also got the beginnings of flowers coming into bloom on the bee table, I didn't know what was in the mix but it looks like there will be some poppies, which I'm happy with (and hoping they will also self seed).  The fox gloves are also resplendent and putting up a number of spikes with loads of flowers.  I've never grown one before so it will be interesting to see how they work.  I've been told that you don't remove any of the spent spikes or seed heads and just let them self seed everywhere.  I have one of them in a pot so I'm not going to let that self seed because I'll end up with fox gloves on my paths!  I'm going to experiment with removing the spikes and see if it encourages the plant to put up more spikes.  Ideally I'll keep it flowering for longer if I do that.  I've been told that they don't put up multiple spikes but mine already have so I'm a bit confused - it will be interesting to see why happens in any event :-)

This time of year is so lovely on the plot.  Most of the hard work is done and so I can spend some time enjoying it as well as pottering about weeding or planting some pots up.  I hope you all have time to enjoy your gardens too - until next time; Happy Gardening!