17th March 2021 I’d been fairly certain that my time at the allotment had come to an end, it turned out that a full time gardening job based an hour away lead to overwhelm and semi-despair as the weeds took hold, the crops failed from droughts/nutrient deficiency/pigeons/insects/wind/deer. Abandonment. Hindsight is a wondrous thing. Winter months’Continue reading “Get Growing – 2021”
Author Archives: milondigginwritingandravin
Week Twenty Three
As the summer draws to a close, so does this blog. I’m pretty sure the deterioration of the beans’ health has brought this moment forward, as all the wigwams (bar the last one to be erected, which didn’t stay that way for long) that were once flowing with green leaves now bear a lot ofContinue reading “Week Twenty Three”
Week Twenty One
19th August 2020 These past few weeks have highlighted the fact that we’ve done no sowing for the late harvest, so it’s great that James put in those cabbages … I guess the fact remains that working as a gardener 4 days a week and looking after a full sized plot has become a bitContinue reading “Week Twenty One”
Week Twenty
12 August 2020 It’s been a fairly quiet week on the allotment with little new to report back on other than the fact that slugs are making their way to our cabbages on the right hand side of the 2nd district. An early morning water revealed that the super long, dewy grass on our neighboursContinue reading “Week Twenty”
Week Nineteen
5 August 2020 Tomato Update The low hanging fruit has all started to ripen off and they taste like proper tomatoes, perhaps not as good as the ones you get in Spain or Greece when you’re on holiday but I’d say better than the ones you get in the supermarket. At time of writing, IContinue reading “Week Nineteen”
Week Eighteen
29 July 2020 Wednesday The tomatoes in the right hand bed have started to ripen, although to the untrained eye, this may sound extravagant. The butternuts that went out very last minute don’t seem to be all that happy, but haven’t been slugged like the 750 planted out at the hotel (90% of the cropContinue reading “Week Eighteen”
Week Seventeen
22 July 2020 Thursday The mornings watering reveals the back end of the plot to be completely cleared, with new fencing installed, which creates a lovely terrace area by the sheds. At this point, I can only assume that James has been down to triumphantly ‘wrap up’ his hard work and I think we canContinue reading “Week Seventeen”
Week Sixteen
15th July 2020 Saturday Caroline and I meet in the morning to put in a big push, there are still lots of plants to go out and they won’t wait much longer. Caroline starts to harvest the cabbages and I plant out hollyhocks, foxgloves and cineria in the corner by the Bridal District. We’ve decidedContinue reading “Week Sixteen”
Week Fifteen
8th July 2020 Wednesday Popping into water the poly, James is already digging up the last remainders of turf from the back of the plot. I’d like to turn this part into the flower and herb patch, planting mostly annuals with space for adhoc perennials. We also have some more brassicas to go out butContinue reading “Week Fifteen”
Week Fourteen
1st July 2020 Wednesday – Friday The excessive wet weather means that the ground stays fairly wet until about Wednesday, the more established plants in the first bed being happy and able to find water deep down, even parts of the second bed such as the nasturtiums and perpetual spinach (which had such a rough,Continue reading “Week Fourteen”