Welcome to our plot!

I'm Hazel, and in Nov 2006 my friend Jane and I took on a half plot at Hill Allotments, Sutton Coldfield - we want the satisfaction of growing and eating our own fruit and veg, and to improve our diet (and fitness!).

This is the story of what happened next...........

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Best parsnips ever!

Finally it has stopped raining - hurrah! - so off to the Hill this afternoon in some lovely Spring sunshine, clutching a packet of parsnip seeds in my hand.  

Last year's planting plan of 'put in what you have ready in the bit of land you have ready' was not what you might call organised but it certainly worked, with some fab veg - these parsnips and cabbage a case in point which I bought home with me today. 

But the 'bung it in' approach does not have any reference to rotation and all that stuff that you are supposed to do in order to keep the gound healthy, as well as the crops in it. 

Being rather more organised this year (so far!) with all eight main beds with veg in at the moment, or ready to planted up means that I can choose where to grow this year's veg.  A slightly limiting factor is that the garlic is already randomly planted in 'A1', and I sowed the broad beans in 'B1', but I will have to work round them.

I fished out my trusty John Seymour to tell me what should be where, and based on where the spuds were last year (C1 & C2), I worked out where I wanted to sow the parsnip seeds. 

However, by the time I'd cut a couple of cabbage, dug a healthy selection of parsnips chatted to Handyman Paul, who kindly asked after mum, and Richard-3-plots-down who came to pick my brains on the best recommended Canary Island, I was out of time.

Parsnip seed - if not parsnips themselves - will have to wait another day. 

Sunday, March 03, 2024

Spring?

It's been mild on the whole over the past few weeks with bucketfuls of rain, but today it was crisp and sunny.  The blossom on the blackthorns can only mean that Spring is round the corner (and sloe gin season could be a good one!).

A late afternoon visit it the Hill meant that I had the place to myself, which was just as well as my first job was with a spade, noisily scraping the mud, weeds and moss off the slabs which form the path.

Next up was to dig over one of the vacant beds (accompanied by a robin) where a couple of weeks ago I'd emptied a dalek composter and roughly spread the contents.  The ground is v wet, so the forking over rather heavy going, but its a job done. 

Third job of the afternoon was to sow some broad beans.  Probably should have waiting until the ground was a bit drier, but something I have learnt is that time whizzes by, so you have to take the opportunity to do things when you can, rather than perhaps when you should.

With dusk fast approaching, I picked some kale and dug almost the tail end of the leeks - the winter crops have been so good this year - before packing up and leaving the bossy robin to it.  

 

Well, well....

Out the blue a few weeks ago I had an email asking if I still blogged as the writer found it a good read - especially as I wasn't afraid to chronical the good as well as the - er - not so good. 

Gosh - does Blogger still exist?  I logged on to find that none of the blogs I followed when I made my last entry five years ago are current - maybe everyone moved to Facebook, Instagram and latterly TikTok.  Or maybe they just lost interest, rather as I did.

I guess that I felt that as the seasons roll round I was bored of saying much the same thing, and didn't have much really new to add, but I still have my plot at the Hill - and despite the wettest start to the year in living memory, Spring is in the air.....

.....so long as I can get back into the habit of putting a few words down each time, I might as well.  

Monday, November 19, 2018

Clearing Up!

As the Autumn has been fairly mild, the weeds continue to grow, so today's job was to weed the leek bed. 

Quite a few of the leeks are troubled with leek moth - again - but I think that with a whole bed planted, I should be able to be eating at least a few meals this winter.

The summer crops still need clearing, and the garlic planting - never a dull time on the plot.

Monday, November 12, 2018

And now for the Winter Crops!

Now that the beans and courgettes have well and truly finished, it's time to clear them from the plot, along with the sweetcorn.

I finished doing that this afternoon, after having a couple of weekends working on the side of the plot with the aim replacing the weed suppressant and re-laying the bark chippings.  Still only half way through that one. 

As one crop finishes, another is ready to harvest, assuming that you are a bit organised (bit hit and miss with me) - so I came home this afternoon with a carrier bag full of kale, and the first of about a dozen cabbages, which is the size of my head.  Leeks look good too, but they can wait for another day.

I'm not eating parsnips this year as I was less organised with sowing those back in the early Spring, and unless I get the garlic planted out soon, I won't be eating that next Summer either....

Monday, September 10, 2018

Glut!

Well, I've done really well this summer keeping on top of allotment produce by picking everything really small, giving stuff to everyone I know, freezing the runner beans, and - let's face it - eating an awful lot of french beans and courgettes.

But I am now just a bit overwhelmed!  This haul is from today's visit to the Hill, and one picking session last week, and doesn't include the three baby courgette I had for tea tonight.

In other news, I am gradually working my way down the side beds - re-staking and digging them over.  Three of these down, two tricky ones to go.

Sunday, September 02, 2018

Autumn Round the Corner

After the  excitement of the Annual Show, I happened to have a few days away, so on my first visit back to the Hill this evening I find half a dozen huge courgettes - which I ditched (have had enough years of varying success with courgette soup/shredded courgette in the freezer/free for all courgettes for the neighbours) - and picked five baby ones to use.

I had a 'cuckoo in the nest' bean which has turned out to be a purple climber - and how prolific is this one plant!  Can also see the beans against the green foliage, which makes them easier to pick; and they are utterly stringless when cooked, even if a bit big. Fortuitous sowing error.

I picked a carrier bag of runners and french beans - some of the runners too big to use, but most OK. I find that runners freeze brilliantly (french beans not so much), so when I got back tonight I've had a string/slice/chop session.

I had a good weeding session, and note the brassicas all looking fab.  It's still warm enough in the evenings for a t shirt, although it is noticeable how the nights are drawing in.

Retired to the club house at 8.30pm at dusk for the customary quick beer - and I caught the start of tonight's entertainment - a performer doing 'songs from the movies' - ah, those Summer Nights.
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