Food Glorious Food

The Changes

Now that the suns coming out a bit more all we can do is watch, water, wait and weed. As iv said before everythings doing exactly what its supposed to do. There are a few sweetcorn which are about to droop which is a sign they're ready to eat. Some of the first patch of peas have been starting to die off so yesterday we removed all the pods and pulled up the plants. There is another patch and more peas were planted on Monday, hopefully John and the Blur dont have to go without their daily peas for too long. We have a few tomato plants left in the greenhouse which will be taking the peas place.

After a long wait the first beans are starting to appear. They started to get flowers a few weeks ago, and I assumed the beans would come through underneath the flowers. Everyday iv carefully checked them and found a bean. It wasnt until later when John came and showed me some big beans at the bottom that I realised I hadnt been checking the quite as carefully as I thought.

The Blur

While I was busy watering yesterday the Blur played with some whippy sticks from the brambles. I looked up just in time to see her knock a butterfly out of the air. Blur picked it up and I got as close as I dared to take a photo, but backed off everytime the wind blew it out of her hands. She played with it a while longer until it went down a hole she couldnt get it out of and luckily it flew away not long after. The Blur also decided it was time for her to plant some seeds. She had a good rummage in the seed packets and picked out some broad beans. I told her it was a bit too late to be planting but that she could try it if she wanted. She brought home the pot to put in the garden and I have put her in charge of the plants in the garden now that she seems to be showing a greater interest in it.

Mostly From Lotty Meals

We have reached the goal of getting most of our meal from the allotment. On Monday it was curry and yesterday it was pasta. We are finding red tomatoes daily, and one of the chilis looks set to be a staple ingredient for quite a while. In the process of using lotty food, John is teaching me to cook (well cook more than I could before.) The past few days of picking to cook have been great. I need to have a look on the allotment forum for more idea of what to use them for as its always nice to have new ideas.

All Go

Sun out At Last
Well we've had a few very sunny days now, which has done everything the world of good. We're getting more and more from lotty every week. On Sunday morning we had a quick pop to lotty for a look around, and had a lovely sit down on the bench with John. It was very early and very peaceful. It was back later that day to pick some apples from the tree called Mel to go in our apple pie. We also had a scout around for blackberries to go in it too. So back home we all did our bit for the pie. The Blur and I made the pastry, whilst John prepared the fruit. It looked lovely, and after watching Star Wars for 45 minutes, it was ready to fill our bellies. We had to add a little extra sugar, and of course on a hot day we decided on cream instead of custard, but I enjoyed it.

Always Something To See And Do

Having a few spaces around lotty, its been a case of 'what can we put there'. A few weeks ago we found a recipe for beans on toast using broad beans, which John would like me to make. The only problem was that we hadnt actually planted any. So into one of our empty patches went a few broad bean seeds. I dont know if they'll work as they've been planted quite late, but im sure we'll get a few. There is so much going on right now, and its getting to the point where we can have pretty much a full meal from lotty. Last night it was time for me and the Blur to face our fears and eat a vegetable curry. Onions, tomatoes, garlic, baby sweetcorn, peas, beans, potatoes, peppers, courgette and chilis all from lotty all went it. Now iv never particularly liked curry, but always loved the smell of it. With rice and nann bread waiting on the table, I served up the curry and tucked in. I was expecting my mouth to burn straight away, but to my surprise it didnt. There were so many different things to try on the plate. The peas and beans gave it a really sweet taste, and it was the best curry iv ever eaten.

And All Thats Growing

Our grapes now look like very small grapes and are tasting less like sour apples all the time. The cucumber we've just put out still looks a little wilty but were still sure she'll pick up like the melon she's been planted with who looks lovely. The outside peppers now have tiny little fruits and the tomatoes are getting bigger all the time. Quite a few of the tomatoes inside are turning red, but our problem with blossom end rot is now starting to affect less fruits all the time. After having a little look at them yesterday Johns sure that the melons inside have fruits growing. The door to the greenhouse has been open, which means bees can get in and pollinate them. There have been butterflies in there too, but I had to get the Blur to remove them before I would go in.

Whilst pumpkin 2 (Patrick) is finally having a good go at growing, pumpkin 1 (Philip) is doing fantastically. He has a good few pumpkins on him now and they are getting bigger every time we look at them. Were hoping to have one each to carve by halloween. Despite one of them being my favorite plant, iv not really gotten around to saying much about our sprouts. We have two patches, the first are doing well after having wire mesh put over them, and the second lot are some of the healthiest plants on the allotment. Their leaves feel very strong, and I am very proud of how well they have done.

Now that our pea plants are starting to go down hill, John decided it was time to put out a few that have been in seed trays. John made a support using metal poles and string, while I planted them underneath. The Blur sat with us and watched, passing things between us as we needed them. As they've been pretty much a staple snack during our time there, were all hoping they get a move on and give us some peas.

Thank you John and Blur for an especially lovely few days at lotty.

One Hot Morning At Lotty

Early Morning Sunshine

Come eight o'clock yesterday morning we were already hard at work in lotty. We had decided to pull up all of the potatoes as they were dying off and replant anything in greenhouse two that wasnt in a grow bag. So side by side John and I meticulously sifted through the first patch trying to find any left over potatoes. There were a good few in there, which were put into a bucket to await more of its own to come. Patch two yielded the least as there were less plants there, and patch three definitely gets the award for weirdest crop, due to most of its potatoes being stuck together. I think were both glad that job got done as early as it did, as we were in for a fantastically hot day. John the secretary came along and asked if we'd had any problems with our leeks and onions (which we dont) as others in the vicinity had picked up some kind of disease.

So now that we had three patches of soil left it was down to the greenhouse to pick out some plants. After laying them out and a bit of a discussion I got out my trowel ready to plant. John had covered the soil with brown sheeting which stops the weeds from coming through, and I had to cut through it with a knife to plant. In the second patch I planted out the healthiest looking mixed peppers, red peppers and aubergines, which John then created a mini greenhouse around by using metal poles, string and window panes. They looked lovely and had no problem being replanted.

We gave the cucumber and melon a big space of their own at the top of the allotment. This time John bent a pole into an arch and attached some metal mesh to it as both plants need something to hold onto and climb. The Melon went in perfectly, but the cucumber had a bit of a wilt on, which im hoping will have cleared up by now. One of the chilis went into the biggest patch at the bottom, and after a bit of a sulky wilt it was tied to a pole and seemed happier.

That Perfect Tomato

As you may have guessed I have a bit of a soft spot for a certain perfect tomato. I have found myself arriving at lotty and trying not to peek through the glass before iv reached it to see how the tomato is. Well finally she was ready. Still looking perfect but now red. Yay.

We made our way back to lotty in the afternoon our intention being to pick lots for our dinner. John put the hammock up and we all had a little go in it. We were trying to see if you could sleep a whole night in one, which means testing to see if you can sleep on your side and front. Well back and side are good, but the front is not so comfortable as your back is not supposed to bend that way.

After all the playing was done, food was collected for our salad. Leeks, spring onions, peas, beetroot, radishes, potatoes and not forgetting perfect tomato. I had a bit of a look at her before having the heart to pick her off. We had a few leftover bits of meat from our pizzas the previous day and a few slices of bread, which led to a very lovely meal.

I had a great morning and a lovely day thank you John and Blur.

Its Been A Few Days

The Perfect Tomato

Arriving at lotty yesterday, my intention was to play a bit of football with the Blur before getting on with everything. There was one thing that had to be done first though, and that was to look at perfect tomato. I could hear the Blurs gasp of surprise before Id even gotten to the greenhouse. Our perfect tomato is pretty much orange now. Iv said that by Saturday she'll be ready to eat (at least I hope she will.) The melons now have a few flowers each (pictured on the left), and once iv worked out which ones are male and which are female i'll have to hand pollinate them as they are inside. Im really hoping its not to difficult and that it works as it would be great to eat a melon that we've grown ourselves.

And Back To The Chicken Coop

Having spoken to John the chicken man, and now knowing where to get them, there has been a surge in work on the chicken coop. Whilst the Blur had a bit of a swing in the hammock John and I were busy banging in steaks and fixing chicken wire in place. Our original plan was to have a small 2m square run for them, but the base for that has now become a stand for the coop so there is space underneath for a dust bath. We have now made a fence around the coop which when finished should be around 20m square. John made a fantastic gate and it was off to the hut to find some matching hinges. We had a good rummage but only found odd ones. For once I had a good idea and suggested that we have a look at the doors which are there for anyone to take. Luckily there were more than enough. So now we have half a fence and a gate, and the coop looks more like its ready to house our chickens. We need a bit more wire for the fence, but all being well the coop should be finished in the next week, and the chickens will follow shortly after. Thank you John for all your hard work on the coop yesterday.

Potatoes And Carrots

We have up until now had a regular supply of potatoes, but Im beginning to think they're starting to run out. I had a few stored in our soil store but finding enough for our tea last night was starting to become difficult. The plants are starting to collapse and digging for potatoes is becoming a delicate job, having to hold them up so as not to destroy them and making sure the roots are replanted properly after being disturbed.

The carrots on the other hand are doing fantastically. The first lot planted at the top by John now have carrots pushing out of the ground. Were having to cover the tops back over so they dont go bad like some of the potatoes. Having completely weeded around the second lot its a lot easier to see how they are progressing. The third lot (the purple ones) have started to come through, but im reluctant to weed around them just now as I cant always tell whats what at this stage. But whatever happens it seems we'll have an ample amount for a while (which is good as they seem to be a staple of our Sunday dinners.

Just a little update on the grapes. They have put on a spurt all of a sudden and are now starting to look more like grapes. John and the Blur have tried a few each (the Blur with a sour look on her face,) apparently they taste like unripened apples at the moment. Were hoping they still have enough time to grow properly. Im not a big fan of grapes, but once they're ready im sure i'll not be able to resist them.

An Afternoon In The Garden

Weeding and Ants
Having never really spent much time doing anything out there I decided it was time I did something in the garden. I asked John what I could do and he said I can pull up anything I wanted. Starting on the pots, I pulled up whatever was inside with the intention of moving the begonia into one of them. What I hadnt thought about was one of the plants had spiny little thorns and we have no gardening gloves at home. Maybe I need a gardening jacket too, as I have scratches along my shoulder from one of the other plants. I also found a few ants nests, but only after I realised they were running up my arms. I was a bit worried about using ant killer so close to the pond, so had to be a bit careful. I know they're weeds but I couldnt bring myself to pull up the yellow flowers that are growing from behind the fence. When the flowers fall off and into the pond they look really pretty. I havnt yet finished out there, but my next job will be to move the begonia, after iv brought a little bit of compost home from lotty as the soil in the pot is full of old roots. Then I think i'll find some flowers to plant as iv not actually planted any flowers anywhere.

Lots Of Food From Lotty

After what seemed like hours at the dentist, we were off to lotty with a big box of cuttings from the garden. It was getting on for 5 o'clock by now so it was a quick visit. Whilst I went off and gave the greenhouses and a few outside plants a water John and the Blur were off picking for our dinner. I dont know if iv said before but there are two kinds of people, those who pick and try everything, and those who dont. John and the Blur wonder round trying everything (the Blurs even brought pea pods home in her pockets) whereas I dont. Im still not quite sure why, though I think it may be to do with the pleasure of growing and seeing the food develop. None the less I knew the time would come when we had to pick off the first of our chilis. But seeing as it was Mexican for tea the time was right. John and the Blur also picked peas, courgettes (there are some huge ones now), onions, shallots and radishes.

Once home John prepared all the veg and its wasnt long before we were tucking into fajitas. I wasnt sure how much the Blur would eat, but it was more than I expected. I even came back in to find her sneaking the last tortilla out of the foil and filling it with rice and peas, this was after a big glass of milk to take the burning away. I really enjoyed the fajitas, and after watching John im sure it'll be my turn to make them next time. Thank you John for our amazingly good dinner.

Weekend At Lottington

Did I forget To Mention

I knew that after a long day at lotty on Saturday I would forget a few things. The first was not so important, which was weeding behind the peas. As much as weedings frustrating by just the very fact of having to do it, I have found that you can lose yourself whilst in doing it. The second thing I missed out was chicken man. After a few weeks of trying to catch him in, John finally spotted him and called him into Lotty. He invited us up to see his chickens and give us a bit of advice. He has about 15 chickens, a few of them are older and nearly ready for the chop, but there are alot more younger ones ready to take their places. We were told where to get them and how to ensure we had a constant supply of eggs by buying three hens at 10 week intervals. The whole top of his allotment is a dedicated chicken run. This has given us a renewed energy to finish our hen house.

Not only did we look at the chickens, be we had a bit of a nosey around his plot. He's been gardening for pretty much fifty years, soo needless to say we were paying attention to what he had done. One of the ideas we picked up was to grow potatoes and onions in bags. His greenhouse is full of massive tomato and cucumber plants. John says he is one of the nicest men in the allotment and is always willing to give a bit of advice.

Sundays Quick Visits

John popped in on Sunday morning before work, and came back with a short update. Then whilst I was cooking our beef John went up again to fix the lawn mower ad finish doing the grass. I had planned on being ready earlier on Sunday so I could rush off to lotty and do more than just pick potatoes for dinner. It wasnt to be and once again it was a quick in and out. Eventually after our dinner and a bit of hedge trimming at home we were off to get a proper look. It still amazes me how much difference a night can make in lotty.

There was the usual walk around, and I had a very good look at everything. John cut off some of the old courgette leaves, and now one of them looks like a totem pole. John also did a bit of weeding around the onions while I read the onion pages in a book to him.

We got around to talking about what we have to do in winter and where we are going to put everything next year. It was decided a few weeks ago that we would create raised beds and they are to be alond the side fance of lotty, with more sweetcorn further down. With the potatoes in bags we are going to keep them in the bottom greenhouse over winter and then use six of our beds to plant potatoes periodically so as to have a constant supply.

One of the conversations we had yesterday afternoon was about how some people pick and try things, and others dont. Both John and the Blur pick peas, apples, grapes and anything else thats ready and eat them around lotty. Whereas I will wait until they are big enough to be used properly.

It was a really nice day to just sit and look out over lotty, with everything growing. It wont be long before the cooking apples are ready and i'll be treating John and the Blur to an apple and

Finally A Long Day At Lottington

An Early Start

Come 8:30 this morning we were already on our way to lotty. Having been promising ourselves a BBQ there for a while, today was the day. Nothing else doing except a whole lot of lotty. The first job on Johns list was to clear out the hut which had started to become a bit cluttered. I took the Blur off to the shop to pick up a few essentials (chocolate, tea bags and milk.) I decided whilst John was busy with his clearing out of the hut, I would have a go at rearranging greenhouse 2 and giving greenhouse one a bit of a tidy and a weed. Cleaning and mowing out of the way it was time to light the fire. The brambles and weeds cut down went onto the fire pile and John got it going very quickly with a box of rubbish and a bit of petrol. Once again we were off to the shop for more supplies and goodies to go on the fire. As soon as we arrived back at lotty John started wrapping the food in foil while I set about cleaning the plates and cutlery. The Blur was already spread out on the picnic blanket and looking forward to her burger.Given the heat on the fire it wasnt long before the burgers and potatoes (slightly boiled, and then wrapped in foil with chopped up shallots and a little bit of oil) were ready.

Mmmmmmmm having worked hard all morning we deserved ever bite of our burgers and potatoes. Having never made them myself before I was a bit dubious as to whether bananas and chocolate in foil in the fire would work. Im pleased to say that they were the best ending to a great meal.

And The Work Goes On

Once the cups and plates were washed and put away it was back to work. We started by pulling big nets over the greenhouses to stop them from getting too hot. John and the Blur weeded around the top beetroot and sweetcorn, while I planted out the last two runner beans and a vegetable spaghetti. The three other outside veggie spaghetti's had to bee pulled up as they couldnt compete with the flies and fly spray.

Having picked a spot in the newly arranged shed for more mushrooms I got to work. This time the mushroom seeds are mixed with manure, which should give them a better chance. We now have mushrooms planted in greenhouse 1 and the hut, just one more location to go. I have written on both the boxes so as to know when the 25-30 are up as we were never quite sure of how long it had been with the last lot. Taking a look at Philip pumpkin this morning we noticed that it does in fact have a few tiny pumpkins appearing. Philip has gotten so huge since being planted out, yesterday I had to put a barrier between him and sickly tomato so that it didnt just overrun the rest of the patch. We got so many things done today its hard remembering them all, so I hope I havnt missed out too much or anything important.

A Few Good Things

Not that the rest wasnt good, but a few things to remember the day by. Firstly, I was stood looking at the sweetcorn and saw a bee sitting on the maizey bit at the top. It wasnt worried about me being there so I watch it for a bit, being joined by John. Probably put better than im writing it now John said 'you can go all round the world and see lots of different things, but simply watching a bee can be as much pleasure.'

Secondly, after going to one of Johns aerobics classes once and getting stuck on a particular move, that being the pony, John and the Blur were practicing it and I was meant to join in. Well I still couldnt do it, but it led to us all having a bit of a dance around lotty.

They're simple little things which may sound a bit funny to anybody else, but for me they were two lovely moments of the day with my two special people. Its been a while since we spent so long at lotty in one day, so it's been amazing to get back to it. We all smell a bit smokey, and we're all a bit dirty and tired, but I wouldnt have wanted to spend the day any other way.

Thank you John and Blur Blur, you made it a fantastic day.

Comfort @ Lottington

You Know What Thursday Means

Running a little late as I was waiting for the Blur to get on enough clothes to on to go out in the rain, we made it to lotty just in time for John to arrive with the pork cobs mmmmm. Thank you John for the cob. Just as he was leaving John asked if I could spray the vegetable spaghetti, as it is being over run with black fly. That meant fixing the bottle, which I did with a bit of strimmer line and some black tape. Not sure how much salt I was supposed to use, but if it works on the flies the way it worked on my hands the problem will be long gone. In the few days that they've been around, the peppers and chilis have grown quickly and there are lots of smaller ones emerging now. I cant wait to be able to cook with them. Im hoping when I go look today all the flies will be dead (or at least gone.) It was only a quick visit in the morning, knowing we would be back later.

Chairs And Boxes

After dropping the Blur off at her new school for half an hour I made my way to lotty to find out why the car was so full. I arrived to find John unpacking boxes into the greenhouse. These boxes are going to be our new mushroom planters. One in the hut, one in the shed and one in the greenhouse. John read somewhere that once the mushrooms start to send out spores they cant get wet, which may have been what ruined the last lot. Heres hoping they do better this time. John also brought an office chair as they'd gotten new ones at work. Now its going to be even harder to get myself moving after sitting on that for a bit.

Having not much to do we had a last walk around, picking as we went along. The Blur, back from school by this point, was interested in the sweetcorn, so John picked her one off and let her have a try. They're still small at the moment but theres noting wrong with baby sweetcorn. Last year John has two cobs per plant, this year most of them seem to have at least 3-4 which makes the estimate of 120 cobs slightly low. The Blur also ate a radish, which was fine until the pepperiness kicked in, I dont think she'll be trying that again in a hurry.

It seems we got our hedge and alleyway sorted just in time, and as John said 'thats it for another year.' I hope so as it was one of the hardest jobs iv had to do there so far.

Allotment Inspection

Morning Visit

Just a few steps through the main allotment gates I was approached by David (the committee chairman) asking if John (the secretary) had caught up with our John. I answered probably not as John hadnt been around much. He explained that there was to be an inspection on Thursday and the alleyway would need to be cleared of all the hedge trimmings. I did admit the mess was my fault and that id tidy it up straight away. So my first job of the day was to walk the wheel barrow up and down for a bit. Again, couldnt find my pink gloves and opted for the thickest looking pair I could find. It appears that no gardening glove can stand up to two inch thorns (I know I said they were about an inch the other day, but I happened to find bigger.) Ok, it didnt take that long, but its a bit of a boring job when your on your own.

Doing My Research

As with all problems these days, the simple solution is Google. I was told nettles produce nitrate and nitrate is acidic which is what our tomato plants could do with in their soil right now. When I told John he said its also a fertiliser (that would explain the smell.) I am tempted to use it, but I think it can wait until I have forgotten how it smells.

Besides a bit of watering yesterday, the only other real job I could find was putting canes in for the melons too grow up. Though I did pick up some potatoes, courgettes and shallots for our tea, and my first attempt at making ratatouille (I was pretty impressed with the result.)

Industrial Action Makes For A Productive Evening

John left for work yesterday evening, only to ring ten minutes later saying the leisure centre was closed due to industrial action and did I want to meet him at lotty. Its been nearly a week since we were there together, so of course I jumped at the chance. Though I had cleaned up the hedge cuttings there were still weeds around the outside which needed seeing to. John got out the strimmer and set to work while I found myself gloves, a rake and a sweeping brush. I had only swept one pile before John asked if id like a go with the strimmer. Strimming isnt really a chore its quite fun (yes I know its not a toy.) By the time the string had come off halfway down the side edge John had got the top looking like you could eat your dinner off of it. Once the strimming was finished it was back to lugging the wheel barrow back and forth (looking like I was pushing a pushchair up a hill.) But with us working together it wasnt long before we had the tidiest looking bit of alleyway in the whole allotment, and the eating of peas and sweetcorn could begin.

Thank you John for making the weeding and clearing up more fun.

Not Enough Hours In The Week

Sunshine At Last

Woo hoo, tonight im sitting in the garden to write the blog, as apart from a teeny tiny little shower earlier its been a lovely day. There wasnt much time for lotty over the weekend so yesterday and today have been kind of wow days. Yet again the sweetcorn is first on the list of wows. The best part of the last couple of days is that the peppers and chilis have emerged, and at the rate they're already growing it wont be long before were eating them. A few weeks ago the sickly tomato was planted out and I was happy to see that she now has a little fruit on her. She was re-potted without much hope but alot of love so it really is great to know that the time and attention was worth it. We have also found that all of the outside tomatoes are plum tomatoes.

Nettle Bug Spray

From an allotment forum I was told that soaking nettles in a bucket of water for a week would produce a good black fly spray. Well today the week was up and time for me to bottle it. Hmmmmm, if you thought manure stank then this was ten times worse. Despite that I carefully dipped a watering can in and transferred it to the bottle, which broke the second I tried to use it. There'll be other bottles im sure, but having washed my hands at least five times and them still smelling like manure I think we'll go back to salt and washing up liquid. Thats not to say the nettle water mix will go to waste. Iv got a bit of research to do, but im certain iv thought of another use for it. I have moved the bucket to the bottom of lotty as we tend not to go down there much and the greenhouse it was being stored in needs airing out.

Garlic and Onions

Last week John pulled up the garlic as they had collapsed and were ready to be eaten. They are now in our shed at home ready to use as and when. The white onions are also now big enough to be pulled up, and the shallots are jumping out of the ground at us. Yesterday I used the garlic, white onions and red onions to make pasta sauce and it was pretty good for my first try. Overall lotty is doing everything its supposed to and there are no major problems apart from the Philip pumpkin threatening to take over the place (including sickly tomato.) The Blur has been adventurous again and sampled a radish, and I was surprised to hear that she actually liked it. The sweetcorn still looks fantastic and at the speed its growing (its taller than John now) it wont be long before were eating those too, which all of us are really looking forward to.

Family Hedge Cutting Fest

A Whole New Melony

So Melony may not have survived, but luckily there are a few more where she came from. After Johns suggestion of mini greenhouses using the window panes I dutifuly found a nice space in the second potato patch for Melony 2nd. She isnt the healthiest plant to begin with as her roots were a bit damaged from the first time I tried to replant her, but they looked better yesterday, so im confident with our new innovation she will survive. I finally got round to having a proper weeding session in the swede patch, though it took a while to figure out what was weed and what was swede. Eventually I recognised a sewing pattern, and im now of the thinking that no swedes were harmed in the weeding process.

More Hedge Cutting

Whilst I was faffing about, John got on with yet more hedge cutting. I did pick up the shears but put them near enough straight back down. I decided that the most productive thing I could do was pick up after John. Who'd have thought there'd be more than one way to pick up hedge trimmings. I started out with one glove, one glove and a rake and eventually two odd gloves (having lost one of my pink pair.) Not to be left out the Blur came along and got stuck in too. Unfortunately all she had managed to find in the hut was a pair of mens gloves which had a hole in the thumb, none the less she made a good job of picking up the cuttings and shaking them about a bit so they were more widely spread. George and Mildred (its not her real name) came along in their car and told us to leave the blackberries alone as she had her eye on them. Hmmmm their closer to us, and team cheeky monkey alpha zebra leprechaun baffalo one will give her a run for her money.

The EGM

John was right, we did find out from someone else (Mildred) what the EGM was all about. So here goes. They are clearing out one of the empty plots for a kind of shared area. They would like to put a generator and toilet in there so we can make cups of tea (im liking that idea already.) They also talked about the plot behind ours, which has only been tended once in the last few weeks. He had a big digger in there for a day, and left it at that. Not sure how extrodinary of a meeting it was, but im glad we stayed in lotty and threw apples.

Meet The Neighbours

Getting An Early Start

Mmmmmm well pork cob Thursday came round quick enough again, and not a moment too soon. Knowing it wouldn't be long until John arrived, me and the Blur made our way to lotty at ten o'clock, with me feeling once again like I could eat a horse. I made myself busy by extending the frame for the first runner beans and just as I was finishing John turned up. I ran (yes ran) to the hut and had my cob out of the bag before you could say 'did I really just see Nicola run.' John always asks whats new and to be honest sometimes there is nothing really new. What I had noticed though was that greenhouse two looks absolutely fantastic at the moment, when I walked in yesterday morning I actually said 'oh my god,' it looks like the healthiest green you could imagine.

Six Foot Hedges

My plan for yesterday was to be digging a new patch, but after a comment from another plot holder it seemed the more pressing job was cutting back the hedge. Well the weather looked ok so I thought this wont be too bad, until the sun really came out and I hadnt thought to bring a t-shirt. It didnt take long for me to call the Blur to bring me cups of water every five minutes. Not long after starting Brian and Jackie walked up with their wheel barrows to collect wood chippings and window panes. 'About bloody time' Brian laughed. I must have looked like I was struggling (I was jumping up to reach the high bits) as he told me to go down to his car and grab the choppers. Now this was the help I was looking for. Extendable handles are a bit of a life saver. After demonstration on a nearby tree it was time for those choppers to get to work on our hedges. The Blur snipped off the lower branches whilst I dropped hedge all over us by doing the tops. It didnt take long for the Blur to wonder off and any calls for water after this point went largely unheard. I'll admit the choppers with handles extended were long, but not quite long enough. With stinging eyes due to the debris and suicide flys I did the last few high bits by jumping up with my eyes closed.

Rain Again

I did eventually make it to the end of the hedge, which meant there was only the tidying up left to do. Id already taken 3 wheel barrow fulls to the fire pile, and estimated there were another 4 to go. How wrong could I be. After 5 more I was still of the thinking I had another 4 to go. But the dark clouds rolled over and I made it to the hut just in time for the heavens to open, and open they did. My advice is if you've got a job to do, dont sit down. It felt so good to rest my feet, I wasnt sure id ever get up from the sun lounger again. So, Id had enough. Time to go home for shower, and get the bugs out of whichever holes they'd thought were a reasonable place to sit.

Johns Idea And The Extraordinary General Meeting

Having left lotty before John had finished work, he wanted to go and have a little look for himself. Tea nearly ready, he came home telling us that he'd had an idea. Melony melon outside had died, but the one inside was doing well, so what if we could create her a little greenhouse of her own outside. Good thinking batman. The extraordinary general meeting was at seven, so we decided to have a quick look in at lotty and a little bit of an experiment. John had already collected a few of the window panes and he set about creating little greenhouses around the peppers. Though i'll have to see how they fared during last nights heavy rain I think the possibility of an outside Melony greenhouse is high.

And so to the EGM. Well actually we never made it that far. I spotted a pigeon and threw a tomato at it which turned into a contest to see who could throw an apple the furthest which turned into who could find the best tasting apple. I dont feel too bad about missing the meeting (John says someone will tell us about it today) as I had much more fun playing with John and the Blur.

Just a quick ending here. Yesterday morning after eating my delicious pork cob I sat on the path whilst John was inspecting the sweetcorn and saw that the maize part was hanging down and looked pretty. I took a photo and am glad it came out as well as it did, so now other people can have the same view that I did. The other thing is the potatoes. Usually I pick from the patch that was planted first, but decided to try a different one for a change. What a surprise it was to find one in there that was equivalent in size to about 3 normal potatoes. Im going to look at patch 3 next time and see if they're just as big.

Tomato TLC

Just A Little Bit Of Love

Having taken a look under the tarpaulin, I decided digging a new patch there was going to take a bit longer than the time I had to spend doing it. So instead I put all my efforts into looking after the tomatoes for once. They've had unwanted shoots nipped of, a bit of a bug spray, and Ok I'll admit, I talked to them too. But when they're doing so well how can you not tell them. I also did a bit of weeding in the swede patch. They have become something of a non event for me. Whereas most things are growing visibly by the day or giving up food for us to eat the swede are just there. Easily overlooked. But I promise to spend a bit more time looking after them.

Counting

John got the Blur to count the sweetcorn the other day, we have around twenty plants in the front patch and 40 something in the back. John worked it out that we should be set for approximately 120 cobs. It was not long ago that we noticed the first side shoots on the sweetcorn, now they have developed a fluffy bit on the top indicating there is corn inside. The next few weeks are going to seem like years waiting for them. John and the Blur also counted the peas recently. The trouble is there are so many you miss and new ones each day you couldnt count them accurately.

Whats To Come

Its a toss up as to what I do today. I could have a bit of a go at the hedge, or I could dig the new patch. Given enough time I could do both, but the hedge cutting is less fun on your own when your not being asked random questions. It is Thursday, so whatever I decide (digging me thinks) i'll be doing it with a bellyful of pork cob.

Scratch and Sting

Missed Again

I popped into lotty to see if I could catch the man about the chickens before I went shopping, but unfortunately missed him again. With the Blur nagging to go to Bulwell I only got the chance to have a quick look in green house one, and give the sweetcorn a bit of a shake.

Allotment Inspection

Due to an upcoming inspection it was back to finishing cutting back the hedges. Now I did start it with bare hands, which is not the best idea when the thorns are roughly an inch long. Even with gloves on my hands were given a good seeing to. With me outside and John inside we managed to have a good go and its looking so much better. I was kept amused by John saying 'you like war stuff' at regular intervals. This was met by a perplexed look the first time and given a laugh or two for subsequent times. Not the only random question asked during the hour but the most memorable due to its frequency. After a multitude of scratches to my arms and suicide flys, and green dust in my eyes we gave it a rest for the day. John set about spraying more plants and had rearranged greenhouse two before we arrived. Im loving the new spacious layout as I dont have to worry about crushing anything when im being clumsy.

After reading a few threads on the allotment forum I found an alternative solution to the black fly which involves nothing more than nettles and water. By now we all know that grabbing nettles tightly stops them from stinging, but this only works when they're not a meter tall. I thought the gloves would help, which to some extent they did. What I really should have done was also wear a long sleeve top. Not to worry though, im quite used to looking like iv been dragged through a hedge backwards.

Short And Sweet

Where Did The Day Go

Although John did manage to pop in to Lottington a couple of times (mainly to see a man about some chickens) it wasnt until later that either of us got a proper look around. The first thing you notice as you walk into lotty is the sweetcorn, which at its very tallest part is as high as my nose. I was looking at a photo taken just a few weeks ago, in which the sweetcorn was not even above leg level, and its not until your reminded of how its was, that you realise just how quickly things grow. The first beans we planted out have had a fantastic try and one of them is growing at least two to three inches a day.

Monday is tomato feeding day, and whilst I got on with that and checking PH levels, John pulled up the garlic which needed to come out and dug over the soil where they'd been living. Of course there were plenty of options as to what could go there, though nothing quite as ready as the second batch of beans that had been rapidly outgrowing their pots. On the first batch, John made a cane frame and covered it with plastic mesh for them to climb. This time however, after some inspiration from the schools plot, he put up two poles with string across the top and bottom and tied one piece of string per plant, vertically above each one.

After stealing a bit of soil from the patch that John was doing, I put it into pots and planted the Blurs cucumbers into them. The tomatoes outside seem to be thriving, so it has been suggested that a few more go out, and were in need of a few more grow bags for the aubergines, peppers and tomatoes. Im not quite sure as to where they'll go, as both green houses are looking rather full. Especially greenhouse two, whenever im in there im afraid that i'll stand on something. But there is a place for everything, and they too shall be found a little space of their own. As for today, I'll be keeping an eye out for the secretly named SW2 cars.

All Dry On The Chicken Front (Well Nearly)

Surviving The Night
With all the rain, Saturday night was a test for the coop. Sunday morning its was still standing and our toy chicken who is temporarily residing within, came off only slighty damp. Well its not finished so at least we know theres a small problem before any real hens set up home there. It could just have been that the door was open whilst John was there, leading it to be damp by the time me and the Blur arrived to pick potatoes for our dinner. Hopefully we'll get another chance to test its weather durability before the hens arrive.

Always Time For A Walk About
Through the whole weekend theres not been much time for the veg, other than picking them, but theres always time for a quick walk about. The shallots are all bursting out of the ground, just waiting to be picked, which we did to go our sandwiches. Theres no sign of the purple carrots just yet, luckily we have two other patches which are doing well. Stopping by the rapberries is usually hit and miss, this time however couldnt have been better. After John picked one and announced they were ready I (dubiously, as they've been bitter in the past) picked one and popped it in my mouth. I was more than pleasantly surprised. In all honesty they were probably the two best raspberries ever. Now its just a case of finding a few more and attempting to make jam. After their spraying with the home made fly killer the beetroot leaves were looking a bit wilty, not for long though, they had recovered enough to pick some to accompany the onions in our sandwiches.

Greenhouses
The Blur planted cucumbers recently and after literally four days they are ready to be repotted. Her herbs are already the size of mine which were planted at least six weeks ago. Down in greenhouse two the peppers/chilis now have tiny little white flowers, which means hopefully the friuts wont be too far behind. One of the tomatoes in that same greenhouse couldnt be more perfect. I like to think its village show standard. Now all there is to do is find an actual village show.

What We Can Do In A Few Days

Looks Like A Coop

When we arrived at Lotty yesterday we had a base and frame of the coop. By the time we left we had a very definate coop. First port of call was B&Q, having found the wood panel we bought the day before to be near enough perfectly sized we picked up a few more and some chicken wire. Then it was time for more hard work (mostly by John.) We started by fixing the fence panels to the front and rear of the coop, but very soon realised we were getting nowhere without the drill. We had forgotten to bring the drill battery so I ran (ok, walked a bit fast) home to pick it up along with my change of clothes and a flask of coffee. Once again during my absense so much had been done. The front and back, aside from needing a few more nails hammering in were finished, and John even had a few minutes to help the Blur screw some nails into her hand crafted stilts. The old shed door, which was to be an access hole to the perch area was taken down and a panel put up on hinges in its place. Three more panels were fitted to the sides, and the waterproof strips laid along the roof. So now we have a coop. Its looks great from the outside, and having all had a little sit in, I think we all wish we could be chickens too. I never expected the coop to look as good as it does. Thank you John and Blur.

Whilst I was away John got talking to another plot holder who told him the man accross from us could get us some chickens. So if John manages to catch him in the next couple of days we could have chickens by the end of next week.

All thats left for us to do now is to build the run, which should be alot easier to build than the actual coop (dont quote me on that though.)

And So The Crops

I was slightly disheartened that Melony Melon now seems beyond redemption. But given they are not native to this country and the changable climate lately I can understand it may not have been the best conditions for her to thrive. Not to worry too much though, we have two growing in pots inside which apear to be fairing better. The peppers or chilis both inside and out are doing everything they're supposed to do, and one of the chilis has a pretty little flower on. We managed to find enough peas to take home to eat and John and the Blur were competing to see who could shell the biggest peas.

I nipped out from lotty twice yesterday, second time to pick up some salt for our fly killing mixture, which was added to water and washing up liqid and spray over anything which had the little buggers crawling about on them. Were not sure if it will work, but only time will tell.

Good Morning John

And Then There Was Lotty

Having all had a lot to do, lotty wasnt visisted until later yesterday, and still it was a flying visit. Our first port of call was to B&Q to find wood panels for the coop. We found some planks of wood we wanted fairly quickly, then it was another half an hour to find someone who could give us a price and dimensions. After all that, we went with boards instead. Not sure it was the right size we bought one and (after a bit of dinner out) we finally arrived at lotty. Could it have been any more of a better fit. A few screws were attempted to put in, but not much else as it was getting late, and one job at lotty invariably turns to about 15 jobs. But at least we can see how its coming on now.

Those Bloody Flies

Its slightly annoying to see black flies ivading our veg, but on the other hand it gives us a chance to experimant with getting rid of them. A mixture of water, salt and washing up liquid is on the cards for the little pains. We did manage a tour of duty round the fruit and veg. Bad news first, what with all the rain, Melony the melon is not looking at her best. Well as with everything im hoping just a little bit of TLC will be enough to perk her up (that'll be me, sitting next to her, telling her how good she is, and stroking her wilting leaves, believe me I will.) We found the best funniest looking tomato, it resembled somebody gurning, with a whole load of grass sticking out of their mouth. The maizie part at the top of the sweetcorn is now drooping over its leaves, so now they are given a little shake as we walk by to help the corn grow.

Saturday, Saturday

And so today. I think its back to B&Q (do they have loyalty cards) to pick up some more boards, and possibly some chicken wire, then back to lotty. Given how much we have achieved with the coop in just a few days, and the lets just do one more thing attitude I may be taking pics of a fully functioning (minus the hens) coop to publish on the blog tomorrow, or Monday.

Hen Names

Now, given that I even name the plants we have of course been making suggestions for the hens names. Here are just a few:- HENdrix, CHICKita, PECKham (junction, Victoria, David, High Road) HENdon, Tommy COOPer, Lenny HENry. You get the idea of our thinking. The Blur however has decided on Cairo and Tinkerbelle for the two she is going to name, and Tommy Cooper (Johns suggestion) may be the name given to the actual coop. Well I best be off to get ready for the day, as I can see that theres going to be alot to do again.

Learning To Saw

Tommy Cooper

So I was entrusted to build the next part of the base for the chicken coop. Following my efforts from the previous day to saw a little bit of wood I thought it was going to take forever. Luckily I must have just been getting the hang of it as it didnt take long at all and the wood was cut in just one go each time. A bit of hammering and screwing in later the Blur and I had the second base sitting in front of us.

When John finished work it was straight back to Lotty for more coop work. Unfortunately I had forgotten to take the drill battery home to charge, so I spent the next two hours at home willing it on. Whilst I was away John and the Blur took down the shed door which is to be the opening to the indoor part, made the front and back frames and tidied up the tool box. Seeing it all laid out when I returned was exciting as I could see how it was all going to fit together and could see a clearer picture of it in my head. So with a recharged battery the triangular front and back frames were drilled into place. Not stopping there the door support post and upward opening door were fitted into place. To look at it now, you wouldnt mistake it for anything else. It looks like a chicken coop, and I cant help but smile when I see it.

Flies and Rot

At some point soon, we need to make up a spray mix to get rid of the black flies that have invaded some of our veg. A few of the potatoes and beetroot and alot of the courgettes have started to be plagued by the horrible little things. Having not seen how its affected the beetroot and potatoes as their haul is underground, im hoping that its not too much of a problem, but for the courgettes its a different story. On the worst affected plants the fruit has become soft and brown at the blossom end, making them inedible. Each plant now has at least 3 courgettes each, so im hoping not all of them have been/ will be affected.

Tomatoes and Mushrooms

Finally the outside tomatoes have begun to produce fruit. Ok its only one plant with one tiny tomato, but im certain now its started it'll only get better, and the others wont be far behind. Now to the mushrooms. I had held out hope that I could see a single mushroom just breaking the surface of the soil, only to be dissapointed when I looked yesterday to find it had vanished. Very carefully, so as not to break anything that may have been growing I dug up around the crack where I thought the mushroom had been. Nothing, even with a bit more digging elsewhere in the barrel there was nothing. Well it didnt work and we know that now, all we can do is have another go, do things a bit differently and keep trying until we get it right

Busy Days

Not Much Gardening

Ok, maybe I feel slightly bad about it, but I didnt get round to much actual hands in dirt gardening today. My morning visit, consisted of a bit of watering in the greenhouses before I ran off to see a neighbouring plot holders new chickens. I dont know what I was expecting from rescued battery hens, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well they looked. We stood chatting about chickens and our allotments for ten minutes, before I pulled myself away from the hens.

Not Much Gardening, But A Whole Lot Else

I popped off quite soon after that as it was my day to brave my first trip on a Nottingham bus. After an unexpectedly long walk, detouring round the land of Eastwood and asking at a local college for directions (eventually), a quick nip round Ikea and then it was home again, only to be straight out the door again and on the way to buy some wood. Yes we were on our way to get the wood for our chicken coop. A bit of a squeeze later Team Cheeky Monkey Alfa Zebra Corn, were in the car back off to lotty. What started as making a base soon turned to adding support legs, which led to laying the floor. I did a little bit of sawing and banging in of nails, to the tune of alot of huffing and puffing. John did most of the hard work, while I watched and took notes for when I build the second part today. So now we have the basic outline of our coop. Were all a bit achy, tired and scratchy, but all for a good cause. Iv had every reason to be proud of our team, and today is no different. Thank you both for your hard work. I may not have done any gardening, but John did do some weeding whilst the Blur and I were off on our adventure.

Nice Weather For, Well Everything Really

Something Right

Quite what happened between Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning I'll never know, but I like it. The second I stepped through the gates it was like we'd fast forward a few weeks. Everything was noticeably bigger. One sweetcorn plant in particular must have grown at least three inches, id like to say its more but im being conservative. All of the courgettes had grown at least 2 fruits each, if not more. The pea pods have swollen, and their plants have reached the next level of their frame. The swedes have shot up, along with the runner beans, the newly planted out sprouts are thriving. I dont know what more we could ask for.

Sunshine and More Sunshine

Yesterday was the hottest its been for a while, so needless to say even digging a small area was harder work than normal. But I got there in the end and soon we'll be eating those purple carrots. Such hard work that it was, I took Monty Preston 3rd (mp3 player), paper and pen, and something to lay on, to the bottom of Lotty for half an hours planning. Not only are we planning the chicken coop, but also our winter work. We have decided that we are going to create raised beds for next year, so we've had to think about where we want them, how to build them and how big they'll be.

Given the heat, I thought id give everything a good water with the hose, and was greatful for every splash that landed back on me. Its wasnt until we were leaving, and the Blur was waiting for me to open the gate, that she read a notice on the board informing us that there was a £50 fine for anyone using a hose between 10am and 4pm. Ooooops. Well its my first year there and surely I can be forgiven this one time. I'll just have to build up my muscles by lugging the watering can around instead.

What Else....... Chickens

The man 3 plots down has invited me to go see his chickens, and yes, I was a bit excited about it. Im starting to think im slightly obsessed with them. They're resucued battery hens, and im hoping this man will give me the phone number of the place he got his. The school have chickens too, so I might take a wonder along to their plots this morning to ask if I could have a look at their coops as they're similar to the one were going to build. This afternoon were off to B&Q to pick up some wood and other bits so that we can start building. Hopefully by the weekend we'll be ready to pick up our girls. All's good in the world of Lottington Stanley.