A little surprise!

Popped to the plot this morning and was shocked to see some bulbs sprouting!
I have this little bed that I planted some (past their best) bulbs last year - they did nothing so assumed they'd rotted. The bed was then neglected and had a wonderful crop of weeds.

So.... inspired by the works of Charles Dowding I set about making a no dig bed. I strummed the weeds, layer cardboard and topped with a layer of compost and manure - that was at the beginning of September. Today - 9th December, there are pretty much no weeds still but the bulbs are growing! Hoorah! All is not lost! Or is it? It's only December, too early for them to grow maybe? Who knows?!

Brambles, and rubbish and newts oh my!

Good few hours spent at the plot this afternoon chopping through a forest of brambles! They were right the way across and approx 5ft tall!

But well worth the effort, a huge pile of rubbish cleared, can't believe what other people leave behind on plots, junk- 

But I also found allotment treasure, a shell, crock carrots and 2 fork heads 😆

just need to decide what to do with my new bed now 👍😎

Oh and found this little fella whilst declutterjng the brambles - I'm told it's a female smooth newt

Chilli jam

Just made some yummy chilli jam - made with a mix of chillies grown at the plot - ring'o'fire and birds eye.
Lovely with pate, cheese, cheese on toast - and a glass of red on the side 👍😎🌶🌶🌶

Recipe from the BBC
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/8257/sweet-chilli-jam

My autumn greenhouse - the big move around

So at this time of year the weather is getting colder, wetter and the crops are dying back - this especially goes for the tomatoes, mine were even showing signs of blight - so off with their heads! Here's a before picture...

Looked a little crowded, and the cape gooseberries self seeded in there, but unfortunately a bit to late to develop any fruit. The chillies cropped well but I've picked them to ripen on the window at home.

It took nearly an hour to chop it all down, bag it and rake it - here it is, my naked greenhouse....

 

Next I added 3 bags of compost to replenish the nutrients for my winter crops - can't quite believe the colour difference, not sure why the big difference, maybe something to look in to?

 

So after raking the fresh compost I applied a fine layer of blood, fish and bone, there were a few chicken manure pellets mixed in the bucket too.

Firstly I planted 2 purple sprouting broccoli - these I bought as plug plants.  I actually bought a package online which included psb, mixed brassicas and leeks - I've decided to sow half in the greenhouse and half outside....

Next I made holes with the dibber and dropped a leek in to each one - these were then watered, not tucked in though as the earth will gradually fall in or the leek will grow to fill the hole - or a bit of both, but this method usually works well and produces a good crop.

These spring onions I sowed from seed 3 weeks ago, they're now big enough to  come out of the modules so I've planted these in the greenhouse and will plant more seeds for the next crop.

So heres the left side done - back to front, psb, an experimental planting of dwarf French beans, spring onions, lettuce and a courgette that I felt sorry for...

In the middle at the back I've planted 2 cavolo nero kale - first time growing these, and I'm also going to plant some outside.

And that's it - it rained the whole time I was there so its a good job all the work was indoors today.  Still have the other half of the brassicas to plant out tomorrow, but the forecast is a lot brighter - lets hope Mr Weatherman has it right.

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Just popped to the plot for a quick half hour....

I popped to the plot today with the intention of doing a bit of sowing, and leaving when I'd had enough, but 5 hours later....!

The tomatoes are still ripening - these are some lovely flavorita - will 100% be growing these again next year, they are so sweet!

These ring o fire chillies are also starting to ripen - just hope theres enough sunshine left to turn the rest red.

2  weeks ago I tied my courgettes up a support, spread seaweed around and fed with tomato feed - and guess what? They've all started flowering again, yey!

Out of 8 pumpkin plants, only 1 survived, and on this one grew 3 pumpkins, and only 2 made it! So well done to these two survivors.  Not quite orange yet, but last year I found putting them in the greenhouse for a few weeks soon turned them orange - so fingers crossed.

And heres my tamarillo tree (tree tomato), we had these when we were in New Zealand - they're fruit that my husbands aunty sliced up, sprinkled sugar on and left in the fridge over night, and we had them for breakfast and very tasty they were too.  So I bought one to see if they'll grow in Cornwall, its now doubled in size since a bought it, but it does have a very pungent smell... I'm going to keep it in the greenhouse over winter and my use bubble wrap or fleece as extra protection as I'm not sure how hardy they are (although they survive snow fall in New Zealand!)

I also planted a few things in modules and left on shelving in the greenhouse - spring onions, cavolo nero, peas (for pea shoots), broccoli, dwarf French beans (I've been told there is time for a winter crop - not convinced but giving it a go), chard - rainbow mix and mixed lettuce saladbowl.

And if that wasn't enough for one day - I emptied 2 compost bins and spread the lovely compost over a couple of beds with some horse manure, then covered over the winter.  Compost bins resited for the next year.  Pulled up what was left of the leeks, and tidied the shed!  Very pleased with my productive day.

A quick bolognese sauce

I guess like a lot of people - I have a LOT of tomatoes ripening. I couldn't bare not to use them, so whipped up a quick sauce, here's the recipe - it's absolutely gorgeous 👍

Ingredients

Butter

1 large chopped onion

1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs

All your spare lovely allotment tomatoes

2 cloves garlic

Dash of balsamic vinegar 

Large bunch chopped basil

Method

Soften onions in butter without browning. Add dried herbs and warm through for a minute.

Tomatoes - I blitz mine up before adding but you could chop, skins optional. 

Add crushed garlic, stir through

Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10mins. 

Add balsamic vinegar and basil, stir through and simmer for another 5 mins. 

Let cool for 10 minutes and pour in to sterilised jars, pop the lids on tight, leave to cool and label. 

I've made these before and they've kept well for up to 4 months. 

 

What to do??...

Good morning, well in comparison to previous years growing, this year has been pretty rubbish, failed crops and eaten crops being the main reasons. 

I've been getting quite down, disheartened and fed up with the plot and was contemplating giving it up - it's just so much work plus working and family life. But yesterday I took a walk through the site (to marvel at the wonders of the other plot holders) and you know what? Mine isn't the worst one!  And a lot of them aren't perfect... imagine that!!  So I guess I shouldn't aim for perfection, not have such high expectations - I'm no monty don or Charles dowding. 

From now on I will just enjoy the time I spend there. I've decided to start clearing small sections at a time, clear the big weeds, top each section with manure/compost/seaweed (whatever is available) and then cover with sheeting until spring. 

My tomatoes, chillies, corn and pumpkins are still growing. And I'm planning on planting some lettuce, radishes, Spring onions and chard today - I'll take some photos later.  Oh and I have some cavolo Nero kale seeds in the post, plus some brassica plug plants - not my usual way of doing things but the slugs ate everything I've tried to grow so far!  I'm thinking nematodes might be worth a try next year. 

That's all from me this morning, the sun is shining so I'm off to the plot. I'll leave you with a picture of a little harvest from this week. 

Few snaps from the plot x

Popped down the plot today to plant my spuds for Christmas, I have charlottes, Maris peer and another variety with no label,so it'll be a nice surprise. At least I hope they grow - I may have let them chit a little too long, but I'm giving them every chance to do their thing. Growing them in bags, with multipurpose compost, they're outside at the moment, but when the greenhouse empties of the lovely tomatoes I'll move them in doors. 

The greenhouse is producing lots of tomatoes, and I just love them! So sweet and delicious, the shop bought ones are just so bland in comparison. 

I also have some chillies growing - ring o fire, joes long and birds eye - all still green at the moment but I'm hoping they'll ripen - if only August and September will give us some sunshine. 

Allotment delights and cooking.....

Allotment delights and cooking.....

So between the wonderful August downpours I managed to get to the plot, with the aim of watering my greenhouse tomatoes - however as quite often happens at this time of year, I ended up harvesting a huge hall!

Runner beans - I just can't get enough of these, unfortunately I think mine are coming to an end, but this last batch will go wonderfully with a big family favourite, sausage and mash.  And of course the potatoes were also dug up this afternoon, 'Desire' grown in a potato bag - a little disappointed at how many there were, but its enough for a family of fours sausage and mash.

I also picked a wonderful assortment of tomatoes - flavorita, floridity, red pear, tigerella and some big crinkly looking ones that I can't remember the name of, but they were all delicious (obviously the nicest ones were the little yummies that I ate straight off the plant).  The rest I had plans for.... I made a yummy tomato salsa to go with last nights tea - thankyou to +Jamie Oliver for the recipe, even the children ate it :o)

Tomato salsa recipe

Today I've made a delicious courgette and ginger jam, first time I've made it, it should have been made with marrow but I think large courgettes will do just the same, can't wait to try some on some toast.

We're off camping this week so have also made a tomato and onion relish to go with our first nights BBQ, another first for making this and its delicious, recipe from here, but I also added 1/2 a diced red onion and used 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika with some hot chilli powder as I like it hot!

Finally, I've started off a fizzy pink champagne fermenting - yet another first so fingers crossed it turns out well... it was very easy to make, heres the recipe if you want to try it for yourself : Pink Fizzy Rhubarb Champagne

A few pictures from the plot...

I've been really busy at the plot over the last few weeks, but it's just so exciting to see everything growing! I have tomatoes outside, peas in, chard growing, broad beans flowering, runner beans in, various squashes growing, globe artichokes(green and purple), seeds down for sugar snap peas, carrots, parsnip, spring onions, my leeks are just about over but I have just seen for next winters crop, garlic and onions are swelling, potato stalks are quite large now, strawberries are in flower.... probably lots more too, so here's a few pics, I'll do another update towards the end of the week  

First afternoon of the year at the plot!

Yeah I know it's still very, very muddy but I just had to get out there! I needed to accomplish at least one job, you know just to feel like I'm back in the game.

So firstly, with the help of my 2 daughters we dug up the sprouts that had gone over. Then we inspected the onions, garlic and leeks that we planted last autumn - they look a bit rough around the edges but I'm hoping they'll pick up once the days get longer and lighter. I'm most impressed that my 2 cloves of elephant garlic are growing - I can't wait to try them!

Next we got down to some serious digging, I'd left some carrots and parsnips in the ground, I didn't realise quite how many! And lots of them had been nibbled by bugs - but they had been in the ground since the beginning of last summer! 

We gave it all a take over and covered over with thick sheeting to help stop any unwanted weeds. I don't think we'll be ready for planting anything anytime soon, so until then we'll leave it all tucked up. 

Plans... there are cape gooseberry a and windfall apples that need clearing, so I think that'll be a job for next weekend weather permitting! 

That's all for now folks, happy growing. 

Its 2016! Its a new year! Its nearly spring time! Its nearly time to sow!!!

I'm so excited for the new growing year, I have plans, I have a new note book, I've ordered some seeds - I need to stop and take a breath! Its just so refreshing to start planning for the new season.

Just had to get all that out, first job this year - sort out the seed box, and fit them all into the appropriate growing spaces on my allotment plan.... I'll update once its done, happy planning!