Adventures in the life of an English allotment
On Friday evening, I took Gordon home from the allotment. Naively, I hoped he wouldn't be too loud and that we would be able to keep him in the garden. In the kitchen, I set up a puppy crate with a home made perch for him to sleep on and used a blackout curtain to... Continue Reading →
After filling the kitchen with a small puppy crate and vast amounts of blackout fabric yesterday, I headed out this evening to collect Gordon. As I arrived on site, I ran into Geoff and we had a chat. I caught him up with some news before heading off to the New Coop. Upon seeing me,... Continue Reading →
I had a lovely message this evening from Cat at Duster's Ark. She had been out to complete a home check for Tommy's new home. The new home passed with flying colours! He will be living in a massive field with proper fox-proof fencing and a lovely large house to roost in. Although he doesn't... Continue Reading →
Yesterday, I walked into the New Coop and couldn't find Winnie. I looked everywhere. Worried that meant nothing but bad news, I lifted the top of the next box up, expecting to find a body. To my surprise, the next box was empty. No bird to be seen. Or was there? Crushed between the nest... Continue Reading →
Today was a difficult day. Due to a complaint by a local resident, we have been told we have to remove all of the cockerels from the site. As upsetting as this is, it is made worse by the fact that the complainant made no effort to speak to us directly. Instead they went online,... Continue Reading →
After a really busy week at work without a moment to stop, I finally made it down to the allotment for more than a quick visit. The weeds were beginning to dominate several of the beds and I have an ongoing battle with the weeds that insist on growing over the paths. With the feathery... Continue Reading →
What should you do when drowning in strawberries? Make jam. Lots and lots of jam. Despite my husband's heroic efforts to work his way through the kilos of strawberries I have harvested, there were tons leftover. Whilst giving strawberries to the chickens would undoubtedly result in their undying love for me, it wouldn't be good... Continue Reading →
Just before lunchtime, I headed out to the allotment. The weeds have been taking over and the Nest House needed cleaning out. Stopping for a quick chat with Liz and Sarah, I quickly checked on Gertie, Winnie and Coco in the New Coop. Gertie was in the corner and the other two were finally off... Continue Reading →
I love lunchtimes at the moment. It's an opportunity to let the chickens at home explore the garden. I find watching the interactions between the different groups fascinating. The silkies are the first out, always keen to destroy another patch of the lawn. Cirrus is always first out and she usually wanders near to the... Continue Reading →
Another momentous day with the chickens today! This afternoon, I walked across to Nikki's house to help her and Dylan set up their new Omlet Classic. Buying second hand is an excellent way of getting hold of one. The only downside is the lack of assembly instructions which can make what should be a short... Continue Reading →
There are going to be big changes in the coops over the next couple of weeks. Unfortunately, a local resident has been making problems about the cockerels on site. As a result, the Committee have had to ask plot holders with cockerels to remove them. I have three-ish weeks to find homes for Tommy and... Continue Reading →
Sad news from the plot this morning. I ambled down before work to find one our little bantams had passed away in the New Coop. Initially, I thought it was Foxy, but closer inspection of the comb revealed it wasn't. It's such a shame as she was growing into a lovely bird (albeit a very... Continue Reading →
What can be said of the wildlife on Corfu which hasn't already been superbly described in Gerald Durrell's Corfu Trilogy? Quite simply, the animals and plants in Corfu are as curious and quirky as the island they inhabit. Each time we holiday in Corfu, we spot something new. One of the most exciting discoveries was... Continue Reading →
Late this evening, I walked down to the plot to do some weeding. The patio was completely overgrown with weeds - it's been a job I have been putting off for a while. It is nearly impossible to get the roots out especially when they insist on growing between the slabs. The best I could... Continue Reading →
Today was a long day! By the time my husband and I finished, we were covered head to toe in dirt. We began by attempting to move the Omlet with the silkies. This was easier said than done. The Omlet had been in the same for several weeks and the grass had knitted itself around... Continue Reading →
Late this afternoon, I managed to get down to the allotment to get some jobs done. I ambled around the plot, feeding the chickens and cleaning out the water bowls. Trixie was still insisting she is broody and threw an absolute wobbly when I turfed her out of the nest. Shrieking her disapproval, she joined... Continue Reading →
Today was productive. Very productive! With my husband's help, we managed to clear most of the plot of weeds. The sunshine and rain over the past two weeks has meant the weeds have gone berserk. I armed my husband with the WolfGarten soil tiller and left him with instructions to clear the weeds on our... Continue Reading →
Two years ago, my husband bought me a beautiful bonsai tree as a wedding anniversary gift. It was stunning and all through the summer and the winter, it remained green, full of life despite regularly being blown over by the wind or knocked over by a marauding feline. But last spring, it suddenly dropped its... Continue Reading →
Rather upsetting news from the plot today. When my husband went down to the plot he found Roxy, our speckled Sussex bantam rescue, had passed away. She packed a huge personality into a tiny (sassy!) body and Trixie and Foxy will miss her desperately. Roxy was abandoned at the allotment gate with two other hens... Continue Reading →
After being away for a week, I discovered that the weeds had made good inroads into colonising the plot. It's incredible how fast they grow especially with rain and sunshine. Despite it being a busy day at work, I dashed down to the allotment as soon as I could to try and clear some of... Continue Reading →
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