Adventures in the life of an English allotment
The weather was amazing today - bright, clear and with glorious winter sunshine. When I arrived on site, I found Cliff and Michael had moved their chairs to sit in the sunshine as they enjoyed a cuppa. We had arranged yesterday that we would do a tip run with Cliffs trailer to remove some rubbish... Continue Reading →
Today was a day of two halves. This morning, I ambled down with good intentions of cleaning out the Nest House. I stopped to say hello to Geoff and Cliff and ended up chatting to them for a while despite the cold. When Derek joined us, we all put our heads together to work out... Continue Reading →
Today was freezing. I delayed going down to the allotment, hoping it would warm up later in the day. It didn't. Wrapping up as warmly as I could, I headed down to the allotment mid-afternoon. By the time I had arrived and unlocked the gate, my hands were freezing. Metal seems almost cruelly cold and... Continue Reading →
With my husband and I planning a big Day out, I rushed down to the allotment at 8am this morning. As I arrived, I was greeted by a morning chorus of crows. Tommy's crow is instantly recognisable as it ends with a flourish. It's also longer than the other cockerels which I think must antagonise... Continue Reading →
We got rather waylaid today and ended up feeding the chickens in the dark after they had all gone to bed. When we arrived, my husband collected the food bowls and checked on the chickens while I messed around with the lights in the shed. These solar powered lights were a Christmas present and one... Continue Reading →
This afternoon, I ambled down to the allotment to find Cliff busy working on the new noticeboard. Will has done an incredible job as always, all the noticeboard was missing was a piece of glass and some sealant to keep the water out. Yesterday, Steve cut a piece of spare glass to fit the board... Continue Reading →
This afternoon, I walked down to the allotment weighed down with some seed potatoes, onions and other odds and ends for the new growing season. It was increasingly misty, with the BT building behind the site a shadow rather than the looming landmark it usually is. As all the chickens had enough food and water... Continue Reading →
Whilst you read this, please have the tune of the Great Escape playing in your head... The sun was out, the sky was blue and cheerfully I headed out to the allotment. When I arrived, I discovered Geoff, Cliff and Michael busy putting the world to rights. I joined them for a quick chat before... Continue Reading →
Typically, I overslept this morning resulting in a mad dash to get ready and to the allotment to feed the chickens before the inspection began. Cramming on my hat, I ran out the door, arriving on site with just enough time to clean out the nest boxes in the greenhouse and main coop. As I... Continue Reading →
Today was a day of two visits to the allotment. With the Town Clerk coming to the site tomorrow morning, it was time to make sure the plot was respectable. Upon my arrival I said hello to Phil briefly before opening up the shed. As I am led down the plot, working out my plan... Continue Reading →
Rain was forecast for today. Not just a bit of rain, but what the news was calling 'Washout Saturday'. When I got up this morning and looked out of the window, the sun was out and the ground slightly damp. And that was it. So much for 'Washout Saturday' I muttered to myself as I... Continue Reading →
I pottered down to the allotment late this morning, enjoying the sunshine on my walk across. It really doesn't seem like January - blue skies, sunshine and just a nip in the air to remind you it's officially winter. Doubting that this glorious weather would last very long, I took the opportunity to check the... Continue Reading →
So although it's not quite midnight, I thought I would do a quick review of the year. All over social media, everyone is sharing their highs and lows, so I think I will jump onto the bandwagon! It's been another busy year on the plot! Our feathery flock has expanded massively, welcoming in a small... Continue Reading →
The hardest decision at this time of year is choosing what to grow in the spring. Every year there are long debates on site about whether this variety of potato is tastier/better/stores longer (delete as appropriate!), which type of tomatoes have the best fruit and so on and so forth. Usually, I have a clear... Continue Reading →
I ambled down to the allotment this afternoon, intending to have a quick visit. I ended up staying for quite a bit longer. When I opened up the shed, I found a lovely surprise waiting for me! A beautiful calendar to go up in the shed with a thoughtful note attached. There really is something... Continue Reading →
In the drizzle, a particular type of rain which is a specialty of the British weather, I ambled down to the allotment. Upon my arrival, I discovered Geoff and Cliff and stopped to have a chat. With family up over Christmas, it's been a few days since I caught up with everyone. It seems that... Continue Reading →
Armed with a willing volunteer, I headed down to feed the chickens. Thankfully it wasn't foggy or raining as it has been the majority of the past week. All the chickens were getting ready for bed, with several of the not pleased at our intrusion. However, we were quickly forgiven when the sunflower seeds came... Continue Reading →
This afternoon, while there was still enough light, I finally managed to clean out Maude and Mavis's coop. Currently, their coop sits on the edge of the patio, sheltered from the wind and rain by the fence and the side of the house. Fortunately, when I bought their Omlet, it came with a 2m long... Continue Reading →
Down early today lugging several hundred weight of water and the new tree. As I checked on all the different chicken coops, I discovered that the Nest House needed a proper clean out. With the majority of the girls (and even Tommy) sleeping inside, it needs cleaning out more regularly. So I grabbed a bucket,... Continue Reading →
With another looming lockdown which would ruin our Christmas plans for the second year in a row, I decided to cheer myself up by planning on how to decorate the shed. Over the past few years, I had wanted to have a little Christmas tree outside the shed with lights. A good idea but I... Continue Reading →
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