Adventures in the life of an English allotment
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 →
At the moment there just don't seem to be enough hours in the day to fit everything in. Usual last minute preparations for Christmas today saw me dash down to the allotment at four o'clock, just as it began to get properly dark. Leia and Flora were already half asleep on the top of the... Continue Reading →
Big changes were set in motion today. I dashed down to the allotment later than planned to find Derek, Cliff and Ian busy working on Plot 22. This plot is in the process of being given up and the ancient wooden greenhouse was barely standing. The wood had rotted to the point where the glass... Continue Reading →
Late afternoon, I walked back down to the allotment to collect the food containers and water bottles I had left this morning. Lugging down 9 litres of water every other day is harder work than it looks - I am planning on getting hold of a wagon or something similar to make the water transporting... Continue Reading →
So we are being battered by another storm with high winds and rain causing flooding and damage all across the country. At home, aside from a fence panel, we have got off lightly. Both coops with the silkies and our veteran bantams have stood firm against the onslaught. But I always worry about the allotment... Continue Reading →
Late morning, I dragged my husband down to the allotment to help me try and make our main coop biosecure. DEFRA have introduced restrictions for poultry due to several cases of pathogenic avian flu across the UK. Unfortunately, this seems to be happening more regularly, with last year being a particularly bad year. To be... Continue Reading →
The temperature has significantly dropped over the past two days. Going out to the allotment now requires some serious thought about how many layers of clothing are needed to keep warm. As I was only popping out to feed the chickens, I opted for my fleece lined walking trousers a thick fleece top and walking... Continue Reading →
This afternoon, after chairing an EGM meeting, I went back down the allotment to sort out the chickens. With the drop in temperature over the past few days, the Warden has set a date for the water being turned off. So in preparation for it being off tomorrow, I had planned on cleaning out the... Continue Reading →
Mid-afternoon, my husband and I ambled down to the allotment armed with coop cleaning supplies and two empty food boxes. Upon our arrival, we chatted briefly to Cliff before we headed off to open up the shed. First job was to sort out cleaning the Omlet. The feathery weed destroyers were left to roam while... Continue Reading →
After pottering down to feed the chickens and collect half a dozen eggs this morning. We headed back home. A friend who runs his own gardening business had offered us some chippings. There are endless uses for chippings on an allotment from using it for paths, helping keep chickens off the mud and compost. Some... Continue Reading →
The rain this morning was torrential. One look outside and I decided to go down to the allotment later. The chickens in the garden still needed feeding but it was much quicker to dash from the kitchen to the garden and back to get their food and water sorted. Maude and Mavis were sitting in... Continue Reading →
So today I went down twice to try and help out Cliffs black leghorn. She didn't look very good this morning. Fortunately, I had some Flubenvet powder left from when I last wormed our flock. I measured out her food carefully and added half a scoop of powder. Mixing it in thoroughly took time and... Continue Reading →
The last two days, I have been woken up by Gordon doing his best impression of a cockerel. Despite having very accommodating neighbours, I just couldn't keep him in the garden anymore. The fact he set off three times yesterday shows he is getting more confident in his voice. So my plan was to move... Continue Reading →
This morning, I walked down to the allotment a little concerned about what I would find in the greenhouse. Cliff's black leghorn was so poorly yesterday that I was half expecting to find she had passed away over night. There she was! Standing slightly hunched in the middle of the greenhouse. As I went in,... Continue Reading →
What a day! I can't remember the last time I spent a full day at the allotment, work has been so busy! I arrived down on site at about half nine, determined to finish hoeing the plot. A mere fifteen minutes later and the job was done! I love my WolfGarten tiller, it makes life... Continue Reading →
Autumn is my favourite season. The changing of the leaves, the hint of frost in the air and the nights closing in, all mean it's acceptable to curl up with a hot drink and a warm blanket. Down the allotment however, I find autumn a rather depressing time. The myriad of green foliage slowly gives... Continue Reading →
This afternoon, we ambled down to the allotment to sort out the chickens. Feeding the chickens in the garden is always fun as the silkies are becoming increasingly tame, running to the door to get to their food first. On the other side of the garden, Gordon and his gang of girls are always at... Continue Reading →
Early this morning I pottered down to the allotment to check on the chickens. It was a beautiful warm autumn day. Almost no clouds and the sun shining bright was enough to entice most of the plot holders down to the site. Opening up the shed, I greeted the Weed Destroyers and headed off to... Continue Reading →
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