Adventures in the life of an English allotment
Exhausted after another manic week, my husband and I pottered down to the allotment late this afternoon. As we arrived, we ran into Pam. I stopped to chat whilst my husband got to work feeding the chickens. All of our feathery charges are well and were distinctly unimpressed with the lateness of their daily treats.... Continue Reading →
We awoke to rain this morning. A steady drizzle which lasted all day and is forecast to continue tomorrow. Fortunately, I only needed to pop to the allotment briefly to check on the chickens. I quickly opened up the shed and shoved some kale into the Omlet coop for Roxy, Trixy and Foxy. They of... Continue Reading →
Upon waking in the night to the wind and pouring rain, I suddenly remembered the sunshade was still attached to the shed! Fortunately, I only put it fully up when it's sunny but I usually leave the widest part of the sail attached to the shed. Worried that the wind might rip off the sail... Continue Reading →
As things get more and more stressful at work, the escape outdoors becomes essential. After spending hours wrestling with a mountain of paperwork, I snuck out for an hour to the allotment. It's amazing what an hour surrounded by green space can do to your mood. I left feeding the chickens until later in the... Continue Reading →
Up and out early this morning after making a few phone calls. The sun was out again although the temperature was distinctly cooler than yesterday morning. On site I found Derek busy clearing Plot 8. It's in a dreadful mess after a couple of years of flooding and minimal cultivation. I joined him but didn't... Continue Reading →
After completing a few jobs in town, I arrived at the allotment just in time to put the stove on and begin lunch. With the weather so warm and sunny, especially for September, I made the most of it by bringing down sausages and rolls. I bought two packs thinking there would be lots of... Continue Reading →
This morning I ran down to the allotment armed with paperwork and a laptop for the first meeting of the new committee. I suspected it might be a long meeting as there hasn't been a committee meeting in a few years. There was a lot to discuss! Afterwards, I ambled back to the shed and... Continue Reading →
I ambled down to site this morning to discover the sunshine had tempted out lots of people. I say and chatted with Geoff, Cliff and Michael. Geoff has decided to give away two of his Rhode Island Reds as they have been bullying his other girls quite badly. He is completely unimpressed with collecting a... Continue Reading →
Over the past two days, the chickens in the main coop have been messing with me. They have a beautiful nest house with a lovely large nest box to lay in. Any hen would surely appreciate that set up. But not our girls! To my horror, I discovered an egg in the poo bucket! What... Continue Reading →
Today there were several visits to the allotment. I really don't know what I would do if we lived further away. On second thoughts, I'd probably be more organised! But having it so close to home, it's so easy to run out for ten minutes to collect some eggs or pick something for dinner. My... Continue Reading →
In our modern world, we are increasingly stuck behind screens and hemmed in by all the trappings of life. Some say nature soothes the soul. For me this rings true. To escape from the indoors, from screens, from work and just revel in the sights and sounds of the outdoors. Granted, we live in the... Continue Reading →
The oppressive heat continues, more like mid July than early September. With the week looking increasingly busy, I bribed my long suffering husband to come down and help out. An offer of sausages for lunch, cooked outside the shed definitely helped! As the door of the shed opened, we were hit by a wave of... Continue Reading →
This morning I walked down to the allotment to find the place a hive of activity! Steve and Andy were busy assembling Steve's new polytunnel, closely supervised by Mick the Greek, Ken and Will. When it's finished, it will be massive! A fee years ago I did wonder about getting one myself but I decided... Continue Reading →
Last night, as we were cooking dinner, my husband heard the dreaded sound. A distinct and clear cockle doodle doo! Hoping desperately that the neighbours hadn't heard it, I dashed outside to see the offending bird standing smugly in the middle of the run. Part of me felt impressed but the other part of me... Continue Reading →
I ambled down late morning to the allotment armed with supplies for lunch. Before I started any jobs, I sat with Geoff, Darren, The Plod and Cliff about the AGM tomorrow morning. It could be quite an interesting meeting as we haven't had a committee meeting in over two years. Hopefully it will be a... Continue Reading →
Up and out early, I got to the allotment ready to help Cliff take some builder's bags of rubbish to the tip. I opened up the shed and fed some kale to the Weed Destroyers. Between us, we lugged the horrendously heavy red builder's bag from the Community Garden up to the back path. Cliff... Continue Reading →
There is always something so special about seeing children at the allotment. Time spent outdoors is becoming scarce in modern childhood due to a mix of over-scheduling activities and endless screen time. For the past few days, we have had one of our godchildren stay and we have loved sharing the joy of the allotment... Continue Reading →
After spending the entire day wrestling with seemingly endless paperwork and cramming in a visit to the vet with a grumpy cat, I finally managed to get down to the allotment at five o'clock. To say that the chickens were unimpressed with my tardiness was an understatement! I opened up the Omlet door and let... Continue Reading →
This afternoon I ambled down to the allotment to check on the chickens and do a few jobs. When I arrived, I found Steve and Phil and joined them for a chat. As we were chatting, a small juvenile robin landed briefly on Phil's knee before perching hopefully on a chair. Steve really must be... Continue Reading →
It was meant to be just a quick visit to the allotment this morning to check on the chickens before having family arrive. I stopped to say hello to the Weed Destroyers and bundled them a large handful of kale to keep them happy whilst I refilled their food and water bowls. Down in the... Continue Reading →
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