Adventures in the life of an English allotment
Today, the sun was out, the sky was blue and I finally managed to clean out both chicken coops at home. To thoroughly clean both Omlets, get them dry and put in new bedding took the same amount of time as it takes to clean the wooden coops on the allotment. I know Omlets are... Continue Reading →
Just when I was breathing a sigh of relief that we had come through Storm Eunice unscathed, along came Storm Franklin. This storm is gusting at nearly 90 mph and has caused quite a lot of damage on site. I received a phone call early this morning from Derek informing me that two panels had... Continue Reading →
The above title is rather optimistic as it's still windy and pouring with rain. When the storm hit on Friday, it was pretty spectacular, even though we are nowhere near the worst hit areas down south. As the wind rose, I dashed down to check on all of the chickens. Happily, they all had enough... Continue Reading →
Today, apart from feeding the chickens, Cliff, Geoff and I helped clear a half plot for a fellow plot holder. The plot needs quite a bit of work, specifically removing old bricks, broken glass and wood as well as the usual weeds. Geoff had done a great job removing some of the wood yesterday and... Continue Reading →
Well today has been one of those incredibly productive days where enormous amounts of jobs get done. But it's even better when everyone joins together to get these things done. This morning, we had arranged for several of us to meet by Plot 8 to move the greenhouse backwards towards the shed to widen the... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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