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 →
Ringing in the New Year
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 →
Choices, Choices
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 →
Busy, busy, busy!
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 →
Sudden Reappearance of Summer
Waking up to sunshine pouring through the window, I grabbed my keys and ran down to the allotment. Upon my arrival, I found Cliff, Geoff and Cliff chatting by the sheds. I shouted hello and disappeared off to the shed. I put up the sail sunshade and threw in some kale for the little Weed... Continue Reading →
Bumper Harvest
With the heat beginning to lessen, my husband and I walked down to the allotment to feed the chickens. As my husband walked between the coops, refilling the food and water, I got busy weeding around the Omlet watched closely by Roxy and Foxy. Much to their delight, I threw in several handfuls of weeds... Continue Reading →
A Quartet of Chickens
With the end of a truly dreadful week at work, I trudged down to the allotment. A few weeks ago, I spotted an advert for point of lay hens from a local farm. I contacted the farm and to my delight, found they had pullets available in two of my favourite breeds, Black Rock and... Continue Reading →
A Little Bit of Everything
The skies were blue, the air crisp and there wasn't a rain cloud in sight when I arrived on site this morning. Lots of people were down, making the most of the dry spell before the inevitable rain forecast for the entirety of the rest of the week. I said hello to Geoff and Andy... Continue Reading →
Building the Stumpery
Today was a very busy day at the allotment. I got down early to make sure I had fed the chickens before receiving a cockerel from a colleague who took three of our work chicks. Unfortunately, she can't keep Napoleon so I had arranged for a local farmer to come and collect him. Abi arrived... Continue Reading →
Throw in the plants
Today I got down to the allotment much earlier than usual. Everyone was busy beavering away. My first job was to move the chicks into their outdoor run. With some minor encouragement, they hopped into the run and I left them with food and water. The greenhouse door, I left completely open to try and... Continue Reading →
Seed Sale
And just like that, it begins again! The Allotment Federation's annual seed sale always marks the beginning of the new season - a time to plan in earnest, finish off digging the plot (assuming it isn't flooded) and clear out the shed/greenhouse/coop (delete as appropriate). I love the sale because it's one of the few... Continue Reading →
Excavating the plot
Late this morning I walked down to the allotment ready for a full day's work. The weather has been so fickle lately that it either has been too hot or too wet to do anything productive. The mix of sunshine and rain has meant the proliferation of bind weed on an industrial scale. Everyone has... Continue Reading →
Hello Georgie, Katie and Hattie!
This morning I ambled down to the allotment to check on the plethora of chickens. Yesterday must have been rather stressful for them all and I was keen to see they had settled overnight. As I arrived, I caught Geoff who was heading down to check on the rescue chickens. They were all there and... Continue Reading →
The rain cometh
I opened the curtains to see rain. Sheets of it. The allotment definitely needed a good soaking but I had hoped it would have stopped in time so I could do some jobs. By the time I got to the allotment I was soaked. I joined Phil and Geoff in the clubhouse in the hope... Continue Reading →
Trying out the new hoe
This morning, after seeing my parents off, I walked down to the allotment armed with my new hoe. In the heat of the last few days the weds have grown out of nowhere and I am determined to keep on top of them this season. When I arrived, I opened up the shed and checked... Continue Reading →
Life in the sunshine
This morning, armed with cleaning supplies, I lugged the stove back to the allotment. It had occurred to me that the strong chemicals needed to clean the stove wouldn't be a good mix with my idiot cats. I arrived on site, dumped the cleaning supplies and stove outside the greenhouse and went to join the... Continue Reading →
When you wish you had taken your second thoughts first…
This morning I went down to the allotment much earlier than usual. I swung by the corner shop and picked up some food and ambled onto site. I opened up the shed and enjoyed breakfast in the sunshine. Breakfast scoffed, I went over to say hello to Mel and her sister who were busy working.... Continue Reading →
Back with a bang!
Sadly no updates on the allotment the past week as I was suffering with a whopper 3 day migraine - it was all I could do to drag myself out to feed the chickens. Back to normality today and raring to go. I headed off to the allotment. Things have changed in the coop in... Continue Reading →
Plants, plants everywhere
Today I spent most of the day toiling under a strange meteorological phenomenon - sunshine. It was baking hot and after 4 hours, I beat a hasty retreat back home to sit in front of the fan. Chickens and quail fed and watered first and I spent some time watching Doris. She is able to... Continue Reading →
Planting!
With my husband working from home and being on standby for the baby, I managed to sneak out for an hour and a half to the allotment. I managed to dig in two rows of our main crop potatoes, three rows of onions, a row of turnips and a row of cabbage before succumbing to... Continue Reading →
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