Adventures in the life of an English allotment
Spotting the rain this morning, I delayed going down in a fruitless effort to stay dry. As I was chatting to Phil, the heavens opened and we sprinted to our respective sheds to shelter from the pouring rain. After several minutes, it didn't seem to be stopping or even lessening. Resigning myself to getting utterly... Continue Reading →
After running a few errands around town this morning, I walked to the allotment wondering whether the rain would hold off. There had been intermittent heavy showers all morning. As soon as I arrived, I set up the stove and let the weed destroyers out. Sitting watching them is always fun and it's lovely to... Continue Reading →
Today was going to be the day that we moved the nest box from Andy's plot to ours. Quite how we were going to do it, I had no clue but it would be done somehow. When we arrived there were quite a few people on site who I felt sure we could rope into... Continue Reading →
So here we are. Mid-May and the weather closely resembles the dark, rainy weeks of mid January. It's so frustrating as this puts a hold on so many jobs on the plot. Furthermore, it means that the winter battle to keep the ground in the chicken coops from turning into a quagmire has returned. So... Continue Reading →
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 →
This morning I walked down to the allotment armed with two large pet carriers. Geoff had asked if I could help move his girls from Andy's back into his large coop. I piled up the carriers next to the coop door and went to say hello to Steve and Geoff. We all talked about the... Continue Reading →
Occasionally, in between the rain and frantically busy days at work, I let the silkies roam the garden. It's so lovely to see them explore and enjoy time outside the coop. They continue to get more friendly and will now eat happily from a food bowl right next to me. They never stray far from... Continue Reading →
Today was a plottering day at the allotment. One of those days where you arrive and don't really have much of a plan and spend the day drifting between little jobs. When I arrived, I immediately went to check on the girls in the new coop and say hello to Liz, Sarah and Andy. To... Continue Reading →
The cold and rain that greeted me this morning was rather depressing. Ever since I put up the solar panel, the weather has been either cold, windy but dry or wet and windy. Neither particularly helpful for growing plants or for working solar panels. I'm beginning to think that by putting up the solar panel,... Continue Reading →
Day two of Storm Christof and the entire allotment site is under several inches of water. There are several plots severely flooded and inevitably, ours is one of them! The last few wet weeks combined with an already high water table has meant the current downpours has flooded vast swathes of the allotment site I... Continue Reading →
So today was a day I have been looking forward to for years. For my birthday, my husband had agreed to let me get some silkie hens! I adore these ridiculous looking chickens with their 5 toes and beautifully soft feathers. I have held off getting silkies for years due to concerns over Marek's disease... Continue Reading →
Late morning, I ambled down to the allotment to feed the chickens. Happily, the weather was dry and there even was a hint of sunshine. Upon arrival, I found Phil in the Clubhouse. It turns out Steve has done a big clear out of the clubhouse, taking out the chairs and carpet. I walked across... Continue Reading →
Today was quite what I thought it would be. I anticipated an afternoon of pottering around the plot, doing ood jobs and, weather depending, clean the main coop out. As soon as I arrived, I went to see Pop who I had placed into the nest box last night. There she was, by the front... Continue Reading →
Over the last few days, the weather seems to have turned. It definitely feels more like autumn than summer and the torrential rain more like winter. At this time of year, if the weather is still good there is still lots going on, harvesting and weeding as well as putting in the winter crops. The... Continue Reading →
Today, despite the rain, something very exciting happened. I put Pop out into the tree pot and left her for a few minutes to enjoy the greenery and a fresh chunk of courgette. Leia had laid another egg and assessed my every move as I cleaned out the bedding. When I finished, I checked on... Continue Reading →
This afternoon I pottered down to the allotment determined to make a start on the community garden pond. Over several months, the weed in the pond has started to choke the water plants. When I arrived, Cliff was busy putting the finishing touches to Sarah and Liz's pond so I went to sort out the... Continue Reading →
Yesterday and today's rain has left the plot flooded yet again. The fruit trees, willow and bark path have worked well up to a point but there is absolutely nothing I can do to stop the water table rising to the surface! I didn't realise how high the water table was until I walked onto... Continue Reading →
When I arrived on site today, I found Sarah and Cliff hard at work digging an enormous hole for the new pond. Cliff had spotted a perfect container on another plot and the plot holder was happy to donate it. This saved huge amounts of time and effort as we didn't have to buy pond... Continue Reading →
The rolling in of the first storm of the season has left the site in disarray. I spent several minutes sheltering from the heavy rain in the main coop. As per the usual way of things with Aggie, she spent several minutes upsidedown as penance for repeatedly attacking my feet. Each time I put her... Continue Reading →
It was a long day yesterday and I barely had time to stop let alone complete the blog. So here it is, very late! I walked down early to make a start. The greenhouse and the shed needed cleaning and tidying, weeding and general sorting amongst other jobs. It was going to be a busy... Continue Reading →
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