Adventures in the life of an English allotment
This morning I dashed down to take advantage of the clear, if very cold, day. My first job was to tilt the solar panel. It's so heavy that in the end, I gave up. The metal tilt props are too tall to use so whilst I was trying to work out how to shorten them... 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 →
Over the past year I have been thinking about how to get power to the shed. The amount of time I spend down on the plot in the spring and summer would surely warrant the expense of a solar set up? It would mean we could have a light in the shed during the winter,... Continue Reading →
Today I ambled down to the allotment with a few minor jobs in mind. I arrived and fed all the chickens. Every single one of them shouted at me, like I could stop the cold wind or make it warmer! I collected five eggs from the main coop and one from Roxy in the greenhouse.... Continue Reading →
Plottering is a word that has been coined on site to mean spending hours dawdling at the allotment, starting different jobs but completing none of them, chatting with fellow plot holders and enjoying the slice of paradise the site offers. I plottered today. I began with a specific job in mind - painting the shed.... Continue Reading →
Today was a busy day! Cliff had found a gorgeous window to replace the ancient and rotting window frame and broken glass panels. I arrived before Cliff and headed up to Liz and Sarah's plot to say hello. I found them both having a chat in the shed and discussed with them their plans for... Continue Reading →
Today was quite a momentous day. Before I headed to the allotment this morning, I walked across to the Covid vaccination centre and got my jab. The centre was so efficient that I was in and out in 15 minutes! Nursing a slightly tender arm, I walked to the allotment and was greeted by the... Continue Reading →
This morning I walked down to the allotment, planning on a quick visit as I needed to pop back home to be in for a delivery. I rushed down to the main coop, filled up their water and food bowls and threw out their treats. Scanning the coop, I realised I had forgotten to check... Continue Reading →
I got down to the allotment at lunchtime after waiting in all morning for a parcel. Upon arrival, I was greeted by Cliff and Andy. Both were about to leave but before Cliff left he said he had something exciting to show me. Intrigued, I followed him across to his plot and to his chicken... Continue Reading →
This morning after posting off a few odd and ends, I walked down to the allotment ready to continue to do battle with the shed. Yesterday's work needed some touching up with more white before I could begin the next phase. Tracy came by to see how it was going and Steve added his usual... Continue Reading →
Today I ran down to the allotment early. The sun was out and it was dry! A magic, and often elusive, combination! I stopped to say hello to Michael and Phil before heading off to the shed. Out came everything once more - it's amazing how much stuff can be fitted into a shed! The... Continue Reading →
Late this morning I ambled down to the allotment determined to make a start on clearing out the shed. It's a once yearly job which I feel signifies the start of the growing season. The glorious weather had tempted out lots of people from their winter hibernation and I spent an hour happily chatting to... Continue Reading →
So with the mice invading the shed yet again, I had discovered they had gnawed a big hole in the middle of the sail. The sail is old but entirely usable as a sunshade, ideally without the massive hole in the middle! With some advice from my dad, a seasoned sailor, I ordered some white... Continue Reading →
Every year, I am determined that the plot, shed and greenhouse will remain tidy and rubbish free. And yet, year after year, we have to do a tip run. This year, whilst my husband ran some errands, I ran frantically around the plot, bagging up rubbish and making a heap of them on the patio.... Continue Reading →
This morning was cold but clear with a nearly cloudless blue sky. I ambled down to the allotment wondering whether to add the chippings into the coop or just to enjoy the day. When I arrived, I found Geoff, Phil, Steve and several others pottering about. The sunny weather is beginning to bring everyone out... Continue Reading →
The wind has been really high over night and during the day which has dropped the air temperature significantly. It feels perishing if you have to be outside for more than a few minutes. Sarah messaged me to say our combined seed order had arrived at last. I dropped everything and ran across to meet... Continue Reading →
I love days like today. Days when you go down not expecting anything exciting to happen, especially during winter when there is so much less work to be done. I arrived just as the kettle in Cliff's shed started to boil and sat down outside with Cliff and Geoff. After several minutes of chat, Cliff... Continue Reading →
And just like that, it's a new year with new plans and opportunities. In the works are big plans to continue the shed upgrade, a new growing area, add raised beds to the greenhouse, finish the vertical garden and build a small terrarium area as well as finally getting some more quail (much to my... Continue Reading →
Down at the allotment today, occured a small miracle. In the greenhouse Sadie, Leia and Lilja has spent around 24 hours unsupervised. Unsure of what I would find, I cautiously looked through the glass. What I saw amazed me. Sadie was on the top shelf with Leia and Lilja pottering around on the floor. No... 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 →
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