Adventures in the life of an English allotment
Sadly this morning we lost Molly. I had been hand feeding her over the past two days and she rallied rather brilliantly last night. She pecked at her own food, drank enthusiastically and gobbled scrambled egg. This morning however, she looked in a very bad way and slipped away in her sleep. Molly and Holly... Continue Reading →
Suddenly the days are much shorter, the nights longer and the temperature drops. The clocks went back yesterday and the change in daylight is really noticeable. I ambled down to the allotment at lunchtime to feed the chickens. As I arrived at the gate, I saw Cliff busy fixing his trailer. Apparently it had come... Continue Reading →
Sad news today from the allotment. After battling a stroke and recovering so brilliantly, I began to think that Pop had nine lives. Unfortunately, she went downhill last week and never picked up. We got a call from Geoff telling us she passed away on Sunday morning while we were away. Pop's recovery from her... Continue Reading →
Over the past two days, Pop has shown some improvement and is now standing independently again. She has just started to take very tentative steps today and I hope this means she will be back to her usual cheeky self in a few days. I am still getting high doses of vitamins into her by... Continue Reading →
This evening when I went down to feed Pop, I spotted something rather unusual on the side of the greenhouse. It appeared to be a large bee! I instantly recognised it as Will's handiwork. He really does have a talent with woodwork. I had a quick chat with Geoff and we both agreed that Pop... Continue Reading →
This morning, I dashed down to the allotment to check on Pop. Over the past two days, I have been giving her high doses of Vitamin E in her water in an attempt to address her wry neck. When I arrived in the greenhouse, I looked for her in the nest box. No sign of... Continue Reading →
This morning I went out for a walk to do some errands before heading down to the allotment. Upon arrival, I said hello to Cliff, Dave the Plod and Tracy, all of whom were busy with their autumn jobs. Deciding today was not a day for weeding, I picked up Pop and put her outside... Continue Reading →
The past two days the weather has taken a distinct cold turn and whilst the sun has been out, it doesn't seem to have the heat of the past few months. The wind also takes a few degrees off the air temperature. So all in all, autumn has definitely come. Everyone is busy on site,... Continue Reading →
Over the past couple of days, Pop has been quieter and less keen to go outside. This morning, I found her huddled over on one side. When I picked her up, she tried to stand bit couldn't manage it. Unfortunately, it looks like she has had another stroke. Her crop was full which it shouldn't... Continue Reading →
This evening something miraculous happened. In fact, two! I ran into Geoff as I arrived and we went to look at Pop in the greenhouse. There she was, standing tall and looking proudly at us. It's no mean feat to stand after nearly three months of being unable to. What astounded me even more was... Continue Reading →
Early this morning, I walked down to the allotment to find Pop and Leia already up and about. I picked up Pop and put her next to the refilled food bowl. To my astonishment, she stood upright, with her toes and legs correctly placed, seemingly balanced and comfortable for several minutes. It was incredible! Who... Continue Reading →
This evening I walked down to the allotment to check on Pop. Autumn is definitely on the way as it is getting noticeably darker earlier. When I got to the greenhouse, I closed the front door and ambled around the back to check if Pop had made it into the nest box. Fortunately, she had!... 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 →
I arrived down on site at midday today, determined to do some more weeding and cleaning out the greenhouse. When I arrived, I spent a few minutes sitting in the shed, looking at the plot. I am so pleased with how it has transformed this season. The new sections have made my life much easier... Continue Reading →
I walked down late to the allotment this afternoon. I ran into Sarah as I arrived and we had started to have a chat when Cliff joined us. He had managed to find a large container for Sarah and Liz so they could build their own pond. We discussed where was best to put it... 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 →
The rain has set in for the next couple of days so I times my walk to the allotment for a short break in between the showers. Upon arrival, I went to chat to Geoff and spent a while setting the world to rights. I had brought down some kitchen scales and Flubenvet - a... Continue Reading →
So a quick dash to the allotment this morning before a day out and about. Upon arrival, I shouted hello to Geoff who was busy cleaning his coop and checked the greenhouse. Leia was visible, shouting at me for some reason. There could be so many reasons, that I have given up trying to work... Continue Reading →
Despite growing very little veg this year, I managed to harvest two beautiful little squashes (plants courtesy of Liz and Sarah) as well as Ken kindly giving us a small melon. I am always amazed at the variety of fruit and vegetables that can be grown on site. Here in the north of England, the... Continue Reading →
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