It was hot today. Really hot. The forecast rain has yet to appear - there wasn't even a token cloud in the sky. I arrived down, briefly said hello to one and all and made a start on feeding the chickens. The chicks are continuing to grow well and are eating everything I put into... Continue Reading →
The Pallet Project Part 1
We have had an old wooden pallet for years. It was actually the pallet the olive tree was delivered on several years ago! It has lived in the chicken run for most of that time and latterly, has been abandoned outside the main coop. I have been pondering what to do with it for months... Continue Reading →
Building the veranda
Today I walked down to the allotment in fits of excitement. Tracy had sent me a couple of photos half an hour earlier of four black pallets stacked on our plot. I couldn't wait to get started! When I arrived, I immediately went to feed the chicks. They seem to be doubling in size every... Continue Reading →
A brief reprieve
This evening after work, I ambled down to the allotment to get Emily and her chicks in. Poor Geoff had tried to get them back into their run and they had led him a merry dance. Understandably, he gave up and left them too it. Upon our arrival, they were all happily chilling out in... Continue Reading →
A slow Saturday
Late this morning, I dragged myself out to the allotment. It's been a manic week at work and I am absolutely wiped. I arrived and spent a happy hour nattering to Cliff, Phil and Geoff. It turns out that while I have been at work, the bees have spent a week away before Phil brought... Continue Reading →
Painting a Queen
This morning I walked down to the allotment in the glorious May sunshine. Everyone clearly had the same idea, and it was lovely to see everyone out and busy. First job was to open up the greenhouse to make sure Emily and her chicks had some fresh cool air. I topped up their food and... Continue Reading →
A day of two allotments
Today I popped down to the allotment later than usual. After the excitement of the last couple of days, I thought it would be a good idea to leave Emily alone for a while without being pestered by an over-enthusiastic owner! I saw Emily out when I arrived and watched as she kept going in... Continue Reading →
New arrivals!
This morning I dashed down to the allotment, desperate for news on Emily's eggs. When I arrived and lofted the lid of the broody box, I spotted a change! Next to Emily, half out from underneath her was an eggshell. Tentatively, I removed it, expecting a sharp peck for my trouble. I bent down and... Continue Reading →
Strawberries, chicken surgery and an escapee
Late this morning, I ambled down to the allotment, enjoying the bright autumn sunshine. Although the temperature has dropped, it is warm enough if you keep away from the shade. I love these cool and bright days on site - there are still a few remaining leaves on the trees, bright splashes of vivid yellow... Continue Reading →
Berries, berries everywhere!
The glorious weather meant we ambled down to the allotment this morning with the aim of clearing the weeds from the centre of the plot. Upon arrival, I fed the chickens who seemed quite calm and composed until I got into the enclosure. Then all hell was let loose as they went nuts arguing over... Continue Reading →
The allotment goes bee-serk
Today I ambled down to the allotment determined to do something more productive than just feeding the chickens. I arrived to find the site busy, the warm sunny weather has brought everyone out. It was good to see Mick the Greek back after a short spell unwell in hospital. Chickens were fed and seem very... Continue Reading →
A productive Saturday
This morning after the compulsory Saturday morning lie-in, I went down to the allotment. The unrelenting rain yesterday worried me as our plot has been more of a bog than plot after rain the last few months. People on site have taken to suggesting we have our own pre-made paddy field.Happily, apart from a few... Continue Reading →
Man vs Greenhouse
Today was a very busy day down the allotment - we had to make the most of the rare sunshine before it pours with rain again! Whilst I ran to and from the allotment repeatedly as I kept forgetting to pick up key bits - an outdoor brush, rake, egg boxes, you name it! While... Continue Reading →
Bogs and Bees
This morning we again pottered down to the allotment ready for a couple of hours work in the sunshine. Although the weather was finally clear, it will take several days of sunshine before the allotment stops being a bog and dries enough to properly dig over. Both of us got spectacularly stuck at various points... Continue Reading →
A full day’s labour
With my husband off work and me on Easter hols, we headed down to the allotment determined to make serious inroads into the plot. Whilst my husband did all the heavy digging - covering almost a third of the entire plot - I did my best to find th strawberry plants buried under several tons... Continue Reading →
Onward, ever onward
Spent a few hours down the allotment yesterday trying to clear some of the weeds. It wasn't particularly successful due to the hardness of the soil, making full root extraction nearly impossible. Hopefully it will rain soon otherwise we are going to struggle! Doris wasn't looking too good so I asked Cliff the Vet to... Continue Reading →
A peaceful afternoon
After work this afternoon, I took advantage of the glorious sunshine, and pottered down to the allotment. I finished clearing the strawberry bed of weeds (I swear there are more weeds than soil in the raise bed!). As I was finishing, a lovely newbie to the site offered me a bucketful of new strawberry plants!... Continue Reading →
Chicks, Strawberries and Weeds
Wandered down to the allotment today with the other half and a small, grumpy and very hot baby. In the short time we were down there we collected a dozen eggs and checked the Warrens (Masie, Doris, Evie and Annie) whilst Emily continues to sit on eggs over on Chris' plot. According to him, there... Continue Reading →
A new plot and a new blog
So it seemed to me that it was about time I wrote about my allotment. After spending months aggrevating my friends on Facebook with endless photos of vegetables, fruit and views of my plot - my belated apologies to you all! In April we took over our plot in an allotment site just around the... Continue Reading →
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