Adventures in the life of an English allotment
Big changes were set in motion today. I dashed down to the allotment later than planned to find Derek, Cliff and Ian busy working on Plot 22. This plot is in the process of being given up and the ancient wooden greenhouse was barely standing. The wood had rotted to the point where the glass... Continue Reading →
After indulging in a Christmas shopping session, I decided that with the light going and the rain set in, was the nest time to move the Omlet in the garden. Poor Stratus was looking particularly punk and I was worried about them getting muddy foot feathers. Between Fiona and I, we shifted the coop onto... Continue Reading →
Late afternoon, I walked back down to the allotment to collect the food containers and water bottles I had left this morning. Lugging down 9 litres of water every other day is harder work than it looks - I am planning on getting hold of a wagon or something similar to make the water transporting... Continue Reading →
So we are being battered by another storm with high winds and rain causing flooding and damage all across the country. At home, aside from a fence panel, we have got off lightly. Both coops with the silkies and our veteran bantams have stood firm against the onslaught. But I always worry about the allotment... Continue Reading →
Late morning, I dragged my husband down to the allotment to help me try and make our main coop biosecure. DEFRA have introduced restrictions for poultry due to several cases of pathogenic avian flu across the UK. Unfortunately, this seems to be happening more regularly, with last year being a particularly bad year. To be... Continue Reading →
The temperature has significantly dropped over the past two days. Going out to the allotment now requires some serious thought about how many layers of clothing are needed to keep warm. As I was only popping out to feed the chickens, I opted for my fleece lined walking trousers a thick fleece top and walking... Continue Reading →
After several hours of tossing and turning last night, I gave up trying to sleep at 5am. Getting up, I walked down to the allotment to check on the chickens. It's surprised me how many people were out at half five. I checked Leia and Flora in the greenhouse first, refilling their food and water... Continue Reading →
I went down bright and early this morning curious to see what the chippings looked like in daylight. The builder's bag by the gate was a mix of laurel and conifer which would be perfect for paths but not suitable for the chicken coops. In the wheelie bin, I found more of the same. Cliff... Continue Reading →
After pottering down to feed the chickens and collect half a dozen eggs this morning. We headed back home. A friend who runs his own gardening business had offered us some chippings. There are endless uses for chippings on an allotment from using it for paths, helping keep chickens off the mud and compost. Some... Continue Reading →
The last few days have been incredibly cold, so much so that temperatures have stayed below zero degrees for the last three days. For the UK, this is unusual and makes allotment jobs and projects more difficult to do. Digging for example is completely out of the question, with the ground frozen solid. On the... 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 →
Despite the sub-zero temperatures this morning, the sun was out and the sky was a bright blue. In the sun, it was surprisingly warm and I decided today was the day to let the chicks explore their new home for a couple of hours. The coop is set up in our garden and has been... 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 →
Yet more snow arrived overnight! I have never known so much snow since we moved here several years ago. There is nothing more exciting than opening up the curtains to find everything covered in a layer of pure white. Sometimes if the snow is thicker, the sounds of traffic and other noises of a busy... 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 →
And so as the January weather continues to make the third lockdown more miserable than the last, I escaped down to the allotment for some fresh air. Over the past couple of weeks, I have told myself that I must clean out the main coop. In winter, with the water supply off, the freezing temperatures... Continue Reading →
Over the past couple of weeks the weather has swung between Artic and typical January rain. As the plot is either frozen solid or flooded, there had been little to do apart from feeding the chickens. The lockdown rules are getting tighter so I have been going down in the afternoons to avoid as many... Continue Reading →
I woke this morning to find the world covered in a thin layer of beautiful snow! Realising that the water feeders in the coop would probably be frozen, I quickly dashed out, pausing only to grab a hat and a coat. The allotment looked absolutely stunning. All the soil covered in snow with small tracks... Continue Reading →
This morning, we braced ourselves for feeding the chickens in the freezing temperatures. It was one of those beautiful clear, sunny and crisp winter days. Upon our arrival, we discovered that every water feeder and water butt was completely frozen over! Welding a large screwdriver, my husband set to work smashing the thick layer of... 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 →
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