16 posts tagged “vegetables”
Today I made strawberry jam using some strawberries I picked from up the allotment.
Plot
Pot
Pan
Plate (It was delicious)
Today I made strawberry jam using some strawberries I picked from up the allotment.
Plot
Pot
Pan
Plate (It was delicious)
A bowl of salad leaves, however I am convinced that I picked some weeds as well as the salas tasted foul!
Anyway off on holiday today, see you when I return.
What a horrible day! Rain, Rain, Rain. I only got chance to go up the allotment to water the tomatoes, not plant the beans, peas and brussel sprouts like I had intended.
Look at this miserable view over some of the allotments!
It looks so dark and depressing.
As it was raining, we decided to visit my cousins and aunty because they left some of their stuff at out house yesterday.
They were just coming out of the bath as we arrived, they got dressed into pyjamas and we went and played football in the rain, I don't think their Mum was too pleased, as they were now dirty again! :D
Here is a picture of their 3 rabbits and their pink rablu!
I bought 24 8ft canes from the Allotment Club on school road, it is only open from 10-12 on a Sunday! So you have only 2 hours per week to get cheap allotment equipment, so even though it was raining it still needed to be done, I can't afford to miss another week of the growing season.
This is what I intend to do with them, which do you prefer?
Either the circular wigwams or the long straight bean pole? I prefer the circular ones, because you can get 6 plants in a smaller area than with the long ones! I think it will be the circulars, also the circulars seem more sturdy than the longer ones! :D
The next photo is a view inside my greenhouse, I now have aubergienes, tomatoes, chillis, peppers and cucumbers in there, I also have a potting table which Grandad and I rescued from the skip! :D
There are seedlings and pots in every possible nook and cranny.
Ooooooo! We have raddish seedlings in the salad patch, the green bits on the next photo are the seedlings, you may also spot a slug which I recognised after taking this photo!
3 weeks untill fresh raddish!
The courgette plants also have buds ready for flowers :D
Well, that is your installment!
All the best and thanks for reading,
Martin
Well all may be doom and gloom weather wise an keeping me away from the allotment, but something else brought a smile to my face today. This lovely package of goods...
It is a present from my grandma and grandad, they have both supported me throughout the whole process of getting an allotment, buying me seeds, gardening equipment here and there! I'm so greatful.
Today's parcel included, a garden fleece, some raffia (for tying tomatos to canes etc) some clips for my greenhouse. Some plastic wiring for attatching stronger, taller plants such as runner beans to their support canes. There was also 4 packs of seeds, a variety of cabbage, pea, parsnip and brocolli!
So if you are reading, thanks very much Grandma and Grandad! That was lovely!
Martin
Talking of gifts, I'd like to thank my other set of granparents who have bought me a really useful garden bag, for carrying tools etc. to and from the allotment! :D
Martin
I love my allotment!
I've been practically spending all my spare time up there! If it wasn't for the night skies and the hammering rain, then I'd still be up there now!
Well a lot has been done since last time, the whole plot has been dug over and de-weeded, I had finished that on Sunday, and I called in my Dad at the last moment to give me a hand, because my Grandad wanted things being planted by Tuesday.
Here are some photos of my full dug over plot!
The one on the left is the view from the front corner of the plot, near to the greenhouse. The one on the right is a view from the back!
Well that is many hard hours of labour! It's so rewarding.
Well as the ground has been dug over then why not make some veg and fruit beds!
This is the strawberry bed (de-weeded now) that I inherited.
This is the start of the Pumpkin and Squash family bed, so far there are 6 courgette plants, and 3 pumpkin plants. However, in the greenhouse are 6 more potted pumpkin seeds, 4 butternut squash and several marrow! Hopefully they'll germinate and will be a slightly later harvest than the ones already in! :D
Well, I don't have any pictures because the light was bad. But this evening I planted, 3 rows of onions, 2 rows of potatoes, 2 rows of carrots, 1 row of beetroot, 1.5 rows of cabbage. I was about to plant the cauliflower but the rain started to come down!
Anyway, more pictures when I have them! :D
Martin
What more could I ask for?
I met the allotment secretary at the allotments today at precisely 5.15pm!
I was so excited, I didn't think I would be as excited as I was!
Well this is the view of the site from the gate, you can see my plot already!
Here's mine from the far side! It's 22ftx65ft, it's quite big really. The previous owners took over a few months back, but gave in really quickly. They had started to do something, one bed is perfectly dug, it just needs a few little weeds taking out. I have a huge apple tree in the middle!
I am now also the proud owner of this stunning greenhouse! There are several panes of glass that are smashed, but the previous owner has bought a new door and new panes off glass, and they have just been left on the site! So my Dad is going to set it up for me! I will keep tomatoes, melons, chillis and cucumbers in here!
The two pictures above are the ones either side of mine, they are complete contrasts really, the one is dedicated to fruit and veg, whereas the other is very much a wildilife and pleasure garden, it has a really cute pond, and some lovely plants, it looks stunning!
Well back on my plot, there was work to be done, I spent 3 hours digging a bed next to my greenhouse! Below is a picture, see how rich the soil looks! 
Stupidly, I didn't take a "Before" photo, so instead I took a picture of the composter, which is now 1/4 full of weeds, where 3 hours ago it was empty! 
I mentioned a well dug bed earlier, that had just simply grown weeds, well I set Sean to work with some of those... 
Another great thing about the plot is that there is akready a strawverry bed, with loads of flowering plants! There are plenty to last us the summer, there are 2 further small apple trees here.
Well that's a quick tour, moor soon!
Martin
I planted 3 potatoes in a tub yesterday. As I was about to plant the next batch I got a phonecall, which I shall prolong the planting for!
Martin
Well it's the weekend.
I've had exams all week and exams all next week also! So it's a bit of a hectic time for me.
But today it was back to normal, I shall put off revision as much as possible.
First thing this morning I met Lesley, Carl, Rosie, Clare and Rosie's dad at a cafe in Stratford. The organic cafe we used to go to has closed down, so we've chosen another one, next to the market instead. It's a great cafe because it serves all locally produced food! How fantastic is that?
I had a free-range egg and Bacon sandwich! It was delicious!
At the market I bought some mushrooms, ginger beer, apple juice, a coffee and walnut cake. I also bought my usual 6 duck eggs from Lesley!
When I got home from visiting my grandparents, Sean and I hit the garden. We planted loads of new things.
Pumpkins
Butternut Squash
Garden Peas
Runner Beans
About 12 of each one, even though we already have about 6 of each already.
I'm so sorry that this is short. I'll leave you with some photos...
Who said there is not such thing as a free lunch? Well there is if you're a bloody slug! Grrr!
This is not a mess!
At the back is a rabbit hutch, which I am going to convert into a raised herb bed (eventually). On the slabs are various plants. There are a few bags of shredded paper for rabbit bedding, logs for making into chicken dens and ladybird houses, my seed box and the mini pond.
Want to know why Sean is so interested all of a sudden?
Tadpoles!!!!!! Can you see the black dots?
Some pots full of my many strawberry plants.
Thanks for visiting! If you have a blog you can guarantee I'll be reading it in a few moments, when I "Do the rounds"
Martin
I am so tired, I was up before 6am to go to Jimmy's Farm!
It was a mini Omlet get together. The main reason we was there was to promote the Battery Hen Welfare Trust (www.bhwt.org.uk) I got a sticker and one of those things you see on princesses, or prom queens (not a tiara) it normally says something like "Prom Queen 2006" well mine said "Battery Hen Welfare Trust" :D
I went around the farm with my family as last time I got caught up with my Omlet Buddies, and didn't spend much time with them.
We arrived at Jimmy's at about 9o'clock, and went straight into the farm shop. Last time we came (Christmas 06) by 10o'clock the que was out of the door and there wasn't much stuff left. So we went straight into the shop. We bought 2kg of Classic Essex Pig Sausage. 1.5kg of Farmhouse style sausages. 0.5kg of Pork and Apricot Sausages. 0.5KG OF Gluten Free sauasages. 0.5kg of Beer sausages. Not all of these sausages were for us, they were also for people who we'd told how lovely all Jimmy's sausages were. We also bought 2 Carrot Cakes, Vegetable Pasty (for sean) and 2 pork joints for easter dinner (my grandma had one of them and we had the other!) My Grandma Alcester, also bought me the Jimmy's Farm T-shirt. Total cost of all this: £107.90 LOL!
We had so much shopping already, that Mum and Dad took it back to the car.
This gave Sean and I the opportunity to take some photos. Jimmy had displayed lots of the newborns by the car park for the public to see.
Essex Pigs - they're lovely.
This black Highland cow also had a calf- which was suckling at the time of photo taken. They were both lovely!
In the background is the old barn and in the foreground is a little monkey!
After the market browse and more money leaving our pockets, we decided to visit the Nature Trail. We also went on the nature trail last Christmas, it was muddy, messy, slippy, flooded etc. So it would be interesting to see how it is in different seasons. Well only one word can describe the nature trail - beautiful! Bluebelles galore, wild garlic! Fantastic. It's a real haven. Below will be several pictures of the trail....
Georgeous aren't they!
Well after spending a good amount of time at Jimmy's we decided to seperate. Mum, Dad and Sean went into Ipswich shopping, whilst I stayed at the farm to socialise with my friends from the forum.
I arrived at the BHWT stall and I was stopped several times "Are you Martin?" Which was quite funny! I hadn't got a clue who these people were at first! Lol
Well the BHWT stall really has moved up in the world.
Below is a picture of the stall in December...
.... and here is the stall as it was today...
How good does it look! It's superb!
At that point I decided to hand Buffie my donation. £31 - It should pay for a crate which can be used to save 12 hens at each new rescue. Money well spent.
That's me with Jayne Cox (Hidden Egg Detective) and Sarah (Sussex Co-ordinator)!
Jimmy Doherty is a patron of the BHWT so he was only more than happy to pose for a photo! :D
Notice that I am taller than him! :D LOL.
So a really good day, one of the best highlights was seeing Dolly again. He was letting people stroke the sheep and I got to hold one, so Sean and I petted it. It was so cute, I wanted to take him home! :D
The top one - Left to right - Dolly - Martin - Jason the sheep - Sean
So overall a memorable day, was great so see various people and meet lots of others.
I almost came home with more bantams, Jimmy was selling off surplus Point Of Lay bantams for £3.50!!!!
Whilst at Jimmy's I was constantly noting ideas etc. The garden was never too far out of mind. I even bought some pumpkin plants which are now in the greenhouse. They were £1 for 3. I have some Pumpkin seeds but they shall be planted when I actually move up to the lottie.
As I wasn't here during the day to do any gardening, I was outside at 9pm in the dark, stocking up the compost heap with teabags, cardboard and fluff. I gave it a good mix, and stir up. Then I got the bantams out for a stroke, whilst they were tired and docile. It's the first time I've properly handlem them, I had to catch poach and scramble the other day because they escaped whilst we was moving the run! They are so cuddly, a ball of soft feathers. A complete cushion if you like! :D Lol.
We had another 3 egg day, 2 eggs from the big girls and Poach laid again! Good Girls. Will just go and fill in the sheet now :D LOL
Well tomorrow is Easter and I think Breakfast will be exciting Poach's eggs and of course Jimmy's sausages.
Thanks for dropping by,
Chat soon,
Martin x
