tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-284825852024-03-13T02:50:00.529+00:00Hunt-Forage-Harvest!One man's experiences in trying to live a little more self-sufficiently.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04661937227167620182noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28482585.post-39480533950693798542012-09-03T02:48:00.002+01:002012-09-03T02:48:44.615+01:00www.huntforageharvest.com now live!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My new site www.huntforageharvest.com is now live.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You should be automatically redirected to the site, if not please follow the link above. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paddy. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04661937227167620182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28482585.post-33220009982132635702012-07-29T18:37:00.002+01:002012-07-29T18:45:13.909+01:00Vegetable garden update.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been a week or two since I last posted photos of how the vegetable garden is doing, so here they are. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In short, everything is growing nicely, with the exception that we've noticed some browning on our potato plant leaves. If it's blight, it'd be a bit of a disaster. Fingers crossed that it's not!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most of the work on the allotment has been carried out by Clare, who has been keeping on top of the weeding, and doing essential work such as thinning out the carrots.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSkhoeuXb-KoR8O92UyqzxjcrHGuNkPAq92HBcdJc7K835SI7yaEfe_JtTU5WPuEs8Mog6UmMwpxCfhnk0_7_jH2KDUDjN2_bVmDV7NQE7vRaqZO-1_3E8artznp7rESrbLNHk7w/s1600/Carrots.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSkhoeuXb-KoR8O92UyqzxjcrHGuNkPAq92HBcdJc7K835SI7yaEfe_JtTU5WPuEs8Mog6UmMwpxCfhnk0_7_jH2KDUDjN2_bVmDV7NQE7vRaqZO-1_3E8artznp7rESrbLNHk7w/s400/Carrots.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our carrot bed / jungle has gotten to the point where it needs to be thinned out, so last week we did just that, and picked a decent amount. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We ate about half of them, and Clare has frozen the others (to be used as soup mix).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLb22zjkgolDWXNTd7chP3FYDTUljv2T6LQnwJjsrfIGHxBqvlsG_dllgxzIdhHMwXqENKxIcIDqFMJ-4lAKzXZJ1xw2MSk1dY3lORvLr3VVY92h8EbOJiEqDoKJi_Kf8NTXEyrQ/s1600/Parsnips.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLb22zjkgolDWXNTd7chP3FYDTUljv2T6LQnwJjsrfIGHxBqvlsG_dllgxzIdhHMwXqENKxIcIDqFMJ-4lAKzXZJ1xw2MSk1dY3lORvLr3VVY92h8EbOJiEqDoKJi_Kf8NTXEyrQ/s400/Parsnips.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our parsnips are getting bigger and bigger, but don't need to be thinned out - but I'm really curious to see exactly how well they've grown for us! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll just have to be patient...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76IWQguRzaJqd6IFPonhP1XfNBZdjzJ9W4vzHIVfhHrop8vV_dnswqd5x0hfs4UWG0S3ULJWde9L2AOPivBiRl4lCOoFf8a6wB3aZevQVsY7ut51nUG3GVyjdgoFe7702hhQrMg/s1600/Celery.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76IWQguRzaJqd6IFPonhP1XfNBZdjzJ9W4vzHIVfhHrop8vV_dnswqd5x0hfs4UWG0S3ULJWde9L2AOPivBiRl4lCOoFf8a6wB3aZevQVsY7ut51nUG3GVyjdgoFe7702hhQrMg/s400/Celery.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our celery has been a resounding success. We've harvested a good deal of it, and Clare transplanted the younger plants into the spaces the older ones used to occupy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of the celery has grown so well that it went to seed. This hasn't stopped us using it, however. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clare has frozen out portions of it, mixed with the carrots we thinned out, for use as soup mix. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdFRZHC26rkb6G74ZnbIHakrF7MlBA6F0AuRers_IHK1ul4F9AmMZv2jJw4hQ0BtdF_4S8OEoyxmsAQkZaWtrQE84UcR5XuO1xbpHl5GL326IoJxp6kci5uW3pQOmeLlOE1GAlA/s1600/Onions.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdFRZHC26rkb6G74ZnbIHakrF7MlBA6F0AuRers_IHK1ul4F9AmMZv2jJw4hQ0BtdF_4S8OEoyxmsAQkZaWtrQE84UcR5XuO1xbpHl5GL326IoJxp6kci5uW3pQOmeLlOE1GAlA/s400/Onions.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our onions are close to being harvested, but I'm inclined to give them another while longer to let them get a little bit bigger. Then we'll have to decide on where to hang them to dry!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufj8W_AD_U_mBulVkgsRfOgtNZqNpbJwodQhqebqbD1_DF0FvVGTw0Eh9flEFbqn0Ho3x9hy-OVhTNT0eJlKn2Tk5b4M1V967h8wtYzIeVNITJR6TaDfYPVVPREkTBnfS_Va69A/s1600/Lettuce.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufj8W_AD_U_mBulVkgsRfOgtNZqNpbJwodQhqebqbD1_DF0FvVGTw0Eh9flEFbqn0Ho3x9hy-OVhTNT0eJlKn2Tk5b4M1V967h8wtYzIeVNITJR6TaDfYPVVPREkTBnfS_Va69A/s400/Lettuce.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not really much to be said about our lettuce bed - they're all coming along nicely. Towards the front is our "little gem" variety, then chard and "butterhead" varieties.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the back, our garlic really hasn't grown that much, but it's still alive, which is something. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwCSmmFj_zihapuFSE3ayQ8JV8RLDVahzdkGiD8jcjrxrkrmesnH6iSlVzt818M1DAXF_9gP6HSN9PdzfjTN5GrjErTLHQjnztEYE9kwozwZZMew5_6CWUZu6XTNxRAxL4AOsKw/s1600/New_Lettuce.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwCSmmFj_zihapuFSE3ayQ8JV8RLDVahzdkGiD8jcjrxrkrmesnH6iSlVzt818M1DAXF_9gP6HSN9PdzfjTN5GrjErTLHQjnztEYE9kwozwZZMew5_6CWUZu6XTNxRAxL4AOsKw/s400/New_Lettuce.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We've harvested most of our first crop of lettuces from the "square" bed, and Clare has replaced these with younger ones. Between the lettuce, spring onions are growing well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQb7c3L0Hg9Vz_YyR3VbHBrbJWw1ezsC7BZjKoBkqEwR2oNMF0uuhjqTHzvQIwbwnTNC-MFBrVCTiNO9wGGi5ruWReWAT9YzmVkSKMZxZAxVNQRCpHFLg_dTfCNbFmglHjBHmGw/s1600/Potatoes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQb7c3L0Hg9Vz_YyR3VbHBrbJWw1ezsC7BZjKoBkqEwR2oNMF0uuhjqTHzvQIwbwnTNC-MFBrVCTiNO9wGGi5ruWReWAT9YzmVkSKMZxZAxVNQRCpHFLg_dTfCNbFmglHjBHmGw/s400/Potatoes.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The potato bed is also doing well, but there's still no sign of the potatoes flowering. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIX_YlSzIqusbo-xIx8C14qom8KEhvP3QFqBC-SeaU0ATbm0ZGrSNWu4a9JIIUrEwiCdQAflVF85EJ2mxCpXXpHxpmn71YPwuZbye4cBOmPWka0dJDMlZp6Nezxdlc-JcvzIaTTw/s1600/Beetroot+Corn+Swede.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIX_YlSzIqusbo-xIx8C14qom8KEhvP3QFqBC-SeaU0ATbm0ZGrSNWu4a9JIIUrEwiCdQAflVF85EJ2mxCpXXpHxpmn71YPwuZbye4cBOmPWka0dJDMlZp6Nezxdlc-JcvzIaTTw/s400/Beetroot+Corn+Swede.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our beetroot was thinned out a while back, they've a lot of growing to do yet.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In front of them, the couple of corn plants are growing well. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the front of the bed, the swedes are doing just fine. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiS6kFwLawrI7XYW8b33goM5FEudg9ef2hnczvDaHtp0szGbNONUA1Z9fYMgoPkC_AxMig2llYLVIysZ-KjbZmhGBYDSQKgPgd4K0ZkEkoNDxi443o3XRVOHvWNItf2J8fbea-3A/s1600/Peas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiS6kFwLawrI7XYW8b33goM5FEudg9ef2hnczvDaHtp0szGbNONUA1Z9fYMgoPkC_AxMig2llYLVIysZ-KjbZmhGBYDSQKgPgd4K0ZkEkoNDxi443o3XRVOHvWNItf2J8fbea-3A/s400/Peas.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our peas have really come into their own, and are cropping heavily. Most of the peas are then consumed by my son Thomas, who delights in popping open the pods to devour the sweet peas inside. Next year, I'll definitely have them climbing up chicken wire, as the garden twine is sagging slightly under the weight of the plants. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxn3mO9kVs3AP9EVzhy47m6DAw3_-f19cAOTJbLHcuU-VFqBeEhnmFOmaG3aH_BnyLbXhYjSRBXrzhDQX0JjQ7nau8HmxvQf_XyawOAnc3b3caSj6MPFYvcDO4V1utzrZ4WlSLmQ/s1600/Beans.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxn3mO9kVs3AP9EVzhy47m6DAw3_-f19cAOTJbLHcuU-VFqBeEhnmFOmaG3aH_BnyLbXhYjSRBXrzhDQX0JjQ7nau8HmxvQf_XyawOAnc3b3caSj6MPFYvcDO4V1utzrZ4WlSLmQ/s400/Beans.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The slow progress of the bean plants continue! They really seem to be proverbial late bloomers, and are now in danger of being overtaken by the peas we planted alongside them (when we thought that the beans weren't going to grow!).</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiILE2xkD1BsBFz8ln9lxp7RjW5KX4xaIuFE_v3f8dyZtNx9S4PNNhRMQ8S9Vcqn_PTwGiwlS1sOcQ7onSi7JtI0OE6vX0Mexrs2B-PyqD68iOPzrUI-Wafrp4anVjFQgzaWWP-Ng/s1600/Courgette.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiILE2xkD1BsBFz8ln9lxp7RjW5KX4xaIuFE_v3f8dyZtNx9S4PNNhRMQ8S9Vcqn_PTwGiwlS1sOcQ7onSi7JtI0OE6vX0Mexrs2B-PyqD68iOPzrUI-Wafrp4anVjFQgzaWWP-Ng/s400/Courgette.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our courgette plants are growing well, and have started to flower and produce fruit! I was delighted by this positive development, as it shows that they've taken to the soil. The flowers are lovely too, and add a dash of colour the the predominance of the green and brown in the allotment. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQq7MiqRxoiiioeDzzLZJVAnKlVOB5rGTXleX_0EMfPPKRy7G8xWT1rLZrAWFGVLuE64FGndM9fRzbOOAN-n4T1TOFwr4MNFAK5-IShCm5DxOp1owQvQMz7DMFVwdLmr99y4ce7Q/s1600/Courgette_flower.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQq7MiqRxoiiioeDzzLZJVAnKlVOB5rGTXleX_0EMfPPKRy7G8xWT1rLZrAWFGVLuE64FGndM9fRzbOOAN-n4T1TOFwr4MNFAK5-IShCm5DxOp1owQvQMz7DMFVwdLmr99y4ce7Q/s400/Courgette_flower.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The yellow courgette flower.</i></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBW6k4PFMDL4yeyBkOa8dg_OJSGqxM8RW7mHGluN5bdzyuGy7emessvXH6s_lf6cl-cVq4JMMV4uNFQCwxABwdapEmVP83qL7KO1Em95iNmPRoElS19KOZF2pXfz0EzeDPEn8IIg/s1600/Chard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBW6k4PFMDL4yeyBkOa8dg_OJSGqxM8RW7mHGluN5bdzyuGy7emessvXH6s_lf6cl-cVq4JMMV4uNFQCwxABwdapEmVP83qL7KO1Em95iNmPRoElS19KOZF2pXfz0EzeDPEn8IIg/s400/Chard.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the absence of purple sprouting broccoli, which we haven't yet been able to get a hold of, we've planted some chard in the bed instead. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To the rear of the bed, the white sprouting broccoli is coming along well, but we'll need to keep a close eye on it to prevent it from bolting. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To the right, you can see our leeks are growing well. (no photo of the bed though).</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzVlXDijHdPg2h5FF_P2FdLMdoiV3zXWJ7JG_nB8NgDkZAaCHgduJWxX32GbbDTOfcM_b4L-Yg_X-0yuOadGIMl_9iK5UNa7G39Wl7Ubb460hSq0x5g5B46kzgaBaHtdHoI6DIQ/s1600/Brassicas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzVlXDijHdPg2h5FF_P2FdLMdoiV3zXWJ7JG_nB8NgDkZAaCHgduJWxX32GbbDTOfcM_b4L-Yg_X-0yuOadGIMl_9iK5UNa7G39Wl7Ubb460hSq0x5g5B46kzgaBaHtdHoI6DIQ/s400/Brassicas.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our brassicas have grown huge in the last couple of weeks! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I'm missing a photo of our leek bed, it can be seen to the left of the photo. They're now substantially thicker than they were when we planted the out.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOAneg36oO0sa1A-IJW_sR2_V61nRqusekmqGMmbUomIPWd6jsoz85jnrAJzP2V8ATu9y3OmMxM4Mt5iIbwwqCJjIsnqZuYw9W6zTCjDqSPgw7qBHhNSWRlJ2K2EtxDn8Bh1Ghug/s1600/Plot+27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOAneg36oO0sa1A-IJW_sR2_V61nRqusekmqGMmbUomIPWd6jsoz85jnrAJzP2V8ATu9y3OmMxM4Mt5iIbwwqCJjIsnqZuYw9W6zTCjDqSPgw7qBHhNSWRlJ2K2EtxDn8Bh1Ghug/s400/Plot+27.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, as always, a picture of how the allotment currently looks. Gone is the vast triangle of brown! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u>At the homestead:</u></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most of this years crop of strawberries has now been eaten, either by Thomas or by slugs. The strawberry plants are now sending out runners, which I'll have to plant into soil. Next year, hopefully most of these will become established plants, increasing our crop. With Isabelle being able to eat them, we'll need the extra fruit!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRwkoegBYSZ8YYQ50D99b8spmQAu-G36F2pSAsAHUgWhBWM3getMwFSjgjAvasOLAExZWcPiOpdfmFBIu3uQq24T_HIrz-LYf7BrIsgLaqWt-JInFrhK_XfYheW_3UCb4GxZgTA/s1600/Blackcurrants.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRwkoegBYSZ8YYQ50D99b8spmQAu-G36F2pSAsAHUgWhBWM3getMwFSjgjAvasOLAExZWcPiOpdfmFBIu3uQq24T_HIrz-LYf7BrIsgLaqWt-JInFrhK_XfYheW_3UCb4GxZgTA/s400/Blackcurrants.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our blackcurrants have finally turned black, and while they're still a little hard, they're just about ready to eat. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The berries themselves have grown far larger than I expected them to.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDOYeWXUUHkSMY_RL0WLlMHuIk1yFTmdzhcVEmUcYmXj4VP7T6wzOTRuMi7FW-0V160a2A9KRcbnSYjIjY31aUiVWFkO0ujiWX2KfDoDg-DMKtFaFoRUXaREa-Y2ZCtQpapzHCw/s1600/Chillis.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDOYeWXUUHkSMY_RL0WLlMHuIk1yFTmdzhcVEmUcYmXj4VP7T6wzOTRuMi7FW-0V160a2A9KRcbnSYjIjY31aUiVWFkO0ujiWX2KfDoDg-DMKtFaFoRUXaREa-Y2ZCtQpapzHCw/s400/Chillis.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our four chili plants have produced abundant amounts of fruit, which are eventually turning from green to red. When they do, I pick them off, to encourage more to grow. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I then put them in a container and leave them in the hot press to air dry. After a couple of months, when they're totally dried out, I blend them into chili flakes. I've repeated this process for a few years now. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's it for this update. Feel free to let me know your thoughts!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04661937227167620182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28482585.post-16412881483223451192012-07-28T09:04:00.000+01:002012-07-29T17:39:38.624+01:00Rabbit hunting.<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Please note that this post contains the subject of rabbit hunting, and the use of the game. It also contains pictures of butchered rabbit. If you're of a sensitive nature, it'd be best if you stopped reading now!</i></b></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday morning, I was awoken by my daughter Isabelle crying at about six in the morning. It was a lovely morning, bright and crisp, so I decided to take advantage of the fact I was up, and go hunting rabbit. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Half an hour later, I was up the fields, rifle slung over my shoulder, keeping a keen eye out for any bunnies. I hadn't been out hunting in months, as I was focused on getting our allotment up and running.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first wildlife I saw was a fox, who slunk into the undergrowth after spotting me. I know the fields of this particular farm very well, and know the location of each warren, so I took a path along the edge of each field in turn, starting with what is, in my experience, the most populated warren. I saw another fox or two, which didn't bode well for me, as rabbits are likely to make themselves scarce when fox are about. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Still, it was early yet, and a joy to be out for a tramp in the fields. The flower of the elder has by now hardened into small green berries. It'll be a while before I harvest them for wine. After about an hour I still hadn't seen any sign of a rabbit, which was disappointing, so I decided to lie in wait to see if any would emerge from the hedgerow. This tactic proved to be unsuccessful too - though to be fair, it's mostly dusk that this particular strategy works for me.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a decent wait, I told myself that I'd make one last circuit of the fields, as it was getting later in the morning. It didn't look as though I'd be getting any rabbits on this hunt. As it turn out, I was wrong. As I was walking back towards my car, I noticed a dark shape on the grass ahead of me. I brought my scope to my eye to examine it - and yes, it was a rabbit! I was delighted, but cautious at the same time. Having seen only this rabbit all morning, it would be a shame to blow my chances at bagging it. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The rabbit was sitting close to the edge of the field, along the fence. The fence posts are spaced roughly ten yards apart, so I counted how many lay between me and it. Eleven. My scope is sighted for fifty yards, so I had to close the distance. Slowly, I crept towards the rabbit, ready to freeze in my tracks if it so much as twitched. One hundred and ten yards became ninety, then seventy. At this point I was barely breathing, fearful of making the slightest noise. When I reached sixty yards, the rabbit hopped forward. I froze. Now was the time. If I hesitated any longed, my quarry could bound away. Inch by inch I brought my rifle up to my shoulder and took aim. The cross-hairs rested on the rabbits chest. I squeezed the trigger and the gun fired. Keeping the scope to my eye, I saw the rabbit drop and lie still. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I reached the rabbit, I saw that my bullet had hit it in the chest, and it had died instantly. To be sure, I broke its neck. It was a healthy male, and of a decent size. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cAFzJ-FgeYO9S18hZ2IOkAD6NRbxwQX-wLAfJ1_f0c1QtArY-IBqe1XFMSY0KlUgxm4BKplSn_yEqukHsVwvVAJeNqx1bWATNWsp1q5R8tfBUpPNHfOauBXG_0Q3TNjyuyLbog/s1600/Rabbit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cAFzJ-FgeYO9S18hZ2IOkAD6NRbxwQX-wLAfJ1_f0c1QtArY-IBqe1XFMSY0KlUgxm4BKplSn_yEqukHsVwvVAJeNqx1bWATNWsp1q5R8tfBUpPNHfOauBXG_0Q3TNjyuyLbog/s400/Rabbit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The rabbit. </i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was delighted at my success. Any walk in the fields is an enjoyable experience, but it's nice when you're out for a hunt to come home with something for the pot. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u>Bunny burgers:</u></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even before I had seen a rabbit, I had decided that, if I was lucky enough to bag one, I'd make bunny burgers out of it's meat. This is in stark contrast to my usual method of preparing them, where I cook the saddle and legs of the animal whole.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I got home, I gutted and skinned the rabbit. I've no photos of this, as it's not exactly an ideal time to be handling a camera! This process takes me about ten minutes, as care has to be taken not to perforate the bowel. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When this is done, I joint the carcass up, removing the legs from the saddle. We we expecting guests, so I then bunged the meat into a bowl of salted water and left overnight. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now to describe the making of the patties. I'll include photos I took from every stage of the process. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgali36n86w5YGBL9DdvSoxAmUWLkxNYQPwrqFjrxPF3C8RRCkVo86Q-JRcq5e8QUjy4PFrmc-wvVJlzK36GBMDn7ZQo-ZxrF4tSQNnheMMYRvKAxSymytt4g9qXKuaNjpQrUptTA/s1600/Rabbit+jointed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgali36n86w5YGBL9DdvSoxAmUWLkxNYQPwrqFjrxPF3C8RRCkVo86Q-JRcq5e8QUjy4PFrmc-wvVJlzK36GBMDn7ZQo-ZxrF4tSQNnheMMYRvKAxSymytt4g9qXKuaNjpQrUptTA/s400/Rabbit+jointed.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The best joints of a rabbit.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the rabbit had soaked in salt water overnight, I drained it off this afternoon. The photo above shows the hind legs and saddle of the rabbit, where most of the meat on a rabbit is found (I'm not an expert butcher, as can be seen from my photos, but I'm not the worst!).</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My next task is to remove as much of the meat as I can from these cuts, and dice them to make them more easily processed. When I'm doing this, I'll remove as much excess sinew as I can, but not at the cost of losing any meat.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_KXRSQKoSbeJ_i8mos2DmACbW_zhwbpRpMg4F6otUFoUhSr6cgmgQAstjSkFWgrQfAuKx5oC7N1Hs9DerxfzGsIiSjg_nkjWE4sGojKElr_CFiMMaNq82hjNjrs4-e4hxAQvhA/s1600/Rabbit+diced.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_KXRSQKoSbeJ_i8mos2DmACbW_zhwbpRpMg4F6otUFoUhSr6cgmgQAstjSkFWgrQfAuKx5oC7N1Hs9DerxfzGsIiSjg_nkjWE4sGojKElr_CFiMMaNq82hjNjrs4-e4hxAQvhA/s400/Rabbit+diced.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The diced rabbit meat. </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rabbit meat has little or no fat on it, so when cooking or roasting it, it's best to add bacon to give it that essential fat and keep the meat moist. When making burgers out of it, I use pork belly, which I also had to dice. The ratio should be about 25% pork belly, so for a kilo of rabbit meat, add 250 grams of pork. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After I'd diced all the meat, I set up my meat grinder, which was a present from my sister-in-law a Christmas or two ago. It's a wonderful contraption, which has the added benefit of cutting up whatever sinew is left on the meat. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yqWIMPZjUe0pMYMCeXJS_HGInMuGdDNPCOUkpY2Pwm5V-lFEo5OJ4gf_ycUcJGKiUscyhb0MXIgINst43DrZ-Tm4qCtfvfzwk7nIhjEYajfC5-SmYVPSYYIlCw0sPguAUwcsHA/s1600/Meat+Grinder.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yqWIMPZjUe0pMYMCeXJS_HGInMuGdDNPCOUkpY2Pwm5V-lFEo5OJ4gf_ycUcJGKiUscyhb0MXIgINst43DrZ-Tm4qCtfvfzwk7nIhjEYajfC5-SmYVPSYYIlCw0sPguAUwcsHA/s400/Meat+Grinder.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <i>My old-fashioned meat grinder.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The grinder made short work of all the meat, even the fatty, tough pork. While I was doing this, my son wanted a "go" of turning the handle of the grinder. What I was left with was a good mix of rabbit and pork.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbMOs8gHZn-j5Dncr9ehTjZMGW2WWZ2d8h02X_I9AdEYC1mWl-toL5KIhB7RxLo9O5hBOZmnxnwh3Uwi3lGRdxcAE48QAR-YAhv8NZ_7xoDmZqkntSIY738JiNT0h_HOPIGMwig/s1600/Rabbit+ground.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbMOs8gHZn-j5Dncr9ehTjZMGW2WWZ2d8h02X_I9AdEYC1mWl-toL5KIhB7RxLo9O5hBOZmnxnwh3Uwi3lGRdxcAE48QAR-YAhv8NZ_7xoDmZqkntSIY738JiNT0h_HOPIGMwig/s400/Rabbit+ground.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The ground meat.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To season the meat, I added a sprinkle of devilishly hot chilli flakes (made from last years crop), black pepper and a dollop of mixed herbs. The truth is, I'm still experimenting with the seasoning of my burgers. After these were added, I mixed them through by hand. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4dqULeaBAomHP1hXM2RvfYkRVfgcIH1mFPEWEFHZF6eiG1asdWx8UQeNNaWVPWx642inL1ZLWjSRvzfsh3ETs61LemKAMuyaM7ywHgU9uQygihAsLcWOaAuCQyNv8gHiQWjioQ/s1600/Burger+press.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4dqULeaBAomHP1hXM2RvfYkRVfgcIH1mFPEWEFHZF6eiG1asdWx8UQeNNaWVPWx642inL1ZLWjSRvzfsh3ETs61LemKAMuyaM7ywHgU9uQygihAsLcWOaAuCQyNv8gHiQWjioQ/s400/Burger+press.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Burger press.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the seasoning was thoroughly mixed through the meat, I used our burger press (another incredibly useful tool) to shape the meat into patties. I then placed them on grease-proof paper, and placed them in a Tupperware container for freezing. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiESnON6Dp861kOeQlq3YVsXv7X2Yy0f0hHM0dUruQru1jHkcwOaTd8cKy5VASWaApot3Fv6uLwqYEfevjowjxSMYfC2atOGO92VYFEmuP8Gn0q8LbyiOEdnhcSnepmXu433vwjCQ/s1600/Bunny+Burgers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiESnON6Dp861kOeQlq3YVsXv7X2Yy0f0hHM0dUruQru1jHkcwOaTd8cKy5VASWaApot3Fv6uLwqYEfevjowjxSMYfC2atOGO92VYFEmuP8Gn0q8LbyiOEdnhcSnepmXu433vwjCQ/s400/Bunny+Burgers.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <i>The finished bunny burgers.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I kept one out to sample it, and had it for dinner tonight. It was delicious, though obviously my opinion is going to be biased! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So there it is, from the field to the plate. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd be interested to hear comments on this post - maybe the idea of eating a rabbit repels you, or if you have a different recipe, I'd love to hear it.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04661937227167620182noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28482585.post-44381865002029345242012-07-11T23:08:00.000+01:002012-07-12T07:58:24.243+01:00Summer (sort of!) growth.<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Before I begin, please note that I wrote this post after consuming the better part of a bottle of this years elderflower champagne, so any grammatical or spelling errors are probably down to to that!</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We haven't really had much of a summer this year - rainy month has followed rainy month, and July (by and large) seems to be no exception.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Despite this, veg on the allotment and at home continues to flourish. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'll begin at home. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPB9EH5SARXkhKwkyfNlXkOQ56ZhyphenhyphendQhVTwRgMOn25Dg4LjgwRlKeJn6108BU3kMGJPgQDsEYl6Wp7MqggHZ3S2p5ll1kKD8pmrfi4dYigS_ubRund6CyYLr7M33iCkIxfJKdgzA/s1600/Cucumber+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPB9EH5SARXkhKwkyfNlXkOQ56ZhyphenhyphendQhVTwRgMOn25Dg4LjgwRlKeJn6108BU3kMGJPgQDsEYl6Wp7MqggHZ3S2p5ll1kKD8pmrfi4dYigS_ubRund6CyYLr7M33iCkIxfJKdgzA/s400/Cucumber+1.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Cucumber.</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This really wet weather doesn't seem to suit cucumber plants, as the leaves don't look too healthy . That said, the one or two cucumbers (the actual vegetable) we have are growing well, and we've got some others are beginning to develop from flower. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoX8uiTM_Y-2FVy3pqI73NWwZ6GV3LG-3UBBdCWHEKHt1AtlgZ7glL4BEKHFIdmo8DxkIXiRw5pHk1BcaWiiFDNbR1pxiyI39QdIMxtonu3ix3OC6eYQ490aqdE_FjSwL08j3A8g/s1600/Cucumber+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoX8uiTM_Y-2FVy3pqI73NWwZ6GV3LG-3UBBdCWHEKHt1AtlgZ7glL4BEKHFIdmo8DxkIXiRw5pHk1BcaWiiFDNbR1pxiyI39QdIMxtonu3ix3OC6eYQ490aqdE_FjSwL08j3A8g/s400/Cucumber+2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>New cucumbers growing.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00xiejdnbs68gjyGdHQWN94ypncJW06Fyh0hl6PUsGdrJUm85bIYc_-gE6_lUvl7-BB_oD4uobeCD2Z9M0xAgNaLmSTEnWtKvivs9xmYqWL6ijQwdUYIYHt3Jrm1SL1jgFBuY3Q/s1600/Strawberries.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00xiejdnbs68gjyGdHQWN94ypncJW06Fyh0hl6PUsGdrJUm85bIYc_-gE6_lUvl7-BB_oD4uobeCD2Z9M0xAgNaLmSTEnWtKvivs9xmYqWL6ijQwdUYIYHt3Jrm1SL1jgFBuY3Q/s400/Strawberries.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Strawberries.</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We've had more success with the strawberries we're growing, but this is tempered by the fact that slugs seem to enjoy eating them just as they get ripe. Because of this, we've lost some of the strawberries that are growing in pots on the ground. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On a brighter note, now that our strawberry plants are two years old, they're producing bigger and sweeter strawberries than last year. On top of that, they're producing in greater quantities, too!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I don't have a photo of our blackcurrants, as they're still green. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u>The allotment:</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Even though we've finished the initial work on the allotment, maintenance work needs to be kept on top of. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">With that in mind, myself and Peter (my brother in law) yesterday headed over and cut back all the grass on the perimeter of the allotment, which had grown over a foot high. Not only was it unsightly, it was blocking the sun from reaching some parts of the vegetable beds. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It didn't take long for us to chop back the grass and rake it up, and I was really pleased with the results. The allotment now looks far more clean and presentable.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We then spent some time weeding the beds.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFe6UUdat2qTWtlzLam8pIgV3e6gYU5H0j3rFzPMqgXn_geAnR74Igge5NbOoYIDHvwMfRjJwHqim56j_JIQDjpmwcM8-Z1orrXoskUzX_y2zkI1cV0XjtjtK6R3rF89ySiaSng/s1600/Carrots.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFe6UUdat2qTWtlzLam8pIgV3e6gYU5H0j3rFzPMqgXn_geAnR74Igge5NbOoYIDHvwMfRjJwHqim56j_JIQDjpmwcM8-Z1orrXoskUzX_y2zkI1cV0XjtjtK6R3rF89ySiaSng/s400/Carrots.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our carrots have now grown to thick and high, almost jungle like in their appearance.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We uprooted one yesterday, and they seem to be growing well, as can be seen from the photo below. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Obviously, we'll be leaving them for another while to grow even larger. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But having seen the carrot we pulled, I'm happy the progress thus far.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-94KLqq-xKtmG5Zbo-ywYQ9CyLPz1gptWoW_4HplVPIjq2dc4LTUPq0Fw7sMnTgHmu7Hvi78EgfZjT0yUgdRJdPDZP13F8GCnZrTpQTvaqHQeVkjLWZtgHiBkNiCuJnIi4AOV0A/s1600/Carrot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-94KLqq-xKtmG5Zbo-ywYQ9CyLPz1gptWoW_4HplVPIjq2dc4LTUPq0Fw7sMnTgHmu7Hvi78EgfZjT0yUgdRJdPDZP13F8GCnZrTpQTvaqHQeVkjLWZtgHiBkNiCuJnIi4AOV0A/s400/Carrot.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Our first carrot!</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHE2PevLDJgU_m1roCOQWFna1bmqSDkndYwStGl7edYeJaJpJiBSSUWrQyLNcE79RGsekeFhTPejAQThvxehyphenhypheno9fpgtnfTKC8ixVe_1_5JQD5GFwSx_g0OzdmuJZru3sSc2XijCA/s1600/Parsnips.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHE2PevLDJgU_m1roCOQWFna1bmqSDkndYwStGl7edYeJaJpJiBSSUWrQyLNcE79RGsekeFhTPejAQThvxehyphenhypheno9fpgtnfTKC8ixVe_1_5JQD5GFwSx_g0OzdmuJZru3sSc2XijCA/s400/Parsnips.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not much news with our parsnip bed, but they're certainly getting larger. The staggered parsnips at the front of the bed are doing well too.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9cdIGOdG6cI09k-eY-Wfx4ktM_rohD41wspl1FAbUqy8pNToLiO8sGFr-nuVWoEMti6seg5a-QQeUL3sIwF6RtopbPzEJbfbmwWvNoiWGfQxKOJ9xy6jGbZWZRKwGYAA4avhpYQ/s1600/Celery.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9cdIGOdG6cI09k-eY-Wfx4ktM_rohD41wspl1FAbUqy8pNToLiO8sGFr-nuVWoEMti6seg5a-QQeUL3sIwF6RtopbPzEJbfbmwWvNoiWGfQxKOJ9xy6jGbZWZRKwGYAA4avhpYQ/s400/Celery.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Celery bed, with radishes.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We've harvested three of our large celery plants. They've grown to about a foot and a half now, and each plant has grown a decent amount of shoots. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The staggered celery is now about the size the first lot was when we planted them out. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The radishes that we planted on at the front of the bed are shooting up too.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd4s5XwvcXrAF0PueWE6CGs006Go-Ms5Uy7U3MhOTzKX0_x0YjVQe9WkrZhYnZUSzdRys39IiARyz7kuV9u0fhbcy_30Ee0xzE-LsifB_W9jCo3nBOPCVGblnxWTIz8Re183BUmg/s1600/Onions.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd4s5XwvcXrAF0PueWE6CGs006Go-Ms5Uy7U3MhOTzKX0_x0YjVQe9WkrZhYnZUSzdRys39IiARyz7kuV9u0fhbcy_30Ee0xzE-LsifB_W9jCo3nBOPCVGblnxWTIz8Re183BUmg/s400/Onions.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The onions are all now bulbing really well. They'll be left in the ground for a while yet, though. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTqkH3LEHgPnymcyqAXzprlkJAdXlynHi7dEDcRcgd5lx2zaD8WcERdqanFINq7Gyvxm2Mi-xwne0PuMQSFwzn_UkWGkvMq8QzJMaEJg1lwN7vHOg7p5XAgUUb-Kt_vgoPD4sRg/s1600/Radish++Lettuce+Garlic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTqkH3LEHgPnymcyqAXzprlkJAdXlynHi7dEDcRcgd5lx2zaD8WcERdqanFINq7Gyvxm2Mi-xwne0PuMQSFwzn_UkWGkvMq8QzJMaEJg1lwN7vHOg7p5XAgUUb-Kt_vgoPD4sRg/s400/Radish++Lettuce+Garlic.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Apologies for the slightly lob-sided photo of our next bed. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />To the front, the radishes have grown fully, and the staggered ones have almost caught up with the ones planted initially.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I've harvested lots of them at this stage, and love eating them as a delicious snack.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />Behind them, the cos, chard and butterhead lettuce are growing nicely. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our garlic hasn't really grown that much in the last couple of weeks, which doesn't bode well for them.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LEWkqCexP_KkZzYzHvq8DtDCQtOILTgLgfUQqrc673pEtr4bhUKmzZSkbiNsfNhv36BlGwxC-YkB50woeYXhvlzMHRqmA53uOv5P-RCToQ285SubojjSyZubmrVS60u2CWLLWQ/s1600/Lettuce+Chard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LEWkqCexP_KkZzYzHvq8DtDCQtOILTgLgfUQqrc673pEtr4bhUKmzZSkbiNsfNhv36BlGwxC-YkB50woeYXhvlzMHRqmA53uOv5P-RCToQ285SubojjSyZubmrVS60u2CWLLWQ/s400/Lettuce+Chard.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>A closer look at (l-r) our butterhead, chard and cos lettuce (grown from seed).</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhmVTA0CIZdkpoVViszWhkTHP2CI-BWkNtRAGDmZ97McUvPC4PTg5FFAjIzdRACB7IGwbt0deTuUWWQQWt26akw3pPVsi0yoyC-Cm6LZ2hyJOSxikpqz0Kl4tfxeu8bNa0Ew8YA/s1600/Potatoes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhmVTA0CIZdkpoVViszWhkTHP2CI-BWkNtRAGDmZ97McUvPC4PTg5FFAjIzdRACB7IGwbt0deTuUWWQQWt26akw3pPVsi0yoyC-Cm6LZ2hyJOSxikpqz0Kl4tfxeu8bNa0Ew8YA/s400/Potatoes.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our small potato bed is now fully established, I can't earth the plants in any more, so we'll just have to wait and see how productive they are. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquIlMVn_-BHOe0tsQn8PKNovHF2-I4lMRsuOdWiJ9ypHkm4e5pepSHLiacGhiRRlH6YcFsslWTeUzl0503ZJBAK0Sa6VUIe4icgEv0ty6GPtT-5AMSAL73yPtXyTsRduYbsfSbg/s1600/Lettuce+Spring+Onion.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhquIlMVn_-BHOe0tsQn8PKNovHF2-I4lMRsuOdWiJ9ypHkm4e5pepSHLiacGhiRRlH6YcFsslWTeUzl0503ZJBAK0Sa6VUIe4icgEv0ty6GPtT-5AMSAL73yPtXyTsRduYbsfSbg/s400/Lettuce+Spring+Onion.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Alongside our potato bed, our main lettuce bed has done very well. Most of them are ready to be eaten, and we've harvested a few of them for salads. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Between them, the spring onions are growing apace. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5b21s5aOMrz2VoYe5wKtXCWNLwa2Fg4H-MYy4fdVHyseuydwUl3VIxBGu4c9u-oTAvEGSNpYPeLTfxel9GHtw0GZ91o4ucp-izTksR8T7MDw1N2iB0Ab7SJzye3V35HiQ8p0ltA/s1600/Beetroot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5b21s5aOMrz2VoYe5wKtXCWNLwa2Fg4H-MYy4fdVHyseuydwUl3VIxBGu4c9u-oTAvEGSNpYPeLTfxel9GHtw0GZ91o4ucp-izTksR8T7MDw1N2iB0Ab7SJzye3V35HiQ8p0ltA/s400/Beetroot.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The beetroot has grown to the point where we'll most likely have to thin it out soon. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To the right of it, you can see the couple of corn plants we planted. They're keeping up well with the beetroot. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQK_InqHBzryAbBXPRDE88B55yd2Q_LDjAXF45tP8Lg6ZAGvQEl5HWNUsIP8GL8O_petgE1yCMFmkLC9BdzIoaiXQ5HEsrYyE9aY9ZMw6ISMqIBgPGzX5XEWo3Qf-HBjVlJsslKg/s1600/Swede.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQK_InqHBzryAbBXPRDE88B55yd2Q_LDjAXF45tP8Lg6ZAGvQEl5HWNUsIP8GL8O_petgE1yCMFmkLC9BdzIoaiXQ5HEsrYyE9aY9ZMw6ISMqIBgPGzX5XEWo3Qf-HBjVlJsslKg/s400/Swede.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At the bottom of the beetroot bed, the swede that we've planted has established itself well.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ5BFJuKEu4I6Nug8FjLzHIrsoxXEWAY8Fnd1C4_WWryRG5di4gdKl-h4_mMSKr18Ki3JMw3loPdyZoLiumHS6SuViwyG4jtLjjFLDUweP528GG8ESMZGFAC-h2FPaiWb-kFASKQ/s1600/Beans.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ5BFJuKEu4I6Nug8FjLzHIrsoxXEWAY8Fnd1C4_WWryRG5di4gdKl-h4_mMSKr18Ki3JMw3loPdyZoLiumHS6SuViwyG4jtLjjFLDUweP528GG8ESMZGFAC-h2FPaiWb-kFASKQ/s400/Beans.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next up are our climbing frames. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Firstly, our bean plants have proven to be a slight disappointment, growing very slowly thus far. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To cut our losses, Clare's planted pea plants between the beans. They've already started to shoot.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN4BPtOV2NvKK08iO40VhwpSHPKpHTglB8xArTF2oMeiTTt_jJsd6bqNWebd9uQWQCkfpcOjkLh5k507IRcGbPrXr62aOgG4a1oDvm3-c8aNdo4uXaft23F0gsSOdowLPxTHEecQ/s1600/Peas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN4BPtOV2NvKK08iO40VhwpSHPKpHTglB8xArTF2oMeiTTt_jJsd6bqNWebd9uQWQCkfpcOjkLh5k507IRcGbPrXr62aOgG4a1oDvm3-c8aNdo4uXaft23F0gsSOdowLPxTHEecQ/s400/Peas.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our pea plants are faring better than our beans. Not as well as I'd like, but they're still growing and yesterday I was able to harvest the first few pods from them. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(The peas were gratefully devoured by Thomas!)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1YkviGxTrWKtbI9obq7ICY1SBu2KOOoObQI7jPd1nPBCgOMJ88_k3r4uXmO49Or7rWokRQc72WvNLweMvKF9-4SRyqok-qveckRVBVrRrzRDDtd1NwqhDsYZ_aX4eOfrPJ4D0xw/s1600/Asparagus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1YkviGxTrWKtbI9obq7ICY1SBu2KOOoObQI7jPd1nPBCgOMJ88_k3r4uXmO49Or7rWokRQc72WvNLweMvKF9-4SRyqok-qveckRVBVrRrzRDDtd1NwqhDsYZ_aX4eOfrPJ4D0xw/s400/Asparagus.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Nearly all the asparagus plants have now sent up shoots, and are growing well. Not that we can touch them for another year!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8kLMH6WgW-y8h6VlieccOv89hfU4iLf9qy5ZNubXIRHEg3Xb2gyZJytIFBa9nEaUbTMN_g9glPStju3hnGBoeMQEFeW9tKuKv-1c-sMnpdgGQQE0vFvAxWC53RlzFTusKalYA5A/s1600/Rhubarb.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8kLMH6WgW-y8h6VlieccOv89hfU4iLf9qy5ZNubXIRHEg3Xb2gyZJytIFBa9nEaUbTMN_g9glPStju3hnGBoeMQEFeW9tKuKv-1c-sMnpdgGQQE0vFvAxWC53RlzFTusKalYA5A/s400/Rhubarb.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our rhubarb plant has maintained it's own at the bottom of the allotment. Not sure what did such damage to one of the leaves, but the problem hasn't progressed. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We've another one that a friend kindly gave us to plant out yet. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29XUpoSiDdvNAQIY4KQwZGMnnIoySxcak2qUsG8lo0BB8elYgp1d6qRjxFrglj8Qltp5MQ3Il0s145a-1eeZTjxKyOH59E7DXEaxiYrvmFbY0FbccluFzERDRPWgrEWOYJaJH6Q/s1600/Chives.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29XUpoSiDdvNAQIY4KQwZGMnnIoySxcak2qUsG8lo0BB8elYgp1d6qRjxFrglj8Qltp5MQ3Il0s145a-1eeZTjxKyOH59E7DXEaxiYrvmFbY0FbccluFzERDRPWgrEWOYJaJH6Q/s400/Chives.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Working our way down the other side of the allotment...</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our chives are still alive, which is something, I guess! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not really much happening with them yet...</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_PQ_rHWHezkyPTEZiuH2Yf1vieOptZrbgeohAAVOWQYZcNDZ_OMcjL-gfybFod3BEgvTGYMGskJ_geXQ2WbqTN7J8AyXKEH13yuhylwb8nu-Q8fzRCYAboA3d7ttJvLfOIctPw/s1600/Courgette.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_PQ_rHWHezkyPTEZiuH2Yf1vieOptZrbgeohAAVOWQYZcNDZ_OMcjL-gfybFod3BEgvTGYMGskJ_geXQ2WbqTN7J8AyXKEH13yuhylwb8nu-Q8fzRCYAboA3d7ttJvLfOIctPw/s400/Courgette.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For the last week or two, we've had or courgettes under a cloche to protect them from the heavy rains. They're getting a bit bigger now, and hopefully will start producing fruit soon.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFs5m0AQgTu2ockhb7GiyN7D22kjhlliO9VZZXSJ7hK1txRQD9pJJDeU5ZKOh2JlfFtn6VFI2U4od16xyEnE7Cqni4hrAL_ryw0GP4gZeVxWQ-PViubOhkBrB99XS6Nzr8uSlUTw/s1600/Winter+Carrots.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFs5m0AQgTu2ockhb7GiyN7D22kjhlliO9VZZXSJ7hK1txRQD9pJJDeU5ZKOh2JlfFtn6VFI2U4od16xyEnE7Cqni4hrAL_ryw0GP4gZeVxWQ-PViubOhkBrB99XS6Nzr8uSlUTw/s400/Winter+Carrots.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Past the courgettes, we've an empty bed. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the next bed past this one, Clare planted a variety of hardy winter carrot, which have already started to send up shoots.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">These are obviously intended to keep us with a supply of carrots when our first lot are finished. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaiU2_b_V2yZtnta-PZdQfnVnmI5MeEIyWLGOLMqsP9xm_WNr_XqFX_0ICO1BhJZPx5oq3o3ryeHk-l0yIApOnFkZe3svTK1hexFGTHdKRZUMahAw70qJcYJ3p0V_Vl4FTH2ZYuA/s1600/White+Sprouting.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaiU2_b_V2yZtnta-PZdQfnVnmI5MeEIyWLGOLMqsP9xm_WNr_XqFX_0ICO1BhJZPx5oq3o3ryeHk-l0yIApOnFkZe3svTK1hexFGTHdKRZUMahAw70qJcYJ3p0V_Vl4FTH2ZYuA/s400/White+Sprouting.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next up is our white sprouting broccoli. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This takes up about half the bed, the other half we've left fallow until we can plant some purple sprouting broccoli into it. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGWhDgbwGB8W16lHMYRb6Cxg94p6Pm9081NWQNnrDcBUzio2xCRrnRBM0IyoX7vmhh_cSwMJjINSaXsCH2V8AxHsD9nK9Hf7sfwS90oTgQLPRyi_ZNwVUN8FzhOEmto5367TU9A/s1600/Leeks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGWhDgbwGB8W16lHMYRb6Cxg94p6Pm9081NWQNnrDcBUzio2xCRrnRBM0IyoX7vmhh_cSwMJjINSaXsCH2V8AxHsD9nK9Hf7sfwS90oTgQLPRyi_ZNwVUN8FzhOEmto5367TU9A/s400/Leeks.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We transplanted our leeks out a week or two ago, and while we've had one or two that haven't survived, I'm genuinely delighted with the progress of the rest of them.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">They seem to be thickening up well, so hopefully we'll end up with a good supply of them.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIilDkdAAs09mE_v533A78BZR9WU8eKNdIYpJrVeWm69LjHXwjEJdUG8TnnVnNa26dI7yQgNECpiqPVpuj0dVkRVdJLjVBjlhygre2erfZWHSDwfBNXhK1gZwfGl2vTF_tSK6dmg/s1600/Brassicas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIilDkdAAs09mE_v533A78BZR9WU8eKNdIYpJrVeWm69LjHXwjEJdUG8TnnVnNa26dI7yQgNECpiqPVpuj0dVkRVdJLjVBjlhygre2erfZWHSDwfBNXhK1gZwfGl2vTF_tSK6dmg/s400/Brassicas.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the penultimate bed on our little tour, our brassicas grow. We've got the likes of brussel sprouts and kale in here. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As with the rest of the beds, these continue to come along well. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Fingers crossed that I get enough brussel sprouts to sate my appetite come Christmas!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGFuqlNcZBS5BBxxq0wKNTXW7q12WIxRB4fzQ3LUCb7MSActD4VtIYjMCbjtrpl78JqnQz0C8HJcGAXWfcW7TWyzjsC89TUbvUJ01usyU005Z18OQX-wZRCSPUk0TcUVeNhhSDw/s1600/Potato+frame.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGFuqlNcZBS5BBxxq0wKNTXW7q12WIxRB4fzQ3LUCb7MSActD4VtIYjMCbjtrpl78JqnQz0C8HJcGAXWfcW7TWyzjsC89TUbvUJ01usyU005Z18OQX-wZRCSPUk0TcUVeNhhSDw/s400/Potato+frame.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Finally, our potato frame is now full of earth. My intention was to build this up, but I may be too late to do this. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There's been a blight warning issued in the past month or so (the wet, humid weather is ideal for it to thrive), I can only hope that our potatoes haven't succumbed to it. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Finally, the post wouldn't feel complete without a recent photo of the allotment, so here it is.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thanks to you if you've taken the time to read this post, I hope it was interesting in it's way. As always, please feel free to comment or ask any questions you may have. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMsobW4Qg4OFGPwWumpfGgfGgE2brkZ-4eh7eNqe8sP1Cz4eepj8oBC4VJyu_kDx0Du8tQtaCWWjpxNdGQPAC9m5Qib7_JLky_CgIZ87MJDsnSFwLikPPljwHtAOc_MqXoBTEOg/s1600/Plot+26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMsobW4Qg4OFGPwWumpfGgfGgE2brkZ-4eh7eNqe8sP1Cz4eepj8oBC4VJyu_kDx0Du8tQtaCWWjpxNdGQPAC9m5Qib7_JLky_CgIZ87MJDsnSFwLikPPljwHtAOc_MqXoBTEOg/s400/Plot+26.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>The allotment as it looked yesterday evening.</i></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04661937227167620182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28482585.post-14110372775046347172012-06-27T22:44:00.001+01:002012-06-27T22:44:45.310+01:00All from nothing... (part 16 - the final one!)<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 25px;"><em><span style="color: #333333;">Our efforts to transform an unused piece of land into a productive vegetable garden.</span></em></strong>
<br />
<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 25px;"><em><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></em></strong><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Today was a landmark day for our little vegetable garden - as today we finished laying the last of the beds. The main body of work is now complete - we've transformed an unused piece of land to a lovely, productive allotment. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Just to illustrate the change in the aspect of the land:</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6qnqObL6beJTgyYNKqhxHGhyphenhyphenT1DKsis8ipEwGgIY8w_cg3ASIxdZYoyc3WhnB4KgPLlyuMLXSiL16Oe2oKKbt6iMrRBKxfw5fV6nZWX6ndKre6Czkbpv1dVst6WZgPQAgz17p_g/s1600/Plot+1+-+Initial.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6qnqObL6beJTgyYNKqhxHGhyphenhyphenT1DKsis8ipEwGgIY8w_cg3ASIxdZYoyc3WhnB4KgPLlyuMLXSiL16Oe2oKKbt6iMrRBKxfw5fV6nZWX6ndKre6Czkbpv1dVst6WZgPQAgz17p_g/s400/Plot+1+-+Initial.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>From this...</i></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUkL5lXNUETMA1lNE3azmtTofPx_mEInUZEiUQV48YaHEXI4k_Jksrtiv-mQf9Fl1G3gbZRXlwlNje2TwczcmHOExhHYR2SEGwW25lZXgYpiWwT5FAulVPqr4vT_wlyvHaumcOQ/s1600/Plot+25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUkL5lXNUETMA1lNE3azmtTofPx_mEInUZEiUQV48YaHEXI4k_Jksrtiv-mQf9Fl1G3gbZRXlwlNje2TwczcmHOExhHYR2SEGwW25lZXgYpiWwT5FAulVPqr4vT_wlyvHaumcOQ/s400/Plot+25.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>...to this!</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">From this point on, the work that we do will be regular maintenance work that would happen on any allotment.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;">For the last two days, I've be forking through the rest of the soil breaking it up and removing the last of the rock and roots. Judging by my aches and pains, I'd imagine that I've shifted several tons of the offensive material at this stage. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">I bit on the bullet and purchased a decent gardening fork - a choice I now wish I had made three months ago, as it made my work considerably easier, and I found that I was able to work more quickly (and with better results) using it. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgvpVxr70mnDquqO1jGaMYBkC4APhDEZKOXH7m4ubz9u8eZvWm9a8xeP4h4-LTlfSw7V68efxisuCtxjomL1mwKl98a6AdIuaM8HPydhw0XiwhTqJ7xQyFxsV6sUSddoqpVvwWQ/s1600/Leeks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgvpVxr70mnDquqO1jGaMYBkC4APhDEZKOXH7m4ubz9u8eZvWm9a8xeP4h4-LTlfSw7V68efxisuCtxjomL1mwKl98a6AdIuaM8HPydhw0XiwhTqJ7xQyFxsV6sUSddoqpVvwWQ/s400/Leeks.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>Leeks.</i></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">We've planted our leeks in the first new bed I laid out. Our leeks have been grown from seed, and were at the point that they needed to be planted in the ground. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">I then laid out the last four beds - three of which have nothing planted in them yet. We're going to plant purple sprouting broccoli, over-winter carrots and most likely some leafy greens in these beds. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhePXEVRYcZbGNsE2MzRZOuOnnNkdSA4mpil3zvzR7R59iYDWhQHNURRDxLGHGteUhc-MtqVzNxTT1FSyESzK3x31q0XTH6REO9_B9ggHrJe1PweHIBybx5XxsCV88-y8AJlza93w/s1600/Chives.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhePXEVRYcZbGNsE2MzRZOuOnnNkdSA4mpil3zvzR7R59iYDWhQHNURRDxLGHGteUhc-MtqVzNxTT1FSyESzK3x31q0XTH6REO9_B9ggHrJe1PweHIBybx5XxsCV88-y8AJlza93w/s400/Chives.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>Chives and oregano.</i></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">The fourth bed, which lies at the apex of the row, is triangular in shape. In this, we've planted courgettes, chives and oregano. I used old tyres to "pot" the chives into. I had my reasons for doing this - we used to have herbs planted in terracotta pots in our back garden, and in the winter frosts they cracked apart. I'm hoping the same won't happen with rubber! </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RlCVXjs5_I5_meUwOF94eMdpg-ZJHCR2S0JKHzCD0t3w0XwBryUIjMbCA62gTbV0EMwAmJzjAlAd-ALa4sC7mBqnxeyHNRiZJisX9JlkjkIrYHtzlE-y0OssiKfCwfb1MyRDyA/s1600/Courgette.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RlCVXjs5_I5_meUwOF94eMdpg-ZJHCR2S0JKHzCD0t3w0XwBryUIjMbCA62gTbV0EMwAmJzjAlAd-ALa4sC7mBqnxeyHNRiZJisX9JlkjkIrYHtzlE-y0OssiKfCwfb1MyRDyA/s400/Courgette.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>Courgettes.</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Clare also sowed some extra peas, beetroot, spring onion and radishes, so we've have staggered growth with these. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">This is to be my last "All from nothing" post, as I feel that we've achieved what we set out to do, i.e setting up a vegetable garden.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>Final thoughts:</i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">I'd be lying if I said that this project wasn't a challenge. Working full time, and then attending to to allotment was sometimes difficult, and there were times when I did "hit a wall". However I genuinely feel that nothing worthwhile is ever easy, and I've never once felt that I'd wasted my time while on the allotment. As work progressed, it became easier to appreciate how great the final outcome would be.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">I'd like to say a word of heartfelt thanks to the following people (in no particular order), who gave me a dig out along the way: Peter (our bromance continues!), Paddy M, my Dad (who has a half decent allotment too), Clare (obviously) and of course, the lady who gave us use of the land, to whom we are truly grateful (you're the best!).</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">It feels appropriate, at this point, to show photos of whatever beds I haven't covered yet in this post. So here they are, taken clockwise from the left of the gate as you enter the allotment. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuEpMc5eOx0AgaFenKoJwmxunPZTYtjZaF5hcbQ1zJ4cbIxZCFj3kEYlTsNyc-5O2nLGVP-KDZUXgQakk5D0RcqXuRFiPqxL85RPlgu90YUjTmcl2RqRy1wjaoqpWVsoiw0vTfDg/s1600/Carrots.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuEpMc5eOx0AgaFenKoJwmxunPZTYtjZaF5hcbQ1zJ4cbIxZCFj3kEYlTsNyc-5O2nLGVP-KDZUXgQakk5D0RcqXuRFiPqxL85RPlgu90YUjTmcl2RqRy1wjaoqpWVsoiw0vTfDg/s400/Carrots.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Carrot bed.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePoxMa4urTcNSrYreZEhYw2Br1OsS65IaD23feFl5-K2nn7MU2VpJBnQg6V5iMAW54reyAuAx6xQxmRAqfwiNMvbfOM9AoVWmf5ICXkox4DBbBmxrvf767Frz1RMhZreNU5mRdw/s1600/Parsnips.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePoxMa4urTcNSrYreZEhYw2Br1OsS65IaD23feFl5-K2nn7MU2VpJBnQg6V5iMAW54reyAuAx6xQxmRAqfwiNMvbfOM9AoVWmf5ICXkox4DBbBmxrvf767Frz1RMhZreNU5mRdw/s400/Parsnips.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Parsnip bed.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUVZUfleay_aQoJrmq_Uxr97EuR6i_MEex7pHEsIOv0bIj_YN9FRCNpppSqeUrmG9bysJ2URFwXZP8aGnZ68dEZuzNybLp3MiYd7vUMul2RgVTd8Giot63z26M0yrnQHtxdxTVxQ/s1600/Celery.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUVZUfleay_aQoJrmq_Uxr97EuR6i_MEex7pHEsIOv0bIj_YN9FRCNpppSqeUrmG9bysJ2URFwXZP8aGnZ68dEZuzNybLp3MiYd7vUMul2RgVTd8Giot63z26M0yrnQHtxdxTVxQ/s400/Celery.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Celery bed.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOlhtN5ByBH4rBk4t9qhybJfRNvOpGhm_q02M7JyNRec3KU66BxmYLwD80IbxzvUrO9eCx18AemgzPB6kPpWwn2Ziw2BLDpaQ7wrBbsq9PX0RighbqAU2IGk73OUGtqxK2Q2B8Q/s1600/Onions.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOlhtN5ByBH4rBk4t9qhybJfRNvOpGhm_q02M7JyNRec3KU66BxmYLwD80IbxzvUrO9eCx18AemgzPB6kPpWwn2Ziw2BLDpaQ7wrBbsq9PX0RighbqAU2IGk73OUGtqxK2Q2B8Q/s400/Onions.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Onion bed. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-sQSfMHZln9AT-RWW4A1C-yZ79ss_KLfiBc06Ropjr-MApV7RG-d1utDotzcBovN0y2g5twOTJU5JOkp_KDFDv42CELEWc4mEIs3I-ISugTmWzWAA5RNqNgsghVB0IbLBorNEg/s1600/Onion+Bulb.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-sQSfMHZln9AT-RWW4A1C-yZ79ss_KLfiBc06Ropjr-MApV7RG-d1utDotzcBovN0y2g5twOTJU5JOkp_KDFDv42CELEWc4mEIs3I-ISugTmWzWAA5RNqNgsghVB0IbLBorNEg/s400/Onion+Bulb.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Our onions have started to bulb nicely.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-1bfmw_DFW5jCJUO1dLgIZz6vEpHYGdHLnM82LnuwGXXgq6j4RUt9xAL05MTNNy0eO-A9lr-rHlXlq9yJDnv1SaOuevNB2MjM8criblLPmIHwusufzVcXq06tlFBuBSU4H4Th4Q/s1600/Radish+Bed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-1bfmw_DFW5jCJUO1dLgIZz6vEpHYGdHLnM82LnuwGXXgq6j4RUt9xAL05MTNNy0eO-A9lr-rHlXlq9yJDnv1SaOuevNB2MjM8criblLPmIHwusufzVcXq06tlFBuBSU4H4Th4Q/s400/Radish+Bed.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Radish, lettuce & garlic bed.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQSOCZfzlpujDla61n8hqPX8wccL7vKBgLGnQHbGGLOHygXjt3_n6W1wG60NkzTlCK_QVa-WqSBIm1qP-bi9jm4d-U23go_FzFVrevhyphenhyphenNWpYIjLlqwD9yMWh1dZrM4kgyWDeGoUg/s1600/Radishes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQSOCZfzlpujDla61n8hqPX8wccL7vKBgLGnQHbGGLOHygXjt3_n6W1wG60NkzTlCK_QVa-WqSBIm1qP-bi9jm4d-U23go_FzFVrevhyphenhyphenNWpYIjLlqwD9yMWh1dZrM4kgyWDeGoUg/s400/Radishes.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Some of our radishes!</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i><br /></i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i><br /></i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i><br /></i></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KBhEnHoLinEOyomvrB5BWL7HO9HUx_DM9uIL8xZXPQPem7jxp3D48KukrBhRmrZpaLGHX_36y7fJymCZ-CTezO93QT82cSvIniwh0ShzxWlo53jJFXRR8H1MriZbEuQg4NtbrA/s1600/Lettuce+Bes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KBhEnHoLinEOyomvrB5BWL7HO9HUx_DM9uIL8xZXPQPem7jxp3D48KukrBhRmrZpaLGHX_36y7fJymCZ-CTezO93QT82cSvIniwh0ShzxWlo53jJFXRR8H1MriZbEuQg4NtbrA/s400/Lettuce+Bes.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Lettuce and potato beds.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9FqQbuDZnmDcA_JBCEcaskzggHE0I8CEsgxvOoQEER-rI7vo2Dswh1UORDYk1PEhCAMucJS1GcNAXd_4aGNyepuQghUpO8S25ZVCzwRvCFEB9yW2-H-1iZ10AxEapBkbLN1MueQ/s1600/Beetroot+Bed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9FqQbuDZnmDcA_JBCEcaskzggHE0I8CEsgxvOoQEER-rI7vo2Dswh1UORDYk1PEhCAMucJS1GcNAXd_4aGNyepuQghUpO8S25ZVCzwRvCFEB9yW2-H-1iZ10AxEapBkbLN1MueQ/s400/Beetroot+Bed.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Swede, corn and beetroot bed.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjizrtRi7hzEsOS-dzhqedB2seTtbTk9MRxHAg-WrdBVfZoppLtencjHxR6VHMWLRn_Onz6wKd6b7u9JUSCKcerWf9_x0GIEYH0XAKMZR_cTllMxSdwfQtkXBI8ypw_t83i_Andzw/s1600/Beetroot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjizrtRi7hzEsOS-dzhqedB2seTtbTk9MRxHAg-WrdBVfZoppLtencjHxR6VHMWLRn_Onz6wKd6b7u9JUSCKcerWf9_x0GIEYH0XAKMZR_cTllMxSdwfQtkXBI8ypw_t83i_Andzw/s400/Beetroot.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">A closer look at our beetroot...</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzXpGcKtcKsOLC7QfJ6en0eN68eRxf3tr50ADZnIbrDuoW0-yUFAEv_oRZ5JwzW14sZuFHdnEvg6zjpeXRfUx99GK3W2jzpTqt0w-KtW9Z7SD22rx9iIh4aMAlU-Dp23Ak89ckQ/s1600/Corn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzXpGcKtcKsOLC7QfJ6en0eN68eRxf3tr50ADZnIbrDuoW0-yUFAEv_oRZ5JwzW14sZuFHdnEvg6zjpeXRfUx99GK3W2jzpTqt0w-KtW9Z7SD22rx9iIh4aMAlU-Dp23Ak89ckQ/s400/Corn.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">... and our corn.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPA6fdyWBjaaXTvfdo-b6YqNSRRiNmWdhjRLYhapigEyKEspp8_MYlXAU6yFXRFG_8X0eKCNOGeeEh4dEbYPmf8vtgc6P07FO822e_cXu6MjLev_IH91To0xyVUy7KROWZrdliQ/s1600/Peas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPA6fdyWBjaaXTvfdo-b6YqNSRRiNmWdhjRLYhapigEyKEspp8_MYlXAU6yFXRFG_8X0eKCNOGeeEh4dEbYPmf8vtgc6P07FO822e_cXu6MjLev_IH91To0xyVUy7KROWZrdliQ/s400/Peas.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Our pea plants are starting to produce fruit.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUksilU_2z7ZFKIUsHBlNT-bRzIbJp1gcIoxPM17g4-tVpDDQsU3AYusSPhOE6ysAWYlPDg_5hwjuPLMTPn3YjAveFIdzfN7_kf1chxQDD-dsDLOKZV6lJEX_2k-fymFzWUVU6A/s1600/Asparagus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUksilU_2z7ZFKIUsHBlNT-bRzIbJp1gcIoxPM17g4-tVpDDQsU3AYusSPhOE6ysAWYlPDg_5hwjuPLMTPn3YjAveFIdzfN7_kf1chxQDD-dsDLOKZV6lJEX_2k-fymFzWUVU6A/s400/Asparagus.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Asparagus and rhubarb beds (asparagus is to small to see).</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">I've gone over the next couple of bed already in this post, so I'm skipping them. Next up:</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZlIn7qbbOjksxlQfAVmaCqlyLgJybqz7HIyTnGBQo-eFH-_PwcN7pP3sze8rJ9dZ1KL_xDsLU8fA7Q2COe1EXNNOjQFhsUoT93KfY9aMG-HWv3sGb_J-OJ95aHWBYwiekHOQUhw/s1600/Brassicas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZlIn7qbbOjksxlQfAVmaCqlyLgJybqz7HIyTnGBQo-eFH-_PwcN7pP3sze8rJ9dZ1KL_xDsLU8fA7Q2COe1EXNNOjQFhsUoT93KfY9aMG-HWv3sGb_J-OJ95aHWBYwiekHOQUhw/s400/Brassicas.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;">Brassicas. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijk-Jp5flzYIRZ5MEeqfRwYaq0DwYOXWGMoldjVu9x1Ic63U43nknw59r-F9NdLJogrrncfbMF5-4y9_m1bD6N-Yn8SmjsNRVBp7MRTzLpHtVk6AwtC93_xetuCn4bGZiqFZsCag/s1600/Potatoes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijk-Jp5flzYIRZ5MEeqfRwYaq0DwYOXWGMoldjVu9x1Ic63U43nknw59r-F9NdLJogrrncfbMF5-4y9_m1bD6N-Yn8SmjsNRVBp7MRTzLpHtVk6AwtC93_xetuCn4bGZiqFZsCag/s400/Potatoes.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;">And finally, the potato frame - needs another level at this stage!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;">And that concludes the the tour.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;">As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts or comments on what we've done so far. </span></div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04661937227167620182noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28482585.post-9477248597302553532012-06-24T22:24:00.000+01:002012-06-27T21:15:05.245+01:00All from nothing... (part 15)<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 25px;"><em><span style="color: #333333;">Our efforts to transform an unused piece of land into a productive vegetable garden.</span></em></strong>
<br />
<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 25px;"><em><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></em></strong><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">First off, I noticed that my blog views have passed 3000 - 99% of which have been since I rebooted it in March. I'd like to take the time to say thank you to everybody who has taken the time to read it.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">We also sent a few photos to the "Landshare" project (which runs in England) and were chosen as "Landshare allotment of the month" for June!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">As I'm sitting at home with a glass of last year's rather excellent elderberry wine, I feel that's time for an update on how things stand at the allotment (on a side note, most of the berries from the wine were foraged from the same farm the allotment is on!).</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">I've been working the past week straight, and had little chance to visit the allotment during this. We had visitors over yesterday, so heading over wasn't an option. I had resolved to head over (weather allowing) first thing this morning, and surprise, the weather allowed. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">On my initial inspection, I made a surprising discovery - the asparagus has begun sending up shoots! </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpagbY8hhIf0usMhny5OmsTx_zKJ-V3HgklOSGZmWKLZx8rowRn5373cSYnmzf07AV2ysy5B74S-S6waz9ZOI7a0gh3kcnjl5K5rM7r-rPiqyiuS4JcwKzqA7dOWAxvFh8EDOLZQ/s1600/Asparagus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpagbY8hhIf0usMhny5OmsTx_zKJ-V3HgklOSGZmWKLZx8rowRn5373cSYnmzf07AV2ysy5B74S-S6waz9ZOI7a0gh3kcnjl5K5rM7r-rPiqyiuS4JcwKzqA7dOWAxvFh8EDOLZQ/s320/Asparagus.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>The first asparagus shoot!</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Everything else appeared to be growing well, so I set about my work - forking through the soil. The last day I was over (a week ago), I had made good inroads and laid out another large bed. There was unfortunately a casualty of all this hard work - my garden fork, after years of good service, broke in half. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">I bought a new one in the village, but alas, it isn't near the quality of my old one, and as I worked today, the prongs in the fork continually bent, and I was forced to pull them back into place again and again, wasting valuable time. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdyEBM01-ar3Z9GPTh4EFgtEgwnnwEvATsxAfV5bV1i7ZyIWTD6BP72W59QSgR_XRmUwignr0_KWhY1IMsvPtaE6MWarIRCsnxkgfbe6c15xoUhm6hire0C6JJXz8J5a2I434HqQ/s1600/Chafer+grub..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdyEBM01-ar3Z9GPTh4EFgtEgwnnwEvATsxAfV5bV1i7ZyIWTD6BP72W59QSgR_XRmUwignr0_KWhY1IMsvPtaE6MWarIRCsnxkgfbe6c15xoUhm6hire0C6JJXz8J5a2I434HqQ/s320/Chafer+grub..jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">In the process of turning the soil in the allotment, I've come across a certain grub quite a lot. I've now discovered that these are "chafer" grubs, which are very bad news for allotments as they feast on root crops. As per the picture, they have white bodies and orange to red heads. Moral of the story: remove them if you find them!</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigcmqFFEVGDbINtXXOsw8mGO-spXPaSATvjotd4YDe7JqoDSPhzhyaWJzxvw5v4E4AWt2X9T8rfuf6L9Lo-SWT93hZYdoWjcfCpxexYdlnNBWbo_c7YEC-4jjyMr1Jjr9v-AH9mQ/s1600/New+bed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigcmqFFEVGDbINtXXOsw8mGO-spXPaSATvjotd4YDe7JqoDSPhzhyaWJzxvw5v4E4AWt2X9T8rfuf6L9Lo-SWT93hZYdoWjcfCpxexYdlnNBWbo_c7YEC-4jjyMr1Jjr9v-AH9mQ/s320/New+bed.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>The new bed.</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">I worked until lunchtime, when I swapped child-minding duties with Clare, and she headed over to weed and sow the new bed. In this bed, she sowed the brassicas - brussel sprouts, broccoli, cabbage and kale.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">When Clare finished up, I went back over to try and finish off the next bed. I didn't quite manage it before hunger drove me back home, but it's three quarters finished. We're going to sow our leeks in it. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br />Before I sign off on the post, I'll share a couple of photos that I took of some of the beds this evening.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3EEpflwTlOSZJMi1aROZJ07GjH3zXBY7x2aj2BmG6_FEX72i9ZBlmocn0cn5xRFcJ_-PAMJu1IpSlM5M9UavKRuZetyVJJZlkos3D73DrNFA9k7FJkuacVy4JPo-QtxMC7T24nw/s1600/Chard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3EEpflwTlOSZJMi1aROZJ07GjH3zXBY7x2aj2BmG6_FEX72i9ZBlmocn0cn5xRFcJ_-PAMJu1IpSlM5M9UavKRuZetyVJJZlkos3D73DrNFA9k7FJkuacVy4JPo-QtxMC7T24nw/s320/Chard.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>Chard.</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Our chard is growing fast and well. I'm looking forward to adding this to some summer salads. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dPb-zW2P68aZmz_Zj0rKDScBeQB-Gx6IUXxpu_enWr-ZzoaZ5Ror8IkGVHhKb_2_kTFutnTI_Xf5rPy587304pTdAOkpYxCcWSY3NPfSqiS0IB8FvR-gmJaz3JxveojUj4LylQ/s1600/Lettuce+Bed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dPb-zW2P68aZmz_Zj0rKDScBeQB-Gx6IUXxpu_enWr-ZzoaZ5Ror8IkGVHhKb_2_kTFutnTI_Xf5rPy587304pTdAOkpYxCcWSY3NPfSqiS0IB8FvR-gmJaz3JxveojUj4LylQ/s320/Lettuce+Bed.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>Lettuce.</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Our lettuce bed has had one or two plants die off, and have had to be replaced. The rest are doing fine, and will most likely be an early harvest. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLJVNJCIC7A4C7UzkL0WV5Dd_sMCea9g17FzrYw4PnvUHypmpsFkmL2_iL3GNzqasexpsNrULmv-Tx4zitAwKg3efQ7c35ETdiUb9K5SN5FzyN4xfvrBOiQ7IwW5YAp_EzCRc_g/s1600/Lettuce+Chard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLJVNJCIC7A4C7UzkL0WV5Dd_sMCea9g17FzrYw4PnvUHypmpsFkmL2_iL3GNzqasexpsNrULmv-Tx4zitAwKg3efQ7c35ETdiUb9K5SN5FzyN4xfvrBOiQ7IwW5YAp_EzCRc_g/s320/Lettuce+Chard.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>Garlic, butterhead lettuce, chard, cos lettuce</i>.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">More lettuce, this time butterhead and cos (the cos grown from seed) growing beside chard. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwqnurhyMsF_4FH1gvfpawrq03bd9qM8s9t4ZPtXgD3y5LeQCvcSgsrELwMtjYUx_niF1E0D0TmSWKq_qRUSySfIkSTxAovjwzTHkms2DRRoCfJAgUBEoDfdhMVASOxJjEMBSPw/s1600/Radishes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwqnurhyMsF_4FH1gvfpawrq03bd9qM8s9t4ZPtXgD3y5LeQCvcSgsrELwMtjYUx_niF1E0D0TmSWKq_qRUSySfIkSTxAovjwzTHkms2DRRoCfJAgUBEoDfdhMVASOxJjEMBSPw/s320/Radishes.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>Radishes.</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Moving right along, our radishes are just about ready to be harvested. I had a sneaky one today as I worked, it was peppery and delicious!</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3qd18wZIrYajqf8yZDu5De-PFRr-5jEMveQSyizsuMFA7I3PwWhe4ZSnSs-om8nO8y5pw57Ay8Cfg4yo7JdkIVsGjjjjr31GzaKmnL-_sICZ4aL5HltfRdpESVmnEjyTZkaEwtg/s1600/Potatoes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3qd18wZIrYajqf8yZDu5De-PFRr-5jEMveQSyizsuMFA7I3PwWhe4ZSnSs-om8nO8y5pw57Ay8Cfg4yo7JdkIVsGjjjjr31GzaKmnL-_sICZ4aL5HltfRdpESVmnEjyTZkaEwtg/s320/Potatoes.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>Potatoes.</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Our potatoes are growing at an alarming rate - we've filled in to the top of the first frame, and one of my next tasks is to build another frame or two to sit atop this one. These will also be filled with earth as the potatoes grow. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Finally, the post wouldn't feel complete without a photo of how the allotment currently looks. The transformation is almost complete.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Ypa7VAd8I43nEon2P25_g2YDkZq-PncIl8ij-LjMS5sZ6BsGiEiAN68mirn1YHkghBOqmy1JeF-w6Ajgc8FPysDzOmBHs5wuX76TRuQnC8A4edRi34EB36r2Yjmdv9LXkBadCQ/s1600/Plot+24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Ypa7VAd8I43nEon2P25_g2YDkZq-PncIl8ij-LjMS5sZ6BsGiEiAN68mirn1YHkghBOqmy1JeF-w6Ajgc8FPysDzOmBHs5wuX76TRuQnC8A4edRi34EB36r2Yjmdv9LXkBadCQ/s320/Plot+24.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>The allotment as it looked this evening.</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04661937227167620182noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28482585.post-54588655820581920912012-06-11T20:57:00.000+01:002012-06-11T20:58:55.296+01:00Growth update.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been working nights for a week - and combined with the fact that the week just past has been exceptionally rainy, has meant that I haven't been up to the allotment (again!). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clare went up to weed the beds yesterday, and came home delighted at how things are getting along. After getting up this morning, I went over to see this for myself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0pO9KBh92EpHcesSveALYES560JKTdaNCepR5_9w-C9FC5Q1KyyFt3hau6mt50_sd2s5eBGQm7GkpBC5LiO0vmlJ44_B8cxlBOfAScaQ7l9nc51PQ4LbOpx4jgfbnXIsUGXAfQ/s1600/Carrot+Bed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0pO9KBh92EpHcesSveALYES560JKTdaNCepR5_9w-C9FC5Q1KyyFt3hau6mt50_sd2s5eBGQm7GkpBC5LiO0vmlJ44_B8cxlBOfAScaQ7l9nc51PQ4LbOpx4jgfbnXIsUGXAfQ/s320/Carrot+Bed.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The carrot bed.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCbNMtg0pEebYrH45XLvcx0cIzI_AvUt1C-BSz19bXb5saONYJRWNBhFoHkC6ThbGqKwJbnU_BJ-wUFMJwaDgDnczj1J6mGmH31SKzB5tImOPltgqS4fX5uEszCbdL-7f8UAf1g/s1600/Carrot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCbNMtg0pEebYrH45XLvcx0cIzI_AvUt1C-BSz19bXb5saONYJRWNBhFoHkC6ThbGqKwJbnU_BJ-wUFMJwaDgDnczj1J6mGmH31SKzB5tImOPltgqS4fX5uEszCbdL-7f8UAf1g/s320/Carrot.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll begin with the carrot bed, which is the first bed to the left of the gate when entering the allotment. Most of the shoots are now at least 10 centimetres high. While the carrot bed looks quite cluttered, this is as it should be, as thinning them out can attract carrot fly. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0dzZi45RCNc7gWxoWbE30aba6ghZ4vOayhh1krMxIf6JE14hfYbXgiDZfC8IEHl-d3pmcQIkLP9SPLkujLBeyVEXzAFR_4lIPxxFr7e9uONwCFi4pcz6C3cDnUADgoWHuocgKlg/s1600/Parsnip+Bed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0dzZi45RCNc7gWxoWbE30aba6ghZ4vOayhh1krMxIf6JE14hfYbXgiDZfC8IEHl-d3pmcQIkLP9SPLkujLBeyVEXzAFR_4lIPxxFr7e9uONwCFi4pcz6C3cDnUADgoWHuocgKlg/s320/Parsnip+Bed.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The parsnip bed.</i>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnxX-njMSr6TsKV93VaF6KH4ttZKTwDT89ERHD_S5Nyki2ZdDEZXiTvw7MDVpzRm28u6OjAiuz-Pao75VIltoaEgAst11Rei3q38HZE30KBMLXM1V6-dh4TaIMWAxyWmyuCPtig/s1600/Parsnips.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnxX-njMSr6TsKV93VaF6KH4ttZKTwDT89ERHD_S5Nyki2ZdDEZXiTvw7MDVpzRm28u6OjAiuz-Pao75VIltoaEgAst11Rei3q38HZE30KBMLXM1V6-dh4TaIMWAxyWmyuCPtig/s320/Parsnips.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next to the carrot bed is our parsnip bed. Much like the carrots, these are coming along well. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The front of the bed had be left empty as we had initially run out of parsnip seeds to plant. We've since sown more seeds in that spot.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDRsd1ao9yNf_CqBi3sa32rIm0l4rg3OGarkxcWMwpZkD5RolV_Nqp1rzX18EFMGP8-sKmPyTiSD-e-16lH6bymX4Z7fCnUkGaMwBMxSFtnqgzykkNx-Xc4aKvRNTsIb-XyGx5w/s1600/Celery.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDRsd1ao9yNf_CqBi3sa32rIm0l4rg3OGarkxcWMwpZkD5RolV_Nqp1rzX18EFMGP8-sKmPyTiSD-e-16lH6bymX4Z7fCnUkGaMwBMxSFtnqgzykkNx-Xc4aKvRNTsIb-XyGx5w/s320/Celery.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we move past the parsnips, we come to the celery. As mentioned in previous blogs, there's two stages of this - at the back, the first lot (looking beautiful and healthy), and towards the front, the younger lot, which are coming along quickly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQOCpSJ9UQPonD-9JQmGiKwOHw24JcAN5OimVc1uj74AnVWOxoC4MhaMm4zpTqUzLLOGOb4r5aeKx-J-XYA6SM-w-xni0cZHMY0lG7mjEBd_ldGQP5PZqyYjj3YKNEU-jcLklnQ/s1600/Onions.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQOCpSJ9UQPonD-9JQmGiKwOHw24JcAN5OimVc1uj74AnVWOxoC4MhaMm4zpTqUzLLOGOb4r5aeKx-J-XYA6SM-w-xni0cZHMY0lG7mjEBd_ldGQP5PZqyYjj3YKNEU-jcLklnQ/s320/Onions.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moving right along, our onion bed is one of the highlights of our unfinished allotment, as it is one of the beds where the growth of the veg is at its most visible. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX31Y6Igonim4ihgPV0jFjb8DRWltG8jTahQ_oacQ4WIG91pd_kv0E58lUaa2QwBfUX3yZJwpf5GrLu3I2v4RyJ1c7B7JV3ldp_bQdZ_aqrP1CzZv_cLVlCQyFx69mnf9XXwUr9A/s1600/Lettuce+&+Garlic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX31Y6Igonim4ihgPV0jFjb8DRWltG8jTahQ_oacQ4WIG91pd_kv0E58lUaa2QwBfUX3yZJwpf5GrLu3I2v4RyJ1c7B7JV3ldp_bQdZ_aqrP1CzZv_cLVlCQyFx69mnf9XXwUr9A/s320/Lettuce+&+Garlic.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the next bed, we've planted garlic (at the back), and "butterhead" lettuce beside it. The garlic is, at present, practically indistinguishable from the onion plants. Despite being planted out late, it's growing well. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn't hold too much hope for the lettuce, but they seem to have taken to the soil well. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6HKroocQOGCMu2a5QXTZ46gDfdvmMLBGFp4kkvvYaAyUxlYjX8A1zZ03Hh9zp0HGk_R6byg3Sx1jKgShhwah2B4vd-MgUJTjDJZHyswdfhopqCcuI24rLT8MK4Q3LxXw-77l_0g/s1600/Cos+Lettuce.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6HKroocQOGCMu2a5QXTZ46gDfdvmMLBGFp4kkvvYaAyUxlYjX8A1zZ03Hh9zp0HGk_R6byg3Sx1jKgShhwah2B4vd-MgUJTjDJZHyswdfhopqCcuI24rLT8MK4Q3LxXw-77l_0g/s320/Cos+Lettuce.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the butterhead lettuce, we've chard growing - but I don't have a photo of this taken (my bad...) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beside the chard, we're growing some "cos" lettuce (<i>pictured, left</i>). While small yet, these are growing well. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlR4il6uKIABsChDTflYiNFzgB4aBXPpBSHd1h_3w8upQEfW0VIRlQ1901FcLmSryBQ6TqyOCbAvjtROFKePokAqClRbYF4T7KTUoVK_6nwky1YAa_F0olnzWGQ-fySZzjvea4g/s1600/Radishes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlR4il6uKIABsChDTflYiNFzgB4aBXPpBSHd1h_3w8upQEfW0VIRlQ1901FcLmSryBQ6TqyOCbAvjtROFKePokAqClRbYF4T7KTUoVK_6nwky1YAa_F0olnzWGQ-fySZzjvea4g/s320/Radishes.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the very front of this bed, we've a couple of rows of radishes growing - staggered so that we'll get two crops of them. I love the speed at which radishes grow (we harvested one yesterday, which I ate raw - delicious and peppery!).</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6lrpd0Jw0PsJsnwE5pAG0vEmWZLdQf7wAwo3y8qMUsomP5RbtacGoLIRwxEcBYRIQLptfC_l5PKNR6Tl2IsdmK544AWVbHmwdvaAQouYSGWbyACZmXXwMzsnGWg7TwlhOHpRzOw/s1600/Lettuce+Bed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6lrpd0Jw0PsJsnwE5pAG0vEmWZLdQf7wAwo3y8qMUsomP5RbtacGoLIRwxEcBYRIQLptfC_l5PKNR6Tl2IsdmK544AWVbHmwdvaAQouYSGWbyACZmXXwMzsnGWg7TwlhOHpRzOw/s320/Lettuce+Bed.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After this bed, we've two separate square beds. In the back one we've a couple of rows of potatoes growing. While they're growing, again I haven't a photo taken. Beside that we've a bed of lettuce growing. </span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsoLAKFXI3kkrq-l-7JZx5JGcSMccr60RpREtjaF_zlH-ZDQ0AkD9v3M9TjShEheN8YEl0nrwTxfbQgZy58PZs3up1Ql4T895iSFM0bnZfq9Lh6pyiDgTd5YZn70Ta8JEW43dEng/s1600/Beans+Sprouting.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsoLAKFXI3kkrq-l-7JZx5JGcSMccr60RpREtjaF_zlH-ZDQ0AkD9v3M9TjShEheN8YEl0nrwTxfbQgZy58PZs3up1Ql4T895iSFM0bnZfq9Lh6pyiDgTd5YZn70Ta8JEW43dEng/s320/Beans+Sprouting.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Following this are three parallel beds where we've sown beans and peas. One of these was pictured in the last blog, so I didn't rehash it here. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More interesting, I think, is that the beans and peas that we sowed out have sprouted (<i>as per picture on the left</i>). We'll have to train these up the frames built for them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the pea and bean beds, we've planted fifteen asparagus plants in one bed, and finally , at the very top of the allotment, we've one last bed where we're going to plant out two year old rhubarb plants that a friend donated to us. No photos of these yet, but will hopefully update this in the next post.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u><b>Back at home:</b></u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Things are growing well back at home. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigH1O_F77P_ecEXLZkhiE3oLROEK98FstLfg6_tob-5WmMRTZmETZyyBj1OkRAaD2Htcb_Ru2vdVJj16iaGGh-7UEgNpb49R-Xw04JCndzsC4IUmlR9OUR_n-GYFzt7MVLOcs-Yw/s1600/Chilli.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigH1O_F77P_ecEXLZkhiE3oLROEK98FstLfg6_tob-5WmMRTZmETZyyBj1OkRAaD2Htcb_Ru2vdVJj16iaGGh-7UEgNpb49R-Xw04JCndzsC4IUmlR9OUR_n-GYFzt7MVLOcs-Yw/s320/Chilli.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We've four chilli plants that reside in the kitchen window. These have grown substantially taller than last years variety, and have started producing chilli' already. One chilli was so large that we cut it off after a while for fear that the plant was putting all its energies into that one fruit. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinge0VnhCnSFq4mkV0oihJxyo4KkZMdUwZoO0PKmioPk2Q15sEgsPloD8mlvSvcP1GLSvZu5shLG_7s8QoyDtSv0ozsa3Kc7wahPrqYEOlONyA41uwdU7U4tMF_nmmMN5Wi8XC_Q/s1600/Cucumber+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinge0VnhCnSFq4mkV0oihJxyo4KkZMdUwZoO0PKmioPk2Q15sEgsPloD8mlvSvcP1GLSvZu5shLG_7s8QoyDtSv0ozsa3Kc7wahPrqYEOlONyA41uwdU7U4tMF_nmmMN5Wi8XC_Q/s320/Cucumber+1.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Outside, our two cucumber plants continue to grow, but alas, there's no sign of flowers on either yet! ;o(</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They've got so big at this stage, I've had to build climbing frames for them. Fingers crossed that it won't be too much longer before they start to flower and produce cucumbers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQu6aN9WWUiHrmDKT1VgXCMO9zsALyueKfTrY59qaNWGnzF-9PPSkPmcGlDt41OBYywwomVJrtH5lv9-NIbuW-NpmKUfEzQq24R0_4XwGUUtarOBUnLVwusro68duaeEcs_rAZlA/s1600/Blackcurrants.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQu6aN9WWUiHrmDKT1VgXCMO9zsALyueKfTrY59qaNWGnzF-9PPSkPmcGlDt41OBYywwomVJrtH5lv9-NIbuW-NpmKUfEzQq24R0_4XwGUUtarOBUnLVwusro68duaeEcs_rAZlA/s320/Blackcurrants.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At polar opposite to the lack of progress with the cucumbers is our blackcurrant bush. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This has grown about two foot so far this summer, and produced so many new branches that I think I'm going to have to prune some of them back before the summer is over.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The year old branches have produced large amounts of currants. While still hard and green, there's definite progress in how big they've gotten. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUkQSZfZ7YxeRTOXj_twAnlG8NfonMHNMBQY7Qdu4It4jHw_QeGWn2XM_0ImNQhtlcJplb_JEPDm9lnElhbncKUyEtH6s40R1yzxURncYsGPa264Z60OMeN8pgYQx0bamQPrEgg/s1600/Strawberries.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUkQSZfZ7YxeRTOXj_twAnlG8NfonMHNMBQY7Qdu4It4jHw_QeGWn2XM_0ImNQhtlcJplb_JEPDm9lnElhbncKUyEtH6s40R1yzxURncYsGPa264Z60OMeN8pgYQx0bamQPrEgg/s320/Strawberries.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The couple of strawberry plants that are growing randomly about the garden are all fruiting too. It looks like this year we'll produce at least twice as many strawberries as we did last year - not that I'll be eating any, as the kids always have first "dibs" on them!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRl29hpIBEsAzXcv_F8cVWFc-LP7_c3NIEdq4VIxSmgqGoBThKrvsb-8jqFhZI4rNjaTZQQGZjY-A5lCvwQO-zQv0O1miRcMuSJyOXFFaxK3EjfIczrg4RgKdznvGH5vZMQwlqgw/s1600/Tomatoes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRl29hpIBEsAzXcv_F8cVWFc-LP7_c3NIEdq4VIxSmgqGoBThKrvsb-8jqFhZI4rNjaTZQQGZjY-A5lCvwQO-zQv0O1miRcMuSJyOXFFaxK3EjfIczrg4RgKdznvGH5vZMQwlqgw/s320/Tomatoes.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Several of our tomato plants didn't survive the frosts of April - and a few more just died. I'm not sure why this was, but I suspect the PH of the compost I used may not have been ideal for growing them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the other hand, enough of them are growing well, and my next task is to re-pot them so that the surviving ones are grouped together. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04661937227167620182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28482585.post-82738255800531235402012-06-05T00:54:00.002+01:002012-06-05T00:54:56.356+01:00Foraging for elderflower.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTym7iojq2b5HNrmoSPzegt3pRB3e6P92OB0idyR-81ZkuuzOBjLbJKRJqQr3Th6uOqDEy_5EXogIEUwoGasOUm-hq6alswN9gDPle3npO4HzmS91qBYIfNSqOgvLPZbrOql7nQ/s1600/Elderflower+Head.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fba="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTym7iojq2b5HNrmoSPzegt3pRB3e6P92OB0idyR-81ZkuuzOBjLbJKRJqQr3Th6uOqDEy_5EXogIEUwoGasOUm-hq6alswN9gDPle3npO4HzmS91qBYIfNSqOgvLPZbrOql7nQ/s320/Elderflower+Head.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the most basic joys of summer is the blossoming of the elderflower. The flowers of the elder (<em>Sambucus</em>) yield a sweet, musky aroma that in itself defines summer for me. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Elderflower is a versatile little bloom that can be used in several drinks and dishes. However, I've usually used it in brewing Elderflower champagne and making elderflower cordial. This year, depending on how much I'm able to collect, I'd like to expand this into making wine, tea and drying as much as possible for use over the coming year. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The best time to forage for elderflower is on a sunny day, when their scent seems to be at its most powerful. Elders are an extremely common tree, and (in Ireland in any case) can be found in nearly any stretch of hedgerow. They're by no means limited to this however, and I've often seen them growing in disused ground in urban areas (one overhangs the car park in my local convenience store, for example). </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So, after a pretty miserable weekend, today turned out reasonably sunny (with a few clouds). After a morning digging in the allotment, I decided that I might not get another decent day to go foraging for elderflower before it's all gone, so after lunch, armed with a scissors and wicker basket, I made my way up the fields. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8yK29iQ2j9a__feavOGhAbISzHsPsfW91IwNsCiZlQj3N8Ee7DbeadVGXA4cvVeWlDVXIwUXy28T1Hp2E3I0VzslgCsEnCPPIIsHnNQV3x5T0qRkVl0Iu1qyABUeAFsYd7j1VJA/s1600/Hawthorn+Bloom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fba="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8yK29iQ2j9a__feavOGhAbISzHsPsfW91IwNsCiZlQj3N8Ee7DbeadVGXA4cvVeWlDVXIwUXy28T1Hp2E3I0VzslgCsEnCPPIIsHnNQV3x5T0qRkVl0Iu1qyABUeAFsYd7j1VJA/s320/Hawthorn+Bloom.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> <span style="font-family: Arial;"><em>The hedgerow is always lovely, but in the summer, with rose hips and hawthorn (picture above) flowering, it's especially beautiful. </em></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I know the lay of the land around my home town very well, and I've my favourite spots for many of the fruits I forage for - be it sloe, bramley apple of elderflower. As such, I knew the path I would be taking in my search for today's quarry. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XYk2DyLrRx4pXXss6QURJ46ykjHdgik6H9uDkxcPwXaE8t97ytPMGxAX8x24Yjun6yr_dUTYrv-m6sIkBvfuijpKBR7LqWV7l16rAQT8knIO-9xyaFbpocueKVqJUAHRdcBuxw/s1600/Half+bloomed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fba="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XYk2DyLrRx4pXXss6QURJ46ykjHdgik6H9uDkxcPwXaE8t97ytPMGxAX8x24Yjun6yr_dUTYrv-m6sIkBvfuijpKBR7LqWV7l16rAQT8knIO-9xyaFbpocueKVqJUAHRdcBuxw/s320/Half+bloomed.jpg" width="191" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">I follow certain rules when foraging for elderflower. </span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The first is to never take too many elderflower heads from the one tree - after all, the flowers develop into elderberries, a fantastic autumn harvest. </span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">My next rule is to give the head I'm looking at cutting off a sniff - some simply don't pass the "smell" test and are left on the branch. </span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The third rule is to try and cut off heads that are mostly flower - some have not yet fully bloomed (with too many buds) and are not much use to me (as displayed in the picture on the left). </span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Tradition holds that one must ask the hag that resides in the elder tree permission to take the flowers of the elder tree. I'm a stickler for tradition, so ask permission and then assume the maxim of "<em>Qui tacet consentire videtur</em>", before taking what I need. </span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtT3vVBf_3vJMvxB7zBgQeU_FvK8AJGSmsp676uxnrdbonTT3_PScaVj_3mCIfIK4lCLUFHVCowoVq32UispxhB_u6jfYHahywedBMAx1np0cvW1lGHgJgjPLuojbJxQF3oUz9cw/s1600/Jelly+Ear+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" fba="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtT3vVBf_3vJMvxB7zBgQeU_FvK8AJGSmsp676uxnrdbonTT3_PScaVj_3mCIfIK4lCLUFHVCowoVq32UispxhB_u6jfYHahywedBMAx1np0cvW1lGHgJgjPLuojbJxQF3oUz9cw/s320/Jelly+Ear+2.jpg" width="191" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">Because of my first rule, I ended up on a decent walk across the fields. With the sunny weather, this was a real pleasure.</span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I spotted a couple of rabbits out frolicking. </span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Not long after, I came across my second find of the day - an edible fungus called "Jelly Ear". This fungus favours Elder, so the find was no real surprise, but I was delighted to discover it nonetheless. </span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The tree was fairly laden with them, so I made a mental note to come back another day soon to collect as many of them as I could. </span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Sometimes elderflower can be slightly challenging to collect - nothing too difficult, but I did come away today with my legs stinging from nettles and a few grazes where thorns of brambles caught me. These are minor setbacks when the bounty of the elderflower is considered. In all, it took me around two hours to collect a basketful of elderflower heads. Most of the trees have not yet fully blossomed, so with a little luck, I'll get out again in another week to collect more of these delightful little white flowers. </span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">For the moment, I've to decide what to do with the ones I foraged today!</span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaORJt7KPrA4GQ1UqOZLmJHiKmQgLRGQbnISVQ_sAUc-A2-ZAWm0lywvgtAyDsBpYQ8fk7iGQohnHVT23rbOuVPJLlXVyQ7edfUn9vlWOd5TVJeCGbzPuASYObDmjfRtvvTTb6tg/s1600/Basket+Elderflower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fba="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaORJt7KPrA4GQ1UqOZLmJHiKmQgLRGQbnISVQ_sAUc-A2-ZAWm0lywvgtAyDsBpYQ8fk7iGQohnHVT23rbOuVPJLlXVyQ7edfUn9vlWOd5TVJeCGbzPuASYObDmjfRtvvTTb6tg/s320/Basket+Elderflower.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04661937227167620182noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28482585.post-72878748909026077662012-05-27T22:59:00.001+01:002012-05-30T07:30:32.720+01:00All from nothing... (Part 14)<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 25px;"><em><span style="color: #333333;">Our efforts to transform an unused piece of land into a productive vegetable garden.</span></em></strong>
<br />
<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 25px;"><em><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></em></strong><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">It appears that we've finally been blessed with some seasonal weather, and knowing Irish weather can turn rainy at the drop of a hat, we've done our best to get out to the allotment on the afternoons and get as much work completed as possible. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">The allotment is changing with the summer, and the beech hedge that runs along one side of it is now a riot of beautiful wine and ruby leaves.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">To begin, we built a frame (using the decking wood I mentioned in my last post) for the potatoes to sit in. We had chosen to place the frame parallel with the fence of the allotment, just to the right of the gate. I dug the earth underneath the frame thoroughly - this was a job I had been dreading as it's right beside a huge shrub (that I blogged about some time ago, when I cut it back) and I was concerned that the ground might be full of roots. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-5r-YKQj8B4m_0eAxA23anmWQqeVH22P9xUB-jVXTTBROyvF1semDgmUm_1DRmB91DbinpiiUTO4AgjVwIrUS1Xm-zU0MOEe6IzMRUquba0_mNiFAAjd9atMOUc6u7AXncam9g/s1600/Roots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-5r-YKQj8B4m_0eAxA23anmWQqeVH22P9xUB-jVXTTBROyvF1semDgmUm_1DRmB91DbinpiiUTO4AgjVwIrUS1Xm-zU0MOEe6IzMRUquba0_mNiFAAjd9atMOUc6u7AXncam9g/s320/Roots.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>The dreaded roots...</i></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDf3wXd483R1FEphtcYKXDw0b32Nmy92_ZoaNt9DmC8LWC-SyhimHLtqVaa7PBx92I_CXLRRCt4cg-QuIVitDB0LIfk8n0IGyNXsyigP05EswQ48myOyVa8El6N5RJHr3kbfe8gg/s1600/Potato+Frame.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDf3wXd483R1FEphtcYKXDw0b32Nmy92_ZoaNt9DmC8LWC-SyhimHLtqVaa7PBx92I_CXLRRCt4cg-QuIVitDB0LIfk8n0IGyNXsyigP05EswQ48myOyVa8El6N5RJHr3kbfe8gg/s320/Potato+Frame.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Turns out I was right! As luck would have it, there was only one large one from the shrub, which I had to saw through. The rest of them - and there were many - were mostly nettle roots. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">After I had finished, Clare sowed the potatoes out.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>(Left, our makeshift frame)</i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">The next job on the list to get my teeth into was finally completing the forking of the soil on the left of the allotment. This took a couple of hours to do properly, as I was removing the three "R's" (roots, rocks and rubble) while also mixing compost through the soil. After finishing this, Clare layed out some new beds, and picked out whatever stones and roots I had missed. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">The utterly incredible weather continued today, so we packed up lunch for the kids and all headed down to the allotment. I finished up laying out the new beds, and Clare sowed beans (dwarf yellow and purple tepee) and peas into them (the peas were planted out). I then hammered hazel staves into each end of the beds, and ran garden twine between them. To avoid confusion, this gave us three separate structures that the peas and beans will climb up. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1SISbwL7t9X4QZfw4JHsNYMfaL9ikNMjeudFtz9NcXya6VeNAKjTKcR6spWMow9MM5_Jz72lrIxDcjnsXvE8PxC62pNAf1cv33BXdEqd9vNQqi9mbmKhRVubdB7M0BEvwTTug2g/s1600/Peas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1SISbwL7t9X4QZfw4JHsNYMfaL9ikNMjeudFtz9NcXya6VeNAKjTKcR6spWMow9MM5_Jz72lrIxDcjnsXvE8PxC62pNAf1cv33BXdEqd9vNQqi9mbmKhRVubdB7M0BEvwTTug2g/s320/Peas.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i> Our climbing frames.</i></span></span></div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR93dwuSRof6uH3TEq7VZb-etsj74Nmg-PjD1NklPTsxquL-X2Ok3P8FIUcx2OnHL8x0B0JjFympH_krmIkrkuzvufpic1i3OaulrrYaSnCMqgOcoyA54f7FjSK98yBF3tZZWJHg/s1600/PH+Meter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR93dwuSRof6uH3TEq7VZb-etsj74Nmg-PjD1NklPTsxquL-X2Ok3P8FIUcx2OnHL8x0B0JjFympH_krmIkrkuzvufpic1i3OaulrrYaSnCMqgOcoyA54f7FjSK98yBF3tZZWJHg/s320/PH+Meter.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;">To make sure growing conditions are are optimum, Clare tested the PH of the soil, and it appears to be PH neutral, which hopefully will be to our benefit.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">This evening, I sowed out the asparagus, all of which thankfully are still alive! Fifteen plants in all, that will hopefully keep producing for the next twenty years. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv8sS_aOfkZk7YNM4_wAklZg5ufxkPtV1cureyK9yfcyFfIClgtGpwLjGvXV45G5K4N67XA7URK78K4Z2yt4iHusbkuNZlCqjaZgR69KE7IYUXpRm2JJizA-xhQahqNNBQxm-raA/s1600/Radish.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv8sS_aOfkZk7YNM4_wAklZg5ufxkPtV1cureyK9yfcyFfIClgtGpwLjGvXV45G5K4N67XA7URK78K4Z2yt4iHusbkuNZlCqjaZgR69KE7IYUXpRm2JJizA-xhQahqNNBQxm-raA/s320/Radish.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">The veg in the allotment seem to be making the most of the clement weather we're currently enjoying. The radishes are flying up - I appreciate they're a quick growing plant, but this growth is great to see - visibly getting larger by the day! </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">On a more serious note, when watering the vegetables this evening, I noticed one of the enemies of the allotment gardener on our celery plants - slugs! I was quite affronted by the sight of them, as I hadn't expected to see them until the allotment was more fully established. In any case, I examined each celery plant and got rid of all of them before going home. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwx_zTDw272VPxMWIQsuMn8lbisZzBO3X_VY3xog_cf6yd-7LMchawKTindr0aCVi8AX6jA-ULFe0mhcjq0WydINRnkxF4W10EUx6ymUmgyny8kfuHnd-teIv-3su63sv2TqRFdg/s1600/Celery.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwx_zTDw272VPxMWIQsuMn8lbisZzBO3X_VY3xog_cf6yd-7LMchawKTindr0aCVi8AX6jA-ULFe0mhcjq0WydINRnkxF4W10EUx6ymUmgyny8kfuHnd-teIv-3su63sv2TqRFdg/s320/Celery.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>Our celery - which the slugs want to feast on. Constant vigilance needed!</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">So that's where we're at. Next week is all about forking (as usual). But this time, I'll be working the right side of the central path. Getting so close to being finished I can almost smell it. So much more vegetables to be grown, eaten and hopefully enjoyed!</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia58p5TULLvg-ZupAo7M8okigFmr9PeeW9zDGcnie1zn0J10LjI4jhAONLY3iaQI-xr9Vf5bG82H5oJHAtYoMYqhFb5VDp5ykRyogJo_drz-AEsKwwtrQptVimZhQByZPXgzH3Cw/s1600/Plot+23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia58p5TULLvg-ZupAo7M8okigFmr9PeeW9zDGcnie1zn0J10LjI4jhAONLY3iaQI-xr9Vf5bG82H5oJHAtYoMYqhFb5VDp5ykRyogJo_drz-AEsKwwtrQptVimZhQByZPXgzH3Cw/s320/Plot+23.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>The allotment as it looked this afternoon.</i></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04661937227167620182noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28482585.post-34797489514625193372012-05-22T22:39:00.001+01:002012-05-22T22:40:50.204+01:00All from nothing... (part 13)<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 25px;"><em><span style="color: #333333;">Our efforts to transform an unused piece of land into a productive vegetable garden.</span></em></strong>
<br />
<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 25px;"><em><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></em></strong><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">So, it's been a while since I posted an "All from nothing" blog. There are a couple of reasons for this - work, my son's birthday, work being done to my house (which just about takes precedence over the allotment ), but primarily due to the fact that I strained my back a few weeks ago, making labour impossible (at least if I wanted to heal said injury). </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">My lack of activity at the allotment weighed heavily on my mind - I'm conscious of the fact that I'm behind on the work needed to be done and that the summer is moving on. But there was little I could do save get quite frustrated about my situation. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Clare stepped up to the tasks at hand, and spent time weeding and ensuring that the veg we have planted was kept watered and fed as necessary. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ35YR2K_ZQCKH50DPzUre2RNLZq0TDAZeG-rxvEKu-33yaPlvrwwKON5R3C7S-FGLBfF6uCsa7OjtZQbGq9-2w6hMv8-YDjnZ5Ghtm3IDvQWPqTuvmz1C-Gop7zeR62bYHQbv_w/s1600/Carrots.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ35YR2K_ZQCKH50DPzUre2RNLZq0TDAZeG-rxvEKu-33yaPlvrwwKON5R3C7S-FGLBfF6uCsa7OjtZQbGq9-2w6hMv8-YDjnZ5Ghtm3IDvQWPqTuvmz1C-Gop7zeR62bYHQbv_w/s320/Carrots.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>We've rows of carrots planted that are starting to poke their heads towards the sun!</i></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Finally, on Sunday last (20th May) I felt ready to head back up and get some work done. We all headed over to the allotment. I began forking through the soil, adding barrow loads of composted manure to the soil as I went. I made good progress, and Thomas helped me out, throwing stones and rocks I was discarding into my barrow to be removed from the site (he also got a kids barrow of his own for his birthday!). Isabelle lay in her pram and enjoyed the fresh air, keeping a keen eye on us. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Clare weeded, and then sowed Cos Lettuce, Chard and radishes (a personal favourite of mine!). </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmXLY0_A5OTfYKvKbyPW2OK4UOZZYIcM9Ba2PkM-OWlB8XNXes4DANjolAOQ-khK0Cd5cGC4Hyv1Ea4OQ77gqPJzBOREQdo-t0sk64KlJEAk8WX67dB9I5IfgB10OJ19JATA9Ng/s1600/Parsnips.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmXLY0_A5OTfYKvKbyPW2OK4UOZZYIcM9Ba2PkM-OWlB8XNXes4DANjolAOQ-khK0Cd5cGC4Hyv1Ea4OQ77gqPJzBOREQdo-t0sk64KlJEAk8WX67dB9I5IfgB10OJ19JATA9Ng/s320/Parsnips.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>Parsnips, much like the carrots, are beginning to germinate.</i></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">We got a fair amount done by the time came to go home. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Today turned out to be lovely - temperatures hitting about 21 degrees, so when I got home from work we all headed over to the allotment again. I brought over some decking timber that we sourced - we're going to use it to build a small bed for our potatoes to go in. I'll hopefully build this tomorrow. I then did some more forking, and Thomas pottered about, doing his best to help us (though we did have to keep him from treading all over our vegetable beds!). Isabelle, clearly bored, fell asleep. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Clare planted more celery, and packed compost around the established celery plants, which should "blanch" them, reducing their bitterness. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdrCZldSaAGXpG_Bx-lBWcx0mRMK6SC2dt9wuYKgZMsknDc5C-s2KLUiMQRm3eDMn9fq2Ljoe693AxUMGUFAhd3VUKs9aTSr4yUw_yIFpFuB8ScZOuwHISWcXq8XbxgsJza1_Fg/s1600/Celery.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdrCZldSaAGXpG_Bx-lBWcx0mRMK6SC2dt9wuYKgZMsknDc5C-s2KLUiMQRm3eDMn9fq2Ljoe693AxUMGUFAhd3VUKs9aTSr4yUw_yIFpFuB8ScZOuwHISWcXq8XbxgsJza1_Fg/s320/Celery.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>Our celery bed, with the new plants to the front, and established plants towards the back.</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Clare took the kids home for dinner, and I stayed on for a while , continuing to fork the soil and also bringing more compost in to mix through the soil. Much as I felt compelled to stay until it was dark, I forced myself to head home to help put the kids to bed.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">The other veg we've planted out seems to be doing well, as is shown in the photos below. While Clare was sowing the celery today, she noticed that the soil was nice and warm, which is a great sign. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqpxJ_LGrBPLLI2ohfLXRC1F_3YYEwN-EjkaAgwU_kORHIK6F8MewXMy-2UKLr2VzkRl0cxgP-MN3eiJgh-w7nUG2t4lqh6gyXdxOQ_82t16WvuaF2ZCUVJusm5GK4yZRgkWS-g/s1600/Garlic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqpxJ_LGrBPLLI2ohfLXRC1F_3YYEwN-EjkaAgwU_kORHIK6F8MewXMy-2UKLr2VzkRl0cxgP-MN3eiJgh-w7nUG2t4lqh6gyXdxOQ_82t16WvuaF2ZCUVJusm5GK4yZRgkWS-g/s320/Garlic.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Our garlic - ideally we should of planted this out months ago, but it seems to be doing well. We grew garlic last year in pots in our back garden, and were fairly successful with it. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKzSsJtrL6LAF0zi-4vSucUfjDMhFHo9I9H3fq70VS7Zuo4xHya2BfkTfVVBYfhJ-ZyfQJUNZDoTtmwDQI90BWbhAXbm2CCmbE8P6wSoGwB5dke0LprCxLNjzYkqBV2gniWeFq_Q/s1600/Onions.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKzSsJtrL6LAF0zi-4vSucUfjDMhFHo9I9H3fq70VS7Zuo4xHya2BfkTfVVBYfhJ-ZyfQJUNZDoTtmwDQI90BWbhAXbm2CCmbE8P6wSoGwB5dke0LprCxLNjzYkqBV2gniWeFq_Q/s320/Onions.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Half of our onion bed. Again, these are growing away happily. We did notice that one was pulled out, which I assume was the work of an inquisitive rook. Still, with a full bed of them, the loss of one isn't catastrophic. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDPrcBwEzpBTU7PwoXCdnR6IVC5n3uBlWcVy81_AoE9ir_LSAB_DPlTzs9dL25mcpUxvcsU5dI_QqaH6bc9dfb92xZOfBhcTDpqCFCw48FWMdxASElojHKqcoWHzMd4pIiRuVOw/s1600/Cleavers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDPrcBwEzpBTU7PwoXCdnR6IVC5n3uBlWcVy81_AoE9ir_LSAB_DPlTzs9dL25mcpUxvcsU5dI_QqaH6bc9dfb92xZOfBhcTDpqCFCw48FWMdxASElojHKqcoWHzMd4pIiRuVOw/s320/Cleavers.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>Cleavers</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">I've noticed a particular weed that grows beside our allotment - cleavers. These "weeds" were famed in my childhood as "stickybacks", as they could cling tenaciously to clothes (particularly school uniforms!) when they came into contact with them. They can be used with nettles to make a decent tea (which I'm going to make later in the week) and also to be made into a juice. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">As the evenings get longer, I've also noticed a rabbit or three, skulking about the fields surrounding the allotment. They look fairly healthy, and I intend to eliminate potential threat they pose to our veg by shooting as many of them as I can eat. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Rabbits are a fantastic source of lean, delicious meat, and given their huge numbers in my locale, are a sustainable source of meat. I've been hunting them now for a few years, and enjoyed eating every one I've shot.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-N-e9y2QR6Xvi4khwj5OoLN9IlYuXK7vBLdlOvRqfTC20ypev-H29DHM5G1yazDf5Kzqjtn49o9MT-NaAD7Imi3yz9zzzwx2gxuhHyzS0nGFOgukpDpk1O_D98bmHGM7HCZjWNw/s1600/Rabbit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-N-e9y2QR6Xvi4khwj5OoLN9IlYuXK7vBLdlOvRqfTC20ypev-H29DHM5G1yazDf5Kzqjtn49o9MT-NaAD7Imi3yz9zzzwx2gxuhHyzS0nGFOgukpDpk1O_D98bmHGM7HCZjWNw/s320/Rabbit.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>Bugs Bunny</i></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">I'll publish another blog later on this week. Please feel free to leave whatever comments you like, it's always great to get feedback!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04661937227167620182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28482585.post-76803337113879634572012-04-30T16:19:00.000+01:002012-04-30T21:24:46.991+01:00Meanwhile, back at the ranch... (part 5)<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been a while since I wrote about how our veg is growing at home. There's some new stuff growing, so I guess now is an appropriate time to write a blog about it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZ4ksZgPH97nP0B-EzfzJENL3JCLCiiqiA9u3I0pbgSqkr5RnFa7VOzpg9u7etjkZd61I5kXQKXNg2jwBq7W2kHxwXIBWaMdUd82yco0I04LU0tJaGGa6zGRSYI0DwAmzW9c7Tw/s1600/Tomatoes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZ4ksZgPH97nP0B-EzfzJENL3JCLCiiqiA9u3I0pbgSqkr5RnFa7VOzpg9u7etjkZd61I5kXQKXNg2jwBq7W2kHxwXIBWaMdUd82yco0I04LU0tJaGGa6zGRSYI0DwAmzW9c7Tw/s320/Tomatoes.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll start with the tomatoes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These have been planted outside for a week or two now, albeit underneath a sheet of transparent perspex (which has fulfilled the duel role of slightly warming the air underneath it and also protecting the tomato plants from overnight frost).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They're growing well, our next job is to put wire up in the troughs to allow the plants cling to when they send out creepers. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All the troughs (or pots) that the tomatoes are growing in are filled with compost that's been rotting down in our compost bin for the last two years. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBfeLUJ-8wve0ZKxHB5nvCSto49cnesVADzXA_-KCO3lenlpMtA0a0X4HGrRU5xlH8m6E4UV9Nx-2GZ2qDYeqHqcqt7yhfj5Zll8xFtsJpERPVhqGIeDsOgVJM2KjC9cEMs28COg/s1600/Leeks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBfeLUJ-8wve0ZKxHB5nvCSto49cnesVADzXA_-KCO3lenlpMtA0a0X4HGrRU5xlH8m6E4UV9Nx-2GZ2qDYeqHqcqt7yhfj5Zll8xFtsJpERPVhqGIeDsOgVJM2KjC9cEMs28COg/s320/Leeks.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Leeks</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The leeks we planted are growing taller by the day. Clare rotates the box the leeks are planted in every day to ensure they all receive an equal amount of sunlight. They'll be left in the box for another month (till June) before we plant them out in the plot. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6trlryzyr4ET39dJol3RMHevjveU6Sf3RePqMiCz57Wpcph4lXf5bJchwJ6pFfXxnOm3_PtbJy-W3SvaBUZ8Qu5haL1y5PYLCKBaIKX6BR9KoAKCN-mRVCglSIqRg3Nd4aP9y5A/s1600/Cucumber.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6trlryzyr4ET39dJol3RMHevjveU6Sf3RePqMiCz57Wpcph4lXf5bJchwJ6pFfXxnOm3_PtbJy-W3SvaBUZ8Qu5haL1y5PYLCKBaIKX6BR9KoAKCN-mRVCglSIqRg3Nd4aP9y5A/s320/Cucumber.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Cucumbers (the pots to the left)</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We're also growing cucumber - the seeds were quick to germinate, and the plants are even quicker to grow. In the above photo, the cucumber plants are the large plants in the pots to the extreme left (the next two rows to the right are peas, but more of that below). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had good success with the cucumber plants we grew the year before last - growing decent sized (and delicious) cucumbers. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The cucumbers will be planted out in our back garden, as I think they'll require more care and attention than the other veg that we'll plant out in the plot.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The reason that we're growing additional peas is that by "staggering" the growth of the plants should give us a constant harvest of peas throughout the summer. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9hyphenhyphenRzd7OpBSsKnfKmOjKcbLlR4Snga0WtKUlvYjEDdwRe1U-IGiVT0jOXperqUTkhbf90OoU0f5lnYfq_7vsW4h4IjYAVgZeo-fchkPy7uzryddo_w_baahHw9PoSc4aNqd_FQ/s1600/Cos_lettuce.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9hyphenhyphenRzd7OpBSsKnfKmOjKcbLlR4Snga0WtKUlvYjEDdwRe1U-IGiVT0jOXperqUTkhbf90OoU0f5lnYfq_7vsW4h4IjYAVgZeo-fchkPy7uzryddo_w_baahHw9PoSc4aNqd_FQ/s320/Cos_lettuce.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnki1IY2thWjeMCbk7Y5DO8i0mEE0bJwTKb18MqRuAbAww6ABjtEMVkG348GQDxRTtass4XIzwPxdUrnsBbxmwxAtN4S85GdCvFoIG5Y3xv54GOh7hQgD9eK3iXo2JUMkLWrgTZQ/s1600/Black_bean.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnki1IY2thWjeMCbk7Y5DO8i0mEE0bJwTKb18MqRuAbAww6ABjtEMVkG348GQDxRTtass4XIzwPxdUrnsBbxmwxAtN4S85GdCvFoIG5Y3xv54GOh7hQgD9eK3iXo2JUMkLWrgTZQ/s200/Black_bean.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clare's also growing some veg we've never tried before - Cos Lettuce (<i>pictured left</i>) and "Purple Teepee", a type of bean that grows long, purple (surprise!) pods. I'm looking forward to see how these come along (<i>pictured right</i>). We're experimenting by germinating the seeds in "Jiffy 7's", which are basically recycled coconut fibres packed into a small disk. After watering them, they expand and you then sow your seeds into them. So far they seem to be working out pretty well. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCfGKrR_KIaorm1gJy28HCOdv1yGaudPyRgf4RZSrXgWbBPSDy1-lZxKOVNErysaI7M3q0VoQQHSYsav1JeTgFJCVs8ht676uaym2b-1bnk1R5KG_15wwxKVnTMtGgP3-bEVUww/s1600/Chillies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCfGKrR_KIaorm1gJy28HCOdv1yGaudPyRgf4RZSrXgWbBPSDy1-lZxKOVNErysaI7M3q0VoQQHSYsav1JeTgFJCVs8ht676uaym2b-1bnk1R5KG_15wwxKVnTMtGgP3-bEVUww/s320/Chillies.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We split our chilli plants into two different good sized pots, suitable for sitting on the windowsill where they'll reside all summer. They're growing well, and already we're starting to see the first flowers coming out . These will of course eventually transform into hot chilies. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ2rWBNki4tuHXSSVfVwiRycv-Zt0mjHt1Q7OEUo2oJF2UZkO3Oc11WmPCIGrColaFYgWa-bW84zqvd6XrAWdQ89c07sQDTmogiTXNQ5KCDnyOb1EsjOdeKSSzRbzrEd-JCSNHww/s1600/Blackcurrant_bush.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ2rWBNki4tuHXSSVfVwiRycv-Zt0mjHt1Q7OEUo2oJF2UZkO3Oc11WmPCIGrColaFYgWa-bW84zqvd6XrAWdQ89c07sQDTmogiTXNQ5KCDnyOb1EsjOdeKSSzRbzrEd-JCSNHww/s320/Blackcurrant_bush.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>Now, time to go back outdoors.</b> Last year we bought a shoot off a blackcurrant bush (<i>pictured below</i>). To be honest, as it looked like nothing more than a twig, I didn't really hold out any hope for anything growing from it. How wrong I was. Over the course of last summer, the twig grew into a bone fide blackcurrant bush. It eventually reached a height of about two and a half feet before the autumn kicked in and slowed its growth. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A couple of weeks ago, buds started to appear on it, and at this point, it's continuing its skyscraper-like growth. We're collected a bucket of composted manure from the plot, and scattered it over the base of the bush. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZNT_Mj2W6ZAO-tuuVqfludWaPMw7XWSzt_Z5Ta12t2_AQfkLa0AuNF2X9yRX02eVbUvernZDsbQqxNITxBG1qJ5H7Ui4GiLdCL2BMlI_lg9cqz0Yu3iCjXvHyja-W2IFpRQJ8w/s1600/Blackcurrant_graft.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZNT_Mj2W6ZAO-tuuVqfludWaPMw7XWSzt_Z5Ta12t2_AQfkLa0AuNF2X9yRX02eVbUvernZDsbQqxNITxBG1qJ5H7Ui4GiLdCL2BMlI_lg9cqz0Yu3iCjXvHyja-W2IFpRQJ8w/s320/Blackcurrant_graft.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The blackcurrant is a really decent addition to the garden. It's a decent looking plant, and gives off a fantastic aroma. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(<i>Pictured right, you can see the original "graft" that the blackcurrant grew from - its the straight "twig" in the dead centre of the bush</i>). </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp__7YKxqazALaCukaAqv4qOcXVjLAgWyEODlylvZkDh2WYGJDhfxezkHzksQCVp_KS5uLjwam63db-jSRUzAUidKoTzaB2yp5RvFPliBIwbVGuZnoh3R76TEsOaHzrOh5_gc59g/s1600/Blackcurrant_growth.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp__7YKxqazALaCukaAqv4qOcXVjLAgWyEODlylvZkDh2WYGJDhfxezkHzksQCVp_KS5uLjwam63db-jSRUzAUidKoTzaB2yp5RvFPliBIwbVGuZnoh3R76TEsOaHzrOh5_gc59g/s320/Blackcurrant_growth.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The extent to which the blackcurrant has grown this year is obvious from the photo to the left - last years growth is the "woody" grey part of the stem towards the bottom. All the green stem is this years growth (so far!). It's about fifteen centimetres growth so far. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm training some of the branches against the trellis to ensure they don't get crowded. Hopefully this will also make it easier to pick the fruit in years to come.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Th</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">e leaves will come in useful to make a fruit tea. </span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiAU84GUXhZ0wJv8zYMofNH8i44IIUOEA5dTwU04JrWMGzcz5EuESiTy2uJVVExOI6qCcpY5PU5L0QYHSF2NCDd5ksKrX768LJ0lttm_lG_raOcM_7gsElJdzfbpPsX3v7mrXlSg/s1600/Blackcurrant_berries.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiAU84GUXhZ0wJv8zYMofNH8i44IIUOEA5dTwU04JrWMGzcz5EuESiTy2uJVVExOI6qCcpY5PU5L0QYHSF2NCDd5ksKrX768LJ0lttm_lG_raOcM_7gsElJdzfbpPsX3v7mrXlSg/s320/Blackcurrant_berries.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, leaving the best news for last, our blackcurrant bush has started to produce fruit (<i>pictured right</i>). There are several bunches of these berries growing on the bush. I'm really excited about when I can finally harvest them, though I'm in several minds as to what to do with the berries - jam? - cordial? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Any ideas greatly appreciated, please just leave a comment on the bottom of the blog.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSjh9gbLkAXtQGKrM0Boqnjt_w30SEeUqArFwtOJj9dyEMHk38eKoBsOrR0Z21DissI_YxA04VUubKyIZI4nhnjuokwbPK0KrQxLNZwyYrS-KKUlqcNDxLfqi9L-ZENC8oSswSA/s1600/Gooseberry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSjh9gbLkAXtQGKrM0Boqnjt_w30SEeUqArFwtOJj9dyEMHk38eKoBsOrR0Z21DissI_YxA04VUubKyIZI4nhnjuokwbPK0KrQxLNZwyYrS-KKUlqcNDxLfqi9L-ZENC8oSswSA/s320/Gooseberry.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's also some good news on the gooseberry front. The gooseberry sapling I planted this year hadn't shown any signs of life, and after the frosts of early April, I had given it up for dead. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, after checking on it today, I discovered a few buds shooting up. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's not much, but the blackcurrant had small beginnings too, so I'll be patient. The idea of having both gooseberries and blackcurrants growing in our back garden next year is a very satisfying one! </span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAn7KRq9FCozfa67H_roLXBSMc4yHe0Rw89v26ggPIkT0A0Aq07WJ6TW-2dwTXtRmUnMhvM5rgvtkL2bg66V6g26azO1AJ1hsPcVFRpeGYZDZyAnrhooE_00AoZg75SzmHtbdx9A/s1600/Strawberries.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAn7KRq9FCozfa67H_roLXBSMc4yHe0Rw89v26ggPIkT0A0Aq07WJ6TW-2dwTXtRmUnMhvM5rgvtkL2bg66V6g26azO1AJ1hsPcVFRpeGYZDZyAnrhooE_00AoZg75SzmHtbdx9A/s320/Strawberries.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Strawberries</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last year we planted out a few strawberry plants, which grew some decent strawberries (every single one of which was enjoyed by Thomas!). In the autumn, these plants sent out "runners", which I replanted around the garden. These runners are now starting to blossom, as can be seen from the picture above. Not sure quite yet how many strawberry plants survived, but every one is a bonus. More details will follow on my blogs in the future.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_zovB2QA2TrLdgZgt-LBjZSV_L4ettwIMoynaXDTT99TEvjMrN7gYxEoOglQEKKTSsGgsIgvkgWglsPKBOGjKe937HgVJSGlmU0JUqaemNo9M6K6-9TUKQbBYavCn8dZ7Lqpvg/s1600/Bittercress.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_zovB2QA2TrLdgZgt-LBjZSV_L4ettwIMoynaXDTT99TEvjMrN7gYxEoOglQEKKTSsGgsIgvkgWglsPKBOGjKe937HgVJSGlmU0JUqaemNo9M6K6-9TUKQbBYavCn8dZ7Lqpvg/s320/Bittercress.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On a final note - the forager in me wouldn't be happy unless I mentioned that some "hairy bittercress" (</span><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cardamine hirsuta, pictured left</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">) is growing fairly prolifically at the bottom of my garden. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most people would think of this as a weed - myself included. However I also know that this is a perfectly edible little gem of a weed - and it's not bitter at all.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As its name suggests, it tastes almost exactly like the "normal" cress most people will be used to - i.e nice and peppery, a lovely addition to a summer salad. </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04661937227167620182noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28482585.post-5439983072252962102012-04-24T22:41:00.000+01:002012-04-24T22:41:10.161+01:00All from nothing ... (part 12)<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 25px;"><em><span style="color: #333333;">Our efforts to transform an unused piece of land into a productive vegetable garden.</span></em></strong>
<br />
<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 25px;"><em><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></em></strong><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">I was determined to complete the job of putting the chicken wire up before the weekend drew to a close. So on Sunday morning, despite ominous clouds covering the sky, I headed straight to the allotment after we finished breakfast. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">I got straight to the job at hand. As Clare had dug quite a bit of the trench on Saturday, it wasn't as difficult as it might have been. I soon had my routine going - roll the chicken wire out to the next post, ensure that it was fairly correctly "in place", from the bottom of the trench to the bull wire. I then cable-tied the chicken wire to the bull wire, clipped the excess off the cable ties (to make it look presentable), and finally back filled the earth in the trench. When I got to a post, I'd tack the chicken wire to it. This helped strengthen the wire and guaranteed it remained taut. Eventually, I had to dig more trench. I did this in two stages, more to keep variety to the job than for anything else. By lunchtime, I had almost finished the entire allotment. All that remained was tacking the chicken wire onto the fence adjacent to the gate. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">After getting some jobs done at home, I went back to the allotment, and finished off the chicken wire. The most awkward job was cutting off remaining chicken wire, as my wire cutters weren't up to much. That finally done, I had completed the enclosing of the allotment. Worrying about rabbits destroying crops is now (hopefully) a thing of the past. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">I'll admit I felt no small sense of satisfaction having finished the job. Not only is it practical, it lends the allotment a far more aesthetically pleasing look. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjUQu99OvUs6ETfndILAXC3NJiwZYFXsHA_8PM0g1hp0k6s13-WkaGJZE_1gOAIAyGy4ODPeMknF8SGUU2xZrOnRAKJi4gUa5CRR-NQOsB-qCdrXzXK0jh-QW_f1s1jIcpxd9ddw/s1600/Fence_top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjUQu99OvUs6ETfndILAXC3NJiwZYFXsHA_8PM0g1hp0k6s13-WkaGJZE_1gOAIAyGy4ODPeMknF8SGUU2xZrOnRAKJi4gUa5CRR-NQOsB-qCdrXzXK0jh-QW_f1s1jIcpxd9ddw/s320/Fence_top.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>The top corner of the allotment.</i></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Yesterday (Monday) morning, Clare headed over soon after breakfast, and prepared more beds. When she had done this, she sowed carrot, parsnip and garlic into them. The beds for the carrots and parsnips took a little more work, as these vegetables hate stones in the soil (which split the roots when they hit them). </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">After a couple of hours, she came home and I went over. However, the weather took a turn for the worse, and it started raining quite heavily. Not much I could do about that, so I went home for a cup of hot chocolate. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;">I was in work on the night shift last night, so needed a few hours in bed this morning before going over to the allotment. A month's rain has been forecast in the next thirty-six hours, so we were anxious to get as much done as possible before this deluge began. As it turns out however, the weather gods smiled on us, and it turn out to be a fantastic evening.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;">Clare went over first to space out where we will plant asparagus, which needs a good amount of space. I looked after the kids, and went over when she got home. </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">My job for today was to dig out the central, semi-permanent path that all our beds will be attached to. Maybe I'm just gone used to the manual labour, but I didn't find this job difficult, and had most of the path complete within an hour. I then dug out another "mini" path between beds. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Clare came over with the kids, and started preparing the double bed that the swedes and beetroot will most likely be planted in. Thomas brought a toy JCB digger and pottered about as we worked. Isabelle slept for most of her time there. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">One anecdote for remembering in the future: just before we were preparing to go home, Thomas was enjoying himself splashing in some puddles. Getting adventurous, he ran around the corner of a stable in search of deeper pools, which took him out of my line of vision. Suddenly a horse winnyed loudly, and gave Thomas such a scare that he rocketed around the corner and into my arms like a streak of lightening! </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">At this point, the biggest jobs are behind us, and every half hour that we're able to put into the allotment will give visible results. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjC_WqsLWvOdWJrWOhiiAdd-fW2u35yPhrzbI-w974Y47w3x7Rey1p78YlVbq51mrRapzZ3A1sB7pR8gYLhhnPspRduQSbWzJBFcpXdh8W9HoayZnOO9TXjL46PuyUXwhLuhkw_A/s1600/Plot+22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjC_WqsLWvOdWJrWOhiiAdd-fW2u35yPhrzbI-w974Y47w3x7Rey1p78YlVbq51mrRapzZ3A1sB7pR8gYLhhnPspRduQSbWzJBFcpXdh8W9HoayZnOO9TXjL46PuyUXwhLuhkw_A/s320/Plot+22.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>The allotment as it looked this evening. </i></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04661937227167620182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28482585.post-13487736041981024582012-04-21T23:11:00.001+01:002012-04-26T10:03:13.979+01:00All from nothing... (part 11)<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 25px;"><em><span style="color: #333333;">Our efforts to transform an unused piece of land into a productive vegetable garden. </span></em></strong> <br />
<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 25px;"><em><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></em></strong><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Yet another week passes in which I didn't visit the allotment at all. My only excuse is that when I'm working the day job, I want to spend time with my family when I get home, not give them a quick hello and head off for a couple of hours again.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Now that the weekend has finally arrived, we had a proper opportunity to get some real work done on the plot. So y</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;">esterday evening, Clare headed over and spent an hour or two building the first of the beds that we'll use to grow veg on. </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">This morning dawned sunny and beautiful, so after giving the kids breakfast, we all jumped in the car and traveled over. We brought most of the veg that we've grown with us - the vast majority of the veg are ready to be planted out and it's high time they were. When we got to the allotment, I discovered a little present the landlady had left for me hanging from the gate:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA06nj0SkbeXQGwWBnhxq2jdLQsgn3osZOXAmGvSbPywFhLgM5SEf3Wk_MJAtHUMofUipbA3-rYSmlg_wGAgEX85607pujCF1zI65YIfBmfnQ5iCq5ma9awT8u-su_bm-DUEBKlA/s1600/21st_Gate_sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA06nj0SkbeXQGwWBnhxq2jdLQsgn3osZOXAmGvSbPywFhLgM5SEf3Wk_MJAtHUMofUipbA3-rYSmlg_wGAgEX85607pujCF1zI65YIfBmfnQ5iCq5ma9awT8u-su_bm-DUEBKlA/s320/21st_Gate_sign.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Needless to say, I was delighted with this gift - this simple gesture sums up the type of family we're lucky enough to be friends with. Not that I'd need any present to know how decent they are (after all, they freely offered us the use of the land!). </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">We had two objectives for the day - we wanted to plant out at least a few of the veg and also to put up the chicken wire.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">My first task was removing the pile of stones I've been accumulating when forking the soil. Clare (and Thomas) helped load up one of the wheelbarrows from the farm, and in two trips, I'd gotten rid of the entire pile. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Clare then started to dig out the central path that all the vegetable beds will run off. I continued forking through the soil - I need to get this finished for us to be able to fully ulitise the land.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">We then began working on putting up the chicken wire - from the gate outwards. After a while, we headed home for lunch. After which, Thomas had to go for his midday nap, so I headed back to the allotment myself and continued putting the chicken wire up. It was slightly slower work doing it on my own - I had to dig a trench (the chicken wire has to be buried below the ground to prevent rabbits digging underneath it)</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"> , correctly place the wire, cable-tie to the bull wire and then back fill the trench. </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Luckily</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;">, after Thomas woke up, Clare came back down with the kids and helped dig the trench, while I worked putting up the chicken wire.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;">We managed to get about half the allotment covered before it was time to go home for the afternoon. </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4r0sVVQIf8Ouqs5rrwa01FPYUHPCSqrvalCWOOaqsSalFlSQz46lhrFoiwMF-c8mQgQ3-IaDrz-oo6JIpMPKa6EBk2haRhPNreFdxoKD0GQCDzwK6cWvix2f_Of7RKWKCUUH3A/s1600/21st_Chickenwire_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4r0sVVQIf8Ouqs5rrwa01FPYUHPCSqrvalCWOOaqsSalFlSQz46lhrFoiwMF-c8mQgQ3-IaDrz-oo6JIpMPKa6EBk2haRhPNreFdxoKD0GQCDzwK6cWvix2f_Of7RKWKCUUH3A/s320/21st_Chickenwire_1.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"> <i>The (hopefully) rabbit-proof fence.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgubrmqGij6951mzT-WxGwhO2r9xrf_LKjjxwBMntNjQI_ISj8_SQKbRoFI-TcsQb71rRTCtAsAns5He7Q8wXOJLFWVxQqYPFaYZbeRKki7ntAkYK0NpO9VMrDnZo8JAWiDIKzSMg/s1600/21st_Chickenwire_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgubrmqGij6951mzT-WxGwhO2r9xrf_LKjjxwBMntNjQI_ISj8_SQKbRoFI-TcsQb71rRTCtAsAns5He7Q8wXOJLFWVxQqYPFaYZbeRKki7ntAkYK0NpO9VMrDnZo8JAWiDIKzSMg/s320/21st_Chickenwire_2.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>The chicken wire fencing in place. I feel this is one of the major milestones in setting up the allotment.</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;">When Clare finished, she began sowing celery into it's allotted bed. It was a kind of seminal moment - after all our work and effort we've finally got veg growing in the allotment. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcCacPx8AgH7ezIkWONNmyxGh7k5xIccmO93varfacFcaUvBqnzlYHu8gzf6Rk4b96_3UBk_s8jAfal6xHrC7WWGAfLRdYuj7p5DGiFCWbcV9vJ6-6ZxjK-JYUlFt8s86MioaS8w/s1600/21st_Celery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcCacPx8AgH7ezIkWONNmyxGh7k5xIccmO93varfacFcaUvBqnzlYHu8gzf6Rk4b96_3UBk_s8jAfal6xHrC7WWGAfLRdYuj7p5DGiFCWbcV9vJ6-6ZxjK-JYUlFt8s86MioaS8w/s320/21st_Celery.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><i>The celery bed. </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">I drove the kids home, and Clare stayed on for a little while, and layed the onion bed down. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7GmZihrJnpyWbMlJdlHFS4VeKvz1nwkBKmy0T_0gdMAeWdI8rlp_9sHAdspf4U_1mdgd6JfC8fe6TLaVuIySCMZtDD_NynAcrZ7OlFLhxb7z5YeyAhXiJ95RT91S2ACtu-Zn_7w/s1600/21st_Onions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7GmZihrJnpyWbMlJdlHFS4VeKvz1nwkBKmy0T_0gdMAeWdI8rlp_9sHAdspf4U_1mdgd6JfC8fe6TLaVuIySCMZtDD_NynAcrZ7OlFLhxb7z5YeyAhXiJ95RT91S2ACtu-Zn_7w/s320/21st_Onions.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"> <i>The onion bed.</i></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">When she was finished, she threw some netting over it to prevent birds from eating the sets.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;">So all in all, I'm really happy with the work we completed today. We're nearly there. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzNTZZsuay6r5LJ-87For-VpHz67sObfqbuoG217tvFPWg-j-LScEasWu4Gq1zzySE7NBmhXaOG6frZR8BDeOxoHu2IBZPvIp1ubvttNUdNWBHeoz9bKb9rt0-k3HXVwLpn5gtA/s1600/Plot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzNTZZsuay6r5LJ-87For-VpHz67sObfqbuoG217tvFPWg-j-LScEasWu4Gq1zzySE7NBmhXaOG6frZR8BDeOxoHu2IBZPvIp1ubvttNUdNWBHeoz9bKb9rt0-k3HXVwLpn5gtA/s320/Plot.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>The allotment as it looked this evening.</i></span></span></div>
</div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><span id="goog_1472940088"></span><span id="goog_1472940089"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04661937227167620182noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28482585.post-61900585818619145792012-04-14T23:43:00.000+01:002012-04-14T23:43:18.367+01:00All from nothing... (part 10)<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 25px;"><em><span style="color: #333333;">Our efforts to transform an unused piece of land into a productive vegetable garden. </span></em></strong>
<br />
<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 25px;"><em><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></em></strong><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">There's only so much one can write about regarding the digging of soil. I want this blog to stay fresh (and hopefully interesting), so I haven't posted in a while. In some ways, activity at the allotment has been more of the same - forking the soil, breaking it up and removing the largest of stones and all the roots I could. There's progress being made slowly but surely, and I've enough soil prepared to plant out some vegetables. Meanwhile there's an ever growing mound of stones which I've yet to remove. </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2gBFWUPxCulgDKv_t-RjZ4NVadwn7s9Eho_2NIjY5PQYLe2enlTC5eBX_-AwULv8IHTuK_A5wSmkdrncPXIIVX8e5gHVbE3jBVzY8P91D2A-fZcTjFjfd4HlvH6SaKMJeH2apA/s1600/Stones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2gBFWUPxCulgDKv_t-RjZ4NVadwn7s9Eho_2NIjY5PQYLe2enlTC5eBX_-AwULv8IHTuK_A5wSmkdrncPXIIVX8e5gHVbE3jBVzY8P91D2A-fZcTjFjfd4HlvH6SaKMJeH2apA/s320/Stones.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>The photo doesn't do the cairn justice!</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">This is all "by the way" information. I'll get it all done soon, and the allotment will be all the better for it. Not to mention that I'll feel better myself for having done the work properly.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoV1LZ4sBBICebxXZMkAn5kaTfywCsvkltERNUYJCh8Ej8G23444G-UOT3XB-LcYFd3co6SLDIcT7X5XS4eYDOdaNoEAWRua48qXQN0FUS1kRCvz1gC0SU0xHtupyeIKSjfdjHTQ/s1600/Stakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoV1LZ4sBBICebxXZMkAn5kaTfywCsvkltERNUYJCh8Ej8G23444G-UOT3XB-LcYFd3co6SLDIcT7X5XS4eYDOdaNoEAWRua48qXQN0FUS1kRCvz1gC0SU0xHtupyeIKSjfdjHTQ/s320/Stakes.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;">More than endless digging and forking has been going on however. I purchased several stake posts that I'll need to keep the fencing up. I also bought "bull wire" to prevent the chicken wire that I'm using as a fencing from sagging. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">The posts are 5'6" in height, as they need to be hammered into the soil at least a foot and a half in order to remain stable. Finally, as some of the posts will be running along side an electrical fence, a farmer that I'm friends with kindly gave me a couple of plastic hooked screws to "hold" the electrical fence against them without the danger of it being grounded. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">I enlisted the aid of my father to help me hammer the posts into the ground. I got the lend of a post-driver off my brother in law, and with this tool, we were able to erect the posts correctly in short order. We then worked out the height the chicken wire will sit at (after allowing for burying some of it to stop rabbits digging under it). We then ran the bull wire along this height, keeping it in place using U-shaped nails that we hammered into the posts. After this, we made the bull wire taut by pulling it with a hammer, and tied it off tightly. Later, I screwed in the plastic hooks, and placed the electrical fence into them. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">We were unable to finish putting up the bull wire, as the pile of sod at the bottom of the allotment was in the way. As this </span><b style="line-height: 25px;">has </b><span style="line-height: 25px;">to be removed before I can continue with the fencing, I started to remove wheel-barrowful after barrowful of sod. Just as I was getting thoroughly fed up doing this, Clare showed up with Thomas and Isabelle, which provided a welcome diversion to the toil. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;">Clare got busy painting the gate, and soon moved onto the compost bin. We're painting the gate not only to protect the wood, but to also make it blend into the existing fence more cleanly. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhER9QCq4sPYMPy92Tr8u9HvY4IV_UiQ87Ml5ndKmBegC_SIEHveIDuRNuaqmF8goVejWUNiwR0n41iv7_3rdUrZy0pUNy3o5liFMGITsokj80qXC-Oli_XKamKGl325vWrJ2Hpzg/s1600/Compost_bin_painted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhER9QCq4sPYMPy92Tr8u9HvY4IV_UiQ87Ml5ndKmBegC_SIEHveIDuRNuaqmF8goVejWUNiwR0n41iv7_3rdUrZy0pUNy3o5liFMGITsokj80qXC-Oli_XKamKGl325vWrJ2Hpzg/s320/Compost_bin_painted.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAY9-93apZG1D-neRTVCmgYhF1H32f_NFxBsGL9749HG2Y7VRv09H-OrC27amKI1P9YIxrQpf11bjUrki7v_O18N6R2ltjeKuxq1XpZ-n_lGiuDlYJC1Hjl1T8VDqMxl3atvoVOg/s1600/Gate_painted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAY9-93apZG1D-neRTVCmgYhF1H32f_NFxBsGL9749HG2Y7VRv09H-OrC27amKI1P9YIxrQpf11bjUrki7v_O18N6R2ltjeKuxq1XpZ-n_lGiuDlYJC1Hjl1T8VDqMxl3atvoVOg/s320/Gate_painted.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">The compost bin was painted purely for cosmetic reasons. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNcR4beYEpeIZ2spK8PROG7blHCzbmgKHoWLHKEiq7jhXMYdG5YOBDUTWgEpFDT0RkiD9-o5oXXmF0PorMmsx_A4chiVJZa2ax5IDhAJX3skOzWS34d5uIw8jQgu7wsaLWMeCig/s1600/Thomas_wheelbarrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNcR4beYEpeIZ2spK8PROG7blHCzbmgKHoWLHKEiq7jhXMYdG5YOBDUTWgEpFDT0RkiD9-o5oXXmF0PorMmsx_A4chiVJZa2ax5IDhAJX3skOzWS34d5uIw8jQgu7wsaLWMeCig/s320/Thomas_wheelbarrow.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Thomas insisted on helping me out! As I threw the sods into the wheelbarrow, he'd throw small stones he found on the ground into it. He wanted to come with me to where I disposed of them, but as it's a bit of a difficult walk for a kid who's only going on two, he took a ride in the barrow. It was great craic, and Thomas had the time of his life doing it. He was fairly disappointed when it was time to go home for dinner. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Finally, after Clare had finished painting it, we hoisted the compost bin into its correct place on the allotment. A good days work, all in all. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJGnuOLIXA1oQ9mxFe6zbXbqFF-q7QvVnz2sgshC16qUUuE1AU0pLSLBrKTIjUVUvCwdTfQL3oXWfSDXRhFzCmeVD8WehA64bS3FycwZDnwTvcaI9wLXT6kfvaRiRRYqADWy796w/s1600/Plot+19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJGnuOLIXA1oQ9mxFe6zbXbqFF-q7QvVnz2sgshC16qUUuE1AU0pLSLBrKTIjUVUvCwdTfQL3oXWfSDXRhFzCmeVD8WehA64bS3FycwZDnwTvcaI9wLXT6kfvaRiRRYqADWy796w/s320/Plot+19.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>The allotment as it looked this evening. </i></span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04661937227167620182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28482585.post-60543993649611517632012-04-07T21:57:00.000+01:002012-04-14T22:39:52.248+01:00All from nothing... (part 9)<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 25px;"><em><span style="color: #333333;">Our efforts to transform an unused piece of land into a productive vegetable garden. </span></em></strong><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">It's been over a week since I had a chance to work on the plot, merely because I was busy at my place of employment. Last week, my Dad popped over with his rotovator, but we soon realised that the soil was too sandy for it to be really effective, and we wouldn't need to use it after all.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">This is something of a double edged sword - on one hand, as the soil is sandy, it's very easy to dig and also well drained. On the other hand, it makes it unsuitable for some veg to grow and also nutrients in the soil will be leeched away more quickly. The solution is to enrich the soil with compost, which will hopefully bind it together while also improving the quality of the soil. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="line-height: 20px;">I discovered that there was a pile of manure in the farmyard that had benefited from years of rotting down, resulting in compost of the same class that Peter had found up the fields when he was over. I can't stress enough how great a find this compost was - it was really necessary that I mix good compost with the soil, and trudging up and down the fields collecting wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow (and taking forever doing it) wasn't a realistic solution. The compost in the yard was merely metres from where the allotment stands, so was ideal. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">This morning, after everyone getting up, washed, dressed and broken their fast, I headed over to get some work done.<span style="font-size: medium;"> </span>I borrowed a wheelbarrow, and began at the bottom corner of the allotment, forking through the soil again, but this time, I removed all the stones and scutch root that I found. After I filled the barrow with as many stones I could manage, I disposed of them, and then shoveled a load of compost into it. I then forked the compost through the earth I had just cleared of stones. The result was that soil became far more "loamy" than it had been previously. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Hopefully this will make a big difference to how well our veg grows when we plant it on the plot. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Then I'd repeat the process. So I was beginning to appreciate how poet Patrick Kavanagh felt about the soil of his county. It was stony and grey. Another poem from my school years struck me as I toiled - "Digging" by Seamus Heaney (my spade sinking into gravelly ground). Finally on this literary roll, I began to understand the mentality of Bull McCabe, doing his best to transform a piece of barren rock into a fertile field. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">There were moments where this routine was broken, of course. At one point, as I was digging (or rather, forking!), I had my back turned to the electric fence that runs along one side of the allotment. Busy as I was, I didn't realise that my back was against the wire. Suddenly I felt the most terrific shock running through my body, and the next thing I knew, I was lying a few feet away on the ground. I won't be so complacent in the future!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">After a couple of hours, I had a couple of square metres finished. The going is a lot slower that I would like, but I may as well do the job properly when I'm doing it. With any luck, my efforts will be repaid with dividends. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ly2kV6Lg3li9GU-7Nhq8xsskVKr6BvemfPmlOWqo753ldlslihsgz9ul2-sJ-WGmRb2BrB9Kzo0PVYIbBhGSffsnCxZQusKmXeS-iCuaVQosarf0yCaXci6lA6At3s2yPwICDg/s1600/Loam+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ly2kV6Lg3li9GU-7Nhq8xsskVKr6BvemfPmlOWqo753ldlslihsgz9ul2-sJ-WGmRb2BrB9Kzo0PVYIbBhGSffsnCxZQusKmXeS-iCuaVQosarf0yCaXci6lA6At3s2yPwICDg/s320/Loam+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"> <i>The new improved "loamy" soil </i></span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04661937227167620182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28482585.post-80046182648041026162012-03-27T22:52:00.001+01:002012-03-27T23:18:10.554+01:00Meanwhile, back at the ranch... (part 4)<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm almost afraid to write up another post on how well things are growing back at the house, but I feel obligated to share my delight with the world. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORnXcohlxRB9OmV4rhzzbJIInUlJTyBN7ZOolJqxNqV9nK5_RbQtuXFqOP27mxMNRq6RRPkDO9V0uySteZFhxfSOn7uMIkXZotqwqM9SxUOiwPX_XfHumxMDKFHaW8qm67S0eQg/s1600/Courgettes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORnXcohlxRB9OmV4rhzzbJIInUlJTyBN7ZOolJqxNqV9nK5_RbQtuXFqOP27mxMNRq6RRPkDO9V0uySteZFhxfSOn7uMIkXZotqwqM9SxUOiwPX_XfHumxMDKFHaW8qm67S0eQg/s320/Courgettes.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Courgettes</i> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shoots have developed into bona fide plants. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's got to the stage that I need to finish off the allotment, because some of the veg will be ready to plant out soon. Depending on the type of veg, the strategy will be be to place them into larger flowerpots and "harden" them for a while before </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">transferring</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> them to the plot. Hardening them involves them being placed in our back garden during the day to acclimatise the veg and then bringing them back inside at night time. The theory is that if we planted the veg straight form the window to the allotment, the change in temperature would kill the plants faster than the slugs. Hardening will prevent that. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhFPNY_L-SRvDxhO0qTBkJlOEr41msCEIEo4uzfrCcATn6_CHnHojjPExr3dDvKe12Xk0iX7NH8JTno-jwXvp_SIFlVutv-rXTn8zopUaSGub79804-klhfYEMogQTotpLaA6WVg/s1600/Temp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhFPNY_L-SRvDxhO0qTBkJlOEr41msCEIEo4uzfrCcATn6_CHnHojjPExr3dDvKe12Xk0iX7NH8JTno-jwXvp_SIFlVutv-rXTn8zopUaSGub79804-klhfYEMogQTotpLaA6WVg/s320/Temp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Why we need to harden veg - outside it'd rarely reach a lofty 33 degrees!</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBqf5kFN0C8CDA1NGDVcgE5FL2YqwJ_xkftCiBHCuLIXAJLl0hN9d1kUiZ6GtzzwE8EqYoteAZEH0TqD3HC4r_qCLBING3rPZ-pYETmHv43W84BGdcmIArEEB5DpEVhtKpuiSf0g/s1600/Celery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBqf5kFN0C8CDA1NGDVcgE5FL2YqwJ_xkftCiBHCuLIXAJLl0hN9d1kUiZ6GtzzwE8EqYoteAZEH0TqD3HC4r_qCLBING3rPZ-pYETmHv43W84BGdcmIArEEB5DpEVhtKpuiSf0g/s320/Celery.jpg" width="180" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having the allotment affords us the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">opportunity to grow veg that we've never had a chance to before. Courgettes and celery (<i>left</i>) are two examples of this. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ44w4uAbAXlXJd7fI4ui7PQbWQviBZi1CysHlnXTD1QT33cTKx9XNGU-Fx39a1gMf5rIygMeZibzWI7ca-0GTxY-Y8Ohbbq8vw0lanQebJvlcPgh5fYVpqvIYRslLPeLAG-J1Tg/s1600/Peas++Sugar+Snaps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ44w4uAbAXlXJd7fI4ui7PQbWQviBZi1CysHlnXTD1QT33cTKx9XNGU-Fx39a1gMf5rIygMeZibzWI7ca-0GTxY-Y8Ohbbq8vw0lanQebJvlcPgh5fYVpqvIYRslLPeLAG-J1Tg/s320/Peas++Sugar+Snaps.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The "old reliable" peas and sugar snaps will require special attention before long - as these veg send out creepers, we'll have to provide string or wire to climb up. With any luck the plot will be ready at that stage. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGXEZTv2h5RuyV-i3H2eyWPkwLwB22zpXq_ldNq2SC4Wz4Uc9w_WaKnhiDPYR9DytkNFfXQlhyMzVyZg3wcM2p6X2BHn7GRJCAVnOiaOAUAy7RsurdIhrCDyOOgsRtFTyEqFzSzA/s1600/Leeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGXEZTv2h5RuyV-i3H2eyWPkwLwB22zpXq_ldNq2SC4Wz4Uc9w_WaKnhiDPYR9DytkNFfXQlhyMzVyZg3wcM2p6X2BHn7GRJCAVnOiaOAUAy7RsurdIhrCDyOOgsRtFTyEqFzSzA/s320/Leeks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our leeks have finally shown their heads. Lots of them. The more the merrier, as we'll use plenty of them come the winter. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvrYq0-ZePtDZtMeiqIUiH1jx0RGGU8quD3hi96osqxzCeDsJlhfvAJGCS6hAxhctlf7EfEIcJUXAwEw9ev4zpTMZduA1IlbgWjTgi9Xzk0Lb4mKLgpbsPt7jxuWEiAEoL5EQSA/s1600/Tomatoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvrYq0-ZePtDZtMeiqIUiH1jx0RGGU8quD3hi96osqxzCeDsJlhfvAJGCS6hAxhctlf7EfEIcJUXAwEw9ev4zpTMZduA1IlbgWjTgi9Xzk0Lb4mKLgpbsPt7jxuWEiAEoL5EQSA/s320/Tomatoes.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I've mentioned previously, we're growing lots of tomatoes this year - in several different varieties. We're hedging or bets this year by growing lots of them - last year a slug decimated our crops overnight, so hopefully this will be insurance against this. (But just look at how well they're growing!).</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPFBfT0SiwgJn7YtMXBZ6VWcgIqHAUna9P0wFCx4laLsewerfGbh0THS4sAflRIYBBENdcKBfZQ4gHvAnteHLR-4DQPitgfMYlZliWEWE3rZIJv0jvhr4o0TcqzGtjOJkRMn-Qg/s1600/Cabbage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPFBfT0SiwgJn7YtMXBZ6VWcgIqHAUna9P0wFCx4laLsewerfGbh0THS4sAflRIYBBENdcKBfZQ4gHvAnteHLR-4DQPitgfMYlZliWEWE3rZIJv0jvhr4o0TcqzGtjOJkRMn-Qg/s320/Cabbage.jpg" width="180" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The cabbages (sigh) are also going from strength to strength. Okay, so they're not my favourite veg, but they are capable of surviving during the "hungry gap" and nutritious to boot, so I'm determined to make an effort to improve my relationship with them. </span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0jKXy2FEJlh3fcmHkB7NaeS40mK06ojGdzZC4gYRzYrLUjGXd_4o_HVmY_mLA871KvrnIwInFTCtIzmH8YD_4qn-PMCDdjrHp_2paEi-K8f_CQ3SJujPiKbNhlWM-4nEWJAGqA/s1600/Others.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0jKXy2FEJlh3fcmHkB7NaeS40mK06ojGdzZC4gYRzYrLUjGXd_4o_HVmY_mLA871KvrnIwInFTCtIzmH8YD_4qn-PMCDdjrHp_2paEi-K8f_CQ3SJujPiKbNhlWM-4nEWJAGqA/s320/Others.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We've invested in some veg that are already in some way established. These are in the process of being hardened, and will most likely be the first candidates for being transplanted to the allotment. They include swedes, lettuce ("butterhead" and "gem"), brussels sprouts and onions.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5j-PFslcvH2JMeX-Mialon2DGXA8vA06b8UV_UKOxu7PxyJ8p6uAJtGiDyeAwYvvv2yr_oUJjawuuZBiDrCUlT1gom6pSXYnjhUVSmlAk5ir92YZutN-q5BFCn3p7OAXHbnijA/s1600/Marigold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5j-PFslcvH2JMeX-Mialon2DGXA8vA06b8UV_UKOxu7PxyJ8p6uAJtGiDyeAwYvvv2yr_oUJjawuuZBiDrCUlT1gom6pSXYnjhUVSmlAk5ir92YZutN-q5BFCn3p7OAXHbnijA/s320/Marigold.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, we're growing marigold flowers. These deter white fly and other pests, such as the dreaded aphid (greenfly) and (strangely enough), rabbits! Oddly enough, these flowers are also edible, so their place in the allotment is assured.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So that's where we stand at the moment - so far so good. Hopefully we can continue as we've started!</span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04661937227167620182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28482585.post-43092009881827075352012-03-27T16:23:00.001+01:002012-03-27T16:31:42.316+01:00Our daily bread.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Time to take a break from posts about vegetable growing and getting our allotment prepared. Not much of one though, both "<b>All from nothing</b>" and "<b>Meanwhile, back at the ranch</b>", will be the primary focus of this blog for some time to come. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bread. Its many forms have become such a staple of the human diet that it could almost be considered as essential as water in the needs of human consumption. In a way it represents the most basic level of agriculture, hearkening to a time when our ancestors took the first steps from their hunter-gatherer lifestyle to working the land around them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For this reason I feel that the subject of bread fits in snugly with my blog. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I grew up in a household where bread was baked freshly on an almost daily basis. My grandmother baked bread on a daily basis. Clare's maternal grandmother baked bread on a daily basis, and her paternal grandfather was a baker who made a living out of baking bread. I imagine that this scenario is the same across much of Ireland. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The point (which I'm subtlety hammering in) is that a loaf of home baked soda bread is as much part of our cultural identity as a pint of Guinness. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or at least it used to be. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our generation seems to have abandoned the practice of making their own bread. It's easy to understand why. With the advent of easily available, relatively cheap sliced bread, some would question the point of baking their own.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The answer is twofold: first - it's cheaper, and second, home baked bread is infinitely more delicious than what is mass-produce for the shops (I'll point out here that I don't include bread baked in <i>real </i>bakeries in my generalisation). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm lucky enough that my wife bakes our bread on an almost daily basis (well, she bakes as much as we need, having learned some tricks of the trade off my mother). Sliced pan is a thing of the past in our house. Not that I miss it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I make bread too, but the bread I make is yeast bread, and between kneading it, leaving it to rise, proving it and then baking it, I find (lovely as it tastes) that it takes too much time for me to do every day. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRCUSBKhe6mvAQKZ-CuuNSeBSppv7VuVsd5NmCC8kysPsPQYfe1CddoPofh16DIQb5Dz2EQCt2SI7nLF1RXOdguRJUCZXF9Ay0JaUWi_Q3T8FCHnKVD6fRvQyB0qOezujOVbc86g/s1600/My+Bread+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRCUSBKhe6mvAQKZ-CuuNSeBSppv7VuVsd5NmCC8kysPsPQYfe1CddoPofh16DIQb5Dz2EQCt2SI7nLF1RXOdguRJUCZXF9Ay0JaUWi_Q3T8FCHnKVD6fRvQyB0qOezujOVbc86g/s320/My+Bread+2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A loaf of my own bread</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, to the alchemy. Flour, bread soda, salt and buttermilk are added together (simple, eh?!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxeeViODiSorCZ_NzESh02A6ibk9x0SPZRAP3xZNgi1qkOZL50SH1jo-lDwWX3AVNhbhGuDwc4wZdkkZ8x_qmbs0W42nt7fvCeRztYr4ILbZm803CLcQk7KtdLsEQttsTAWF64Dg/s1600/Bread+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxeeViODiSorCZ_NzESh02A6ibk9x0SPZRAP3xZNgi1qkOZL50SH1jo-lDwWX3AVNhbhGuDwc4wZdkkZ8x_qmbs0W42nt7fvCeRztYr4ILbZm803CLcQk7KtdLsEQttsTAWF64Dg/s320/Bread+1.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When all these ingredients have been thrown into the bowl, Clare will mix them all up, forming a dough.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4cOAnLCkVdNY1m301w9Wduk2rI3WTx9Y9dDc5xFQm-sPmveIpWpn3_AQXcfLWnIysJI-DbYaBySGoUGYZzI5KImX53OwmRUDoLTb2jsxzsQfXfSH853o-Ougoflb3D0M-WgXbcw/s1600/Bread+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4cOAnLCkVdNY1m301w9Wduk2rI3WTx9Y9dDc5xFQm-sPmveIpWpn3_AQXcfLWnIysJI-DbYaBySGoUGYZzI5KImX53OwmRUDoLTb2jsxzsQfXfSH853o-Ougoflb3D0M-WgXbcw/s320/Bread+2.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She then shapes the dough into a loaf, scoring across across the loaf - this aids its expansion in the oven. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUJyEiNVmp7dLAW06MzB-6Pg2mSd0h65FWEAGOsmuxCEUpPJpuDY3obHoPcIjO6sNopmLSadCkm50wXjIgELkPLL3eFbz8g0twgc0pSzFnmhXiFlrB2AM1InbunI1UchNmQypEQ/s1600/Bread+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUJyEiNVmp7dLAW06MzB-6Pg2mSd0h65FWEAGOsmuxCEUpPJpuDY3obHoPcIjO6sNopmLSadCkm50wXjIgELkPLL3eFbz8g0twgc0pSzFnmhXiFlrB2AM1InbunI1UchNmQypEQ/s320/Bread+4.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The loaf is then bunged into the oven until baked to perfection, with a golden brown crust. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu40Py8SwGf4XildbQ_wvR1Rm3QSfiVzhWmNTW80pjTPZi5JE2RmxBLEw7Xbe-WwNKwG2FMRi-YjG8jsKfEbfmHfdsaiGaq_sEEsWYbBjDBAFClEOza0yYOl-1zJZ64r8R84Duxg/s1600/Bread+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu40Py8SwGf4XildbQ_wvR1Rm3QSfiVzhWmNTW80pjTPZi5JE2RmxBLEw7Xbe-WwNKwG2FMRi-YjG8jsKfEbfmHfdsaiGaq_sEEsWYbBjDBAFClEOza0yYOl-1zJZ64r8R84Duxg/s320/Bread+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, if you can manage , leave the loaf to cool. Then tuck in! Every crumb is delicious.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And that's that! Good no matter what way you eat it (I have a have a preference for it fried (heart-stoppingly good) or toasted). As a "by the way", Clare guesstimates that each loaf costs about forty cent to make. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04661937227167620182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28482585.post-21108176951230127452012-03-24T16:30:00.000+00:002012-03-26T02:21:44.782+01:00All from nothing... (part 8)<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em><span style="color: #333333;">Our efforts to transform an unused piece of land into a productive vegetable garden. </span></em></strong><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><strong><em>*** Please note that this entry is a re-edit of one I posted yesterday. For some reason, the contents of the entry got deleted, so here's the second attempt. ***</em></strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Yesterday, as I slumbered after a hard nights work, Clare and Peter were making themselves busy on the plot.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Clare raked all the manure we had unloaded on Wednesday over the soil. The amount we had transported over actually covered a fair bit of ground, far more than I would have anticipated. While she was busy doing that, Isabelle was sound asleep in her buggy. Thomas was engaged in a sort of toddler potholing experience, having discovered the hole we had dug yesterday.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKsr7QWV9QG6KiHo7duY8X9iDLpuAzjUjsuf-P-tcnuqhty3Nsy9iFCjXS-TvtkKeWBJKaCiVgh9l_Y8RwBfuldYM1-WpaIu2q8-9GbtYcG_a6ZNtb3LlsM8xkg4vqdpx1NBqaoQ/s1600/Thomas_hole.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKsr7QWV9QG6KiHo7duY8X9iDLpuAzjUjsuf-P-tcnuqhty3Nsy9iFCjXS-TvtkKeWBJKaCiVgh9l_Y8RwBfuldYM1-WpaIu2q8-9GbtYcG_a6ZNtb3LlsM8xkg4vqdpx1NBqaoQ/s320/Thomas_hole.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Peter did Trojan work, finishing off the gate and then hanging it. To hang it, he had to cut through the wooden fence and then put another post in place to stabilise it. After positioning the post in the hole, he wedged it firmly in place with an old cavity block we had found discarded, and then filled the hole with earth and stone. Finally the soil was compacted, and the post was nailed into the fence. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSF9oUguS5QmUSopfZhKCLVDOz0yRtR4zEzZRAlMNARa-uJzl-A7n2Ipec7iSLf96phIXVnqr2OJNGxgBzZUyVSdxnsQzsS0-2BPh37gpVBb1cJmBy1RgBfZIqacgP3uRZkOY5tw/s1600/Gate_going_up.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSF9oUguS5QmUSopfZhKCLVDOz0yRtR4zEzZRAlMNARa-uJzl-A7n2Ipec7iSLf96phIXVnqr2OJNGxgBzZUyVSdxnsQzsS0-2BPh37gpVBb1cJmBy1RgBfZIqacgP3uRZkOY5tw/s320/Gate_going_up.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">After a while, Clare had to take the kids home for their lunch. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Peter stayed on at the allotment. Last time Peter had come to visit us, I had taken him to the same farm to collect apples at a large brambly apple tree that grows at the bottom of the farm. On the way there, I had pointed out a large pile of manure close by to the apple tree that had been dumped there many moons ago. Peter was curious to see the quality of this manure, so he borrowed a wheel barrow, and headed down to it (I'll point out here that it's a ten minute walk unencumbered). When he shoveled into it, what he discovered was the best, well rotted compost you could find - even surpassing the stuff that comes out of my own bin. He filled the barrow, and when he got back to the allotment, spread it over the soil. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I intend to get more of this compost for the allotment, I'll just need to figure out a more practical method of transporting it than barrowful by barrowful. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9ahNHoMmCAROucAE90WJoznjV40qaK7v98cyubxvSSN3S_01Awumw-bVpvx0RlaTBbRB3GSbwN4YbMmJD8MMez1hGguNG2YtBejQMVLlZ9xxCdsFQoDEpoLA1Nt079VJkTESWQ/s1600/Ladybird.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO9ahNHoMmCAROucAE90WJoznjV40qaK7v98cyubxvSSN3S_01Awumw-bVpvx0RlaTBbRB3GSbwN4YbMmJD8MMez1hGguNG2YtBejQMVLlZ9xxCdsFQoDEpoLA1Nt079VJkTESWQ/s320/Ladybird.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm by no means ignorant that when I cleared the area the plot sits on, I disturbed a delicate ecosystem that was used by thousands of insects. My only justification is that the soil will now be used productively, and that in time a new equally complex (if different) ecosystem will evolve. In any case it's gratifying to see that insects such as the friendly "ladybird" (<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Coccinellidae</em></span>) are still skulking about the allotment. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About this time, I arose from my sleep, and headed over to give Peter a hand. To begin with, I transported some of the sod from the second pile over to the "dump" site where we had left the sod on Wednesday. I then assisted Peter as we screwed a latch to the gate. Having done this, I feel that another milestone has been reached - a functional gate will make access to the site easier than having to duck under the fence. It's also aesthetically pleasing, lending the allotment a more polished look. I'll paint it next week so that it will blend in with the fence, and protect its wood. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBmo4ytTrkBKXLlqmgjemPH8Ib8jS3UmptUahpSeyqxuhK5aINRDvDNz2fsWPHfdoCBTWJ6020ra0aHWC1pY5deT6WeJ8A0yTC18kgQvk2gdDs8kpO-wLIjGQMQQPjhuXxq30og/s1600/Gate_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBmo4ytTrkBKXLlqmgjemPH8Ib8jS3UmptUahpSeyqxuhK5aINRDvDNz2fsWPHfdoCBTWJ6020ra0aHWC1pY5deT6WeJ8A0yTC18kgQvk2gdDs8kpO-wLIjGQMQQPjhuXxq30og/s320/Gate_2.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our gateway to homegrown vegetables.</span></em></div>
<div align="left">
<br /></div>
<div align="left">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next, we began work on the compost bin. Again, I assisted Peter, but he did the lion's share of the work. While he was finishing it off, I set my sights on moving some of the grass I had piled up after strimming it. I filled a barrowful, and found that it had already begun to compost down, generating a fair amount of heat in the process. After removing this, I came back to find the compost bin finished. </span></div>
<div align="left">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUQDluhretydk-EihHEzVn_ThlVJZpzmPTO0dmN4Yf7FcEBFrjcHk8qrazAt5DlFpmOXVV8BItKB4or-tiki0fhbksID9Vp-piea8DJoHP_RDvWHdB01QzYMN2anqYeEn7OuMiw/s1600/Compost_bin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUQDluhretydk-EihHEzVn_ThlVJZpzmPTO0dmN4Yf7FcEBFrjcHk8qrazAt5DlFpmOXVV8BItKB4or-tiki0fhbksID9Vp-piea8DJoHP_RDvWHdB01QzYMN2anqYeEn7OuMiw/s320/Compost_bin.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll paint the compost bin along with the gate. My only reason for doing this is to make it as innocuous as possible. While at present, it's merely three pallets nailed together, it will suit our needs perfectly. In time, I intend to construct a really decent one (though I'll need to have Peter over visiting at the time, of course!). For the moment, it's grand. When I've gotten rid of the second pile of sod, it'll sit in the top corner of the allotment. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">And that was that for the day. A lot of good work had been done - most of it not by me! On a serious note, I'll take this opportunity to thank Peter - you really did help us out. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3LwpLC_qnzoe5jG-SFZmZZGzijM0zB8VOE__-6TrOqbmzSsXFS7mr37CEB_762ZdukYVQ66aRdShB7kTY3lk-eBMiumtXQwI8fuPoIJ4LXo5W5A0ihFRHTit0t8-8iIuxf_QN6g/s1600/Plot+17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3LwpLC_qnzoe5jG-SFZmZZGzijM0zB8VOE__-6TrOqbmzSsXFS7mr37CEB_762ZdukYVQ66aRdShB7kTY3lk-eBMiumtXQwI8fuPoIJ4LXo5W5A0ihFRHTit0t8-8iIuxf_QN6g/s320/Plot+17.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em>The allotment as it looked on Friday evening. </em></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04661937227167620182noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28482585.post-24401422525849540982012-03-23T01:17:00.002+00:002012-03-26T02:20:05.711+01:00All from nothing... (part 7)<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>Our efforts to transform an unused piece of land into a productive vegetable garden. </b></i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;"> </span> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday (Wednesday), Clare's brother Peter came over from England to visit us. Peter is a strong believer in the "grow your own" philosophy, so I knew he'd been keen to see my progress on the allotment. He's also very handy when it comes to DIY, certainly far more so than myself, so his visit was a blessing. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After I got up in the afternoon (still on my night shift), we drove out to show Peter the allotment, which he seemed duly impressed with. We then span out to a local farm suppliers, run by two old brothers. There we bought fifty yards of chicken wire for a little under fifty euro, which was a bargain by all accounts. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd arranged to meet a gent who helps out on the farm to assist me in removing the piles of sod from the allotment. He was due to meet me that evening, so after a really decent dinner, myself and Peter headed over to meet him. We loaded his trailer up with well rotted manure (a rather noxious job), procured from the farm, and then transported it over to the allotment. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpGZrVfEN8D6-PXLj18v201lxs7dAZd2C0MH8lDPUgRL2eaEpQ6MSxnEbq4rjpXlqktFEqekHM-DpyybWZ4qM8EuhA_heXp4_GPzoxSRdEOAD-rW2G_a93s29aa0Gfc6al2Kb5A/s1600/Manure+pile.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpGZrVfEN8D6-PXLj18v201lxs7dAZd2C0MH8lDPUgRL2eaEpQ6MSxnEbq4rjpXlqktFEqekHM-DpyybWZ4qM8EuhA_heXp4_GPzoxSRdEOAD-rW2G_a93s29aa0Gfc6al2Kb5A/s320/Manure+pile.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This manure will be spread over the soil in the plot and hopefully enrich the soil. Apparently there's an old saying "pound on the soil, penny on the plant", basically telling us that if you look after your soil, then your soil should look after you. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll still need to collect far more manure to spread over the allotment, but that's another job for another day. I'm lucky to have as much of it as I could possibly want, right at hand.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After unloading the manure, we set about loading the pile of sod (closest to the "entrance" of the allotment) into the trailer. By this stage of the evening it was getting dark, and despite our best efforts, we weren't able to load the entire amount onto the trailer before it got too dark. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our new friend then attempted to drive his vehicle (trailer attached) to the place where we'd be disposing of the sod. However, the ground was a little soft, and as a result, the vehicle wouldn't move. We then unhitched the trailer, and move the vehicle, but still no joy. Eventually, with the assistance of a plank of wood under the front wheels, and myself and Peter pushing from the back, we got it unstuck, and off it drove. We decided to leave the trailer there till today, and then get a tractor or 4x4 to move it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not much more we could do at that stage, so we went home for the night. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After I arose this afternoon, we headed back to the farm, just in time to see a 4x4 effortlessly pull the trailer behind it to its destination. We headed over and helped unload the trailer of sod and earth, and thanked our friend for his help. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I got the lend of a large wheelbarrow belonging to the farm, and transported what was left of the first pile of sod to the site we were dumping it. Peter got to work on building us a gate, first by digging a hold about two foot deep in which to place the stake that the gate would be attached to. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2UbIvQGe04sdzcX687Ck0AuKJ0c-85CUJjOjwSQz7Cj-invd1p-2E-TERzfYxIdita2fnVhlkz126Ov1nyzLNgb36buxo7L_TgK_uKetNOX6ey8nn9AfNZ32CGR49gsdRDtDmyg/s1600/Diggin'+houles!.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2UbIvQGe04sdzcX687Ck0AuKJ0c-85CUJjOjwSQz7Cj-invd1p-2E-TERzfYxIdita2fnVhlkz126Ov1nyzLNgb36buxo7L_TgK_uKetNOX6ey8nn9AfNZ32CGR49gsdRDtDmyg/s320/Diggin'+houles!.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Diggin' "houles"!</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He then began modifying the side of a pallet, fashioning it into a usable gate. It's not finished yet, but he's made a great start. At this stage, we called "time" on the evening. I wanted to spend some time with the kids before going into work. In any case, it was time for dinner!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXTFhETTVuVjg4t5OIlCtMEzLpeFqSlPNw-F3XdGNpdkd2ZbeoTEjdpg5HKvyVuyuFLp1lHQ_REA6sORZgOIRiD8pw-Tuh0B5wYMCGAuAxDD_qkqf9iOjolHabwPRGS2R1L8nqQ/s1600/Gate+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXTFhETTVuVjg4t5OIlCtMEzLpeFqSlPNw-F3XdGNpdkd2ZbeoTEjdpg5HKvyVuyuFLp1lHQ_REA6sORZgOIRiD8pw-Tuh0B5wYMCGAuAxDD_qkqf9iOjolHabwPRGS2R1L8nqQ/s320/Gate+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The beginnings of what will become the gate into the allotment. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DyXSUEfiqrkOb1GGCVv9d0XngqNT13Fb2IXNH0uaQp9cCQNjBf7milbX3qc2jXEceENMrgpXJocd6G5ebVKu33vh2TH1cKtxDmZUb8ktc5xtevz-gMlkQgGVN8HY3f83xL-fJQ/s1600/Plot+16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DyXSUEfiqrkOb1GGCVv9d0XngqNT13Fb2IXNH0uaQp9cCQNjBf7milbX3qc2jXEceENMrgpXJocd6G5ebVKu33vh2TH1cKtxDmZUb8ktc5xtevz-gMlkQgGVN8HY3f83xL-fJQ/s320/Plot+16.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> At the moment, the allotment looks rather like a construction site. That said, it'll look a lot more organised when I've spread the manure, and made use of the pallets. Looking forward to putting the fencing up too!</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04661937227167620182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28482585.post-34182368760512169482012-03-21T02:27:00.001+00:002012-03-26T02:18:50.906+01:00Meanwhile, back at the ranch... (part 3)<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seeds grow into plants. It's what they do, it's what they were designed for. But that doesn't change the fact that when they grow, it's a little bit magical. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the last few days, the level of growth we've seen under (under Clare's care) has been astounding. Shoots have appeared on all manner of veg, and the speed at which they're reaching for the sky is gratifying - the sooner they grow, the sooner they'll produce veg! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLI9RYZWNh3tIaupWUTFwE8vxIpjejzUjJxWSWybDwXHj5cVeOxNskRHBsfVadQEIUibMBQmpVLuaGmCX-JOfpnnyj4G7Og9fKwAULfV7iESbUTOXwjaL3_JmOiF6aJdvJUWM72Q/s1600/Shoots+3+-+Tomatoes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLI9RYZWNh3tIaupWUTFwE8vxIpjejzUjJxWSWybDwXHj5cVeOxNskRHBsfVadQEIUibMBQmpVLuaGmCX-JOfpnnyj4G7Og9fKwAULfV7iESbUTOXwjaL3_JmOiF6aJdvJUWM72Q/s320/Shoots+3+-+Tomatoes.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Tomatoes </i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As is clear from the picture, the shoots will eventually have to be thinned out. For the moment, it's just nice to go over and spend a moment gazing at them. The kitchen window is now full of little seed pots. The tomatoes were the first to send forth shoots, but there have been others since, for example cabbage, peas and sugar snaps, as below:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAFKFxjbA_hdnL1dNc_R4CmmOSRVuOP5VwM5ex91VbdRHthwMK2WW_9QYRrKpg-bZMdc5dZyZfZK8cccbn1gdoTtOV_ofR2KQ4jAQGU2fjcNFU-pyXJt9ez2kg-IHySr2ck0ccUQ/s1600/Shoots+4+-+Cabbage.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAFKFxjbA_hdnL1dNc_R4CmmOSRVuOP5VwM5ex91VbdRHthwMK2WW_9QYRrKpg-bZMdc5dZyZfZK8cccbn1gdoTtOV_ofR2KQ4jAQGU2fjcNFU-pyXJt9ez2kg-IHySr2ck0ccUQ/s320/Shoots+4+-+Cabbage.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Cabbage</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWlBxw2ZnoSnCOjGbt5rx3HQr7SEBxACSZhu9VQtEgf7qpb7IqG7Wdo8FajJDf4nRwGdGJL5qmnUZBcG4brXHmyNdviZV_1Yqub4mvmJbwWVdyvpFrtYYkNJuBYjDt05UBBGSVQ/s1600/Shoots+5+-+Peas,+Sugar+Snaps.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWlBxw2ZnoSnCOjGbt5rx3HQr7SEBxACSZhu9VQtEgf7qpb7IqG7Wdo8FajJDf4nRwGdGJL5qmnUZBcG4brXHmyNdviZV_1Yqub4mvmJbwWVdyvpFrtYYkNJuBYjDt05UBBGSVQ/s320/Shoots+5+-+Peas,+Sugar+Snaps.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Peas and Sugar Snaps</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clare's also after sowing seed for leeks, and got a tip from an online allotment guide to plant them in an easily transportable (and disposable) tray:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeN-gatS95h8JUrr2vPIqG94RjqbHUMc-t8DFy41exm4Jl5-gKm33NojDlAAZTz-BCIMoWYML8w8m79-oVwIIrQZ26Ii2Pj3M1y_Rl55GkP8QUd1999GNIgt4VgTWe68yvgCroQg/s1600/Leeks+box.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeN-gatS95h8JUrr2vPIqG94RjqbHUMc-t8DFy41exm4Jl5-gKm33NojDlAAZTz-BCIMoWYML8w8m79-oVwIIrQZ26Ii2Pj3M1y_Rl55GkP8QUd1999GNIgt4VgTWe68yvgCroQg/s320/Leeks+box.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Leeks (yet to germinate)</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All the veg planted are used widely in our personal diet - the leeks, for example, are a mainstay of Clare's (delicious) vegetable soup. Thomas loves peas, and loved being able to pop open the pods eat them raw last year. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are still more seeds from other veg that have yet to germinate, but I suppose patience is required skill in this business. Eventually (hopefully) it will be rewarded with a great harvest. </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04661937227167620182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28482585.post-14603261996176632402012-03-21T01:38:00.002+00:002012-03-26T02:17:12.181+01:00All from nothing... (part 6)<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><b>Our efforts to transform an unused piece of land into a productive vegetable garden. </b></i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;"> </span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">St. Patricks day came and went under a blanket of rain, which was a bit of a drag as it was my weekend off, and I really wanted to get stuck into work on the allotment. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The weekend wasn't a complete wash out, however, as Sunday dawned without a cloud in the sky. So with my garden fork in hand, off I trotted. One benefit of yesterdays rain was that the fruit trees I planted on the allotment got some much needed water. Another was that I discovered that the allotment seems to be very well drained soil, as there was little evidence of the previous day's deluge. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Work on a sunny day was a pleasure, and as I wasn't under any pressure to get anything else done that day (for example, collecting birch sap), I was able to take my time. This was probably just as well, as I was removing roots and "scutch" grass as I worked. When I removed these, I'd throw them on top of one of the piles of sod, which eventually resembled something like a wig. As a consequence of this laid back approach to the work, it didn't seem like long until I had the entire plot completely "forked". </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgasK0vKfxZnc_lWtbRb-JeePEsMC11geoBl-tVdaSBADF9YNw5nsxgmriCPVE3vDjqYjFORg9N2EMYqWDErFU_bwxoJcTOp8GFdlbwf27BPz8Cr9Di0aqLfdo180P0wRQWx7OPAg/s1600/Plot+14+-+Forked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgasK0vKfxZnc_lWtbRb-JeePEsMC11geoBl-tVdaSBADF9YNw5nsxgmriCPVE3vDjqYjFORg9N2EMYqWDErFU_bwxoJcTOp8GFdlbwf27BPz8Cr9Di0aqLfdo180P0wRQWx7OPAg/s320/Plot+14+-+Forked.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The plot, fully "forked"</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The following day (yesterday) was a bank holiday, and because of this our local hardware shop was closed - hence I was unable to hire out a rotovator. I instead spent the day away from the allotment. A little time away is no bad thing, to rest one's body and enjoy time with one's family. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today (Tuesday), I woke up in the late afternoon (I'm currently working a night shift, so late afternoon was actually quite early for me!). I called the local hardware shop, but the cost of the rotavator for the few hours I wanted it was far to prohibitive, so I decided to get some other work done instead. There were two things I wanted to do in particular. The first of these was to clear the allotment of any big stones. The second was to cut back the hedge.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As matters stood, the allotment has a large hedge that had overgrown the fence that borders the allotment, and took up a lot of space within it. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH8E4f_OP2Jajqa4Ig9NrpldeMqdjxYvzF1uL1TAuk9FinPX9XbEl8_tvMAZO1ND7P1luuHgVs0ESA3pofOiSS77p6rR6cTz2mfqgVurae7QDgm3yOXMDT2CUA5C31VDqJFviZ3A/s1600/Hedge+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH8E4f_OP2Jajqa4Ig9NrpldeMqdjxYvzF1uL1TAuk9FinPX9XbEl8_tvMAZO1ND7P1luuHgVs0ESA3pofOiSS77p6rR6cTz2mfqgVurae7QDgm3yOXMDT2CUA5C31VDqJFviZ3A/s320/Hedge+1.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The hedge and the sod pile!</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I asked the "landlord" permission to cut it back and reclaim the land it had spread over. (It's a funny thing about land - when you have it, it seems to mean little, and when you don't, every millimeter is precious). Permission was duly given, so with a clippers and pruning scissors, I began the process of trimming the hedge back. I quickly realised how naive I had been with my choice of tools - they were wholly inadequate for the job. I fell back to relying on my penknife (as I have so many times before). The saw on it, while not ideal for the job, still managed to slice through the thicker branches of the hedge without too much bother. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the time I had finished, I had reclaimed around four or five square yards of land. One more job ticked off the list! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8XtRrZY_hpoY0P3RXRwluZMzZ7JeXdYdNiVhIH3jYwIv-pL80qfGO7zdbs4B0nsyo4mpv2SkTBGH-UFLrH4MEg4xbS6XcYZ_cg0NwGrW8WDrc_1I8pLafn67pvVSNs12rdVeKoQ/s1600/Hedge+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8XtRrZY_hpoY0P3RXRwluZMzZ7JeXdYdNiVhIH3jYwIv-pL80qfGO7zdbs4B0nsyo4mpv2SkTBGH-UFLrH4MEg4xbS6XcYZ_cg0NwGrW8WDrc_1I8pLafn67pvVSNs12rdVeKoQ/s320/Hedge+2.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The hedge's new look haircut...</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Things are really starting to come together now - once we remove the sod piles we'll have wrung all the space we can from the piece of land we've been allowed to use. There are still a good many jobs to do to have the allotment set up to the standard we'd like, but I know now that we'll get there. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next jobs are:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fertilise and rotovate the soil,</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Build and paint the compost bin,</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Build a small gate into the allotment,</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and fence off the allotment using chicken wire.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once the above jobs are complete, it'll just be a matter of making drills and planting out our vegetables. The day can't come to soon!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_hNoH_zIIpW8KqvjsUIkCjY0Y2YXhykUye8MPArtiHKYsrsJovImG98w5S9GrSC221fubLbUX7J_2lYE1y_JcNzcM52Zk1LAE3K02uFmyrJNPjbYLrZyxq79pcarsJYrhRxt5g/s1600/Plot+15+-+Hedge+cut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_hNoH_zIIpW8KqvjsUIkCjY0Y2YXhykUye8MPArtiHKYsrsJovImG98w5S9GrSC221fubLbUX7J_2lYE1y_JcNzcM52Zk1LAE3K02uFmyrJNPjbYLrZyxq79pcarsJYrhRxt5g/s320/Plot+15+-+Hedge+cut.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The allotment as it looked this evening.</i></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04661937227167620182noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28482585.post-24235207968345346352012-03-16T12:33:00.001+00:002012-03-26T02:18:01.676+01:00Meanwhile, back at the ranch... (part 2)<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Things are progressing quickly with the seeds Clare planted a couple of days ago. As far back as last Wednesday, the first shoots began to appear. Incidently, in the battle of our compost versus commercial compost, our compost won, it being this first to produce shoots. This re-asserts my belief that home created compost is of far better quality than what is available in garden centres. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNknW9A2gJz2G603RtpGVyH_gKo2nGHWsABIhHNjJPRRx5wM-QhVFoh0UrL_AIAxs443Xv0b2FWP2ZYV3a-wUeHCAwCpfxvvjLiFdUzLB_Wb3TzeqcYOm7-XTkmagXifXo_cm8vw/s1600/First+Shoot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNknW9A2gJz2G603RtpGVyH_gKo2nGHWsABIhHNjJPRRx5wM-QhVFoh0UrL_AIAxs443Xv0b2FWP2ZYV3a-wUeHCAwCpfxvvjLiFdUzLB_Wb3TzeqcYOm7-XTkmagXifXo_cm8vw/s320/First+Shoot.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Our first shoot of the year.</em></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After that, shoots began to appear apace. More are poking their heads up daily, and growing rapidly. I think that the conditions Clare has created are playing a large part in this success. The seed pots are in our kitchen window, which is south facing and the best place in the house to take advantage of sunlight. Clare is also keeping the compost in the seed pots damp, watering them once a day.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZtZaQTUAUol5XswUswGYq84WYLcaLFoY5kODW-r5cwSBTsbVxF5JEEv5JMmlN5Doss9a6HlZEesQ-tG6KNe_eZyP6uGfcSgFwEQi0VR2VCRvv6Qe6J52kyvjxQXNkT5-aVl8MkA/s1600/Shoots.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZtZaQTUAUol5XswUswGYq84WYLcaLFoY5kODW-r5cwSBTsbVxF5JEEv5JMmlN5Doss9a6HlZEesQ-tG6KNe_eZyP6uGfcSgFwEQi0VR2VCRvv6Qe6J52kyvjxQXNkT5-aVl8MkA/s320/Shoots.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The shoots are tiny, true, but it's a heartening sign of thing to come. I love the thought that each of these tiny shoots will grow into a fruit or vegetable bearing plant. (And eventually become material for composting themselves). Eventually, of course, most of these will end up transplanted into the allotment. </span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP8wZbzKX6lnz7rEvaqvToY9Vu2iZmKN_pKcNqZtBs3orcX25ZNN7fpf432Ds9_jionZ921d1h5-x_HNc5ZLZIiEu7xkQj0IS8CDXnJpjn7PbQ2yVfWwlaph4kYYXTFDNNmdYUjA/s1600/Shoots+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP8wZbzKX6lnz7rEvaqvToY9Vu2iZmKN_pKcNqZtBs3orcX25ZNN7fpf432Ds9_jionZ921d1h5-x_HNc5ZLZIiEu7xkQj0IS8CDXnJpjn7PbQ2yVfWwlaph4kYYXTFDNNmdYUjA/s320/Shoots+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll post further on how all this growing goes.</span><br />
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04661937227167620182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28482585.post-35315146127411859912012-03-15T22:57:00.000+00:002012-03-26T02:16:17.646+01:00All from nothing... (part 5)<span style="font-size: large;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>Our efforts to transform an unused piece of land into a productive vegetable garden. </b></i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"> </span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being back at work has kept us away from the allotment for the last couple of days. That doesn't mean we haven't been busy with it though - for example, Clare sourced some pallets that we'll use to make a compost bin, which I dropped up yesterday. The pallets will be great, but I'll give them a lick of paint to make them more... (ahem)... palatable to the eye.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can't ignore the place for long though, as we really want to rotovate it on Saturday, and get it producing fruit and veg as soon as is possible. So after work today, I headed over and began to (in the words of Withnail) "Fork it!" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clare had already made a good start to this last weekend, so I took up from where she left off. It was a fairly handy job while compared to turning the sod. The hardest part came in negotiating the fork past rocks embedded in the soil. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After an hour or two, I had completed the "strip" that I had given myself as a goal. And that was me for the evening.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's still about half the plot to "fork", hopefully I'll get it done tomorrow. Below is a small picture of how the site looks currently:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu_WxR0IeskfLxOBMqAPRibcBhvN54mdeN4kChNCIbcxwBr-aHOWzykym6gga63Kypb7OisJduqsQgU5fPTIGM9tu3vcJTNWwVj4_GqsPT2VSrplEEYQfm0WVbarkHVNIK6lYEdA/s1600/IMAG0299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu_WxR0IeskfLxOBMqAPRibcBhvN54mdeN4kChNCIbcxwBr-aHOWzykym6gga63Kypb7OisJduqsQgU5fPTIGM9tu3vcJTNWwVj4_GqsPT2VSrplEEYQfm0WVbarkHVNIK6lYEdA/s320/IMAG0299.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04661937227167620182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28482585.post-85148615506325434032012-03-12T22:00:00.001+00:002012-03-26T02:15:26.673+01:00Meanwhile, back at the ranch...<i><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"<b>Meanwhile, back at the ranch</b>" entries will tell the other side of our efforts to grow fruit and veg. As such, they'll tie into the "<b>All from nothing</b>" blog posts.</span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While I was busy on-site at the allotment, Clare was busy making important and necessary preparations for our growing veg. She's drawn up plans for a rotation of crops, and researched on how best to manage the plot - for example, there are flowers that act as a deterrent to harmful insects, etc. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She's been reading lots of material - both online (always a good resource) and in books we already own. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To get a head start on our crops (as we're starting a little late in the year), she's bought a few plants (instead of growing from seed). These include tomato and chilli. She's also sown a variety of seeds, from butternut squash to beetroot. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh75g-LFqWRybzhvPRL0VgiN9hWGnBYJkXp2DtSHcdCa2b8MsPngfP_swAqWjLfGR7t6ByBya27nxjtO2-vAsZcREVTynQjrjcmS39C3-Yly4ce4XCydmmTIwqAkfrzx-vf3RJQKg/s1600/Seeds.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh75g-LFqWRybzhvPRL0VgiN9hWGnBYJkXp2DtSHcdCa2b8MsPngfP_swAqWjLfGR7t6ByBya27nxjtO2-vAsZcREVTynQjrjcmS39C3-Yly4ce4XCydmmTIwqAkfrzx-vf3RJQKg/s320/Seeds.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clare's also "chitting" potatoes, making them ready for sowing. Obviously, potatoes are something of a mainstay in the Irish diet. As a family, we perhaps don't eat quite as much as an average clan, so hopefully the allotment will be able to provide for all our "spud" needs. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74YKhbd4kkSHDmQjay1yIGI-qxJSXUJHYcPHoiKqENHixastgiKopxjbpOrt8bCY6jemLcIopzy9aJf8LdDkoxAQ5ZrSuST_I7Lwje48JZ-vcDAVIA6eX8EhV5FJ49CEI_Tc9qg/s1600/Pototoes+chitting+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74YKhbd4kkSHDmQjay1yIGI-qxJSXUJHYcPHoiKqENHixastgiKopxjbpOrt8bCY6jemLcIopzy9aJf8LdDkoxAQ5ZrSuST_I7Lwje48JZ-vcDAVIA6eX8EhV5FJ49CEI_Tc9qg/s320/Pototoes+chitting+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Already, we're seeing progress the work Clare has put in. Hopefully the allotment will be ready to transplant these crops soon - the sooner the better!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04661937227167620182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28482585.post-2396103876166597552012-03-12T21:13:00.002+00:002012-03-26T02:14:22.934+01:00All from nothing... (part 4)<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Our efforts to transform an unused piece of land into a productive vegetable garden. </span></b></i> </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b><u>Day 5:</u></b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Well today it was back to normal life. With all the excitement of getting the allotment, I've not had a chance to take advantage of the short season to harvest and collect birch sap (see blog from last year), which was something I really wanted to do. So my first port of call after work was a local birch forest, which will hopefully yield a couple litres of birch sap for brewing into wine.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">After this, I headed straight to the allotment, and stared to turn the last of the sod. Perhaps it was that I was coming to the work fresh, or maybe it was that I had very little left of this task to do, but I threw myself at it with vigor, and pretty soon I was turning the last piece of sod. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Having completed such a large and necessary task felt great, and I spent a minute leaning on the fence, contemplating my work with pride. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidYKpJoLLSFl8YsjZ6n3om0XQgkTN1g911vzC4J13s__6CTJyeI8PUFFZjJfO7XQSqw0wSnrVH3CVPc60_o9fAr3bvwvw7yvahm2BPFy8UCQRdAGPGo4dQI3BlMGoJ4caVPwbiMQ/s1600/Plot+13+-+EOD5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidYKpJoLLSFl8YsjZ6n3om0XQgkTN1g911vzC4J13s__6CTJyeI8PUFFZjJfO7XQSqw0wSnrVH3CVPc60_o9fAr3bvwvw7yvahm2BPFy8UCQRdAGPGo4dQI3BlMGoJ4caVPwbiMQ/s320/Plot+13+-+EOD5.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Next task, forking all the soil... </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms", verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04661937227167620182noreply@blogger.com1