If Autumn is the season of mellow fruitfulness then July is surely the month of frantic fruitfulness…. Autumn offers us harvests to slowly gather and store at our own pace for the winter months, whereas the peak of summer is about grabbing whatever is at its best and either enjoying it in that moment or… Continue reading Frantic Fruitfulness in July
You’ve got to love this time year in the garden – all the hard work through spring starts to really pay off with some great harvests (strawberries, peas, broad beans, shallots, spring onions, beetroot, salad, herbs in our case), and there’s something new to look at everyday with new blooms appearing in a constant succession.… Continue reading A tour of the plot, 18th June
It’s been a while since my last post – I suppose at this glorious but hectic time of year any spare time I’ve had has been spent doing actual gardening rather than writing about it! It seems like there is always an extensive to-do list for an allotmenteer in May, and it can certainly feel… Continue reading Nearly June Already!
It’s been a great spring so far! Lots of plants are well ahead compared to last year – broad beans are flowering 3 weeks earlier, and early plug plantings of lettuce, radish and peas are starting to grow well. Another true harbinger of spring warmth is the sight of topless male pensioners on allotment sites throughout… Continue reading Early April Update
Several things happen in March which help to really make it feel like the beginning of spring, despite the fact that we still get cold and wet weather. Things like the emergence of swathes of crocuses in parks (and daffodils to follow), the first sign of blossom on blackthorn bushes, and the amazing bright green of the… Continue reading Mid-March Happenings
We’re into March, and while we haven’t seen the last of the cold weather it certainly feels like the growing season is getting started – bulbs are flowering, the rhubarb is sending up shoots and there’s even some blossom on a few trees. I’ve got radish, lettuce, parsley, spring onion, broad bean, pea and sweet pea… Continue reading New and unusual crops for 2017
There is no definite beginning nor end to the gardening year – the seasons cycle round indefinitely bringing constant change but never anything as defined as a start or a finish. For me though, the annual spreading of compost on the beds feels very much like a fresh start in the allotment, with the plot looking… Continue reading ‘No-dig’ – the annual mulch
