and this is the allotment so far - 2006
autumn 2007 ready to start again....
+ some exciting produce.
Paul keeps saying that 'Kent is the new Tuscany'!
this is an olive tree by the way.
disaster strikes March 10th 2008 - the shed crumples
don't worry by Easter we shall be up and running again....
here it is as good as new, thanks to Colin and Dave who lent Paul a hand.
another new year and lots to do......
lovely apple blossom this year
June 2008 - mostly flowers so far
It is now mid August 2008 and this year we have had a glut of courgettes
- best recipe so far is sliced in chilli tempura batter!
meanwhile, here are some mystery beans - they started off as dwarf beans
but we left them as they were a bit stringy and this is what popped out.
I think they are a sort of 'borlotti' bean and so will try them cooked up.
April 2009
a whole new season begins...
The Leviathan arrives...
July 2009
It measures 22"/53cms. long and weighs in at 4.195kg.
This started as a courgette but we were away for a few days and came back to this!
the forget-me-nots have died down now and have made way for the lavender.
we have two apple trees, one is a bramley and one is an eating apple - cannot remember what!
there is also an ancient quince tree near the stream.
We are keen to get some beehives on the allotments (January - one has appeared)
August 2009...
onions have been spectacular
I am learning to string them up...
JANUARY 2010
just visited plot since the harsh snowy winter - all seems fine!
Broad beans planted in November have sprouted and should be more resistent to pests - hmm.
Just pruned apple trees- some useful videos on the web to show how to do it!
March 2010
looking forward to Paul's Easter hols so we can start digging.
Here is a link to IWM clip - it is potato planting season!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRDFB238MKE
Easter Monday - ready for rotovating, but ground still pretty wet.
Here's Rosie who comes with her owner to the allotment.
She is waiting for me to throw her toy,
and only steps on the paths between plots!
this pot of pansies has been flowering all through the winter and still going...
anenomes
april 2010 - apple blossom looking good.
the only casualties of the ice and snow earlier this year has been the mimosa ( of course it comes from the Med!)
and maybe the buddleia. Rhubarb is excellent.
June 2010
everything bursting out now - some photos soon....
a querie - loads of tough looking ladybirds are congregating on the shoots and buds of the apple trees,
and leaves are curling in disgust. Not sure what to do, as I previously thought ladybirds were a good thing.
Just been told by seasoned gardener friend that these 7-spot ladybirds are bad news, north american intruders
that eat our native ones - she said 'squash 'em!'
first harvest of beautiful lettuce, and onions that had bolted.
a perfect antidote to today's exit from the World Cup
I've just planted a hollyhock plant that has germinated from a 'stolen' seedpod from Darwin's Downe House, (not sure where that is!)
think that is actually comfrey next to the foxglove - good for compost we hear.
broad beans have been excellent this year.
july/august 2010 courgettes, cucumbers, French beans - excellent, aubergine being eaten by pest.
wasp nest in shed sorted by town council - hooray.
august 2010
just dug up loads of onions to stop them rotting in the rainfall this week...
Paul enjoys using the hose anytime!
cucumber plant frond - they have gone mad in the rain
2011 - and here we are again
30 bags of compost and some fine rotavating later - we are ready to go!
sturton onions, arran pilot potatoes now in the ground, rhubarb flourishing.
2011
The allotment Tsar has installed a water trough at the bottom of our plot - fantastic help!
Our nearby Gurkhas will be delighted as they have a wonderful way of irrigating their plot,
by throwing buckets of water across the crops and repeating this when it has soaked through,
all pretty labout intensive.
comfrey excellent for bees.
JUNE 2011
Everything is popping up now.
We have had great broad beans, the artichoke plant has gone mad ( see photo).
Even some raspberries have appeared which have been quickly eaten on the hoof.
Not sure how to thin out carrots which can be seen in this photo.
Our soil is now
looking the business, with bits of grit - it is much easier to weed. I have an African
tool, which I bought online which is truly excellent for weeding.
The courgettes have been good, tomatoes very slow this year, and cucumber plant drowned.
A new thin stringless French green bean, called Cupidon, which we sourced from The Real Seed Catalogue
has produced some stocky little 'dwarf' plants ( they don't seem keen to climb up canes so not showy! ),
but with really excellent beans -
these are stocky bushy dwarf plants packed with delicious stringless cupidon french beans.
july 24th 2011
digging up potatoes before the slugs get to them
and laying out onions to dry.
the last artichoke of the season
www.rennart.co.uk