Sunday 30 August 2015

More planting this week

We planted out some Spinach in the patch where the Onions were, two types, Winter Giant & Reddy f1.
In the patch next to the main crop Potatoes I added some lime and dug it in well. 
I then walked all over the patch to firm the soil then planted 20 Broccoli that we started off at home. 
I also put netting over these to protect from the birds! 
Sweetcorn doing well, hope it stays warm a bit longer, to sweeten it up before harvest.
The climbing French Beans are doing well, harvesting most days as well as the Dwarf & Purple beans too. 

The freezer is getting full!
The Borlotti beans I put in when we had dug up some spuds, have now reached the top of the wig-wam so I nipped off the growing tip, so the energy goes into growing the beans. 
There are flowers now so wont be long before we get beans.
A Bee on some of the many flowers we grow just for them.
Just a small harvest today: 
A carrier bag full of Runner Beans. 
Six 'Moneymaker' Tomatoes
So a good week of work done, plenty of weeding too!

Thanks for reading/returning. Ian

Sunday 16 August 2015

Another busy week & a video too

Earlier in the week I dug up all the onions, from the ones I planted in April most matured into good sized Onions. 

Sturon white & Red Baron.
Check out my video to see what I did after digging up all those onions!
Tomatoes doing well: 
On the left 'Moneymaker' in various forms of ripening.
Top right: Ripe 'Moneymakers'
Middle right: more 'Moneymakers' growing outside.
Bottom right: Black Russian.
Today's Harvest:
Beetroot, Green, Yellow & Purple Beans. Runner beans, Black Russian toms, Charlotte potatoes, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Peas & Sweet Peas.
Been a lovely weekend, a bit overcast but warm & the sun came out later on. 
So got lots done, 
I've done a video so you can see more and the Bees were busy too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku4GkYi-dcA
Thanks for reading, watching & returning. Ian

Wednesday 5 August 2015

Mid week work on the Allotment

Went to our Allotment today because we can't go at the weekend. 

So the first job, to dig up some Charlotte 2nd early potatoes, don't they look lovely. 
Will have them for dinner.
Did a bit of weeding so had a bonfire to burn the ones that were dry enough.
Today's Harvest: 
Beetroot 
Broad Beans 
French Beans 
Potatoes 
Raspberries, Blueberries & Blackberries.
Some Mint & Sweet Peas too
This Cox apple fell off, still small and I imagine not very sweet. 
But will take it home and try it anyway.
Some lovely flowers:

Sunflower 
and 
Zinnias 
If you remember last w/e we picked loads of currants, well I made Blackcurrant Cordial, my wife made Redcurrant jelly & as you can see I've also started making wine from the Blackcurrants, fermenting too well !


Also earthed up the Kerrs Pink spuds again (on the left), looks like we will have a good harvest of spuds this year. 

Thanks for reading/returning. Ian

Sunday 2 August 2015

Super fruit harvest & some sad news

So it's time to pick all the Red and Blackcurrants. 

We picked 8.5lb (3.85kg) off each bush. 
Plenty for Wine, Jam, Pies, Jelly & Cordial.

Also a few Raspberries, Blueberries & Tayberries.
Also pulled up all the Shallot Onions. 

Plus just one of the Sturion white Onions and a round Courgette.
I started some more Peas in toilet roll tubes, these are Purple Peas, so looking forward to trying them.
I planted the Purple Peas where we had an early crop of peas. 

I added some fresh compost and watered them in well, so hope to get a late crop.
The 'Black Russian' tomatoes are getting big now, still not turning dark though, but maybe that's due to lack of sun, it was raining again today! 
Sad news, we noticed our oldest hen 'Matilda' was looking old and lethargic, so we kept her away from the others who might bully her, but sadly on Friday she died. 
We have had her since Dec 2012 when we re-homed her at about 18mths old, so the last 2.5 years have been the best she could have had.

Thanks for reading/returning. Ian