At last some sunshine

We finally got onto the allotment and did some much needed weeding. The herb patch is now clear, just need to redistribute the herbs a bit as they are all bunched together in the middle. It looks so much better though.

David was busy clearing one of the other beds and the ground under the cold frame. There a few strawberry plants left in there. They were a disaster last year so hopefully we'll get more fruit this year. Once the ground drys up a bit and we can dig it over properly this bed will be ready for planting.


And in the flower bed it's nice to see a bit of colour coming through. A few crocuses starting to open up showing off their lovely purple petals. Can't wait for the spring now.

Allotment sort out

Things are winding down a bit at the allotment so it's time to start sorting out ready for next year.

The wild flowers are still looking great though, here's are pretty poppy.

We decided to create more growing space to join two of the beds together and extended out into the path a bit. We have gained quite a lot from doing this actually. More space for yummy veg. Have of the bed is planted with garlic, red onions and fennel. The other have has been manured ready for runners, courgette and squash next year.

Clearing the beds we harvested leeks, parsnips, a few courgettes and the lovely lady next door gave us some potatoes and a squash which looks like a mini pumpkin. Very festive

Also picked some rhubarb and some cooking apples going free for some puddings.

Tips from Cheltenham

We're enjoying a long weekend in lovely Cheltenham, in a gorgeous apartment in an Edwardian house rented out by the owners who live in the main house. It's like staying at your friends house, it's great. There are books everywhere and among them I found this beauty, 'allotment gardening', so I have been reading up.

Something we didn't know about was earthing up round your leeks. This is essential to blanch the stems. It might be too late for ours but we are going to start doing it. We know for next time.

Also read up on planting garlic. Garlic bulbs are available to buy from the allotment shop now so we will be planting them out soon. We were going to manure the soil but having read this we've found out not to and that they like quite sandy, free draining soil.

So much to learn. 

The Usual Suspects

I love weird shaped fruit and veg, it's so silly that supermarkets have to reject these poor little guys. They are so full of character and taste every bit as good as their regular shaped counterparts.

Here's to weird shaped produce.

A trip to the garden centre

We had a lovely trip to the garden centre in Ware today. It's a massive place with a mini zoo there too. We saw the usual rabbits, chickens, goats but they also have raccoons which a beautiful, tortoises, meerkats, marmosets. It's was really cool.

Anyway, back to business. We got a few pretty perennials to go in the flowers bed, which the bees will hopefully like. David picked a monarda pink lace and a coreopsis early sunrise.

We also got a few different types of lettuce to go, and some broccoli, Chinese cabbage and curly red kale. These like nice fertile soil so we got a bag of smelly organic farmyard manure to dig into the soil. Not for the faint hearted. 

BBQ lunch at the allotment

A sunny Sunday calls for a BBQ. We had a nice healthy fish lunch cooked on the BBQ at the allotment. We did our weeding duties, of course, while the coals heated up.

Here is the view of the allotment while we ate and an update on progress: The corn is very nearly ready for picking, the butternut squash are getting bigger, pumpkins are looking good, the wild flower bed looks delightful and today's picks included loads of runner beans, shallots and a big courgette.

Herb garden completed at last

I had the afternoon off work so today I finished off the herb garden at last. Weeded and edging put in, it looks really neat and tidy now and the plants are all doing well.

The butternut squash are getting bigger. I'm looking forward to them being ready to pick.

Today's harvest consisted of four big courgettes, you could class two as marrows probably, some runner beans and some French beans.

Courgette and Cheddar Soda Bread

To go with the risotto, which was pumpkin, chilli and sage (from the allotment), I have made a rather hansome looking loaf of courgette and cheddar soda bread.

Pumpkin for the risotto

Picked the first of the pumpkins today. I don't think it was quite ready actually, but I wanted to make a bit of space for all the others growing. The variety is Summer Ball, which you can apparently pick early like courgettes or leave to grow bigger to around 1kg. This one weighed in at about 800g, but it hadn't hollowed out and ripened yet.
Also dug up one lot of shallots and hung them up to dry.

Wild flower bed

At last the flowers are coming out in the flower bed. David sprinkled so many wild flower seeds in there, it's nice to finally have a bit of colour and somewhere for the bees. The nasturtiums are looking gorgeous too.

Also a small harvest of fruit, French beans and courgettes.

Little bean, big bean

After a slow start because I thrust them out into the cold without warning, the runner beans are covered in pretty red flowers now and sprouting little beans. I was excited when I saw them. Then I got really excited when I found a massive bean lurking in the undergrowth.

Lamb Stuffed Marrow

Not sure what to do with your marrow? We say stuff it. This is a really tasty recipe which I first came across several years ago now and I do it every year when the marrows are ready.

Lamb Stuffed Marrow Recipe

Ingredients:

4 tbsp oil

1 onion, finely chopped

250g lamb mince

1 garlic clove, crushed

4 tbsp tomato puree paste

75g rice, cooked

4 tbsp ground cinnamon

25g pinenuts

25g raisins (or similar - I use what ever I have in the cupboard)

1 marrow, halved and deseeded

2 tbsp butter

300g arrabbiata sauce (basically any tomato and chili sauce, or make your own)

salt and pepper to season

How to make it:

For the stuffing: Cook your rice and set aside.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and saute the onions and the mince until the mince starts to brown. 

Add the garlic, tomato puree and cinnamon and cook for a few minutes. 

Remove from the heat and add the other ingredients.

Preheat the over to 190°C.

Put your marrow in a baking tray and fill with the stuffing mixture.

Dot with knobs of the butter and cover with foil.

Roast for 45-50 minutes.

The sauce: heat your ready bought sauce or create your own tomato and chili sauce.

Plate up your marrow and pour your sauce over, or flood the plate with the sauce and place your marrow on top.

Original recipe can be found here

Monster marrow

We also picked this today. We felt it deserved a post of its own.

It is enormous!

A lot changes in a week

We've been on holiday for a week, everything has grown while we've been away, thankfully. It's been hot and sunny with some rain inbetween, so perfect for our little plot. The salad potatoes were ready to come up, so we dug them up today.

Here is how it is all looking.

A sudden growth spurt

Everything seems to have grown all of a sudden. I swear, a few days ago, it was half that size, but look at it now. It's become a marrow, rather than courgette. We've picked 3 and they're all quite big.

The pumpkins are on their way, all orange and lovely. The corn is getting taller and the little carrot patch it looking good too.

BBQ and update on growth

It was a lovely sunny evening so we bought some fish and BBQ'd it at the allotment while we weeded. Then settled down with a few beers.
This really is the good life.

Here are a few pics of the veg starting to grow.

Angela the guard Pig

Rather than the standard garden gnome we have gone for Angela, the guard Pig. Here she is, snuffling around under the apple tree.

Intruders beware!

A problem with black fly

The broad beans have been doing brilliantly, getting really big and covered in lovely purple flowers. Now they are covered in black fly. Literally covered. We got some bug killer but it doesn't seem to have helped much.

I think the key is to spray the plants early on before the flys take a hold. The spray seems to be helping the runner beans but I fear it might be too late for the broad beans.

It's a courgette

The courgette plant has its first baby on the way.