Secret Garden Allotment

• 2012-04-02

  Waiting for rain

  

  Where I live is officially ‘in drought’.  While the sunny weather continues, it seems sensible to get early crops in the ground, so we planted the salad potatoes (Charlotte) and main crop (Picasso - these were brilliant last year, and anyway, I was never going to resist an arty vegetable).  We also sowed two long rows of peas straight in the soil and covered with netting to ward off birds and mice.  I’ve tried sowing in loo rolls, sowing under pots, sowing indoors and planting out when the plants are established, but the birds always seem to win, so this year we’re going back to the most straight forward method of all and hoping that the netting works as a deterrent.  Rain forecast for tomorrow…

• 2012-03-25

  

  Spring Forward!  It’s now British Summer Time, the sun is shining, the weather has been exceptionally warm for March and today we set out the first early potatoes - three rows each of Sharps Express and Red Duke of York.  The salads and main crop are also chitted, ready to go into the plot next week.

• 2012-03-06

  a slight lack of resolve

  Too much else to do to spend time at the plot - at least, this year, it is for happier reasons than last, but I have been busy with art, not planting, and will need to set some time aside soon or I’ll miss the moment and only have a small vegetable crop this year.  

  The last weekend in February was so warm that it seemed Spring had come early, so we did some digging, checked on the broad beans (more than half have already come through) and moved the red sorrel and globe artichoke from the shady spot under the tree to sunnier places near the arch.  So far, the plot seems to be doing fine without me - mainly thanks to Steve, who has been digging, tidying and repairing borders in any spare moments, the ground is ready for whatever I choose to put in it.  Now it is down to me to get sowing - time, I think, for the planting plan.

• 2012-01-06

  Sow early

  

  I missed the chance to sow some over-wintering seed in the autumn, but I checked through my seeds and found I had some very early broad beans (Aquadulce Claudia) which can be sown in January if the weather is mild - and I can’t remember a milder winter - and some winter growing lettuce that can be sown through until January. We’ve had wild winds and a deluge in the inbetween days since New Year’s Day, but today was cold but clear and dry, so we headed to the plot to feed the birds and to sow ten and a half short rows of broad beans (or 54 plants if they all come up) and four rows of Winter Gem and Arctic King lettuce.   A number of our stored potatoes - all first and second early varieties - had started sprouting, so we’ve put a few of them back into the plot to see if they will take.  I know that this isn’t best practice, but we’ll keep a close eye and see what happens.

• 2011-12-31

  some resolutions

  

  I’ve spent too little time in my plot this year, but I have enjoyed the roof garden at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the opportunity to visit the gardens at Clarence House thanks to Start, the lovely community garden in Redcross Way, the Urban Physic Garden, and Master Gardeners training with Garden Organic.  In 2012, I will try to spend more time sowing, growing and cultivating my plot, and to write it down as I do.

• 2011-11-22

  

  I thought that this bay tree had been killed off by last winter’s heavy snow, but it put out new shoots in early summer, and now it has some good strong growth.

• 2011-11-21

  a small handful of beans

  We’ve finally started on the big winter tidy, and I cut down all the climbing beans, which had  continued cropping throughout the autumn, but since October I’d left them to set seed.  Yesterday I picked one last handful of beans - climbing french beans and runner beans, still good enough to eat, a surprise winter side dish, braised with some finely sliced marrow and a few peas.

• 2011-11-20

  unseasonal?

  

  It’s been a ridiculously warm autumn - I’ve never known nasturtiums to keep flowering so late in the year, but they’re still climbing up the trellis intended for the grapevine, despite a light frost last night.  Earlier today I’m sure I saw some birds in the nesting box on my neighbour’s plot.  And my strawberry plants are still trying to flower. November feels out of balance this year.

• 2011-10-25

  

  The last courgette of the season - and the smallest by far!

• 2011-09-04

  avantgardening:

  Avant-Gardening were part of the wonderful Embrace the Place event at Tate Britain yesterday, where Lisa and Paul worked with participants to create seed bomb garden ornaments. These kitschy delights are going to be deposited in gardens and on wastelands where over winter they will break down to release the poppy seeds for next summer

  Source: avantgardening