Sweetcorn, beans and other

Sweetcorn, loads of it. Good job we all love it in all it's guises. I sowed 110 seeds and 109 have germinated. These were sown at home as the naughty little rodents at the allotment had eaten my first sowing. I've now put them out in my little greenhouse at home to harden off and in a few weeks they can go to the lottie.

Various beans and a few courgettes out in the greenhouse.

Again all the butternut squash germinated, where will I put them all? Never can bear to throw a plant away. Perhaps that is why last year I ended up with half a ton of various squash and pumpkin.

Trays of brassicas I potted on earlier in the week. Calabrese, PSB, Savoy cabbage and one or two hard white, for the coleslaw.

These were a few extra strawberry runners I didn't know what to do with. I potted them up and stashed them in the tunnel. Flowering already, I do hope we get a decent crop as I'd love to make jam from my own fruit.

First early potatoes planted about a month ago are already showing their heads above ground. I believe these are call Coleen. I also have a few rows of Maris Bard and a salad potato, Charlotte.

and last but not least these are my new friends, Rosemary and Thyme the piggie wigs. Our allotments are part of a small farm and these two have invaded the plot fields. Love a good scratch and a carrot or two.

The poly tunnel is up and running at last. The wet and windy weather disappeared a couple of weeks ago and the 'boys' got to work. I didn't interfere as, apparently, this was man's work. There was a bit of head scratching and a few choice words but all in all it was an alright job.

Here we are all finished and I love it. Doesn't take much to make me happy. There is still lots of work to be done inside but I've started on that. The advantage is I can garden in the wet now and grow a lot more tender fruit and veg, with an extended growing season.

Quite some digging needed here but I've already started to enrich the soil with well rotted manure and some of my own compost. I have founds some old scaffold boards that will make good boarder edges. Just got to fix them up.

Here is my little potting area, I was just sowing a few yard long beans and a few sunflowers to attract the bees.

I have already started to fill it up. Newly sown PSB, calabrase, and summer cabbage at the back. A little yellow tomato next, not sure of it's name. The a couple of trays of leeks and a tray of runner beans I was gifted by one of the other plot holders. In the foreground are heritage tomatoes I received as a free gift on an Australian gardening mag.

There has been a lot more happening since I took these photos, in the week. More beans and sweetcorn have been sown and eaten by the mice. I've re-sowed at home and those seeds are up and growing. More pictures tomorrow.

Dentist and Daffodils.

Mid week I had to pay my yearly visit to the dentist, nothing interesting about that. On the way I walked through our local park. I don't venture there very often as it's not really on my way anywhere, apart from the dentist of course. I was so surprised to see this magic carpet stretching out before me.

The grass needs a bit of tlc after the wear and tear of the cold, cold winter. In some areas it has gone altogether but with a little sunshine and a good feed it will be back to it's former glory in no time. I just love those tiny little narcissus, so delicate.

It's raining and I'm glad for a change. For the last little while I have done very little but dig and rake and sow and shift manure. I need a little crafting time at home.

Yes, this lot.

The allotment is now ready for the spring and I think just in time. We have been having some Ok weather for the last week or so, before it was dry but very cold, not bad for the digging part.

We have been making a start on a fruit garden. A row of summer fruiting raspberries, you can just see them if you look hard enough.

A Couple of apple trees, a 'wall' of strawberries and even a rhubarb crown. I hope to add a gooseberry, black and red currants and a plum or damson tree but they will have to wait for next season.

That's next doors poly tunnel but Benjy and I have prepared the plot for our tunnel. 10ft x 20ft, it sounded so big when I was ordering it but I'm sure we will fill it with lots of goodies. The windowsill in the conservatory is beginning to sag and I have now moved on to the sitting room. I have pots of chillies, peppers, cues, tomatoes and squashes balanced on the radiator, for bottom heat you understand.

Oh by the way a large lorry delivered the tunnel yesterday. Well it delivered a pile of metal tubes, wooden planks, plastic sheeting and loads of nuts and bolts. I think the males of the family will be in for a treat this weekend. I'm having nothing to do with it until I can go inside and plant things.

Apart from the digging we have been sowing a planting as well. Spinach in the first bit of bare ground, broad beans in the second and tucked up under that fleece are our first early potatoes. There was even a little sunshine while we were working this week. Can you see my shadow?

And the crafting, well I didn't get much of that done as I was wearing my chauffeurs hat most of the afternoon. There is always tomorrow!!

Baby Knitting.

It's all official, I've seen the scan photo, I'm going to be a Grandma again. Not till October but I've already got the knitting needles out. Now October in New South Wales is spring time, is it hot, warm, cool or downright cold, I don't know. What to knit that will get used? Well I plumped for a blanket that can be used in different ways.

It's a pattern I found on Ravelry. Ravelry is just wonderful, so much information about every aspect of working with yarn. I can't say knitting because it is so much more than that. If you want to know it, it will be somewhere on Ravelry. If used a off white yarn, merino wool, cashmere, silk mix. So so soft but I think it's probably terrible to wash but who cares.

I've made a good start but I'm nearly out of yarn and I need to go out for some more. I don't like going out at the moment but what's a woman to do when she needs yarn.

I love the heart motifs, they are in reverse stocking stitch and look complicated, well to me they do but are a doddle. Just purl and plain, so as long as I can count straight I will be alright. I will keep you up to date with how it is going.

Neglect and signs of Spring.

I've been having a really good look around the garden at home today. It's in a very sorry state indeed. The Autumn was so wet and windy I wasn't able to do all the tidying up I wanted to do. Pampa and Paddy tried to do a little at the end of January but it was so cold with ice and snow I told them not to bother. Quite a few plants died in the cold but not to worry as the front garden was getting a little crowded and needed a sort out. Even amongst the dead leaves, scruffy plants and the odd bit of rubbish blown in from the road I found signs that spring is on it's way.

Buds on the big white clematis, the one I have forgotten the name of and the one I am supposed to chop down to the ground around about now.

One lonely snowdrop, I quite excited about this as I didn't plant it, it's a volunteer plant. Yes it's volunteered to cheer me up.

Crocus, narcissus and tulips in this piece of bare ground.

and even the lesser spotted lost loppers are popping up.

Here is a very neglected herb garden, I can't see what is dead and what is still struggling along. They all need a good hair cut and then we will wait and see what happens. The whole garden is due for a make over but at the moment the Allotment wins and it will have to wait it's turn.

It's cold outside

The sun is shining and the sky is blue but Oh is it cold outside. Not that I actually saw it but I heard Pampa scrapping the ice off his windscreen this morning.

I will have to look out some more sweaters as I need to make a trip to the market and the store, the stockpile is non-existent and the fridge is empty.

I spent some of the weekend sorting the storeroom and checking over the stockpile and now I'm ready for re-stocking.I haven't really wanted to leave the house since I've been home. It's so nice to be here and shut the world outside again. Oh I sound like some sort of recluse but do enjoy the peace and quiet of home.

The tins need filling and I have already had requests for flapjack and scones. A large cake is probably on the cards as well and of course bread and bread rolls.

As you can see from these photos I'm not the only one that likes to cook.

Have a good day.