Deb and Em's Allotment Diary

[4pygmies]

Sounds great! Pictures? There's nothing like it is there? I've been slogging away all weekend trying to rebuild my veggie garden in time for all the plants I've got on the go - absolutely knackered, hurt all over, stung all over but feel SOOO much better now it's all getting done. Look forward to seeing the purple Cauli too!

[debidoos]

I forgot to take some pictures today, there's not a lot to see really apart from mounds of soil where the spuds are and the wonky bean poles.

[debidoos]

We've also done a flower bed to attract insects to pollinate for us.

[sweetleaf]

Got any sweet peas? Do you want some?

[debidoos]

we've got a few by the side of the shed we are encouraging to cling to the trellis. wouldn't mind a few more .

[sweetleaf]

Look in your sink next time you go.

[debidoos]

Ta very much!

[debidoos]

Today, my mom, hannah and myself went down the lottie to have a little watering session, we took hannah's watering can so she could have a go too. everything was bone dry, I can't believe how quick everything dries up!

Thanks for the sweet peas! sweetleaf! We're gonna grow them up the shed, It'll be nice sitting out side with a cuppa and the lovely fragrance of sweet pea drifting past.

[sweetleaf]

All you have to remember is to pick them and theyll flower their socks off all summer. If you let them set seed its all over .....


;D ;D

[debidoos]

oooh, cut flowers lovely!

[sweetleaf]

Trouble is after the first few sniffs I can no longer smell them, like not smelling your own perfume, its not fair really is it? Those are Spencer Mixed from my saved seed, all the colours of the rainbow

[debidoos]

I love the colourful ones!

My mom and I planted some that we'd collected ourselves from the previous year and they all came out the same colour!! a pale pink in the centre and a browny burgundy around the edge.

[sweetleaf]

I wonder why? They must have been the most attractive to the pollinator or cross pollinated to produce a new hybrid? Did you save those seeds to see if they stayed true?

[debidoos]

No, they smelt ransid!!

we didn't want have to smell it for another year!

[sweetleaf]

ugh...... dont blame you!

[debidoos]

Went to the Lottie today,

Did some more weeding, We got some 'advice' from the treasurer about our Brassicas telling us we've done it all wrong!!

We'll we appreciate advice but it was more like a dressing down (she's crossed off our xmas card list for now).

Emma brought the Pear tree down and we planted it in Plot 2.

We've also got a few more fruit shrubs in although the Cranberries dissapeared! Would Foxes dig it up? Either that or somebodies nicked it!!!

[sweetleaf]

Foxes wouldnt Debi! Take no notice of them btw

They pick my brains so they dont actually know everything!

[debidoos]

I don't know what's happened to it then, there's just a whole where it was plus a few leaves from it, another theory is that bloke on the plot at the back of ours had trampled it as he tends to take a shortcut across our plot.

I've just remebered I forgot to turn off the stopcock on the tap!

[sweetleaf]

Dont worry Im going up after my dinner.

[emseypop]

hello, debi has told me shes been keeping a plot diary, and now i've found it i'll take her advice and put in my twopenny worth so to speak. deb and i have just got back from a couple of hours toil, happy despite haveing to wait for 40 mins for a bus home as we've each got a bit of salad yum. its such a pleasure being on the plot when the sun is out. (especally after all the rain we had) the big news tonight is deb found her first broard bean and the little news, the news we won't dwell on is i removed the fleece cloche from over the dozens of carrot seedlings i planted a few weeks ago to find 5 carrots left! lord knows what they're like bellow ground, but i've heard everyone hes problems with carrots. cant wait to go back on sunday, i'm away next week so i'll miss the plot and debi too. (see more of her than i do of my oh)

[sweetleaf]

You could try growing your carrots in your green troughs, the pests might find it harder to find them especially with a fleece cloche? Lots of people grow carrots in containers, some even use an old bath tub ! ;D

[4pygmies]

I don't know who'd pinch carrot seedlings like that. How peculiar.......the only thing which damages mine at that stage is a dratted mole coming up and uprooting them. How big are they? Sometimes birds come and pull them out but the cloche would prevent that. Hmmm...odd!
Good about the beans though - they're sweet tasting that young - the best time. Yum!

[emseypop]

the seedlings were all about an inch high when i transplanted them, they're now about 6 inches high. in 2 cluststers either end of the oringonal row do you think it could be carrot fly? will probly try the next lot in containers raised high of the ground. if it is carrot fly dont they become less of a threat in june

[sweetleaf]

Carrot fly wouldnt make the whole carrot disappear, anyway, It sounds very strange!

[debidoos]

I'm starting to think we've got gremlins with all the goings on we've had, or perhaps it's the ghost of the previous owner...