Welcome to our plot!

I'm Hazel, and in Nov 2006 my friend Jane and I took on a half plot at Hill Allotments, Sutton Coldfield - we want the satisfaction of growing and eating our own fruit and veg, and to improve our diet (and fitness!).

This is the story of what happened next...........

Sunday, July 06, 2008

Neighbours...

Despite rain being forecast for the whole weekend, yesterday was ‘sunshine & showers’ so I went to the Hill with weeding in mind. It’s a good job I did, as the rain looks like it’s set in for the day today.

First visitors past the plot were Secretary Haydn & Treasurer Mike – Haydn wanted a word with Jane (who came along later) with regard to school visits, & to let her know that he wants to go & see the headmistress in order to get future visits on a more official footing, given that the teacher who has organised the two trip so far is leaving at the end of term.

Whilst I was weeding the plotD (legumes) neighbour Ted arrived & I picked his brains with regard to when to pull up the onions which are now all flopping over. He said that we have the option of leaving them in situ & pulling them as we need them – mind you, I think that I’d prefer to have them out of the ground & drying off.

He left me to think that one over, & Jane arrived for an hour’s weeding & chatting & she went off with a LETTUCE (cos) & some freshly dug POTATOES (lady cristl). The lettuce are completely fabulous, but despite my best intentions are still all ready together – with the little gem starting to bolt before they can all be eaten, I can’t keep up despite giving them away to family & friends.

I even palmed one off to new allotment holder Ian-from-the-bottom who has taken jungly plot 1B – I went down and had a good nose round & suggested that borrowed the strimmer to beat it into some sort of order. He might be new, but his squash are well ahead of ours.

Back at our plot, I spent some time with the secateurs chopping off anything on the tatty BROAD BEANS which looked to be without beans or overwhelmed with blackfly, & then I picked a bagful to take home. There were plenty enough for a portion to give to Ian-from-the-bottom, as well as for my neighbour & for mum too. The broad bean plants are so tatty & all over the place – I need to find a better way of keeping them tidy next year!

I was picking a portion of PEAS (pilot) as Jason (behind retired Maureen) came past & he had a chat & a look round. He said that he doesn’t put his peas in until May in order to avoid the pea & bean moth which strikes in May & June. I don’t think that I’ve had a problem with this, but at least I know what to do about it if I do.

I dug up a potato & a row of ONIONS to add to the peas & beans (along with a GARLIC bulb which had somehow sneaked into the onion row) & was just packing up when Ian-from-the-bottom came back with five marigold plants he had left over – so I planted them at the front of the plot and finished just as the heavens opened…

2 comments:

  1. Your onions are bigger than mine! Mine are no-where near ready to fall over and look much smaller. My shallots this year are a disgrace. They stopped growing several weeks ago, have dried off and are MINUTE! I think it must have been lack of water in spring. I'm still going to eat 'em though!

    Your peas look good too.

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  2. I think my onions are bigger than everyones! When I dug the rest up I'll post a pic against a ruler or something.

    I'm pleased with them, but I'm not sure how they'll store, as they seem pretty variable in quality - some have thicker necks, and some look to have split as they've grown.

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