Allotment Days

The April showers have certainly come in with April.  This weekend, the weather has been on and off showery and warm, perfect for the allotment!  Not so much for me, the more my hair gets wet and dries, and gets wet and dries, the more I start to look like Simba off The Lion King!

I went shopping this week to the garden centre I picked up a load of seeds and things, and before I got to the till did a quick Carol Voderman style add up, then swiftly went back and returned them to the places I got them from.  This happened about 3 times until I got to an amount of money that I could justify spending, but I came away with propogators, seeds, compost, a couple of tomato plants and a kitchen herb garden pack. I have this  'miniature allotment' on my windowsill in the kitchen that grows coriander, basil and oregano.

And though my main growing area is at the allotment I've decided to make a small herb garden in the front yard at home, so that mr husband has fresh herbs on hand for when he's cooking, plus the added bonus is that the yard will smell divine!

I've never been very good at growing Coriander it just wouldn't grow and then a Sikh Lady on the allotment told me her secret.  She and her husband always have loads of it on their plot and they kindly let me go and pick it as and when I need it, but she told me if you 'bash' the corianders seeds in a pestel and mortar first, just a rough bash to open the shell of the seed up then plant them, they grow - and indeed they do!!

Yesterday on the plot I decided to plant some onions.  So armed with manure, mini fork thingy, dibber and my fabulous wooden ruler that I found in grandads garage I set to work.  I got a '50 sets' of onions (5 varieties) , I still have no idea what this means, but on the packet it said plant onion in rows 1 inch deep 5 inches apart.  It also said something about plant all one variety in one row and all another in another row, thus suggesting by the end you would have 5 rows of different onions.  Great if all the onions weren't mixed together! I could tell apart red, white little, white shallot and I have no idea about the other two it'll be pot luck as to what comes out!

And another thing, I tell you what those chickens should be counting their lucky feathers that I don't eat meat, they nearly ended up in the pot.  No sooner had I planted the onions, they were digging them up!

Saturday evening I decided to plant the new seeds up in the propogators and I had the pleasure of MR B's company helping me.

He planted, Beetroots, spring onions, peas, broccoli, cauliflowers and some courgettes.

Today (being Sunday) we've had a seed swap on the allotment.  Our allotment community is so lovely, we have get togethers a few times a year, to maybe swap seeds or produce and sometimes we might have a bbq in the summer.  This was our first get together after the winter months, so it's nice to chat to everyone and swap ideas.

This one decided to come and join too - thankfully the other side of the fence (it hates me and relishes in chasing me!)

I took my remainder seeds that I wasn't going to be using anymore and put them in the pile.

And came away with a purple sprouting broccoli plant, some Kale seeds and some Fenugreek and Coriander seeds.  As well as some rhubarb off my own plot.

And finally this afternoon, after being out in the not so warm wet weather all morning I took the opportunity to cozy up with a brew and do some crocheting:

Happy Days!!

Bye for now & happy planting! xx