Looking good on the allotment

 It's quite some time since I last did an allotment blog. So much has happened since then, but although things are not good in the world at the moment we have been able to spend a lot of time down on the allotment. In fact it has never looked as good as it does at the moment.

We have prepared all the beds and started planting and sowing. The potatoes-- Swift and Charlotte are planted in the containers.  Richard has been cutting some height off the privet hedge which runs down one side of the plot. It takes a lot of light off our plot. It has been hard work sawing through the branches but he has finished that now and it has made a big difference.

My kitchen has been full of seedlings for weeks now and it will be good to be able to see the windowsill again soon. I start most of the seeds off at home, then gradually the seedlings move out to the greenhouse at the allotment as they get stronger. It is filling up now, tomatoes and chillies are in there, flowers and leeks.

The allotment beds are starting to fill up. Peas and broad beans are in. I started broad beans ( Bunyards Exhibition) off early on in cardboard tubes and planted them in the ground in a double row when they were big enough. After I planted them I then sowed some more broad bean seeds (Super Aquadulce)  straight into the ground. I have been watching for ages to see signs of them coming through and last weekend there they were all through. I never fail to get excited by the sight of seedlings poking their heads through the soil.

The first lot of peas (Douce Provence) to go in the ground were started off in the greenhouse in lengths of guttering and as with the beans, once they had grown enough to be planted I then sowed another row straight into the ground.

This second lot are Onward. I'm hoping I will still have room for another row of beans and peas. These are vegetables which we really love so I try to grow as much as I have space for. We put three cane wigwams in place at the end of the bed for the climbing beans. I have started some off at home in the shed in cardboard tubes. I have done two varieties--Blue Lake and a purple bean Blauhilde. These will be ready to plant out in late May.

In another bed I planted the onions a few weeks ago--Sturon and Stuttgard. These were started off in cell trays and planted out when they had formed a root system. I find them easier to plant this way and they get a head start so are stronger and less likely to be pulled out by the birds.

In the brassica bed are two rows of cabbages--Kilaton and Greyhound. I covered them with netting as there are a couple of pigeons which keep coming on the plot and eyeing these cabbage plants up.

So things are starting to happen on the plot, it is all looking good. We are enjoying the time we spend there, it is a good place to be at the moment and we are happy that we are still allowed to go to our allotments.  It is quiet and we are well away from other people, we feel quite safe.

Through the Garden Gate--April 2020

April has been a lovely month in the garden.  Lockdown has meant we have had more time to spend gardening and the weather has been beautiful. We have had lovely days working with the sun on our backs or sitting relaxing and admiring the garden.

The borders are filling out now and becoming more colourful each day.  I'm sure some plants are flowering earlier, it must be the warm weather which has brought them on.

The tulips have been lovely, all grown in pots, I must grow more next year.  The Amelanchier tree is the first to produce blossom, such dainty flowers, but they don't last long.

Along the grass verges outside our house are rows of cherry blossom trees. These look amazing when they are all flowering. The crab apple in the garden is now flowering, it has lovely white blossom.  

This little area in front of the shed is one of my favourites. It was newly planted up last year.  I love the blue Camassia and pink Aquilegia with the blue of the Ceaonothus further back.

 Aquliegias are popping up all over the garden now, they are a lovely cottage garden plant and although they seed all over the place I do love them.  The Alliums are about to burst into flower, hopefully in next month's garden review I will have a good photo of them.

At this time of year we are regular visitors to our local garden centres and plant nurseries. But lockdown has meant we can no longer visit them.  After much searching around I finally found that some nurseries are offering click and collect or a telephone  home delivery service. How relieved I was to be able to still buy compost and container bedding plants.

I am linking this post with Sarah's blog  at 'Down by the Sea' for her monthly
'Through the Garden Gate' post