Highs and Lows on the Allotment

Last time I blogged about the allotment was when I was making plans for the year and buying seeds. Well, the allotment has now changed from empty beds and bare soil to looking like an allotment should with rows of vegetables growing. How it all changes in just a few weeks from bare soil to showing green.  For a while it was quiet and relaxed on the plot as we got on with all the preparation jobs and then suddenly it seemed like everything was happening at once with so much to be done--sowing, planting and weeding.

We haven't had much rain the last few months and last week the weather was really warm with record breaking temperatures. Its been too hot to do much allotment work except to harvest fruit and veg and do watering.

In the greenhouse the tomatoes and cucumbers are doing well and we have been picking some lovely little cucumbers.  There are so many of them we pick them while they are small to encourage more to grow. There are tomatoes appearing but not ripe yet. 

I thought I would try growing aubergines this year, I've never grown them before. I did read that they are hard to grow, so I have just got two growing in tubs in the big greenhouse. They have looked very healthy so far and produced plenty of flowers. I was really pleased to see that the first flowers on each plant have now produced tiny aubergines. However it looks like something has been eating them as there are  holes in them, one being very badly affected. I got rid of this one and decided to cut the other one while it was still small before any more holes appeared.

The onions are flopping over now so I will be pulling them soon. The cabbage bed is full of big cabbages, and they are looking great as the cabbages start to form hearts.  Also in that bed are Kale and Swedes. 

I was disappointed that the peas haven't done well this year.  The first lot were started off in lengths of guttering and there were three varieties.  They seemed to get weevil damage early on and some recovered but others didn't. The best ones were 'Onward' and I have been picking those recently. The second lot of peas sown straight into the ground also suffered from being nibbled by the weevils-or I have wondered if it was pigeons. So I had one last attempt to get some decent peas and sowed purple podded peas in guttering, then planted them out and they look ok so far.

Another disappointment was the broad beans. I don't usually have any problems with blackfly on broad beans, but this year I was amazed to see some of the plants totally infested with them. I pulled up the affected plants which was actually only two, then sprayed the rest with soapy water and pinched out the growing tips of them all. I hope this will keep the blackflies away now. I have been able to pick some of the beans and there are plenty left still.

The ground has been looking very dry and cracked with the lack of rain and I was thinking some of the seedlings might  not  survive. I have been watering as best as I can.  But in the last couple of days we have had some rain.  It may not have been enough to get deep down into the ground or fill up the water butts, but the soil now looks damp, the seedlings have perked up and everything looks much fresher.  

So although there have been some low points, the high points are that I  have plenty of crops to pick and I am buying less veg from the supermarket each week now.

Through the Garden Gate--June 2022

We've had a lot of dry weather recently and very little rain. What rain we've had hasn't always been enough to really soak the ground.  But the flowers are blooming and as the late Spring ones have gone over the early summer ones have taken their place.  Now the garden is looking good with blue Veronica, Nepeta, Scabious, Astrantia, Campanula, Roses, Clematis and many more. And the patio tubs are full of colour too.

I have been cutting back the early flowers now they have gone over--I might be lucky and have a second flowering from some of them later in the summer.  Cutting back has left a few gaps in the borders.  I am filling these with some hardy annuals which I have grown from seed--Cosmos, Zinnia, Ammi Majus and Larkspur are some of them. I grow most of the hardy annuals in a cutting bed at the allotment, but any spare plants, I bring home to plant in the garden where there is space.

Since we moved here five years ago I have been trying to get a few Foxgloves growing. All the little seedlings which they produce are potted up and then when they are big enough, planted around the garden.  I couldn't resist buying another one recently which is a lovely cream colour, as well as another Astilbe. Both of these plants grow well in the bottom border which is partial shade and can get quite damp. Another plant which also grows well in this shady bed is Persicaria. It has lovely pink bottle brush type flowers and is much admired by visitors, but it is inclined to take over and spread along the bed. So I've been digging some of this up and this has made space for the Foxgloves and Astilbe.

We have a lovely white Valerian on one side of the archway which is often visited at this time of year by a Humming Bird Hawk Moth.  They are fascinating creatures, but I haven't been able to catch this one on camera yet as it darts about very quickly.  Only Holly the cat will pose for a photo!

With a lot of the big garden jobs now done we've been able to sit and relax and enjoy the garden more. Although it can be difficult to sit for long as I always seem to spot something that needs doing.

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