Cheap shed, chic shed

For the past few weeks Richard has been building a shed on plot 8.  There were two sheds when we took the plot on. Both were very ramshackle and the first thing we did was pull them down.  At first we thought we wouldn't need a shed on the plot as we already had two on plot 10b which is only two plots away.  But as time went on we changed our minds. It became a bit tiresome to keep going backwards and forwards to our other plot to get tools or bring brew making stuff over.  I thought we could look out for a cheap secondhand shed, but my husband had other ideas. He said he could build one with some of the good wood remaining from our old shed and other wood we had around on plot 10b. He thought it would be much more substantial than a cheap bought shed.

The challenge was to spend as little money as possible on materials. It was amazing really how once he started working on the new shed we seemed to acquire things to help build it. Like the wood and exterior door from a local building company's skip--who gave him permission to take anything he wanted. Then there was the double glazed window which was just the right size, it's quite big so gives us plenty of light and a lovely view of the plot.  The interior doors which one of our allotment neighbours gave him became the sides of the shed  The front  is covered in cladding to hide these doors using wood from the old shed.

Some money still had to be spent on a small amount of wood and nails--about £50.  Other expenses were guttering for the water butts and paint for the exterior cladding, but these would have been extras if we had bought a shed.  So we consider our shed to have cost in the region of £50 and is probably a lot sturdier than any other cheap shed. How many other sheds have a double glazed window and a fire door?

The inside of the shed is a dream.  Richard built a bench along one side, again using free wood. Our hairdresser gave us an old desk which Richard adapted and made into another bench. It looks a bit strange inside with the walls made from those interior doors--doors which lead to nowhere.  But when I walk inside I am in shed heaven. It is so lovely and I have already started to arrange tools, seed trays and of course somewhere to make a brew.

Autumn clear up

Autumn is well and truly here with misty mornings, falling leaves and lots of dead looking plants.  Clearing up in the garden is a constant job as more and more plants turn into a soggy mess of dead leaves or dried up sticks. There's something about Autumn which always makes me want to have a good tidy up and it's not just the beds and  borders, but the sheds too. So the garden and allotment sheds have both been emptied, swept, cleaned and reorganised.  They now smell of Jeyes Fluid and woe betide anyone who messes them up.

At the allotment there is lots to be done.  We are gradually clearing the beds as produce comes to an end.  The broad beans and runner beans have now been cleared away, leaving the roots there as they will set nitrogen into the soil for next year's brassica crop.

In the brassica beds the cabbages have all been harvested weeks ago and I wasn't forward thinking enough to sow seeds for winter cabbage, but there are brussels sprouts, kale and purple sprouting broccoli which will keep going over the winter. There are also some swede in another bed which have done well.  This is the first time we have grown swede and I am quite pleased with them.

We had some massive bags of leaves left outside our plot for us to help ourselves to and so Richard set to work barrowing them to the new leaf bin on plot 8. There were also plenty of leaves to sweep up from the tree which overhangs plot 10b.  The leaf bin is now full to the top but will soon drop down and we will be able to keep topping it up as the leaves continue to fall. This should provide us with plenty of leaf mould next year.

This week I have harvested leeks, fennel, chard, swede, beetroot, peppers and purple sprouting broccoli. The leeks are super and there are also others which were planted later which should be ready for digging up in the new year.

Richard has top dressed the old pea and bean beds with a good layer of manure. Our next jobs are to clear other beds over on plot 8 and to manure those. Lots to keep us busy over the winter.

A clean and tidy shed

Allotment picnic

Sometimes when we have lots to do at the allotment we like to stay all day.   So we take food with us to keep us going. When our daughter and the grandchildren are there too we have a sort of bring and share lunch. Helen often brings a flask of her home made soup, usually made with allotment veg.  Last week it was spicy parsnip, another time it was pea.  I brought crusty bread, cheese and salad stuff.  I like to make a cake to munch on, a  fruit cake is good.  I have a recipe that I call allotment cake only because it's not too messy, and very wholesome. Other times I have called at the pie shop on the way or our son-in-law has bought fish and chips. Not very healthy I know but very welcome when we've been working hard.

We have  plenty of chairs to sit on and a table to spread our offerings on, even a tablecloth. And with tea or coffee to drink we have a lovely feast.

What do you take to eat at your allotment?

Gluts

This year has been fantastic for growing vegetables, everything has done so well on our two allotments.  But some things we've had just a bit too much of.  First it was the lettuce—lollo rosso and little gem. We’d planted too many thinking some would get eaten by slugs or just not survive.  But they grew and grew, we ate what we wanted, gave some away and when they went to seed we threw them on the compost heap. At least they will rot down to make something good.

Then there was the rhubarb.  We’d moved it from our old plot last autumn and it had been a fairly new plant then, so we hadn’t expected great things from it. People told us not to pull much from it the first couple of years, but there was so much, so we just took what we wanted. They also say don’t pick any after July, but it was still growing like mad during August.  So I picked even more.  I froze most of it.  It freezes well, just wash it, trim the stems, cut into short pieces and bag up. We’ve had one or two rhubarb and ginger crumbles and in the next few weeks I shall be making rhubarb and gingervodka in time for Christmas.  It’s really easy to make and is delicious, it doesn’t last long in our house.

The beetroot has gone mad too. It’s lovely in salads cooked or raw. Helen has made some beetroot chutney and we have also pickled some of it. I haven’t yet tried roasted beetroot which I’m told is really good.

The biggest glut of all on our allotments this year is runner and French beans.  Much as I love this type of bean, I may get fed up with them soon and we’re running out of freezer space.  I have given plenty away to neighbours. The runner bean variety is Czar and the seed packet says any beans not picked can be left on the plant to dry and use as butter beans.  That seems a good idea, we like butter beans in soups and casseroles. French beans can also be used in soups if they get a bit too old to pick for boiling. I made a broad bean and runner bean risotto which was really good

I have also been making soups  full of allotment vegetables, turnips, carrot, kale, cabbage, broad beans, French beans and leeks.  It’s getting to that time of year when a big hearty soup is very comforting.

What gluts have you had on your plot this year?

The horticultural show

We have a horticultural show in our town every year. You know the sort of thing, people exhibit things in a variety of classes, like fruit, veg and flowers. I'm ashamed to say that although we have lived in the town for 29 years we have never visited this show before.  My daughter decided that this was the year to go.  She wanted to enter some of our allotment vegetables, but we weren't sure what sort of standards were expected.  So we looked at the list of classes to enter and decided to just enter our chutneys this year and see what might be expected in the veg and fruit stuff so we can prepare ourselves for next year.  Mine was apple and cranberry and hers was beetroot.  I did wonder if my chutney was a bit old as I'd made it last November, but it was still tasting good, in fact I thought it had improved with keeping.  I had one jar left.

We arrived early in the morning to leave our chutneys before the judging took place.  There were two other chutneys there, we wondered if any more would arrive.  We went back in the afternoon after the judging to see how we had done. Sadly neither of our chutneys got placed, but we didn't mind, we wandered round looking at the other exhibits.  There were cakes and biscuits, we thought we could do that next year. I think my shortbread is worthy enough to be entered.  There were a lot of handicrafts on display, but we thought we would have liked to see more fruit and vegetable classes.

We admired this wonderful cabbage and onions.

There were some important people there too.

Now we know how it all works we'll be well prepared for next year's show.

Mellow

I tend to wake up quite early in the morning these days, my aching joints won't allow me to lie in bed for long. I have to get up and start moving about. I enjoy these light early mornings when I sit at the dining room window with a cup of tea and look out at the garden.

There's a lovely mellow look to the borders now which is especially so early in the morning. For a while during August  the borders seemed to lack colour--it's that gap when the early summer flowers have faded and the late summer ones haven't yet come into flower. But looking around the garden now I can see that colour seems to have come back to the garden. It's a lovely  mix  of dark pinks, yellow, bronze which combined with the faded seed heads of the earlier flowers gives the garden that autumnal look.

There's a clump of pink/lilac phlox in the top border with a white one behind called 'David'. The scent is lovely and does remind me of summer.  I rarely remember the names of plants but my son-in-law and my brother are both called David.  Last year I gave these plants a 'Chelsea chop' in May and they didn't do at all well, so I didn't bother this year and I'm pleased with the results. The sedums are in flower too now, adding to the pink theme.

In another border the rudbekias and heleniums are looking good but I think the star of the garden at the moment is the lovely bright yellow grass--Hakonechloa Aureola (I had to look that up, that's a name I definitely can't remember).

Building work in the den

Back from our holiday and the allotment was in need of some work.  We took the grandchildren, so of course I didn't get any allotment work done.  Instead we built a den and a bug house, well it was good fun.
We started the woodland den a few weeks ago and the children have some great plans for it.  The 9 year old had sorted herself out early on with her own little space.

But the seven year old needed some help so we gathered together some long twiggy branches and built a tepee under his climbing tree which Granddad has made easier to climb by fixing some wooden blocks onto the trunk.

Next we put the finishing touches to the bug hotel which we started a few weeks ago, it may need some refurbishment from time to time.

My new chalk marker pen proved a great success with the children and after selecting a few pieces of slate from our store of many things we had found on the plot, they set to work making some signs. There was the 'welcome to our den' , the health and safety notice, 'beware of the tree you cud fall out', and the invitation for insects to stay awhile in the newly built 'bug hotel, the place to bee'