Seed update

Artichokes, nasturtiums starting to show and some calendula, although these have been disappointing. They usually do well and quickly so not sure if my cheap seed compost is doing the job. Anyway lots of sunflowers sown and more cosmos and sweetcorn.

This wks view

New mini bed

Willow growing

Weeding fruit beds

Night-marestail!

What a shock this wk, no sign of the lovely marestail at last wks visit then confronted by this site after a week of rain!

To be honest nothing has ever been planted here as it was always the worse bed but plans were to grow flowers so by packing them in it could overpower the marestail. Not sure if this will work but you can see why I can never direct sow.

Not sure what to do but definitely want the flowers so looks like more hard graft!

Seed update

Pleased to report, Statice sown inside has started to show - must have killed other inside seeds with too much heat in the propagators as these had no additional heat.

Finally, some seeds in the coldframe are also showing - artichoke I think! No idea why theusually reliable calendula is not showing yet but fingers crossed they will get a move on. Will be running out of space soon, as usual.

British bloggers for British flowers

Hopefully I have just joined @vanessakimbell and the campaign to grow and buy British flowers. Will blog more about this during the week and also try and upload the logo. Have a look at her blog though for more info.

Rhubarb rhubarb

Latest plan of action

Thought I would share the plan for this year. Some has been achieved, others on the way!

View across the plot

A view from the entrance to plot 61b, rhubarb and strawberries in foreground, right is raspberries and top right the orchard.

Middle section is the veges with the fleece covering the potates, top middle is the newly dug bed with the grazing rye rotting down ready for sweetcorn and beans.

Far side are the compost bins, the shed (lying flat packed now), mini beds and the far corner is the wildflower meadow.

Beautiful plum blossom

I know I have a picture of it already, but it is pretty and I am pleased that the trees are doing well this year.

Hazel cob joins the the orchard

I have a regular hazel at home and regulalry fight the squirrels for the nuts  - they usually win, so thought the allotment could do with a hazel cob, producing lots more lovely nuts.

Never yet seen a squirrel on the site, but I expect they will be queuing up soon if this beauty bears fruit.

The beauty of rhubarb

The rhubarb only went in last year so I didn't get the chance to see a lot of top growth to be honest and I wasn't sure it was going to do much this year.

However, it has and I have been really surprised by the shear beauty of the leaves as they form before uncurling. The vivid pink/red colour (probably not clear from the photo) is amazing and this one reminds me of raspberry ripple icecream.

It's the first thing I walk past on the site and always a pleasure.

Willow bed update

Just going to say, looking good. Keep growing my beauties.

Mini bed update

Spent an hour at the lottie on Saturday checking the new willow bed and starting to tackle the weeds which are already covering the bare areas, thanks to the recent mild weather. Temperatures of 20c on a couple of days, for March, crazy.

Thanks to a couple of days of good rain, the mini beds I prepared which were large clumps of soil have now started to break down and I managed to turnover one so it will be ready to plant after a bit more of the wet stuff. The other bed leaves a bit to be desired, despite being next to the other one, the soil conditions are completely different, clunky hard lumps of clay and plenty of weed roots to boot. This one needs loads more rain before it can be worked.

Have spread the clumps out a bit more and hoping for more rain soon to help out.

Latest view

Latest view across the plot from the willow bed end!

Willow bed finished

Covered the area with membrane to help suppress the weeds. This area has had nothing in and is prone to thistles so hope this does the trick.

Excuse the mounds of soil to hold it down, will be off to get some special metal pegs at the weekend to make it look a little tidier.

Potatoes snuggled in

Potatoes dug in and covered with fleece, well despite 21c last week they are now predicting frosts and snow tomorrow night!

Rhubarb crumble as well

Looks like some rhubarb crumble whilst I wait for the blackberries to mature.

This was planted early last year and didn't really do very much at all, in fact I wasn't sure it was going to make it through winter. I decided not to force it and see what happened - glad I did - the buds looks amazing before the leaves appear.

My own blackberry and apple crumble this year!

Again, I could have scrumped the blackberries like I usually do but as apple and blackberry crumble is a favourite in our house, well I thought you can't have too many.

Lets hope it lives up to its pedigree and romps away producing lots of fruit this year!

Cornus alba Sibirica / Westonbirt (Scarlet)

I know but I couldn't resist this one in the order with the willows. Will brighten up the lotty in the dark winter months and provide me with some nice cuttings to go with the cut flowers that are planned for this year.

Arrival of the willow bed

Common Osier and Purple willow bed

It's no surprise really that I have eneded up with a willow bed. I love willow weaving and although it has been a while since I did the course, I haven't lost my love of  how beautiful woven willow can be as well as functional.

This area of the allotment has always been a bit of a nothing space, I was never really sure what I would do with it. It had been churned over last year for the allotment trustees to lay a water pipe and I have left it to the thistles - big mistake!

Still the willow should take care of itself and provide me with lots of useful clippings to use around the lotty as well as make some features.

Just need to cover over the bare earth with some membrane to keep the pesky weeds down!

Grow well little beauties..