Tuesdays triumphs

I spent a good 3 hours on the allotment this morning. Digging over the last patch of weeds and removing the artichoke plants which roots were deeply imbedded into the soil. I even broke a prong of my fork so will now have to replace that. I'm quite pleased with myself even if I say so myself. This is what it looked like when I took it over a couple of weeks ago. 

It was full of old rotten vegetables and plenty of weeds that looked like this. 

After clearing it bit by bit and planting some potatoes and onions and some carrots the rest is ready for more planting.

But now my allotment looks like this.

It's my little plot and I can't wait till things start growing and I can go with the children to pick the vegetables for dinner.

The other thing I'm proud of is my little compost bin which I wouldn't have if it wasn't for the generosity and time from Fellow blogger Frugal in Suffolk and her husband C. Who kindly popped over this morning with 4 pallets carried them to my plot and even constructed them together so I now have a fantastic compost bin. 

Please excuse the rest of the mess at the side I will get it sorted soon. 

L

Exciting news

No we haven't won the lottery or anything like that but wait for it I have growth on the allotment something I planted myself well actually Little Miss did but still we have something growing. You have to look very closely blink and you might miss it. Here it is. 

It's my first main crop potato plant coming up. Not sure where the earlys are they surely should have come up first. The photo is zoomed in as if you were on the plot you would miss it. 

I spent a good couple of hours weeding and trimming the edges today and working out how I am going to remove some very large artichoke plants yes they are still in. I have all this space now and looking forward to getting some more bits in. 

I'm also looking forward to meeting another blogger tomorrow who I know will give me some much needed advice as sometimes when I look at my plot I get a bit daunted as to what to do next. I wonder if she will bring her spade actually no she best not I hear she has a bad back. 

Rain stops play.

Well it didn't actually start. It's been a wet day and I spent most of the morning wondering if the cricket will go ahead or not. I had cakes to ice and fill and sausage rolls to cook. But now they are in the freezer for next week which will save me a bit if time on Friday.  After lunch we popped to Woodbridge for some magazines that are not stocked here I wanted grow your own and Mr M is into cycling so wanted something to read. 

Other than that it's been very quiet day with us ending it watching the Lone Ranger with the children it was actually quite good and funny in places. Tomorrow we have the St George's day parade so I will put a beef casserole in to have when we get home. 

A day of reminiscing

Today Mr M and I went for a walk from Aldeburgh to Thorpeness and back on the way there we walking along the path and stopped for coffee and cake at the Thorpeness Kitchen and on the way back we followed the old railway line that used to connect Aldeburgh to Leiston. I don't remember the line but I do remember playing where it used to be. We had a great time when I was younger building dens and climbing trees, I had a lot of freedom to just run and play going out in the morning and only coming back for dinner. I didn't have a happy childhood and it was a case where social services should have got involved sooner than they did. But the bits I choose to remember is the great fun I had with friends down this old railway line. 

Another thing I did which I haven't done in 20 years is return to the house and road I grew up in, in Aldeburgh. It something I have avoided but today I wanted to see not to dwell on the past as I believe everything happens for a reason and if they hadn't happend to me I would have met Mr M and wouldn't have my two gorgeous children.

I was glad to see the house had been done up and looks like a nice family lives there now. I'm now able to close one of the doors from childhood and stop wondering.

On the allotment and growing news nothing much just watering and I'm waiting patiently for the seeds to grow ready for transplanting out and on Sunday I'm hoping to sow a few seeds in directly.

  

Mondays Mumblings

It was back to the allotment today after a couple if days away due to cricket and a family day yesterday. 

I manged to dig over the last patch which was a lot easier than the first bit. The weeds were not so deep rooted in and the soil was easier to turn over as it wasn't so hard. I moved some rhubarb that was completely in the way it was in pots so easy to move. I had six plants but gave four away and kept to. I'm the only one in the house who likes rhubarb so I wouldn't beable to eat six plants worth. The last job I have to do is remove eight artichoke plants I did one today and boy those roots go down along way. Will try and do some more tomorrow I hope. 

Little miss came to help while the men went for a bike ride. She planted up some onions and carrot seeds. I'm not sure how well these will do as the ground is full of stones and flint. I will do a second set of sowing later on. Now my patch is almost clear I gave sort of marked out what to grow. 

It was rather busy at the allotments today and the weather was rather warm I would however like some rain. 

Thanks to Cro for his comment we are a huge cricket family and  will go to Lords every year to watch England play. I much prefer cricket to football. 

Start of the season.

For many who have been reading my posts will know I love cricket and am involved in the cricket club where Mr M plays and the little ones train. It's the club where I used to score for many years ago from the age of 13 till 18 and it's also the place where I met Mr M. Now a days I don't score but I am fixture secretary and I do the teas for the first team. So many Saturdays in the summer I will be watching cricket. Today was the first game of the season and I wish it had been warmer it was rather nippy today I'm still trying to get warm. Thankfully the team won so smiles all around. 

Didn't make it to the allotment today as at the cricket but we did go yesterday and I can say that when I left it, it was weed free. I'm now ready to think about planting and have got myself a little notebook to keep track of things and anything that will come in useful for next year. A big thankyou to Sue at frugal in Suffolk, she had done a great post full of useful tips to help anyone who wishes to grow their own fruit and veg and herbs. 

The weather isn't supposed to be to good tomorrow but hopefully it will stay dry for a egg hunt. 

 

 

A little help.

After a morning of cutting the lawn at home washing down windows, doors and frames sweeping paths and patios. It was off to the allotment I go to try and tackle the rest of the weeds. I managed to do quite a bit more but still have a bit to go I pulled up old carrots that had carrot root fly and were inedible and old beet root that was rotten also.  

This is what half my plot was like. 

After digging up the weeds it is a clay soil full of Flint,Stones and glass from many years ago. The site was once used for breaking up Flint to build the Church and Castle and then become a victorian dumping ground that housed pigs. One plot owner I got chatting to said he has found a musket ball a buckle of a soilders uniform and an old clay pipe. (I still might find those coins then). 

So after much digging and removing the weeds including roots it looks like this. 

Lots of hard lumps that need breaking down, another very kind plot owner who has a rotivator came and went over the bit I have dug. Having read a couple of books I know people are split about using a rotivator but as I had removed the weeds I didn't mind and I wasn't going to turn down any help. 

My soil now looks like this. 

Much better now I need a little rain which is forecast on Sunday to help with the small bit left to do which I might give it a go tomorrow but as Cricket season is now upon us I need to do some baking for the teas. I'm planning on doing chocolate brownies, lemon drizzle and carrot cake. 

Slowly getting there. My plot finishes at the artichokes. You can just see the last bit left to weed. 

Tears and tantrums (almost)

After doing the household chores two loads of laundry, washing the kitchen floor and wiping down the kitchen cupboard doors and downstairs doors. I couldn't do anything else as Mr M was in bed having been sent home from work yesterday so he must be bad I'm not sure if he would have made the commute into the city today after a rough night with fever and shakes. 

The children went to the beach with the grandparents after lunch so I headed down to my allotment which is only a ten minute walk from the house but I'm afraid to say I took the car as I had lots of tools to take and couldn't carry everything. 

I spent three solid hours and it was tough. I was the only one there today and spent the whole time digging out the weeds, there were times I wanted to fall on my knees and cry I just felt like I was getting no where some weeds had very deep roots the ground was hard and I had large patches of grass that seemed to be welding the ground together. But I did make progress and now have cleared at least half the plot with another small section still covered in weeds. The other half looks to have been dug recently and the weeds are no where near as bad. 

No only did I have weeds growing I'm sure I could have rebuilt the Castle with the amount of stones and flint in my plot, I was half expecting time team to turn up and start digging as I unearthed broken crockery, glass and a manner of other unrecognisable pottery though unfortunately no undiscovered medieval coins worth millions!

Despite almost having tears or throwing a teenager tantrum and moments of what am I doing. I knew it wouldn't be easily to start with and allotments require hard work and dedication but the end product hopefully of having produce I have grown with the family is going to be worthwhile. I know just a few more hard days digging it's then just keeping on top as I will never let the weeds grow to the state they are now. 

This is what my patch looks like now having cut the raspberries back that I inherited and removing the leeks which were very woody or rotten I'm now starting to feel like it's my own patch now.

Being Nosy

Not a lot happened today we went to have lunch with a friend who happens to live a 2 minute walk from the allotments so it seemed right going to show her our plot and give her some of the rhubarb I inherited I have three large plants. Whilst we were there we got talking to a couple of other plot owners one is a retired teacher from the school who the children know and the other used to play cricket with Mr M. After telling them which plot was mine they both said oh dear. Reason being my plot is next to a person who dislikes children which isn't good as I have two. Though I'm sure I have installed good manners in to them so hopefully we won't cause problems with one another. 

Apart from those two no one else was about so we took the time to have a look around at other peoples. Some are immaculate and take up double plots some are only a quater and most are a full or half plot. There's one which looks like someone tried to grow grapes but has now been left after being unsuccessful and has been taken on by someone who already has a plot and half but is proving quite a bit of work clearing nettles and the vines. Another has ten christmas trees growing and not a lot else. My favourite has the best views of the Mere and castle it is more like a little garden with a bench surrounded by small trees and little privet hedges separating the vegetable beds. A neatly mowed path lined with lots of daffodils and every colour tulip makes this the perfect little spot for relaxing. I hope to get to know them so they invite me over for a cup of tea. 

I have been ploughing through my books and making a list of equipment needed some I have and some I need to get. 

So far I have a Fork,Spade,Hoe,Rake and a trowel and a watering can a bucket to collect weeds in. I need some thing to use for cutting but not sure whats best and I don't want to spend to much money either. Any tips would be useful. 

I'm hoping to go up for a bit tomorrow to turn some more soil over and hopefully get a few potatoes in. 

Until tomorrow 

Weekend musings

Yesterday was spent preparing for the Cricket Club quiz preparing Chiil and cooking  potatoes  for about 50 people. The quiz went well and we made nearly £250 for the club which was good and much needed funds. It was quite a late night after tiding up so this morning was rather lazy after I put the brisket on to slow cook using Jamie Oliver's recepie and prepping the veg making the yorkshires. I spent most of the morning reading my book on the Kitchen Gardener by Alan Titchmarsh. 

This afternoon myself and Little Miss went to the allotment after we quickly popped to the garden centre to get a few seeds ready to plant. We headed to the allotment expecting lots of people to be out tending to theirs but it was empty. Though it wasn't quiet at the College was the country fair with loud music blaring out. I got to digging and turning the soil over while Little Miss cut the edges with a pair of scissors as the grass had got rather long. 

After Mr M and Little M came back from a bike ride they joined us which was a shock as Mr M has no time for gardening or growing but he worked by hard hoeing and breaking the big clumps of soil up. I also had a good tidy up cutting down lots of nettles and made a compost heap which I now need to cover over. 

I haven't planted anything out yet I did have plans to put some early potatoes in but just ran out of time we were there for 3 hours. But I now have two clear spaces  ready for planting. 

The pictures don't really show how big the plot is but it is getting there. I don't think my plot could be in a worse spot very close to the tap and with spectacular views whenever I look up. 

When we came home we planted some seeds which I have put out in our small plastic green house ready for planting out on the allotment. I know they should be indoors but my kitchen window sill isn't very big at all so I have put some fleece over to give extra protection at night and it is up against the wall of the house. 

So far we have planted Dwarf Beans, Broad Beans, Runner Beans, courgettes, Sweetcorn and Cherry Tomatoes though these are staying at home with the salad leaves in pots at home.

We won't go up tomorrow as we have a busy day but hoping to get cracking again on Tuesday. 

Just a question regarding the raspberry plants I have inherited do I cut these right back to the bottom as they have quite a lot of green leaves on and also some flower buds but also lots of tall brown dry stalks.  Sue at Frugal in Suffolk I'm sure this is one you can help me with.

Friday Ramblings

It's been a busy day a meeting about my website (Suffolk Days) this morning  about the new direction it's going in followed by housework and normal chores which seem to take a little longer when the children are about. MIL said she will help me weed the flower beds while I popped down to the town I cam back and they were bare she though everything was a weed and dug up my alliams, delilahs basically everything that wasn't a tulip. I have replanted it all again so hopefully they will be ok. I have a busy day tomorrow as it's the quiz for the cricket club and I have to make a chilli and cook 60 jacket potatoes. 

I did pop to my new allotment today but only for an hour as my little boy wasn't feeling a 100% and I didn't think it was far to keep him out for to long I did do some weeding. 

But as you can see still plenty more to do. Also thank you to the advice from two Sue at Frugal in Suffolk and Sue at Our new life in the country regarding yesterday. I cut the seeded but of the rhubarb and pulled some lovely pink stalks for pudding tonight which I will stew and serve with custard. 

Having come home and the little one fell alseep I did a plan of the allotment and what is currently growing or taking up space. 

I have now done a list of all the things we want to grow and is reading the books I have. I have grown vegetables at home but never to this scale and only so it really is a learning curve for me. This is the list of vegetables we (children and I) would like to grow. 

Early potatoes 

Main crop potatoes

Sweetcorn

Courgettes

Pumpkins

Runner beans

Dwarf beans

Broad beans

Peas

Parsnips

Brussels sprouts

Carrots

Onions red and white

Radishes

Raspberries (already there)

Asparagus (already there) 

I will grow tomatoes, salad and strawberries at home along with lots of herbs I already have. Now I really don't know where to start I have a basket full of seeds on a popular seed company website and it already comes to £46.00 I might just pop to local garden centre as I'm sure I could buy plants already started off. Unless anyone knows where else I can pick up some to get me going.

I have an allotment

After being told I missed out on an allotment this year to receive a call to say one is available would I like it. I said yes straight away before really thinking what have I let myself in for. Have I time can I fit it in you know what I'm not sure but I'm going to give it a go. Mr M has no enthusiasmto help he doesn't have a green fingered bone in his body, but the children are very excited. Having not seen the plot I was a bit unsure you never know what it's going to be like. The previous owners have looked after it well there is still quite a bit of digging before any planting can commence but it hasn't been neglected Luckily it's only half a plot  it's still plenty big enough for me with  spectacular views over the Castle and Mere and the college and only a stones throw from the water tap, It's a perfect tranquil place to go. There seems to be a real community and pride in the plots and on our visit tonight it seems there will be plenty of people on hand to offer advice whether needed or not. 

So here comes the questions I have rhubarb on the plot can I eat it as it's looks like it has gone to seed and how do I trim it back? 

Are these raspberries? 

I take it these are onions? 

 

But look what I found growing amongst the weeds

 An asparagus stalk all on its lonesome I didn't have the heart to cut it.

Tomorrow we are going in the afternoon with our tools to start digging but first I must do a bit of research and plan what to grow. I think this blog will naturally gravitate towards one Suffolk Girls attempt to grow her own veg I'm sure it will be filled with lots of trials and tribulations. 

Till tomorrow 

I'm back!

I've not been anywhere but we haven't had any broadband but it's now fixed so I have been catching up with work and reading everyone's blogs you all have been very busy. I haven't been up to much but we do need a new boiler so we have had a couple of companies round for quotes. However our boiler is above a sink so will need moving meaning the kitchen will need redesigning a bit and we will have to lose some or all wall units. So now I have the chance to look for a larder unit to house the food in. So a huge project which will commence sometime in May or early June. 

It's the first day of the Holidays and it's been very wet here so after a lazy morning children not me we have been playing board games I lost both I'm sure a little cheating was going on. It's supposed to be better weather tomorrow we are hoping to go 10 pin bowling which I haven't done for years.