13 Mar 2014 - The boring tidy-up session

Since there's not much planting going on, I've been popping down to the allotment to do some tidying between work shifts.  Apparently my shifts are annoying, but you gotta play the system!

I had a vague idea of what I wanted to do, but all the fun stuff was either a WIP, or waiting for timber, so I was just pottering.  Luckily, two guys I know were also there, we'll call it a hot date, cos the sun was out and we had lunch together!

Also joined by the resident ducks, who were trying to nick the nails from one guy.  I helped hold the wood down so he could saw (on his knees!) a bit faster, without it moving around like a spinning wheel!  He thought it was taking up my own allotment time, but I turned it into a coffee break!

My own work was a little less interesting - you could tell, the ducks weren't being nosey.  But I did manage to weed 4 beds (well, nearly finished the last one, but had to go and get ready for work).

The first bed did have Red Popping Corn, Onions & Garlic in, now just Onions and Garlic.
The second bed had Potatoes, Leeks and a tray of unplanted Leeks (which have been transplanted into spaces in the first bed).
The third bed had Brussel Sprouts, Sprouting Brocolli and Leeks (or Onions & Garlic).  I kinda ordered too many Onions and Garlic last year!

3rd bed nearest you!

1st bed nearest you (can't see it)

Tidied up - 1st nearest you!

In the before photo of the 4th bed I got to, which is my failed Munty's Bean's contraption, it's across the path from the tyres bed, with all the bottles stored in it.  There isn't a closer pic, but I can tell you there was a fair bit of nettle and dock in there!

I know it seems a waste to leave just that little bit not done, but I really do need to get to work clean and tidy, and I'd pushed it far enough doing the 3.5 hours work! 

I'll be back another day (soon as I get my rota) and weed that bit, turn it over to make sure I got the dock out properly and I've got some mushroom compost to go in there.  One guy has got donkey manure, so we're doing a bit of a study of that one (as you do!).

19 Feb 2014 - Checking out the storm damage!

You may or may not have heard about the recent storms we've had......  here's some pics of the wave damage!

5min walk from my home

5 min walk from my home

And this was from the second high tide, we had worse in January!  So you can imagine what I was thinking when I finally got the combination of time off + nice weather and was able to get to the allotment.  I decided that I would accept whatever happened and just fix one thing at a time.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that my fence (I put that up myself, made from my mate's old shed & a lot of sledgehammer work!) survived quite well.  One panel down (now held up with the help of net curtain wire!) and one panel on a bit of a lean (now supported by a tyre).

before

after

Apart from that, we did quite well, so I could get on with just weeding!  This is the Three Sisters bed, which I think I'll keep as that.  I've decided that as there are 3 different crops working together, crop rotation doesn't really make sense.

before

after, with compost

I also got a nice surprise of goodies growing and ready to take away.  The potatoes (you won't be surprised to hear) were all taken from a bed that didn't have potatoes planted in last year!  If you're interested in the apple tree, I got it at our local farmer's market, but here's the website.  I very proudly dug out a 3 litre bottle's worth of mares tail roots (hahaha, prehistoric monster.....take that!)

garlic & onions growing

Manx Codlin tree

As usual, wildlife just rushes up to greet me, or in one case, I got chased to the car by a herd of chickens & a cockerel shouting at me!

I've got a bit of work to do, but most of the beds are covered up, the wind has had a field-day with the bottles I hadn't managed to tie to the tree out the back and there's a bit of pruning of fruit trees to do.  I'd forgotten how happy I am at the allotment, so I'm looking forward to it!

Main plot, back section

Main plot, front section

Second plot, from the back

Second plot, from the front

And here's some rubbish - one's a pile of compost (doing quite well) and the other what survived from a 2012 Christmas present (obviously a gardeners glove, not allotmenteer!)

Happier than a pig in poo!

Egg & Veg Muffins

Apart from working shifts and not getting breakfast until after 12 some days, I'm also doing a Boot Camp exercise plan at the moment and there are lots of restrictions on food.  Well, not lots, but it makes it hard to grab'n'run.

I've adapted an Egg Muffin recipe I found, and this is what I've come up with.  There are very few measurements because it's based on how much and what veg I've got in!  There was supposed to be some meat of some sort in as well, but I forgot it!

The original recipe was 12 muffins, using 12 eggs, so my logic was 6 eggs = 6 muffins.

Today's recipe was:
6 eggs
1 courgette
1 onion
2 mushrooms
some salt

Mix the eggs up in a bowl with the salt.
Fry up the veges.

Combine the eggs and veg in the bowl and mix again.

Pour into muffin cases and cook for about 30 mins.

I'm going to try them out with a mixture of other veg another day, maybe remember some meat (perhaps a bacon & egg muffin, but gotta be healthier than the mc-version?)

6 eggs = 7 muffins today!

9 Apr 2013 - First plantings & protection!

I have several excuses for not getting down to the allotment much this year:
1) Britain under water on my days off
2) 12-15ft snow drifts here, digging sheep out from under the snow
3) Powerlines down on the road to the allotment
4) 237.5 hours worked in January
5) Camping in Formby for a hockey festival in -2c weather

Apart from that......

My usual supervisors...

I've been starting all my seedlings off inside, and those that should be planted straight out (or are quite tender) have been planted in toilet rolls so that I just put the toilet rolls in the soil and the plants are none the wiser!



  
So, on 9 April, I actually managed to cycle to the allotment (5 miles each way) and my little brussel sprouts bounced their way in the basket on the front!
 




As I said before, the weather hasn't been terrific, so I've been saving up alot of 5l juice bottles from work, to make mini cloches for the seedlings, plus some 2l bottles and milk bottles from home.  The first seedlings ready were the brussel sprouts, but apart from protecting the seedlings, I also needed to make sure that the cloches didn't all blow away as well!

Here's what I did, pretty self-explanatory.....

a water feeder added

what you need

tied to the plum tree!

all safe under netting

I also had time to plant out some garlic and onions (alternating) with gaps left in between rows for something tall to be planted.  Not decided whether it'll be the strawberry popcorn or sprouting brocolli, or both!  We'll see which ones come up first at home!





And what I hadn't expected was the mushroom compost to turn up - 20 of these were mine, and I had to wheelbarrow them round to the plot - not normally a problem, but I knew I had to cycle 5 miles home again afterwards!

8 July 2012 - Garlic & Skinks

Today was pretty much a tidy up day.  We did get a visitor from our old allotment who wanted to be nosey - lucky for him I hadn't unpacked the camera yet, so there's no pic.  Next time, definitely next time!

I was a lady-wot-lunched with his wife yesterday and we were proudly showing him round horse poo & manure today - don't we just live the highlife!

I weeded the potatoes bed and put in a plant we picked up at Tynwald on Tynwald Day (Isle of Man national day) which loves sandy soil - left the tab in and now forgotten what it's called, but here's a photo.

Mike started weeding the garlics bed (which was way to overgrown for a before photo!) and I helped finish it with him because it was such a big job - better to finish two beds than have half jobs to go back to another day.  We were really pleased with how many garlic have come up and I've found a recipe that is a garlic version of pesto that I'll have to try later.

The raspberries definitely appreciated us taking the time to protect them earlier!  Here's how they're doing now. 


We'd left the brussel sprouts uncovered thinking they were strong enough to face the wind and now not little seedlings that slugs might like - completely forgetting that we have rabbits nearby.  Ooops, schoolboy error, but hopefully not too much of one.  They're covered up again now.

Someone forgot to tell the skink that sunning itself in the Isle of Man this summer is not the best idea in the world - but this one gave it a go anyway. 

(I wasn't happy to see a far-to-large longtail, but a Skink is okay)

While we were showing our friend around we noticed that someone's growing something very big of the onion variety!

I've never done very well with onions, and don't really like them much, but it doesn't mean I can't appreciate someone else's efforts!

Lazy Risotto

This is one of my favourite recipes to make - partly because before this, I was rubbish at cooking rice (could kill a man with my rice, just by throwing it at him!)

In my true fashion, you'll be noticing a pattern with my cooking...... it uses one pot, and I don't stick to the recipe much.  Officially, it's Bacon & Leek Risotto.  I've done that a few times, highly recommend you try the original as well as my combinations, and then, pretty soon you'll be making it up as you go along!  My version is in brackets, you'll get the picture.

Technically, it serves 1 - it's a large portion, doubling the recipe serves 3.

1 Leek, sliced (brocolli, sprouts, cabbage, beans)

all the ingredients!

Some Bacon, cut up (tuna, chicken, corned beef, sandwich ham, kippers)
Oil for frying the above
3 types of herbs, about 1 teaspoon each (whatever I've got, spices or herbs)
1/3 oxo cube, other brands available (who cuts one of those up?!  Just don't add salt)
Salt (only if you cut up the oxo cube)
125ml uncooked rice, it might sound odd, but do measure it in mls (300ml serves 4)
Boil the kettle - you'll need 3 times the volume of the rice measured out

Preheat oven to 180c (160c for fan).  You'll need a saucpan with a lid that can go in the oven, or transfer to lidded dish when hob-work is done.

Fry the vege, when soft transfer to a bowl so you can fry off the meat.  When the meat's cooked, put the vege back in and mix.  Add in the herbs, oxo cube, salt and rice, stir for a few minutes to wake up the rice.  Add the water and stir until boiling. 

chicken & leek risotto

Put the lid on and put in the oven, 
Walk away for 40 mins. 
Serve! 

It's also really nice having for lunch the next day,
hot or cold.

23 Jan 2012 - seedlings & sowing

leeks, squash and radish

It's playtime!  Decided that I should plant out some of my leeks, got two sorts going this year, because I've got a fab recipe for them (I'll share another day), found some white patty pan squash and purple radish - I tried resisting, but I was worn down in the shop (honest)

I have no idea how many I planted, decided it was a good idea to do while waiting for a facemask to set and I didn't have my glasses on - now that's some kind of multi-tasking (not sure what type.....)





Anyway, glasses back on, time to find out how my seedlings are doing on the windowsill, because I planted them a whole 9 days ago....

middle row 1 & 3 - red spring onion

Vales Emerald chitting away in egg carton

 
Not bad, not bad at all!  Even if I do say so myself ;-)

Row 1/2 purple cauliflower, Row 3/1 savoy cabbage, Row 8/2 green khol rabi