Allotments during April – May 2012

Allotments during April – May 2012

I had a nasty experience on the plot the other week! I was shifting compost from the heap to the bed I was making up for beans in a few weeks time. On the 2nd or 3rd trip with the barrow chock-a-block with compost I found it was impossible to push it! After struggling for a few minutes I looked at the wheel – I had a puncture! Fortunately a fellow allotmenteer lets us use his barrow so I had to go over & get it & transfer the compost from one to the other! As his barrow is smaller than ours I had to make two trips!

On one of the previous trips – now I think about it that was when it must have happened – I found a pane of glass from the greenhouse had fallen out & I’d had to stop & pick up all the broken pieces.

Around about that time also I had a third accident I stepped on a piece of iron with rusty nails in it & one nail went through my shoe into my foot! Fortunately it was at a point where I have quite a thick callous & when I checked my foot I didn’t find any blood on my sock, (I was wearing white sports socks), nor when I took them off to go to bed later that night. I was worried about Tetanus at first but, seeing as there was no blood, there should be no danger. I had my last booster about 5 years ago so I should be alright.

My brother, who has been helping me out for the last few weeks, wasn’t there at the time. But his work has been invaluable! He really has been a Godsend!

Gerry’s Broad Beans

Just planted out …

A fortnight later …

Another 3 weeks have gone by …

Daffodils & Tulips:

Gerry’s Daffodils & Tulips looked fantastic at the end of March & they have continued through all of April though they had finished at the start of May:

Daffodils & Tulips beside our shed with Rhubarb plants:

Here you can see the Tulips in full flower in front of our shed:

Onion sets ‘Sturon’:

These were planted by my brother, Ken & myself …

Here they are 5-6 weeks later:

Early potatoes

Gerry got 2 green pots full of seed potatoes which I calculated to weigh about 3kg each but we don’t know what variety they are.

Here is the ‘Unknown variety’ (from the green pot) now sprouting as well as my ‘Arran Pilot’ …

He also brought down a couple of bags of 1st Early ‘Rocket’ which Ken planted for him on St Patrick’s Day! Last year I discovered that St Patrick’s Day was the traditional day for putting in the first seed potatoes. It was just sheer coincidence that we planted them that day as it was a beautifully sunny, warm Saturday morning & many of our fellow allotmenteers took advantage of the day to plant theirs as well!

This photo is of ‘Rocket’ at the bottom of the 1/2 allotment Gerry has …

Here are the same spuds a few weeks later …

This photo is of ‘Rocket’ at the top part of the 1/2 allotment Gerry has …

Here are the same spuds a few weeks later …

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My own allotment – Plot 12A

These Beetroot ‘Bolthardy’ were planted out in early autumn & have been there all winter …

Here is the result of the Beetroot once harvested …

The only problem is that they had started to ‘bolt’! I took them home & cooked them but they were, for the most part, totally & absolutely tasteless! UGH!!! I had to throw the majority away! I’d been looking forward to eating my first Beets of the year as well!

Beetroot ‘Bolthardy’ seedlings:

These Beetroot ‘Bolthardy’ seedlings were put into the ground at the beginning of April …

Here they are just a few weeks later …

These are the same plants a few weeks later …

Lettuce Paris Island Cos:

I’ll show you more photos very shortly.