Christmas Eve Compost

Christmas Eve Compost, a set on Flickr.
Spent a couple of hours on the plot on Christmas Eve.  The weather is so mild 11 - 12 degrees, with very thin sunshine tricking the rhubarb into sprouting a shoot and which may explain the Russian Olive Tree flowering for the first time.  Last year around this time we were knee deep in snow, had roaring fires in the grate in the living room to keep warm and in the night we were down to minus ten degrees. 

Harvested the Jerusalem Artichokes and going to give them another go despite the issues in the farts department.   So tonight, boxing night I've chipped them and roasted them in Goose fat, lovely, well for now anyway. 

Bob from next door has lost a plastic frog from his pond.  All the wind and rain we've had must have blown the frog somewhere.  He informs me that the field rats are taking his fish (real) from the pond.  Field rats!  If I find the frog I'll replace it in or near the pond.          

Russian Olive Tree

Russian Olive Tree, a set on Flickr.
This week has seen incredible storms in the North so when I finally decided to go and see the damage down on the plot I was very surprised to see the Russian Olive Tree finally show its fruit. 

This tree was one of the first to go in next to the Blue Tit Plum and now sits next to the little frog pond.  It has taken nearly four years to produce a flower and has grown from about a foot high to around 4 foot tall.  It is a nitrogen giving plant and has silvery leaves, thick green on top and a strong frame.  It provides shade in the summer months and seems to be a safe space for the frogs to hide between its trunk.

There was one final surprise to see down the allotment today and it's a sight I relish as I rarely ever see it, its movement is unmistakable, the wonderful wren.  I watched this beautiful specimen as I sheltered from yet another hail storm.  It was weaving and ducking right along the hawthorn privet. 

No matter how down you may feel in your life, it's always worth going out even if you risk getting soaked.   

October's seven

October's seven, a set on Flickr.
1. Managed to get 3 barrow's of organic matter from compost. The key is to turn it over and let fresh air through.
2. Placed 5 bags of leaves from Eileen's garden all around rasps, currant bushes, all fruit trees and bare soil and the result is that the plot looks great, like a forest floor.
3. Comfrey and nettle juice watered all over plot to build up rich cake with the leaves and compost.
4. Ash found at the bottom of the fire bin has gone to the goosegogs and the rose.
5. Big blue sky, can't harvest it but can take it in at this time of year. Spent today in T shirts and feeling the heat from the sun, birds right dead above us, high up whizzing around.
6. Rich plot being prepared at the front for next years borlotti beans, peas and chard, spinach, leeks, thinking how to do Brussel sprouts. Trying to plan out a bit more this year so that we get veg into winter.
7. Mature frog disturbed from hibernating position, not a good spec though under a black bin liner on edge of neighbour's plot. Hope the amphibian finds a better place to live. Will look into providing homes for them, again how to do it? More research, trial and error.  

Damson Cheese

Damson Cheese, a set on Flickr.
Despite the Damson tree being hit hard by the greenfly very early in the spring and 80 percent of the leaves being curled up and sucked dry by the aphids we managed to get a good crop of damsons.  So we stripped the lot and had serious discussion about whether to make damson jam (my choice) or damson cheese ( partners choice).  Partner won and I recoiled to the living room with a book not really fancying all the faffing about that is demanded from the cheese. 

The instruction - stir for 45 minutes continuously was enough to send me fleeing from the kitchen.  However, the final result was this amazing purple almost black, deep deep red mixture that filled the flat with a strange alcoholic fruity smell.  The taste is unique, sweet with a bite to it at the end, a bitterness.  Beautiful on toast and apparently good with cheese. 

   

August Wildness

August Wildness, a set on Flickr.
Too much gossipping on the plot left me deflated and dejected today.  You have to be diplomatic with everyone on the allotment or things soon go wrong.  And it's usually the older men who are doing the bad mouthing or causing the trouble in my experience .  And these hardy perennials are difficult to avoid at times. 

Weeding is prolific in August as everything is in high flower or has gone over and all need attention.  Today was spent mostly removing marigolds which have now become the biggest weeds on the plot and discarding carefully any diseased or decaying foliage. 

The soil is in much need of some good organic fodder and will need to cut back raspberries and thin strawberries.  The compost needs a good turning too, the water butt needs to be set up and all the beds need to be re dug and edges defined.  I need an army of helpers in other words, anyone will do except the old men of the allotment. 

Weeds and Aliens

Weeds and Aliens, a set on Flickr.

I'm off the plot for some of August and I'm collecting weeds, well names of them. Where ever I go there seems to be someone talking about common ragwort, or woody sage or the medicinal properties of the dandelion flower and burdock thistle. In Yorkshire I've been trying to capture some of these roadside aliens on film, and the results are below. Some I don't know the names of and could do with some help with. The Rosebay Willowherb is common enough and I must have seen literally thousands of them in the last two weeks was finally identified in the Michelin I Spy Wildflowers book. In the same book however they have for I Spy 50 points the common nettle or Urtica dioica and Lords and Ladies only at I Spy 15 points - how can they justify that!

High Summer

High Summer, a set on Flickr.

Spent the day on the plot with my sister and enjoyed her company the weather and the peace and quiet.  Sis left with rhubarb, potatoes, chives, Rosemary, alpine strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and a pink arm.  Saw two swallows dipping and chasing 80 mph overhead in the crystal clear blue sky.  The plot felt very giving today with lots of insects and caterpillars, crickets, bees, butterflies and spiders with wonderful noises.  No sign of any of the little frogs.  Finished the day off with rasp/blue/alpine Eton mess.