Barnes Allotment

Love the Lanes, Hate the Poo

It's been bothering me since I took over the allotment that the children from Barnes Primary School had put a laminated sign on the outside of the railings with a picture of poo with the heading "Yuk". Rather naively I thought it was because the plot had been left to go to seed and they didn't approve.  I have left it there with the determination that I would prove them wrong and create a plot worthy of their praise.

Only today, as I cycled past another sign "Love Our Lanes" that it dawned on me - the poo sign was not a direct attack on my plot but just general signage from the children declaring their lack of appreciation for dogs pooing in the beloved back lanes of Barnes.

I do agree with them so I will leave the sign up but feel slightly disappointed that I don't have a means of getting worthy praise from the little children for all of my vegetable efforts.  Poor me.

Wildlife

Local neighbourhood cat stalks enemies attempting to infiltrate the potato bed:

Other wildlife spotted this weekend - several ladybirds on the sweetcorn and 2 cabbage white butterflies.   Apparently - according to this weekend's Guardian the butterflies have had a very bad summer - so I was extremely pleased to see them fluttering around, undeterred by the very scary looking pussycat.

Unwelcome visitors include a bird that has pecked away at my fledging butternut squash and another big fat slug that has taken my aubergine before it had a chance to become parmigiano.

Production commences

Well I might not be able to abandon the supermarket just yet but I have started to produce.  Last night I cooked up some delicious aubergine, mint and chilli burgers and some freshly picked sweet, sweet, sweet corn.  It's a small step but I am one proud allotment lady.

Retro beds

Finally a good weekend's work on the plot.  I feel like I have hardly been down there with all the rain.  Today was mainly focussed on creating a raised bed for my seed potatoes.  Hopefully I will get to harvest them for Christmas.

I also dug down into the pathways to retrospectively raise the other beds.  It is too tempting to walk across the plants when the beds are flat to the ground.  I am also hoping that the raised sides will form enough of an assault course to deter the slugs.  The slime-balls have already attacked one of my aubergines.

Plenty of visitors today as usual.  One family came by to visit the ornaments and gnomes and decided I was actually Mrs McGregor (as in Peter Rabbit) due to the size of my carrot tops.   I didn't put Peter in the pie. Really I didn't.
The woodchips James and Daniel helped me carry in the other day have made a real difference to the pathways, there is is now a lovely flat area in front of the potato bed where I can put a table and chairs for proper contemplation.

What else ... oh yes, lots of green tomatoes, several little cucumbers have started to form and the beginnings of a bright yellow squash.

I am heading back down to enjoy the hard work I did yesterday and plant some lettuce.

Mystery plant starts to reveal itself

I left this plant in the unused bed whilst I tried to identify it.  I was convinced it was some kind of chilli.  The little pods look like very long thin chillis full of seeds.  But today I noticed that it had started producing leaves much like a cabbage from the stem.  I am wondering if it was a cabbage from last year that went to seed ... any ideas?

A long-term investment

I haven't been to the allotment this week.  Due to my new "keep fit kick start", the evenings have been taken up with yoga, spinning, aerobics (of sorts) and body toning.  Once I get underway with the fitness programme I am sure I will find a better balance between the karmic gardening and the hot studio workout.

The plot hasn't much missed me though.  Apart from an overwhelming amount of weeds I meditatively removed today from around the peas, most of the plants just continues to grow.

I have to confess though I dug up the rather uneventful dwarf beans today.  I don't know what happened but the seeds just didn't germinate.  Poor planning meant the space I was using up was so big for just a few bean seeds I thought it best to clear it and make way for something more productive e.g. lettuces.

I have also ordered some seed potatoes from the Guardian that could possibly go in that bed.  I am going to start thinking more clearly about the planning of the plot now I have calmed down and don't feel the need to plant and clear like crazy.  After all the plot is for the long-term, not just one season.