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.

Only posing as echinacea

Scott popped by the allotment last night en route to The Brown Dog for a beer.  He was quite complimentary about my general progress and helped me identify the pea seedlings from the weeds that have engulfed them over the last couple of days of sunshine.

He also identified that the echinacea seedlings are not echinacea.  Carla has agreed there is a possibility that they are some other daisy-like flower, name unknown.  Now I am even more keen to help them survive just so we can identify them.  They are all showing signs of strength now but we may not see enough progress for them to flower this year.

As for the veg, there are now 10 mini-aubergines and several corn.  The squashes and cucumbers have also started to flower so that bodes well.

I have seen a sign up for a pumpkin competition for the harvest festival but I am too late to join in.  I will next year though.

Guide to growing pumpkins.

I will survive

Most of the echinacea are still looking a little lacklustre but after today's glorious sunshine and plenty of water, this little seedling looks set to survive.  I will follow it's progress with enthusiasm and hope some of the family members follow suit.

Fruits of my labour

Compared to the rest of the verdant allotment area, my plot seems rather empty and stripped of life but this weekend has seen signs of the fruits of my labour.  The corns, aubergines and tomatoes are starting to produce:

Railway Side Flower Bed

Carla came along today and brought her slightly overcrowded echinacea seedlings with her. We're afraid they are suffering from wilt or "damping off" but after such a long period of nurturing she wasn't prepared to give in that easily and allow such a premature end to their lives, so we set to work creating a totally new bed in their honour. 

The railway side bed will now be dedicated to flowers - the first residents being the lackadaisical echinacea, some ornamental grasses and a hellebore rescued from my balcony.

Carla at work whilst I contemplate by borders with a nice cuppa in hand: