Rain at last!

Hurray, it’s raining!

This has meant an enforced stay indoors, with time to sit down and write a long delayed blog…

It has been a very busy couple of months on my allotment - digging, hoeing, sowing seeds, growing on, planting out, and weeding (endless weeding!) … Oh yes. And watering. Rain has been in short supply, until today that is when, much to my delight, it has hardly stopped.

During the last few weeks I got up extra early to get onto the allotment before the heat and humidity made it unbearable. For example on Thursday my day started at 4am. I had some planting to do and knew that once it reached even 8 o'clock it would be too warm. So off I went with my wheelbarrow.

It was beautiful there, a mist hanging around with the sunlight just beginning to burn it away. Lovely and quiet, and deliciously cool. The first thing I saw was a female chaffinch feeding her little fluffed out younster. A very happy sight indeed!

Here are a few pictures I took while I was there:

A view of the top part of the allotment

The sweetcorn is coming along nicely

Brussel Sprouts too. I'm very proud of my rainwater catching system and compost bins that I built myself from old pallets and other recycled bits and pieces.

The onions have been getting thirsty and keep trying to
flower. This rain will give them a much needed boost.

I'm trying Okra and Aubergines under a large tunnel cloche -
it may not work, but nothing ventured, nothing gained!

I've planted asparagus for the first time this year for my hubby who loves it, and lo and behold, it has all come up! We have to be patient for a few years though before it can be harvested...

I just got my sweet peas in , a bit late, but they'll soon catch up .

Here I am tying string around the canes for them to climb up.

I've had pounds of strawberries and rasberries - jam making
will commence when it gets a bit cooler!

This is my second year on my allotment: I started out last year with a plot of about 100 feet by 22 feet, which I laid out in 24 beds of ten feet by four feet, with wood chip paths. This year I have aquired an additional 40 feet or so. The digging over of this will be an Autumn job when things are a bit less busy! Until then I'm keeping it under control with the strimmer.

This is what it looked like when I got it last April:

My first job was to plan and mark out all the beds:



I then laid weed suppressing fabric and two tonnes of wood chip to create the paths, then the really hard work began!

But last year was not a good one:

We had too much rain! My poor potatoes were submerged and
we all lost our tomatoes to blight.

However, so far so good this year. We've had plenty of broad beans from the crop I sowed last November:

And I am currently being rewarded with more courgettes than I know
what to do with. I'm handing them out to the neighbours daily!

Now I just have to wait for everything else to mature - and keep digging, hoeing, weeding ...

Something pretty to end on: I left a few leeks in from last year to flower

I'm enjoying them, and so are the bees!

And finally, before I really do become a total allotment bore,
what about these beautiful poppy seed-heads in the sunset:

I wonder what the weather will do tomorrow...Hope it doesn't rain!