The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies. Gertrude Jekyll

Annie's Little Plot

Annie's Little Plot

Thursday 18 April 2013

Busy, busy, busy.

It was inevitable, I know, all our complaining about the weather and then whoosh, full speed ahead into Spring and all is chaos again. If I'm not sowing seeds, I'm pricking out, if I'm not pricking out I'm potting on, if I'm not potting on I'm finishing off the digging at the allotment. That along with planting potatoes and garlic, putting up wigwams for future crops and getting on top of the early weeds, its all go. That's as well as my day job! I'm not complaining though, I love it. This time of year feels like you are always trying to keep up with the garden/allotment. But I feel exhilarated with all the new growth, full of optimism for the summer ahead. If I'm not now I never will be. Plants and trees seem to have put their foot on the accelerator and are rushing into growth with this first hint of warmth for months. I was working at home on my computer all day one day last week, my desk is in the back bedroom, which also serves as a temporary greenhouse at this time of year, for starting off the more tender varieties before I can put them in the mini-greenhouses outside. It gets full sun for a large part of the day. I swear that you could almost see the seedlings growing as I was working. I'd sowed some Cosmos seeds a couple of days before and everytime that I looked across there was another popped its head out of the compost. Unbelievable. They really germinated quickly. That and the Tithonia which was up a day after sowing, thats a record for me I think very speedy. It amazes me that after just a couple of days of warmth there is now a proper haze of green on the hawthorn hedges and there is a Horse Chestnut tree which I walk past each day and straightaway it has unveiled its leaves, hanging down like a skirt around the flowerbud which no doubt will be out soon. The daffodils have opened their buds and are blowing in the breezes.
I say breezes, wow its been windy here the last few days I've been bracing myself for my mini-greenhouses to take off and end up in next doors garden. Its still blowing a gale now, but at least the sun has come out now. I'm hoping it calms down soon.
So yes I've been very busy, after the winter we've had and also the summer that we had last year, I feel I've got to make the most of every nice day or evening. So Monday and Tuesday I was up at the allotment straight after getting home from work and after a quick bite of tea and there till 8ish. Its quiet up there in the evening, only me and one other chap, who was barrowing manure onto his plot.
My beds are almost already now, I've forked in some rotted manure on most beds and they are poised ready for planting and sowing. I've planted my early potatoes, they are in, I'm growing 'Pentland Javelin' and 'Charlotte', I'm planning on planting the maincrop 'Desiree' a bit later. I noticed the other day when I was at the plot that the garlic that I planted in the autumn has just come up. I'd given up on it, thought they had rotted and had planted some more in modules in the mini-greenhouse at the end of January. So will have lots, I've now planted the ones in modules onto the plot.
The over-wintered 'Electric Red' onions have perked up a bit and so may get going again now. They'll certainly be ahead of the ones that I got started in modules at the end of January but not by much, but you just never know. I still think they are worth a try.
I planted a Blackcurrant 'Ben Lomond' in my fruit bed, to go with the rhubarb, a gooseberry, a redcurrant, a small apple tree and some strawberries. So I'm looking forward to those, probably not this year but next year. My gooseberry and redcurrants are now well established and I've really no excuses to not get a good crop off them this year so fingers crossed.
Seed sowing is in full swing, all at different stages and I've still got lots to do. Veg-wise I have on the go some Chillis, Tomatoes, Tomatillos, Celeriac, Artichoke, Sweetcorn, Broad beans, Peas, Beetroot, Leeks, Cauliflower, Calabrese, Lettuce and other salads all at various stages. Flower-wise I've sown some Sweetpeas, Dahlia 'Bishops Children', Cosmos, Nasturtiums, Tithonia, Salvia viridis, Malva, Calendula (with great thanks to Flighty for the seeds from his favourite flowers), Cerinthe and lots of Sunflowers. I need another session of sowing this weekend.
We had our first allotment meeting of the year on Sunday and we are planning to hold another allotment show again this year, which was a great success last year. Due to the terrible start to the year though it has been decided to hold it a bit later this year (8th September). This year again we are all to show a basket or tray of 6 different vegetables and we have proper guidelines for how many of each to show and whether they should be trimmed and dressed!! All a bit bonkers to me but we have people on the site who take it very seriously so I shouldn't joke, but each to their own. I will participate but know that I won't have much chance against them. One thing that concerns me the most is that there are 3 compulsory vegetables in the basket, potatoes, onions and beetroot. Now potatoes and onions I'll be fine with, though they won't be the whoppers that the professionals grow, no the crop that worries me is the beetroot! I really struggle with what other find the most easy of crops. I had about 3 small beetroot the whole of last year. I've tried sowing direct or in in modules and still no success. So that is my challenge this year to get some good beetroot, I've even got some seed for the yellow beetroot and the one with stripe 'Chioggia' so fingers crossed. Any advice from you growers out there? I'll try anything. There is also an additional category this year which is a vase of sweet peas, six stems of any cultivar. But whether we will still have lots of sweet peas flowering in September we'll have to see. But it is a great way to get everyone together and was nice to chat to other plot holders who you don't always see. We are planning to organise the tea for afterwards better this time as we had far too much cake last time! Can you have too much cake, I'm not sure.
But my most exciting news is that I'm booked onto the River Cottage 'Get Growing' course, with the new Head Gardener Craig Rudman, on the 7th July. I never normally enter competitions but Hugh FW is a bit of a hero of mine and when there was a competition a couple of years ago in The Edible Garden magazine to win two places on the course I gave it a go and much to my surprise I won. Its taken a while to get it sorted but its all booked now and I'm taking my sister and will spend a few days down there in the most beautiful part of England. We have a night's B&B included in the prize plus dinner at River Cottage canteen on the Saturday night. Woooo. Can't wait.


29 comments:

  1. Well done on your competition win. Must admit we don't have a problem growing beetroot either sown direct or in modules and I don't think we do anything special.

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    1. Can't wait till July now, looking forward to another trip to Dorset.
      Oh well will just try again with the beetroot this year and maybe I'll get it right.

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    2. Maybe you should ride your luck and take part in my competition!

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  2. Oh goodness me, I swear I'm breathless after reading that. Throughout the post I was reading faster and faster!!!

    Well, you do have my respect! All that and a day job, you must be rake thin.

    It's SUCH an exciting time isn't it and like you we've had some beautiful warm days but gosh...the wind has done some damage here too.

    I get what you say about seeds popping out, I have had the same experience, some have grown in two days. Long may it last says I!!!xxxxx oh yes....congrats!!!xxxxx

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    1. I love it at this time of year, I do love all the seed sowing, so I don't mind being busy. My plot is my stress release from my job so its good for me.
      I really hope the wind drops soon. Its been terrible.

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  3. What a fantastic prize, I shall look forward to hearing all about it. Lots of the seeds I sowed at the weekend have germinated all ready, it's amazing what a bit of warmer weather can do. It's so windy though, I've got things blowing around the garden and my daffodils, which have only just come in to flower, are taking a terrible battering. You've been so busy, you put me to shame.

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    1. Am very excited as you can tell.
      Everything else has gone out of the window though this week, housework!! Will have to catch up on that this weekend!

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  4. Congratulations on your prize! I'd love to visit River Cottage so I admit to being a little jealous.

    It sounds like you've been really busy on your plot, you must be asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow with all that work!

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    1. Busy but great fun at this time of year, you are right though I have been sleeping well!

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  5. I agree that suddenly new growth is everywhere and it is hard work keeping up with all the sowing and other gardening work. It is lovely to have more warmth and longer days, though. Your allotment show and the "Get Growing" course sound as though they'll both be great fun.

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    1. It is hard work but its so nice to be out there after the long delay of winter, the warmth is so needed!

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  6. My you have been busy, and thanks for the mention.
    Good luck with the show, and beetroots. Mine have always been a bit hit and miss.
    As for too much cake the answer is no providing there's another cup of tea to go with it.
    Have a good weekend! Flighty xx

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    1. Yes with plenty of tea you can't have too much cake.
      I'm sure I'll keep you posted with the beetroot.

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  7. Congrats on your win, I'm sure you will have a great time, it sounds fantastic.

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    1. Am so excited, I'm counting down the days

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  8. Goodness, you have been busy - your allotment looks great, and it sounds as if you will have loads of lovely things, flowering and edible. I know exactly what you mean about moving constantly between sowing, pricking out and potting on, me too, I even ran out of pots the other day!

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    1. Its a balancing act. But as I said I love it and I'm definitely not complaining and just loving the fact that we can get busy again.

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  9. Goodness, you had a lot to get off your chest. Sounds like you are as busy as me. Hope you enjoy the course and let us know all about it.

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    1. Yes I admit I got a bit carried away!! But its all so exciting at this time of year!

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  10. I think we are all getting into the full swing of things now and trying to play catch up after spring was so late in coming. Everything certainly looks organised on your plot though!

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    1. Yes lots to catch up on but we are all getting busy again.

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  11. There just does not seem to be enough time to fit it all in at the moment does there? Not sure now how I managed to go to work as well :) Hope that your show goes smoothly. Your plot looks immaculate. What a great prize to win Annie. You must be so excited - look forward to reading all about it later this year.

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    1. We have to make the most of every nice evening and day to get things done. Very pleased with my prize, its the best thing I've ever won.

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  12. It's frantic at the moment and my body is in bits. But it's all so exciting to see everything starting to grow and plans coming together. What an amazing prize to win. Have a great time and I can't wait to read all about it.

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    1. Yes I'm aching too. So glad things are picking up for you, you have double the pressure with growing this year for your book! Hope its going well.

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  13. As Snowbird remarked I'm breathless after reading your excellent post. If your final crops are as good as the content of this post they will all be winners.

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    1. Thanks Rooko, my next post will be a bit less frantic!

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  14. The allotment show sounds great fun. I would love to take part in something like that. Good luck!

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    1. Its a great thing to get us all together and chatting, but as for the competition, I don't hold out much hope some people are taking it very seriously!

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