Welcome to Sporophyte World! I'm lucky, in that there aren't many allotment sites that would allow a tenant to have 9 plots! Even I didn't set out with that number in mind and there may well be a time when I can no longer "do" them in my accustomed style but for the moment I enjoy them. Firstly, I was offered the Second lot which is actually three large plots and what was a communal rubbish tip full of stinging nettles with 1/2" roots in tangled clumps growing through discarded rusting metal. Apparently the existing tenant had been sent "the Letter" but managed to wriggle out of it - so The Committee offered me the First plots which were basically an overgrown paddock with a ten foot diameter tree root - I dug this out with my small machine and a lot of hand tunnelling. My mate picked it up with his skip lorry and it was touch and go whether it could lift it or fit on the back. After some two years and no doubt earning a few Brownie points on how I cultivated the first plots - The Committee threw the tenant off the Second lot (but kind of asked me if I'd take them on first - they of course, were a wilderness by then) The Third lot are two thinnish plots with mostly established fruit trees, lovely Stella cherry, unknown Apples and two sorts of Plums but had been derelict since before I arrived, the tenant would come up at fruit time and harvest by cutting down branches, leave brash strewn everywhere and disappear for another year! Eventually, I was approached again - under the weeds I found enough old carpet to upholster a large 5 bed house - 3 & 4 thicknesses in places. Once removed and the poor thing at last received some rain - the Cherry gave a crop of Biblical proportions and has continued almost the same. My Runner Bean frame is at present over the path through the 2nd plots - wonderful what you can get for free off the InterWeb these days eh? Satellite photos from 212 miles up - mind you quite a while ago as the white blob on the extreme left is my long dead truck - 3yrs at least.
@SporophyteBoy , looks more like a small holding , sounds like a full time job but as long as you enjoy it that’s all that counts I would certainly miss my allotment if I didn’t have it , particularly during lockdowns
@biofreak , thanks for update , weather been very up and down , had 2 fabulous day got up to 24 degrees, today 8 degrees and there is a possibility of a snow dusting on Monday and frosts Bought some different plants from local garden centre yesterday but they are in side conservatory as greenhouse went down to 1.7 last night eg Peardrop yellow tomatoes O/H had an orange 🍊 & lemon 🍋 tree bought for her birthday but pot bound so bought new pots for them , see picture sorry it’s side ways Hope animals are ok Already had a gin & orange 🍊
You are right GWRS - I often wonder how I fitted work in now I'm "retired." It looks a lot of space but as I always have an eye on the Show bench or a competition of some sort - I give plants a lot more room than the average crop. My TWO giant marrow plants occupy an entire 45 sq Mtrs plot and if I have another go at a big pumpkin that will be another. Love the little orange & lemon trees - much healthier than Monty's! Different kettle of fish but I've had a grapefruit in a pot since 1987 and only ever managed to get one flower in all that time.
Happy Easter!! Stayed indoors today as blowing a gale. T shirts yesterday .thick woollies today'!! Not looking forward to Farmers Market tomorrow☹️ Still 3/4th April are Fruit Days. The Lunar Guide says sow Courgettes and Pumpkins indoors Plus Peas outside. Not sure I shall do either. Noted I showed Tomatoes on 4th April last year and we are eating our way through the Broccoli down end August last year if you remember to avoid caterpillars. That was a great success. 5/6th April are Root Days sow some Turnips where you hope to harvest. Also sow some Carrots alongside your Leeks. That is some plot SporophyteBoy and quite a story. I have never been brave enough GWRS to try oranges and lemons. But I will share the gin with you. Obelixx get to Leclerc and buy up their Lavender. Superb bushy plants 1.90euros each..I bought 16!!! To go in new Rose Bed. They were 6euros each on the Market!! Have a super weekend and fingers crossed for better weather. Happy Gardening!
Different Leclerc yesterday @biofreak and not a plant in sight! I have some anyway from which I can take cuttings if needs be and I have seeds too.
I sowed 4 each of 6 chillies a couple of weeks ago and the same of tomatoes last week on fruit days. Both on a heated mat and with a clear lid. So far just 6 chillies are thru and all but 6 tomatoes. I shall be sowing more tomatoes tomorrow as this new lockdown means a friend in the village can't get to her usual supplier now - another friend in the garden club and about 50kms away.
I was going to sow leafy stuff today but given the cold snap we're expecting I shall wait for the next leafy days as they'll have to manage without bottom heat.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Went to do Easter Market 6am today. Blowing a gale and freezing so walked dog very quickly and came straight back home again!!! Oven broken down..Will have to use slow cooker for lamb tomorrow. Moving lavender into polytunnel as snow forecast!!!☹️☹️☹️Thank goodness I haven't planted it out yet. Came from Brittany according to labels.
Hope you all had a good weekend. We had a few flakes of snow and it is 6c this morning. Still not going to sow Tomatoes etc. Have finished reshaping and widening flower beds as good digging weather. Put up a new Raised Bed for Peas which are trying to climb out of polytunnel!! Wonderful frost this morning. We rarely get them and it is something I miss from UK. Nettles nearly ready for picking to make Nettle Jelly. Grilled shoulder of lamb on Sunday. Absolutely fabulous shan't roast it again. Slashed the meat and stuffed gaps with own garlic and rosemary and scattered nettle salt over top then lots of olive oil. Took half an hour on each side. Much quicker than oven too. I have so much garlic sprouting that I am going to plant it in odd corners. The shop bought stuff this year has been a very bad keeper..so planting the cloves does mean we get a constant supply of snippings like chives. Parsley has come through the winter unscathed and Wild Celery and Angelica are sprouting. I lifted so much turf to enlarge the flower beds and put them on the compost heap grass side down O/H has named the finished heap Hadrian's Wall!! The compost should be ready next Autumn.
Heavy frost this morning and the wind chill makes it feel much colder, even when the sun starts warming things up. This time last year we were starting an early 2 month heatwave and drought. It lasted two days at the end of last week - shorts and sleeveless top - but now I'm back in thermal ski socks, jeans, layers and a fleece jacket.
I am busy moving seed trays down to the polytunnel now so I can put the toms and chillies I sowed the other day on the heat mat. Then I shall sow some trays of flowers, including PSB, and I'm also making preserved stem ginger in syrup. Can't buy it here and I use it quite a bit, including as an occasional snack, like a sweet.
The chooks will get all the peelings as they are, apparently, good for their appetite and immune systems. I have ordered 4 of these https://www.ikea.com/fr/fr/p/hyllis-etagere-avec-housse-transparent-s99291745/ to use as seedling and cuttings tray houses in the PT to help keep them warm and also keep off the chooks. Someone else on these boards posted about using them with the top shelf replaced by just a couple of battens to hold the cover up and let the light in.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
The weather has been strange , very sunny but an artic wind , yesterday at allotment we had a snow blizzard so came home , lots of frosts at a moment It’s also very dry, the wind is drying out the pots and top soil , having to do lots of watering Still holding back on sewing seeds and got plants in our side conservatory as to cold to go in greenhouse On a positive note the blossoms on trees & bushes is looking good and birds & our 2 hedgehogs 🦔 in garden are very active
Bio that lamb sounded fabulous, hope you’ve got your oven fixed
Has all of France 🇫🇷 gone into lock down or just Paris ?
Posts
Welcome to Sporophyte World! I'm lucky, in that there aren't many allotment sites that would allow a tenant to have 9 plots! Even I didn't set out with that number in mind and there may well be a time when I can no longer "do" them in my accustomed style but for the moment I enjoy them.
Firstly, I was offered the Second lot which is actually three large plots and what was a communal rubbish tip full of stinging nettles with 1/2" roots in tangled clumps growing through discarded rusting metal. Apparently the existing tenant had been sent "the Letter" but managed to wriggle out of it - so The Committee offered me the First plots which were basically an overgrown paddock with a ten foot diameter tree root - I dug this out with my small machine and a lot of hand tunnelling. My mate picked it up with his skip lorry and it was touch and go whether it could lift it or fit on the back.
After some two years and no doubt earning a few Brownie points on how I cultivated the first plots - The Committee threw the tenant off the Second lot (but kind of asked me if I'd take them on first - they of course, were a wilderness by then)
The Third lot are two thinnish plots with mostly established fruit trees, lovely Stella cherry, unknown Apples and two sorts of Plums but had been derelict since before I arrived, the tenant would come up at fruit time and harvest by cutting down branches, leave brash strewn everywhere and disappear for another year! Eventually, I was approached again - under the weeds I found enough old carpet to upholster a large 5 bed house - 3 & 4 thicknesses in places. Once removed and the poor thing at last received some rain - the Cherry gave a crop of Biblical proportions and has continued almost the same.
My Runner Bean frame is at present over the path through the 2nd plots - wonderful what you can get for free off the InterWeb these days eh? Satellite photos from 212 miles up - mind you quite a while ago as the white blob on the extreme left is my long dead truck - 3yrs at least.
I would certainly miss my allotment if I didn’t have it , particularly during lockdowns
@biofreak , thanks for update , weather been very up and down , had 2 fabulous day got up to 24 degrees, today 8 degrees and there is a possibility of a snow dusting on Monday and frosts
Bought some different plants from local garden centre yesterday but they are in side conservatory as greenhouse went down to 1.7 last night eg Peardrop yellow tomatoes
O/H had an orange 🍊 & lemon 🍋 tree bought for her birthday but pot bound so bought new pots for them , see picture sorry it’s side ways
Hope animals are ok
Already had a gin & orange 🍊
Love the little orange & lemon trees - much healthier than Monty's! Different kettle of fish but I've had a grapefruit in a pot since 1987 and only ever managed to get one flower in all that time.
That is some plot SporophyteBoy and quite a story. I have never been brave enough GWRS to try oranges and lemons. But I will share the gin with you.
Obelixx get to Leclerc and buy up their Lavender. Superb bushy plants 1.90euros each..I bought 16!!! To go in new Rose Bed. They were 6euros each on the Market!!
Have a super weekend and fingers crossed for better weather. Happy Gardening!
I sowed 4 each of 6 chillies a couple of weeks ago and the same of tomatoes last week on fruit days. Both on a heated mat and with a clear lid. So far just 6 chillies are thru and all but 6 tomatoes. I shall be sowing more tomatoes tomorrow as this new lockdown means a friend in the village can't get to her usual supplier now - another friend in the garden club and about 50kms away.
I was going to sow leafy stuff today but given the cold snap we're expecting I shall wait for the next leafy days as they'll have to manage without bottom heat.
I am busy moving seed trays down to the polytunnel now so I can put the toms and chillies I sowed the other day on the heat mat. Then I shall sow some trays of flowers, including PSB, and I'm also making preserved stem ginger in syrup. Can't buy it here and I use it quite a bit, including as an occasional snack, like a sweet.
The chooks will get all the peelings as they are, apparently, good for their appetite and immune systems. I have ordered 4 of these https://www.ikea.com/fr/fr/p/hyllis-etagere-avec-housse-transparent-s99291745/ to use as seedling and cuttings tray houses in the PT to help keep them warm and also keep off the chooks. Someone else on these boards posted about using them with the top shelf replaced by just a couple of battens to hold the cover up and let the light in.
It’s also very dry, the wind is drying out the pots and top soil , having to do lots of watering
Still holding back on sewing seeds and got plants in our side conservatory as to cold to go in greenhouse
On a positive note the blossoms on trees & bushes is looking good and birds & our 2 hedgehogs 🦔 in garden are very active
Bio that lamb sounded fabulous, hope you’ve got your oven fixed
Has all of France 🇫🇷 gone into lock down or just Paris ?