Another glorious sunny weekend presented a great opportunity to get out to do a little allotmenteering. Having not been up there through the week we were apprehensive about what we might find. Expecting an invasion of weeds we were pleasantly surprised to only have remove a few of the critters.
All the hard work digging over and pulling out the roots earlier in the year seems to have paid off. The remaining weeds* seem to be left over crop from the previous occupier of the allotment. Emily had to take on a few rather obese parsnips and some rogue tatties.
All the hard work digging over and pulling out the roots earlier in the year seems to have paid off. The remaining weeds* seem to be left over crop from the previous occupier of the allotment. Emily had to take on a few rather obese parsnips and some rogue tatties.
A strimming session today to remove the heads from the dandelions before they went to seed will hopefully also help no end in the war against weeds. There is something strangely satisfying about the sight of lots of decapitated dandelions and the thought that they have been defeated before spreading their seed across our lovingly tended plot.
Anyway, on to more exciting things. The Orla and Sharpe's Express potatoes briefly put in an appearance. They are back underground for a while as we covered them in compost and a good helping of soil. Cruel to be kind is apparently the name of the game in propagating your own food. Cover them up and get more spuds later.
Photo 28: Orla Potato, a first showing.
I planted our main crop potatoes today, Arran Victory and Pink Fir Apple (a salad potato). That's the 2011 potato crop in. Bring on the mash!
Photo 29: Planting the main crop potatoes. Bladon church in the background.
While Emily headed into Oxford for lunch with Alex I decided to investigate how much compost was in the composter in the back garden. After being fed for 3 years on vegetable peelings and autumn leaves from Blenheim I was hopeful of some black gold. I was not disappointed.
Photo 30: The black gold of the garden - a nice (square) pile of well rotted compost.
The compost uncovered a little history with readily identifiable layers which defined the summer and autumnal additions. Almost a geological seam. If we'd left it a few more thousand years and we may have ended up with some coal for the fire. You don't get a lot for three years worth of composting effort but I'm sure the vegetables will appreciate it.
Back to the allotment, Emily built three bean pyramids and planted the purple and green French beans. They were bedded down on a fresh layer of Bladon compost so we are expecting prolific growth in the coming weeks.
Photo 31: Oxford has it's Spires, now Bladon has it's very own pyramids. Much better than those you find in Egypt as these will have beans growing up them.
Photo 32: Emily planting the beans and securing them to the pyramids (just in case they try to escape).
Back from the allotment Emily planted up the salad in one of the beds in the back garden. Radish, spring onions, rocket and two varieties of lettuce (Buttercrunch and Lizzy).
Back from the allotment Emily planted up the salad in one of the beds in the back garden. Radish, spring onions, rocket and two varieties of lettuce (Buttercrunch and Lizzy).
The end of a productive day was rewarded with a beer and the taking of a few random photos in the back garden. At the end of last summer we found a conker sprouting in one of the beds. We potted him up and allowed him to overwinter in the shed. We are happy to report that he survived the cold and frosty winter months and is doing well. More on this little chap as he progresses through the summer.
Photo 33: Our Horse Chestnut. From small conkers...
