Category Archives: success

Potatoes, Runner and climbing beans, Squashes, success, The Big Sunflower Project 2015

Plot Productivity Part one-Early August

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The last week has seen teaching finish and exams start; so I have been a little busy with a real life beyond the plot. With evenings and weekends, I have spent some time defoliating the very leafy tomatoes in the poly. Beyond that, parents have been along to the plot. Ma is on her summer school holidays, so has been taking up weeds and digging over as she does anyway. Just with a bit more gusto. I get waken in the morning, with the words “Punam, I am going over road for an hour. back in a bit.” Two hours later, she’ll turn up at home for tea time.

Dad’s engineering training was utilised this week. I am too short to reach the top of the bean wig wams, I have decided to put a horizontal cane between the wig wams to maximise growing. So Dad helped to beam them.

Then he noticed squashes trailing up canes. He decided that I had done it wrong-not sure about the right way and that I shouldn’t use black string-luckily I had gardening twine. So decided to construct some scaffolding for the burgeoning squashes.

My Sunflowers had doing well, lots of blooms appearing. Allowing bumble bees to come by and get a bit intoxicated.

herbs, success

Hey pesto: An experiment

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The basil on the plot has been used a little bit; but could be used a little more. Whilst the pot is small, and needs to grow-I only bought it recently from urban herbs-there are a small amount of leaves that could be used to make an experimental amount of pesto.

I have never done this before.

The recipe that I have followed is from Jamie Oliver’s Pesto. Rather than use mum’s blender, I opted to use a pestle and mortar. Mainly as it wouldn’t involve too much washing up. However, this way felt a bit more traditional. The garlic and basil are from the plot, the rest of the ingredients are from shop. I have yet to grow a tree for pine nuts.

There was bit of huffing and puffing, in thinking that this might be a bit difficult. That the basil and garlic would need a bit of bashing; or pounding as the recipe directs. I wouldn’t call it pounding, and it wasn’t that hard. The garlic mashed up quite easily, I think the freshness contributed to that. As well as the freshness of the basil as well, it had been washed before hand. The pine nuts were toasted on mum’s tava-this implement is normally used to make her chappatis-and the pine nuts were dry toasted. I may have over toasted a few of them, but that actually added to the flavour.

I deliberately made a small amount; enough for a piece toast, I found.

The taste test?

Lovely. Perhaps less garlic, the recipe does actually stipulate less than I used. I was feeling enthusiastic. And more cheese. Will definitely try this again.

Hobbit homebrew, overwintering alliums, Soft fruit, success

Harvest and homebrew kick off 2015

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The garlic foliage has dramatically keeled over, indicating that it is rather good to go. The seed garlic was sunk last autumn, having been purchased from the garlic farm. Over the years, I have brought and planted lots of different varieties of seed garlic. This was the first ever batch from the garlic farm, and I do have to say, I have not been disappointed.

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As of yet I have only harvested the one bed; I have two beds of over wintering garlic. The foliage had fallen over completely, was all very straw like and yellow. The bulbs didn’t take much lift, and moved out of the soil quite easily. The vast majority of the bulbs are very, very big. By far the largest that I have ever managed to sow and harvest. Big clumps, that are almost trying to split away from the main one. And they honk. Honk of garlic. There are assorted varieties here, and the purple ones are my own personal favourite. Not least because of their size, but because of their smell as that indicates the flavour they will yield. These are solid and stable cloves. What will happen now, is that they will be left to dry for at least a few weeks. The skins and peel should dry out and become crispy. These are better than good garlic bulbs, and I don’t do plugs of people just for the sake of it. This is produce that has come from an excellent seed producer and exceeded my expectations. I would certainly order again from The Garlic Farm.

Then comes the home brew.

Also harvested from the plot today was the last of gooseberries and and also raspberries. I am lucky to half allotment neighbours who ask me to liberate their excess fruit. I don’t ever filch fruit, by virtue of ethics, I always ask permission for the fruit is liberated.

With the gooseberries, this was always going to be their final fate for this year. I have so far made an experimental jam with them, and also an experimental Indian pickle. Their final fate, was to be used to infuse gin. There was a lot of experimentation last year with all sorts of fruit. An interesting learning experience, that produced interesting Christmas presents for family and friends. I also received, via a twitter conversation, really good advice from the lovely Thane Prince. Add coriander seeds to the gin. This advice worked last year, so I am taking it up again, having raided mum’s garam masala stash. Whilst I also plan to make some form of raspberry ice cream; the gin is one possible experiment with those that I have been looking at for a while.

The process is simple. Put fruit into jar, add sugar and steep. Then place into an airing cupboard and wait for a bit. The raspberry gin is apparently quicker than the gooseberry gin; a matter of only a couple of weeks. Gooseberries will be left for a while longer.

Runner and climbing beans, Soft fruit, success

Successful Sunny Saturday

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There are weeds cropping up all over the plot. There are also harvests to made too. I will be hoeing the weeds down soon. The harvests, though, have been good so far. Firstly, we have spuds. Potatoes/ Over the last four years I have variable harvests. From sinking into open ground to raised beds. I finally have a spud that I am proud of. Today, I have harvested probably about a couple of pounds of kestrel second early potatoes. The foliage had started to keel over, so I took this as a sign to harvest. I wasn’t so quietly impressed when digging over. I may have blasphemed a little bit; my mother who was in ear shot, exclaimed my name. Not at my blaspheming, but at the fact that I was handing over fairly nice looking potatoes.

A plot neighbour kindly donated some redcurrants that she was harvesting. These with the pounds of frozen strawberries already harvested went into a jam alongside some purple haze and cayenne chillies.

It does taste rather nice, and I don’t actually like strawberries that much.

I have been further monitoring the raspberry situation. To be honest, I am not in the least bit happy. Yes, these were planted in Autumn. A full season collection, I had thirty canes. Not all of these have foliage, and they are all very much still brown and sticky. Those that are leafy, have so far produced the grand sum of six-maybe-raspberries. All of the canes have rooted, I have done the tug test. They have definitely rooted.

On the other hand, I have ten fall gold yellow raspberry canes and two pink autumn bliss raspberries. The two autumn bliss ones are happy, having been cut back, and now fairly leafy and about to bear fruit. The yellow ones, have provided three yellow raspberries so far. This I can deal with.

With the distinct lack of pink summer raspberries, I am feeling a bit dejected. A lot like England crashing out on penalties. Penalties, can be practised.

Runner beans are shooting up their supports, and rapidly. So much so, I have spotted a cluster of red flowers. The climbing french beans however, don’t look so good and are still very small.

cabbages and brassicas, success

Gobi roti anyone? Surprise Cauli harvest

I don’t remember sinking cauliflower plugs, but I must have done. Was pottering around, having sunk gladoli, and saw the white curds of a cauliflower. Naturally, I had to tell my mum about it and she was the other side of the plot pulling up weeds. She then decided to harvest it, and ear marked it for her to have it in her stuffed chappatis tomorrow. It’s not huge, just a little bigger than my hands. But the curds are okay, tightly packed together. There were a lot of leaves, and these were chopped away. Not bad, and hopefully we will be plugging in more cauliflowers at some point.

success

Trug love with @gardening_leave via @loldeantimber

Last year Loldeantimber and I sent a hand made trug to Gardening Leave in Ayr. A trug that would help them to continue the sterling work that they do. Gardening Leave work with veterans using horticultural therapy, so having a trug would be rather useful!

It was lovely to see a harvest of broccoli, mine looked a bit off colour in comparison!  Fabulous to see the trug being loved and used for what it was designed for. I really hope that they get lots more bountiful harvests.

You can find further information about Gardening Leave here and also their honesty pledge

NaBloPoMo, success, Taking stock

#NABLOPOMO: Preserving with the plot

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It’s lovely to reduce the air miles, and have homegrown produce. However, you do get to a point, where if you have another courgette, you might get a bit twitchy. Plus people start to avoid you as you are likelyt to foist squashes on them and they don’t want to see another courgette either.

Preserving presents you with an opportunity to do something else with your crops when you have an excess. A glut can be rather frustrating, when you have all this beautiful produce and you don’t want it here and now. It did take me a while to get into preserving. I just didn’t think that there was anything else to be done, bar my mum cooking with things that grew on the allotment. It was only when I stumbled across a recipe for a courgette chutney recipe that had Indian undertones, that the penny dropped. I had courgettes, Ma’s pantry, and spices. The three could go together. I had already tried to pickle garlic and shallots. Got it wrong, and the things are stil in ma’s pantry. Edible, but forgotten.

The point being, that you didn’t have to wander around trying to give your crops away. You can keep them, just change the form that they take.

Just like growing, I have found the process of preserving to be experimental. There are lots recipes out there to help, from jams, jellies, chutneys and relishes. You only have to take a quick look into a search engine, and also share with other allotment neighbours and folks who GYO.  Recipes are good starting points, and open to a spot of deviation when you work out what you do and don’t like.

It is wonderfully rewarding,  if and when the jams set, and you don’t burn the bottom of your pan. Then there is the jam thermometre that you might bash a little too much.

There there is cordials and homebrews. I have yet to embark of wine making. But infusions are rather interesting to do. Relatively low maintenance too, once you put all the ingredients in, the jars of alcohol and fruit can be left and you come back later to check.

 

success

floral ‘obbit seedbox by @loldeantimber

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You are all aware of the floral obbit trug made by https://www.facebook.com/Loldeantimber?fref=ts and now they have matching seedboxes too!

The trug was brilliant last year and the matching seedbox is a welcome addition. Now contains some seeds, so already been put to good use. The seedbox was a fabulous welcome surprise when it arrived the other day. Complements the ‘obbit trug beautifully. The same colour and the same pattern, I am really very proud of them both.

The floral ‘obbit trug was a commission made of https://www.facebook.com/Loldeantimber?fref=ts last year. Hand made, with the unique floral petal, the trug has paid for itself over and over in courgettes and goodies. It’s evidence of a small British Business growing and going from strength to strength. The hard work, commitment and passion of @loldeantimber is evidenced beautifully in their hand made GYO products.

As with everything on the blog, if I like something, I will say. I will share the love for something that is outstanding, makes allotmenteering easier and more of a pleasure to do. I don’t do random plugs or advertising for the sake of it. You won’t find such phoney product placement or promotion here. The floral ‘obbit trug has been a gem to use and with the seedbox, it becomes even more special. I love both the box and the trug, and just have to share.

success, Taking stock

So long 2014, you’ve been interesting

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last_plot2014

On the last day of 2014, that is what the plot looks like. A bit dreary, eh? Wasn’t always like that though.

But the plot has been through a fair bit. Least of all the elements of Great Britain.

Seeds were sown, never at the right time, or in the right amounts. Seedlings germinated, some made it, some gave up the ghost and keeled over. There were slugs and snails, puddles and problem cabbages. The heavy clay was unrelenting. Arid and angry in the sun, it didn’t hold much water. Damp and rained upon, it was soggy and sulky. There were tomatos by the ton, three chillies, just three. Despite a whole poly tunnel of leafy plants.  One whopper aubergine, the rest were all tiddly. Courgettes by the dozen.  Marrows, that you cuddled to carry.

There was a Baby Bruno. His seeds have now dried, and all being well, will go to good home. This was the year of the Hobbit trug, and boy did it earn it’s keep. So much so, one was donated to Gardening Leave to give them a hand. A case of share the love with that trug. Was made by the fab Loldeantimber you can find them here and tell them I sent you.

2014 has not been an easy year. That’s not to say others have been. It has been different, and has presented it’s own challenges. After all, no one plot is the same. And mine, is the worst on the site according to the secretary, in terms of the soil and slope. I have been told several times to move down the site and have a better chance. In my mind though, I think I have a fighting chance. It has taken me this long to the plot this far.

I would like to thank everyone who had read the blog over the last year. Thank you, for all the comments. Than you, for just reading. I don’t call myself an expert, but I do like to share what I learn and experience. If that is of any use to any one, then than that is one happy bonus.

Thank you, and a very happy new year to you all ^_^