Honey, I'm ho-ome!

I've been away for a week to a conference and before that I had so m much preparation to do I couldn't get to the allotment. I've had a great time, but man, am I tired. A day down the allotment pottering around doing some weeding, cutting back the paths and sorting things out was just what I needed.

And now I have proof of growth!

We found actual broad bean pods growing in the black fly/ant infested beanie beds. There was MUCH cheering. I was starting to think we'd not get any so I was chuffed to find a few on their way.

When I grow up, I'm going to be a broad bean...

There's pea pod sign too:

When I fatten up, I'm going be full of pea loveliness...

Possibly the most eagerly anticipated strawberries in the world...

I'm going to put straw underneath the strawberries soon, and cover them with netting. I'm probably not the only one looking forward to juicy strawberries.

And finally, the long view (click on photo to enlarge). We have some space beyond the tree (in the back of the photo) but realised we wouldn't get around to preparing it this year. We've covered it in weed suppressant for now and hope to plant a few things through it but otherwise leave it to next year.

What you (can almost) see here is, 2 beanie beds, 2 carrot/beetroot/onion stuff beds, 2 brassicas beds (one of which is now mostly strawberries, the other one still empty) and 2 potato beds.

Start of May

Here's how the plot looks now. We've dug 7 of the 8 main raised beds.

Two beds of potatoes. Realised the other day that we don't actually eat that many spuds. And we now have 40 potato plants. Everyone will be getting potatoes for christmas. Wrapped up nicely of course, we're not mean!

One brassica bed with only half the bed for brassicas because those strawberries needed a home and we're a long LONG way off digging the bed where they were supposed to go. The other half of the bed is housing the red cabbage plants. I was thinking we could plant radishes in the gaps between the cabbages. I wonder, perhaps the tomato plants could go in between. Does anyone know if tomatoes and red cabbage are good allotment buddies? The big grassy patch in the top photo is where the other brasscica bed will go. Eventually. Maybe.

This is the red onion, leeks and beetroot bed. Haven't seen any actual beetroot yet. Still hoping they're just bashful.

The onions from sets plus a few from seed that we;d pretty much given up on. Plus a few carrots. There was supposed to be a whole line of carrots down the middle but I can only find about 6 plants. I may have weeded out the carrots with the weeds. stupidstupid. There's also a couple of garlic plants in the corner that I accidentally dug up at one point. They seemed to be a bit better for it to (might be because it gave me the chance to put them the right way up!)

The first beanie bed. Broad beans, peas and a few sweet peas.

Massive number of flowers but still no pods...

The other bed is still empty but will have sugar snap peas and runner beans

It was such a nice evening down the plot last night. I was just pottering along, doing the watering and listening to the birds. Things might not (ever!) go according to plan but I get so much pleasure from this garden.

Goodies

The bees are loving the rosemary.

What a good day. We arrived at the plot today and I immediately got frustrated with my crappy, way-too-big-for-me gloves so we left almost straight away again for the garden center. I remembered I had some birthday money to spend, and well, I went a little wild!

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me!

The hoard:

• One rhubarb plant. Hey, I could have waited and waited for someone to give me a little bit of root, but I am just far too impatient for that.
  
• Nine, I repeat, NINE strawberry plants. I can't wait. Ah. We wont be getting many this year I suppose. Never mind, we'll be feasting next year. We got 3 plants each of 3 different varieties
  
• One small tray of red cabbage plants. I forgot to buy the seeds and well, it IS my birthday...
• A pot of sweet pea plants to brighten up the few eating peas that made it so far (damn you evil weevils)
• Window sill propagator. This is my brand new tomato plan.
  
• AND a pair of posh gardening gloves that fit perfectly and are all soft and lovely on the inside

The trowel was from a friend. And a very nice trowel it is too, sporting a cutting edge, and a ruler.

We weeded and weeded and weeded, and I rigged up the pea support. Does it look like overkill?