Grow the world in your garden...

So this week we went for a break to St Austell, Cornwall, and although I missed the allotment there was plenty of inspiration to be found and plants to be bought.

Neither of us had been to the Eden Project before so that was a real treat to wonder round different climates and see the plants that grow around the world. They have a very cheap plant centre where I stocked up on herbs including Catnip (one for the allotment and one for the garden - although I suspect with our cats the one in the garden won't last that long), Applemint, Chocolate Mint and Orange Thyme for the bees.

Although Eden was a great experience, I have to say I preferred the Lost Gardens of Heligan, which is 200 acres of magic. I couldn't believe how many plants, fruits and veggies from all around the world were grown there and it really inspired me to think about my garden and allotment.

I was gifted a beautiful round courgette plant and some peas off our lovely hosts, who were trying to live off the grid as much as possible with their veg patch, old building techniques, recycling, spring water filtered with UV and hens. If you  want to go and stay in St Austell I highly recommend Cob Barn, a very cosy piece of heaven. https://sites.google.com/a/roseweek.com/roseweek-studio/

I also brought some pepper plants as mine weren't doing that well, along with an aubergine plant from a local neighbour.

Getting back to the allotment on Friday I was pleased to see everything was still alive. Of course the weeds had been having a field day but nothing a good hoe couldn't beat. We also picked some of our lettuce leaves, rhubarb and spring onions - delicious!

So back to normality, and this week I am going to finally plant out my sweetcorn (round two) and some leek seedlings. The potatoes are coming on a treat and are nearly flowering, courgette plants have just gone in and the wildlife section will be added to - more plants for the bees and we are considering digging a small hole to put a sink bowl in with a few rocks in anticipation of the toads and newts we keep getting promised. We have also popped a new insect hotel in our tree, so far I think an ant has moved in, I guess he has a mansion but fingers crossed others will come.

Hope you are all having a lovely bank holiday weekend!

Much love and happy digging
Tracey xx

23rd May 2015

Full of beans...

Runners at the front, french beans at the back

So finally my back feels a little better, the threat of frost is getting less and I can get a bit more out in the allotment. We made a bean cane structure a few weeks ago as I was just too impatient not to and finally, today (again due to my impatience), I planted out runner beans up the one side and french beans up the other. The shed provides a bit of a wind break for the bean structure but I need to keep my peepers peeled for any news of a late frost.

10.5.15

Potatoes, onions and lettuce are all coming along nicely and the more established rhubarb is nearly ready for some cutting. Rhubarb vodka? crumble? or both? The wild flower seed still hasn't shown so I am going to collect a few good pollinating flowers for the bees and put them at the bottom of the plot. I have also sewn beetroot seeds in trays to be transplanted when they are big enough.

Rhubarb

All in all it looks like it is going pretty well, but the slugs have started to rear their heads and the weeds are never ending. Still, no one said it was going to be easy and the allotment is still one of my favourite places (apart from my scary shed!).

I haven't got a picture of Bobbin (the Robin) yet but  he has been around this morning, making use of the upturned soil and the juicy worms that go with it, I do wish he would eat some slugs though!

Much love and happy digging to you all
Tracey xx