Monday 9 May 2011

Oh for the joys of Spring

We finally had some much needed rain and our allotment is alive with the joys of spring, strawberries seem to be extremely bountifull this year and also very early. When the rain arrived it was a joy to behold as previously stated the ground has been like concrete and I have had to resort to the watering cans, yesterday I spent a good few hours at plot sorting through trays that have been sown in tunnel and giving quite a bit away. Celeriac was planted out Saturday along with remaining parsnips, we also have celery giant pascal to plant out it is a trench variety and we have never grown it before so I am a bit unsure of exactly how I make a trench and how to plant it out. Managed to take lots of pictures so here they are I will try to add captions enjoy!

 Inside the tunnel tumbling toms are in the hanging baskets
                                                Rocket growing like mad
                                             Leeks and peppers almost ready for planting out
                                            Gardeners delight, Golden peardrop and Incas.
                                                Imperial longpod broad beans and Lettuce all year round
                                                 Our first chillis of the year these are Cayenne
                                     Various chilli plants Cayenne, patio sizzler, Halbenero and sweet mini red.
                              Same as last year mange tout golden sweet growing up front of shed.
                         Stutgarter onions with garlic in background(already sending up scapes).
                                                               Strawberries getting ready to ripen.
                                                              Strawberry bed looking really full.
                                                        Perrenial flower bed.
                                                           First lupin in flower.
                                  Globe artichokes grown from seed and jeruselem artichokes in background.
                               Blackcurrant, redcurrant, gooseberry and rhubarb.
                                   Potatoe home guard and foremost as you can see they got frosted last week.
 Another view inside the polytunnel, I hope you have enjoyed the pictures I am off now to discover and learn the joys and mishaps of growing celery.

Tuesday 3 May 2011

When the wind is from the east it blows no good for man or beast

So the saying goes and that could not be more true at the moment, we have not had any significant rain in Bristol for well over a month. The ground at our allotment is like concrete and I have had to resort to the watering cans which is very unusal for the time of year. One thing that is undetered by this very dry spell is my old friend the couch grass that just keeps on coming. One thing about the recent warm dry weather though is we already have lots of green tomatoes on our tumbling toms which are in baskets within tunnel it has also caused all our pak choi to run to seed so I will be pulling up and starting again.

I now have a few days off work to catch up with things on the plot sow and plant out so as promised before I will post pictures soon(this week). I am off  to do a rain dance now so here is hoping to some of the wet stuff.