Plot 144 - The End!

This is a very sad blog post to have to write.

Due to my move to Dorset soon, my plot, sadly has to go & I have already given written notice to the council, that it will be available from June 7th.

I have been visiting the site most mornings, at around 6am for an hour each time, to clear the Shed and the Greenhouse, which are both now sold to a fellow allotmenteer who has a plot at the other end of the site.

Today I went down there to take the sign off the shed door "Dig For Victory" and the spade knocker too.  I also had help from Arthur to take the top from the milk urn that has my plot number on it (so it was my plot marker) and he also managed to de load  it from all the stones that were inside, keeping it weighed down and "un - thief-able"  (if that is a word) 

I collected my deposit from the chap buying the shed and greenhouse whilst my neighbour on the plot one down, said he would empty my water butt for me - very kind of him as I didn't think about that as its going as part of the G/House.

All I have left to do is to visit next Sunday or Monday to dig out my Onions and Garlic.

I have had some lovely, lovely times at that allotment site and met some very very nice people there too.

It's very sad to have to leave it behind, excited as I am about the move.

Sorry there are no pictures - it's too horrible to take them and to look at the condition it's in now.

I would rather remember it as it was.

I went to the lotty today....

....to help out on the shop, as it was my turn, so whilst I was there and walking passed my plot anyway, I thought I would take a few photo's.

As you can see, I have the Garlic and onions to the left of this photo

And moving along I have potatoes, Pentland Javelin, and peas coming up next to them

with weeds to the right!!

I did do some weeding the other day but rain stopped play

I still have some leeks to eat up!

And the spinach is going mad, so needs cutting back

More weeds

And more weeds!!

However the Potato that is for the Competition is doing well in the Greenhouse

And I am pleased to have sold my Shed & Greenhouse to a fellow allotment holder too!

Excitement as seeds grow.....

The pictures speak for themselves really

Its just SO exciting when you see this happening

and then this

And this!

Even my tomatoes are having a go

And finally

Click on this link to see a good piece made by the BBC on Allotments

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17857858

Potato Progress & Seed Rescue

Look what I found when I went down to the Allotment today!

Yes, I have Potato Progress

I decided that I would be able to pay more attention to my Tomato & Courgette sowings if they were in my utility room.  That's due to these April Showers of course and the inability to get to the Greenhouse without getting soaked, so here there are at home!

My Cucino Seeds have Germinated

Well 2 out of 4 did so 50% isn't bad and I am looking forward to all the baby Cucumbers that they will produce.

The Versatile Blogger Award!

Thank you to Lesley at Mad dog Woman of Shackleford

for presenting me with this honour!

I am now meant to tell you 7 interesting things about me.....

1. I am a crochet addict (see www.macscrochet.blogspot.)

2. I escaped the Tsunami of 2004 with just damage to one leg/ankle

3. I love to watch Jeremy Kyle show (another addiction)

4. Oh and Escape to the Country

5.  I have Coeliac Disease so I can't eat any gluten or wheat products

6.  I danced with Morecambe & Wise in their 1977 Christmas Show

7. I have a Cocker Spaniel who is now 13 and deaf

Now I have to nominate others for this award, so.....

1.  Allotment#65

2. Plot 42E & 42W

3.  Perfect Pelargoniums

I think I should be awarding more out than just 3, but these are my 3 favourite allotment / gardening blogs that are updated regularly so that's it from me!

Thanks again to Lesley.

Potato Competition!

Before I get to the Potato Competition, here are pictures (not very exciting) of the Cucino seed that I sowed at the greenhouse the other day

However I have brought them home as they need a more constant temperature to germinate

Oh yes, there is also a pot of Basil (brown pot) at the back.

Now for the Potato Competition

How very exciting and all for only  a £1 entry fee

So I got my pot & seed potato

Popped in some compost and then the potato

I labelled and watered it

& 

my fingers are now crossed

There are two Prizes

One is for the biggest crop

& 

One is for the biggest potato!!

When I went to the Trading Hut today to pay my £1, I found out that there were already 8 entrants, so that's good.

Potatoes & Peas!

As I had some Pentland Javelin "chitting" in my utility room and these are 1st Earlies, so as they can be dug up in July I decided to pop them in!

Here are my tools of the trade

I put in my line so I would put them in straight

And here's my bulb planter

In it goes and fingers crossed for July

I did put in a row of peas alongside too but I forgot to take photo's!

More Tidying up & Toad is back!

I returned to Plot 144 today, to do some more digging, weeding and general tidying up.  I won't bore you with pictures of soil patches where weeds once lived!

Not only did I weed, but I topped up the pond from the water tank, I cleaned the top of my water butt which was full of green slime, I put 4 pots into the greenhouse and filled them with marigold seeds in the hope that they will germinate, re attached the auto vent thingy to the back vent and found Toad in the bottom of a watering can.

If you remember, I found Toad a while ago, chucked him out, he came back, so I chucked him out again and now he's back!

So I was a little worried that he was in the bottom of a watering can, so I filled a deep tray with water (from the can he was in and tipped him out.

He seemed very happy - if you look closely you can just mad out his head popping out in the middle of the picture.

Last but not least are the leeks that I dug up, cleaned and brought home for dinner.

Oh I nearly forgot - I had to leave the plot earlier than I wanted to, due to a very SELFISH allotment holder on a nearby plot who insisted on making a fire!  It was 3pm when I arrived and the fire was already alight.  It got VERY smokey and I felt sorry for the neighbouring houses with windows open and possible laundry hanging outside.

By 4.30 it all got too much, my eyes were getting sore and I had started to cough as the smoke got very bad, so I closed up my shed and decided to leave early.

Before I did, I did shout across to Mr Selfish and ask him to calm the smoke down a little.  He was VERY rude in his response with words like "they should close their windows and take their washing in if they don't like it" so when I asked him his plot number he asked "are you going to report me?"  

"No I am going to send you a free ticket to the Gardening Show" I felt like saying.  Of course I reported him, I am on the committee after all, and although the Bonfire Ban does not come into force until 1st April 2012, people who do have a bonfire then, should do so taking others into consideration!

Plot holders like him will give all us allotmenteers a bad name.