Open Day Weekend

My weekend started off with some bad news, which my hubby told me about on Friday evening

He had to go into work on Saturday 9th and he was meant to take the weekend off.

This was quite a blow for me as it is our 10th & 4th anniversary this weekend - 10 years since we met (blind date) and 4 years since we married (6 year later but on the same day we met!)

Oh well- that's life!

There was only one thing to do - go down to the Lotty!!

I spent 4 hours + down there that morning and I was amazed at how quickly the time went.
I did a bit of this and a bit of that, but mainly, I dug up all my second Earlie's - Catriona - and look at this haul!

It is and will always will be, one of the best experiences ever - digging up potatoes.

When you think you have got them all - another one appears, and when you start on a new plant it never fails to surprise you with how many spuds are under there.

Spud - this is another name for the humble potato in the UK

The correct meaning of "spud" is that this word for potato comes from the digging of soil/hole prior to planting the potatoes. The word is of unknown origin and was originally (c. 1440) used as a term for a short knife or dagger. It subsequently transferred over to a variety of digging tools. Around 1845 it transferred over to the tuber itself.

One funny story (well I think it's funny) - my mother is Maltese and hadn't been living in the UK for long - heavily pregnant with me. She walked down the road to buy some potatoes (this was in the mid 60's) The chap in the shop told her "Sorry love, no potatoes today, only spuds," so she walked home - empty handed!!

Next on the list of things to do that Saturday, was to bake fairy cakes!

I have never baked before and being gluten free without a sweet tooth, I have not bothered to bake for myself, so this was a new experience for me. After getting covered in flour and licking the icing bowl clean, I managed to produce 24 little cakes.

So these fairy cakes along with 2 homemade jars of chutney were taken down to the Lotty on the Sunday. Donations would be asked for if you wanted a tea, coffee, soft drink, cake or indeed some lovely vegetables and the money donated would go to the Mayors chosen charity which is a great cause -

The Royal Marsden’s Wolfson Children’s and Adolescent Unit at The Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton

So, that was pretty much it for Saturday - I was exhausted!
Sunday now, and fingers crossed for the weather. I woke up to find myself quite excited at the prospect of the Open Day.

I went along at around 10am to help where I was needed. I helped to erect the two gazebo's (good thing I was a girl guide!!) and set up some tables. However I had to leave after 1 hour as we were expecting Hubby's Mum (aka the armchair gardener) and her boyfriend Richard who were travelling up from Ferring as they hadn't seen (but heard alot and are avid followers of this blog) my allotment!

They arrived at 12 and we ate a lovely lunch at 1, and at 2pm we strolled to the Lotty. After a walk around one half of the Lotty, the Mayor & Mayoress arrived.
We all gathered around, and he gave a lovely speech - not too long and not too short-just right ...

And now for the best bit - SURPRISE - Derek Cousins, our very own bramble fairy's name was called out by the Mayor himself!!

We all knew about this, but of course Derek didn't have a clue! He was awarded a signed and framed Arsenal Football Team Shirt for ALL the help that he has given fellow allotmenteers over the years - The look of shock on his face!

The signed Arsenal Shirt

This is Mavis- my plotty neighbour & our "Leader" looking radiant after her morning nerves

The Mayor & Mayoress were then presented with a box of Allotment grown veg - by the look on the Mayors face, the box was quite a weight!!

This is Nigel and me - do you like my "Lotty" T- Shirt?? It makes me look more "knowledgeable" than I actually am!!


And last but not least - The Committee

From left to right - Arthur, Nigel, John, Mavis, Carl, Paul and of course Dr. Doom in the front row.

My thanks, and I am sure the thanks of many others, goes to these wonderful people, who organised such a fantastic day - including the weather!!

My favourite Lotty Pics.....

My fav lotty pics
Originally uploaded by macalifrog

These are some of my favourite Lotty pics - they all tell a story.....

Starting top left (and then go clockwise) -

The 142 sign in the snow, a cold day that didn't keep me away from the lotty.

This is me digging and preparing my final bed, which is where my potatoes went in, and since then Courgettes, Pumpkins, Buttnernut Squash, Cucumbers & Peas!

Next is the lovely Sunset - enough said.

Next is my Courgette flower, or is it a Pumpkin flower? Anyway it's so nice I use it for my wallpaper on my computer screen as it reminds me of mother nature herself.

Ah, the rickety old shed that I was hoping to restore - just a distant dream.

Carl our site rep, kindly posing with my Twirly that is now protecting his cabbage patch.

This old bucket - discarded and now unloved - how many times was it filled with water to help quench the thirst of the plants, or other items such as freshly picked veggies?

Then it's Daisy & Mo given to me by my lovely Mother in Law.

My wonderful husband Ian, who kindly helped to transport Hilda in his Smart Car to the Lotty - he deserved a cuddle from her after that!

Next is the fantastic Derek and his doggie Laddie - I don't need to say any more about Derek as I am sure you all know him well by now!

This is me with my first potato harvest - a truly monumental moment in Lotty Life!

And last by not least - my reward - green fingers at last !

Finally and to the Centre fo the picture - the centre stage of Plot 142 is dear Tatty Boggie Gump

I'm at it again.....

.....Yes, making more chutney!

This time the recipe is thanks to "Greenforks" and you can view and of coursefollow the recipe for yourselves by clicking here

I adapted the recipe slightly. I used a yellow courgette, added a diced kohlrabi and used spring onions instead of normal onions (oh er Mrs.) as these were all the veg that I had to hand. I did use the apples that my husband said were past their best, and I omitted the raisins because (a) I didn't have any and (b) I can't stand them! So it will be interesting to see how it turns out. I did get many a nice comment about the lovely aroma filling the house during cooking, so that's a good sign!

I got 6 small jars worth, following the recipe to the weights stated but swopping ingredients listed to what I had available from my Lotty.

Well, the end results are what I am looking forward to sampling !!

All my chutneys are Gluten Free, Veggie & Vegan!

To make yours Gluten Free, simply swap the Malt Vinegar for White Wine Vinegar.

It's happened - at last..........

Yes - it's official - I have green fingers at last !

Chutney is made & Derek strikes again!!

These little jars are the results of my chutney making efforts

Don't they look pretty and quaint?

I have put them in the store room to mature for a few months,

and I have posted a jar to my "virtual" friend Ralph who has a lotty in Notty(Nottingham)

as it's his birthday next weekend, so I hope he is a good boy and doesn't open it straight away!!

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As I arrived at the allotment gates this morning I was immediately arrested by the fantastic banner that Kirsty's husband had made to advertise the open day next Sunday 10th

Isn't it just FAB? I love the flowers - so pretty.

On arrival I was greeted with the sound of spade hitting soil - yes, you guessed it, the bramble fairy / digging fairy - the wonderful Derek was on plot 144 again, clearing brambles and digging away for me - bless.

As you can see from the picture below, he dug me enough of a space to not only put in some spring cabbages, which Olga my Russian Lotty neighbour gave to me that very morning, but there is also now enough room to put in the next installment of peas that are still growing happily in my cold frame at home.

I protected the cabbages with some netting

So that the birds and pigeons don't attack them. Do you like the idea of putting up turned bottles into the soil to create a little "roof" for them? Obivously as the plants grow, the bottles will have to go onto canes & fortunately for me - the netting is double the width so as the flowers grow the netting protection can expand! Clever eh?

This is my favourite Tomato so far - it is huge - almost the size of an orange and it's grown a little arm!

George and Perry said it didn't look like an arm to them - what could they mean???? I wonder what it looked like to them????????

Finally - My surprise this visit was the amount that the runner beans had grown - on my last visit on Thursday, they were mostly half way up the canes and now - just look - all the way to the top!