Flighty's plot

I’ve been to the plot and done some plotting every day this week.  Today I went this morning as there was no frost and it was already quite pleasant after breakfast.  I dug up the old rhubarb patch, which is where I’ll be growing one of the sunflowers Holiday and tidied the raspberries before before adding some compost round each plant.

During the week I finished hoeing and weeding the three vegetable patches (shown below),  removed the dead leaves and stems from the strawberries before hand forking/weeding then adding some compost round each plant. I also hoed and weeded where I’ll be growing the sunflowers MusicBox. 

Left of centre, just beyond the the end of the grass path,  are two primroses which I was given last week.  One has pale yellow flowers and the other white ones.

I’ve cleared the dead leaves from the crocosmia (bottom left corner in picture), and cut back all the old aster/Michaelmas daisy stems to ground.  In both cases this will allow air and light to reach the new growth that is just starting to appear.

This morning I was pleased to see a trio of Mallard ducks flying round low overhead before heading back towards the wetland area in the nearby park. Fluttering round the plot were two butterflies, one being a Small Tortoiseshell and the other possibly a Brimstone.

Have a good week, and take care!

I looked round the plot last Saturday morning and wasn ‘t surprised to see how soggy it was.  I did the same on Tuesday when it was as bad and  there was also some standing water around the stone feature as well as alongside the crocosmia.  Thankfully the weather forecast through into next week is for mostly sunny and warmer weather so hopefully the ground will start to dry out and I can get plotting again rather than just marking time. 

I was intending to give both roses a major prune over the winter but will leave that for another year as I’ve got plenty of other things to do in the next few weeks, such as finishing digging out the compost heap.  The archive picture  shows the rose Pretty Lady in full bloom in June 2021.

The only thing I noticed when I did look round is that the  new rhubarb is starting to appear.

Have a good weekend, and take care!

A brief post today as I’ve only made one quick visit to the plot this week so there’s nothing much to write about.

It has finally got milder and today the temperature has almost reached 10 C, although it is damp and dull again.

Here’s an archive picture from July 2011 of some plot sunflowers.

Have a good weekend, and take care!

I went to the horticultural society trading shed this morning to buy the onion sets and seed potatoes I’ll be growing this year.

The onions are Sturon as usual, which I’ve always found reliable and store well.  I’ve still got enough to last me to at least Easter, which is the end of next month and they’re mostly bigger than a tennis ball.

Picture shows one that size, along with some sets.

This year I’m trying the  first early potato Foremost  which according to one of my reference books has a good flavour and stays firm when boiled. The second earlies are Charlottes which are my favourite variety.  They’ve always done well – growing, cooking and storing.  I’m chosen Desiree for the main crop, which I have grown in the past, and the same book says that this pink-skinned variety is hard to beat.

I’ll be putting them in plastic trays on the spare windowsill during the week to chit, and providing that ground conditions and the weather is okay will be planting them out from late next month into early April.

I always feel that once I’ve bought these that the new growing season is underway again at last.

The weather has remained been cold, damp and dull but by the end of next week the temperature will be in double figures C, and mostly dry with some sunshine so hopefully I’ll be plotting again.

Have a good week and take care!

reading Karen’s post 5 Easy grow Flowers for the Allotment  on her Allotment Haven blog last week, especially as I grow 4 out of 5 of the ones she lists including Calendula (Pot Marigolds).  The one I don’t grow is Rudbeckia (Gloriousa Daisies) as I’m not that keen on them.

As well as the Cosmos Apricotta and Double Click Snow Puff seeds Nikki sent me in December, which I mentioned in this post, I’ll be growing lots of Cosmos Royal Dwarf White, a shorter variety only growing to 18 in/45 cm.  I’m going to grow some of these with Calendula Orange Flash as I think they’ll look good together.

I  had a brief look round the still rather soggy plot this morning but didn’t linger as it was cold, damp and dull again.  It looks like I won’t be doing much, if any plotting, again next week.

Have a good week, take care and keep warm!

After an early lunch yesterday I went to the plot as it was sunny, and not too chilly, and decided to resume digging out and sieving the compost heap.  I did one barrowload which I put on the area where I’ll be growing the tomatoes this year as I’d hoed the ground over recently and it wasn’t sticky unlike other areas.

Both clumps of crocuses are now flowering, which is good to see.  There are white ones Snow Bunting and the yellow Romance.

Both these  pictures are from the archives, 5 March 2015 (left) and 13 February 2019 (right).

Given that the weather looks set to get cold, damp and dull again  with the temperature feeling around  0 C at best again over the weekend and through to at least until midweek I doubt I’ll even be taking a quick look round.

Have a good weekend, take care and keep warm!

A couple of weeks ago I sent Rebecca, whose blog is My Own Little Thyme and Space Part Two , some spare flower and vegetable seeds to use on her allotment in south-east London.  They included Pot Marigolds Flighty’s Favourites and a few dwarf tomato Red Robin. The latter to try in a pot on her balcony as, like me, she doesn’t have a garden. Several months ago she moved to another, better, plot on the site where she is so this will be her first growing season on this one.

By way of a generous thank you she very kindly sent me a pair of wonderful handknitted woollen Wellington Boot Toppers, which she says are great for keeping debris out and for added warmth! Along with these was a lovely card and message.

I’ve always been happy to send seeds to gardening and plotting friends, and it’s really nice when I receive a thank you gift such as these in return.

Have a good week, and take care!