Hi Ya

It's been a while now so I thought I had better do a post. It's not that I haven't wanted to ! I just haven't felt up to it as I have been fighting off a cold or virus of some sort for almost a week. I coughed so much that my ribs hurt which in turn made me dread coughing. I caught it off Austin and he caught it off the little ones. I only hope that we didn't leave it behind on the Isle of Wight where we stayed with friends for 4 days ( Austin had it then) Anyway enough self pity it's on it's way now and today I felt much better, but it's left me feeling physically and mentally drained.


Luckily a lovely neighbouring plot holder and good friend has been opening and closing the greenhouse each day for me and watering when it needed it.

I cut our first cabbage of the year today and it was delicious. I sowed and planted them last autumn. They haven't hearted up yet, but we just fancied a cabbage so I cut them anyway, left a small cut cross on the stalks which will encourage some more little spurts of growth (hopefully) and there are lots more cabbages left for later on.

No photo's of the plot but there is a lot happening there. The mangetout are in and growing well. How they ever survived the really bad frost last night I will never understand as lots of people lost their beans (planted out too early) and most of us got our potatoes caught by it.

I have garlic doing well that has been in since the autumn, also some leeks getting bigger and more sown, the aforementioned cabbages, two types of beetroot, radishes, spinach, carrots, two types of parsnips all of these crops are showing through now Oh and some swedes these I have to confess to buying from Homebase reduced to 99p for 10 plants that looked like they wouldn't make it, but I love a challenge. They are all 10 doing well so far.

Little feathery fronds of Asparagus are just beginning to show and I noticed today that the gooseberries bushes, well the red one anyway is covered in tiny gooseberries (green at this stage !!)

I did take a few pic's in the garden this morning though.

These are tiny teeny gladioli that I planted from the little pipettes I found growing around the gladioli bulbs that I dug up to overwinter. I also left some bulbs in the ground and have noticed that they are coming up at last, but having these little new plants is the bonus of lifting some.

I know we had a cold winter, but amazingly these Mimulus survived in this same pot all through it. That has never happened before, they are usually a very tender annual, they should be flowering soon, so that's another bonus in the garden. The Violas did very well too.

These short and pretty Tulips have been brilliant, they have flowered for so long and survived the windy days and kept their petals. I love they way they have become wide and open almost like little peonies.

And here is my favourite, I will definitely grow these again every year and on the plot so I can have some to cut for indoors

This and That

A bit of a pictorial post today, as although I have lot's to write about I don't have the time. I haven't been to the allotment much since last week other than a quick visit to gather some crops, water the greenhouse and pick up the rubbish that can't be composted and took that to the local council tip.

Five 'Munchkin Squashes' all which have been roasted, cut up and are going into a soup tomorrow for lunch. The little cucumber is the last one now, as the plants had given their best for ages and were past it, so they were composted.

I have had so many tomatoes that I decided to make this delicious 'Indian spiced Chutney' the recipe advises to leave it for a month or two before eating, Mmm ! not sure about that !! it tasted delicious straight off the spoon after I put it in the jars.

The Gladioli has flowered at last !! it is from a bargain bag of mixed summer bulbs for the cutting bed from 'Wilko's ' half price for £2.50 and loads of bulbs, the lovely spiky Dahlia ( see below) was in the bag as well, Bargain !!!

All pinked out

Sunflowers from the 'Sunflower Hedge' on the allotment.



I brought a bunch home for the house, they look wonderful. they are called 'Velvet Queen' and are multi headed and not too large, I don't like the really big ones.

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We went to the 'Seaside' first visit this year, so here are a few photo's I took there.

Bournemouth Pier




Arty deckchair shot !





The 'Merry-go-round

I made a pebble heart !