A Christmas Harvest

Today has been our first visit to the allotment for well over two weeks, due to the icy weather – but today it was a squelchy trip across the field but the allotment site itself was really none the worse for wear. The sprouts are looking good:

Whilst there, K mended one of the beds and I did more composting. I also cut back the roses and the now all-dead flowers (even the cosmos didn’t survive the arctic conditions!) and have removed the gazanias entirely as they’re just hopeless as cut flowers. I’ll probably replace them with more alstroemerias at some point.

We also did some mulching and here is the newly-mulched perennial bed:

The harvest of the day is of course sprouts, so LOADS for Christmas lunch tomorrow!

Have a wonderful Christmas, everyone!

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Dodging the downpours

It’s been raining most of the weekend but we have somehow managed to visit the allotment during the forty-five minutes it actually didn’t rain so have been very lucky!

It’s good to see the remembrance wreath has gone up on the gate:

Here are some views over the plot to give you an idea of what’s going on:

K mended the netting over the newer bed of sprouts as it was a bit beaten down by the rain, and I took out some of the asparagus for compost as it was getting in the way of everything:

The Brussels sprout leaves are looking pretty chewed now but the actual sprouts seem to be fine, so that’s good news for winter harvests:

Meanwhile, the courgette plants is really on its way out and I’m not sure that many of the fruits will get any bigger but at least they are hanging on there:

The cosmos is also hanging on and still has new buds coming through:

It’s the perennial bed that’s having the most fun this autumn though and it still looks incredibly green, with more nasturtiums and roses on their way:

One of the white roses looks really incredible:

So, here is today’s harvest of Brussels sprouts, beetroot, one courgette, roses, gazanias, gerberas and dahlias:

And here are the vases at home:

Have a lovely Sunday, everyone.

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Floral Abundance

A very short post today as I was actually too shattered to go to the allotment, so sent my lovely husband instead – who kindly took the harvest shot for me. We had our Covid boosters yesterday and today I feel as if I’m being squeezed through a mangle and am not sure when the torture is going to end, LOL! From memory, I think I had the same reaction to my last Covid booster – so I should definitely have been prepared.

So Husband and I are both very tired, though at least he’s not got the mangle effect which is good news. I hope normal service will be resumed next week!

Here is the harvest shot:

So, as you can see, it’s a magnificent display of white roses (the scent is amazing), dahlias, gazanias, cosmos and a good supply of sprouts.

Here are the vases at home:

Have a lovely Sunday, everyone – and don’t forget to book that Covid booster jab if you are due for it! No matter how I’m feeling now, it’s SO worth it.

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Daffodil Planting

A lovely morning at the allotment today – the weather was really good. Which is great as huge storms are forecast for tomorrow!

The cosmos continues to bloom:

And the yellow dahlias are looking stunning:

Meanwhile the nasturtiums are taking over the perennial bed and looking really pretty. I love the leaves as well as the flowers. I’m hoping they’ll seed themselves around so we get more next year as well, though I’ll also probably buy a few:

We have planted the rest of the daffodils in one of the spare beds so that’s one spring preparation job done:

The courgette plant is still producing and one of the fruits was large enough to crop this time:

So today’s harvest is very colourful indeed and consists of sprouts, beetroot, one courgette, roses, dahlias, cosmos, one gazania and one gerbera:

Here are the vases at home:

Flower arranging tip – always put the roses on their own as they really dislike being with other flowers, LOL! Have a lovely weekend, everyone.

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Dahlia delight

Loads of dahlias still in bloom on the allotment today, with more in bud to come, which is amazing.

The perennial bed is looking good too, particularly with the nasturtiums:

And that cosmos continues to produce flowers against the odds:

Just enough time for a quick hoe-round and a bit of composting today before collecting the harvest. This consists of sprouts, beetroot, roses, dahlias, cosmos and gazanias:

Here are the vases at home:

Have a lovely Sunday, everyone.

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Flower crazy

We’ve not been to the allotment for a couple of weeks now and the flowers have gone crazy! The dahlias are out in force:

The perennial bed is strutting its stuff:

The damaged cosmos plant is hanging on in there:

And even the gladioli doesn’t want to be forgotten:

The courgettes are looking pretty good:

Though sadly, some evil beast is munching its way through our sprouts, how very dare they! I have put slug pellets down and sprayed the plants to try to discourage the pests.

Nonetheless, we have managed a good harvest of sprouts, courgettes, beetroot, dahlias, roses, cosmos, gladioli and gazanias, and the colours are beautiful:

Here are the vases at home – I’m particularly proud of those pink dahlias.

Have a lovely weekend, everyone.

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Planting for Spring

We have started to plant the daffodils at the allotment this week, though there are still two bucket-loads to go. But at least it’s a start!

The perennial bed is still doing well:

And the gazanias are looking particularly stunning. Here’s one in close-up:

Somehow, that damaged cosmos is still in bloom, which certainly gives me hope (especially as it’s been one hell of a difficult week, LOL!):

The courgettes are happy with their lot:

Whilst there, we let out a bird that had somehow got inside the cabbage netting – heaven knows how! And we also rolled back & secured the netting roof of the fruit cage as there’s no fruit any more of course.

Here is today’s harvest which is sprouts, beetroot, one courgette, gazanias, roses, dahlias and cosmos:

Here are the vases at home:

Have a lovely weekend, everyone.

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Cosmos and roses

We popped into the allotment yesterday between the two stages of the Queen’s funeral as it was just SO sad that I simply had to do something else.

Anyway, though we didn’t stay long, I was pleased to see that the damaged cosmos plant is still somehow producing flowers which is very positive:

And, equally unexpectedly, there are some more roses which is definitely a bonus:

The perennial bed is continuing its red theme:

And the dahlias are still producing flowers, with loads more buds to come:

Meanwhile the courgette plant is still producing fruit, though there were two or three rotten ones as well which I have cut off:

So yesterday’s harvest was dahlias, roses, gazanias, cosmos, gerbera, one courgette, one cabbage and a few beetroots:

Here are the vases at home:

Have a good week, everyone.

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A vision in scarlet

Today the allotment perennial bed is a vision in scarlet, the cabbages are hanging on, and the dahlias are simply magnificent. A short blog this time round as it’s our wedding anniversary (yay, congratulations to us!) but we are also feeling sad about the Queen. RIP Elizabeth II, a wonderful woman and a brilliant Queen. So definitely a day of mixed feelings.

Here are the pictures:

Cabbage bed:

Courgette:

Gorgeous dahlias:

The scarlet perennial bed:

Gazanias in the perennial bed:

Our harvest:

The vases at home:

Have a good day, everyone.

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Rain stops play

It started out as quite a pleasant morning so we took the opportunity to get to the allotment for some all important weeding – there are loads of weeds now the rain has started again! Definitely autumn now – I wore a jumper for the first time in ages, which ended up proving very useful.

The perennial bed is still looking good:

And there are a couple of gladiolis still in bloom:

Plus I’m just LOVING the colour of this gorgeous dahlia:

Meanwhile the courgette we thought was too small to crop last week is now pretty darn large!

We have also made the netting on the second sprout bed taller by taking away the hoops and putting long stakes in instead before securing the netting over it again:

And it was at that point that the rains came, in full force so we took shelter in the shed!

Only wish we’d bought an umbrella, LOL! I did take a video of how torrential it was, but I can’t upload it as apparently I have to upgrade to premium to do so – but, trust me, it was heavy!

Here is the harvest in the rain, which consists of sprouts, that courgette, dahlias, gladioli, gerberas and gazanias:

And here are the vases at home:

Have a lovely weekend, everyone, and stay dry!

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