Beans and brassicas

Climbing green beans

Suede, sprouts and white cabbage

Finished raised beds

It rained hail today, and Michael told me there was lightning very close to the allotments, said it was close to getting him in his greenhouse on the hill - very scary. Anyway it was just raining when I got there, thankful for small mercies. Inbetween showers I finished the beds I started yesterday and planted 3 long rows of brassicas.

Raised beds for tomatoes and salad crops

Today it rained, undefeated by this, we still went to the plot to dig over the area set aside for tomatoes and other summer veg. Due to the fact that the ground slopes I started to built some raised beds around the gourd frame to contain the crops, tried this last year but the 6 beds were too awkward with small paths around each, so this year I really knew what was required.



This was the area prior to beds going in.

Raised edge in the bank holiday rain

Yesterday started to make a raised edge along the side of E7 due to the west to east slope. Rained rather heavily from about 5pm as forecast. I call this bed zone 3 and this season I shall mostly be growing the brassica family in it.

Saving salsify seeds

Other stuff

First tomatoes go in 20th May, should be ok now, no more frosts.



Zuccini custard white planted with a shallow dip in the surrounding soil to direct the water more accurately.



Bean and pea bed - Barlotti beans, early peas setting pods prolifically now, heritage peas and later sowing of broad beans.

Climbing plants and shade lovers

Tied string around this hazel wigwam for the climbing plants at the base including, a lovely red rose, everlasting sweet peas and clematis. Also planted a vebena bonariensis in the centre which will be supported by the frame too, as it can get quite tall.

Foxgloves and sweet rocket planted in the shadey line of the fruit trees.

Gourd frame

Back in February I made this frame for the many climbing varieties of gourd I ordered, including the birdhouse bottle gourd for making, well birdhouses and the luffa gourd which climbs and sets fruit, which can be dried and peeled to reveal the inner skeleton-like structure, used in bathrooms up and down the country. I covered it last weekend, Sunday 20th May, in a wide netting.

May flowers

My camera happy sister took these. Just a small selection of what's currently in bloom.

This years veg list

I was asked what I'm growing this year on the plot so here's a rough idea, I've tried to make it as condensed as possible:

• Beans and peas including; broad beans, runner beans, climbing french beans, peas, barlotti beans, butter beans, mangetout
• Onions and garlic including spring onions and leeks
• Potato varieties include foremost, rocket, charlotte, kestral, romano, maris piper, king edward and pink fir apple
• Other root veg like; parsnips, carrots, beetroot, radish, salsify and scorzonera
• Sweetcorn
• Celery and celeriac
• Loads of brassicas, including; cabbage, kohl rabi, 6 types of kale, broccoli, romanesco calabrese, purple sprouting broc, suede, sprouts and cauliflower
• Salad stuff like lettuce, spinach, cress, rocket, pak choi, chard, purslane, sorrel and chicory
• Summer fruiting veg including; tomatoes, peppers, chilli's, cucumber, aubergine and melon
• Butternut and cobnut
• Corgettes and patty pan
• Pumpkins like Turk's Turban and Marina di Chioggia
• Gourds for decorative purposes; caveman's club, speckled swan, dipper, hedgehog, snake, birdhouse bottle and luffa... yes actual luffa.
• Herbs; coriander, basil, parsley, camomile, sage, fennel, majoram, borage, comfrey, thyme and lavender
• Also growing lots of flowers among which plenty of marigolds for making calendula cream later on in the summer.
• Oh ok might as well list the fruit; blueberries, cranberries, gooseberries, loganberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, red and blackcurrants, grapes, kiwi, pears, plums, apples and greengage - I think thats it.
• Hazel nuts and, if it counts, I've got a small walnut tree in a pot, be a while before I get walnuts though.

19th May 2007

I've got Seakale, hurrah!

Gonna look after this little fella.

Not mushroom in here

Having completely neglected my mushroom growing kit for some time, decided I should have a look at it t'other day and found these little beauties.

Two views of East Finchley Allotments May '07

View of the tree tops and clouds from 'the other side', on the path between rows B and C. And my purslane seedlings in the little greenhouse on my plot E7.

Dinah's Blue

One of the heritage seed varieties I'm saving for the Heritage Seed Library, this is Dinah's Blue climbing french bean sown on 23rd April and planted out 19th May.

Wallflowers next to polytunnel

Potatoes

Last weekend planted last of the maincrop potatoes on plot 1 and continued to earth up first and second earlies.

Pond progress

Introduced water plants kindly donated by fellow pond person and wildlife enthusiast, Simon. Also, my brother, the fisherman, volunteers for workparties on the lakes he fishes and saved me some Irises and other, as yet unknown, water flora. Starting to really look lovely and settle in to its surroundings.

View of shed - 5th May

Started fitting cladding

So I wrapped slaters felt around the outside of shed walls, then started the long process of cladding. Haven't decided yet whether to paint the cladding black or leave it as it is.

Fitted windows

Way back last year I found lots of aluminium framed windows. I took the frames off and designed 5 wooden window frames, to fit the glass, for the shed. Started fitting them properly May 5th and using a sealant around outside between the frame and felt, waterproofed it from the elements.