Patterns in nature

The logarithmic spiral
I know I've posted a picture of this calabrese romanesco already but it's got bigger and more beautiful. This is a great example of Fibonacci and the golden rectangle, a mathmatical pattern found in nature, like the whorl created by sunflower seeds or the spiral of a shell also known as phyllotaxis.

Ivy berries and Hellebores

The Ivy growing at the back of the plots is in full berry which is great bird food. Also flowering at the moment are the hellebores I put in last year.

View from the plot 27th January 08

Planted out broad beans

This weekend, which was pretty good weather, I managed to get to the plot twice, I planted out two trays of broad beans. one tray of dwarf beans The Sutton and one tray of Claudia Aquadulce (sown 12th Nov 07). Listening to Terry Walton, Radio 2 allotment expert, he mentioned that he would sow 100 broadbeans because he loved them so much. Last year we ate every single bean grown and ran out. This led to me sow another 3 trays about a week ago which brings my total up to 150 ish.

Check out Terry Walton's interesting blog http://www.saga.co.uk/magazine/gardening/allotments/TerryWaltonAllotment.asp

View from the other side

On a rare sunny January day I took these pictures of the plots on the other side to us, rows B & C, it always surprises me just how big East Finchley Allotments actually are.

Winter produce

12th Jan visit to the plot reveals there are things to harvest such as kale, broccoli and parsnips -and I'm still pulling carrots from the tubs I grew them in last year. Pictured above, ornamental kale, cardoon new growth, calabrese romanesco.



Pictured above clockwise; ornamental kale, artichoke new growth, calabrese romanesco and purple sprouting broccoli.

New Leaf mould bin

Hi, Happy New Year one and all, I've been to the plot a couple of times this January and it's grim and muddy. All you have to do is step out of the car and you're covered in mud, what's that about? Anyway I managed to scoop out all of last years leaf mould and spread it on the gourd frame bed and in it's place I made a bigger bin for the many thousands of leaves I manically collected this Autumn. Well I say a bin, it's more like a leaf bank. I'll put a front on it by weaving some hazel together like I did with the back but it'll do for now.