flourish

Autumn light

2010-11-01T15:45:00.003Z

The plots looked beautiful at the weekend, inbetween showers...

Mistletoe Experiment

2010-01-13T12:57:00.003Z

I have always wanted my very own colony of mistletoe and finally got round to buying a bunch for the sole purposes of smearing our apple tree with it's berries. On Christmas Eve, we went to the plot to gather a few winter veggies for Christmas dinner (leeks, kale, cabbage, parsnips etc). I also bought a few sorry looking bunches of mistletoe from my local greengrocers. Picking off the berries, I rubbed them into the bark. I tried to get them in the cracks but remembered Monty on Gardeners World found it growing from relatively young bark, not necessarily the rough stuff. Anyway, I know it looks gross but I thought you might like to see the first experimental stage of this unusual parasitic plant.

The photo below shows one of the berries about two weeks later - still hanging on in there.

Snow Pics

2010-01-13T00:13:00.003Z

How cool is this shed below. It is definately an allotment shed of note. Made from discarded windows and breeze blocks. Nice.

Winter Wonderland

2010-01-10T21:35:00.005Z

Fledglings are doing well

2009-06-22T12:11:00.000+01:00

I keep seeing the young robins all about the place now. They are even able to catch their own grub. About a week ago, they just pecked bits on the ground that looked like food. Now they fill up on all sorts, this one has quite a large worm - I did actually film it trying to swallow the worm but it took 2 minutes and was touch and go for a while there. Normally, the adult birds sort of smear the worms and large insects they catch around the floor, breaking them up a bit, making them easy to eat but this little bird doesn't know that yet.

Springwatch

2009-05-26T10:37:00.003+01:00

Yesterday, a great day for wildlife...

The robins have had a second brood of young, there are six chicks, last time only two (well only two survived, not sure how many there were to begin with). They look very newly hatched to me. I think they like this birdbox.

Also, the pond was alive with frogs of all sizes. Tadpoles are getting bigger and last years froglets are about 3cm long in the body.

Spying on you

2009-05-15T00:40:00.001+01:00

Bean trench using kitchen waste

2009-05-04T16:40:00.001+01:00

Bean Frames

2009-05-01T16:27:00.001+01:00

Dug 3 trenches, filled with last years homemade compost and built 3 bean frames, one of which I shall use for the tall peas I'm growing.

Plots at the end of April

2009-04-28T16:20:00.001+01:00

Plot 1 or E8a

Plts 2 and 3 or E8 and E7

Homemade compost bean trench

2009-04-25T20:19:00.001+01:00

I prepared the ground for climbing beans, dug a trench and filled with the homemade compost from last year. Now, when my seedlings are strong enough, they'll have have place in the world, full of nourishing food.

Fledgling Robin

2009-04-23T16:45:00.002+01:00

One of the two babies our resident Robins have produced from the luxury of their birdbox, the first time they've used it, I think its been up for 2 years. Anyway, it has been such a joy watching them feeding their young. Really worth building a nesting box if you have the time.

Also, check this out, I found some bean seed that was covered in little weevils, rather than sqidging them, I let nature take its course..what with two hungry babies to feed..

So sorry about my extremities getting in the shot, please ignore.

Robins feeding

2009-04-23T16:35:00.000+01:00

Small but perfectly formed

2009-04-21T16:03:00.000+01:00

Discovered this cauliflower, can't quite work out if it's way too early or very late, I think it's probably last years.

Pricking out and potting on

2009-04-21T15:54:00.000+01:00

I chose the strongest seedlings and potted on, in small pots, these lovely early purple sprouting broccoli seedlings.

Potatoes

2009-04-20T23:08:00.000+01:00

Digging out the Mare's Tail and working in manure and digging trenches - this is brutal work. An excellent workout though.

Spring Flowers

2009-04-14T23:43:00.001+01:00

Black hellebores. Amazing.

11th April Plot

2009-04-11T23:46:00.000+01:00

Blossom

2009-04-04T23:49:00.000+01:00

spring's on its way

2009-03-21T00:36:00.000Z

Moody view and garlic progress

2009-03-14T16:05:00.000Z

Frog Spawn

2009-03-08T16:03:00.000Z

East Finchley Snow Plots

2009-02-04T22:50:00.006Z

Couldn't get to the plots on Monday when it actually snowed but managed it yesterday and they looked glorious, in the sunlight too, the place was lit up.

Pieces of the clouds fell to earth and landed on me fennel.

gorgeous views of east finchley plots

2009-02-01T00:30:00.002Z

Promise of rhubarb to come...

2009-01-22T19:25:00.001Z

Winter Fungus

2009-01-22T19:06:00.004Z

The bundle of lichen logs I tied up some time ago has sprouted an as yet unidentified fungus.

See blog entry here for previous info.

Bird tree

2009-01-11T20:03:00.001Z

Using my lovely apple tree, I filled the gaps in the bark with a variety of seeds. Birds feeding at the moment on the plot: blue tits, great tits, robins, siskins, blackbirds, dunnock, wood pigeon , wren etc.

Early September produce

2008-09-28T23:56:00.003+01:00

Growing tomatoes outside proved hazardous again this year but inside the polytunnel on the other hand...

Figs

2008-09-03T20:00:00.003+01:00

Figs are slowly ripening on the tree. I love fresh figs, a discovery only made since getting an allotment. I've had maybe one or two figs each time I look. The fact that they are not in abundance makes the experience of eating them the more pleasurable.

Figs in August

2008-08-28T21:25:00.001+01:00

2008-08-12T20:58:00.005+01:00

Rows of parsley, bumble bee getting busy, a bumper crop of rainbow and purple haze carrots. Just a few of the wonderful things this summer has brought...

Blackcurrant picked over at the end of July, I cut off several of the large fruited stems as I went round the bush.

Mina lobata, commonly known as Spanish Flag.

Crocosmia - Lucifer

2008-07-20T23:15:00.001+01:00

I was kindly given these beauties by our friends in Edinburgh. They started life as lots of little tiny corms, I dotted them round the place about two years ago and they are putting on a real show just now. I've got some smaller more orangey(is that a word?) crocosmia flowers yet to open, they should fill the gap when the Lucifer have finished.

Bounty

2008-07-19T22:18:00.001+01:00

Rainbow carrots, beetroot, onions, peas etc.

Tulips have multiplied

2008-07-18T09:41:00.002+01:00

This would usually be done in the Autumn but I had to move these tulips anyway so I lifted and divided. I originally planted 6 blue parrot tulips about 3 years ago, at a quick glance I count 71 bulbs. Admittedly a few of them are tiny but in time each bulb will flower and divide into further bulbs. Gotta love propagation.

No comments please

2008-07-14T10:35:00.002+01:00

Autumn Onions are ready!

2008-06-30T00:14:00.006+01:00

I've been so busy with everything unfortunately the blog took a back seat but I'm going to endeavour to blog a few things in the next few days. May and June are just such outdoorsy times. Anyway I pulled this giant Senshyu Yellow onion t'other day, weighing in at a mighty 1lb, probably the biggest onion I've ever grown. They are Autumn sown and are ripening up nicely. So pleased I made the effort to put them in.

Poppy

Frog movie

2008-05-30T23:38:00.004+01:00

Captured the early mating frogs in my pond, back in March, I've wanted to post a moving image for ages and this is a test run. This little fella was croaking away whilst I made him an additional pond next to the main pond. There are now 3 pools in this area, it's like waterworld. Sorry about the shakey camera and the zooming in and out, I was still getting used to my camera. I love blogger.com - so amazing.

Plot 1 Planted Up

2008-05-21T18:07:00.007+01:00

Finally got plot 1 planted out, with spinach, sorrel, lettuce, tomatoes, parsnips, sprouts, broc, cabbage, kale and parsley, as well as a tidy and mulched perennial strawberry bed and other permanent fruit.

Lost to Frost

2008-05-21T14:50:00.006+01:00

I checked my seedlings yesterday and unfortunately an air frost has killed my melons and cucumbers and a few runner bean plantlets. I know I was probably a bit eager to get things out and planted but I'm still surprised, in the middle of London, to loose plants to frost on the 20th May. Also frosted, a large-ish courgette plant at one end of a row, it's counterpart at the other end, same size, was completely untouched. I find this intriguing.

More frog spawn!

2008-04-25T17:54:00.004+01:00

Well, since descovering frog spawn in my pond last month it's snowed and hailed and generally been really cold, so the tadpoles were developing very slowly. The picture below illustrates the little tads emerging from their jelly balls. I've since found another blob of frog spawn (above) and the first lot of tadpoles are waiting around the edge of the new spawn probably picking them off one by one, tasty.

Note to readers

2008-04-24T21:29:00.004+01:00

In case you are wondering, I'm trying to catch up with myself, so I'm blogging for the whole of April so far and I'm trying to date them in rough chronological order. Bare with me, it's just that I've done so many things lately that I think warrant a posting.

Chitted potato

2008-04-22T17:18:00.000+01:00

The variety here is the International Kidney - otherwise known as a Jersey Royal, except you aren't allowed to call them this if they are not grown on Jersey. So there.

Potatoes

2008-04-22T16:56:00.000+01:00

Most of the potatoes have been planted by digging a trench, about a spade width and depth, plonking the chitted potatoes in, eyes up, and scooping the soil back over the top, leaving enough soil in the ridge for earthing up in about a months time.

Below are pictures of the first earlies going in, Pentland Javelin, I decided to plant this row by digging an individual hole per potato, just an experiment to see the benefit of trenches.

Lovely view of plot

2008-04-15T15:50:00.000+01:00

Onions

2008-04-15T15:29:00.001+01:00

Also in April - the onion sets and shallots got put in - all 43thousand of them. If I never see another onion set in my life it'll be too soon.

Fed the Japanese onions that went in back in the Autumn - Senshyu Yellow. Used chicken pellet manure.

Early promise

2008-04-14T23:06:00.000+01:00

Lavender plants from seed

2008-04-13T23:07:00.003+01:00

I got a free packet of seed for a fragrant lavender called Spicea Rosea. Sowed them last summer and they're getting to be quite nice little plants now. They can go into my lavender hedge when they're big enough.

Neatening up

2008-04-10T22:58:00.000+01:00

After the plot was rotovated I had to do some cutting in around the waney edge.

Weaving wigwams

2008-04-10T22:13:00.000+01:00

Using hazel and cherry poles and whippy willow I made an attempt at making some climbing supports for my peas and sweet peas.

The wigwam below on the left I put in last year but it needed shoring up with the weight of the passion flower climbing up it.

Spinach

2008-04-09T21:47:00.000+01:00

Planted a couple of rows of spinach plants that were already in plot3. Don't know how well they transplant, we'll have to wait and see.

Scaffold board edging

2008-04-09T21:34:00.000+01:00

I've only got a few scaffold boards left from my last scrounge so I stuck them in along the edge between plots 2 and 3, where the path crumbles away. Would be so nice to do the whole path both sides, for each plot but I just don't have the timber. Makes it so easy to strim the grass to an edge.

The revolution will be rotovated

2008-04-08T20:28:00.000+01:00

Oh I gave in to the temptation - got my plot rotovated didn't I, by very kind man who offered, took him about 20 minutes what probably would have taken me about three weeks. I know I was going to dig by hand but it seemed to make sense, it means I can get on with other jobs and it looks fabulous. If I'd had the plot last Autumn, I'd have dug it manually but getting it only a month ago I was running out of time to get anything in. Anyway, I've never rotovated before, so I'll let me off the hook. So exciting though, looking at a vast expanse of soil. All the potential....

Digging the plot

2008-04-07T19:40:00.000+01:00

I'm making good progress with my new plot, removing weeds as I go. It has to be the right sort of weather though, not dry because the ground sets like concrete and if its too wet you can't weed properly as the weeds stick to the fork and your gloves.

Digging progress

2008-04-07T19:34:00.000+01:00

This digging and weeding is very difficult, the ground is compacted and full of perenial weeds. Progress is slow. But hanging on in there.

Broad beans are flowering (Autumn sown)

2008-04-06T18:08:00.001+01:00

Carrot tubs

2008-04-05T17:30:00.001+01:00

These were a great success last year so I changed the compost in the bins, making it light and sandy and sowed myself a swirl of 'rainbow' carrots and diagonal lines of 'purple haze'. I used the sand to mark out where I put the small seeds so I can see them when they germinate. Any container above the ground by 18" is said to be too tall for the carrot fly and they don't lay their eggs.

Planting parsnips

2008-04-04T20:19:00.002+01:00

I decided to use a slightly different method of germination with my parsnips this year. Back in March I scattered the seed on wet paper towels to speed up the process. The ones that germinated got planted in rows of sand sprinkled on a prepared bed at the beginning of April. This just means they've hit the ground running rather than sitting in cold soil deciding they may or may not germinate. Anyway I'll let you know how this experiment works.

Lavender path edges and native hedge

2008-03-30T20:12:00.000+01:00

Gave the lavender a trim, first time I've been able to shape the low hedging since I planted it. There are two varieties, a dwarf called 'ellegance sky' and a run-of-the mill English lavender, which is much more vigorous. I also planted a hedge using native species, at the back of the plots. I used small trees I've grown on from seed - Hawthorn, Field maple, Oak, Holly and Elder.

Tiled edge

2008-03-29T20:25:00.000Z

Continued to sink old roofing tiles along the edges of the terraced beds to hold the sloping soil in.

Lichen wood bundle

2008-03-29T19:55:00.000Z

Had some pieces of tree branch from a pruned Chinese tree of heaven which are covered in a variety of lichen. I tied them in a small bundle using wire and hung in a tree. Good for insects.

Greengage blossom

2008-03-26T20:50:00.000Z

17th and 18th March

2008-03-18T20:21:00.000Z

Made a hazel teepee for climbing plants and sweet peas. Bit too wet at the moment to dig plot 3 but there are other jobs to do. Tidied up path, weeded and raked over beds front of plot 2.

Frog spawn!

2008-03-15T23:16:00.006Z

I arrived at the plot this morning to find a nice big gelatinous mass of frog spawn. I was so excited, it's my first, I'm so proud. It's been one year since I dug the pond and they're now breeding which is a very healthy sign. Lots of croaking and goings on in the water.

My dog Sky was very interested in the frog activity, couldn't take her eyes off it, like she was watching frogs porn (so sorry).

Making progress

2008-03-11T17:48:00.002Z

Scaffold board edging continued...

2008-03-11T17:42:00.004Z

Put second 8ft board in to continue the straight edge, making it easier to strim the path and weed the plot.

Re-locate the Buddleia

2008-03-11T12:42:00.002Z

Gorgeous scented flowers all summer long but completely inappropriately located. Only one thing for it - a drastic prune and out it comes. Planted it in the wildlife area.

First Day

2008-03-11T10:12:00.000Z

Scaffold board edging

2008-03-11T09:00:00.000Z

If you do nothing else, neaten up the edge. Not sure where I heard this little gem and I don't really know why it is but a neat edge makes everything better.

Work starts

2008-03-10T20:30:00.000Z

The digging of one giant veg patch starts with one small step.

Drawing of E7, E8 & E8a

2008-03-10T20:25:00.000Z

E8 - The circle is complete

2008-03-10T20:21:00.000Z

I've just aquired a third plot, E8. It's a small triangle of a piece of land, considered to be a half-plot, set smack bang in the middle of my other two, which is rather handy. I've had my eye on it for ages now and finally got the go ahead in the last few weeks. I took some pictures of it last September to illustrate the before and after and I also took some pictures pre-starting work.

So this is what it looks like currently, at the end of winter (below).

First Cherry Blossom

2008-03-10T20:20:00.000Z

East Finchley Parakeets

2008-03-09T19:59:00.026Z

I've been listening and watching these ring-necked parakeets flying across our allotments for months now but a walk in next door Coldfall Wood a little over a week ago and there they were all roosting in the trees. I know they're an exotic arrival but they've managed to adapt and survive here in London town quite successfully and I admire that.

Anyway I like the variety of explanations as to how they got here including that they escaped from Shepperton Studio during the filming of The African Queen in 1951 or they were accidentally released when the aviaries were damaged at London Zoo during the '87 storm. My favourite is that they were set free by Jimi Hendrix.

Loganberry mulch

2008-03-09T19:59:00.023Z

Loganberries got their spring mulch of well-rotted manure.

Grease is the word

2008-03-09T19:59:00.021Z

It's a bit of an experiment really but last year I bought grease bands for the fruit trees, anyway I couldn't work out what was so special about the paper and the grease. So I bought a big tub of petroleum jelly and smeared it around the trunks of all the trees. The reason for this, is to prevent the maggot in fruit hysteria which grips my household every summer when dealing with harvested plums and greengages.

View in the sunlight

2008-03-09T19:59:00.015Z

Broad beans

2008-03-09T19:59:00.013Z

Planted out 3 more trays of broad beans, so I've got a succession of plants. I may still sow some again in may for a later crop.

strawberry bed

2008-03-09T19:59:00.008Z

Had some strawberry plants that needed a place in the world so I dug out a section of the polytunnel bed, making the edge raised and chucking in some well-rotted manure.

King Alfred's Cake

2008-02-29T17:56:00.003Z

Years ago I collected some Ash logs, I was going to to use them for something or other, anyway they've just been placed around the plot strategically. They seem to have sprouted knobbly black balls otherwise known as King Alfred's Cake or Daldinia concentrica. Nice.

Fire and maintenance

2008-02-18T10:30:00.033Z

Cut back scrub along some of the stream banks below.

Pond one year on

2008-02-18T10:30:00.032Z

It was about this time last year that I put in a pond in the boggy end of E7 - actually mid march but hey. Needs a bit of attention around the edges but otherwise a complete success. Even fed us with copious amounts of watercress so you could call it an edible pond.

Weeded and tidied

2008-02-18T10:30:00.025Z

On 11th Feb the front of plot E8a got a bit of a tidy. All the black tulips are coming up, some of the wallflowers are flowering and irises are on their way.

Pallet fence and windbreak

2008-02-18T10:30:00.015Z

I've had a pile of pallets sitting a the back of the plot since 2006 and with 2 dogs, a serious need to keep them out of the polluted stream and in their own little area, I've been putting them around the paddock - a strip of land which was previously unworked and overgrown with brambles and hogweed. There are three gorgeous fruit trees which run down the middle of the paddock causing shade on both sides, you can't really grow any crops, so its just grass and dogs and in need of a parameter.

Early to mid February up the plot

2008-02-18T10:30:00.006Z

Lots of jobs to do at the moment, when the ground isn't frozen of course. I've got tidying up to do in the polytunnel and around the shed but in the meantime I mulched the rhubarb and asparagus with well-rotted manure, cut back the Autumn raspberries and did a bit of fruit tree pruning.

2008-01-28T15:08:00.006Z

Patterns in nature

2008-01-28T15:08:00.003Z

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

2008-01-28T15:08:00.002Z

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

2008-01-28T15:08:00.001Z

Planted out broad beans

2008-01-28T15:08:00.000Z

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

2008-01-22T20:24:00.001Z

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

2008-01-13T21:40:00.000Z

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

2008-01-08T16:09:00.000Z

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.

December plot

2007-12-12T14:45:00.010Z

Christmas Veg

2007-12-12T14:45:00.009Z

Sage, rosemary and thyme. Sprouts (there were some good ones and some that had blown but had to have at least one sprout for Christmas dinner that I had grown), Parsnips and cabbage.

Foggy Plot

2007-12-12T14:45:00.008Z

View of East Finchley Allotments in the Christmas fog, rather beautiful really.

Fog on the plots

2007-12-12T14:45:00.007Z

Went to the plots two days before Christmas to pick up some Xmas veggies and the whole of East Finchley Allotments was engulfed in a mysterious Sherlock Holmes style fog.

What's the time?

2007-12-12T14:45:00.006Z

It is so so muddy up the plot at the moment but it got ridiculous. You know it's time to go home when you can't read your watch for mud.

Two views from East Finchley Allotments

2007-12-12T14:45:00.005Z

7th December up the plot, cold but clear, beautiful day.

View of East Finchley Allotments

2007-12-12T14:45:00.004Z

Sort of panoramic pics of the plots on the right-hand side.

Birdbox

2007-12-12T14:45:00.003Z

Now that the birdboxes have been up for a time I'm hoping that our feathered friends will move in, in the spring.