We managed a couple of visits to the allotment last week and each time manged to clear and dig a bed.
Our first target was the bed which held the remains of the sweet peas and some of our annual flowers. The sweet pea frame was dismantled and the debris cleared.
The bed was then dug and recovered with weed control fabric and wood chippings.
This completed the digging on one side of the plot.
The next target was the annual bed on the other side of the plot. With no frame to take apart this bed was cleared quickly but the digging was heavier going and we decided to leave the bed open to the winter.
We are now at the stage where all the beds have been dug over. It's some time since we actually achieved this happy state of affairs.
Even when covered in weed control fabric, some weeds manage to seed into the bits of soil that end up on top of the fabric when planting and so I cleared any that had managed to grow on the strawberry bed. The plants didn't perform well last year and so are probably destined for the chop. We intend to buy new stock but we tend to leave older plants in place - just in case - until new plants are established elsewhere.
At this time of year fungus often appears in various places on the allotment. The wood chip mulch around out autumn sown annuals has an impressive cluster of what I am advised by Mark, the fungi guru from Mark's Veg Plot, could be Tubaria furfuracea - Scurfy Twiglet. Not a very attractive name is it? Unfortunately it isn't edible, although to be honest I'd be far too timid to eat any fungi that I food growing in the wild.
Martyn, cleared the old tomato plants from the plot greenhouse and generally tidied up in there. He even managed to harvest a few remaining tomatoes. Freshly picked tomatoes in November is a first for us.
We picked a few vegetables to replenish our cache at home. I've been waiting for parsnip harvesting time as I have a recipe for Cheese Veggie Cornish Pasties that I want to try. I know that officially they shouldn't be called Cornish Pasties but I'm not selling them so should be allowed to get away with calling them that.
The seeds under the grow light are doing well. We have coriander, salad leaves and spring onions. I'm not sure how these will work out but anything they produce will be considered to be a bonus.
With no flowers to gather from the plot, we had to content ourselves with our two orchids to provide us with colour indoors.
That was until we visited a garden centre last week. After pushing our way through all their festive paraphernalia we actually found some plants and came home with these.
Just call me Ebenezer if you will but isn't that better than all that tinsel and glitter?
If you are interested we have posted a few videos taken of last week's plot activity on our vlog here.
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You could call me Ebenezer as well, I whole heartedly agree with you. I haven't done anything to get my garden ready for winter. I'm not very motivated to work in the garden lately.
ReplyDeleteThe whole festive hype just starts too early Michelle. Even whe I was teaching ion primary school we didn’t start until December. Maybe you just need a gardening break, at least having a seasonal climate allows for that.
DeleteLove the term "allotments." And what a wonderful system. Fun to see yours. I remember the sweetened parsnips as winter approached in my Massachusetts garden.
ReplyDeleteThe trouble is that houses nowadays have hardly ant garden eg52. We are lucky in that we do have a garden but its not big enough for us to grow everything we want to.
DeleteTomatoes in November, a treat indeed! You have certainly done a lot of work getting your beds ready for winter. I'm about half way done, which is actually a bit ahead of my usual schedule. The cyclamens are lovely and look quite festive to me.
ReplyDeleteThe tomatoes were certainly expected, Dave. The cyclamen are the best sort of festive.
DeleteGarden centres are a horror at this time of year aren't they. Mine keeps sending me vouchers though, so I keep going along. I did get a lovely variegated holly last time. I've got my eye on a Christmas box next time. It's a good feeling to get the plot squared away. Lots of fungus popping up here too, but like you I wouldn't dare eat any.
ReplyDeleteWe often struggle to find gardening related stuff in garden centres at this time of year, CJ. I know they have to make their money somehow over winter but fairy lights in October is a bit much.
DeleteI love cyclamen - those are lovely! Like you, I doubt I would ever eat foraged mushrooms unless I was with a proven expert on the subject.
ReplyDeleteMe too, Margaret. There are too many fungi out there which have bad effects on the body.
DeleteI love cyclamen too. I buy the outdoor ones and plant them up in autumn containers
ReplyDeleteWe have never had success with the outdoor ones, Margaret. We have only tried once though. I snowed soon after we planted them and killed them.
Deletewow, the orchids and seedlings look so healthy!
ReplyDeleteNothing like your orchid collection, Endah.
DeleteThat is such a good feeling, isn't it, when the beds not growing Winter crops are dug over and ready for their Winter break? We've been beavering away here too, but still have a couple of flower beds to deal with. Have you had any snow yet... seen the forecast?
ReplyDeleteIt is a good feeling Kathy. No snow here yet and I hope it stays away for some time yet.
DeleteOh well done for getting all that digging done - how lovely to be ready for next year already!! I look forward to seeing your veggie cornish pasties - though we haven't grown any parsnips this year :-(
ReplyDeleteSorry the pastries are eaten, Belinda. I filled them with potato, parsnip, cheese and parsley. I had some filling left and so added some egg and flour, made patty shapes coated them with breadcrumbs and baked them in the oven
DeleteThere is nothing more satisfying than a freshly tilled garden bet. The opportunities are endless.
ReplyDeleteVery satisfying not have our digging completed, Bonnie
DeleteYou are organised this year. Wonderful! Oh yes, the plants are far nicer than tinsel and glitter!xxx
ReplyDeleteMakes a change, Dina. Yes plants every time.
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