One of the possible disadvantages of growing vegetables three miles from your home is that in the event of a lockdown we may not be allowed access to our plot. We had thought that getting into the car on our driveway and not getting out until we reached the site, where we could garden with far more than the required distance of 2 metres away from anyone else, was taking adequate precautions in line with government advice. The problem is that the scenes at the weekend showing crowds massing at tourist locations are likely to cause more stringent measures to be taken from which we will all suffer.
All this comes on top of a season where our allotment activity is already well behind where it should be. You would think in times of empty supermarket shelves that growing your own food was to be encouraged wouldn't you? No doubt later today we will find out where we stand. I do hope those who enjoyed a day at the seaside at the weekend will feel that it was worth it in the days to come!
We managed to get to the plot for a couple of afternoons last week and until the soil dries a little more we concentrated on tidying up.
I cut back autumn fruiting, All Gold raspberries that had begun to grow new shoots.
If you want your autumn raspberries to provide two crops of fruit, you can cut down just half of the old canes. If you do this the old canes will bear fruit earlier in the season and the new canes will fruit later. As we have a separate area for summer fruiting raspberries we cut down all the old canes to ground level.
We made a start on tidying the flower beds.
I know that the bed below doesn't look as though it's tidy but that was the state that it was in after a full afternoon's work. All the dead top growth and weeds were removed and all that remains is for the grass paths to be tidied.
The area under the cobnut trees has been mulched with wood chippings.
The rest of the old honeyberry bed, however, is in no fit state to be worked on. I reckon that it is going to be quite a while before we will be planting in this bed.
On a more positive note, the gloom that we find ourselves experiencing had not been transmitted to the fruit trees and bushes,
The first blueberry flowers are opening ...
... the greengage is sporting more blossom daily ...
... quince leaves are unfurling
... and native primroses are doing there best to lighten the mood.
We did collect a small harvest last week.
The sprouting broccoli is still sprouting, we dug more leeks - this time for my sister's freezer - more rhubarb and a cabbage.
The cabbages have been disappointing as the leaves are tinged with black almost to the centre which mean lots of the cabbage is unusable, Has anyone else had this problem this year? I'm guessing it is the result of the very wet conditions the cabbages endured throughout their growing season.
As well as working on the allotment we have been busy in the garden but I'm guessing that I could have some time on my hands to catch you up on that in a later post.
Stay safe!
This week I am linking to harvest Monday hosted on
Dave's blog Our Happy Acres
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Interes.ting question. I would think that farming even an allotment would be considered an essential occupation since it contributes to the food supply. Here farmer's markets are exempt
ReplyDeleteHello again, I see that the UK government has ordered people to stay at home, but are allowed out for exercise. Surely, the allotment counts as exercise? Interesting, too, that this order is enforceable by police. Here we are ordered to stay at home, but there is no enforcement.
DeleteA question was asked of a government minister today and allotments DO count as excercise, Jane.
DeleteIt's another of those cases where a few spoil it for the rest of us. I just can't understand the mentality of people, they're behaving as if it's a holiday, which it's far from, and sadly I think they're all going to realise that in the weeks and months to come.
ReplyDeleteI just hope they are all proud of themselves after last night’s announcement, Jo
DeleteIt would be completely daft if that were to happen inadvertently - but that is not to rule it out if the parks get shut.
ReplyDeleteThey’re not shutting parks, Mal but straight from the horse’s - Michael Gove’s - mouth going to the allotment is OK
DeleteYou should have no problems going to your allotment if you are on your own or with a member of your household and don't fraternise with other plot holders. Growing food will be seen as essential in the near future I should think on reflection. Your plot is always so pristine and makes mine look so untidy. It is an absolute credit to you Gill
ReplyDeleteYou’re right Gill. It’s how we were acting on the allotment anyway and I even wear vinyl gloves when opening the gates.
DeleteI do hope you are allowed to get to the allotment. I am glad our garden is in the back yard where no one can prevent us having access. Gardening may be all that keeps me sane going forward!
ReplyDeleteHappily we are allowed, Dave
DeleteI would think that working the allotment is a necessity...for food production and your sanity. It looks like you have lots going on already. I am not surprised that your cabbages have damage from all the moisture of this winter. We have even had more moisture than normal this winter. Crazy...everything seems to be topsy turvy.
ReplyDeleteThey’re counting allotments as permitted exercise, Lisa
DeleteI think they said allotment working was fine, as long as the social distancing rules are applied. I am sure your local council will clarify. It's a nightmare in my village, second home owners have flooded in stripping shelves bare, forcing our food shops to close as there's nothing left, and generally putting an unacceptable strain on our already fragile NHS. They are not observing social distancing, then good, honest people like yourselves suffer. sorry for the rant.
ReplyDeleteStay safe, stay well.
Rant away, Deborah - I am at every opportunity. Before lockdown, we were shopping online and had no other contact than with my sister who lives alone and doesn’t go out. Now we can’t visit her so in effect she is in solitary confinement for the foreseeable but people can still go to work. Someone on our street has painters and decorators in so what harm would it be for the three of us to be in contact if we avoided everyone else? We have friends who are in the vulnerable category who have to go shopping as none of the supermarkets are taking on new online customers. I’m afraid there are lots of people around who don’t think of anyone but themselves. I told you that I was ranting too.
DeleteI had exactly the same thought and first things in the morning yesterday I bought a dozen trays of seedlings home from the polytunnel and changed my planting plan for the back garden, so that we have a little bit of everything here now. I felt so much better knowing that I'm no longer a victim of the whims of over-stressed decision makers. Our town council wrote to us to confirm that the allotments are staying open for now, they mentioned the benefits of exercise and stress reduction but didn't even mention the value of the food we grow, which is a recurring theme. I really don't think our council considers growing food on allotments to be important to anyone, even the allotment holders. Anyway, lets hope we don't get swept up on some bigger prohibition, at least the roads and parks were quiet this morning when I walked to the plot : All the best - Steve
ReplyDeleteWe have been contemplating doing the same, Steve and just trying to get as much done as possible at the allotment before anything changes.
DeleteHi Sue,
ReplyDeleteLuckily (at least in the present circumstances) my plot is one of only a few on our parish allotments and a short walk from home,although getting to it by car is probably more self isolating. Usually up here in North Lancashire I ignore the false warm spells in early spring and sit on my hands before starting with sowing and planting.But this year sees an about turn and I've already planted my potatoes,broad beans and shallots direct and then covered with thermacrop mesh fleece.The fleece was a new method for me last year and protects everything from the cold wind that we get here above Morecambe Bay through until June and it looks as if the spring drought has started as well!
I just hope that if the rules do get tightened up even further I can still get to my plot.
We go to the allotment by car, David as it is three miles away and we need to take tools and bring back produce. We are also isolated from anyone else. I wear gloves when dealing with the gates. Plots holders just wave or shout across from their plots. On one side of us are plots that are basically unused although suddenly people that iou rarely see are turning up.
DeleteWe are considering planting our potatoes just in case there is a further clamp down. We noticed several cruising police cars yesterday. I just hope that we don't have too many idiots that ignore the rules and cause us ti be locked down even tighter
Apparently our allotment site has never been so busy - especially as we have some lovely hot sunny days since the weekend. I'm concerned that there will be a further lockdown but make the most of it when you can I guess!
ReplyDeleteOur site is the same Belinda and I agree that things will only get worse.
DeleteLovely to catch up on all your progress, and seeing your harvest. Delighted to hear you can still visit the allotment.xxx
ReplyDeleteI wonder for how much longer though, Dina
DeleteRe your sister, combined households may be the way forward.xxx
ReplyDeleteWe did talk about this, Dina but she said that she would worry about what was happening to her house and felt she would be less active if she stayed with us. I just don’t understand why we can’t travel by car from one osolated household to the other.it would be for mental well being especially if this is going to go on for a longer period.
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