We managed a couple of visits to the allotment last week. Most of the week was wet and miserable so we were more or less confined to indoors.
We escaped to attend a couple of appointments, film a steam engine and visit a couple of garden centres - although to call them garden centres at the moment is a misnomer as they have transformed themselves into festive emporiums. All things gardening have either been removed or squeezed into the background. Martyn needed some new wellies but didn't fancy what amounted to fashion statements although I thought he would look quite fetching in the pink spotty pair. We didn't waste our time completely as we had lunch at one that has a particularly good restaurant. No more garden centre visits for us now until January.
The plot is rather soggy at the moment which was why Martyn needed new wellies. His old pair were fine weather wellies which in current conditions meant wet socks.
This bloom of toadstools or are they mushrooms, is thriving in the damp? (When does a mushroom become a toadstool?) They are growing on the wood chippings that are mulching the bed of hardy annuals. The annuals are growing really well but will they survive winter?
Mark over at Mark's Veg Plot is a fungi guru - he seems like a fun guy too, sorry I know it's hardly original but I couldn't resist - and he tells me that these are possibly Tubaria furfuracea - Scurfy Twiglet. It's not a very attractive name is it? Apparently they are inedible but not actually poisonous which must be a trait shared by the half eaten apple that is also in the photo. I don't know where it came from but I guess that it wasn't very nice and someone passing by just tossed it away. I'm sure some creature will find it and enjoy it.
Mark will be able to name this other fungus too as I'm sure it will be a really common variety. This one is growing on a larger piece of dead wood.
The plot is rather soggy at the moment which was why Martyn needed new wellies. His old pair were fine weather wellies which in current conditions meant wet socks.
Mark will be able to name this other fungus too as I'm sure it will be a really common variety. This one is growing on a larger piece of dead wood.
Our first allotment visit, on Tuesday, was mainly to replenish our vegetable store back at home.
We also wanted to try out some new sound recording equipment and so decided to film a December Tour of the allotment which I have posted below - just in case you are interested.
We didn't get to the allotment again until Sunday when as well as a bit more harvesting we managed to carry out a couple of jobs.
The posts supporting the wires that the raspberry canes are tied into were in desperate need of replacement so Martyn spent his time erecting and rewiring new posts.
Before
After
I'm not sure how well the raspberries will perform next year as they don't seem to have put on as much new growth as normal so it may be that we will need to replace the canes.
Whilst, Martyn was busy on this job, I tackled the two kiwis that had - to be honest - become a tangled mess and also totally hid two gooseberries plants. As we are more likely to have fruit from the gooseberries than the kiwis this needed remedying.
Before
After
I didn't complete this task but cut out three barrow loads of kiwi vine. The fence that the kiwi was growing along was really only being held up by the tangle of vines so it will also need some renovation as will the two gooseberries.
Before we came home we gathered some more vegetables. There is a theme to our harvests at the moment - leeks, parsnips and carrots.
The parsnips were not up to last week's daddy parsnip standard, I think that is going to be a one off, but there was still plenty of flesh on the roots. One parsnip went into Sunday's Turkey and Parsnip Curry.
We are now digging Autumn King carrots which are huge. They are so big that they make the parsnips look smaller than they actually were.
A recipe I was cooking last week called for two large carrots but I think the author's idea of a large carrot was very different to ours. I do wish recipes wouldn't use terms like small, large and medium when we have a perfectly good method of measuring by weight. The same recipe called for a thumb-sized piece of ginger but was that my small thumb or Martyn's large one?
Our leeks on the other hand are still rather small. Some will be used to make a batch of Wensleydale Patties for the freezer. These use a similar recipe to Glamorgan Sausages but use Wensleydale cheese and are patty shaped rather than sausage shaped. I'm sure Wallace and Gromit would like them!
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Love those fungi, Sue! The bracket ones look a bit like Bjerkandera adusta (Smoky Bracket), though it is hard to tell from just a Top view. Do they have grey-blue pores underneath? Of course they might well be Turkey Tails too (Trametes versicolor). The huge swathe of little ones in the bed could well be Tubaria furfuracea, but again I would want to see the gills and stipes before hazarding a guess. Tubaria species are very fond of woodchip, so the Scurfy Twiglet is a good call.
ReplyDeleteI don't really want to pick the larger fungus, Mark as it looks pretty where it is. I quite like the name Turkey Tails. The brown ones curl up into a cup shape.
DeleteI really enjoyed the tour - your plot is impressive as usual. The PSB and cabbages look lovely, and will hopefully keep you fed through the winter months.
ReplyDeleteGlad that you enjoyed the tour, Dave. I think we may have to wait until early spring for the PSB if it survives
DeleteWonderful video. How impressive everywhere looks. I have lots of fungi sprouting too, each year we seem to have more. Smashing harvests!xxx
ReplyDeleteThank, Dina. The fungi seems to enjoy the wood chippings. It all adds interest.
DeleteReally interesting tour Sue.. love looking=g round other people' plot, so thank you! Our Autumn King carrots are massive this year too
ReplyDeleteThe carrots are impressive, Kathy. being so dry we watered them well so maybe they actually enjoyed the heat and maybe they actually were given more water than usual. If you enjoy videos I post most of ours on our vlog here
DeleteIt always amazes me to see how huge your plot is. And those carrots too!
ReplyDeleteThe carrots are huge, Michelle and surprisingly most are carrot shaped!
DeleteIt seem I should try to grow carrot in my garden, cause we eat carrots almost every day.
ReplyDeleteWe are eating a lot at the moment too, Endah. There's nothing to lose in trying.
DeleteI know what you mean about recipes - I hate when they say a "large/medium/small" so & so or, even worse, a "bunch" of something, like cilantro...what on earth is that?
ReplyDeleteYes, Margaret that’s something else that cropped up in a recipe last week!
DeleteThe garden centre experience at this time of year frustrates me too. It’s refreshing to be away from all the fuss in a country where Christmas is given the right level of perspective. But then I always was a bit of a bah humbug!
ReplyDeleteThe allotment looks great. Internet is patchy, I’m not even sure this comment will go through. The video I shall look forward to when I get home!
The comment came through just fine, Jessica, I think there are a few of us bah humbugs - we should form a club.
DeleteGarden Centres do drive me rather mad, generally they have plants in the corner and the main deal is all household stuff and gifts and the ubiquitous cafe. The one just up the road (almost on top of the allotments) is good though, still family run and keeps to the necessaries.
ReplyDeletehugs
We have a similar garden centre close by, Carrie but that too has succumbed too trees and decorations. At least it still has some garden stuff tucked away if you ask for something.
DeleteI liked your video, Sue. To hear Martin's and your voices is a pleasure. I do understand a lot. I liked the cabbege bed, leeks and garlic. They grow well despite on cold and rainy weather. I hope you buy new wellies for Martin or Santa brings him :-)
ReplyDeleteMartyn has his new wellies, Nadezda - he couldn't wait for Santa. :-)
DeleteOh, I'm glad I just read this! I don't have any parsnips, but I think I should be able to find a usable leek to add to the carrot soup I'm intending to make later.
ReplyDeleteYou are good to actually achieve some tasks when you visit the plot. It's so wet and nasty our visits have been extra quick recently!
It’s definitely soup weather, Belinda. We haven’t actually visited the plot for over week.
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