As I write this I’m currently sitting in bed, looking out my window at a field full of sheep (and two Herdwicks)… you guessed it, I’m back in Wales! This time I’m here for 10 whole days and I couldn’t be more happy. However, before I left the allotment I wanted to tick off a few last minute jobs and I had a whole afternoon to do just that.
First on the list was to plant out the climbing ‘Cobra’ french beans which I had sowed 2 weeks ago now. These will be climbing up the wigwam which previously had sugarsnap peas on them. Around the wigwam next to this one I directly sowed some Borlotto beans, my all time favourite bean. I’m growing some of these up the archway and they are ready to pick, however I like leaving them to dry on the plant because dried borlotto beans are the best! I usually sow them this late, or even later, in the season and past years have been very successful. As you know, I hate seeing bare soil so fingers crossed these two types of beans grow happily this year.
A couple of weeks ago I planted out some leeks and swiss chard in the old potato bed with space to sow something extra so I raided the seed box and came out with some turnip seeds. Now this isn’t a very exciting crop to grow but it was one of the first things I grew on Plot 15c and they taste delicious added into stews and casserole. I thought I’d give them another go and seeing as I had the spare soil I decided to sow two rows of the ‘Purple Top Milan’ variety.
I also sowed two extra rows of carrots right next to the other rows which are in fact ready to harvest. This way I can extend the carrot fly mesh barrier to enclose all four rows and have more delicious homegrown carrots to harvest later on in the year!
Whilst I was in the flow of ticking jobs off the list I thought it was about time to take the lid off the comfrey fertiliser tub and bottle it up. I’ll admit now I was nervous about taking that lid off but if I’m honest the smell wasn’t that bad, at least not as bad as I was expecting! I strained the mixture through an old garden sieve and bottled the glorious green liquid ready for use this season. I’ll be diluting it 1:20 to use on my flower bed and pumpkins in particular, I’m especially keen to see the results when feeding my butternut squash in the trough. I also have some nettle fertiliser I made in the Spring which will be used on the Brassica cage. I just love the fact that I foraged and grew these two crops to turn them into a feed which will hopefully make my garden thrive!
All in all it was a good few hours spent up the allotment and I managed to tick all the jobs I wanted to do off my list. I would have ideally liked to have weeded and tided the plot up a little before leaving for Wales but I couldn’t help but smile as I left with arms full of freshly picked courgettes and some dwarf sunflowers. The allotment is thriving and I couldn’t be more proud of myself for what I’ve achieved with such a busy lifestyle. Yes there are weeds, but I’ll just ignore them for a while and focus on the giant sunflower stalks and the 10ft sunflower blowing in the wind, the apples getting plump on the tree and the harvests that I get to take home with me every single time I pop up the allotment. Hopefully when I return the little beans would have grown, seeds would have sprouted and no doubt there will be more courgettes to harvest!
One thought on “Last Minute Jobs”
Any recipes for the summer tomato glut Katie? The courgette cake is a dream.