June on the allotment

I made it to the allotment yesterday, mid-migraine, for the first time in 10 days. What with the house-moving and a (currently) insane work schedule, there’s been no time for the veg patch. In my absence we’ve had warm weather plus a monsoon rain of biblical proportions – and the baby plants have LOVED it.

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First of my mum’s broad beans

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Mine will take a few weeks yet before they’re ready. The rain has made the leaves filthy and they’ve had insect damage, but we’ll get a good crop.

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Three attempts later, we have carrot seedlings!

The tulips have all gone now, their black and orange tones replaced with the delicate purples and pinks of the alliums and foxgloves. The bees are lapping up the nectar greedily.

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The monster alliums

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Foxgloves are gloriously weird

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Pretty pale apricot foxglove

The heat has brought along the soft fruit; we have fat strawberries, redcurrants and blueberries just waiting to ripen. And as for the hops – they are heading to the heavens.

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First strawberries are ripening

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The hops on an early June evening

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Glorious sweetpeas

As I left my allotment neighbour Alex turned up, looking cool-as-you-like with her powder blue vespa and leathers.

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My allotment neighbour Alex turned up with her very cool blue vespa

This weekend is marked in the diary as MOVING HOUSE. So hopefully, when the boxes are moved and the wardrobes are dismantled and re-mantled (is that a word?), normal service will resume on Veg Patch.

Planted Out: Sweetcorn, leeks, zinnia, verbena, grand green beans

The daring poles of May

It’s May Day weekend, the traditional harbinger of warmer months. In Cornwall it’s time to unleash the fishing boats; in agricultural areas it signifies the start of the growing season. In Harborne, it’s time to put out the sweet peas.

We bought some hazel poles from the allotment society and Matt, clever as ever, has transformed them into a sturdy home for beans and sweet peas. It took him barely any time at all and they are, I am assured, structurally sound.

He’s placed the poles at an ‘X’ shape rather than the more common ‘Y’, to allow more air and light in. I like hazel…it feels a bit pagan and Blair Witch.

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Sweetpeas in their new home

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Poles ready for beans in a few weeks

Meanwhile the lettuce, sorrel and beets seedlings have got a new home, planted out into the Greens bed. The bird protection system (i.e. fleece) is in place, at least until they all get a little bigger and can fend for themselves.

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Bird protection system

Planted out: Sorrel, beetroot, lettuce, sweetpeas, foxgloves, aquilegia

Sowed: wild flower mix, dill, sweet rocket