Soggy Sunday

We spent a very pleasant three hours on the plot yesterday.The weather was kind and we were able to catch up a bit on a number of jobs that had been neglected. I removed the bean canes and put on the compost heap what remained of our failed sprouts. I will give them one more try this year to see if I can get any bigger than marbles.

I went to the potato fair today and just bought some Charlotte. I arrived at 10am as it opened and the queue was already quite long.They had an amazing selection of varieties and you are able to buy single tubers.The stall that interested me was a chap selling old gardening tools mostly from the 1950's and 60's they were real quality unlike some of the stuff on sale nowadays.

I then went to our site as I had to pay my rent for this year. We had so much rain last night that a part of my new plot was waterlogged, I shall have to remember which bits when it comes to sowing and planting.

Filled the bird feeders up and called it a day. We had a green woodpecker among our plum trees yesterday. Today just robin and great tits.

New Year New Beginning

Belated happy new year.

Well after all the trauma of last year Barbara and I are determined to have a productive and stress free 2009. We still have our two plots and Barbara has been elected onto our site committee with me.

We are going to the plot this morning to do a bit of planning and tomorrow I am going to the potato fair at Peckham. They have people from The Rustic Mushroom Company there and as I was given mushroom spawn on dowels for Christmas I want to ask for advice on logs etc.

Barbara got a new digital camera for Xmas so will now be able to put plenty of pictures on here.

My grandson Rhys while playing as goalkeeper for his Langley Hawks football team was spotted by someone from Crystal Palace FC and after many trials has been signed for there academy for this season. Very exciting, tomorrow they are playing at home against Portsmouth.

Will post again very soon with an update.

At long last

I really would like to thank everyone who has been so kind to us over the last few months. A special thank you to a lady called Margaret who was a complete stranger who I met in the cafe of our Sainsbury store the day before my mum's funeral. While Barbara was shopping I sat having a coffee not really wanting to have anything to do with anyone. Margaret asked me if I was OK and when I explained she left only to return shortly with a large bunch of roses for the funeral. What a wonderful world it would be if there were more people like her.

We are now back on the allotment. Not only back but have taken on the one next to us which became vacant. It is mainly small raised beds so quite easy to maintain. I thought that we were a bit behind everyone else but had a count yesterday and including Veg,Fruit and Herbs we have 32 different things growing.

At the weekend coming I shall be taking some photographs to put on here.

It is great to be back

Jim and Barbara

Sorry for delay

Really sorry for the gap between posts.

My Mum passed away before Christmas so the last thing on my mind was my plot or blog.

I am now just beginning to come to terms with our loss.

I have planted a rose called "Remember me" on the plot which is the same peach colour that she loved.

My mum 'Bet' also liked to feed the birds on her balcony so we have put a bird bath on the plot.

I will start blogging again very soon

Say Cheese

I was working at Sandown Park races on Saturday. While I was there I met a friend of mine who owns a few horses and she had one running that day.

Unfortunately the horse was not placed but still managed to smile for the picture that I took after the race.

I go racing once a year working for the same client and this was my 31st year.

In all that time I have never had a bet (to much of a bad loser) but on Saturday a horse was running called HOH HOH HOH and as it was also my birthday I had a bet on it each way. It came fourth.

I have not had much time recently to get to the plot to do any work,but I do go to the site each day. Yesterday one of my neighbors gave me a corn on the cob and Barbara ate it an hour later. It tasted sublime and I shall definitely be growing them next year.

On my wish list for next year is a Mantis Tiller. A couple of people on our site have one and they are brilliant. So if any of my family are reading this,could you please donate to my Tiller fund at Christmas as I have all the socks and handkerchiefs that I need.

C is for Cucumber

I do not think that this would pass the supermarket censor and make it to the shelves.

It will however taste SO much better than those insipid,tasteless ones that they sell.

Who cares that it is not straight?

Beauty and the beast

The beast does produce a nice flower though.