Where did five years go

Well after five years in the wilderness we are back blogging. We still have the same allotment but have changed and added to it over time. The reason the blog stopped is that my laptop conked out but I am now retired and have a brand new shiny one. So will start again and see if anyone is interested in our allotment adventure. I shall also be posting pictures but first have to remember how all these buttons work.

Kind regards to all
Jim and Barbara

That's more like it

Had a lovely day on the plot on Sunday, the sunshine bought a lot of people out and the site was really busy working there bit. The birds seem to be getting through a lot of seed and nuts at the moment and seems that there are a lot of them pairing up so hope fully the nest box will be well used this year.
The bluebells are getting bigger and look like that they will soon be in bloom.

 Have decided to let the grass grow round the pond and keep the fruit bushes clear there should be a lot of flowers growing round the pond soon.

We have sown some lettuce, radish, spring onions and baby beetroot in our cloche. Have also put in onions,shallots and broad beans next week hope to get carrots and potatoes in. We really love beetroot so hope to have loads in this year, have bought four different varieties.

When we first got the plot we had to cut a small tree down to put up the shed and we used the cut trunk to put our plot number on it but have to re-write the number each year as it fades.We have now been given a posh one with our names on, the old roller we found hidden among the brambles when we cleared the plot, the wagon wheel we bought from a junk shop.

Unusual Big Shiny Thing In The Sky

Well we went to the allotment this Sunday. It was Jim's turn to man the trading shed and I intended to put in some onion sets and sow salad seeds in our cloche non of which happened as I saw people that I had not seen for ages down here so being polite had to chat to them all !!!

Running through the site is the river Beck and we have seen a couple of mallards and moorhens courting so hopefully, as in past years we shall see them nesting. 

We had covered the bay with fleece during the winter and have just removed it. It seems to have survived and has some fresh leaves in the middle just need to prepare the bed that it is in for our beetroot. Someone gave us some leeks, nice to see some fresh veg which comes from the plot, need some ideas how to best use them?

Our Christmas tree that we planted a couple of years ago seems to growing very well. Eight years ago we held a children's party on our plot and have had a giant sunflower which we used as decoration in the shed ever since so as it looks as if spring is on its way I thought that she might like to take the air. She still had a smile on her face.

Hopefully will get lots more underway next week.

Easter Snow

Decided to go to the plot today whatever the weather. The sun came out just before we left but as we arrived and were unlocking the gate, guess what, a few flurrys of snow started. Not to be put off we started work on our plot.Re-planted a current bush that we had been given buy another plot holder and started to dig and clear a strawberry bed that we shall be using for something else, and topping it with our own compost,got excited as I saw a couple of fat worms.

A fox walked across the plot and our Robin appeared. Heard a lot of commotion and looking up saw a new crows nest in the tree and the crows having an argument with a couple of magpies.Last year the crows bought the babies to our bird bath and dropped bread and sausages into it to soften it up for them.The bird bath,water tank and pond were frozen so broke up the ice and re-filled with fresh

 water. Here is a picture of the daffodils which are really struggling at the moment along with the very last crocus.

Update

 New bird table, my eight year old log pile seems to be home to loads of insects.

 Have been breaking the ice on the pond often recently still waiting for our first frogs though.

 Normally take down bean canes but going to replace this year with long straight plum tree runners.

Managed to get to the plot last week between the snow, rain, hail and a bit of sunshine. I can take any weather but strong winds do not agree with me. The day that the sun shone I was able to do a high cut on the grass and put a bird table that I bought at wilkinsons for a tenner in among the plum trees. We have only had hanging feeders before so hopefully this will attract different species. I have seen lots of long tailed tits on the feeders, a bird that we have not had before and it looks like our replacement nest box is going to be used as a great tit entered it last week. When we put up the first box it took two years before any bird nested in it. Last year we had robins nesting in our shed so fingers crossed it might happen again. 

Still waiting for the daffodils to flower, a few buds but no flowers yet. We have a coffee and seed swap morning next weekend and we are making plum cake and gooseberry cake with our fruit from last year which we have in the freezer.

More Rain

Everyone complains about the weather but nobody does anything about it.  - Charles Dudley Warner.

Crocus

Now that the pictures seem to work this is our first flowers of the year on the plot. We will post others during the year as and when they appear. These crocus were planted a few years ago but is the first time in ages that they have flowered. The next should be our daffodils and bluebells but hopefully won't be to long before we have flowers on our veg.