Sunday 17 January 2010

Belated Happy New Year!

I know, I know - how slack am I?  Well, there was a perfectly reasonably excuse and one I suspect will have affected all the allotmenteers and gardeners out there - the weather!  It seemed like there was snow and ice for almost the whole of December and it's only now, 17 January, following a rise in temperature and a night of torrential rain, that the snow has finally (more or less) disappeared.  And as the weatherpeople are apparently predicting yet another drop in temperature and potentially more snow towards the end of this week, I thought I'd better get down to the plopment to see what has survived the snow.

I was most concerned about the new fruit trees that I planted towards the end of last year - they're only babies and I was a bit worried that the weight of the snow might have brought them down, as it did to my Forsythia at home, but no, they were absolutely fine and, what's more, showing actual signs of growth.  These are the little buds that are forming on the cherry tree:


So fingers crossed that I'll actually get some fruit this year.

The view from one end of the plopment (where the fruit trees are) looking down is this rather unedifying spectacle:

 

But then, allotments are never at their prettiest during the winter.  The black fabric is covering areas that I'll hope to plant up next season.  The large green weedy square in the centre of the picture is where all my soft fruit is currently - there are about 50 strawberry plants hidden away in there as well as a couple of rows of raspberry canes.  Oh well, I'm not about to start weeding it all now, it can wait until springtime.

The view from beside the shed looking down sort of towards the fruit trees is equally unaesthetically pleasing:




But - look - lovely blue sky and sunshine!  It was also pretty warm, a balmy 6 or 7 degrees!

At this time of year about the only thing that the allotment produces is cabbages and brussels sprouts.  My Husband picked most of the sprouts for Christmas lunch (and very lovely they were too) but I have a few Savoy Cabbages which are looking quite splendid.  This one, in particular, is a good healthy size (I've placed a cane top next to it for scale):



Everyone else's plots seems to be just fine - there's no obvious signs of any damage except that a large polytunnel on a plot diagonally opposite mine has gone (or is in the process of going).  I don't know whether the weight of snow has pulled it down or whether the guy who works it has given up (he was suffering from ill health so wouldn't be surprised if he decided to take it easy) and the site is now being cleared.  Time will tell.

So, to finish, here's some arty shots of dead plants and bubbles frozen in ice in the water troughs:


 

Last, but by no means least, my holographic wellies:


5 comments:

  1. Good on you for visiting your plot I was to go today but ran out of time did go into the garden and harvested some stuff.

    I love the photos of the ice and bubbles and the dead plant, is it a sunflower?

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  2. Hi Kella - it was such a lovely day I thought I ought to just nip down there and check everything was okay - the ice in the water troughs was easily 3 inches thick and had all these trapped water bubbles in them, so of course I had to take a picture and, yes, well done you for spotting it was a sunflower! These were actually on the plot next door to mine - she had loads this year, all grown to about 12 feet high.

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  3. I haven't ventured to the allotment yet this year. I'm hoping to get down there at the weekend just to check that everything's ok. You've done well with your cabbages, mine were eaten by slugs.

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  4. Hi Jo - of course I only showed the good cabbage - my red ones are completely rubbish!

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  5. Hey again some how maybe because you concentrate on your gardening, I some how have missed that you are also a jewellery designer and that you dabble in other crafts.

    Its only from reading a comment left by Maureen over at the blog Allotment Heaven that I realised your other talents.

    So I just wanted to say its nice to be aquainted with another cool crafter and good luck on your new Etsy shop, I'm thinking of starting one myself this year.

    Anyway I'll be following your other blog so I can keep up to date with your crafty side as well.

    Ta! Ta! and keep well.

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