Wednesday 17 July 2013

Picture time

Hi there!  Well I think a show and tell is in order now things are being/been nearly ready to harvest, don't you???

 Not many of these are making it home!
 Super yummy red electric onions - This is the only time I've had any success with onions :-)
 Shallots - Split in to many shallots but dissapointingly small
 Garlic - Germidor - Absolutely FABBY crop and strong with it!  YUM
 Courgetterama!  YAY - now who thought that five courgette plants at the allotment was a good idea?  (never mind that I have another 3 at home too!)  I think this one is Atena Polka
 A good ole Defender
 Yellow ball or One ball courgette
And just look at this monster at home - If anyone can count how many there are on here they win a prize (clue I got up to 21 and then lost count!)  And I've picked two already!

right tonight I'm goign to make Nigella's "Happiness Soup" - a very good suggestion indeed from one of my fellow gardeners on the Grow your Own Magazine forum  :)   http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/grapevine/forum.php

too hot for any more news

Ciao for now  :O)

Wednesday 10 July 2013

Well I've got some good news and some bad news... and a trip to the O2

Good news first Ladies and Gents

I have FINALLY been offered my permanent contract at my JOB!  Only been here two years, but bless em they managed to tell me before my contract ran out this time too.  No more 6 monthly colly wobbles  :)  I'm in with the in-crowd, on the team, part of the GANG!  My manager and one of the HR bods both have said (seperately) this doesn't change anything, but I would refute this.  It means a lot to me and they cant simply not renew my contract and just jiggle about the other jobs to make it look like they don't need the position any more... did I mention it means a lot to me!  They are now prepared to invest in me as much as I am prepared to give to them.  Or as a few WAGS have put it "time to put my feet up"!!!

BAD NEWS......

It wont be too much of a surprise.... I will not be taking the current allotment on again next year.... As my regular few loyal readers will know, its not my allotment, but somehow I got roped in to "helping" (read doing all of it) and the brother has not heeded my previous warning!  I advised if he didn't pull his finger out I wouldn't do it again.  Well he hasn't, so I'm not.  Fear not dear readers, I am not a girl without options.  HA HA no.  A friend of mind who lives locally works an allotment nearby with one or two others, I get the feeling its more of a community effort which I feel would suit me more, in fact right down tot he ground.  Its not a formal council allotment but more of some land I think the farmer doesn't know what else to do with.  So at last I will be veg gardening with others who A) enjoy it, B) have the time to do it, C) I will be able to go in the evening as its local and not a 30 min drive!  WIN WIN WIN  I will of course be erm liberating a few bushes and rhubarb and what not before I leave ahem....  I will be seeing out the season but hope to go and visit the new place soon!  Scope it out and see how they work together.  :)

At the lottie well, the beans are slow but coming up, the peas are coming up too but not as many as I would have liked.  I have put my foot down and am point blank refusing to plant even 1 more seed in the ground this year!  The garlic has been amazing - I picked the first lot last weekend and the rest this Sunday and its drying in the 4 tier plastic greenhouse at home.  Far better than last year the Germidor came up with lots of lovely fat cloves.  The Edenrose was small but still worthwhile.  The Elephant garlic!  WOOOOHOOOOO as soon as I have a pic I will upload it for your entertainment!    I have also picked some strawberries, and about 5 sugarnap/mangetout and about four red onions!  Oooooh and a small bag of new potatoes!  I had my first dinner on Sunday of all home grow veg... apart from carrots...  YAY

Anyhoo I shall hope to take some pics in the next day or two  :)

Ciao for now  XXX

PS - My choir performed at the O2 Arena on Saturday, not to a paying audience but for each other.  I'm going to link you here to the sound of over 9000 people singing together to about another 5 or so thousand of our family and friends

Rock Choir at the O2 Arena - All over the world