A few from the summer and a whole new start!

Hi everyone and welcome back to the Allotment Virgins blog!
This post is to catch you all up on this summer's activities, to start thinking about the colder months to come and to announce that Kayleigh has taken Allotment Virgins to the next level by starting up a business selling preserves and allotment crafts on market stalls in Oxfordshire!

 This year we had a bumper crop of tomatoes! We're not sure if it was the cooler weather or different seeds but this summer has been all about tomatoes roasted in herbs, olive oil and a little red wine vinegar instead of the caprese salads of last summer - did anyone else have a similar experience?

After a bout of unseasonably cold weather, steam was seen rising from the neighbours garden and does look rather beautiful behind the lilac.

Last year you may remember that we were due to visit River Cottage HQ but were snowed out. Well we finally made it! Thanks to Katy and Sam for an awesome 30th pressie for Chris!

Here's Kayleigh next to Hugh's composting system - very impressive! We had a delicious 6 course meal including pork cassoulet and beetroot marshmallows and the best tangy cheddar ever! Definitely worth checking out - www.rivercottage.net

Here is a selection of the huge harvest we had this summer - tondo di piacenza and black beauty courgettes have been delicious every way imaginable from raw baby salads to accompanying goat's cheese in a soup but especially delicious in a vegan curry along with an uchiki kuri squash!
Here pictured is also a spaghetti squash which we've yet to try (any suggestions?) and our first ever prize Baby Bear pumpkin!

 One of many Crown Prince squashes accompanied by a few of their curcubit relatives and our very first apple crop!

 Obligatory comedy tomato photo - please post one of your comedy veg shots!

Bird seed from our Giant Sunflower












After a beautiful and busy summer we now turn our attentions to autumn and winter. There's a lot of work to be done but we'll keep you up to date here. Also coming soon will be Allotment Virgins market news, preserves and crafts ideas and recipes. We're also very excited for the festive season!

 

Hope to see some of you guys at one of the markets above soon and for more information and to keep up to date, head on over to www.facebook.com/allotmentvirgins and give us a like! 

You can also get all the daily gossip on Twitter by following us @allotmentvs

But for now, we've got the need for seed and are off to plant some winter onions and garlic!

Keep it green, K&C

Summer at the allotment!

Hi all! And welcome to our summer updates! It's been a very busy time of late, the tomatoes are ripening, the herbs are going wild and there's been a lot of progress on the allotment - not least by the weeds!

On the left is a picture of our first ever unearthed earlies! Potatoes for tea tonight :) Hopefully with more good weather, water and a lot of hoeing the potatoes will get bigger (looking at you maincrops!) and we'll have potatoes all summer and maybe even some to store. Not bad for a first go!

Onions are going from strength to strength. Not as big as Wally's massive efforts but they'll be sweet and delicious in some late summer salads!

A big thanks going out to Sarah who helped us to clear a lot of weeds and plant our courgettes ('black beauty' from our dig in seeds) out. They, along with our "Crown Prince" and "Uchiri Kiri" squash (thanks James!) are now flowering and we can't wait to tuck in soon!

Super salad!

Our plucky Old Marston chilli!

Thanks to Andy and Laura from the allotment for the eggs. Thanks to Mrs. Scruff and Roxy for laying them too!

The allotment and garden are both getting really exciting now as summer is here. Loads of cut flowers in the kitchen too (sweet peas!). Looking forward to getting more involved in the allotment with the warmer weather and looking towards our end of summer barbeque :)

Next up, kale for winter, planting out the pumpkins for thanksgiving and overwintering some evening primrose seeds this autumn (thanks to Restore!)


Enjoy the lovely weather,

K&C

Pumpkins......are in!

Pumpkin Top Tips From Uncle Alan

Uncle Alan says start right away by planting individual seeds in small pots. "Jack Of All Trades" is a good, versatile variety for eating and for making lanterns. Plant out seedlings in early June, six feet apart, in a sunny spot. Slugs and snails massacre the young, tender plants so protect for a while with cloches (you can use 2 litre plastic drinks bottles cut in half). Don't rely on insects for pollination but use a small, art paint brush to transfer pollen from the male to the female flowers. Each plant has both sexes. The males bloom a week or two before the females, which are more bulbous. If size is your priority prune young fruit to two per plant. Rest the growing fruits on something flat and hard, and encircle with stones. Pumpkins need loads of watering.

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