Message from Opa

Wanted to say great work and good, interesting results.  Excellent pics.  You ask for crop suggestions:  Runner Beans babes, runner beans.  They grow quickly, cook beautifully (if not left too long to toughen) and they freeze well and I LOVE THEM fresh picked by the boot-full.

 

Love Ya

 

Ops.

Down the allotment

 Hi guys, it's been about a month since our last post and the allotment has come on a ton!
These are our 'French thermidrome' overwintered garlics and some of our 'jermor' and 'giant red' shallots. Looking forward to some fresh 'green' garlic for salads later this month :)

 Senshyu & red baron onions for harvesting in a month or so!











This red gooseberry bush was leftover from the old owner of our plot which was pretty overgrown when we took it over. After not doing a great deal last year we cleared the patch and took out the bush. As spring started to spring a month or two ago, the bush (which was just sat at the side of the plot with some drying out seedheads) was covered in green shoots, and now after planting it with our fruit bushes is now covered in fruit :)

 Super red onions!

This is a snap of the blackcurrant bushes that we planted from Bill. Now covered in tiny berries :)

 This is the raspberry bush that Kayleigh got for her birthday - anyone any tips on the summer fruiting varieties?

 This is a picture of the Damson 'pixi' tree that James grafted for us. Looking forward to making some jams and wine - maybe just a taste this season but looking forward to next year!

 Potato land - featuring all our varieties but our pink fir's which are in new lottie.

Feeling the hungry gap?
Microsalads are the most 'abundant' crop at OMMLAA at the moment! In the coldframe and the kitchen there are lots of seedlings waiting to get into new lottie - most looking forward to tomatoes, squash and peppers!

So, as May begins, what to do now?
Can't help but feel that we're either a little too far ahead of ourselves (massive tomato plants!) or maybe a little behind. What will you be doing this May?


Keep it green, K&C x

Allotment Update - Spring has sprung!

Hi everyone & welcome to the first spring update of Allotment Virgins!

1st we have a couple of pictures of our Jermor variety overwintering shallots which are getting really strong now!

Fruit land has had a couple of new additions - a blueberry and a gooseberry!

Here are our blackcurrant bushes from Bill! They went in bare rooted a few months ago and the leaves are starting to come out now. (& they smell like blackcurrant!)

Rhubarb found on new lottie!

Lots of digging has been going on on little lottie - tonight the first of our spring planted alliums have gone in - Garlics, red baron onions, sturon and stuttgarter giant yellow onions :)

Beautiful sunset at OMMLAA

Here's some of our new season seed from the Real Seed catalogue. Can't wait for patty pan squash & yellow toms!

New lottie - updates this weekend....

& finally....

We keep seeing this pretty blue flower in gardens and in fields, any ideas what it is anyone?

Welford Manor Snowdrop walk - the start of spring!





Keep digging love K&C x

Big news...

Hi guys, we're very excited to announce that Allotment Virgins are adopting another plot!
We'll still be keeping lottie, our 1/2 plot but tomorrow night we're going up to the allotments with Andy, the secretary to choose another full plot to add to it!
Pictures and descriptions of our new plot to follow but for now we're researching what we want to grow!
Let us know your faves so we can get planning :) There are exciting times ahead at OMMLAA (Old Marston Mill Lane Allotment Association) as we're going to take an unloved plot and try to transform it into something really cool, maybe even with a greenhouse! Any tips on starting out again are greatly appreciated, as are recommendations of some weird and wonderful, high yielding, delicious varieties that we can get started with!

Virgins all over again, K&C

Here we go!

January on the allotment

Hi all,
January isn't known for being the busiest time on the plot but we've got a few updates for you!
First of all, here on the left are some leeks harvested from the lottie this afternoon. (The little one is one of our electras, the big ones are from Bill's plot!) They are now in a lovely leek and potato soup ready for tomorrow's lunch!
We've also gone a little bit early (on Bill's advice) and sown a few Costoluto Genovese tall vine early indeterminate tomatoes from the Real Seed Co. and are hoping they'll germinate nicely on the windowsill soon :)
Thanks to all of our followers on Twitter who helped us choose which seed potatoes to chit this year. We've gone for;

1st earlies - Swift, Arran Pilot, Duke of York.
2nd earlies - Vivaldi, Kestrel.
Maincrop - Maris Piper, Cara, Picasso, Kind Edward, Rooster.
They're out chitting now and we'll let you know how they're getting on throughout the year. Everything else in the lottie is going strong and growing slowly but surely.
Today is also a very special day as the first snowdrop from the bulbs we planted back in Autumn has been spotted just poking through the grass - Spring is on its way! K&C

Message from Opa

January

Time to get the black polythene sheets down to kill the weeds and brown the grass for easy digging

LoL

Opa
xx