On the plot today

[wardy]

Been up to my plot today for a potter about and to pick some veggies for dinner.  It was lovely and warm and not a breath of wind so actually had to peel some layers off as I was getting a bit hot under the collar.  All my sheet mulch was blown all over the place so I got all that dragged back into place and weighted down - again! 
No-one about except me and a flock of partridge.  Came face to face with the great big alsation at the bungalow next door but I clucked at him and called him "a beauty" and he wagged his tail and wandered off. Phew 
Dug up the last of the celeriac and washed it clean under my water butt tap. That skip find has been worth its weight in gold    My carrots, spinach, mixed chinese leaves, winter lettuces and cabbages are all still a bit small but look very healthy.  The onions and garlic are growing away nicely so hopefully there'll be plenty of good eating soon.  It was still lovely and warm as I meandered home   

[Derek]

I planned on going to the Lottie this afternoon but it started to rain so I chickened out.

You are lucky Wardy..they turn our water off and drain the pipes in October until March in case the pipes freeze up

Derek

[Derekthefox]

Yes I was one my plot this afternoon as well, it started of warm and bright. Digging for a couple of hours, then the weather turned darker, so I called it a day. Not bad after a wonderful morning's skating too. My next task now is to start off some parsnip wine ...

Derekthefox

[vee]

I waited until the rain had stopped and then went and raked up some leaves to make leafmould. Then the heavens opened again and I got so wet that it was dripping down my collar. I gave up in the end and came home - very frustrating as there's so much I wanted to do like digging a nice place for the raspberries I've ordered, but the soil is so wet it would be impossible at the moment. Came to look at A4A as that's the only way to get my allotment fix for today!

[!mpetuous]

I went up for half an hour just to put some stuff in the compost bins really.  Still looking at piles of leaves and rueing that fact that I do not seem to have the time to do anything at the moment.  Feeling very demotivated with all aspects of life that do not involve the lottie.

[wardy]

Derek  I meant my own water butt which harvests water off my shed roof.  Love it 

Clang - you sound fed up    If I feel fed up with non lotty stuff then a trip to the plot usually livens me up and makes me feel more positive so I can get on and do those jobs which I hate and constantly put off.  It gets irritating though when the non-lotty stuff gets in the way of going to the plot.  I am terrible and I put off everything else and just bog off to the plot 

Vee  Sorry to hear it's so wet in your neck of the woods but you can't really do much when it's that wet as you do more harm than good.  Oh well you've got A4A 

Derek the Fox    Glad you got your digging done.  Know how much you love it 
Drinking parnsip wine sounds far more fun 

[terrace max]

No allotment for me today. Dug the first two beds on our school veg garden. The gentleman whose house overlooks the site said he didn't like the idea and was going to write to the headteacher. 

Told him to get a spade and help out, or shut up 

[wardy]

Good for you TM.  I think your response was quite restrained in the circs 

[terrace max]

Thanks Wardy. I can't abide people who are the first to complain but the last to get stuck in and help. I regret to say my native Yorkshire has too many of these old scrunters.

I'm good at helping out AND complaining! 

[busy_lizzie]

It can be a very gloomy time of year I find, so I am sorry for all those peeps that are a bit down.  I have yet to find something to do in the winter that gives me that great feeling of well being I get in the rest of the seasons at the allotment. However, we managed to get up this afternoon and it was paradise to be back.

  Our intention was to just go for half an hour and pick some produce but once there it is so hard not to do some work.  So I did some weeding and shoveled some bark chippings up and placed it around the outside of our plot to try to keep the weeds down.  We dug up the rest of the beetroot.  I picked some spinach and dug up one of my parsnips, which thankfully looked quite big and not too forked for a change. Had a good examination of the rest of the stuff we have still growning, then had a walk around to see how everyone else was doing on the Site.  It was fantastic. It was a really good boost to the morale, which like lots of other people has been very low recently.  busy_lizzie

[wardy]

Glad you were inspired BL    Good to have parsnips - I wish I had.  Still, there's next year. 

I think just a visit to the plot, no matter how short, cheers you up as there's always something new to see 

[Derekthefox]

Thank you Wardy, yes I do enjoy my fix of digging ...
The parsnip wine has just started today, so it will be a few months before it is ready ... but hopefully well worth the wait !

Derekthefox

[terrace max]

I have yet to find something to do in the winter that gives me that great feeling of well being I get in the rest of the seasons at the allotment.

To Busy Lizzie, and fellow SAD sufferers, I recommend the following:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1890132276/qid=1133718452/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_10_1/202-8741717-1642220

It cured me of winter blues.

[wardy]

In what way?  Eg  you spent all winter curled up eading it or the book does what it suggests and keeps your plot productive 365 days a year?

[terrace max]

Both really. It has to be said that it's written from a US perspective and relies on the fact that much of the US is on a similar latitude to Southern Europe. But it has really useful info & inspiration even for those of us shivering up here.

I reckon there is a worthwhile harvest to be had all year even here - and I'm trying to prove it.

[MikeB]

I've got the book as well TM, but the impression I get is that it's not the temperature thats critical but the amount of daylight per day and that we in the UK just don't get enough during the winter season.

Yes? No?

MikeB

[wardy]

TM  I don't think I'm doing bad either in North Derbys.  Still getting food off the plot (my first year) today.  Should do even better next year    I've still got food growing which is not ready yet, eg onions, shallots, garlic, cabbage, carrots, spinach (although I have been eating the baby leaves which are delish, ditto lettuce, and the oriental veg are growing very well and I'll soon be able to start picking those    I've just picked the last celeriac but got loads of leeks left. 

[Delilah]

All the family trooped to the plot today, only a 10 minute walk, thats me, OH and 2 daughters, can you imagine the face on the fella who doesn't like women being on the site

Thats 7 of the female species he has to cope with now!!!!!!!!    Not bad when you consider there are 101 plots and only 4 are occupied by women

[wardy]

I bet he thinks it'll all end in ruination of the plots 

[Delilah]

poor guy - What is the World coming to, Women growing veg, scandalous!!!!!!!!