Allotments 4 All
Photo Gallery => The Gallery => Topic started by: Svea on March 07, 2005, 11:12:18
-
ok, seeing pictures of everyone's lottie - i went there saturday and took a photographic record of what is there. Henry our neighbour who was digging out some bindweed thought i was well mad :D
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allotment20050305_1.jpg)
looking east
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allotment20050305_2.jpg)
looking west
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allotment20050305_3.jpg)
and a piccie of my rhubarb in its current state.
the plot is divided up into 6 1.2metre beds (that's 4 foot for you imperial types ;)) with paths between. the bed along the fence i want to use for fruit bushes (only 3 or 4) and the bed along the wall i want for tomatoes and cucumbers, once i cleared the daffs (after they have flowered this spring) and the left overs of the former compost bin thingies. also some rubble and broken bits of glass to be tidied up behind the rhubarb
it's only a small plot (6x11m approx) but i reckon will be enough for two :)
in good condition thanks to the previous plot holder who took great care of it :)
svea
-
Looks great Svea, I wish all my plot looked like that :)
Thanks for sharing
-
It looks so neat! And the soil looks gorgeous - rich, black, crumbly. Swoon! (want to swap it for my clay?!!) ;)
-
Very nice Svea. You may think it big enough now, I wonder how long before you run out of space to plant everything you want.
-
oh, in my mind it's already too small :D
but, i will just have to see what i can grow this year, and maybe decide against a few things in the longer run (not even bothering with onions or carrots, and potatoes may be cut out next year except some early ones)
svea
-
Why no onions or carrots svea?
-
well they take space and are so cheap to buy.
because the plot is small, i want to concentrate on the things we like and are more expensive in the shops. i plan on growing french beans because i like them a lot - yet packets are dear in the shops.
i want to grow some early potatoes because they are yummy
i want to grow squashes because i want to try some varieties you dont find in the shops.
and i want to grow brassicas because i never dunn it ;)
carrots would struggle on our soil - looks nice but is quite heavy clay half a spade down. and onions are cheap as chips. ;) i will sow some spring onions though, for sure :)
i guess it's weighing up likes and availability/costs of veg against the space i have on the plot. :)
-
Very organised plot! Looks so tidy, and no weeds!!!!
-
your plot is so biju! I thought ours was small! But yours looks so much mor manageable that our overgrown patch! And so neat!
-
lovely pictures and what avery nice plot wish i had a lottie everyone posting pics of there nice plots and i am still waiting seems like i am never going to get one
-
two months have passed and some stuff has happened on the plot
looking east
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allotment20050503_eastwards.jpg)
along the left hand side is my fruit bed - summer raspberry, gooseberry, autumn rasp and a red currant. in between those, permanent herbs (lavendar, rosemary, sage and soon to come lovage) as well as an oleander in between.
also in view the potatoes
in the background, we have cleared away the box storage thingy, and i have scavenged some large tubs (the green one being the largest) to stand on the bits of concrete i unfortunately have on the plot.
in the front, the two beds for my brassicas. the first one is not too bad - having been a permanent bean bed for the last few years - crumbly soil in between the clay. the second bed, however, is a different story. you can make out the bricks on there that pose as earth...:-\
looking west
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allotment20050503_westward.jpg)
from the other side of the plot, right in front a row of radished, my garlic standing to attention, and to the right my rhubarb going strong.
i did spend some hours this weekend past relaying the path past the rhubarb which was a bit of a death trap.
and this one just for carrie:
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allotment20050503_rasprunt.jpg)
your little runts have finally taken, and are now growing at the rate of one leaf per day :)
i guess they have been busy making roots first.
that's all for today.
it will look quite different in a few weeks time when i have finally planted all my indoor seedlings out where they belong.
-
a view eastwards
potatoes growing like mad, and in the foreground my 'expertly' netted brassicas :D
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allotment050526_east.jpg)
view westwards
got a planting spree coming on this weekend: squashes/pumpkins will finally go into the bed currently covered in black plastic. not sure yet whether i should plant through it, or take the plastic off....
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allotment050526_west.jpg)
-
my first potatoes in flower
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allotment050526_potflower.jpg)
and one of my 'black' seed drills (rocket, this one)
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allotment050526_rocketdrill.jpg)
btw, the autumn bliss raspberries are no longer - something has dug them up >:(
oh well, gotta try again in the autumn......
-
Great to see your pics, Svea. Your plot is looking good and It is interesting to see it's progress as it develops. Things really blooming. I love looking at other people's plots. :) busy_lizzie
-
Ta for the pics Svea :) All looking very promising. Like you I don't know whether to grow through my black sheet mulch. I think I will but from a corner and then try and direct squashes over the rest of it. I have a large sheet of that blue plastic from Wickes and I think I'm going to put that down as well as my plot is still mostly weeds. There is the other angle though of planting squashes all over the place and let them act as weed suppressant. Oh, decisions, decisions ;D
-
Great allotment. I missed Henry the neighbor on the latest pictures hehehe.
I enjoyed seeing the pictures and reading your captions. Thanks
-
What a wonderfully organised plot that is Svea ! You have put a lot of hard work into that one - Well done and good luck with everything that is growing. :D
-
;D Well done Svea ;D you have put some work in there, I love to see these updates of progress on the lotties ;)
-
thank you :)
just spent another few hours out there today - will have to update in a week or so. back hurts from bending down - ouch!
time for a barcadi coke though 8)
-
ok, no updates for almost a year. time to do something about it then, eh?
last summer my camera died, now i have a new one and intend to keep more of a record again.
here a few piccies from the allotment today:
looking east
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allot060422_east.jpg)
looking west
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allot060422_west.jpg)
interesting comparison with the images above from last year - the plot has been in production all winter and so is much greener to start with.
our rhubarb going into overdrive (and i just ignored the poor thing)
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allot060422_rhubarb.jpg)
this little fellow was keeping us company for two hours, only moving over one leaf on the raspberries
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allot060422_ladybird.jpg)
broad beans in flower
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allot060422_bbflower.jpg)
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allot060422_svea.jpg)
-
lovely pics Svea and it is so inspiring seeing everything develop.
;D
-
;D
Lovely neat plot! It's so encouraging to see things change from year to year, can't wait to see other peoples updates too!
;)
-
That was fun, a bit of time travel ;D Looks a nice warm spot Svea :)
-
spot on well done, what have you used to put your nets over ?
carl
-
Great pics Svea, have just tracked back to first pic and the story unfolds. Brilliant.
Lorna
-
initially i put the net over the hoops from my tunnel - that was the first brassica picture. later on, the sprouts and broccoli grew so tall that i had to hammer stakes in the corners of the bed, string between, upside down flowerpots on the stakes, and lay the net over that. in the autumn, i took all the netting off (before the storms) but the pidgeons started having a go at my broccoli this january so i just draped netting directly over the plants, i had one of my 'poles with bottle and cds' bird scarer in the middle so that became the high point of the net. the pidgeons tried sitting on the broccoli for another few days but gave it up. so no bird problem anymore :)
-
Svea
Congratualtions, it is looking really good.
I used to live at the other end of Manor Place and always looked enviously at the plots on Fielding Street (or one of those roads). Is your plot on the East Street side of Walworth Road?
OC
-
yep, it's part of the church commisioners estate that has now been sold off though so we are a bit nervous as to the future of our lotties :(
we hope that they will have forgotten we are here, but with all the proposed redevelopment going on around here in the next couple of years, i am sure we are sitting on someone's profit.
we'll enjoy it while it lasts and prepare for a good dog fight though :)
where do you garden, if i may ask?
-
Svea
My profile shows my allotment. (I'm slightly confused as some people's profiles seem to show their homes but others show their allotments!) I moved out to the country from Kennington, well down the Northern Line to Morden ;)
If you are concerned about the future of your allotments then contact LBSouthwark asap (it's a good time to call you councillor before 4th May) and your GLA member. I know via Merton that Ken is presently assessing all open areas in London and obviously allotments are high on the agenda especially with their legal requirements. As ever it is best to get the foot in the door before the problem rather than after.
Regards
OC
-
my home IS my allotment which explains me away. can always trust Ken to do the right thing eh ? so i'd get my squatters rights in before he sells it from under you.
:o
-
MrsKP,
Don't get me wrong, I think that, for once, the Mayor's (Ken) wish is to maintain and maximise the use of open spaces - some authorities are even looking at opportunities to increase allotment provision!
However, that said, the cynic in me does think that open spaces can be seen to equal money ::) Hence the most important thing to do is to protect one's interests as early as possible.
OC
-
don't trust him...... repeat DON'T TRUST HIM ...... whatever he has said, go with your gut feeling and secure your rights !!!! ooooooh i've got all explosive there......... if it comes out of ken's mouth .... go the opposite way. start building brick walls at the entrances if you have to.
:o
-
ken has nothing to do with our allotments, however - as they are privately owned.plus they have no legal standing as allotment seither, i.e. they are buildable land. it's just in the last 30 years, noone wanted to build around here as it's a rough neighbourhood.
anyways, i will tell you more about this as and when there is anything to tell.
at the moment, we are enjoying the sunshine and have been out poottering again and planting bean seeds and peas, and having a tidy-up. it was quite busy today, 4 lots of allotment holders out which doesnt happen too often - we dont seem to conincide too much.
-
an update on the plot:
looking east - the PSB has almost been cleared, early potatoes are going strong.
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allot060510_east2.jpg)
looking east again
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allot060510_east.jpg)
looking east: with freshly planted tomatoes and sweetcorn and working OH
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allot060510_west.jpg)
rhubarb going mad - this is AFTER i harvested a whole lot!!
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allot060510_rhubarb.jpg)
-
close up of the new tomatoes
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allot060510_toms.jpg)
chives in bloom
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allot060510_chives.jpg)
raspberries and rhubarb harvest
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allot060510_rasp.jpg)
and last but not least - a unusually spotted ladybird
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allot060510.jpg)
the chives image is available as a download
for 1280x1024, right-click here (http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/chives1280.jpg) and save to your hard drive
for 1440x900 widescreen, right-click here (http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/chives1440.jpg) and save to your hard drive
-
Like the pics Svea, well done. :)
However that ladybird - looks like a Harlequin? check out this link and compare the image to yours.
http://www.essexfieldclub.org.uk/images/Harlequin%20ladybird.jpg
-
super pics ;D
love the chives & ladybird pics ;D
-
no updates for a while, these are images from the end of may:
28/05/06
looking east
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allot060528_east.jpg)
early potatoes on the left, then maincrop potatoes, onions and garlic, broadbeans looking and going strong
another look:
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allot060528_east2.jpg)
raspberries on the left - and we were just about to put in celeriac next to the maincrop taters
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allot060528_west.jpg)
a look towards the west, with sweetcorn and small tomatoes in view, and the rhubarb to the right.
-
and here, a month later, some harvest images
27/06/06
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allot060627_harvest.jpg)
we have second earlies (nicola), onions, broad beans and peas, rhubarb and some lovage, red gooseberries and raspberries
a close up of yummy-ness
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allot060627_rasp.jpg)
the raspberries image is available for download as a desktop
for 1280x1024, right-click here (http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allot060627_rasp1280.jpg) and save to your hard drive
for 1440x900 widescreen, right-click here (http://www.stardotbmp.com/svea/Miscellaneous/allot060627_rasp1440.jpg) and save to your hard drive
-
PS: i bought the basket very recently - it's so nice! and not just useful on the allotment - in my quest to use less and less plastic carrier bags, i now take it shopping to the market and shops. lovely :)
-
Svea. Brilliant results :) Your had work has certainly paid dividends. Well done, you must be very pleased
Lorna
-
All looking so well organised and neat svea, and your rasps are so healthy! Yum!
The site looks really well sheltered too. Loved looking over the fence at your productive plot :)
-
What a wonderful plot Svea
I have just enjoyed looking back at all the pictures to see how the plot has changed. You must be really pleased with you oasis.
-
how about an update?
i spent about 3 hours on the allotment today - that's quote a lot for me as i normally tend to it for 30 mins or so every evening when coming back from work. so now my back hurts from bending...
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/gallery/albums/allotment/060730_looking_west.jpg)
I made a climbing frame for the cucumbers today. They were sprawling along the ground and starting to crowd the peppers. I managed to layer the vines as if they had grown up there naturally.
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/gallery/albums/allotment/060730_cucumbers.jpg)
The aubergines are starting to form and grow very fast now. We should have quite a few of this plant - looks like a lot of flowers on it. This is Orient Express F1 - the Tung Long Thai hasn't grown at all since I transplanted it and I don't think we will see any fruit of it at all.
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/gallery/albums/allotment/060730_aubergine.jpg)
-
Raspberries ready for next year: I cut out the old shoots and tied in the new ones, then mulched around the base. Yes, I did use rhubarb leaves as a top dressing - not for any nutritional value but to try and keep moisture in the soil as much as possible.
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/gallery/albums/allotment/060730_raspberries.jpg)
Golden Hubbard and green Baby Bear. The Baby Bear is doing very well this year, with lots of fruit growing on the vine. Alas, this is the only Golden Hubbard so far...(i have lots of varieties but only one plant of each on the allotment)
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/gallery/albums/allotment/060730_squashes.jpg)
This is today's harvest: the first tomatoes, some Hildora and Purple Teepee beans, two Hungarian Hot Wax peppers (a little too hot for my palate), and our first cucumber this year. The variety is Burpless Tasty.
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/gallery/albums/allotment/060730_harvest.jpg)
-
That pic of a wall-trained rasp should really go in the wiki svea - perfect!
How did you get the panorama - it's excellent! :D
-
it's just a few images stiched rughly together in photoshop.
i take a number of images from the same spot, just turning a bit each time, until i have covered the view (3 to 4 shots normally)
-
no updates for a while?
-
nice svea, thought you blog that keep record, very nice plot there , and add link on your signature
-
no updates indeed!
august was mostly moist and cool, september was busy otherwise so i didnt do anythig other than harvesting. october and the nights are drawing in, which means i can now only garden on the weekends. will be out there on sunday for the first time in three or four week!
i do not want to spare you the picture of my most superb crop of sweet potatoes! they did very well indeed, and though the slugs also enjoyed them while they could, they did leave me with 2.2kg off two plants, which i think is quite decent.
(http://www.stardotbmp.com/gallery/albums/allotment/061007_sweetpotatoharvest2.jpg)
more photos as and when.
-
Very impressive sweet pots there Svea... much better than mine in the edible section, although I still have the giant vine in the schools greenhouse to tackle!
;D