I've been digging and hoeing away this afternoon, regularly (and happily) interrupted by fellow lottie holders, all of whom seem to have been gardening on this site since childhood. Lots of friendly advice, a lesson in hoeing, and visits to their allotments - 3 lbs of tomatoes, half a dozen beetroots, a dozen onions, and a cucumber. What a sweet bunch. I don't have a shed, but have been given a key to someone else's to store my stuff in. Generally a good afternoon's work. Anyone know a good way of cooking beetroot??! I have never met a nasty gardener yet - what is it about gardening - does it attract nice people, or does it turn people nice?
i think its a bit of both, you have to be a certain type of person to want to go gardening and then the whole process of growing things is so satisfying you become a nicer person!
good haul of veg there, i'm wondering if i'll ever need to grow anything myself with all the freebies! yesterday i dried some of the plum tomatoes i was given in the oven with salt and pepper and drizzled in olive oil for 12 hours at 90 degrees c then added some garlic and basil in a jar and covered in olive oil and voila, they are just like sunblush tomatoes from sainsburys. think i will have to come up with inventive ways with veg if we're going to use half of what we grow next year (there's only the two of us cos the cats won't eat veg!)
Hi Cerig, the best way to cook beetroot is to boil it in a pan for about 20/30 mins depending on size. Don't top and tail them til after you have cooked them or they will "bleed". Good luck and enjoy them Ruth.
Even though mines only half a plot (by the way I mismeasured - its 80ft x 15ft not 50ft x 15ft!) I'll have loads to spare as well - lots of room for comfrey!, and I might even try a permanent asparagus bed as well eventually. I want to try growing different companion plants around the veg as well - so in the end half a plot is probably just right!
Don't you worry about using all the produce you get from your lottie. I'm in the same position as you, two of us, cats and............. a big freezer, neighbors, friends, people at work, family etc. etc. Not to mention the birthdays, I think I'm getting famous by now for my veggie-birthday-boxes. Just this week I made one, filled the bottom with beetroots, on top I arranged bunches of different sorts of green beans (some purple ones too)held together with ribbons, gourgette, zucchini, parsley, tomatoes, onions and a jar of home made jam with a personalized label (like a birthday card). I also made a big bouquet of flowers to go with the box and voila, always a success. So......... don't worry, be happy and make a lot of people happy with your lottie. -Ina
wow ina that sounds fab! good idea!
Hi Ina, I love that idea - most of our family birthdays are spring/summer so I should have loads of bits and pieces to throw in.
I've just cooked the beetroots given to me that were pulled out of the ground at about 3.30pm today - the food miles were about a 1/2 kilometre wander home with child and dog, the storage time was about an hour - and they tasted great. I'm more inspired than ever. Roll on next season!
Greeting Ceri! It's true - there is nowt a queer as folk! Â When I first read your post this afternoon, I agreed with you...and in the main I still do. Â But allotment politics are a bothersome thing....and something I try to avoid by hiding behind the compost heap!
We have a guy who creates more mischief in 10 minutes than a cartload of monkeys could in a week! Â He gave up the plot secretary's job because 'it was too much', but he is making the life of the new PS absolute hell because he won't stop interefering. Â He has even told the new PS that he told me that I couldn't have my second plot because I hadn't finished working the first one! Â I wouldn't mind, but he hadn't said anything to me at all and the first plot is fully utilised!
On top of a generally cr*p week (and my word it is ONLY Wednesday) this rather pathetic epsiode has left me feeling somewhat jaded. Â :'( Â
Being sucked into this has really burst my bubble, so I'm going to go away, eat chocolate and return when I feel better! Â
I have to agree that there are two sides to these things - generally our lottie is lovely, very friendly, lots of good advice. But, there's a divide between the traditionalists, who spray anything that moves, and have plots up the top end - and then the environmentalists who have the plots at the bottom and get very upset if you're not composting properly.
There are a few of us who hover in the middle - trying to be organic but resorting to slug pellets to save a few salad leaves in desperation!
Problem is, whenever decisions have to be made as to who represents the lotties (not having a formal association) there's always a clash between the two groups and everyone seems to take sides. I must admit that while my leanings are organic, the pesticide lot are friendlier, more helpful and more inclined to pass on free veggies!!
I only know of one organic plot so far on my site - which was shown to me by a 'traditionalist' who I have to say wasn't disparaging, which I had been slightly expecting - just said it would be a lot of hard work, which is fair enough. Most of our holders have had their plots forever so I've been very receptive to advice - they've known this soil for many years after all! I think it helps that I'm so young (actually I'm 36 but on my site that is very young!), and its a small site of only 30-40 lotties. I think they are pleased the lotty is being cleared - less weed seeds to spread to their lotties!
That's the choccy box empty! :( Amazing how it lifts the spirits (that, and a chat on the board!) :)
I'm off choccy at the moment so I'm just going to sniff the empty box!! Glad the choccy helped. I'm sure our site has its politics, particularly as most of the holders have been there forever. I think I'm probably too new to be asked to play (luckily)! I'm very good at deliberating not taking sides or getting involved - it works well as everyone ends up telling you everything in an attempt to get you 'on side'!