2023-03-17 13:37
There are many gardening tools and gadgets on the market to chose from which can be mind boggling when starting out. I find most of my tools can be used for various jobs, so when buying for… Read More
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Allotment Haven Blog
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Life at the allotment, no dig raised beds and flowers for the bees. Welcome to my allotment blog where I blog about the growing year of Plot 5 and 11W.
2023-03-08 15:45
Spring feels as though it has been shoved back another month, it is still so cold and currently snowing. But it will come and I need to be prepared for the madness it will bring. I popped to… Read More
2023-03-02 21:15
The sun was shining today, making me feel warmer than it actually was. It has been cold, very cold, and from this weekend onwards it will be even colder. Perhaps even some snow. Yuk. I made… Read More
2023-02-19 19:04
The weather has certainly cheered up since my post last month, today was beautiful, a good day to get some things done on the allotment. The asparagus plants raised from seed produced plenty… Read More
2023-01-17 20:22
I stayed away from the plot for a couple of weeks due to the constant rain and wind, it really wasn’t tempting me to go. We’re back to freezing again and it snowed quite heavily… Read More
2023-01-03 12:00
The new year is here and I’m excitedly planning all the yummy and pretty things to grow. Due to the postal strikes last year I decided not to order my seeds when I usually do, just in… Read More
2022-12-31 11:06
Today I grabbed the chance to get out in the fresh air and blow some cobwebs away at the allotment, I enjoy visiting for a potter around and the peace and quiet was a tonic after busy Christ… Read More
2022-12-22 16:55
The big thaw happened this week with daytime temperatures jumping from -7C to 13C pretty much overnight. Bonkers or what? The ground is easy to work again just in time to harvest some Christ… Read More
2022-12-12 15:02
The UK has been gripped by an arctic blast for several days with temperatures plummeting well below freezing. I’m reading reports of temperatures dipping as low as -15C last night in S… Read More
2022-12-08 18:26
Visits to the allotment stopped around late summer due to close family bereavement. Last month I began visiting again after some time out and noticed the carrots were disappearing, I assumed… Read More
2022-12-02 19:14
Seeing photos of strapping leeks on other allotment blogs and Instagram left me with a serious case of leek envy. For years I’ve found growing leeks for the table impossible, unless ea… Read More
2022-12-01 18:08
December is a great month to finish tidying, tackle repairs to structures and generally plan and look forward to the coming growing season! Read More
2022-11-29 18:17
November has been mostly mild and soggy which means the ground is now truly saturated, the dusty soil of summer long gone. The barmy autumn temperatures are also gone with a frosty start to… Read More
2022-11-02 14:56
Fading light conditions can make time for the allotment almost impossible if you’re busy or work full time. It’s well worth removing weeds and spreading manure or organic compost… Read More
2022-10-01 13:07
Clocks go back, days are drawing in quick and the threat of the first frost looms. Cold biting winds, falling leaves and dreary weather signal that summer really is over, but take a mom… Read More
2022-09-02 09:47
There’s still plenty to harvest this month including beans and courgettes, autumn raspberries and other berries should be plentiful too. Pumpkins should be swelling nicely, d… Read More
2022-08-05 17:24
It has been a tricky growing year, extremely high temperatures and no significant rain for many months means watering has been a real chore. But it’s starting to pay off now with lots… Read More
2022-08-02 14:59
The new shed on Plot 11w is now a lovely shade of blue! So far it’s had two coats of paint and will probably need a third to completely cover the new shed orange look. In case anyone i… Read More
2022-08-01 17:30
All the hard work is starting to pay off, the allotment is producing plenty to take home to the kitchen. Beans and courgettes will need picking daily; blanche and freeze… Read More
2022-07-19 16:31
Record breaking temperatures hit parts of the UK yesterday, they may even be topped after today. As we Brits continue to sizzle under a red alert for extreme heat other parts of the world ar… Read More
2022-07-11 15:45
Gosh it’s hot. Sticky heatwave weather arrived the end of last week sending temperatures rocketing back up to 30C and beyond. The temperature could climb even higher over the coming da… Read More
2022-07-10 13:54
The pumpkin patch vines are producing plenty of big buttery-yellow flowers now which are so pretty. Bees and other insects do a fantastic job of pollinating, but sometimes I hand pollinate m… Read More
2022-07-07 08:33
The Golden Acre cabbages are looking beautiful again, they remind me of the cabbages lined up neatly in Mr McGregor’s garden and I can understand why Peter Rabbit risked being pie supp… Read More
2022-07-04 15:08
The sunflowers were released from their pot prisons at the weekend, roughly a month later than I would normally plant sunflowers out but hey, they’re in now and I can look forward to w… Read More
2022-07-02 08:54
I’m harvesting punnet after punnet of blackcurrants at the moment even though just one bush out of three is fruiting. The other two are resting up this year, due to near-death-by-red-a… Read More
2022-07-01 09:12
Summer is in full swing and harvests are coming more frequent. There’s plenty to pick and plenty to do on the allotment such as watering and keeping up with the weeding which can feel… Read More
2022-06-28 10:44
I start sowing leeks from March onwards using large plant pots or a deep container, the seedlings are ready for planting when they’re about the width of a pencil. Leeks are planted dif… Read More
2022-06-27 20:18
After a busy week I managed to squeeze a couple of hours allotment time in on Sunday. Leeks have patiently waited in their pots to go out on the plot, so this is one of the jobs I got on wit… Read More
2022-06-21 20:32
Last week was hot and Friday in particular reached a ridiculous temperature. Sadly, I lost one of my chickens to heat stress despite my best efforts. The weekend was all change, much cooler… Read More
2022-06-16 15:00
We’re in the midst of a mini heatwave with tomorrow set to be even hotter before fresher weather moves in. The heat is certainly helping seeds to germinate, the replacement beans start… Read More
2022-06-12 20:25
A lovely weekend on the allotment, a bit windy at times but sunny and dry. It has been a couple of days since my last post regarding bean seed fly maggots eating the beans, the weather has w… Read More
2022-06-10 09:53
Yesterday I checked on the bean seeds sown direct at the end of May. A few of the Greek Gigantes climbing beans are at seedling stage and I should be happy to see these cheery little shoots… Read More
2022-06-07 19:46
From time to time your chickens will get worms, and I don’t mean the juicy kind they find in the garden. I’m referring to intestinal worms. Eek! Poultry worms are… Read More
2022-06-05 14:11
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations began on Thursday with Trooping the Colour, after watching it on TV I set off for the allotment to raise a mug of tea to our Queen, then rolle… Read More
2022-06-01 09:20
It’s time to enjoy the first harvests such as early potatoes, broad beans, peas and ripening strawberries. The risk of frost diminishes this month and crops such as beans and… Read More
2022-05-27 20:24
While weeding the cut flower patch next to the allotment shed I began hearing loud cheeping sounds, looking up towards the bird box on the shed I saw a tiny yellow beak and pair of eyes at t… Read More
2022-05-24 19:42
It’s been a while since I did a proper allotment update, truth be told I haven’t been there very much so I’m a tad behind with everything. Today was all about spending time… Read More
2022-05-03 14:27
May is the month when seed sowing is in full swing, space in the greenhouse is filling up fast with seed trays and pots. Towards the end of the month I sow runner and other climbing bea… Read More
2022-04-01 07:50
April can be a mixed bag of weather and often unpredictable, making visits to the allotment difficult if you don’t have a shed or greenhouse in which to retreat. Nights are chilly and… Read More
2022-03-29 14:41
I am very lazy when it comes to planting potatoes and not a fan of the traditional method of digging trenches, it just doesn’t appeal to me. For many years I have planted potatoes with… Read More
2022-03-03 14:22
March is an exciting time for gardeners, the light is returning and spring bulbs are in bloom. Seed sowing can begin this month but always keep an eye on weather conditions and try to plan a… Read More
2022-03-02 16:06
The month us gardeners yearn for is finally here and it has been a rather soggy start. My wellies are needed once again, but this time for walks with Rosie in the rain. Rosie and I pass thro… Read More
2022-02-26 17:56
I lost my best friend 7 weeks ago. My beautiful German Shepherd Boudica sadly passed away after sudden illness, she was 12.5 years old. Even though she lived a long and happy life I was and… Read More
2022-02-20 15:07
In the red zone for Storm Eunice I was dreading meeting her, sadly she arrived bang on time early Friday morning, following on from Storm Dudley the day before. She really made an entrance (… Read More
2022-02-17 13:51
A respiratory infection in chickens (also turkeys) caused by mycoplasma gallisepticum bacteria is often incorrectly referred to as a cold. Mycoplasma is a common illness in winter and a… Read More
2022-02-13 18:32
So far February has been a cold and very blustery month with some crisp sunny days here and there. On the allotment broad beans are growing well and I noticed a couple of late bloomers pushi… Read More
2022-02-08 12:14
There’s no going back once you’ve caught the chicken keeping bug. Apart from the obvious reason why people decide to keep them, chickens are great company, fun to … Read More
2022-02-03 13:30
Raspberries are surprisingly easy to grow considering how expensive they are to buy in the shops. By growing summer and autumn fruiting you can pick raspberries from June right through to Oc… Read More
2022-01-31 10:42
Spotting signs that the allotment is beginning to wake from its winter slumber cheers me up no end. Spring bulbs are pushing through and that’s something to smile about. It’s too… Read More
2022-01-28 10:08
Big Garden Birdwatch 2022 starts today and I’ve just taken part! This is my 12th year doing so and I look forward to it every year. It’s free, fun and a great way to be invo… Read More
2022-01-24 17:27
Healthy chickens are quite hardy during a typical UK winter, even so, it pays to have some knowledge on caring for chickens during the colder months. Here are my tops tips for keeping your f… Read More
2022-01-24 17:27
Healthy chickens are quite hardy during a typical UK winter, even so, it pays to have some knowledge on caring for chickens during the colder months. Here are my tops tips for keeping your f… Read More
2022-01-20 20:17
A mild spell of weather last month and into January gave the broad beans sown in November a push to germinate, just one or two beans missing by the looks of it but I always sow generously to… Read More
2022-01-10 18:04
I grow a variety of rhubarb called Timperley Early on my allotment, I also have a couple of crowns in my garden. As the name suggests, you get an early crop compared to other rhubarb varieti… Read More
2021-12-30 18:45
Now is the perfect time to plan for the busy year ahead! Browse seed catalogues and plan what you’re going to grow and where, drawing a plan of your plot can help. If you’re… Read More
2021-12-24 18:23
The joy of popping to the plot to harvest vegetables on Christmas Eve, it has to be one of the most rewarding visits us allotment gardeners do and one I know I really look forward to. Someti… Read More
2021-12-12 19:25
I finally spent some time at my allotment today and it felt so good to be out pottering around again. The weather has been pretty wild lately, two named storms one after the other (Arwen and… Read More
2021-11-29 21:41
Snow arrived last night, just a light covering and I can’t say I’m surprised to see it. For many days now it has been bitterly cold, Storm Arwen arrived Friday night and blew awa… Read More
2021-11-21 22:00
One job I just had to get done this weekend was cut the dahlias down and cover with a mulch. I decided to leave my dahlias in the ground over winter, a combination of being lazy and pure cur… Read More
2021-11-07 20:55
I went to the allotment early this morning to get the garlic planted, it was sunny but with a biting wind to put a chill in your bones if you stood idle too long. Allotment chats with other… Read More
2021-11-05 21:29
Frosty mornings for most of this week so I thought I’d pop to the allotment to check things over. I took my dog with me seeing as I wasn’t planning on doing any real work, just a… Read More
2021-11-02 22:38
Perfect autumnal weather in my book, exactly what today ended up being after a frosty start. The first thing I did after arriving at the plot was inspect the dahlias, they’re still cli… Read More
2021-07-19 17:52
I love summer on the allotment, the plot is filling out with plenty to pick and a promise of more to come. The weather has been so hot, too hot for me to visit the allotment during the day… Read More
2021-07-03 21:56
The forecast is set for rain all weekend with thunder and lightning, then some more rain for pretty much the whole of next week. With this in mind I made the decision to pull the garlic yest… Read More
2021-07-01 09:03
The beginning of June started off very warm with temperatures above normal, but I missed it due to being quite poorly with Covid. Yep, it got me, even though I’ve had a vaccination. An… Read More
2021-02-07 13:58
The weather is just miserable and no doubt there will be more yukky stuff to come, spring can’t come soon enough and I think we’re all holding out for some better weather, a good… Read More
2021-01-24 19:52
Snow fell on Bedfordshire today, it doesn’t snow very often here but when it does it usually settles. I couldn’t resist getting the camera out and visiting the allotment.
Snow m… Read More
2021-01-21 19:38
Well, they’re sort of allotment chickens. Let me explain.
I don’t house my chickens on the allotment, they live in my garden for a couple of reasons. Firstly there really isn&rsq&hell…Read More
2021-01-13 15:52
It’s dark and uninviting outside, and according to the weather forecast the cold nip has been replaced by milder temperatures, although it still feels nippy to me. I don’t mind t… Read More
2021-01-10 16:40
Allotment Addicts is a discussion board (if you wish to) and photo sharing group on Flickr, created by little ol’ me. If you already upload photos to Flickr and love taking photos of y… Read More
2021-01-06 15:13
A third lockdown for England was announced by the Prime Minister on Monday which comes as no surprise given the infection/death rate statistics and concern over the new virus strain. Allotme… Read More
2021-01-01 21:18
It was cold and frosty this morning, a fresh new year, very fresh indeed. My early morning routine is pretty much the same each day, I let the chickens out of the coops and fill up their fee… Read More
2020-12-31 11:42
Although we head into the new year on lockdown and skating on thin ice with this rotten virus, I sincerely hope 2021 will be kinder to us all.
Above are some of my favourite photos from the… Read More
2020-12-28 20:37
Christmas has been and gone, it was certainly different this year. Today is my daughter’s 23rd birthday which makes me feel old, due to tier 4 restrictions all our plans and the chance… Read More
2020-12-24 16:40
It’s Christmas Eve, the big day is almost here! Today I picked the veg from the allotment for Christmas dinner. Yesterday a months worth of rain fell on already saturated ground and th… Read More
2020-12-21 12:28
The year of the pandemic, 2020 has been extraordinary and devastating to many. Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson made an announcement on the 19th December that changed Chris… Read More
2020-12-20 10:48
Whenever I pull wonky carrots from the ground I can’t help but smile at the weird and wacky shapes, sometimes a childish giggle escapes from me if I find one to be somewhat risque.
Car… Read More
2020-12-17 21:48
I spent a couple of hours at my allotment today which was absolute bliss in the sunshine. I managed to get quite a bit done, partly because I was the only one there (no chit chatting) and th… Read More
2020-12-14 14:06
I have a decent patch of autumn fruiting raspberries in my garden at home, they grow a little wild sending out runners everywhere but I quite like that. During winter I chop the whole lot do… Read More
2020-11-23 18:58
Yesterday I popped some broad bean seeds (or fava beans as they’re also known) into a raised bed, just 2 rows because I’m the only one in my family who likes them. Broad bean &ls&hell…Read More
2020-11-16 16:42
The raised beds on Plot 11w are taking some time to completely fill up, I’m getting there slowly, just concentrating on one bed at a time. Homemade compost has been set aside to mulch… Read More
2020-11-08 19:36
Leaf kicking season is here and calmer weather has finally arrived, I haven’t managed to get much done on the allotment for a number of weeks due to constant heavy rain and wild winds… Read More
2020-10-16 21:22
I have some news to share….I’ve finally planted something on Plot 11w! All the raised beds are in and the paths mulched with bark, it’s such a great feeling to move on to… Read More
2020-10-15 13:28
All of the winter squash and pumpkins have been harvested and I’m pretty pleased with what I have grown. The butternut squash were a huge success this year, lovely big fruits and plent… Read More
2020-10-15 13:28
All of the winter squash and pumpkins have been harvested and I’m pretty pleased with what I have grown. The butternut squash were a huge success this year, lovely big fruits and plent… Read More
2020-10-08 16:17
I recently posted about no dig raised beds on my new allotment and decided to post about how to go about making them. I used wooden scaffold boards because they’re a decent depth but a… Read More
2020-10-01 13:34
Something is eating my leeks, sadly it’s not me.
I noticed my leeks started to look poorly recently (they have a touch of leek rust but that’s pretty standard for my a… Read More
2020-09-30 13:05
After taking delivery of untreated scaffold planks to make raised beds I was struck with how bright the wood was, it was a sunny day and the glare really hurt my eyes. I purposely chose untr… Read More
2020-09-26 12:14
Last weekend plot 11w had some visitors. Armed with power tools and plenty of enthusiasm my lovely dad and OH came down to the allotment to give me a hand making raised beds. The weather was… Read More
2020-09-24 12:57
I’ve had a great year on plot 5 with winter squash. If I had to criticise any of the varieties grown it would be Turks Turban, they could’ve been bigger with a few more lines of… Read More
2020-09-16 14:57
After weeks of hearing the call of autumn suddenly summer is back with a bang. The beginning of the week was sweltering hot and the only shade my plot offers is in the shed! This is where I… Read More
2020-09-13 11:00
There have been some changes on the allotments since my last blog post which I’m shocked to see was in April, I knew I had neglected the blog but didn’t realise for just how long… Read More
2020-04-29 21:42
I haven’t visited the allotment much this month and I’m a bit behind. The weather has been unseasonably warm for weeks which made the ground bake hard, making it very difficult t… Read More
2020-03-27 21:32
Here in Britain we have been told by our government to stay home, not to visit family or friends and only to leave our homes for essentials such as food. Exercise is permitted once a day and… Read More
2020-02-26 22:29
Since taking on the abandoned half plot next to my allotment the weather has been against me, it’s to be expected for January and February but the weather has been particularly wet and… Read More
2020-02-16 00:08
As I sit writing this blog from my warm bed storm Dennis lashes the front of my house, the sound of the wind and rain is rather scary and I’m thankful I’m not outside. This is th… Read More
2020-02-02 09:54
Seed potatoes are readily available from garden centres and seed merchants from early January offering many different varieties to chose from. Produced to be disease-free they offer the best… Read More
2020-01-31 12:07
Last summer I spoke to the site secretary about taking on the abandoned half plot that backs onto mine provided nobody on the list wanted it, the deadline for rents arrived and I was told th… Read More
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