Wednesday 22 August 2012

Shameful neglect

 2 months of neglect!  Every year I think, this will be the year, and every year something crops up to prevent me from keeping on top of the allotment. This time it has been a lack of a car.  It is too far for Sophie to walk (so she thinks!) and she refuses to go in the pushchair now.  Not all of us have working bikes so couldn't even get down there on our bikes, And then in the evenings when I did have a car, there were so many other demands on my time too (plus the weather isn't always playing ball!) so those are my excuses! I was dreading going down there, scared of what jungle I  would find.  In fact I had wondered whether to give up the allotment, as it is one more thing I feel I am not doing properly. 

So yesterday I had the loan of Mum's car for the day, and off we tootled.  It was bad!  It has been a very good year for weeds, and by the looks of it, blackberries!
 The courgettes are doing well, but planting 4 pumpkin plants still has not resulted in one pumpkin.  All male flowers :(
 We were able to harvest some courgettes, and some of the onions, some spinach, and our entire broad bean harvest of about 5 pods, and two of those don't look as if they will be edible.  All the other beans (runner and french) have amounted to nothing too!
 We cut some of the grass with blunt hedging shears (the only thing we had to hand) and we pulled some of the seeding thistles, so it did look marginally better when we left.
 Look, at least you can see some of the plants that are supposed to be there now! 
Once they are all back at school, I AM going to get on top of this allotment. Really I am!!

9 comments:

  1. Similar view here too and the garden is a wilderness, too little time spent there and conditions not great for one reason or another. Off up there this weekend hopefully.

    I always refer to the old saying "there is always another year ...". Enjoy what you can harvest this year.

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  2. Lol, it's a challenge Claire! You will get it under control one day - Yvonne xx

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  3. Claire I know you will get on top of it! It has been a tough year for vegetable growing, the weeds have done well. I have trouble with raised beds in the garden! I am thinking about half an allotment with a friend of mine but realistically I know I don't have the time this baby requires! xxx

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  4. oh i feel your pain. my allotment is in the cul de sac at the back of the house and yet i still managed to neglect it this year. we do have some onions in there and a tomato plant. we also have some pumpkins. i popped my head in last month and noted that it needed weeding rather badly! I also noted the potato plants that had sprouted from a stray potato or 2 we must have left in last year. So if i find it hard to get 100ft from my back gate then i think you are forgiven lol

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  5. I think we are all in the same boat this year!
    Our 'big garden' is a wilderness, and when I attempted to weed, I spent more time tending to the kids, getting stung by the stinging nettles!
    We all have fab gardens next year...
    x

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  6. Every year I say the same about my little garden plot. I think when you have a family it is hard to keep a veggie plot going and keep it looking like a show garden at the RHS show. Everyone's right, conditions have been perfect for growing weeds this year so I think you've done well given the distance issue! Sophie will be a year older and have longer legs next year ;) xx

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  7. I do wish I could manage an allotment, but I can just about manage my tiny garden. Comfort yourself in the knowledge that lots of people have had huge problems with veg this year, partly from rain and from slugs.

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  8. At least you got something planted! We bought boards to make a raised garden and didn't even get one board nailed.. oh well. Next year? ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  9. I wouldn't beat yourself up too much over your allotment, I would think that the rubbish weather has also played its part and at least you have something to show :)

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