Twas the month before Christmas.......

............Seasons Greetings!

I know..I know it's only November......the bonfire's hardly out and my nuts are still warm!

But nevertheless it is that Season for being Jolly......and jolly I am but not for any particular reason.

Keep making wishes....new water tank......getting the greenhouse fixed.....vraicing .........manuring.......if only Santa's Little Helper could.....well.....help!

Need to do a little weeding and sorting on the plot....otherwise it's all hunky dorey.

I have no idea what I'm going to do next year................

Abitot

Oh Woe is me!

Greetings Faithful Followers of Shallotment!
I jest ....all is not woeful but I have sadly been very much neglecting you. I have no excuse save general laziness which I much regret as I should be entertaining you with all my adventures.

So to give you all a little Summer update the results are......
Strawberries....a few handfulls
Onions.....plentiful and huge!
Broad beans.....fair crop.
Beets....pretty fantastic. Got plenty pickled.
Runner beans.....pretty poor!
Squashes....non existant.
Courgettes.....fabulous.
Kale.....great.
Chard....great.
Rhubarb......brilliant.
Glads and daliahs ......great.
Tomatoes.....tomtastic.
Chillies....disappointing.
Melon.....one the size of a tangerine! (but perfect!)

Plot improvements....slab path down the middle with a super willow archway!

Generating a nice compost in the compost dalek!

Need to really sus my water capture this year.....been rather lax and need to get things sorted.

The Wife has joined the RHS and we're off to Chelsea next year. FAB!

That's all for now Folks!
Keep on keeping on.
Abitot.

Growing pains .....

Greetings!
Growing is painful.....from the top of the plot it's looking a bit like this....
Carrots......fab.
Strawberries....not so bad but some are getting nibbled by critters.
Broad beans....slowly getting there but  being attacked by black fly .
Leeks...looking great.
Beets.....holding their own.
Onions .....loads and loads.
Rhubarb.....great.
Lupins...beautiful but being swamped by aphids.
Spuds.... Started slow but finished fine... A touch of blight but nothing to worry.
Onions.....more!
Runner beans....beginning to run.
Sweet corn.......slowly slowly .
Toms...rampant
Chillies......coming along.
Parsnips.....doing ok.
Melons.....! Lol!
I think that's about it....all in all not so bad indeed. No real surprises and no disasters ...yet.
Growing conditions are perfect ....getting lots of sun and a bit of rain.
Loving it all.
Keep on Carrying On!
Abitot.

Royal Visit.

Greetings.
Well not quite ...but almost as Georgina and Camilla came to visit today. So I was up on the plot early and got weeding and tidying in readiness . So I've put a new step down onto the plot and planted the willow branches on either side to make an arch. Looks fab. Did a bit of planting out and potting on....toms and chillies or are they peppers....? Anyway I also sorted the melons so the greenhouse is done. Just got to plant out the rest of the beetroot once I've dug the rest of my spuds.
Have I mentioned the lupins? Producing tons of stems. And the strawberries .....huge!
And the weather has been unusually good too....sunny and warm. Beautiful!
Keep on Keeping on.
Abitot.

Wet Wet Wet

Greetings...
Not just a group!
Been pouring all week....great for me onions and corn and beans and berries and stuff but not good for cats.
Just got beetroot to get planted out now and my mellons to get sorted in the greenhouse and that will sorta be it for a bit. Chillies begining to show well. Toms continuing to please.
I love it!
Keep on enjoying.
Abitot.

Great weekend

Greetings.
And what a scorcher she was! Lots done out on the plot.....more beans....courgettes......kale.....in! Spuds almost all dug......not a huge harvest but not bad tasting. Toms setting and growing madly.
Just have my beets and parsnips to plant out. Strawberry crop loking fab.
On the downside the plot is drinking me dry......half a tank left already. Woe.
On the upside....it's all good!
Keep on keeping on.
Abitot

Nursery

Greetings.

Very sunshiney today and forecast to get only better. Fab.

A nest of tiny golden spiders has hatched on my barrow. They're amazing!

Lady Di beans seem to be struggling a bit. Sweet corn doing great. Tom's are rampant. 

Delighted with progress ......looking forward to Saturday as I intend to dig the rest of my spuds...plant out my courgettes and beets and kale. Lots to do but a sunny day will make it brilliantl.

Keep on enjoying.

Abitot