Allotment Tales

Saturday morning, OH and Little Bird had taken the dog to the park with some of Little Bird's friends, so I was left home alone.  It was quite nice for a change actually.  I had a bit of a lie in reading and then got up and pottered around doing a few jobs for an hour or so, before heading off to the allotment on my bike.

I particularly wanted to harvest some lettuce. I knew some would be ready, as they was very close on my last visit.  When I got there the lettuce patch looked like this.

I was really happy with it's progress.  I set to doing a bit of work.  There were no more strawberries.  I'd picked the lot on my last visit, so I decided to cut back all the plants, so that I might get another crop if the season is long enough.  They needed a good crop and the patch looked a lot better for it.  Where there were still a few strawberries growing, I didn't crop right back, hence a few left with a bit of growth. 

I was really pleased to see that the rhubarb, which didn't get off to a good start this year, was feeling a bit more productive, so I harvested a good few stalks to make some more crumbles. 

I had to freeze some of the strawberries  harvested on my last visit, so I'm going to include them in the crumbles too.  I used some this week, alongside some blackcurrants from the back garden, and even OH ate the resulting crumbles, which he never normally does as he's not keen on rhubarb.

In addition to the rhubarb improving, the climbing beans I planted out a month or so ago had now started to get a bit more established.  I was relieved as I wasn't sure they were going to survive.  They're still a bit spindly, but will hopefully fill out a bit more and produce plenty of beans. 

No such worries with the artichokes.  These monsters must be over 7ft tall now.  I can hardly reach them to cut off the globes.  I'll probably leave them on to flower as the bees love them.

After sorting out the strawberry patch, I decided to do a bit of weeding and cutting back of the comfrey and nettles that encroach from the other side of the perimeter fence and then I took some bags of pernicious weeds to the communal compost bins, which cleared some clutter from my plot.  I figure if I do a bit each visit, I'll get on top of what needs doing eventually.

I harvested a few spring onions, they weren't huge, but it helped to thin them out and there were just enough to put in a few salads this week.  I'm the only one who eats them.

There was a bit of floral interest at the allotment too.  A poppy that had seeded itself onto the plot was now flowering. 

The hollyhocks were starting to flower

and the nasturtiums in all their different colours were putting on a good display.

Just before leaving I harvested some lettuces.  I took quite a few because some were at the point of almost bolting.  When I got home and washed them I had two huge bowls.

 

 

They should last a week or two and will keep better in the fridge at home than at the allotment in the hot weather.  As I'm back eating to salads every day, it should get used up pretty quickly anyway. 

No need to guess what I had for lunch when I got back.  Yes, salad.  Here it is. (Please excuse the bad photograph, I didn't realise it was blurry until after I'd eaten it).

This one had home grown lettuce and spring onions, pitted green olives, cooked beetroot, mozzarella, tomatoes, tinned sweetcorn, parmesan gratings and a splash of balsamic vinegar.  Delish.