PHILS ALLOTMENT

Apple tree 09

2009-08-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

My three year old apple tree JAMES GRIEVE. 5 foot tall tree and fruit for the second year better than year 08.

Very tasty too. The wasps also love this apple. Seven good size fruits altogether.

Red Cabbage &Cauliflower 09

2009-08-27T03:30:00.000-07:00

This years' Red Cabbage and Cauliflower. A great success.

Clematis 'mrs Cholmondley'

2009-06-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

This Clematis has never let me down. Flowers twice a year. Spring and Autum. trained on a trellis, intermingled with Clematis Montana pink and C Montana White. Three real beauties.

Easy growers, they love farm manure.

I have a few clematis dotted around the garden trailing on trees and arbours.I find they love the company of other plants near them. I dont give them any special treatment. Make sure for the first year till they get established to water and feed them. Follow guide lines when to cut them back and which ones. (Marigold Badcock's Success with CLEMATIS) book is very useful.

NEW ARRIVALS

2009-04-25T01:11:00.000-07:00

Allotment gardening have taken a new level. Gone are the days when retired gentlemen took on plots not only for growing veggies but to have a bit of peace and quiet and a beer with the other guys in an allotment shed.

It is most encouraging to see,with the help of Media coverage young families taking on new plots.
Derelict plots are now cleared,ploughed and rotivated to accommodate a growing waiting list on most sites.

What an excellant way of encouraging young families to grow their own Veggies as it tastes better and also educating their children to do the same.

There is a good community spirit on our site and the enthusiasam shown for projects within the site is very intense.

The older generation of plot holders have shown such great tolerance and acceptance. They are only too pleased to share their knowledge,sharing seeds and plants to our young plot holders.

Hopefully this trend will continue and not just a flash in the pan.

Good luck to all you allotmenteers!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-04-24T04:51:00.001-07:00

My first flowering Clematis in April 09

2009-04-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

FIGS

2008-09-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

My second fig tree planted two years ago growing horizontally along the fence. This year's fruit looks more healthy may be all this rain we have had. The whole tree is laden with fruit.

I have never grown Figs before so this is all new to me.

Going BANANAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-09-07T14:39:00.000-07:00

My Musa Basjoo has now reached the dizzy heights of 7 foot and 9foot tall. The little one you see is approx. 3 foot tall and fast catching up. I also have others dotted around the garden.
I know it will take a long time to fruit but for me it is just fun growing them, reminds me of home in the tropics.

RAISEDBEDS--Carrots

2008-09-06T12:17:00.000-07:00

Carrot seeds 'Autum king' were planted during the first week in July when the Moon was waning. Weeks later we are enjoying our first carrots.
This is the first attempt at planting by the Moon. They look pretty robust.

I have also had success with beetroot planted about the same time as the carrots.

Cherries(STELLA) in the garden 2008 July

2008-07-15T15:49:00.000-07:00

Planted Cherry tree in April this year not expecting to get any fruit at all. We are very pleased with the tree we bought from the garden center.

Runnerbeans in July

2008-07-15T14:43:00.000-07:00

After a late start planting runnerbeans we are harvesting our first lot of beans.

my first allotment

2008-07-15T07:10:00.000-07:00

PHILS ALLOTMENT

Butter nut squash

2008-07-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

I decided as an experiment to grow Butter nut squash and Dwarf beans in a builders bag.

As you can see the bag is full to overflowing.

Bag contents---- Firstly I filled half the bag with grass cuttings and old news papers , topped it up with 2 bags of growmore compost. Planted dwarf bean seeds in and when they have germinated I planted two butter nut squash plants raised from seed.

POND

2008-07-10T15:34:00.000-07:00

Second Lilly to flower this year they are not flowering so well it must be the weather.

Allotment Shed hanging baskets 08

2008-07-03T15:08:00.000-07:00

Decided this year to grace our allotment shed with two hanging baskets.

My hanging baskets 08

2008-07-03T15:01:00.000-07:00

2008-06-12T13:04:00.000-07:00

Allium is one of my favorite flowers. I have them dotted around the garden.

Update MAY 08

2008-05-10T15:30:00.000-07:00

This year so far has been a better year for us on the allotment. We now have put a shed up and a greenhouse. We also have decided to go for RAISED BEDS.

My brother constructed the raised beds . Its prooving to be a real gem when it comes to WEEDING . All our raised beds are 2 meters x 1 meter. I find this size manageble and good for cultivating root vegetables as these need soft ground.

Do not grow Brussel sprouts and Winter cabbage in a raised bed as these need hard ground.

In November last year we planted onions and garlic in one bed and Early peas (Feltham First) in another raised bed.

These beds are ideal for organic gardening and you dont have to do hard digging.

ALLOTMENT'S 80th Anniversary

2007-08-21T05:31:00.000-07:00

ROY's Scarecrow

On the 18th of August our allotment site had a special open day, the sites's 80th anniversary.

Our main two gates were decorated with festive balloons,flags and buntings. We had a few stalls selling produce donated from the plots. Cakes made by a few plot owners and tombola.

Prizes were given to the best scarecrow above pic., and tallest SunFlower.

On the weather front---Overcaste but otherwise a reasonable good day.

In the evening to windup the day we had two big bbqs. 25 people joined us at our bbq. free of charge.

80th sponge cake was made by Phil Ellis

CROCOSMIA---lucifer

2007-08-02T14:18:00.000-07:00

There are 7 species of this clump forming perennial. Full hardy to frost hardy and robust. for me the red is the most stunning of the colours. Flowers and grasslike foliage can be used for cut flowers. When planting corms best put them to the back of the fencing or garden wall. Grows to a height of 3 to 4 feet tall. Plants love rich humus and moist soil. Sun or partial shade. Propagation ----sow seed or divide clumps in the Autum. I usually divide the clumps in Autum.

DAYLILY __HEMEROCALLIS

2007-07-31T14:41:00.000-07:00

The flower that only lasts for a day and flowers right through the summer. This plant likes moist conditions and loves a shady spot in my garden.

Hanging baskets in July

2007-07-07T23:19:00.000-07:00

2007-07-02T16:40:00.000-07:00

Allotment update July 07

2007-07-01T05:58:00.000-07:00

In spite of the RAIN I have managed to do some weeding on the allotment. Nothing surprises me with our ever changing weather in the UK.

2007-03-22T14:11:00.000-07:00