Getting organised

Seeds sown today
Originally uploaded by Marj Joly.

We hired a car yesterday to go to a party, and took advantage of our time to do some moving around of things too bulky to carry down Limehouse Cut. We took the strulch, and a lot of used compost to the plot, and Gordon went and collected a wormery. If you are a Tower Hamlets resident you can buy a large wormery from the Council for only £5.00, which is a bargain. You can also get compost bins, and small wormeries as well. It comes with a voucher to send off for the worms when ready to get it started.

So I have also washed a lot of pots today, and sown tomatoes (alicante) and hot peppers (hungarian wax). I am trying not to sow too many of each variety this year. Last year I grew 48 tomato plants, and gave half of them away. Its great to do that, but space becomes a bit of a problem. I may sow some more later.

Sweet pea

Sweet pea
Originally uploaded by Marj Joly.

28 of the 37 sweet peas have germinated, and are hardening off on the balcony.

Some of them still look a big leggy, even though they went outside as soon as they had germinated, but I've not really grown them for ages, so can't remember what they are meant to look like. Once there are some more leaves, the top will be pinched out.

I may dig out the non germinators and rub them with sandpaper to see if that stimulates them - but it may be too late for that, its worth a try.

Boots and mud

Boots
Originally uploaded by Marj Joly.

Why do I always get so muddy? These are definitely the best boots for digging in, and I can't work without them. I don't look after them properly, but have had them for probably 16 years, so they are doing OK.

This weekend was about digging and weeding. Continued work on the paths with Mike and Gordon, and have made great progress I think. All of the unwanted iris are now gone.

Hardening off the sweet peas

Hardening off the sweet peas
Originally uploaded by Marj Joly.

I love going to out check on the seedlings every morning. It's one of the first things I do. I'm a bit concerned still about the mould around the bottom of the toilet rolls, but now they are outside it doesn't seem quite so bad.

These ones are Sarah Kennedy, which germinated first, and Alan Williams. Aunt Jane is still inside as they are only just starting to show themselves nearly two weeks after sowing. They have been given a stiff talking to, and told to get a move on.

Next plan is to sow some tomato seed and hungarian wax hot peppers.

Parsnips: tender and true

We still have quite a lot of parsnips to get through - there seem to be more than last year, although they are not too large. These tender and true parsnips smell of damp earth, and have that sweet parsnipy smell you get when they are very fresh. They will be par boiled, and then roasted in olive oil, with a little black pepper.

Path to the compost bin

New path
Originally uploaded by Marj Joly.

We are gradually getting our new paths completed. A bit of an experiment using the many, many stones that we keep digging out of the soil.

More seeds

I've put in another seed order, this time with Thompson and Morgan, as they have a wider range of flower seeds than the organic catalogue. I've ordered:

Agrostemma - Corncockle
Scabious atropurpurea - Summer sundae
Cosmos bipinnatus - Sensation mixed
Aster chinensis - Florette Champagne
Lupinus elegens - Dwarf fairy pink
Rudbeckia Hirta - Chim Chiminee

These are all annuals, and so will flower this year. Some of them are easy, and just involve sowing direct where I want them to flower like Scabious. Others, like the Aster look a bit more involved, but look great, and I want to experiment and challenge myself a bit more this year.

A delivery

Today most of the seed order arrived, plus two nature's own grow bags, and two bags of strulch, which is a straw mulch and soil conditioner. I am very excited.....

However, the sweepeas in the toilet rolls started to get some mould around them. One web site comment elsewhere suggested they were too close together and needed some air to circulate, so they have been spread out a bit more.

Germination

The sarah kennedy sweet peas sown five days ago are beginning to germinate. No sign of the other two varieties yet.

Heavy horse manure

One of the other allotmenteers has being collecting bags of horse manure for us all in her gas van. We had five 70 litre bags of heavy horse manure delivered yesterday.

Have also been starting to lay paths made of stones we have dug out of the soil.

Sweet peas

Sweet pea sowing
Originally uploaded by Marj Joly.

Have just sown three varieties of sweet pea, from Matthewman's Sweet Peas. They will go outside on the balcony as soon as they germinate.

Also did a big seed order this week, and getting excited about all the great vegetables we are going to have. Are still harvesting leeks and parsnips, and have a few bags of beans left in the freezer. Plan to have more winter vegetables this year, and need to find a better way to store potatoes as the flat is too warm.

The Allotment at its peak!

Six months later
Originally uploaded by Marj Joly.

This was our allotment in the middle of the summer. It was fantastic, and we were completely self sufficient from mid June to September (except for tomatoes which got blight).

Have just ordered our seeds for 2008, and busy getting the plot ready.