Our little bit of land

Lovely little greenhouse

So 2016 started with a phone call telling us that we have an allotment! We gave up the shared one in Ilkley at the end of 2014 so I have had a whole year without growing any fruit or veg.

This allotment is half a plot just at the top of the road where we live. We weren't expecting much so we are thrilled to report that it has a greenhouse and a shed and a compost bin and a tree and a beck and is completely fenced in! 

Lovely little shed

Despite the terrible weather work has already commenced on the plot. I have cut back the fruit bushes and treated them with potash and Jonathan has made repairs to the greenhouse. There are two fruit trees (probably apple) and a raised bed - full of weeds.  Our next job is to make the shed water tight and put up guttering and a water butt.

Our plot

I have a Pinterest board about Our allotment where you can see more pictures and watch us charting our progress. 

Digging for Victory

It's been a bloomin' good year for the allotment so far.  We have had a glut of courgettes and runner beans, done well with strawberries and sweetcorn and we are looking forward to potatoes and butternut squash.

It's not all been plain sailing though and we have made some mistakes such as: we didn't make good use of the space, didn't plant enough broad beans and don't even ask what happened to the peas! 

Rob the Robin 

One of the joys of working on the allotment is the wildlife, particularly visits from Rob the Robin, who likes to shout encouragement from a safe distance whilst I dig. Here he is, after his moult and sporting his new, sleek feathers. 

Next year we won't make the same mistakes that we did this year - just different ones :)

Gardening Times

Alliums and Aquilega

After last year's terrible weather it's been lovely to actually get into the garden and enjoy the planting.  This year the alliums have put on a great show (we didn't see them last year) and the day lilies - Hemerocalis - are thriving.  I have replaced the Penstemons that died off from the bitter cold of last winter and planted Nepeta and Gladioli too.

Day lilies and Alchemilla Mollis

Crocosmia "Lucifer" and Valerian

Meanwhile, at the back garden there are peas, onions, parsley, lettuce, broccoli and more Gladioli crammed into the small veg patch.  Sadly, the courgettes have been a casualty of the snails and, although the remaining solitary courgette plant is flowering, the flowers won't set.

Veg patch

More pictures of our Yorkshire Garden HERE