Allotment 27/7/10

Waitrose, home of the overly descriptive labels and a shop that nicely turns a negative into a selling point.
 I recently bought some nectarines from them (yes I know, air miles, but I can’t grow them yet and they only came from Italy and, and I think that this is the most important point, they are really, really tasty) and the label bore the legend “Home Ripening”. I’m sorry, what now? So they are not ripe yet? So they were picked when they weren’t ready to be? I know that bananas are picked when green and then ripened later but soft fruit? It doesn’t seem right some how. I pick my crops when they are ready.
 I know that if they were picked when they were perfect by the time they were transported here they would be spoiled but really, ripening after I’ve bought them?
 Waitrose do also, in a sort of ying/yang thing, “Tree Ripen” apples in the autumn leading me to scream, on the inside, were else would they ripen?! Although the answer to that is provided, I suppose, by the nectarines.

Would you like to see some pictures of some dogs in jumpers? Of course you would,



A patient at one of the places that I work bought this knitting book in for me after he heard that my wife knits. He did do it as a joke, I think.

Allotment 21/7/10

Last year I grew potatoes in a bag, I think I may have mentioned it, and my crop wasn’t very good. This year I grow them in the ground so that I could compare the 2 crops.
Ok, this wasn’t super scientific as I should have grown them at the same time, next to each other and treated them the same but it will have to do.
I dug out my Pink Fir Salad spuds on Saturday and it was a joyous experience. I am always a little anxious when harvesting spuds because you can’t see them so I don’t know if they are ready or not but you have to hold your breath and risk it. This I did and look at them,



Ok there is a bit of shadow of me, an odd self portrait if you will, but if you ignore that I think you will agree that it went quite well.
I will now no longer use the bags and will grow them in the ground.

I hate thinning. I don’t like to throw away good seedlings and so I try not to. Today I thinned some of my beetroot but I didn’t throw the thinnings away, oh no, I replanted them all and watered them a lot. If they take then brilliant, if they don’t then I’ve lost nothing. It worked with my carrots.

Allotment 13/7/10

When we were at the garden centre on Sunday picking out some plants for Significant Other’s bit of the allotment (yes I know it sounds like giving a child a small amount of the garden to look after but I do have a lot of space and the flowers do look lovely), which you can read about here, we noticed that they had converted the field next to the car park into allotment plots. Now that is a genius idea I thought, allotments next to a garden centre, think of the income. And of course they had. It’s a great idea, have plots there next to the shop, were else are they going to buy stuff?

 So we went round looking at all the lovely, over priced plants (I got a grape vine out of the deal) until we came to the till and there was a leaflet advertising the plots. I’ll have one of those I thought, it’s such a great idea that I’ll blog amount it. Well that was the plan until I saw the prices that they are charging for renting the plots.

 My allotment plot costs about £12 per year. This is a very basic plot, we have no on site water or anything, but never the less, only £12 per year. I don’t know how much other councils charge, I would imagine more then mine, but not too much. Yes, these plots come ready prepared but I would think that only means that they have rotivated the soil, nothing more. And what would you imagine that they charge for this? Actually that is a silly game so I will tell you, £5 per week or £20 per month or £240 per year. Now that is a lot of money.

 If you want one with a shed, a green house and water butt? Well that will set you back £10 per week or £40 per week or a staggering £480 per year. OMG! Not really cost effective I think you will agree.

 I know that they have to make a profit and that councils don’t have enough proper allotment plot available but never the less this smacks of a rip off, profiteering if you will.

Allotment, It's Not Just Me There.

We've put some new raised bed at the allotment and one of them has been planted up by my Significant Other, you can read about here on here blog Knit Knot Norris, that is all.