This picture contains two of my mentors at the Allotment,Albert (on the right of the picture )helps me with advice ,and often donates young plants, Derek (my Cousin) helps with building and other projects, as well as offering plants and advice. He has a plot adjacent to mine ,so he is close at hand
Spring has arrived and activities at the allotment and in the greenhouse are getting into full swing. Here are some of the plants so far. The greenhouse, shown in the 
panoramic photo here, is not on the allotment. It's in the back yard of the house, about half a mile away or 3 minutes on the bike. the greenhouse has just undergone a refurbishment of the bubble insulation after a 15 year lifespan,this includes the addition of some insulation to the ridge to help with frost protection. the difference in temperature from outside to inside is 10° centigrade,so the bubbles really do help .
 | Courgette and Butternut Squash seedlings in the greenhouse.
have just recently discovered Butternut Squash,and am now keen to grow my own which I am sure will taste much nicer than shop bought ones |
 | Tomato seedlings in the greenhouse, ready to be planted outdoors once the risk of frost has gone. |
 | Beetroot seedlings (in the front) and cauliflower behind.
I am going to try a few plants in my tiny scrap of garden which although small is very fertile |
 | Borecole (pronounced 'borra-cola') also known as mini kale.
these plants are very dark green, I mix them with the more usual lighter cabbage which makes it more palatable for Den who is not that keen on the taste yet eats it anyway to please me. |
 | Broccoli (right) and Cauliflower (left). Hard to tell these apart.
these two are a new project, which I have not grown before so I expect I will be seeking the help of my "Oracle " at the allotment to help with some tips on raising them to maturity |
 | Orange peppers (capsicum) |
 | Yellow peppers (capsicum) |
 | Sweetcorn aka maize seedlings. |
 | Parsnip. Normally these would be planted straight into the ground, but here we are trying out a modular method. The seedlings are each in their own cell (the white plastic). They sit on top of some capillary matting, on a water reservoir. The plants are self-watering. All that is needed is to top up the reservoir. It's been going about 3 or 4 weeks and hasn't needed topping up yet. |
 | Brussels Sprouts "Revenge" hybrid. |
 | Here's one you don't see every day. Grape vine, Hamburg red, donated by a friend. This vine is several years old now and has been severely cut back to allow light into the greenhouse. |
 | Very early potatoes in the black pots, King Edwards we think, and a potato barrel planted about 3 weeks later. These should be ready soon, as soon as the haulms flower. |
 | Late crop potatoes outside the greenhouse, planted a few days ago. Note the earth is ridged and the plants are along the middle of the ridges. This helps to protect from frost and the potatoes grow in the soft earth. Some people wait until the plants are growing before heaping up the ridges against the stem, be we find it easier just to do it straight away. These should be ready about July or August (about a 12 week cycle, depending on the weather). |
Leek seedlings ready for acclimatising
I have planted some peas today. I am using old flat bottomed guttering filled half way with compost . the peas are prepared by first soaking for a day in water to swell them,and then in paraffin to deter the mice from digging them out and eating them. they are the planted zig-zag fashion in the guttering troughs. when they reach a reasonable height ,and weather permitting ,they are then placed in their beds by sliding them out of the guttering into the prepared troughs.
Time is coming for the work to begin on the allotment ,after the winter break. the potatoes have been bought and are in the shed ready to be chitted. the over winter onions are coming along nicely ,and the dwarf broad beans are shooting. there are still lots of slugs around due to the very mild winter,and they are busy munching away at the cabbages, so a plan of action is needed to exterminate them.
I don't remember you being born, but there were already four of us, five if you include our step brother Ray, he was not living with us at this time. I remember our father's nickname for you was always Winkle.
You were there in the background as another brother, I now had three, we all played together went to the river swimming and the beach which was not too far away. In those days we could safely roam wherever we liked without fear of harm coming to us, there was always someone around who knew who we were, those Elms kids.
My first real remembering was when you were a Teenager. You worked for Jim Harris at weekends after School; you were also very much interested in Girls. Den looked upon you as a younger brother, his were so much older and you were someone he could get into mischief with. I remember him coming home to our house with a very large Salmon Trout, which you had poached from the river; you even had the audacity to offer to sell it to the farmer whose river you had poached it from. This has been an abiding memory for us. And another time you caught a very large Skate when you went sea fishing, we have the photo to prove it was not the one that got away LOL
I was married to Den, and was having babies; you were godfather to our daughter JJ
Then you came to live in our house for a time. You wanted to join the merchant Navy, and were duly employed as a waiter aboard the Reina Del Mar
You brought me gifts from abroad, a teaspoon from New York. A koala bear from Australia and tea towels from other places which I can't remember. You also brought JJ a very large Spanish Doll which she loved and Tim a Boomerang from oz. We went to test it out in the field behind our house, it did not come back to us and we never saw it again. But Tim never forgot that Boomerang.
I remember one year receiving a telegram on my birthday from you, I was so excited to receive such a thing, it had never happened before in our family. I still have the telegram as a memento all these years later.
You bought a little Red Mini, which stayed at our house while you were away at sea, you gave Den permission to teach me to drive it, and my first outing was a disaster so the driving was put of till much later
Then on your voyages to Australia you met Sue, she came to stay at our house also. Then the question was should you marry this girl I remember you taking some time to make up your mind. Then when you decided that this was the girl you wanted to marry you decided to settle in Australia. This is when we went our separate ways, we took you to the airport for your flight to Oz, this was one of the worst experiences of my life, I hated seeing that plane go with you on it..I cried for days afterwards. And the Peter Paul & Mary song leaving on a jet Plane forever etched in my mind as a memory of you leaving for Australia, I could never hear that song without thinking of you.
I only saw you in the flesh twice after that. Both times you returned to the UK we were never in a position to afford fares to Os to visit you. We saw photos of you sue and the children that were to sent to Mum, and there were telephone calls and while you were enduring your illness and I was tested as a positive stem cell donor should you need it ,the phone calls keeping me updated of your progress were more frequent.
Then it was decided that you could use your own cells, mine weren't needed the calls were less frequent.
The last time I spoke with you were on your birthday 9th July, not knowing this would be the last time we would speak. We had the best conversation, we set the world to rights, spoke of our families and had a really good brother /Sister chin wag.
Then came the awful news that you had gone forever, I was inconsolable, but now for you there is no more pain or suffering
Goodbye my lovely brother, love you forever xxxxx
I'm new to blogging and this is my first post, hello world. I am a senior citizen and my interests are:
- Astronomy, I have a Meade 8 inch SC telescope
- Allotments. I work a five rod plot ,with my husband who assists with any building I require
- Computers. I have just acquired a Sony laptop
- Keyboard. I have taught myself to play at a very basic level
- Photography I have a Samsung video camera and a Sony Cybershot compact camera
- Theatre. I work as a volunteer steward at my local theatre.
I welcome any tips and tricks to do with any of these catagories.