Allotment update

I decided to grow oriental poppies from seed last year. They overwintered very well and are now looking stunning. They are sadly very short lived...the allotment equivalent of the cherry blossom.

Pictured above is the top end of the new flower bed. It originally came into being as a safety measure. Before a handrail was installed there was significant drop from the concrete path to the bed below, the main aim of the raised flower bed was to prevent an accident or at least break someones fall should they trip. It was particularly aimed at Tony who is the main user of the path and allthough spritely is in his late eighties. So, it was left unfinished for about a year and lockdown has enabled me to complete that job and many others besides.

The bed was meant exclusively for cut flowers but has become a 'nursery' bed for anything sickly-looking and potbound. A real success are the three gaint collard plants (right) from Waun Ceilogau, the flea beetles that are chewing their way through all other brassicas on the plot, have left these alone. It is really delicious as well!

A purple theme is developing. Just germinated are climbing beans 'Cosse Violette' and below, Orach, which I'm trying for the first time. This year, lack of shade is a real issue. The orach, spinach and chards are in danger of bolting before they are even in the ground. The 'rubbish dump' section of the allotment alongside the beech hedge is going to have to be cleared out and beds created for these now vulnerable plants or otherwise search out varieties that are specifically grown for bolt resistance.

Lastly, a photo of some teasels procured from the mother plant at Waun Ceilogau. The fascinating reproduction process involves the seeds germinating and tiny plantlets growing high in the teasel heads. I just placed the teasel heads on compost filled  mushroom tubs. The tubs had been on a table out in my backgarden, but, every morning I would wake up to find them strewn about the place with compost everywhere. David and I came to the conclusion the culprit was a blackbird looking for worms. A couple of weeks later I came down to a scene of devastation, every single container had been savaged in the same way. It was an awful mess, I ended up covering everything in fleece and insect netting at night time.

The story has a happy ending though, as we have two, just fledged blackbird chicks, a male and a female taking refuge in the shady corners of the garden. Judging from the dilligence the mother bird is showing feeding and chatting to her two infants, she is the same one that checked every single bleedin pot for worms!