It was all a bit of a struggle in May and I know I am not alone in saying that. This will probably be a shorter-than-usual allotment update as it feels like things went awry last month. However, as I show off the things that go well, I need to admit the failures and talk about what has been going wrong. This has been a … Continue reading Allotment Diary – May 2024
April seemed to come and go at a rapid pace. Thankfully, when I reflect on the goings-on down the allotment, it was a very satisfying month – especially due to the fact it was a time of increased planting and sowing. The first early potatoes went in at the end of March. Following in April were both the second early varieties of ‘Charlotte’ and ‘Estima’ and … Continue reading Allotment Diary – April 2024
After what felt like a slow start to the year, at least March seemed like strides were taken forward. Yes, the weather still wasn’t ideal, and the rain didn’t go away, but at least it felt like stuff got done. As spring starts rolling around, and you do get those sunnier days starting, the to-do list does start getting longer and it is always enjoyable … Continue reading Allotment Diary – March 2024
February was a bit of a tricky month for the allotment, it was another very wet month and it meant that there was not lots of opportunity to do loads. It was either raining when I had free time, or there had been lots of rain prior and it meant the soil was very soggy. The risk of going onto the plot too much when … Continue reading Allotment Diary – February 2024
The first blog post in a new series of allotment diaries – discover what has been going on, growing, harvested, and planted on the allotment in January 2024 Continue reading Allotment Diary – January 2024
The last of the updates from the Walled Garden was back in early Summer and, at that point, I don’t think I was prepared then for the heatwave that was about to hit the country. To be truthful, up in north Cumbria we got off lightly compared to other areas of England and Wales, but it was still a challenge, and coping with temperatures of … Continue reading Walled Garden Diaries – September Update
May and June are always some of the busiest and most hectic months in a kitchen garden. That late Spring/early Summer period always comes with so much to sow, plant, prepare, and also, of course, weed. But there is also, satisfyingly, a growing amount of crops ready for harvesting. It has been a couple of months since my last Walled Garden Diary. I think April … Continue reading Walled Garden Diaries: Early Summer Update
Would you like healthy and strong plants? Crops that aren’t destroyed by pests? And a bountiful harvest of produce? If your answer is yes to any of these (and who wouldn’t want all three) then maybe it is time to consider taking a close look at companion planting. Anyone growing vegetables at home, or on an allotment, can take advantage of it. Companion planting is … Continue reading Companion Planting for Fruit & Vegetables
The walled garden has really taken shape, with the attention on getting beds prepped and seeds sown ready for the 2022 season. The key job undertaken has been to prepare the beds in the walled garden for the coming season. It has been a long time coming and one that has really refreshed the garden as a whole, if I do say so myself. There … Continue reading Walled Garden Diaries: Shape of Things to Come
We made a visit on a February Sunday to Dalemain House and Gardens near Penrith in the north of the fantastic Lake District. After several weekends of wind and storms, the clouds broke to give a sunny, but albeit still nippy in the shade, chance to visit this delightful garden set against the beautiful Lakeland Fells. Dalemain features a large country house, part-Georgian, and part-Tudor, … Continue reading A Late Winter’s Visit to Dalemain
Perennial Nerd 