A combination of a weeks worth of shit wet weather and five days up in the Lakes resulted in a very forlorn and weed covered plot and I mean massively overtaken. The things you plant, take care of and water are no match for the robustness of a bit of wet then warm weather for the weeds. The mares tail, this weed is the equivalent to neighbouring allotment owners as telling mums in the school playground that your kid has nits, well my plot has it in abundance. A few weeks ago I had “courgette envy” my plants produced one as in a singular courgette whilst all those around me were offering to take some of their gazillions from them. Some I took up to Kendal and were delicious griddled on the barbecue and I also made a chocolate and courgette cake which trust me is really nice, it’s just best not to divulge the secret ingredient to those that eat it.
On returning to my plot on Friday after work I felt disheartened at not only the graft I’d need to put in at the weekend but I then had “cauliflower envy”. I take an interest, have a nose around at other peoples plots, I think we all do it, it’s all open and not fenced off and wow was well impressed with some on the allotments cauliflowers, also one of the allotments brassica beds hasn’t one single bit of fucking cabbage butterfly decimation, they’re not even covered! It’s like an invisible force field of butterfly zappers is protecting them. Mine are decimated.
As Scarlet O Hara said “tomorrow is another day” and on Saturday I messaged one of the plot owners to see if I could borrow his strimmer to break the back of some of the weeds. He asked if I could bring up the battery saw to cut some wood, which on asking OH it made him laugh as he knew know way was I going to be using it. C is a similar age to my son and ribs me as my son does. We on occasions have just sat outside the shed and chewed the fat, he’s a nice lad. Arriving at Lottie on Saturday he’d made a start with the strimmer and it made a huge difference so I set to raking. P arrived and put my plaque on the shed above the door which I’d had made. They lit a fire in the oil drum to burn some of the crap that had been put on the bit of no mans land that will eventually be a bit of a communal area. A has made a bench and also a picnic bench with a table ready to be placed in this area when it’s been spruced up a bit. We worked a bit, sat and nattered a bit and the guys took care of the fire bit. A visit and chat from someone from the parish council C managed to secure getting another tap put in at the far end of the allotments where his plot is. It is a schlep for them to get water down there.
We chatted about what we would grow next year, what we wouldn’t, we realise just grow what you actually like to eat, the need to get onion sets and garlic in next month. What would be put in which beds and where to best place the greenhouse which would need more paving stones to be placed on at the corners. He also chided me about picking up “crap” as I proudly unloaded from the car two metal desk tables that someone was throwing out in the village, perfect in my mind for potting tables in the greenhouse.
Sunday a friend G who is an allotment pro, she came second in best allotment in her area this year no less, came up to mine she has a wealth of experience, hints and tips. She even told me you can make rum from courgettes! There must be a book out there somewhere 101 things to do with courgettes. She pointed out what I thought were disastrous green beans were in fact meant to be yellow beans. I picked some lettuce and tomatoes and on further inspection in the cauliflower bed nestled in the middle of all the greenery was the most perfect cauliflower! Malc in the Middle came over he is bang smack in the middle and his name really is Malcolm, he said some of my potatoes were ready. There were some beauties and more than enough for tea from a couple of plants. How deeply satisfying it is to sit down to a meal with produce you’ve grown and I admit to a little smugness too.
It’s all a huge learning curve that I imagine is constant and we all have our own ways but it’s quite a giving sharing community is the allotment one which is lovely
So not only can you get punch drunk on courgettes, to say I was proud as punch with my small harvest is an understatement.
Sha x
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