Category: Flighty’s plot

This is a  dwarf plant with spikes of dainty Snapdragon like flowers from June to September. It is an easy to grow sow and forget annual that is good for cutting.  Photo was taken on Thursday 24 July.

I took these photos this morning

1) 2) and 3)

1) is Chrysanthemum carinatum, 2) is a California Poppy and 3) a (French) Marigold. They certainly provide hotspots around the plot.

The other plot hotspot is the compost heap! It’s hidden away behind the shed and is only about four by two by one feet. I add any household waste, such as banana skins, potato peelings and tea bags, to it every week or so. This morning I completely uncovered it to find that it’s now nearly all good usable compost. I cut all the comfrey back to ground level and added it to the heap, chopping it up with the spade. I added a watering can’s worth of water, forked it over to aerate it then recovered it.

on the plot was the perfect way to spend a sunny Sunday morning. Mind you most of it was spent doing some much needed weeding!

I concentrated on the soft fruit area. I also cut the original raspberry canes back to the ground whilst leaving the new growth alone. Rach over on The Big Sofa had been seeking advice on this during last week, and I could understand her hesitation when I did mine.

The strawberries are putting out lots of runners, and there is plenty of fruit forming on the blackberries.

I’ve had several lots of onions, beetroot and lettuce

I feel a bit guilty about the beetroot as the seed came from Mildew who sadly has had problems with hers!

The bees love my Poached Egg Plants

The Valentine Heart rose has masses of buds on it , whilst the Pretty Lady continues to produce some lovely looking blooms

It’s pleasing to see butterflies fluttering around the plot even if they are just white ones as I photographed last week, and especially as Louise mentions, over on her gardening blog, that it’s Save Our Butterflies Week.

I’ve been plotting, pottering (or puttering as Porcelain Rose calls it) and pondering this week.

Plotting is when I actually do some work on the plot such as digging, planting pruning and weeding. Pottering is when I just refill the bird feeders and top up the pond. Pondering is nothing more than strolling round taking photos.

I acquired a handful of logs, all about 3″ dia. and a couple of feet long, earlier in the week. On Thursday I carefully dismantled the log pile and then rebuilt it incorporating them The only sign of life were a few slugs and snails. I shall now leave it be so that any wildlife that wants to use it can do so undisturbed.

I dug up a few new potatoes and a couple of onions to have for lunch. I can’t believe that I’ve just cooked and eaten something I’ve grown!

There’s been no further sign of Frog but this morning these two appeared to be making whoopee in the pond. I left them to it and when I took a peek later on they were heading out onto the plot

It was just about perfect this morning being sunny and warm with a light breeze. The blue sky was filled with fluffy white clouds. The robin came to say hello and, at last,  a couple of butterflies stayed put long enough for me to take some pictures. These white ones are fairly common

and  this one was tucked away in the undergrowth, hence a not so good photo , which appears to be a Meadow Brown.

I’m sitting here writing this with the scent of the third lot of sweet peas that I’ve bought home wafting around the room, and they really do look nice in the vase on the window sill.

Now how about something a bit different! Join me on a Joy flight! over on Flighty’s fancies? I think that it’s the perfect way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon.

My sentry box shed has caused much comment, and smiles, due to it’s small size. Someone even suggested that it’s really an eco-loo!

As a minimalist I can keep everything in it except myself!

It’s Shed Week 2008, and I loved looking at the pictures of some of the more eccentric and outlandish ones.

I said recently that much of the plot is brown and green, and that there’s not much colour! On reflection that isn’t strictly true as there is but it is dotted all around the plot. It’s not overwhelming which I like as too much colour would detract from what is a place of peace and relaxation for me.

Here’s a selection of flowers taken over the past week starting with 1) the superb rose Valentine Heart, 2) Pretty Lady starts like this and 3) ends up almost white but it’s scent definitely eludes me sadly!

1) 2) 3)

The sweet peas 4) and 5) were grown from seeds that Nikki sent me, and 6) look and smell lovely in a vase on the window sill.

4) 5) 6)

The big poppies 7) have finished but 8) there are the wonderfully bright Californian ones seen here with some love-in-a-mist and 9) some smaller red ones dotted around.

7) 8) 9)

There’s lots of 10) to be seen, 11) are almost hidden blackberry flowers and 12) is a pretty looking weed!

10) 11) 12)

Even non-flowers look good with the amazing artichoke head 13), this red leaf 14) and I think that the grasses 15) really are wonderful in all their combinations of shades and shapes!

13) 14) 15)

As I said earlier that is only a selection of what delights and surprises me every time I take a stroll round.

There is also the varied wildlife which I’m more than happy to share the plot with!

It’s just on a year since I first set eyes on Plot 124.

Looking back through nearly 60 entries that I’ve done here about it I’m well pleased with progress so far, with very few downs and plenty of ups.

So let’s take a wander round Flighty’s plot shall we…

1) is the view from the roadway half way along the northern edge looking down the poppy path with the stone feature roughly in the middle of the plot; 2) is the area to the left of the path with lot of grasses and vivid blue cornflowers shown in close-up 3).

1) 2) 3)

From the log seat at the edge of the pallet patio I can see virtually the whole plot. 4) is to the left with the blackberries, raspberries, runner beans, peas (just appearing) and broad beans; 5) moving to the right there are strawberries, beetroot, lettuce, more runner beans around the cane wigwam, potatoes, onions and the log pile at the top right; 6) looking west along the path dividing the plot with the vegetable, soft fruit and wild area to the left and the flowers to the right. The pond is well hidden in the grass to the top left and the stone feature just visible at the bottom right of the path.

4) 5) 6)

7) is the opposite view to 6) looking towards the pallet patio, 8) is the Daffy’s delights area which I’ll show again once the plants have grown and flowered and 9) the Iceberg rose is at the top left, the ladybird log is well hidden at the end of the left hand path and the right hand, poppy path leads to another log and is the opposite view of 1).

7) 8) 9)

10) is Nikki’s corner which as well as her lovely rose has 11) two lettuce and 12) lots of these thumb nail sized flowers, as well as some rye (?) grass and the best of the sweet peas which should be starting to flower any day now.

10) 11) 12)

This view is from the bottom south-west corner and shows most of the plot

Among the highlights have been Nikki’s birthday roses, meeting Frog Newton, the poppy header photo and this morning eating this which tasted absolutely delicious.

Sitting eating an apple I could see ladybirds, honey bees and even a couple of birds which just may have been garden warblers! only a few feet away!

It’s good knowing that my plot is a  haven for wildlife which I can share with in this way. It may not be traditional allotmenteering but it makes me happy.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed our wander round as much as I have showing you.

Next week there’ll be another special entry which will include anything I’ve missed here and feature my sentry box shed, which will be rather appropriate as it’ll be Shed Week 2008!

Happy gardening!

For my past three birthdays Nikkipolani has very kindly done a Happy birthday Flighty entry with some of her lovely roses which she knew were my favourites.

Last year when I took on the plot I decided to have a Nikki’s corner with a rose on it. It’s Valentine Heart which has started flowering in the past few days just in time for me to say…

Happy birthday Nikki!