VEGETABLE GARDENING IN LONDON 2014

GOOD THINGS HAPPENED IN 2013 - AND THE SUN SHONE

One of my best experiences was the Wild Food Walk which I participated in, at Petersham Nurseries, near Ham Common.
It was in December (which is now so last year!).  Here is a link to my two blog posts about

PETERSHAM NURSERIES  and

THE FORAGING WALK WITH CLAUDIO BINCOLETTO

The Petersham Nurseries also produces a Blog and there is an interesting post on 1st November, which I think is written by Claudio, he is writing about truffles 'Truffles - Myths, Legend & Reality".  Here is a link November's Wild Food Walk

THE ALLOTMENT SITE IS MORE OR LESS COVERED IN FLOOD WATER!

The winter vegetables I have grown are  still standing. Some brassicas: sprouts, kale and winter sprouting broccoli, which is not yet sprouting, of course.

Today I went up there, wearing wellies, and had to splash my way along the path to cut some brussell sprouts.  I also dug up some more parsnips, it was a job to lever them out of the soggy mud, I can tell you!

To wash them I doused them in a puddle on my plot, not very hygienic I know!  But have you ever tried to wash sticky clay of parsnips, or other roots, with no running water?  The water supply on the allotment is turned off every winter, and is not back on again until April. 

About half the plots on our site now have areas which are under water. One or two are almost 80% flood, very disheartening for the plot owners, that is if they bother to come over a look.

This time of year it is not usual to see more than one or two other people there, and the main task is to lug bags or barrow loads of soggy manure - the kind that is mixed with wood shavings - we do not usually have the better horse manure mixed with straw.  Apparently stables now economise by bedding their horses on sawdust.

ALLOTMENTS ARE JUST A PAIN, AT THE MOMENT!

HAVE BEEN TENANT OF MY ALLOTMENT FOR LONGER THAN I CAN REMEMBER

I am not a newby when it comes to growing vegetables, but it still is a struggle, every year.

This year we have a heatwave, last year we had cold, grey skys and rain.  The slugs and snails flourished.  The tomatoes and potatoes all got blight.

At the moment I have to go and water stuff.  The spinach has gone to seed already.

Today I decided to make a spinach quiche, and reflected that growing your own gives you a huge amount of extra work in the kitchen too!  You have to eat it all, and you get gluts. (Are you listening, courgettes?)

Washing lettuce (mind the slugs)

Scrubbing potatoes

Shelling peas

Slicing beans

Preparing strawberries and gooseberries, and more.....

Its just one long wash, wash, wash!  Water, water, water.

There are always other people on the allotment site who also want to water, and we all have our hosepipes at the ready.  Only one tap near my plot and this can lead to bad feeling if somebody hogs the tap with their hose

But we get on well, on the whole, and my neighbouring plot-holders have become my friends.