i've got an allotment...

Last night someone agreed to let me have 1/3 of their allotment plot I am so thrilled. Just need to find out which plot it is and what state it is in.

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twit twoo

Mobile Blogging from here.

Have spent the afternoon at the raptor and reptile centre. Saw some amazing creatures in between running around after little man. Talk about ants in his pants.
The owls were a sight to behold. So many different types.
Back at the beach-house now, the boys have just gone to the pub and we are amusing ourselves watching ben play before going to toby carvery for a heap of veg and a giant ice cream.
Am missing my dogs I hope they are ok in the kennels.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPod touch]

Things are happening

Just had a quick stroll around the garden - the onions have 1" green shoots peeping through and I have a little row of radishes showing their new leaves (they are sown inbetween my parsnips).

Watered the Busy lizzies in the greenhouse - some are looking very sad - i am not sure what I am doing wrong :o(

Also planted some Begonia tubers - I can't remember ordering them - so they will be a nice surprise.

Off to the seaside for the long Easter weekend, I hope everything survives my absence.

Haven't done much outside except water the babies in the greenhouse. We have had a drop of rain - not much but enough to start things happening.

Currently wading through the rhubarb - which got me thinking about its nutritious properties -

"Rhubarb is a good source of fibre and contains moderate levels of vitamin C and calcium. Studies have linked the fibre from rhubarb in the diet with reduced cholesterol levels."

This is the recipe I am following today
Rhubarb Pudding with Cream

• 1 1/2 pounds rhubarb
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3 tbsp cornstarch

Cream

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Trim rhubarb and cut into slices. Combine with water and sugar and simmer until soft. Stir in vanilla. Blend cornstarch with a little cold water to make a smooth, stiff paste. Stir into rhubarb and cook for 5 minutes, or until thickened and clear.

Pour rhubarb into glass serving dish and chill. At serving time, whip cream, add sugar and vanilla and whip until stiff. Pipe through pastry tube in decorative swirls on pudding, or cover top of pudding with spoonfuls of whipped cream.

Delicious!

Easter Holidays - day one

I have my neice joining us for the Easter break - it is a nice day again today so we donned our cardi's and the 3 of us set off - well I was pulling the two kids in the Radio Flyer wagon.

We went to the allotments and had a peep at how the tadpoles were coming along - no changes yet they are just very, very wriggly. Then we saw the magnificent cockerel (we call him Lester but have no idea if he even has a name) and his harem of 3 black feathered hens. The kids love it when he stretches his neck up high in the air and a loud 'cock-a-doodle-do' is released. We used to hear him daily from the house but we don't notice it anymore.

We had a mooch through the little woods on the Common - collecting sticks to use as row markers on the veg plots. Little one fell in some thorns so had to pick them out of his little hands bless him.

The kids made all sorts of concotions in the garden - herbs, mud, rhubarb, water - all mixed up and left in little pots for me to clear up at a later date! Nice!

The dogs retrieved all the collected sticks from out of the wagon and promptly chewed them up - so it was a bit of a wasted journey!

Lunch is now done and dusted and little man is having his afternoon nap. Jas and I are off to put in the rest of the Winston seed potatoes and sow some peas.

They (the powers that be) forecast rain for tomorrow, which is typical as I will be housebound and without wheels as my jalopy is in for a service.

I have just finished planting the rest of the seed potaotoes so I now have some space back in the spare room!

I have also stuck in a row of Jessy (snap) Peas - I dug a drill 2" deep x 6" wide and put the peas in 2" apart in a zig zag formation. I used my riddle (giant sieve) and covered the peas with 2" of fine soil. I haven't watered them in as rain is on its way! But I have covered them with a cloche until I get some fine netting from the garden centre to keep the birds off. Last year my pea attempt failed miserably - I think the pigeons got the lot!

More 2008 pics

2008 garden pics