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Category: Allotment Diary

Sowing the right seeds

Published on Mar 18, 2017Jun 21, 2017 by Richard Chivers10 Comments

For the first time since I began growing my own, I’ve kept the promise to myself to have patience when sowing the first seeds. Continue reading “Sowing the right seeds” →

Categories Allotment Diary•Tags Allotment, Allotment Diary, seeds, sowing, Spring

Happy New Year – Allotment reflections and plans for the new season

Published on Jan 3, 2017Mar 26, 2017 by Richard Chivers10 Comments

Happy New Year!

January has arrived and I’m excited. It might be the middle of winter, but New Year always makes me feel rejuvenated. Continue reading “Happy New Year – Allotment reflections and plans for the new season” →

Categories Allotment Diary•Tags Allotment, GYO, New year

I'm Richard and I'm passionate about growing fruit and vegetables on our family allotment garden. Sharpen your Spades is a blog to inspire anyone to pull on their wellies and join in the movement to grow their own.

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I'm pleased with the peppers this year. They haven't been brilliant but I've learned a lot about growing them again. . I haven't grown chillies or peppers for a few years. Having the new polytunnel meant I could give it a good try again. I'll do things differently next year. Either use much bigger pots or better still, I'll grow them in the bed. They haven't had enough room and they have been incredibly difficult to manage with watering. They dry out very quickly and if I couldn't get to the allotment every day then they would suffer. . I'll be taking the shelving I built inside the polytunnel down in autumn and making the whole side into another bed. I've realised it's just been wasted space. . . . . . #allotmentlife #peppers #growyourownfood #organicgardening #allotmentgarden #allotmentuk #gardening #gardenblogger #greenthumb #gardenchat #gardenersofinstagram #homesteading #urbangardening #gardenlovers #growsomethinggreen #gardensofig #lovegardening #allotmentlove #growyourown #gardenphotography

KETCHUP! Simple and delicious way to use up some of the harvest of tomatoes from Monday. . If you saw my stories, I took the haul of tomatoes, cut them in half and roasted them in the oven for 45 to 60 mins. Just with salt, pepper and olive olive. . Blitzed the roasted tomatoes and it provides a delicious sauce for pasta. . To make the ketchup: take a ltr of the sauce, add 100ml of cider vinegar, pinch of salt, black pepper, pinch of cayenne pepper, couple of bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon of all spice 100g of brown sugar. Simmer it all in a saucepan until sugar is dissolved and the sauce has thickened. . Bottle it. Enjoy it. . . . . . #preserves #saucemaking #ketchup #preserving #growwhatyoueat #eatwhatyougrow #growyourfood #veggiegarden #kitchengarden #ediblegarden #gardenphotography #greenfingers #gardenersofinstagram

The beans have gone a little crazy in the two weeks I've been away. They have also toppled slightly in those winds too. . I've decided to leave the borlotti beans on the plans now and to dry completely. I'll harvest them and store the beans inside for stews over the winter. . The purple French beans will need harvesting tonight. They are very big and possibly stringy. But I'll harvest them all to see if I can get more younger beavs to come through for more harvests before the frosts arrive. . . . . . #greenthumb #growwhatyoueat #eatwhatyougrow #growyourfood #veggiegarden #kitchengarden #ediblegarden #gardenphotography #greenfingers #gardenersofinstagram #horticulture #growsomethinggreen #growfood #gardenphotography #aseasonalyear #growsomething #growfoodnotlawns #allotment #mybackyard #backyardgardening #vegtablegarden #allotmentlife #huerto #gardening #allotmentlove #beans

That's a wonderful welcome home! A huge haul. Mainly tomatoes but there are some peppers and chillies in this tug load too 🍅 . Now to decide what to do with them all. . . . . . #allotmentuk #allotmentsofinstagram #plantsofinsta #gardenersofig #gardensheds #eatwhatyougrow #growyourownveggies #homegrownveggies #ilovegardening #ediblegarden #thehappygardeninglife #gardenersofinstagram #gardenlover #instagardeners #growsomethinggreen #gardenlove #allotment #shed #onion #plantlove #huerto #growyourown #mygarden #growyourownfood #organicgardening

It worked! . I'm home from two weeks in beautiful Menorca and I honestly am glad to be home. I've not made it to the allotment yet and I'm not sure what will await me there 🙈 Hopfully a harvest or two and nothing worse. But, I'm really pleased with this in my hand. . I got my timings wrong before holidays. I sowed lettuce and fennel at the end of July and they were not ready to go out on the allotment before I went away. So, Kev took the lettuce and I took a chance with the fennel seedlings. In fact, they hadn't germinated when I left. I put the pot on top of an upturned bucket and left it to the elements in the garden. And here they are! . I'll be planting these out onto the allotment this week. . How's everyone's allotment and gardens looking? I hear the UK weather hasn't been as nice as the weather I've been enjoying. Sorry 🤦‍♂️ . . . . . #greenthumb #growwhatyoueat #eatwhatyougrow #growyourfood #veggiegarden #kitchengarden #ediblegarden #gardenphotography #greenfingers #gardenersofinstagram #horticulture #growsomethinggreen #growfood #gardenphotography #aseasonalyear #growsomething #growfoodnotlawns #allotment #mybackyard #backyardgardening #vegtablegarden #allotmentlife #huerto #gardening #allotmentlove #seedlings

Happy Friday you lot. I'm sharing this little clip with this bee enjoying the calendula on the plot. Having the calendula and other flowers grow amongst the vegetables is such an important part of creating a balanced environment which lets nature do what it does. . Pollinators like bees are significantly important to our food supply. Seriously, it's scary to think that our actions in this world are destroying these beautiful creatures. They are responsible for pollinating a third of our food crops! . I'm looking to expand the number of flowers I grow on the plot next year and how I use them in the planting scheme with the vegetables. . I deadhead a lot of the calendula after this video. But I'm sure when I get home next week I'll be looking at lots of seeds to harvest and to grow more of this beautiful variety from @vitalseeds next year! . Have a wonderful weekend! . . . . . #allotment #kitchengarden #growwhatyoulove #potager #garden #gardening #organicgardening #greenthumb #instagardeners #mygarden #dahlias #urbangardening #growfood #flower #flowers #organicgarden #lovegardening #homegarden #dahlia #flowersofinstagram #summer #plantaddict #flowerstagram

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