Search - Articles

urge to grow and flower profusely.My idea back in the autumn was to plant it with a few salad leaves such as mustardand rocket that might overwinter and give us some early, spicy leaves to make a few winter salads, as well as some parsleyto keep us

in your hand. Quite a few young apples drop off naturally - a process known as the 'June drop' - at the start of the summer, but rarely enough to make a difference, and rarely in the right places. I really enjoy thinning apples; it's one of those lovely

I've been madly planting brassicas as if they're going out of fashion. Perhaps Brussels sprouts have never actually been in fashion - but they are with me. I greatly missed harvesting my own sprouts for Christmas lunch.This year, to make sure I don

. I think they're now ready for storage as the skins are dry and papery and they feel firm. Any that are soft or damp (which would make them prone to rotting during storage) will be kept in the kitchen to use first. The rest are going in string bags

’s good to finally clear the ground of summer crops so I can start making plans for next year's plot.

Making good compost has become something of an obsession for me lately. At idle moments, I've found myself contemplating the two heaps on my allotment. Affectionately called 'hedge heap' and 'new heap', I've been considering what else I could add

problems on the plot in the past couple of years. They make their nests down the side of my raised beds which means I get attacked and bitten when I'm weeding. I know an ant bite isn't much to whinge about, but there are an awful lot of them and they seem

I'm really loving this freezing weather. My hands and feet aren't very happy, though, despite my recent investment in 'serious' socks. What's making me so happy is the thought of all those garden pests perishing during the frosty nights.I'm hoping

The long chilly winter evenings are ideal for looking back on the year and reflecting on its triumphs and disasters. Some triumphs are of my own making - my carrots were fantastic thanks to my sowing the seeds at the right time, unlike last year

on Wednesday. I wasn’t alone as a few children were making the most of the weather and throwing snowballs over onto the next door playing field. There were even one or two people at their allotments, taking pictures and brushing snow off their vulnerable plants