Wednesday 2 September 2009

Spring Bulbs


I have started buying my spring bulbs ready for planting at the allotment. I'm hoping for a riot of colour which I will be able to cut and bring home to cheer up the house. I have opted for Daffodil - Las Vegas, which has white petals and a yellow trumpet and is highly scented, Daffodil - Early Flame, which has yellow petals and an orange trumpet, Tulip - Darwinhybrid Red, and Tulip - Triumph Shirley, which is a white tulip tinged with lilac. I will buy some more before planting time as I come across any which take my fancy.

My dwarf French beans are now finished and the climbing beans have taken over. I have grown two plants to each cane in a wigwam structure and I can see already that this is producing plenty of beans to keep us going. I don't know yet if I will grow runner beans next year, as I much prefer French beans. I am going to try some different varieties, but will definitely grow the dwarf French bean - Safari again as it's been delicious. It grows very straight and is very fine. I wish I had grown more of these this year.

I haven't done very well with carrots this year. At the start of the season I was wondering if they would fork as the soil is very stoney. At this point I would take any carrots, forked or not, offered to me, as the carrots I did sow have amounted to hardly anything at all. Very few of the seeds actually germinated so there are hardly any carrots actually growing. Those that did germinate look like they're ready for lifting so it now remains to be seen if they're edible.

The allotment has been very neglected recently. I thought I might get down there over the bank holiday last weekend, but days out with the family took precedence. The kids go back to school on Friday, which I'm not looking forward to, I like having them at home with me, so I'll get my spare time during the day back in which to tackle the allotment.

I just want to add my congratulations to Kella who has just been given an allotment, and to welcome her to the world of allotmenteering, although she isn't new to 'grow your own'. You can find a link to her wonderful blog in my blog list to the right.

7 comments:

  1. Reading your post today, give me idea about growing carrots... Hmmm, will it grow in here? ~bangchik

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  2. I know exactly how you feel regarding having the kids home, I adore the time I have with them.

    Thanks for the welcome to plot life, you’re a sweetie :)

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  3. My carrots didn't do very well either this year...oh well...at least there are others with the same problem!!!

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  4. My OS went back today we missed him YS and I nipped up to the plot for yet more beans but it wasn't the same...
    Carrots have always been my nemisis.
    Hope you enjoy your time on the plot.

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  5. We have done really well with our carrots this year - everything seems to germinate and grow so well in this fertile East Anglian soil - better luck with your next sowing.

    It's difficult fitting everything in -family, work, leisure and allotment! You can only do so much in a day oh and thanks for the spring bulb reminder!

    Jeanne

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  6. I can understand the carrots problem - our soil is stony and although they do grow, they don't really thrive. Perhaps years of manure will help?

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  7. You can give them a go, Bangchik. Let us know how you get on.

    The kids went into school on Friday, Kella. They only had to go for a couple of hours to collect their timetable and have an assembly, but it is back to school proper tomorrow. The house will seem very quiet after having them at home with me over summer.

    I will give carrots another go next year, Tanya. I think the condition of the soil has let me down.

    I'm sure it was good to still have one of your 'helpers' with you, Allot Of Veg. It seems so quiet once they are back at school.

    Well done with your carrots, Jeanne. I think the problem with mine is that the soil isn't very fertile, having been left to it's own devices for a while. I need to get some goodness back into it.

    Thank you for visiting my blog, Reap What You Grow. I will give carrots another go next year. One can only try!

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