Allotment Diary 2011 Me: 74.5 hrs He: 65.5 hrs

 We have been spending time harvesting this past week or so, and have cooked lots of Ratatouille and frozen another ten pounds of mixes.  These photos I took yesterday.

I reluctantly had to prune this boisenberry/blackberry bush down.  It cost a fortune years ago when I bought it as a little cutting, and it has thrived and grown and produced the best yield ever this year.   I had a mind to dig it up and bring it home and plant it in our garden - but it's got such a big root on it that decided it's not worth the effort - so when the new plotholders take over this bit of my allotment they will be getting a bed full of different fruit bushes, a row of Comfrey plants (or should I dig them up and sell the roots on ebay?)   I started off with just one root I bought online and gradually increased my stock.

 

It makes a nice border on the left and is pretty when it gets flowers.  If I get the time I will clip it all down and compost the leaves.   

 

I just need to mow the paths one last time, dig up some gooseberry bushes, before giving this part up.

I will be sad to let this go, but it takes me very many hours to keep it in tip top condition, and now that my produce is being stolen, it seems a total waste of precious time from sowing seeds, growing the plants, planting, weeding, mulching, mowing, only to end up without a full crop.

 

But I will have 150ft x 33ft left.  The person did steal all my courgettes from this end of the plot, but perhaps they won't next year.  And it will take me  half the time that it does now to keep this under control - and I'll grow a fraction of the crops - but more at home.

Whilst up there yesterday  -  at the top end of our allotment field was a black chicken running around.  I didn't have the time or energy to go and investigate to see if there were any more.  I daresay that someone had released it into the fields beyond our plots - they just don't realise how cruel it is.

Chickens can't survive in the wild - apart from the obvious predators, they are more likely to die of thirst!