Present

Latest visit to the allotment awarded me the prize of a dead mouse - or small dead baby rat. I did not take a photo of it for you because it was vile. The children spent a lot of time shouting 'it's gross, let me see it' etc. Tried to be the brave adult and move it but just ended up poking at it with a spade and feeling queezy. Then spent the rest of the time squeeling 'Don't go near the mouse thing', 'keep back', and 'don't tred on it' a lot. Have bravely left it there for - the fox, a cat or the husband to remove. Yuk.

Get organised

Wasn't the snow meant to kill all the weeds? They are still there.

Pulled up some leeks this weekend, need to get the rest out now. Time to start planning what to do next and to do some tidying up perhaps? I've forgotten when to start chitting potatoes, and what seeds get planted when.

This week, I will get organised, (she says).

Ahhh aren't they tweet?

We spotted some redwings this week which is very unusual. They have been driven into suburbia to looko for food by the bad weather. Don't forget to do your bit to feed the birds and put them out some water too.

Ho ho ho!

Real snow, snow that creaks when you walk on it! We have built snowmen and been sledging. Just like Christmas is meant to be. Have a good one!

Oh Christmas Tree

Ho ho ho and happy Christmas (nearly). We bought a Christmas tree last year and decieded that we would keep it in the garden and bring it in each year. This was meant to be both eco friendly and nice. The idea was that the tree would grow to a fabulous and beautiful size and be our special tree.

One of the children that came round last year said 'Your tree is really small. Our tree is really big' and I said smugly 'Yes but our tree will keep growing and growing and next year it will be huge'. If the child comes round again this year he will be laughing at my tree again. It didn't seem to have grown. When I went to look at it in December it was tiny still and slightly brown in places, like a tree for poor elves.

Lack of growth could be due to the fact that it was pot bound and stuck in the shade at the side of the house. Undeterred I chopped off the brown bits and replanted it in a giant pot. This was very cunning because as the pot is a third of the height of the tree it has made it a more respectable size. Now the tree now goes up to my nose and we have brought it inside. It weights a ton however and may have to stay in our living room forever.

A few pets have emerged from the tree. We have had one ladybird, one woodlouse and there is a little spider living in the star at the top. We've let him stay, well it is Christmas.

I did actually go to the allotment, hurrah! It was cold, and unsurprisingly I was alone. I just mooched about. I cut some holly, bay, rosemary and ivy to drape around the house. We always used have holly at Christmas when I was a nipper so it is nice to have my own holly bush on the allotment so that I can recreate the bad bug filled decorations of the past.

I picked a few leeks and I've managed to grow some parsnips which is very exciting for me because I have never grown a parsnip before, as you can see in the picture there is a bountiful crop of giant parsnips, (you might need to look very closely but they are there). I am easily pleased.

Rubbish

Just realised it's been a month since I've been allotmenting (again). I am a shameful and disgraceful person. Will go this week, by putting this in writing it means I have made an official promise to myself and my poor leeks.

November Tidy Up

I have actually done some work at the allotment. Yes, it is true. I've put my onions in at last, hurrah. The beans have been pulled out and all the old sweetcorn. I pulled up a few hundred weeds so it is looking better.

The spinach was still going strong and the rainbow chard was looking good.

This is how things are looking at the moment. Not too bad. There are paths that need to be put in and I want to get rid of the grass at the back. I cut the asparagus down to the ground because it had gone yellow. I wasn't sure if this was right or not because they say don't cut it in the first year, but I'm guessing that its alright to do it now it is Autumn. Well, I hope it's alright anyway. I covered the crowns with some of the leaf mulch that we made last year, it is good stuff, shame there wasn't more of it. I need to go leaf collecting again this year.

A bit late for bonfire night pictures I know but here is a picture of our rocket. Very impressive for us.

But you still can't beat a good sparkler.