First post in twelve months

First post in 12 months. How time flies.

This is the allotment as of yesterday

beetroot in the foreground going to seed, parsnip at the back, going to seed, an apple tree just to the left

the allotment

at the back of the parsnips are some golden gourmet shallots (down the left of the shot), garlic and some leeks left over from last winter. In the background is a gooseberry bush, well two actually.

This is bottom of the allotment (where the shot was taken of the flowering parsnips, two chairs weighted down and ground that needs clearing. At the back are hawthorn trees, I layered the ones directly behind the chairs in winter as that was just bare soil.

This is common mullen (I am told) Verbascum thapsus. It started growing and I thought it looked nice, so I left it. It apparently can make flower spits 6ft tall in its second year, bring it on.

Verbascum Thapsis

After a very cold and wet April start of May, this was the grape vine in the greenhouse, wilting with the heat!!!

the vine

This is the Victoria plum tree. Last year it was in a pot and produced about 20plus great tasting plums. This winter  it went in the ground and I am hoping for lots more plums

At the base of the plum tree from left to right is strawberries (yellow flower in the middle if a poppy), poached eggs plants and then chives

This is a colony at the bottom of my garden. A rather strange tale in that I picked up the swarm a few weeks ago, I then thought they all died but later were resurrected and now a thriving small colony. I might post a full account later on.

This was yesterday morning, me and Duncan were moving some bees (well this is one of four colonies we moved)

the bees in a box

Weather yesterday in Wakefield, England was very hot and sunny (20 degrees C plus)

Onions sets are a go!!!!

A quick pop in to the greenhouse this afternoon to pot on some onion sets.

Start them off in pots and give them a heads start

I think I have put approximately 180 small onions in several seed trays. I cannot remember the onion variety but it is some where written down. I have also put some shallots in to pots, these were golden gourmet variety

Whilst there I took a peak at my garlic and that is growing well indeed. I am very happy with it.

A few weeks ago I put some Limnanthes Douglassii seeds (poached egg plants) in to a seed tray, They have started to sprout. Quite amazing for an unheated greenhouse in February.
 

The weather in Wakefield today is cold and wet

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Winter duties

Happy New Year folks, first blog entry of 2011. Possibly one of few or many... time will tell.

Last few days I have tied up and pruned my apple tree "jonagold". It is still in the 15 litre ex paint bucket and doing well, I have put a new small piece of wood at the top and at the bottom and then tied in the branches, I also trimmed them back.

"Jonagold" is known for being a vigorous tree so it will need more trimming back during the year but hopefully the bucket size should constrain it to a large degree.

The mistake I made last year was leaving to many apples on that all eatable size but not as large as the apples could have been, so this year the apples were will be thinned out with more passion. I left around 20 on last year, this year there will be less left on

 

Last weekend I also planted up my garlic builds. I had them in the greenhouse and they were all starting to show green growth. These are the best of the ones I had grown myself last year.

 

This is a close up, its a beauty in my opinion.

The weather in Wakefield today is cold 5to10 degrees I estimate but fine.

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Garlic and strawberries not quite bread and butter

I have pulled my garlic up this evening. The cloves are not as large as  I would have liked them to be and I am slightly disappointed. I will select the largest and best and plant them again shortly. I have no idea what the variety is. Got them from the supermarket a couple of years ago, last year they got much larger than this. This year though they went in quite late

The Golden Delicious apple tree has had the small apples removed because it is the first year (it was bare rooted not so long ago). I know it is the right thing to do, but still a killer removing around 8 very small apples. Thanks Reg for the encouragement. I needed it

Committed the first serious raid on the strawberry patch this evening to. These are whats left after me and our lass had a strawberry ice cream milkshake and some. They are delicious. I have been nibbling at the odd strawberry in the patch now for days. The ones in the front garden got ripe first and the birds dont bother them as I believe it is near the road

Weather report - Really hot and but slightly over cast all day ,Wakefield, England . The word gorgeous would still describe it well

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