a weblog with an allotment attached
25 August 2007
Work on the potager project began in earnest today. As part of this, I had to dismantle one of my compost bins so it could be moved. The top was filled with only partially decomposed matter and was a bit twiggy, so I shovelled it all out into the wheelbarrow to go into [...]
Filed under: Potager project, Wildlife — Clare @ 7:10 pm
24 August 2007
Or rather, do.
Some time ago in the back of a magazine I saw an advert for a ‘strawberry table-top‘. I thought it was an interesting idea, particularly as at the time I was having to fight the slugs for my own strawberries and those I did save were pretty much all splashed with mud. [...]
Filed under: Blue Peter corner, Potager project — Clare @ 1:42 pm
23 August 2007
The 1.5 tonnes of slate chips that will mulch the paths in the soon-to-be-started potager have arrived.
There are cheaper ways of creating paths that keep the weeds back, look good, are low-maintenance and long-lasting. I hunted around and found what I believe is the best price for the amount of slate we need, from [...]
Filed under: Potager project — Clare @ 10:43 am
22 August 2007
…the shed that won’t be bought?
The lovely shed we thought we were getting at a bargain price? No longer available. The next best shed has now been re-ordered from the company that no doubt thinks I am some bizarre, crazy, indecisive shed-buying woman.
They’re not far wrong.
Filed under: Potager project — Clare @ 4:07 pm
22 August 2007
My Dad is at a loose end this weekend and asked if we needed some help with the garden.
I bet you can’t imagine what I said to that, can you?
Filed under: Potager project — Clare @ 7:52 am
21 August 2007
Our little cat is lovable for many reasons, but one of the best is that she is a crap hunter. We don’t have to face decapitated sparrows in the kitchen or dazed rodents in the living room. She likes a quiet life and catching things is just far too much like hard work.
Last [...]
Filed under: Mulch — Clare @ 9:45 am
20 August 2007
You know you’ve been to a really great party when you wake up the following day with a pulled thigh muscle, a jarred arm, a twisted ankle and a grazed knee. If ever anyone tells you that a Ceilidh is safe, do not believe them. I have the brusies and I know.
It was [...]
Filed under: Music — Clare @ 11:02 am
18 August 2007
Today is Daniel and Melanie’s big day. They are getting married in this church, before hot-footing it here where our wonderful quartet will serenade them and their guests at a champagne reception for two whole hours. As the theme of the wedding is ‘Masquerade Ball’ we will be wearing masks while we play.
This [...]
Filed under: Music — Clare @ 6:33 am
17 August 2007
Since last week’s biscuits were such a delicious success, I have today once more ventured forth into the kitchen with intent to create cookies. I managed to show a little restraint and only made one variety insted of three, but boy, is it a good one: Scrummy Chocolate Shortbread Swirls from the Green and [...]
Filed under: Recipes - Non-soup — Clare @ 4:03 pm
16 August 2007
Being cursed with a small garden makes finding a shed that will fit a rather difficult task. Some months ago I found something perfect - looks good, big enough to store all our garden stuff, small enough not to fill the entire space, not too expensive. I kept a note of the URL [...]
Filed under: Potager project — Clare @ 10:32 am
14 August 2007
This is National Allotments Week. How do I know this? An article in the national press? No. Parades, floats and public announcements up and down the country? Nah. A streaker running around Birmingham waving a banner, perhaps? No, siree. Steve Wright mentioned it yesterday , but other [...]
Filed under: Plot politics — Clare @ 1:30 pm
13 August 2007
Being able to play musically together involves so much more than just rehearsal.
Filed under: Music, This much I know — Clare @ 9:53 am
10 August 2007
Having lots of friends round for multiple weekends of rehearsing seems to bring out my motherly side and I get a strong urge to make huge quantities of food. Last weekend I made some gorgeous pepper and tomato soup as well as vats of ice cream (not to eat together, you understand) and yet [...]
Filed under: Recipes - Non-soup — Clare @ 6:15 pm
10 August 2007
I’ve done some more preparation for the big potager project weekend. Things did not go quite a smoothly as we had hoped. Sometime ago when we started to think about doing this, we found a lovely double-door wooden storage shed that was small enough to fit where we want it to go and [...]
Filed under: Potager project — Clare @ 11:58 am
9 August 2007
It’s been quiet chez Pumpkin, hasn’t it? No allotmenting, no P’Souping, no regaling you with cheery stories about how good it is to see the sun shining finally. We’ve been filling our time with rehearsals, rehearsals and more rehearsals as the first wedding we are playing at is now less than a fortnight [...]
Filed under: Potager project — Clare @ 4:42 pm