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...The poppies are here! They aren't looking quite as good as last year because the weather's been a bit dull and rainy and the plant looks distinctly windswept but they're still pretty stunning. They're always the first really sign of summer for me.
I've got a little pond on my allotment and I'm lucky enough to have newts as regular visitors. I saw them loads last spring and summer, normally basking on the surface of the water around dusk. I was really looking forward to their return this year and, sure as anything, they started to appear again in spring. I've never seen them out of the water though...until now.
I had to lift a piece of old carpet that's down on one of the paths to pull some weeds and I found this little guy, and left him uncovered just long enough to take a quick picture. I'm always amazed by wildlife (life is so satisfying when you're as easily please as me!) and newts are a more than welcome addition to the menagerie on the plot.
The pictures on this blog may lead you into the belief that the sun always shines in Manchester. Sadly this isn't actually the case and, after the really hot weather in April, May has been a much more cool and soggy affair. The main benefit of this has been that everything on the plot is growing really well but at the moment it's the flowers that are the star of the show.
The alliums that I planted are all coming through in the herb garden and the oriental poppies look within days of flowering - I'll post a picture as soon as they're ready. And not to be out done the trees at the bottom of the plot in our little woodland garden are now covered in leaves, creating a peaceful haven where you feel like you could be miles away from anywhere. It's bliss!
I'm not neglecting the vegetables totally but at the moment they're no competition in the beauty stakes! I suppose that's the great thing about growing veg though - the expectation of great things to come. Take my potatoes for example which are in this picture. They aren't amazing to look at at the moment but I still can't get over the excitement of digging them - you put one in the ground and get maybe ten more in return if you're lucky. Simple pleasures I know but it still fascinates me!
This picture is the of beautiful Black Isle Blush Chives which was developed by the Poyntzfield Herb Nursery and won an RHS award of merit in 1995. Far too nice to eat - in fact I think it's so nice that I'm growing it as a border flower in my garden as well. As with most perennials , if I keep dead heading it I should have flowers all summer long.
When I took over my allotment I was lucky enough to inherit a greenhouse off the previous plot holder and I love it! I couldn't imagine living without it now! At this time of year it's chocca with seedlings because I grow everything on in there before I plant it out. After the greenhouse seedlings have a week or so in the cold frame before going out into the big wide world. This usually means that they're strong enough to hold their own against the slug and snail onslaught.
As well as seedlings there are also a few crops that always stay inside like chillies, tomatoes and cucumbers. These two in the picture are Passandra cucumbers which are actually gherkins - perfect for growing in a cold greenhouse. I'm also growing Burpless Tasty Green which are a standard salad cucumber that can be grown inside or out. It's my first go at growing cucumbers but I thought I'd give it a try after the ones I got given off my plot neighbours last year tasted so good. Not sure how I'll get on but fingers crossed.
The tomatoes have all moved into big pots now and are coming on a pace. I didn't have great success with them last year because they were in grow bags and I had a real problem keeping them wet - as soon as they dry out you get blossom end rot and lose loads of your crop. Last year this was particularly bad with plum tomatoes but less so with cherries so maybe the key is to grow as many different cultivars as possible.
I've also go some flowers which are on the go in there. The ones in the picture are sunflowers. I'm growing Mezzulah which is one of the nicest small cultivars that are available as well as Moonwalker which, unusually for sunflowers, has more than one flower per plant which makes it perfect to put at the back of borders.
