Organic Allotment

Lovely Lily

Last summer I was given a lily for my pond in an attempt to get rid of the algae that was taking over. I diligently planted it as the books recommended and it promptly disappeared, never to be seen again - or so I thought...Come spring little pads started to appear and the first flower is now here in all its glory.Lilies keep the algae at bay because their leaves are great shade letting the water stay cool slowing down algae growth which worse in warm water.

I inherited the pond when I moved onto my plot and was really in the dark about looking after it so it's been a steep learning curve but I must be doing something right because the newts are back again this year and there are dragonflies all over the place. My boyfriend is a bit more knowledgeble coming from a one pond family (original home of the lily) but, apart from keeping it healthy and ticking over we haven't even thought about the possibilities of more watery planting. Maybe that can be the next challenge...

Protection

The growing of vegetables is so fraught with possible mishaps that it's a wonder that anything ever makes it from plot to table! Take for example these calabrese. First of all it was too cold to plant them out so I started them off in the greenhouse but they hate having their roots disturbed so need to be planted in paper pots so this doesn't happen when they get planted out. In addition to this they're also very sensitive to being transplanted in hot weather so you need to pick a coolish day to move them to make sure they don't wilt and die. If you successfully overcome these hurdles as soon as they're outside is when the real challenges start...

Nice young brassicas are one of the favourite snacks for slugs on my plot so the cup you can see in the middle of the picture is a beer trap to keep them at bay. The wood pigeons that live in surrounding trees also enjoy giving them a peck and nibble which means they need to be netted as soon as they're planted out and this also serves as protection from cabbage white butterflies whose offspring will demolish a bed of calabrese or any brassica in no time. If that isn't enough regular watering is crucial for them to form the heads of broccoli that you're aiming for.

Simple isn't it? If you make it past all of that your final challenge is to decide how you want to cook it and sit back and enjoy your meal!

The Humble Bumble

If you asked me to choose my favourite animal the humble bee would be in there with a very strong chance of winning. I love the way that they're tiny little insects without whom our eco-systems would simply collapse. I also think it's great that, in terms of physics, the bumble bee shouldn't really be able to fly but fly they do! It's so reassuring to see them buzzing from plant to plant on the plot, and there are plenty to watch because I do everything I can to encourage as many of them to visit as possible. Bees love the flowers on comfrey and also on calendula so I make as much room for them as possible. Calendula also has edible flowers which look amazing in salads and comfrey, as you probably know, is an essential tool for the organic gardener.

My bee obsession is such that, when I see a tired bumble bee unable to fly on the floor I pick them up and try my hardest to help them recuperate. Often bees end up in this predicament when they fly too far from home and all they need is a sugar boost to power them up for their return journey. If I'm at home it's best to sit them on the edge of a spoon of honey, jam or sugar water and leave them in peace until they feel ready to go. If I'm at the plot and that isn't to hand I pick them up and find a pollen rich flower to sit them on - that's what had happened to the little bee on the picture which is why he was sitting still enough to be photographed. If they aren't buzzing it means they're extremely unlikely to sting you so and it's even possible, if you're very gentle, to give them a stroke on their back and see just how soft they actually are - who ever said animals need fur to be cute and fluffy was telling a lie!

Parsnip Flowers

At the end of winter I had a couple of parsnips left and, as I was sick of eating them by that point, decided to leave them to flower. Like carrots, parsnips are biennials which flower in the second year after sowing. They're also great companion plants because hover flies, with their aphid eating larvae, love them.

The plants are about 5 foot tall and are very similar to wild parsnips which you can find growing all over the country. The flowers aren't at all showy to look at but the plant as a whole is quite striking. It'll soon be surround by winter squash plants so will be great to add some level and visual interest to that bed before the pumpkins and squash start growing and steal the show.