I have Been AWOL!!

I have been so busy that I have not had time to turn on my computer or TV or even read newspaper for days! Why you may well ask,
Son Billy is getting married next Friday to his partner Janice.I have the dress and shoes but I must still find a hat and bag!!
Our allotment Open Day is tomorrow Sat and it has been manic getting the plots in order ,painting etc and I have to say it does not look just ship shape but stunning! Lots of pics of that over the weekend.
Zwena was invited to feature an allotment at the forthcoming Mallow Homes and Gardens festival which also takes place next weekend. We went out and planted up beds of veg and herbs for that.
In the midst of all that I was invited to attend the launch of Peter Dowdall's first book, I went along to that on Wed night with my sister Kathleen.
I would hesitate to say it is just another gardening book because it is a very good read also. Peter has battled against and overcome cancer not once but twice in his life.He kept a journal while undergoing treatment and each chapter is prefaced with excerpts from that.He tells a little of how his illness made him appreciate nature and got him involved in building up his very successful garden centre which I featured in a previous post.
Peter at the launch of his book which is available in bookstores, the Dunsland garden Centre and online through Cork University Press.It is not just a coffee table book but has a very down to earth approach to gardening and lots of advice.There are lots of stunning photos by award winning photographer Richard Mills and our allotments feature in a few!
Charlie Wilkins did the introduction, Charlie has written numerous gardening articles over the years in newspapers.
My beautiful lily which I thought had been killed off by the severe frosts over winter.I was pleasantly surprised to see two blooms nestling in the leaves.
Lots of work has been done on the plot and we are still harvesting strawberries each day!Mange Tout peas and lettuce and spring onions have now been added to the take home bounty.
We pulled all of the garlic as the rust was travelling down the bulbs but we do have garlic drying in the shed!
I spied my first red raspberry today so the fruitcage had to be put up ASAP.The birds seem to have multiplied a hundred fold this year and are stripping anything left uncovered.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Mam, need help again!!! we only ever grew tomato plants at home in grow bags up the wall, now they are planted in our allotment, we dont know what to do!!!!! also rhubarb, when is that ready to use or what do i do with it??????
peppers are gone mad, do they have to be tied up too and if so how??? we also have melons that we have no idea what to do with!!
my strawberries are gone mad and now dont want to see them anymore, am so sick of eating them!!!! lol
my herbs are doing absolutely brilliant, as well as the spring onions and lettuces!!!! good job its too hot here now for hot food so eat lots of salads!!!!
please advise about tomato plants!!!!! thanks Dee xx
June 25, 2010 at 11:47 PM
PeggyR said…
Oh my gosh you are making me tired with how busy you are! Wish I could help you out!
June 26, 2010 at 12:56 AM
Matron said…
Good luck with your allotment open day! What a great time of year to show off your patch, so much coming to ripen at the moment. I'm looking forward to seeing it for myself next month!
June 26, 2010 at 8:58 AM
Peggy said…
Dee, you are now living in the south of France so it is a completely different climate!You can grow tomatoes outdoors ,we can't but they would still need to be staked to a bamboo cane.
Peppers don't grow very tall here at any rate but again stake them if they look inclined to topple over.
Rhubarb you should be using, for tarts, jam, rhubarb fool etc lots of recipes online courtesy of Google!

Peggy R, thanks for the offer!

Matron, we are just home after a great day and BBQ, Ihope everything looks as good under your beady eye come July!!Not long to go now and you will be off on the cruise.
June 26, 2010 at 11:14 PM
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