Allotment Fever

I have spent this week on my allotment trying to get it into shape. The weather has helped. We have had frosty mornings followed by warm sunny days, so I have had some long days digging. My main challenge was the strawberry bed that was riddled with couch grass. I had to weed using a fine toothcomb method and have now cleared the entire bed. I have planted some strawberries with space left for more.
It is wonderful to work to the sound of birdsong including a woodpecker that taps away in the field alongside the allotment. The birds are also nest building and keep taking in large beakfuls the coir matting from my hanging baskets.

A cleared plot

I have planted my potatoes both in the Artful Garden and on the allotment.

Chitted potatoes ready to plant

Planting potatoes after having applied a liberal amount of manure

I have also planted out some broad beans.

I have picked my first rhubarb from the Artful Garden.

Made into a delicious crumble

The damson trees are just starting to blossom. I hope the early morning frosts do not kill the blossom before it has time to set.

Delicate white blossom

There are some beautiful flowers in bloom.

Look at the detail

A delicate shade of pale yellow

I love this old shed. It belongs to the time when the allotments were first formed during the Depression when the villagers were very poor.

I love the bleached look of the planks

Not high enough to stand up in

These are flower arrangements I made for the bishop's visit.

Daffodils and iris

The Lady altar

Baabaara the sheep originally came from the Sheepfest in Sedbergh. Since then she has had body contouring, plastic surgery, a facial, colours and a complete makeover. She is hoping to be a pinup girl for Carrs Billington Lamb Feeds who have sponsored her handbag.

Does anyone want me to be their pinup? 

Britain in Bloom

On Monday the Artful Garden had a visit from the Britain in Bloom judges. They very much enjoyed all the artwork and had their photos taken amongst the scarecrows pretending to be scarecrows themselves. Luckily the weather stayed dry as we have had two very hot days this week and we are now back to rain.

I made some new artwork for the visit. Large paper flowers. I perfected the design from when I made them before for Cumbria in Bloom. It is difficult to keep the flower shape when competing with the rain.

Flower power greets you as approach Kirkoswald

I made a variety of flowers in plant pots to hang from the flower tree.

Crazy Maisie basking in the sun next to the flower tree

Flowers made from garden wire, string, straws, milk bottle tops and pom poms.

Daisy wireisus

Made from silver wire, straws and bottle caps.

Daisy metalisus

A wooden birdhouse which I have designed and made.

Home alone

A flock of hens arrived in the garden. Two French inspired hessian hens, a rare breed that I have recently made.

Now let's get the pecking order established

Oh la la I have just flown in from the Pyrenees

A straw hen arrived and took up residence next to the willow pheasant.

Clucking good

Bluebells are just appearing in the hedgerows.

Dainty blue bells

The purple vetch looks very pretty.

A lovely mix of colours

The verges are pink with rosebay willowherb.

Pink fronds

Purple wild scabious floats in the breeze.

Purple pom poms

I have pink and blue cornflowers growing in the wildflower bed in the orchard.

I love the colour and shape of cornflowers

A sign of summer meadows

The white daisies are thriving.

Golden button centres

It has been a good year for poppies. Their fragility and colour is always so appealing.

Vibrant

My wild flowers are growing well in the allotment wheelbarrow.

A riot of colour

I have picked my first lot of runner beans. There should be plenty more to follow that I can make into Runner Bean Pickle. 

Delicious

Cumbria in Bloom

I have had a busy week getting the Artful Garden and my allotment shipshape for the visit of the Cumbria in Bloom judges on Wednesday afternoon. The visit went well. This is some of the artwork that they could view.

I made some giant poppies to decorate my Cumbria in Bloom sign and put a blue cornflower on the back of the sign. 

Poppy power

Blue view

All the scarecrows have been to health farms, hairdressers and some have been on the toning tables. All have had serious makeovers ready to soak up the summer sunshine.
Charlie Barley has been to the gym and as a consequence is looking more trim. Looby Loo likes her new chair in the garden as she is no longer sitting next to Bobby Barley who used to tease her. 

Just doing a few exercises to limber up. Looby Loo you should try it.

Crazy Maisie finds the sun too bright hence the sunglasses, but the other scarecrows think it is just to attract attention. 

Some day my prince will come 

Boozy Floosie is trying to give up sloe gin and instead is drinking rhubarb cordial. 

Hic hic

Bobby Barley relaxing.

Move over Rooney

The Bottle Boys and Babes have been admired and they keep turning their heads to look inside and out of the garden.

Whose pinched my lippy?

His and hers hats

The peg dolls enjoy being out in the sun.

Daisy

Laura

I have decorated some tin cans.

Two cans

Dot

I have managed to clear a large quantity of the allotment.

I have put homemade windmills on the allotment to scare the birds

Plants a Plenty

There has been some warm days but still cold nights. I have had a busy few weeks planting out bedding plants at home and in the Artful Garden. A friends terrier chased away the two rabbits I had in the Artful Garden so the plants should now grow nibble free.

Many of the summer plants are now in flower with borders a riot of colour. The side border in the Artful Garden planted up with bedding plants and perennials.

Blue hues

A border in my home garden.

Can you see the pottery house?

Iris and lupin, purple perfection.

Blooming lovely

The lupin is a stunning colour and shade.

Lavender blue

Aquilegia comes in many sizes, colours and varieties.

Like purple dandelion clocks

Bells and bonnets

My peonies are hanging pendulous from their stalks.

Striking

Red campion fills the hedgerows and a border in the Artful Garden.

Red buttons

Poppy power.

Look at the detail

Day lillies though short lived always look beautiful.

Yellow trumpets

Acid yellow Dyers Woad.

This adds zing to the flower border

I have planted out the runner beans.

Has anyone seen Jack?

I have only one cucumber plant that has survived in the greenhouse and this is our first cucumber.

Larger than life

I have acquired half an allotment which needs the ground clearing. There are a few strawberry, raspberry and rhubarb plants on the plot and a lot of beautiful buttercups. Also a lot of couch grass which is not a gardener's friend.

The challenge

Beautiful buttercups

Summer colours.

Euphorbia, geum, astrantia and snapdragon

Last week I did a workshop with class 3 children from Kirkoswald school making costumes for their school play a 'Load of Rubbish.' I had to devise a wide variety of costumes including a turnip, ink cartridge, perfume bottle, duster and dessert pot. The performance was in the open air and was brilliant, very well acted by all the children and a credit to the teaching staff. I hope to feature photos on the blog in the next few weeks.