Poppy day

This is a random poppy left over from the Greenfinger Club's mini wildflower patch, which suffered a little last year when it was dug over too soon by an over-enthusiastic volunteer. But, undeterred, a few flowers have come back this year, with this beautiful poppy being the best example to date.

It's been, amazingly, a little too hot to do much on the allotment lately, although before the mini-heatwave that probably is summer, Alan and I managed to nearly finish the chicken run. It's safe and secure, but needs an extra layer of chicken wire.


The courgettes and squashes in the polytunnel are almost taking over the place; they really appreciated the pile of dung! We tried one of the tricolour courgettes (pictured, yellow and round) on the BBQ yesterday and it was lovely.


The strawberries and raspberries are doing really well and I need help to eat them, and luckily someone seems to come along just in time in the guise of one of the other allotment holders looking for a tasty snack.

The strawberries are doing much better after a bit of sunshine and a good helping of bark mulch and are producing enough runners to extend the patch a bit next year. They're definitely the most popular item we've grown so far, proving that you really can have tasty, blemish-free strawberries and be chemical-free (naturally, a few chickens to hoover up the slugs/snails nearby helps, even if they do take an occasional nibble of a berry on the edge as part-payment).

Pretty but poisonous

When I first saw this plant a month ago, I wrongly tied it in with the jerusalem artichokes, as early on the leaves looked quite similar. But gradually the leaves became darker and more nettle-like and today they suddenly produed these amazing, tiny orchid-looking flowers in white and pink. I'm pretty sure it's a common hemp nettle, which is described as 'poisonous, can cause paralysis' so pretty as it is, I think the ones that are close enough to be within reach of tiny hands will probably have to go.


In the last few weeks I've been constantly delighted by the 'weeds' and random plants that are appearing out of nowhere. One such delight is this poppy, which unfurled yesterday in the sunshine, and was promptly rained upon this afternoon, so that must have been a bit of a shock for the poor thing.


One of the things I like about the allotment is the fact that hours can pass without me even realising, and it's just the distant rumble of my stomach that reminds me it's time for a lunch break. But, as I haven't worn a watch for years, I have no idea of the time at all and sometimes, just sometimes, I need to be somewhere. After all, I don't have to look at it ;) This lovely clock, which we've just put on the shed, also tells the temperature on the back, so we'll see if it reaches any dizzy heights this summer - like 70 degrees....