They grow so quick

Its amazing how quickly our little chick is growing compared to babies. She could walk straight away and imitate Mother scratching for food within only a few days. Now after 10 days her wings have formed and tail is coming.

We had another arrival in our garden, a Blue Tit as laid eggs in the nest box in our apple tree and we managed to get a picture of the chick waiting for food. Haven't really done alot at the allotment as the weather has been raining on and off. Last week I harvested my garlic, onions & shallots as I thought all the rain may rot them. They have been dying out in the greenhouse. We have had a good harvest of Duke of York so far and plenty for me to give around to others. We have had cauliflower for dinner this week with new potatoes which was a nice change from cabbage. I'll leave it at that for now.......have a good weekend.x

Heres the surprise....

Our hen has hatched an egg yesterday or today. Its a Welbar and i'm told its a girl so thats brilliant news. The hen was given 6 eggs 2 welbars, 2 maran bantam & 2 cream legbars. I'm hoping we get a girl cream legbar but even if we don't I dead chuffed that I have one chick. What a good hen keeping the eggs warm. Its a lovely sound hearing little chirps from the chick and mother talking to her too.

Along with this news we have had our first new potatoes Duke of york this week.

Starting to harvest the cauliflowers and greyhound cabbage.

The greyhound cabbage was very nice bright in colour and fresh in taste. I prefered it to the offenham 2 I had before.

At last I managed to get some french beans to germinate and they are doing well. They are a purple dwarf variety. So far only one yellow bean has germinated and no green beans. planted up some more sweetcorn direct this time see how they go. Fennel, carrots and parnips are coming along well.

Little gem and webb lettuce have been thinned out. Little gem are well again now and starting to get bigger. Webb last night still looked at little floppy but if we have rain tonight they will perk up i'm sure.

The globe artichoke is doing well, haven't got a clue how to cook or eat but looks like i'll have a few to play with.

An early start.....well worth it.

7.30 I was up at the alloment today to make an early start before it got hot as yesterday was baking and didn't get much done as I took my youngest with me who didn't want to be there and it was hot already at 10am. Then in the afternoon I had a glass of wine which made me feel like doing nothing. I wasn't the first one up there two other plots holders were watering and planting.

I've done alot of weeding around the parnips and dug up the whole bed over where the true and tender where sown as they didn't germinate. Hollow crown did ok but not enough parsnips so i'm chitting more at home to plant out. Weeded around the cabbages and a little around the caulis so I don't disturb them as I have a curd (a cauliflower) coming along nicely 3 actually so now its just a case of looking after them before something else eats them.I got a compliment about my cabbages today saying they looked really good which is a bonus as I have been spraying them to keep the green fly and white fly at bay. They do look well but a little too close together really but it means i'll get smaller heads.

Planted out some more peas onward early about 15 as not all germinated. Peas infront of picture and my cabbages behind and cauliflowers to the left.

My 30 fennel are down to 5 which now have khol rabi next to them. Hope they grow as I don't have any more seeds. Planted out about 12.

The bush tomatoes look well in the picture and the others are coming along ok. I did sow some more tomatoes as I was getting worried that they were all dying.

Top of the picture are some other tomatoes and 4 aubergines that I have planted outside and 3 more I have planted in the greenhouse.

Now that all the PSB as been pulled up along with the offenham cabbages that we have eaten two types of carrots have been sown in there place, Purple dragon which is purple like its name and Pariser which is a round ball type carrot.

Red rum runner beans have been planted hope they are a good runner! In between I have planted some more oasis turnip as they grow quite well.

Here is a harvest of some Oasis planted over with the little gem and webb lettuce. I thinned out the little gem so its looking a bit sorry for itself at the moment.

Sowed direct some swede and moved some beetroot hoping that it will grow better I left it looking really sad as if it was going to die. Chicory, iceberg lettuce and red top turnip (milan) has been sown too. Planted out my cape gooseberry plants and some more patty pans and atlanic giant pumpkins and butternut squash that I had given to me. I plan to sow diect some sweetcorn as I didn't do too well with it at home. Also my french beans Boby didn't germinate so I had some purple & yellow beans given to me to try.

I'm aching and quite tired but I still can't settle down but its been a good day well worth the early start and an enjoyable Sunday all round. I may have a surprize coming in a weeks time so keep reading and have a good week. x