allotment gardening

Garden Journal (No.8) – In Search of Stars

| Gary Webb

My record of autumn arriving as summer fades, of scarred soil, of garden friends and foes, plus tasks planned for the home garden and family allotment, it’s all in here and more besides. 🌿

Hello and welcome to my garden journal.

Generally Speaking

Autumn… for me is an important time of year, where I try to immerse myself and take notice of every garden moment. There always seems to be an urgency to these actions, as if the garden at any moment could up sticks and leave. I don’t know why but I’m drawn to write now more than at any other time of year, endeavouring each time to capture and hold each experience in words, like cupped hands carrying water from a fresh flowing stream.

A sunrise sky and silhouette picture, where buildings and young trees are highlighted by the glow of a rising sun.
One of the golden sun rises this week, when all is calm in the garden.

Normally around now I’m drawn to comment on how the summer’s flown by, and in some ways this is still the case – especially the holiday part which disappeared in a flash! Right now though, what I mostly recall are slow moving steady days, where the door to the garden was, for the most part, left wide open. As the seasonal cycle dictates though, that wonderful open-door policy was always going to change, and that soft changeover period is upon us now, as we inch ever closer to autumn proper.

Thanks to plenty of rain in recent weeks which ended the longest and driest of periods, my early autumn garden is once again lush and vibrant, if a little weary around the margins. Days have mellowed, nights are noticeably longer, and most mornings are decidedly damp and cool.

A little white pine growing on its merry way in my garden.

Not wanting to wistfully wave summer away just yet though, I feel it’s important each day to head outside and connect with nature and the season in some way. It’s all too easy to plough on through and chip away at the tasks in hand, but a few moments of fresh air with some sun on my face, or standing bare foot to connect with the ground really does reinvigorate my soul.

⚠️ Trigger Warning for molluscophobes and arachnophobes…!

The other day though, whilst out on one such garden visit, I found myself sharing the space with a large red slug who was making their way steadily across the patio. Unlike days of old, this time I simply thought – wow, that’s a big un! I took its photo and let it go on its way, realising this too signified change, bringing an end to late night bare foot strolls around the garden in search of stars. How times change eh…

A large red slug moving across paving in a garden
They do divide opinion, but they’re pretty formidable creatures IMHO…

In the Garden

The Ground Swells – and it’s been an absolute joy to have welcomed some much-needed rain over the last couple of weeks or so; it was certainly needed. Near me water has fallen from the sky frequently and in quantity, and in no time at all what might have passed for an old rush mat out front (but was actually a lawn,) is now transformed into a lush green carpet.

I do have concerns over the border soil though, as cracks from months of desiccation are still visible – as if the ground is scarred. Recent rainfall has helped but marks remain, and whilst it’s easy to move forward without concern, in the coming season I’ll have to consider how to better support and protect the soil from which my garden grows. I feel even more mulching may be in order…

Wildlife – I think it’s fair to say that conditions for many wildlife species have been less than ideal this summer, but at least conditions are settling now to something near normal – whatever normal is, that is!

The first of two species I’ve encountered of late is our beloved Ladybird which has returned to my garden in good numbers again. It may be a small thing, but I took delight this year in carrying two of these bright red soldiers across the garden and depositing them on a black aphid infested Dahlia stem. Thankfully, just two days later one of the lady birds was still there chomping away on the aphids, and today there are no aphids at all – happy days.

The final species I’ll mention just now is a garden spider, one of the orb weavers if my I.D. app has done its job correctly. As architects and builders of some exquisite structures, their webs seem to be placed everywhere in my garden just now, spanning most gaps between sheds and garden stems. Maybe a little over a centimetre wide, they’re creamy beige in colour with dark markings. Interestingly, like a few folks I’ve worked with way back in time, sometimes they seem to hang around motionless for ages, and sometimes there’s no trace of them at all – I’ll mention no names but I always know who will have been most productive. 😉 If you can tolerate it, do study that web – it’s fascinating and holds some incredible cross bracing!

European Garden/Orb Weaver Spider

Like many, though a spidey-fan when growing up I must admit to not being drawn to actual spiders. Having gotten used to them over the years though I now just see them as garden friends, as long as I’m not getting caught up in a web that is! Mind you, as spiders are particularly active just now, my key tip would be to wave a short stick around the area in the border where you wish to work, as if you’re casting a magic spells over your plants… Option: Shout #Riddikulus to give your neighbours something to think about!

@AllotofPotential allotment – Allotmenteering has been a little hit and miss of late, although the summer holiday period always disrupts the usual flow of visits. In all fairness, the allotment is somewhat tatty around the edges, but all considered it is in fairly good order.

Stopping way short of a harvest festival write up, I can at least start by saying we’ve a small sack of good-sized onions hanging in the shed. I’m patting myself on the back for this growing achievement of course, as under-sized onions have been the norm in previous seasons. The focus on bulking-up organic matter in the soil is finally starting to pay off I believe.

A gardener crouched down, searching through soil for small potatoes
It’s not about the tan, but the tatties! Myself in action at the allotment…

Whilst the glasshouse courgette plants eventually succumbed to powdery mildew, it wasn’t until they had delivered a steady supply of fruits all summer. Pulling them out created space for drying and storing the pumpkins, which have grown and coloured up nicely. The glasshouse shade netting has also now been removed now, to increase light and heat for the remaining tomatoes.

Speaking of toms, they are finally on song now after a sluggish start, and although it’s fair to say the plants are a little unsightly (due to a lack of attention), we should be good for pasta sauce for the foreseeable. It didn’t help that one plant is seriously deformed with fasciation, but I have made a mental note to be more attentive to their needs next year in an effort to keep them on the straight and narrow.

Looking Ahead

Whilst it’s all too easy not to make the time and to save some pennies, I’m tempted again this year to plant at least a couple containers for some extra spring colour in the garden. Once they’re planted, it’s not only the anticipation they bring, but the little teasers they offer in winter as their new shoots break through, promising good things to come. Yes, they’re worth the effort, so I shall plan for those, maybe some tulips or miniature Iris, or some hyacinths for a change.

There will be some continued feeding of longer-term containers here and there with seaweed feed, and I’ll be looking to keep on dead heading, although things are slowing now. I need to lift some Stachys that is getting beyond its limits, and I’ll be raising some pots off the ground to ease their drainage – popping little clay feet beneath as many pots as I can.

More weeding of the allotment must not escape me, to check the advancement of couch grass roots into the borders. Also, as any rows become are clear of crops and weeds, and if I’m not planting with onions or garlic, I shall be looking to mulch with manure and cover them over for winter.

Outside there’s a season of compost to turn and re-cover, and a rather full bin at home, and hopefully there will be some good enough material amongst that to spread about and around. Inside the glasshouse in the coming weeks tomato plants will need to come out and the soil refreshed, so there’s plenty to keep me engaged and engrossed as always.

Rest assured that I won’t be far from my garden in the coming weeks, and I hope you’ll be in yours or visiting one or another, to experience this very special time of year. The Autumn Equinox approaches and some of the best days are ahead, so let’s get out there and embrace it!

That’s my gardening lot just now, and I’ve taken enough of your time, so I’ll sign off and wish you all the very best for the days ahead. Until next time, Gary, Gardening ways.

Garden Journal (no.6) – Be like a tree…

| Gary Webb

Hello again and welcome back to my garden journal, a place to record my gardening world right now, look at where I’ve been and peer into the future.

Generally Speaking

Right now…I’m a tree… A few weeks have passed by since I last updated my garden journal, and despite the pause in posting I can confirm that I have been as busy as ever. Gardening aside, time has taught me that my personal motivation for writing does naturally dip during summer, so rather than squeeze out posts or journal entries I simply pause for a while. It’s not like I stop writing, I’ve just learned not to force it, to park the F.O.M.O., care less about social stats, and get on with other things.

All that said, whilst there might have been some beautifully long, slow and sultry days since the summer solstice, mine do seem to have been filled with a lot of stuff. Suffice to say that between roving around gardens for work, burying my head in books for research, private garden visits, (see image below!) a garden show and activity in my own garden and allotment, there genuinely hasn’t been much time to think – let alone write!

Still, in just a few weeks’ time I’ll be taking a little break so I must be patient. Yes, that dream of swooshing around delightful gardens, gallivanting around the countryside and lying back on a sunny beach each day will hopefully be realised. Naturally, I intend each night to kick back and watch the sunset with a long drink, a head full of inspiration, an open book and fully loaded pen – well that’s the plan. Until then I have some serious stuff to deal with on the work front, so I’ll keep searching for that balance between all that needs doing to keep the pennies rolling in (and the kids fed), and I’ll daily remind myself that I’m not weary, I’m adaptable and resilient, just like a tree. (Let’s hope nothing falls off in the meantime!)

A Japanese Tea House set in a wooded garden at Morton Hall
A favourite image from a recent visit to Morton Hall Gardens with the Japanese Garden Society – a lovingly crafted Japanese Tea House.

In the Garden

Bring on the Flowers – Although we’ve enjoyed some rain these last few days, since last writing we have had to endure some warm and windy weeks – flaming June having broken records yet again. It has been weather to kick back on a beach with an iced coffee or float around in a cool pool, but as for the gardening community, it’s been a challenging time for sure – beautiful sunny skies that have brought on the flowers, but tough under foot in more ways than one.

In my home garden, even though the ornamental borders were heavily mulched earlier in the year when the soil was moist, the ground has still dried, and cracks have appeared large enough to swallow a mouse whole – even after the weekend rain. At this point though and with such shrinkage, there’s little point in watering copiously as we might have done in days gone by, but instead zooming-in just on those plants that need it most and watering thoroughly.

Cracks in my garden foundations, but little to be done – they will come and go…

Yes, if you’re willing to take the hit on your water bill the hose is there and waiting, and nobody would probably notice. But really, in a private garden setting, and unless the plants are rare, I’d let them fend for themselves, urging all to conserve our water resource where we can. I’ll store my soapbox away now…

Wildlife – Even having a soft spot for wildlife, I was still a little miffed to be woken by some strange snorting noises coming from the garden one evening last week, a little after midnight. The snorts were regular, somewhat dry, and coming from somewhere underneath the plants in the front garden – but hanging out of my window with a torch couldn’t reveal exactly what it was.

Out I went then, clad in PJs with torch in hand, (ready to run if the need arose), only to discover not one but two hedgehogs, who suddenly went very quiet. The hogs were large and healthy it seemed and were clearly enjoying a night on the town.

Nevertheless, with it being a rather warm night I backed away, only to return with a dish of water to quench their thirst – the neighbours must have thought I’d lost the plot! Anyway, when next viewing from up above I could see they’d moved on, but as my head once again hit the pillow, I couldn’t help but feel guilty for interrupting a night of passion!

Niwaki – With work on my home garden presently reduced to plant feeding, deadheading, occasionally ‘topping’ the lawn and watering, progress, for want of a steady word has been slow. Where I’ve channelled my gardening ambitions therefore in a calming, meditative kind of way, is through some topiary work, trimming cloud pruned box shrubs and formative pruning a young hornbeam tree.

My ‘Niwaki’ tree, if I dare be so bold was planted maybe three years back and has been left alone to settle in whilst I plucked up courage to get busy with some pruners. Earlier this year though the time came to get involved and trim out the leading stem, as I don’t really have room for a forest-sized tree in my back garden!

A Gardener busy pruning and training a garden tree, against a garden fence with blue skies behind
I know, it doesn’t look much yet but give it time… 

In early summer I selected the side branches I wished to keep, most evenly spaced and with a good spread around the tree. Then came ‘special branch’ training, where I tied canes onto each branch to straighten them over time. Stone weights then followed, tied to each branch to lower them down a little below horizontal until the whole tree, all eight or nine feet of it began to look quite arty – trussed up, but artfully so.

All that worked for a while, but after some weeks observing and studying, I have now moved in for a second piece of work, upgrading my training system to canes and black string instead of stone weights. Whilst still in full leaf, the training system is now relatively well hidden, although close up I might easily be seen as a control freak! In my defence, I’d just say that I do like to experiment and stretch myself horticulturally, and after all – I’m only here once!

I shall keep you posted as to whether the tree thrives or turns it’s toes up!

@AllotofPotential allotment – Although it’s been steady-ahead in the home garden, the allotment has called for a little more input. Being free draining, holding on to moisture in the ground can be something of a challenge, although somewhat unsurprisingly, the wildflowers (weeds) do tend to cope admirably. Irrigation has therefore been increased to keep things green and growing in the heat.

The delicious broad beans have done well so far but have run out of steam now, and the strawberries have come and gone – mostly before I could get my hands on them. (I do need to up my strawberry game for next year). Tomatoes are racing up the canes in the glasshouse and the first fruits have been harvested from the courgettes, whilst pumpkins in their patch are sending stems here and everywhere, showing off their bright yellow flowers and immature fruits to an excited world. Seed-wise, whilst later than hoped, the first rows of carrots, parsnips, beetroot and radish have been sown, so fingers crossed there for some good growth beyond the full moon.

These pumpkins have @allotofpotential…(have a look on Insta!)

Overall, after a sluggish start, things are moving along nicely on the allotment growing front. On the allotment wildlife front though, I was ecstatic last week to see a ‘charm’ or group of goldfinches descend on the plot, focussing wholly on some self-seeded cornflowers that were left to grow in a floral border. The goldfinches, which never appear in my garden just a mile or so away, were a real treat, as were the skylarks who serenaded a delightful allotment gardening session.

Looking Ahead

Needless to say, that with record temperatures forecast in the days ahead, a heavy workload and the holiday season fast approaching, I’m not setting my gardening bar very high for a while. I shall just aim to keep things alive and well fed, with a little clipping here, a little tying in there, and a wish that all will be well.

Maybe I’ll be taking a leaf out of Mother Nature’s book and accept that with shortening days, there is a need to slow down, calm the pace and pause. Think of those cool early mornings when nothing stirs but the birds, or long summer evenings when plants cease moving and fresh air is nowhere to be found. Vibrant flourishing growth witnessed during spring and early summer is maturing, the frenetic activity we experienced has slowed, so things must give as we crest summer’s brow.

There’s much yet to come but remember the value of sitting back and taking time to appreciate our midsummer gardens, taking stock of the highs and lows of the year so far. With that frame of mind, I shall be looking myself for gentle contemplation and will make time in the days ahead to study plants more closely, observing how they’re responding to this highpoint of the year. I’ll be sitting down to watch bees extract goodness from the flowers, I will meditate on sunlit grass heads waving gently back and forth, and if I’m lucky, I will harvest some home-grown food here and there – that will be me for the foreseeable.

~

Wishing you all the very best, until next time, Gary, Gardening ways.

Garden Journal (No.5) – A Gardening Mind

| Gary Webb

Hello again and welcome back to my garden journal, a place where I look to capture my gardening world right now, record horticultural highlights from the preceding week or so, and look ahead at what’s up ahead – my work is a whole other subject!

Generally Speaking

Where I’m at… Roses are in full bloom and the lavender’s buzzing with bees as June seems to pick up speed. The remainder of the garden’s charmingly green, lush and fulsome, its thirst having been quenched of late. Chelsea for another year fades, its medal winning gardens now erased forever from the Royal Hospital grounds whilst closer to home, new gardens are built for Birmingham’s BBC Gardeners’ World Live which opens tomorrow – summer has arrived!

I find myself sitting in an armchair, door open to the morning garden whilst contemplating the world of gardening I find myself in; honestly, I struggle to locate myself most of the time. Whatever is happening though, I have a gardening mind that drives me forward, an allotment, home garden and family that requires regular input, and a pond pump that reliably runs around the clock – what more could I possibly want?

Don’t mention the weather – After harping on about it in my previous journal, the last thing I want now is to jump straight into a weather conversation. However, as the weather’s shift has been quite the thing of late, I simply can’t ignore it. All I will say is that in stark contrast to last time, water butts and reservoirs across the land should mostly have taken their fill, spring plantings and recently sown seeds have resumed normal growth, and the garden brims with life once again – all seems well for the weeks ahead.

Ne’er cast a clout till May is out – Gardeners’ often state May as a favourite month of the year for good reason, increased daylight hours, warmer temperatures and good moisture levels being first in mind. Herbaceous plants will have burst into life, often transformed from their below ground status to upstanding vigorous specimens, and deciduous shrubs and trees will be colouring and texturizing our garden landscape. If all this wasn’t enough, flowers will be coming and going everywhere from down low between grassy blades to the treetops, so do make sure you remember to look up for the flowers too!

Now May is out though and we find ourselves marching through June, the garden task list, like an overflowing water butt can be very full, and long days often lead us to keep on working. No sooner has the lawn been cut it’ll need cutting again, weeds seemingly sprouting up behind us, and almost everywhere we turn some little critter is trying to defoliate a favourite plant, snap a delicate tree stem or ruin a harvest. Amidst the busyness though I do look for the balance, and make time to sit back and take pride in a garden and allotment well-tended. It’s always important to pat ourselves on the back for making the effort, for creating each little oasis that speaks to wildlife as much as our wilder selves.

In the Garden

Getting knotted – Previously I spoke of a miniature landscaping project to create a Japanese themed gravel garden. All was complete for my last post except for a low fence to complete the scene, an element that was sent to test me. As symbolised by the little garden itself though, calm and peace was the overarching goal, so naturally I carried this mindset throughout the build – just.

The build, the last piece of the feature was a low bamboo-clad fence to add some height and presence to the space. On-theme I chose slimline bamboo canes that would be fixed in place with delicate little knots, so as not to dominate. The canes being no more than two feet long were a little fiddly but manageable, the decorative string though, or specifically the knots themselves, have been another story.

Still to finish, as fallen string may show, but almost a job well done…

I’m still not quite finished as I write this and I’ve a good few knots to re-tie before I can properly sit back and admire my handiwork, but it’s getting there. In trying to keep things real, I’ve attempted to use a traditional Japanese knot called Otoko-musubi, (think I’ve described that correctly) and whilst there are some good how-to videos on YouTube, none of them can easily show exactly how it’s done. I’m happy with my attempt though, as the knots arguably strike a balance between decoration and function, and I love how their tassels move in the wind.

~

New bird on the block – Last weekend our garden filled with tension as two blue tits fledged, removing themselves to the garden ground where they spent two days each. They spent their time exploring, shivering, and chirping away so they could still be found and fed, but of course our concern was for predators, who were ever present and listening in. Of the two chicks it appears one made it through, last seen flying out and away from the fence top, and of the one left behind, well let’s just say it will rest in peace. That’s nature for you. 

Blue tit fledgling, nestled amongst grass in a garden.
This was either Chirp or Cheep, the one that got away.

@AllotofPotential allotment – Wednesday brings the full Strawberry Moon, and predators allowing, I do plan to eat at least one allotment grown strawb’ in celebration; well, that’s the plan. As you might have picked up previously, I have been loosely following the moon phases when planting this year, and I mean loosely. If I’m to learn anything that is to be of use going forward, then my adherence to planting by phases of the moon must be tighter, otherwise nothing will be proven.

In my defence, whilst my back issues mentioned previously have subsided, they did throw out my allotment activity, so for a while I was forced to go with the flow. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about gardening though, it is that the best laid planting plans must sometimes adapt and change, whether due to weather, ground conditions or a sore back now and then. My moon phase planting efforts aren’t part of a scientific survey so they must flex, that’s all there is to it – and no doubt there’ll still be a harvest at the end of the season!

A gardener standing beside an allotment plot, where seed sowing is in progress against a heavy sky.
French bean seeds going into drills during a flying visit to the allotment.

Activity of late included: dwarf French beans sown; sweet peas planted; pumpkin patch formed and mulched (with new paths to create permanent beds); tomatoes planted in glasshouse; fig moved; more onion setts planted.

~

Looking ahead

On the allotment I still need to sow some carrots, but the bed is nearly ready to go – although I’ll need to wait until the full moon passes. As the mulch-matting is now in place, young pumpkin plants hardening-off at home will be planted out in a week or so, and some gherkins will go into the glasshouse border – I’m giving them another go after a somewhat modest crop last year. (Any gherkin growing tips gratefully accepted!)

In the home garden I’ve a pergola project simmering in the background, with actual materials waiting in the wings. It’ll take a while to raise its head, but hopefully in the coming weeks its footings will be complete. Looking ahead, and hopefully before summer’s out, I shall be able to sit back beneath a new growing structure and raise a glass to another meditative garden project delivered – the best laid plans eh…

Might I see you at BBC Gardeners’ World Live, if you’re going on Friday?

~

Wishing you all the very best until next time, Gary, Gardening ways.

p.s. Do check out my last essay Not Just a Patch of Moss 🌿

Garden Journal (No.4) – Flowers & Life

| Gary Webb

Crikey I have been busy with my gardens lately, and while it hasn’t all been plain sailing, it’s been a productive and lovely couple of weeks. Let me explain…

Generally Speaking

Don’t mention the weather – The gardening topic of conversation around these parts right now is how dry the weather has been, with no serious rainfall for two months or more. For sure, the sun’s been out to play most every day and springtime has been a delight, but the lack of natural irrigation from above is becoming a worry.

All things considered, despite some high midday temperatures we have enjoyed some cool nights, and haven’t had much in the way of frost during May, so from a gardener’s perspective it’s not at all bad. There’s no escaping the fact though that the soil is dry and water supplies are, or soon will be, in high demand. In every likelihood the weather will turn soon, but on the off chance that it doesn’t, saving water now will help us in the long run.

Where home gardens are concerned, using a water hose of course makes watering easier, but I would urge you if at all possible to use a watering can instead. Doing repeated trips with a can isn’t meant to frustrate us but will cause us to consider carefully how much to apply, as opposed to leaving a hose running and using more than necessary. My own personal rules are that the lawn can fend for itself, (unless they’re freshly laid of course,) established plants too, and for newly establishing plants and pots, water less often but thoroughly, to encourage roots to delve deeper down.

My caveat to the watering can tip is to mention some of the seep or drip irrigation systems that are about, which can feed controlled amounts of water to the just the right spot. Unless I’m looking after sports turf, I’d personally leave the lawn sprinkler in the shed – if I had one!

Before I slip off my soap box, I shall stop myself there, as I feel I’m tipping into lecture mode – although it comes from a good place I assure you. Let’s just hope for a nice steady splash soon, eh. (BTW, if you want any tips be sure to let me know!)

In the Garden

Wired Wisteria – Last time I mentioned the installation of some wires to train a Wisteria along, a job left over from last year. As it turned out I timed it perfectly, for the growth spurt shown by said plant has been speedy to say the least, with hardly any wire now to be seen and with plenty more growth yet to come. The wires are in, new shoots are being tied as they grow, and wayward stems trimmed back as and when to save the plant from wasting energy – I am being decidedly ruthless!

The Wisteria is only just entering its second year in my garden, so last year and the next few are all about training and forming the permanent framework of branches, the intention being to clad both the south and east facing fences with two lateral stems. I might have to wait a few years for the flowers to appear, and it better be the right colour when it does but for the time being, it is snip and tie-in, snip and tie-in, snip and tie-in, I now feel a song coming on!

~

Gravel Garden – I’m glad to report that my compact mini landscaping project has now made progress, with one modest but important detail left to complete. The project itself, a metre square ornamental bed to break up a flat patio space is unlike all other borders in the garden, being now finished with a varied mix of stone, both river gravel and some beach stones for contrast. (Responsibly sourced of course).

Small gravel garden bed, with foliage plants, stone feature and water trough
A little glimpse of a freshly gravelled bed, complete with new baby plants.

The bed is slightly mounded to show intent and softened with a few foliage plants that whilst young, already bring a hint of character, including Hosta ‘Halcyon’, Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra) and a tassel fern (Polystichum polyblepharum). The central showpiece though, whilst still in its infancy is a Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Osakazuki’), which in time will change the space completely, bringing I trust some height in a delicate way; I shall be manipulating its branch network and form over time.

Two architectural elements are intended to complete my gravelly garden, the first a shallow reflection pool, a cut-down barrel which already has become a favourite drinking spot for a red mason bee. In addition to this, I’m looking to complete this mini-garden with a short section of fence that will be clad in carefully tied bamboo – yes, I’ll be getting even more arty with this part. If the fence turns out to be anything like my intention, I’ll be sure to add an image in due course but for now, a mere glimpse of gravel will have to suffice!

~

@AllotofPotential allotment – I’ve been wondering whether to separate-out mentions of the allotment into their own updates, maybe even a dedicated Allotment Journal – do let me know what you think?

Anyway, almost two weeks ago my allotment buddy and I spent a couple of hours doing a range of tasks – picture an SAS style descend and do type mission, with an aim of dropping the last of the seed potatoes into the soil like grenades then get the hell out of there. Well, things didn’t go quite to plan. The potato part worked like a dream, and if we’d headed for the hills at that point our mission would have been a success but oh no, the allotment pulled a fast one, triggering a secondary operation called weed-and-prep.

Potatoes laid out on the ground and being planted by a gardener
I know, you wouldn’t do it like that, but we all have our own ways…

Needless to say, by the time we finally retreated from the allotment zone the damage was done, and with the old back-hinge creaking, there was nothing left but to break out the hot water bottle and Tiger Balm. Let’s just say that for the last ten days or so, I’ve not been able to sit or stand without an ouch or an aargh! (…and the Tiger Balm whiffs a bit too).

Thankfully, whilst sitting has been a challenge, moving around has been okay, and I have been able to return to the battle ground a few times since, at least for light exercise. It appears that no long-term damage has occurred. Lesson learned…

Progress wise, more onions have been planted, new borders are now formed and awaiting path laying then seeding, and the glasshouse borders are weeded and ready for the toms. The asparagus bed (second season so no harvesting as yet) is clear of weed, the compost bin half full, and the first strawberry on the patch is colouring nicely. In the coming days direct seed sowing will commence and some trays of veg will be planted out – there will be much kneeling and moving around on all fours! 

After all that is done some rain would be very welcome, if you please!

~

Looking ahead

In my last journal I urged you to head out and find some cherry blossom, which by now is largely spent. The fact this cycle keeps moving isn’t sad though I must say, just part of the life cycle of plants. Flowering happens just when a plant needs to, not to please or satisfy us at all, but to keep its type alive. The fleeting nature of blossom therefore calls upon us to seize the moment, to sit up and take notice, to get out and savour nature’s gifts and splendour, and you can count on me to continue reminding you of this.

Spring’s cherry blossom may be all but done for this year, but it shall return, be sure of it, and other flowers are already here or poised to arrive. As I write looking over my garden, purple allium planet-like spheres hover over a border in the afternoon sun, shaded lawn daisies are closing for the day, and I gaze upon it all with awe. This last week I’ve been besotted by the frilly extravagance of some white Florentine irises – honestly I’m such a pushover!

White frilly Florentine Iris flowers backlit by morning sunshine.
Florentine Iris looking super sultry in the morning sun – I’m besotted!

Do I worry though, that some of these floral beauties will have gone over tomorrow or by next week? Should I photograph and study them every day for fear of losing them? I think not, instead I’ll take them as they come, bathe in the moments we can be together and once they’re done, I will anticipate their return next year. 

Life and flowers will come, flowers and life will go, we must not squander the opportunity or prospect!

~

Wishing you all the very best, until next time, Gary, Gardening ways.

p.s. Go check out my last essay over on Substack Influential Gardens 🌿

Pulling Pollinators

| Gary Webb

Food plants and flowers aren’t always seen as bed companions, yet there’s so much to gain from squeezing in a few ornamentals, aside from pollination of course! Let me briefly explain…

When first acquiring an allotment plot, an aspect that wasn’t lost to me was the opportunities it presented to support wildlife. As a result, one of the first areas to be established on our Warwickshire plot was a flower-focussed border, or ‘Nectar Bank’ as we call it. Wildlife borders, nectar banks, pollination stations, call them what you will, they’re undeniably valuable, but on an allotment, a space traditionally reserved for food production, should this be the norm?

If you’re familiar with my green gardening ways, I think you’ll know what my answer to that question would be, believing as I do that wildlife supporting elements should be considered in all gardens. Indeed, if you’ve paused your day

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Growth Potential – Down at the Allotment Garden

| Gary Webb

Think allotment gardens are just about food and flowers? Think again! Thoughts on an afternoon session of growth on the allotment.

Cabbage whites out on manoeuvres,

Get through those nets if you can,

Sunlight is bright despite all this cloud,

Trimmer blades rattle along a hedge in the distance,

Beans are climbing their canes, at last.

–

A welcome breeze sways taller stems back and forth,

Spins now and then two little sun bleached windmills,

Raises goose bumps on my now resting arms,

Maybe later, rain will come after all.

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Allotment Love

| Gary Webb

Reflecting on two years of allotment love and my journey to plot 38a.

Finally over the weekend I made time to visit the allotment and it was refreshing to see a few other allotment holders flexing their green fingers. Since returning home though I’ve spent a little time thinking on both the past allotment year, and our longer term relationship – which does have something of an elasticity to it I have to say.

December 2022

Weeks can become busy and overly filled for the best planners amongst us, and for many, there’s often too little time to get through all the tasks on the to-do list. Might growing an allotment then at this point in life be a challenge too far? That doubt is always there and frequently I’m reminded of it by the naughty elf sitting on my shoulder. On the other shoulder though

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@AllotofPotential News

| Gary Webb

News from our family allotment plot in rural Warwickshire.

I can’t believe it was last October when I proudly exclaimed that our family had taken possession of a half plot down at the local allotment site. Since then time has flown.

As I write today, despite much more on the plot that still needs doing, I am more than happy with the progress we’ve made. Our aim from day one was to take things steady, a strategy reinforced by numerous allotment holders who warmly welcomed us to the community, and we’ve generally stuck to that strategy.

One of our nectar-bank plants, good old fashioned red hot poker 🐝

We have, I’m proud to say stuck with a ‘green’ approach to allotment gardening, which is by far the best option, and not just for the fact that we’re growing plants for consumption. The allotment, you see, is a complete oasis for nature, and you just can’t fail to feel it from the moment you pass through the gates.

When last on-site, as my car rolled to a stop on the grassy patch beside the plot, a charm of goldfinches fled from a hedge and along the gravelly track. A little later as I dug over the pumpkin patch, a robin whistled from atop an allotment shed, crows cawed, and as I sat for a break, a fly buzzed briefly under the eaves of a shed, shortly before it was enveloped by a resident spider.

Green gardening, therefore, just has to be the way, and we look forward to mastering the use of mulches, of using green manures, of growing in peat-free compost, and most definitely; of not using pesticides or weed killers.

Wildlife pond being assembled on an allotment
Wildlife pond under construction! 🐸

To support our pest control, and I’m not even sure if we’re allowed to call slugs and snails ‘pests’ any more, we have dug-in a wildlife pond. It’s a little way from completion but its function, beyond the visual appeal is to offer a home to toads or frogs, or anything else that will keep the slime brigade at bay. At least that’s the plan.

The pond is a simple hole with a roughly level upper edge, lined with cardboard and a plastic pond liner. We added a few cans of water to weight the liner down, then we left it to fill naturally and find its own upper level. In due course, as the pond finds that level, I shall tidy the perimeter edge and plant around.

White Colleen potato flowers
‘Colleen’ potatoes flowering nicely 🥔

But what of the crops you may ask? Well, to be honest it would be nice to be harvesting more of our own food by now, but we have at least ‘sown the seeds’ you could say. Usefully, there were some remnant crops left from the previous plot holders such as parsnips, carrots and potatoes, and those of course were put to good use in the kitchen. But aside from that, it’s been enough, on this allotment voyage of discovery and clearance, to have broken and tamed some ground, and to have established a system for growing.

In respect of our own crops for this year, we have ‘Colleen’ first-early potatoes that are pretty much ready to dig now, and these will be followed by ‘Mayan Rose’, ‘British Queen’ (that variety seemed appropriate given the Jubilee!) and lastly some ‘Cara’. Hopefully then we’re good for spuds for the months ahead.

On a sour note, a few brassicas bought late last season from the bargain bench at the garden centre haven’t worked so well. We had just cleared our first patch of ground and so, after an impulse purchase, in they went. They established very nicely but eventually in the cool early spring, some cabbage aphids moved in under the covers. It was so cold that lady bird larvae weren’t really getting about, birds couldn’t reach them to keep the aphids in check, and so a good few specimens had to be pulled up. Lessons learned.

Slow but sure, the brassicas are coming… 🥬

The ladybirds however are now out in force I’m glad to say, and I’m reassured that going forward, we’re in with a fighting chance! How different it would be had I reached straight for some spray – I’d likely have knocked out the ladybirds too.

Elsewhere, we’ve direct sown carrots – two varieties, parsnips and leeks, and planted onion sets too, which are all getting away very nicely. All that’s needed is some delicate weeding in between to keep the competition down, and crossed fingers in hope that the newly resident hare doesn’t take a fancy!

Numerous other things are being grown on in pots and trays at home and will, as more allotment ground becomes available, be planted over the coming weeks. I’d love to say planted over the coming days, but whilst the ground isn’t quite ready yet, the growth from seed to planting-out stage has been painfully slow this spring, some crops even started again using different composts to remedy the perplexing situation.

Good progress but there’s still a lot of potential!

So there we have it, two thirds of the way through our first allotment year. We have two nectar-banks and a wildlife pond establishing, we’re halfway through turning a very dense compost bin, plot edges are defined, approximately 70% of the ground has been turned/weeded and most importantly, we are growing our own food!

Despite the occasional sore back, dried hands and blisters, despite time never really being easy to find; the satisfaction is real. The feeling that we’re investing in our health and wellbeing, not withstanding the increase in chocolate consumption and after allotment beers; is real. I’d thoroughly recommend it!

Until next time, all the very best, Gary (+ Ruth & Co.) @allotofpotential

My Woven Web

| Gary Webb

Hello and welcome back to my gardening ways blog. It has been a while since I last showed up, but many thanks for stopping by. I hope you’ll find something to delight, entertain or connect with, be it a few moments pondering my weird take on a life in horticulture, or enjoyment of a few carefully selected seasonal images and notes.

If you know my blog, you’ll know the importance I place on images which contribute hugely to whichever piece I’m presenting. You’ll understand, that for the first time in I don’t know how long, I’m jumping straight into the writing, and the images will be randomly squeezed in afterwards. This isn’t due to a shortage of pictures by the way, but more related to my present state of mind. In the next few lines, all will become apparent, as they say!

Manipulated image of a gardener at work on an allotment.
A manipulated image of my good self at work on the allotment.

The different approach to this post is due to the strange horticultural path I feel I’m treading just now, balanced precariously as I am between a garden consultancy role, restoring an allotment, and establishing a new garden at home. (This lifestyle shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise if you know me at all!)

I don’t think I’m different to many other people, in as much that I’m inspired regularly by my surroundings and situations, and I’m increasingly driven to capture them in some way. To this end, I’m usually to be found snapping pictures of flowers, bees, beetles and anything garden-like, in fact anything ancient, artistic or horticulturally trivial that captures my attention. I’ll often lag behind on an outing, only to have to hurry to catch up because I got caught up taking some pictures!

Woolsthorpe Manor and Newton’s apple tree in full leaf, positioned behind a low wattle barrier
Another property on my patch, so to speak: Woolsthorpe Manor, with Newton’s apple tree.

In the last week alone, I’ve filmed clips of freshly shooting trees, grazing deer, potato planting, potting-up in the garden, dragonflies resting, and both wild flowers and roses swaying in the breeze. It’s all linked I think, yet makes my photo archive something of a random mix of visuals. You might experience a slither of the experience were you to scroll down my Instagram page!

The random nature of my imagery has become all the more varied since taking a major personal turn in direction towards the end of last year with, as mentioned previously: a new home, a new allotment and new job. I’ve always collected images of course, but now they’re from here, there, and seemingly everywhere!

A seedling Rowan tree in a pot
An important little seedling Rowan tree, its family line stretching back to a family garden two generations back.

However, despite the head-filling work days and remaining no-time-to-rest hours left over each week, I feel duty bound to record a post that in some ways will capture this moment in time for me; a time when some days deliver intense frustration or exhaustion, whilst other days can present moments of complete fascination, enlightened discovery and new levels of personal fulfilment. It’s hard to explain, bu oh what a woven web we weave.

If only I could stitch all the good moments together and edit out all the bad. If the whole journey could flow and not switch lanes every five minutes. If the rain only fell at night to refresh our gardens. It would be all perfect and life would be more enjoyable, right? Wrong? Who knows.

What I do know is that it’s usually a matter of balance, in as much that the challenging moments often make the special moments even more special; a case of yin and yang I guess.

Father and son studying tadpoles in the historic garden that is Painswick Rococo Garden.
A special moment studying tadpoles with my lad at Painswick Rococo Garden.

The main body of text in this post doesn’t therefore tell a story, or record key themes as my typical garden journal posts would, but hopefully, in the spirit of openness, lets you know where I’m at mentally. The images selected, therefore, whilst not themed to the post itself will nevertheless be chosen to indicate the random nature of the days I’m experiencing.

If none of it makes sense, or is hard to contemplate, rest assured that plants are still there every day in abundance. Physical gardening, whilst randomly placed, calls me regularly, keeps me active and keeps my thumbs green, and my mental engagement in the horticultural world has risen to new, infuriatingly brilliant levels. It’s all very busy, and all very fascinating!

Berrington Hall, Herefordshire
Berrington Hall, Herefordshire, acknowledged as ‘Capability’ Brown’s last landscape commission. Tomorrow I visit Croome in Worcestershire, also on my patch, & Brown’s first large scale project.

Putting all that heaviness aside, I do hope you’ve been enjoying all the growth that spring has brought. It feels as though we’re on summer’s doorstep now and its warmth is already wafting over our gardens.

I’ve enjoyed some catch-up sessions watching Chelsea Flower Show on TV, and despite my concerns over the whole shebang, I can’t help but be inspired by the creative people and entirety of the product; I hope you’ve managed to watch some or even visit the real thing?! (If you’re more of a Beechgrove fan, I’m right there with you too).

I’ll leave things there for now, but will in my closing words encourage you to stay positive, enjoy the flowers and keep in touch. Oh yes, and please do pass on the keys to a balanced lifestyle if you have them, I could do with unlocking its mysterious ways!

Kind regards
Gary