Saturday 24 September 2011

A Happy Homecoming

After a week of being away I was a little apprehensive about what I would find at the allotment.  To my amazement everything was tickety-boo, if not a little scruffy looking.  The runner beans have finished now, there are still a few courgettes and squash growing away, but the courgette leaves have mildew, and don't look very attractive.  But, other than that, the brassicas are still going strong, and the cutting patch still has zinnias and rudbeckia, cosmos and marigolds for picking.

The sunflowers are still standing, despite no staking during the gales, and no water for weeks.  The biggest surprise was the raspberries
there weren't that many when I left but the branches were bowed down with them on my return.  So all is not gloom and doom as I expected.  The raised beds at home, however, are not in such a good state.  The soil is very free draining and doesn't hold water that well, and the plants seem to have suffered from it, sadly. 

Since I have been home I have given everything a good soaking, trying to keep it all going a little longer.  The squash I grew in a pot has a tiny 'ping-pong' sized fruit on it, so I may as well give up on that, the french beans that I planted in a container, for a late crop, has dozens of tomato plants growing in it (I used some of my compost mixed in with the soil, so I presume that is where the tomato plants have come from).  The swede plants have been attacked by something or other and the leaves are practically non-existant.  The only plants that are thriving are the spring onions.

So, on reflection, it hasn't necessarily been a happy homecoming after all.  So I offer myself a piece of advice - don't go on holiday, you never know what you will find on your return.

9 comments:

  1. Or go on holiday in winter...to somewhere south of the equator ;)

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  2. There are always a few anxious moments when you return to your plot / garden after a holiday! Luckily I have a couple of helpers who live nearby and who keep an eye on things for me when I'm away.

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  3. It's a bit tough if you can never go on holiday. We have very free draining soil and large trees over the fence.We use a drip hose and large amounts of compost.

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  4. We always go away separately during Summer and do our together trips when gardening is not so frantic. In March we went to Finland which was great, then that fab weather when we got back.

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  5. From tickety-boo to don't go on hols in one post? Knowing you, it will all be put right within the week! Elaine, it's lovely to have you back, I've missed your posts - and I bet you had a super time in Norfolk. I'm still sowing in the warmer London climate - how about you?

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  6. It's always worrying what you'll find when you return from holiday. Glad to hear that the allotment is doing well, but sorry to hear about the plants in the garden, perhaps they'll recover with some tlc.

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  7. I like the look of those raspberries, so blow to everything else!
    I don't have that problem as I don't go on holiday. If I did I'd still be okay as it would be over Xmas and New Year!

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  8. No go on holiday but get someone to water garden - you see your garden through fresh eyes when you have been away for a bit.

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  9. I certainly saw the weeds through fresh eyes when I returned, why do they thrive when the plants don't. It's a mystery to me - my garden waterer only watered the greenhouse for me - I don't like to overburden her.

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