October 2010 Blog Posts (19)

RHS 3 Results are in !

Can hardly believe I passed the practical exam! 64.50% overall for the three papers. I just squeaked over the line on my plot work with 50.43% (50% needed on each section and 55% minimum overall to pass). Reckon that final rake over to remove my footprints must have been worth it! I was completely unable to do the third lot of digging and seed sowing as my back was really hurting so I lost out on thirty points completely. At least I won't have to do it again. The potting shed was an ok… Continue

Added by Jan Willetts on October 30, 2010 at 22:50 — 9 Comments

What's Left? Autumn & Winter Veg

http://wp.me/pHWEa-m3

Taking stock of what veg is left in the garden and giving away pumpkin seeds (Rouge Vif d'Etamps).

Added by Damo on October 30, 2010 at 12:39 — 2 Comments

Last of the Peppers

http://twochancesvegplot.wordpress.com/2010/10/26/last-of-the-peppers/

The time has finally come to harvest the last of the greenhouse peppers as the foliage is starting to die back.

We've been dining on peppers for a while, had around 30 in total, and they've gone into various…

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Added by Damo on October 26, 2010 at 20:04 — No Comments

Gardens of Surprise

Strayed over the border into Lincolnshire and visited the sculpture garden and gardens of surprise at Burghley House near Stamford today. Forgot to take the camera but pictures on their website. A beautiful sunny but crisp autumn day, glad I was wearing waterproof shoes for the grass and the gardens of surprise which are basically a water garden with a few tricks to catch the unwary. Good fun, a family ticket is around £20 and kids will love it(take a change of clothes!)The tearoom and garden… Continue

Added by Jan Willetts on October 24, 2010 at 20:29 — 3 Comments

I wish...

It's a beautiful sunny, but rather chilly, day and I wish…

Added by Flighty on October 24, 2010 at 14:19 — 3 Comments

And the answer is....

All is revealed in the great apple hunt:

http://a-plot-too-far.blogspot.com/2010/10/and-answer-is.html

Added by Rob Duffin on October 23, 2010 at 21:00 — 5 Comments

Jack's Back!

http://twochancesvegplot.wordpress.com/2010/10/22/jacks-back/

Added by Damo on October 22, 2010 at 10:26 — 2 Comments

You can't beat a picture of soil!

http://a-plot-too-far.blogspot.com/2010/10/its-allotment-blog-what-were-you.html

Added by Rob Duffin on October 21, 2010 at 21:01 — 2 Comments

Apple day

Had a great day out at our local apple day, especially as the sun was shining. There was lots of free food on offer, including curried vegetable and apple soup, apple risotto, apple dumplings , flapjacks and a very brightly coloured apple and beetroot cake which was so good I had two pieces! Loads of books to look at and some tips on identifying apples-you have to look at shape, colouring, lenticels, russeting, stalk and leaf to be sure. However, I was able to help identify a James Grieve for… Continue

Added by Jan Willetts on October 18, 2010 at 23:53 — No Comments

October Colours

http://twochancesvegplot.wordpress.com/2010/10/16/october-colours/

Added by Damo on October 16, 2010 at 16:04 — 4 Comments

Apples, Apples, Apples

Depite not knowing what they are still, I've got a lot of apples to use up, so any ideas appreciated:

http://a-plot-too-far.blogspot.com/2010/10/apples-apples-apples.html

Added by Rob Duffin on October 15, 2010 at 11:43 — 2 Comments

Last Day for my Giveaway!

http://urbanvegpatch.blogspot.com/2010/10/last-day-for-my-giveaway.html

Click the link above to read why you might like to win a copy of this book, below, and for a link through to a recipe for turning the pumpkin seeds into proper grown up Hallowe'en nibbles (Chilli Lime Roasted pumpkin seeds)!…

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Added by Caro on October 15, 2010 at 11:15 — No Comments

Remedies and extra's from the plot

We had a local herbalist visit to do a session with the Lottie (children's growing project). We made rose hip syrup to use as a cough mixture and they all took home a nicely labelled little bottle. We still had lots of rose hips left on the dog rose at the allotment so I picked another lot and cooked them in water (used water I'd cooked apples and quince in for added flavour) for about half and hour, squashing with a potato masher when soft and then pushing the mash though a sieve. Yes it is a… Continue

Added by Sarah Rideout on October 15, 2010 at 10:37 — 1 Comment

Too Many Peppers?

http://twochancesvegplot.wordpress.com/2010/10/11/too-many-peppers/

Added by Damo on October 11, 2010 at 19:57 — No Comments

Decorated Pumpkins Book Giveaway competition

http://urbanvegpatch.blogspot.com/2010/09/gourdness-half-term-pumpkin-carving.html

Beautiful deep orange pumpkins are being harvested and a selection of interesting gourds and squashes are appearing at the Farmers' Markets and supermarkets which must surely bring to mind Harvest Festival and Hallowe'en.

Having made your pumkin pies (or whatever), if you're looking for inspiration… Continue

Added by Caro on October 11, 2010 at 15:30 — No Comments

Cooking up the quinces,apples and pears.

As I still can't get about much after having stitches out in my leg I have been pottering about in the kitchen. The quinces from southwold are now quince paste, drying in the airing cupboard to be cut up into little bars tossed in sugar- they were very hard to chop up but easy to cook in some water before sieving the pulp and adding an equal quantity of sugar, then cooked for about an hour to a stiff paste then poured into a tin lined with greaseproof. A beautiful dark pink colour in the end… Continue

Added by Jan Willetts on October 9, 2010 at 23:21 — 10 Comments

What's my apple tree - part 2

Anyone help on my quest to identify my apple variety?

http://a-plot-too-far.blogspot.com/2010/10/whats-my-apple-tree-part-2.html

Added by Rob Duffin on October 8, 2010 at 13:48 — 4 Comments

Seedy Saturday

Have just had a meeting to talk about this regular event where we are, as well as the seed swop there is a good mix of talks, children's activities, food stalls, plant/seed/seed potato stalls, conservation and wildlife groups etc. Would be interested to hear if others have experience of organising similar events, what your experiences have been. Last year the seed swop tables were not as well organised as they could have been and there was a bit of a 'first day of the sales'… Continue

Added by Sarah Rideout on October 4, 2010 at 13:30 — 2 Comments

A sweetcorn treat for Dame Margot and friends

I would love to keep chickens but just don,t have the room and I am worried about rat infestations- had to have two pest control visits this year because of our neighbours chicken run. So I joined a rent-a-chicken scheme run by my local urban farm in Northampton. They look after the chickens and members get eggs for a down payment. The eggs are lovely, I pick them up on my weekly trip to town for supermarket shopping and they go down a treat. Some of the "girls" have gone off lay in the last… Continue

Added by Jan Willetts on October 3, 2010 at 17:42 — 3 Comments