May 2024 Video Diary
28 May 2024
What’s been eating our peas? Wood pigeons maybe!
Our 2 rows of early peas have been slowly disappearing with each visit to the allotment. We have decided that wood pigeons are the problem and we will have to start covering pea crops until the plants get a decent size.
27 May 2024
New life at Nostell Priory
It’s rare for us to see any ducklings on our regular walks at Nostell Priory. However, on our walk this week we managed to see some ducklings and cygnets. We assumed the male swan seen at the far end of the lake was in a bad mood as it chased any ducks in its vicinity. The coots still looked to be sitting on their nest and we couldn’t see any eggs or chicks.
24 May 2024
A short allotment update carrots, potatoes, courgettes and onions
A quick update on our last visit to the allotment.
21 May 2024
Ruby isn’t happy at lost parkland
An enormous part of the Temple Newsam grounds have been closed to visitors to get the park ready as an entertainment venue. Ruby has lost some playing area much to her disgust.
19 May 2024
Overflowing greenhouse
Our greenhouse at home is bursting at the seams with plants waiting to be planted at the allotment.
19 May 2024
Frog Rescue
I was getting ready to plant our tomatoes in the plot greenhouse. I was half filling the empty pots with water as the ground in the greenhouse was very dry. As I finished filling the first pot I noticed something moving on the surface of the muddy water at the bottom of the pot. I assume the two frogs had fallen into the pot and could not find a way back out.
18 May 2024
Ugly ducklings or very cute cygnets at Nostell Priory?
The swans were out on the lake with their young family on our visit to Nostell Priory this week. We think that 7 eggs were laid but obviously, there are only 4 cygnets.
13 May 2024
Spectacular rhododendron display at Temple Newsam
I think the rhododendrons at Temple Newsam were at their peak for our visit this week. The azaleas were also putting on a colourful display.
10 May 2024
Ruby’s game of chase at Temple Newsam
Ruby usually has 3 games of chase at different locations when we visit Temple Newsam. We decided to make a video of one particular game after we’d looked around the rhododendrons and azaleas.
09 May 2024
Going for giant parsnips again. Sowing the seeds
After a very successful parsnip harvest last year, we are trying the same growing method again this year. Will sowing seeds on damp kitchen paper work again this year? We will find out towards the end of the year.
05 May 2024
A visit to Thorpe Perrow Arboretum in the Yorkshire Dales
Thorpe Perrow Arboretum is set in the Yorkshire Dales and covers 100 acres. It is home to 5 National Plant collections and 51 Champion Trees.
You can find out more about Thorpe Perrow Arboretum on their website by clicking here.
04 May 2024
Allotment tour on 1st May 2024 with Ruby
We thought it was about time to do our first allotment tour of the season. We still have many empty beds and it’s a bit worrying at this time of the season how are we going to fill them all up. It does show how our growing season is concentrated into the next few months when most crops will be sown and harvested.
03 May 2024
Morning plant care routine and allotment update
I seem to have a well established routine on a morning to check all our seedlings at home. We are progressing well at the allotment getting beds ready for planting. Hopefully, over the next month most of the vacant beds will be planted up