We have had proper rain!
We missed out on the forecast thunderstorms and torrential downpours, but instead we enjoyed prolonged spells of steady rain, which has probably been far more beneficial to the plant life.
It has given us a much-needed break from the monotony of watering. Hopefully, the rain will have started to soften the soil and make it a little more workable. No doubt the weeds will appreciate it too, with a fresh crop of seedlings probably ready to burst into life!
My blog also,reached a milestone last week.
Home Garden
We are still picking figs. I can’t believe how many we have had this year. I never imagined that we would harvest enough to have some left over to freeze.
The greenhouse is also continuing to keep us supplied with ingredients for lunchtime salads and meals. There is something particularly satisfying about being able to wander into the greenhouse and come back with something that can go straight onto the plate.
We are still putting out dried calciworms and hedgehog biscuits. The hedgehogs dine with us most nights, although the fox has been missing for a couple of evenings. She appeared early one night when I hadn’t yet put the food out, so perhaps she has decided that we have abandoned her rather than the other way round!
At the Allotment
We managed a quick visit to the allotment between the showers and Ruby’s walks, which, of course, have to take priority.
The grass paths have greened up and the soil has darkened. It means that Martyn’s break from grass strimming is probably coming to an end!
The soil actually looked as though it was becoming diggable, but when Martyn turned over a patch, the moisture hadn’t penetrated very far and dry soil was revealed underneath. The question now is whether we will hit that elusive sweet spot, or whether the soil will go from too dry to too wet if the heavy rain finally arrives.
The moisture has triggered the hardy cyclamen, which are dotted throughout the fruit area, into flower. They are prolific self-seeders, with the ants doing a good job of spreading the seeds. They are always a welcome sight — not so much the nettles, which have also put on a growth spurt!
The aim of our visit was to harvest a few things. The courgettes have become marrows; you can’t expect them to hang around for several days without growing to enormous proportions.
We just about cleared the peas.
We also picked our first sweetcorn, which included some baby corn. This is our third attempt at growing baby corn. On the previous two occasions, we think we left them on the plants for too long. On reflection, I think it could also have had something to do with the variety. The earlier plants had been really tall, whereas the plants produced by this variety are much more diminutive.
With rain threatening, once everything had posed for a group photo, we loaded the car and headed home for a freezing session.
Did you spot the cute little cauliflower?
Out and About
We were planning one of our days out for Thursday, but with heavy rain and thunderstorms forecast, we decided to switch our plans to Wednesday.
Of course, come Wednesday, the forecast had changed again and the rain and thunderstorms were now due to arrive on Wednesday afternoon!
Plans changed once more. We decided to try to beat the weather and spend the morning at Nostell.
When we arrived home, however, the sky showed no immediate signs of rain, so after lunch we headed out again, this time to Walton Colliery Nature Park.
Nostell
Even after the showery rain at the beginning of the week, the grass was starting to turn green again. It doesn’t take much moisture for grass to spring back to life.
The water supply has now been restored, so we were able to enjoy a cappuccino in the courtyard. Ruby always likes to watch the comings and goings from a comfortable vantage point, taking in everything that is happening around her.
Walton Colliery Nature Park
We hadn’t visited the nature park at Walton for at least seven years, so this was a first visit for Ruby.
The park is owned by Wakefield Council and supported by a group of volunteers who help with its maintenance.
Like many of the nature parks and reserves in our area, it was originally the site of a colliery. There were once many collieries across what was a heavily mined area.
These former industrial sites have provided ideal opportunities for creating environmental areas. Because of their previous use, some are unsuitable for building on, allowing nature to reclaim the land instead.
Lakes have formed as the land subsided and hollows filled with water, partly as a result of underground pumps being switched off.
With the land largely free from pollution and fertiliser, nature soon moves in, creating a variety of habitats and attracting a wide range of wildlife.
Trails have been established through the park, so we spent the afternoon exploring. And, in Ruby’s case, sniffing!
Temple Newsam
It’s been a while since we paid a visit to Temple Newsam. Being a popular music festival venue means that, particularly during the summer months, tall and rather unsightly fencing and damage to the grass can sometimes detract from the enjoyment of a visit.
Last week, though, we decided to give it another try.
A full day and overnight rain had worked its magic on the grass, and the green was beginning to return.
The new pumpkin patch was also thriving, so I guess the plants had been well watered.
A Blogging Milestone
I started blogging on 30 August 2006, so Sunday marked my 20th blogging anniversary.
I started the blog for a couple of reasons. At the time, I was an ICT consultant for the Local Education Authority. My role involved delivering courses and supporting teachers in their use of ICT in the classroom, so I needed to develop my own skills in various computing activities. One of these was creating blogs and websites.
I needed a purpose for blogging, so I combined my learning with something I was already involved in — our allotment.
Initially, it wasn’t a personal blog at all. It was used to communicate information to fellow plot tenants and was aimed primarily at gardeners on our site. Posts were very short and, at that time, we had an Allotment Association and a real sense of community.
Gradually, for reasons I won’t go into here, the Association fell apart. Rather than abandoning the blog, I changed its name from Green Lane Allotments to Our Plot on Green Lane Allotments, and it began to evolve into a personal blog.
To begin with, it was purely a gardening blog. Then came another evolution and another name — Our Plot on Green Lane Allotments and Other Places. The scope widened, and the blog gradually metamorphosed into more of a personal diary, covering not just gardening but the places we visit and the things we get up to.
Then, in 2022, I decided to move the main blog to WordPress, which offered far more scope than Blogger. I didn’t want to lose the existing visitors, though, so I kept the Blogger site going, publishing just an opening paragraph and a link to the full post on WordPress.
And that is where we are today, with this post becoming number 2,769.
Finally
So, the rain has finally arrived and given the garden and allotment a welcome drink, while we’ve managed to fit in a couple of enjoyable days out between the changing forecasts. With the figs still coming, a few new places explored with Ruby and twenty years of blogging to celebrate, there has been plenty to record this week.
As always until next time stay safe and staywell.
