My Six on Saturday has photos taken yesterday (Friday) when I visited my allotment (plot 52a). It was one of those wonderful winter mornings, with frost on the ground, a piercing blue sky and the warmth of the sun on your back as you worked. With only another two weeks before we enter February, life is slowly beginning to wake up with lots of buds and bulbs appearing.
- Plot 52a
In the foreground there was a bed which had old raspberry bushes. These failed to appear last year, not quite sure why, so it has been used for the delivery of wood chip, which is now being spread around the paths. The two beds just behind have new raspberry canes – a selection of summer and autumn varieties – planted a couple of months ago.
2. Blackcurrants
Not a very clear photo unfortunately. Together with the now defunct raspberries, I inherited two well established blackcurrant bushes from the previous owner. They didn’t crop well last year, but I have pruned them and taken out all the dead wood so fingers crossed I get a lot of blackcurrants this year.
3. Cherry Tree
I’m in a conundrum with the cherry tree. It casts shade over beds I could do with a lot of sun for growing produce. Last year it was riddled with blackfly, causing the leaves to curl in a horrid sticky mass. I did have it pruned lightly and contemplated removing it, giving it a stay of execution for another year. However, as you will see from the first photo, the plot is very exposed and a little height and structure is good to have. Also the bark of the cherry is so beautiful.
4. Alliums
The alliums in the garden section are coming through. I planted a large variety of allium bulbs in October so there should be lots of different color and height for the border.
5. New Growth – Sedum ‘Red Cauli’ and Lobelia ‘Queen Victoria’
Cheating slightly here, so claiming these two plants are one of my Six and labelling them as ‘New Growth’. As I was tidying up all the dead wood around the sedum and lobelia, I could see lots of new growth. I don’t know about you but there are certain plants in the garden I have a particular affection for, sedum being one of them. I love the way it pushes through wonderfully coloured baby leaves, ready for the summer. I think the baby lobelia leaves have been caught by the frost but they will recover.
6. Wild Garlic
When I took over plot 52A there was an abundance of wild garlic and spent many hours digging it up doing my level best to eradicate it. It just keeps coming back! Any advice would be welcome.
A big thank you to The Propagator who hosts this inspiring weekly Saturday meme. Please take a peep over the fence and look at what is happening in his garden and all the other contributors to Six on Saturday.
