Simon's Allotment

Many of what are sold as "meadow" seed mixes are no such thing, as I've ranted on about before, but if they bring in the polli...

More and more to eat from the plot now. Mizuna and wild rocket for salad, kale for cooking greens, the first cabbage, peas and broad beans a...

I've been dividing the plot up into beds about four feet wide over the past couple of years, divided by paths sown with white clover. Th...

My collection of plants for pollinators is growing apace and the bumblebees in particular seem well pleased, pollinating my peas, broad bean...

I'm sure I'm not the only one who could wax lyrical about the delights of spring. May has to be my favorite month, nature at it...

So spring is really here - better late than never. I've got the early potatoes in, some broad beans and a row of peas. Seedlings are com...

So spring is here, not that you'd know it, cold as the proverbial witch's tit up here. Still, best to show willing and all that, so ...

Broad beans "Aquadulce" - Sown last autumn, some direct, some in coldframe planted out 19.4. More sown for next year in open coldf...

Not much work for gardeners here in the winter so I spent February pruning olive trees in Spain. With some trees it's just a matter...

OK so winter's here...

Well here I am again. Temperatures in double figures when it should be freezing. Heating off, doors open. All very pleasant but also a bit w...

  These seem to be all the rage at the moment so I thought I'd have a crack at making one. It's basically just cooking over a chi...

Autumn seems a little early this year, the leaves aren't turning much yet but it sure has turned chilly. Still plenty to eat of course...

I've got potatoes in store and peas in the freezer; the brussels sprouts are starting to fill out and they'll be plenty of leeks and...

I've cut back the meadow grass in the orchard so it looks much bigger all of a sudden. I'll keep it short now so that the finer gras...

This is the only cut flower I grow these days - they've been later than usual this year after the poor summer but worth waiting for. ...

I'm proud to say I've more flowers than ever this year to keep the bees and butterflies supplied with nectar during this critical la...

It's that time of year when gaps start appearing on the plot as crops are harvested. I mulch the bare soil with compost or fork in chick...

The top fruit hasn't done at all well this year - the apples, pears and plums all suffered through there're not being many pollinato...