Simon's Allotment

The thing I like most about August is that there's nothing much to do. No sowing or planting or staking, just a bit of weeding and dead ...

 Plot in August looking gorgeous even if I do say so myself.  Lush scabious has to be one of the best plants for bees and butterfli...

It's all very well having all these plants for pollinators but they also need places to live and breed. The top of my plot behind the...

Phew what a scorcher. It ain't half hot mum. Etc, etc. Plenty to eat from the plot as per - peas and French beans, cabbages and kale, to...

If you've been paying the slightest attention you'll know I've been expanding my collection of plants for bees and butterflie...

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...