Video

@@vegemitegirl1971 How lovely of you ! I’m fine and the garden is growing well despite the poor weather we’ve had. The computer I used to edit the videos belongs to my son and he moved out, taking it with him, last year. 🙁🤷‍♀️.So for the minute I’m stuck.

Hi Ali, all is well thank you 😊. The allotment is starting to come together quite nicely now despite 10 months of bad weather. No videos from me for the foreseeable though because I don’t have a computer to do the editing on anymore (the one I used to use was my son’s and he has left home and taken it with him🤷‍♀️). I hope your weather is more reliable and you’re getting some good growing done. All the best!!

@@fionagrows1848 how rude 🤣🤣 but I’m glad if nothing else your ok 🥰

Hi Cheryl! How kind of you to think of me!! I’m fine but the horrendous weather, an excess of vegetable destroying pests and other busy, busy family stuff have put the kybosh on my video making. I’m touched you’ve even noticed I’m missing. Hopefully I’ll get back into video making in the spring but the allotment is just a soggy , unworkable mess these days. I hope you’re well and have a lovely Christmas and new year (hope it’s not too soo to mention such things😂🤔)

Hi Ali, it’s so kind of you to think of me! Everything is fine here and our area never seems to get hit by weather extremes (except the utterly relentless rain this year 😩) . I haven’t posted in a long time I know! A combination of holidays, family stuff and a truly rubbish year in the garden have stalled my creative juices😂. I’m just waiting for the allotment to dry out a bit and put it to bed for the winter and hopefully next spring we’ll have a better year and I can get back into making videos. I hope you’re enjoying your garden and looking forward to a rest over the winter. 😊

@@fionagrows1848 oh so good to hear we’ll not the part of course about all the rain 🌧️. I can understand it’s hard to get enthusiastic about crappy weather and lots of people seem to stop filming at this time of year. If I miss you 🤭🤭 Merry Christmas 🎅 Happy New Year 🥳 and see you in the sunshine ☀️.

@@myrustygarden All the best Ali! See you (on screen at least) in the spring!😊

Ali you read my mind 😂 iv been looking forward to fionas updates as we are from the same area. Pleased all is well. Weathers awful again today.

@@traceysallotment2506 Hi Tracey😊. I’m quite touched people are thinking of me! The weather is whipping itself up a bit this afternoon, isn’t it! I’m tucked up by the fire with the cat. It seems like the only sensible place to be. Hopefully I’ll find the motivation to get back into the videos in spring but only if it stops raining!!😂. Hope you and Carl are well.😊

Thanks, they’re pretty good. We had some last night😊

I’m glad you’re having success with your potatoes. It’s a shame about the stuff in your greenhouse. Such a rubbish summer! Still, on the bright side, September has been nice so far!😂

I’ve just been looking in my freezer in the garage and I think it’s almost half full of courgettes!😩. I’m glad you’re getting a good crop of tomatoes, you had sooo many plants! I’m going to end up with a few handfuls I think but I’m glad of any I get at this stage. The aubergines have been a nice surprise. I think they’ve done well because they are a thin / long variety and have been able to ripen in time.

You’re the second person to recommend crimson crush for blight resistance. I’ll have to try and remember to get some for next year although the tomatoes in the back garden are still ok, thankfully! It’s my rhubarb that suffers the worst with slugs and snails. They’ve made an absolute mess of it. Autumn has definitely arrived here. Seems so early. But I could have done with the wood burner getting lit tonight it’s so chilly in the house.😢

Thank you Lorraine! I remember a couple of years back having a couple of carrier bags full of tomatoes in the freezer! I think I’ll be lucky to have a couple of handfuls this year. Not much fruit on the vines really. But at least my sprouts are big!😂😂

Thank you Terry. I’ve certainly had better years! Hope you’re having more success than me!

@fionagrows1848 the weather has been kind to me other than some of the giant vegetables which went to seed because of the day and night contrasting temperatures.

@@terrykingsallotmentgardening Good! I’m glad you’ve had a decent year😊

@fionagrows1848 each season is never the same so we have to adapt to the changing seasons.

Hello to County Galway! And don’t get me started about government lies and corruption or you’ll never get away!😂. In my view I’m doing more than just growing veg….I’m growing knowledge and independence so that me and mine can flourish if/when things get really serious. Im sure you know what I mean.😉

I just had my hair tied back😂, thanks for the compliment 😊. I’m mad about the squash….but you win some you lose some 🤷‍♀️. More losses than usual this year but hopefully next year will be another story!

I’ve actually just read that the seed from the courgette probably won’t come true so I’ll just have to buy some🤷‍♀️. It’s still fun to see how big it will grow. I do fancy trying the fried green tomatoes. They rave about them. But then again, anything fried tastes good!😂

@@fionagrows1848 😜😜 like everything is better with bacon 🥓

Ha ha ! We’re never happy with our weather, are we! We have hardly been able to sit out in the garden since June it’s been so miserable. It’s definitely feeling autumnal here today. I’m just not sure when to harvest the aubergines. I don’t know if they’re ready or not.🤷‍♀️. Mine have still got plenty of flowers on too, but I don’t think they’ll have time to ripen. I’d like to try the 3 sisters but I think I’ve heard that it’s a struggle to get the corn to grow here.

I’m just glad I’ve got something that is producing a good crop!😂. I’ve got a courgette cake sitting on the kitchen bench right now😊. I love that you managed to keep one for so long. I think I’ll give that a try, just for fun. I didn’t realise they would store like that.

It’s definitely been a bad year . So much rain, no sunshine since June, high humidity. I’ve just been stripping back the foliage on the tomatoes in the back garden this afternoon and although there isn’t a lot of fruit they are at least healthy.

Ah! That’s really interesting to know! I’m hoping I can get the rest of mine to actually ripen. I’m keeping my hopes up for a nice September to get the job done. 😩.

The carrots did great actually (hooray!) . Half of them are still up there growing away. Sounds like you’ve had a very similar year to me. And the slugs!! Monsters! We have regular slug hunts and collect them all up and get rid of them. For us I’ve found that is the only thing that really helps. I hate it when they ruin the potatoes though. Never mind, next year is just round the corner!😂

Your aubergine are they the long pointed ones rather than normal? I grew long pointed and got a crop last year but the normal ones were pathetic this year 😂 out of 5 plants I got one lol I done well with peppers this year. Been very hit and miss with different produce this year.

I bet you see a change after 2 weeks away! We got a second freezer for the garage a couple of years ago and it’s a game changer. I don’t know how we managed without it and I can’t imagine how you’ve managed with all the produce from your very productive plot! I am a bit gutted about the squash but I guess I’ll live!😂. There’s always next year.

@@fionagrows1848 the grass was so long took ages to cut it down, done a bit of weeding and the birds ate my plums GUTTED 😪 always next year 😢

@@traceysallotment2506 I didn’t realise the aubergines were this long pointy type, but I guess it makes them easier to ripen in our short season. Glad you’ve had success with your peppers. I’ll have to try again with them I think, as I love them.

@@traceysallotment2506 AGGGGH! Those blooming birds! I’m mad for you! I can grow a plum for love nor money.

I have pulled some sprouts already but they were a bit tasteless. I’m not sure they’re worth the effort as I’m the only one who eats them. A little spoonful of quinoa would be fun to harvest though! 😊

Yes, it’s been a difficult year but not a total loss. I’m glad you’re having success with your potatoes and squash. It’s my squash fail I’m most disappointed with (although I’m sure Kenny is secretly pleased as he’s not a fan😂). My tomatoes are still very green and I should really go and strip the plants of leaves to force them to ripen. I usually stop watering them to hasten ripening but that hasn’t been an option this year as they’re outside and it’s rained so much (rivers running down the street again yesterday with a huge cloud burst). Never mind, as you say, there’s next year!

Yes, it’s definitely been a tricky year although, as you say, some crops have done well in the damp , cool conditions. I’m just wishing I had room for a poly tunnel to grow a lot more heat loving plants. Glad you’re having a big crop of beans. I’ve tried canning/jarring some of my beans this year to save on freezer space. We haven’t tried them yet so I’m hoping we like like them. It’s a great way to store the veg without having a packed freezer. Thanks for watching! 😊

Hi Lorraine. How kind of you! We’re fine, just having a case of burnout! The weather has made gardening a struggle this year and I’ve been a bit fed up with it all. I’m going to attempt to get an August plot tour video made in the next week. Hope you are well too! Xx

@@fionagrows1848 I know what you mean we’ve had rain for god knows how long now it’s 25 degrees it’s just ridiculous this year 😞glad you’re ok looking forward to August plot tour I’ve missed you👍💕

Doesn’t it just! I keep thinking it’s time to wind things down in the garden , then have to remind myself it’s still the middle of summer. 😩. Anyway, no rain forecast for today although it’s very chilly.

I just can’t believe the rain! It’s absolutely poured down again here all afternoon, and all last night. We’re about to start construction of an ark! I wish I had a few more seedlings on the go as I’m starting to see a few spaces in the borders but if the weather doesn’t improve I’d be wasting my time anyway. The big question is, will the potatoes be alright in the ground with all this wet.

@@fionagrows1848 It’s been another wet day here as well. Hopefully the potatoes will survive. Our main problem will be slug attacks. See there’s some suggestions of better weather by the middle of August. Fingers crossed.

I’ve certainly found that squash don’t enjoy being grown in buckets. Mind you, saying that, the big leaf came from a courgette grown in a trough! 🤷‍♀️. Have a good week B &V 😊

What annoys me about snails is that they often just chomp straight through the main stalk of a small plant and kill it outright. Slugs and snails are definitely our main pest problem and I’ve found the only effective way to deal with them is to search for them and remove them. Since I’ve been doing that I don’t have as many casualties. 😊

Actually that’s a good idea….I’m seeing some gaps about to open up in my borders and I could shove a few potatoes in. Nothing to lose! It didn’t work for me last year but if we get a good august and September I might have more luck.

I wish I hadn’t stopped sowing seed. I’m starting to anticipate a few gaps in the borders and I’ve got nothing to put in them. Spinach would be good. Actually, im now going to rifle through my seeds and see if I’ve got any spinach seed to direct sow!! Thanks for the idea!

I’m very jealous of your plums!😂. My broccoli is slow but steady. I think they take up a lot of space for a long time for the amount of food you get out of them. Have a great weekend 😊

Ah! No! That’s terrible 😢. Absolutely gutting for you to lose all that hard work. Hoping for a change in the weather for you.🥵🌞🌧️

@@fionagrows1848 Thanks , it is part of growing a garden. I will prepare my beds for the Fall, too much other stuff to di.

@@MickyBellRoberts That is an advantage you have in such a hot climate that you have fall gardens. Whilst we do have some late cropping veg most things just grow in that short summer window that we have. I often struggle to get warmth loving things to ripen before the summer is over. Good luck!