The heavy rain last week, while a blessing, certainly invigorated the bindweed. I had the thrilling task again of pulling out the long roots. Honestly, if this were a crop, there would be no end to the celebration!
After a skirmish with the bindweed, I planted out spring cabbages and other leafy lovelies. They’re now under the protective custody of Enviromesh, which will trap a little warmth for their roots while keeping pigeons and the cabbage-white-army away.
Hopefully, the plants will grow strong before the cold weather arrives. They should then survive the winter and provide small harvests of fresh greens. In spring, I hope for some small cabbages to help fill the “hungry gap”, that awkward period when winter crops have finished and spring veggies are still playing hard to get. Allotment gardening is, after all, about experimenting, a bit of luck, and a whole lot of crossed fingers! Who needs a crystal ball when you have a seed packet and a dream?
Something else that clearly enjoyed the downpours? The rhubarb, naturally.
Last year I divided the massive rhubarb crown that used to grow by the shed. The replanted section has bulked up nicely, and I resisted the urge to raid it for a crumble. A little patience is required in the year after division, giving it time to properly settle in. I will take a light harvest in spring; that first bite will be so much sweeter for the wait.
The calendula patch is still ablaze with vibrant orange blooms. These cheerful flowers provide for the last pollinators of the season, a vital source of nectar and pollen for the last bumblebees, hoverflies, and butterflies still foraging before winter sets in. I just love the colour contrast going on with the purple allotment shed.
I saved a heap of calendula seeds this year, neatly labelled for next spring and to give away to others. Mother Nature is the ultimate scatter-sower, and on my plot, the cheerful chaos of self-seeded calendula is always a welcome surprise.
Allotment Haven 