Welcome to Plot 23

So one of the most exciting things that happened in the last couple of years (has it really been that long?!), was that we got an allotment plot. When I moved back to Dorset from Bath I decided I needed something to do with my time, and thought having a go at growing stuff might be the way to go. Contacting the village allotment association was a bit like trying to infiltrate a secret society, but after phoning what felt like nearly everyone in the village I found the right person. Luckily I managed to get in touch at exactly the right time as a plot had just become available, and, jackpot!- it was in great condition, already cleared and ready for planting!

Here it is when we took it over in November 2015. It is a half plot, but plenty big enough at 18.3 x 6.7 m. It is also a bargain at £20 for the year, cheapest land in Dorset?!

After lots of research I decided raised beds would be the way to go, so we made a plan and ordered some gravel boards for the frames, which were delivered on possibly the wettest day of the year! We initially made 8 1.5 x 3 m beds which are the main vegetable beds. We also put in a fruit bed and a seedbed.

We had a pretty successful first year; I wanted to grow a bit of everything and it was very productive, especially in the summer. Here is the plot in early summer:

I think I managed to harvest at least something every month, the leeks kept going through winter, as well as kale and spinach. The plot in mid winter:

The new growing season is properly kicking off now, which is exciting! Here is the plot right now:

 Lots more to come, it is sowing time!

Morning Time on Northern Line

Not to brag, but I've somehow managed to get this far in my adult life without having to deal with an awful commute. I can't say it is entirely planned, but I seem to end up living within easy walking or cycling distance to work, the idea of spending hours in a traffic jam or on buses every day really does not appeal. I'll take the wind and the rain any day! Chilly winter mornings wake me up and make me feel slightly more alive, and I have the added bonus of a rather scenic route, complete with good views and photogenic trees, and sometimes even friendly cows! Can't imagine why, but Bath does not feel like a real city...

Bright Spots

I seem to be filled with a certain inertia when it comes to blogpost writing these days. I can't decide whether to keep plodding along with this, talking to just the few of you who stop by, or whether to try something new. The dying days of my PhD studies are taking up plenty of brain-space at the moment too. When I started blogging I certainly never had any aspirations to be A Famous Blogger, but I'm not sure what my motivation is any more. Anyone else out there blogging to no one for no particular reason?! Perhaps I just need some more fun in my life so I feel like I actually have something to talk about...

Well, for now, I shall leave you with some pretty pictures from my recent visit to the beautiful Kew Gardens in London. If you're in the big smoke between Feb 7th and March 6th get yourself there for the Orchid festival, which will be full of gorgeous colour to distract from the dreary grey winter outside (and look out for the resident iguanas too!).

And we'll see if I manage to post more than once in February!

A Year in Photos 2014

Happy holidays to you all! Slight unplanned blog holiday there, that life thing getting in the way once again. Inevitably, I of course resolve to blog more in the new year, but with a thesis to write, we'll see how that goes... Anyhow, here are my favourite photos (from on and off the blog) from 2014, here's to a good 2015!

The year started with some epic weather, but beauty can be found in the wintery Dorset countryside

Crisp bright days in Febuary

Company from a black panther on a domestic March afternoon

New life in spring

An early summer day looking down the spine of Dorset

Posers on the sands

Time to disappear...

Pirates in Portugal?

Trying to make the most of the autumnal bounty

The benefit of shorter days in October - capturing the sunrise at the highest point of my commute

A return to the delights of Kew, nice to hang out in the jungle again and forget about the November chill

An excellent reason to get out of bed - probably the best sunrise I have ever seen

Happy New Year one and all!

Hedgerow Pesto

Food wise, I don't think autumn can be beaten. I love big salads and super-fresh tomatoes in the summer, but as the nights start to draw in the comfort food can come out. I've also been exploring what nature has to offer, to pair with some of the more unusual ingredients that are arriving in my weekly veg box. This pesto creation is one of my usual slightly off-the-wall concoctions, but it is tasty so I'll share anyway. It isn't really a recipe as such, as I definitely didn't measure anything!

Tasty fresh ingredients are the key, so lots of fresh basil, which I have miraculously kept alive on my window sill. I used a good couple of handfuls, plus lots of good olive oil, a bit of garlic and some parmesan.

I whizzed everything up in a food processor, not forgetting the key ingredient, foraged hazelnuts. There are absolutely loads round here at the moment, and I think if they are picked when a bit green they work really well as a pine nut substitute. Plus they are free!

I got some beautiful fresh borlotti beans in my veg box, and didn't have much of a clue what to do with them, so I boiled them for about 45 mins until soft, in well-seasoned water with mixed herbs. I then mixed the pesto and beans together with some gnocci, sundried tomatoes, raw cucumber and a little greek yoghurt.

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why I will never be a food blogger ;)

Dipping a Toe in the North Sea

Arghhh such a backlog of photos to post! I was planning on just doing one more wild north post, but I have too many nice pictures so I'm afraid I'll have to bore you with a couple more. The east coast was an easy drive from where we were staying, so we spent a couple of days exploring; plenty of interesting rock pools and long golden beaches. Surprisingly empty too, especially compared to my local beaches in Dorset!

Just another reason why I fell in love with Northumberland! As well as big green hills, lots of beautiful beaches too :)

Bright Colours Wild Textures

Well hello there, things are still pretty hectic around here! I have just got back from a conference in Portugal (pics to follow!), and am still in between moving, although I hope to finally be settled and reunited with my sewing machine some time next week. In the meantime, here are some pretty close-ups from Northumberland; I have tried to identify the species, the geek in me insisted ;)

Monkey flower of some kind I think

Grasses

Heath Bedstraw

Yellow flag iris

Possibly wild Thyme

Bird's-foot-trefoil

Common spotted orchid

Lichens are difficult to identify!

Green seaweed? Looks like the Grinch's back to me...

Turn Right at Nowhere

I'm back to bore you all with holiday snaps! I spent the last two weeks up in Northumberland, right on the Scotland/England border. It might not sound very exotic but it was brilliant and beautiful and the first proper holiday my boyfriend and I have had together for a fair while. We stayed in a lovely house literally in the middle of nowhere, miles from civilisation and nestled in amongst the very green hills. It was stunning and I wanted to stay there forever! We did re-enter civilisation occasionally when exploring the local area, but we also spent a good amount of time rambling in the wild from straight out of the back door. The best day was walking to Scotland up the tallest hill we could find. I was pathetically excited about going over the border, as I had never been to Scotland, and there is a certain amount of novelty in being able to walk right there! Plus we had a friendly chat with some Scottish people at the top, over the fence that marks the border, which tickled us a little as they were on Scottish soil and we were in England. Good times, can I go back please?

The home valley - our house is in those trees at the bottom

Our lunchtime view looking down at Scotland

Always bringing up the rear!

At the cairn at the top, looking at Scotland