Planting and pirates ...

What have planting and pirates got to do with each other I hear you ask? Well nothing really, other than the fact that they will both appear in this blog post. This is a bit of a catch up post from a a couple of weeks ago, the plants have come on a bit since then.

Pirates has been the theme of this half-term at school for Imogen, a good choice for her - she likes all things pirates. It reminds me of Christmas 2009 when she had a pirate costume from her grandparents and as soon as it was unwrapped she was wearing it and it was worn all day, and has been worn many times since.

We built a pirate ship at home the other week, and she took this into school for showing and to go on their display. She loved doing this. We borrowed a pirate activity/craft book from the library and made pretty much everything out of it.

 Imogen's pirate ship

On Friday, last day of the half term, they had a pirate day where they could all come to school dressed as pirates - either in costumes if they had them or tatty clothing (pirate style) or whatever they wanted to wear if they preferred not to dress up. But they all did - an array of different costumes, torn old clothes. It was a wonderful sight. Here is Imogen ready to go in. Her Captains hat, telescope and hook were in her bag!

 Pirate Imogen

 Dressed ready for school but the hat went in the bag

so it didn't get blown away in the wind

Planting has been something of a continuous job around here, keeping on top of the sowing, and planting on. We've picked the last of the Broad Beans now so chopped them down to allow the roots to rot down and we will lightly dig in the chopped plants - like a green manure, this will feed the soil well.

Tomatoes inter-planted with Oca

Planting out tomatoes, some in collars inter-planted in the bed of Oca, just look at the lovely Oca - I love their leaves. Planting on courgettes and pumpkins and thinking about their eventual placing.

 Close up of the Oca leaves

Kohl Rabi with their gorgeous colour

Harvesting a great range of salad leaves, lettuce leaves, mizuna, rocket, pea shoots, perilla, sorrel (various sorrels), welsh onions, herbs and more for delicious salads. Our supply should keep us going for many many meals, months probably if we keep up the successional sowing.

Fresh salads daily

Oh and we have grapes forming too, lovely.

Lots to do to keep us busy growing. Half term this week, so a few days out here and there. Happy days.

The allotment plot is looking a bit like this at the moment, well it did when I took the photos about a week ago! ...

Plot side panoramic view

(the unusual shed is on the next plot!)