Glad for gladioli II

The gladioli on our allotment
are growing very tall
and their variegated colour
looks lovely when we call

They make a pleasant change
from the vegetables we grow
and have varying success with
through the year as well you know

And today with August sunshine
so lovely did they look
which I'm pleased to say I captured
in the photograph I took

The plan (part VI)

No. 6 in the continuing Jemverse ‘allotment’ series

For the first time I sat back
and knew that 'we'd done good'
at our allotment established
as we'd hoped that it would

And now we can harvest
the produce and fayre
of the things we have laboured
for and groom right there

And keep up the momentum
to see it prosper and grow
and keep on producing
with grandeur to show

Radishes

Had a bumper crop of radishes
from our allotment, pleased to say
filled a big sack with them
when I picked them yesterday
They have a lovely pepper taste
and they'll make a tasty lunch
and I'm pretty sure they'll soon be gone
not certain, just a hunch

The Plan (part V)

It won't win any fence awards
but I don't really care
as I've used up all the withy
and it looks quirky there
And it's all part of the masterplan
we've been putting into play
as we visit our allotment
down the road 'most every day

Dandelion Bouquet

We have an evening pastime
now the 'lotty' is in full swing
a little wander down the road
to do some watering
It's cathartic and a pleasure
and with my air-pods on
I get to hear an album
on my i-phone with a song

Beginning IX

aka ‘The Plan (Part IV)’ (9 of 12 in the Jemverse series ’12 months IV’)

A new beginning at our 'lotty'
and we're both as pleased as punch
as the planned 'no dig' solution
is paying off from just a hunch
For now we've built with withy
two climbing frames by hand
and planted all the seedlings
we have grown upon our land
And we've strimmed the grass around
so it's looking pretty neat
showing off the lavenders
which are blooming in the heat
Now lots and lots of water
we will add by hose each day
to bring the plan close to fruition
and the vegetables our way

The Plan (Part III)

I’ve carried the frames

one by one down the the road

as they were quite awkward

so, to lessen the load

I decided four hikes

was better than two

to get the frames there

well you would, wouldn’t you?

The Plan (Part II)

We built some raised borders

for the allotment to grow

laid them out in the garden

where they’re ready to go

…

Just one minor problem

they’ll not fit in the car

but the allotment is close

and not very far

Back to the allotment

Got back to the allotment
armed with strimmers and a plan
spare batteries in the backpack
and refreshments in a can
The grass had taken over but
we kind of guessed it would
not that this would stop us
as with strimmers there we could
remove those months of overgrowth
and flatten it once more
revealing something of the plan
for it we have in store

The Lotty

The Lotty’s looking wild this year
we haven’t been there much
Lockdown saw to most of that
but we’ve still kept in touch

Emily’s been there more than us
and kept it in some shape
but living several miles away
it’s quite a trip to make

So long grass meadow is the norm
with wood chip in between
coupled with a lovely pond
the best we’ve ever seen

First Lavender III

We’ve not been to our allotment
Covid-19’s seen to that
But Emily our daughter
has been keeping it intact
We’re seeing lots of pictures
which she takes from time to time
and I’m pleased to say as ever
that it’s looking mighty fine

Our bit of land

Went to the allotment
it was quite overgrown
and not too much sign
of the things we had sewn

But after a while
spurred on by the weather
it was looking quite peachy
as we worked together

Enough rhubarb there
for a crumble or three
and the last of the lavender
just waiting for me

Cherry blossom lovely

The cherry blossom’s in full bloom
on the allotment in the sun
as I sit here and write a while
now the strimming is all done
The grass grows quick this time of year
so I’m down here quite a bit
with spare batteries in my bag
in case the good ones quit

Our Allotment

On our allotment
In the sun
Shadows caught
Whilst having fun
Strimming grass
We laugh and smile
Whilst planting stuff
For quite a while
For this is ours
This little plot
Where we will plant
And grow a lot

Allotment Day 2

So we got our mitts all muddy
on the allotment yesterday
But the digging was successful
in every single way
For now instead of jungle
we can see the earth again
and it’s ready for the planting
in the sunshine and the rain

Allotment Day 1

We’ve been remiss
and months have passed
since we last came this way
So it’s not much
of a surprise
that nature’s had its say

The weeds are rife
the grass is long
the mud has all but vanished
But we are armed
with all the tools
to see that this is banished

Digging Weeds

Digging weeds
is hard and hot
and our allotment
has a lot
But it’s rewarding
when we see
things we’ve planted
growing free

Of planting and weeding and watching things grow

Went to the allotment
the sun wasn’t there
But I attacked all the weeds
that had grown everywhere
And I planted nasturtiums
and more lavender too
To add to the ones which
from seedlings I grew

Flowering Sage

Whilst most now it’s November
has died and gone away
Flowering sage remains and
brightens up this Saturday

Beans ‘n’ Broccoli

Beans ‘n’ Broccoli
we have grown
from tiny seeds
when they were sewn

Produce (aka ‘Allotment V’)

Imagine our amazement
when this evening on Ham Field
we discovered our allotment
had delivered its first yield
Some courgettes and a squash or two
which in the sunshine haven’t lingered
Leading us to think that we
may well be quite green-fingered!

Allotment III

It’s June and the allotment
is looking like you wouldn’t believe
Far more than I think we hoped for
and more than we could conceive

Little Lavenders

We bought some little lavenders
they arrived once in the post
Came as little seedling plugs
in compost, playing host
At first they were quite tiny
but we put them in the sun
And even though they’re still quite small
I think the time has come

Allotment II

The allotment’s looking lovely
if I do say so myself
We’ve been doing lots of digging
‘Cos it’s quite good for our health
We’ve got some fruit trees growing
and have planted lots of seeds
And in between the watering
have been pulling up the weeds

Allotment

We have a new allotment
It needs some T.L.C.
But it has a lot of promise
for a future yet to be
It’s got a lot of grass on it
which I will have to mow
But there’s some soil that’s ready
to use right now and grow