Apples, apples, apples

Why do I have two plots on two different sites? It’s a question I’m often asked and one I wonder about myself at times. But this is the time of year when I remember why: apples.

It’s reached mid-October and I was beginning to worry about my apples on plot no. 2 going ‘walkabout’. So I thought I’d pick one or two. Or 150 or so. And after giving another 30+ away I’d say I’ve probably got as many again still to pick.

They’re still a bit reluctant to come away from the tree even this late in the year, but when they get home they undergo careful inspection and are separated into the good and ugly – the bad already having being left on the compost heap.

The Good

 The good I’m giving a quick clean and then wrapping them individually in newspaper and storing them in trays.

The bad are hanging around waiting to be used up in whatever recipes we can find – the ‘bad’ are those with any blemishes on that probably won’t keep so well. We’re going to be busy this weekend!

The Ugly

So far on the list of recipes are: oatmeal, apple and cinnamon cookies, spiced apple chutney and apple fruit leather. Any further suggestions gratefully received. This is the point where my planned apple press would have come in handy, but alas finances didn’t allow for that this year.

Still none the wiser as to what they are but we’re off to Harlow Carr on either 23 or 24 October when (hopefully!) all will be revealed.

Farewell to the strawberries

After 4 years, I decided I’d pushed my luck far enough and dug up my original strawberry plants.

Fortunately I’d used some of last years runners to establish a new bed earlier this year, so it wasn’t such a painful task. The only problem is I had two rows of two different varieties of strawberries where I knew which was which. Unfortunately I wasn’t so careful when I planted up my runners…

Truth be told I got a little distracted with the usual allotment problem: chatting. As a result it wasn’t the comprehensive digging job I’d hoped it was going to be, but in my defence the soil was a bit too heavy to be digging anyway.

There’s not an awful lot left on the plot now, due to poor planning and planting on my plant but the Brussels are doing well – better than I’ve ever grown them before. Unfortantely something appears to be eating them though. It can’t be pigeons or pheasants this time though due to enough netting over them to cover half the site and it’s well pegged down. The only things I can think is mice?