It has been a beautiful day in Brisbane, 25 degrees, warm and sunny. The perfect day to work in the allotment. I prefer to go in the morning but there was a Labour Day March today which closed some of the roads until midday so I spent the morning at home baking rye and caraway seed bread. Very nice thank you with a dollop of my plum jam. But I digress ….
I’ve been having a bit of trouble on the allotment with caterpillars getting to my lettuces before I do. I don’t mind sharing – I was brought up properly – but I do want some left for myself. So before I set off for the allotment I mixed up a special organic molasses and soap brew. Check out this link which will take you to Annette McFarlane’s website for the ‘recipe’. She is my guru as she lives in Brisbane so all of her gardening information is relevant to where I live.
Well, I had such a productive afternoon on my scrap of dirt. Unlike yesterday, which was all sweat and tears. The climbing frame that I struggled to try to get out of the ground yesterday shot up with a bit of a yank today and left me with a lovely clear bed ready for my new seeds – root vegetables. I planted parsnips, carrots, beetroot and some organic swede seeds (try saying that when you’ve had a drink) my daughter-in-law had given me.
I sprayed Annette’s special brew over my lettuces, watered the little seedlings I planted yesterday, tied up my rampant cherry tomato plant (it’s taking over Brisbane) and got eaten alive by the midges. I love Mother Nature. Why does she send me plagues and locusts!!
Before I left the allotment to go home I took a stroll around the farm as I usually do. I love it. It is so peaceful and I am so lucky to have found it. This is the community garden, and it’s surrounded by the allotments. The late afternoon was warm, balmy and just beautiful.
This is one of the gardens Dorothea has started on the edge of the farm, and surrounding my allotment.
I’ll be eating veggies and herbs from my little plot with my dinner tonight. And that’s what it’s all about folks.
Happy gardening.
Allotment Adventures with Jean 
May 08, 2012 @ 06:12:12
Jean, you mentioning Carraway seeds, takes me back to when I was first married (to my Cornishman) and I was introduced to a Cornish favourite of Seedy Cake, which of course is made with Carraway seeds, before that I had never baked with them.
May 08, 2012 @ 06:23:27
Lovely to hear from you Beth. I am very fond of caraway seeds, quite a different taste and not one you hear much about these days.