Category: Gardening

  • Elements, Garlic Harvest, Bamboo

    7th June 2011 – Allotment Plot 326. The Bean plants that had been planted a few days before looked like they had been through war, left to interact with the elements and wildlife. Ella Montt found it hard to know if the plants would recover from the havoc they had experienced. The weather was changeable…

  • Planting Harvesting Drought Rain

    25th May 2011 – At Allotment Plot 326, the first Garlic harvest of the year (2011) happened, (more to follow).  Garlic Harvest = 5oz = 120g. Plants were transplanted from the fixed up greenhouse to Plot 326. Plants were: Tomato Gardeners Delight x 18; Courgette Patriot F1 x 2 and Cocozelle x 2; Beans (French…

  • Another Transplant

    19th May 2011 – Another transplant was performed. The sprouting Sweet Potato and Comfrey that had been growing roots in the studio left the holding area and transported to Allotment Plot at MERL. Other plants were also relocated from the fixed up greenhouse to new positions on the Plot. These plants were: 1 x Melon…

  • Sun Drought Frost Rain

    18th April 2011 – In the studio the rooting Sweet Potato was observed sitting in its glass jam jar of water on the table in front of the window. The Sweet Potato was absorbing the sun light. A tiny dark reddish/ purple leafy sprout (slip) had emerged from the tuber. Ella Montt stared at the…

  • Comfrey and Seed Planting

    Tuesday 12th April 2011 – At Allotment Plot 326, digging of an area of ground was completed. Seeds were then planted as follows: Leeks Almera, Kale Red Russian Curled, Beetroot Bolivar, Carrot Amsterdam Forcing, and Carrot Rothild. Ella Montt noted that both a Carrot fly deterrent barrier and also a Heavy Metal collection of CD’s…

  • Sunshine, Fences, Failure to Dig and Drought

    6th April 2011  – The weather this week was undeniably beautiful. Gloriously warm sunshine deceiving humans in to perhaps a false sense of security. Extreme sunshine, heat and drought so early in the season has in recent years often been a prequel to a summer of rain and flooding. Ella Montt searched for a crystal…

  • Digging

    Allotment Plot 326 sits in the great field with many other allotment plots. It is part of a social system that gave humans a right to an allotment of land. Desire for an allotment plot can be a utopian dream. Reality of working an allotment or making the allotment succeed involves much hard effort. In…

  • Bricks and Potatoes

    Ella Montt was at Allotment Plot at MERL on 3 March. She had not visited this aspect of the Plot since January, because she had been occupied with other aspects elsewhere. The previous day there had been sun, but the day was bitterly cold, and the sky was grey. Ella Montt examined the state of…

  • Fruit Trees

    At Allotment Plot 326 on January 14th 2011, Ella Montt planted some fruit bushes and trees. The temperature on that day was almost balmy. In the designated planting area the ground was dug to try to remove any bramble roots. Holes were then excavated and the roots of the trees and bushes were grounded and…

  • Remainder

    21/01/2011 – Ella Montt dug up the remainder of the Leeks Almera; she was weary of Parsnips (fiction!). The new Garlic that is growing seemed untroubled by the wintry conditions. Ella Montt removed the horticultural fleece to reveal the Broad Beans that were barely surviving underneath. Ella Montt stacked the bricks that had been securing…