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 and inconsistent. The fence that should surround the Plot had not yet been installed. The vegetable seedlings planted on the Plot are tender and tasty food for foraging rabbits, birds, slugs, snails and other forms of wildlife that live at the Allotments.
Harvest: Blackcurrants = a few; Spinach = 1lb 2oz = 500g.
8th June 2011 – Heavy rain showers were sporadic throughout the day. The soil and the plants were heard groaning softly and breathing ecstatic sighs of relief, then relaxed to absorb the moisture. Bamboo that was donated by J was shifted with the help of R&P to the Plot. The rain soaked the Shifters. On arrival at Allotment Plot at MERL the clouds separated to reveal blue sky. Ella Montt removed a row of Broad Beans that had finished production. The plants and soil were wet. As rays of sunlight fell towards the centre of the Plot, Green Bamboo suddenly sprouted out of the ground, its leaves opened and the Bamboo grew to be about 15 foot tall, almost touching the sky. There was a pause as Ella Montt processed this event. Then the clouds started to gather again in to a dense grey mass that closed in, darkened and covered the blue atmosphere. In ein augenblick the green Bamboo tree disappeared, perhaps returning to the soil. Then the rain fell again and the Shifters sort shelter inside the museum doorway.
When the rain stopped the Shifters returned to the Plot. The Green Bamboo tree was but a memory, and left the residue of a hole in the soil where it had been. A tall tripod of Bamboo was erected in the place of this memory, not to replace the memory, but to fold another memory around the place, where the Green Bamboo had fleetingly existed.
9th June 2011 – Ella Montt arrived at Allotment Plot at MERL with more plants that were being transplanted from the fixed up greenhouse to a different location in the Plot. Before these plants became situated in the soil, it suddenly became necessary to remove the Garlic from the Plot. Without warning and ceremony the Garlic harvesting commenced. The Garlic harvest was a month earlier than last years in 2010. Elements that constructed this event were influenced by weather conditions since the Garlic had been planted last October. Snow had first fallen in November and in December, this had been followed by rain and frost, but then from March drought and heat had dominated the growing cycle. The Garlic growth systems were starting to crash and shut down. This is why the sudden harvest became essential in order to save the crop.
Garlic Harvest: 2 bulbs x Elephant Garlic (1) = 6oz = 180g, 5 bulbs x Dukat Garlic (2) = 3oz = 80g, 13 bulbs x Sprint Garlic (3) = 12oz = 340g, 11 bulbs x Thermidrome Garlic (4) = 7oz = 200g.
A quantity of Peas was also harvested. Pea Harvest: Pea (Mange-tout) Oregon Sugar Pod = 2oz = 40g,
In the row where the Broad Beans had been removed on the previous day four Tomato plants were placed in the soil between the two of the Bamboo canes that form the Bamboo Tripod (which looks like the frame of a wigwam). The Tomato plants were 1 x Chadwick, 1 x Brandywine and 2 x Marmande (Koralk will be planted on another occasion). Other plants were placed in the soil close to the Bamboo Tripod, these were; Squash Pumpkin Mars x 2, Cucumber Marketmore x 1 and Tanja x 1 and Melon Sivan F1 x 1. Adjacent to the Bamboo, Climbing Bean seeds were added; Blue Lake x 6, Barlotto Lingua Di Fuoco x 6, Blauhide x 6, Neckarqueen x 6 and Enorma x 6. Another Sunflower Jerusalem Sunrise Yellow was planted close to the Brick Composter.