Urban Garden Allotment

Our fifth year as metropolitan allotment gardeners in the UK (one of us is American). As we are still really novices we thought it would be fun to document our allotment journey. We'll let you know the successes as well as the failures on the allotment, share recipes for the fruit and veg we produce and hopefully swap tips with other keen gardeners. Enjoy!!

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First proper decoupage jewlery box made. Pretty happy and all for £3, Everything else was stuff I already had leftover in house. Now I know what I am doing, time to make my mum one!

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It was another rainy cold day today so time for another inside project, a decoupage jewellery box from scraps left over at home..satisfying

[paintandcloth]

Quite happy with my first go at a decoupage jewelry box. I made the inside too. Very cheap way to upcycle. The box was £1. The pictures where from old magazines, the black edges are felt tip and the inside was made from scraps of foam and lining material from my mum’s trusty sewing box. Next stop the larger hexagonal one. I want to get the next one looking more professional as I am doing it as a trial run for a present I want to make. Love crafting!

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Something else we are crafting. Good to have something to do in the evenings or when the weather is too bad to get out in the garden. Relaxing..

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Departure from home crafts but tried my hand at my first silver jewellery workshop. Made a ring, not perfect and still needs a shine up but pretty happy for first attempt. Going to look into doing more workshops…

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Something else we've been doing while it has been too cold to garden

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Time to recycle the coffee table for a second time. Last time chalk paint and corks, this time satin furniture paint and photo decoupage. Weren’t sure if the photos were going to work but they did! Used colour pop app to turn photos black and white and pick out colours. Photos don’t do it justice as the light is reflecting on top but super clear defined photos. Less than £20 to refurb inc paint, glue, acrylic top coat, photos and brushes! ( really recommend sponge brushes for this type of project. All the photos are ones we’ve taken around England so memories too!

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Too cold to garden so time for some inside refurbishing.

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Tried this new way of planting seeds. It is meant to stop them drying out. We'll see...we've tried squash, beans and peppers today.

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Might try something like this this year. Seeing as we might downsize it might be interesting. Maybe change some of the veg.

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Finally made it down the allotment the last two weekends, one sunny, one rainy! It was a lovely surprise to see the rhubarb had come up and the apple buds were starting to form, more of a surprise to find a full garlic bed we never planted. We moved the blackberry bush while still dormant, using some of our lovely home food waste compost. So much still to do though, we’ve made a pact we will be back next weekend.

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Full of good intentions today, we know it has been way way to long away from the allotment. It is really mild for Feb so we thought we would prune and move the blackberries seeing as we had a day off. Unfortunately we got there and realised we have lost the padlock key to the gate! Let's hope we can borrow the Elves'. From looking over the gate it looks like we aren't the only ones who have been away and is that some garlic we spy? We'll try again sunday....

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Got some great produce today, not bad for no rain or water. Now what to cook? Blackberry turnovers for starters.

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We picked most of the artichokes but left a couple as they are so pretty when they flower.

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We don't have any water down the allotment anymore and it hasn't rained for ages so we were wondering what it would be like today. Not everything is doing great but a lot still is :). The grass just doesn't stop. Need to get a electric free lawnmower.

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Blueberry pancakes and maple syrup for brunch with yesterday's pickings from the allotment. Yum!

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A quick picking at the allotment. Now what shall we have?

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Had to go down the allotment today as it was so gorgeous. Everything is green! And overgrown! It was too hot to do much, but got the whole of the fruit cage weeded and what a lot of weeds there were! Going home with a nice selection of berries and some artichokes for starter for dinner in the garden tonight. YUM!

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It's been too long and life got in the way but we got down the allotment today. Most things seem to be growing well and we picked our first berries and artichokes. Now what to make with all those goodies?

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Had a great weekend in the sun down the allotment last week. Let’s hope we can get down there this weekend and it doesn’t rain.

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So lovely to see all the flowers down the allotment. Great to see the fruit starting to form too.