I officially have pumpkin envy this week. Regular readers of the blog will be aware that I started to cultivate a friend's unused vegetable plots in January. I have enjoyed the experience and learned a lot. Much of what is learned in a food growing situation sticks. Teachers among us would credit that to the fact that it is learned through doing - 'experiential'. I am slightly less theoretical than that - if you are faced with literally dozens of radishes to eat because you hadn't realised you should repeat sow them every fortnight - you remember next time!
Harvest
I have harvested 4 pumpkins from the plot.
They are ripening nicely on my window ledge, and I was looking forward to stalking (groan!) the trick or treaters with a scary carving or two.
New beginnings
At the beginning of September I took on a small allotment at the Star Lane site in Lymm. It is about 10 x 11 metres and I have had great fun getting the shed, composters and beds ready for action. My sons came down with me on a beautiful Sunday two weeks ago and we planted garlic, Japanese onions and broad beans. On a visit this week to check for wind damage, I found that the onions and garlic have sprouted.
This is no doubt aided by the copious manure I have been ferrying down there from a local stables.
I remembered that one of the very experienced allotment holders had offered his pumpkins for a small donation. Hence the source of my pumpkin envy. They are gargantuan. He has certainly carved (groan!) up the competition. Still, that is the beauty of having an allotment: people are always willing to share tips. Come May 2015 I'll be hot footing it down to Neil's plot to ask how he does it.
Have fun at Halloween, and don't forget to ask if the pumpkins you are buying are UK grown. Even if they are not, it will encourage the seller to source them closer to home next year.
Lisa Reid
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