Clare and Andy
It sort of just happens of late. We talk ourselves into all kinds of situations and forget how we end up getting involved!
‘Do you remember how we ended up agreeing to do your wedding flowers?’ we tentatively asked Andy Butterton and Clare Saxon (fearful of what they might remember).
We were chatting on the sun-drenched patio area of Julias plot where the couple had joined us for the final examination of the blooms we’d grown for their wedding day which was looming.
Andy recalled the circumstances immediately, quickly reminding us it was during a session of photography he was completing for us on a community allotment project back in the summer of 2024.
We’d got talking about English cut flowers when he mentioned that he and Clare were planning to grow their own flowers for their own wedding and – whack! The gap had appeared and we were in there to fill it, volunteering to grow the flowers for them!
Andy and Clare are plot holders on site, originally starter plotters during Covid, after which they graduated to the main site a year later.
‘Never mind allotments, how did he propose?’ asked Julia. The answer was not disappointing!
‘We went to Paris and he asked me there’ exclaimed Clare through a broad, wry smile.
Andy grinned back in response, obviously pleased with himself and he continued their story. ‘I’d planned on asking her on a visit to the Eifel Tower’, and both laughed out loud.
Continuing to talk through her excited giggling, Clare explained, ‘I told him I wasn’t interested in seeing the Tower! We had been on a boat trip that day and seen it, admittedly from a distance from the river. So, I thought we could do something different instead with our time.
‘I’d had no idea Andy had planned to propose to me at the Tower and felt really bad after I’d found out!’
All was not lost. Andy explained how eventually, on the last day of the trip, he proposed to Clare in the garden of the hotel. Without prompting, Clare thrust her left hand forward to show us the beautiful solitaire diamond engagement ring which triggered the release of a round of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahhs’ from us admirers.
A true pleasure to share this special time with such a lovely couple.
Enough of this romance – back to the plots…
Up and down the paths we all ventured, chatting excitedly as we showed the abundance of flowers fitting their ‘English County Garden’ themed wedding.
Everything seemed to please them, including the rich, deep green foliage from a variety of herbs, ferns from the asparagus, as well as soft, willowy stems from the towers of flowering runner beans, a quiet nod to their love of allotments.
In summary, whilst Andy couldn’t propose at the Eifel Tower, at least we had managed to include a tenuous link to ‘towers’ in the flowers for the first couple off the plot to tie the knot!
Kev picking broadbeans (Image: Potty Plotters) Broad beans
We love an experiment and if it works, we tell everyone about it. If it fails, we usually bin the evidence and try again (and rarely tell people about it!).
This year our broad beans had problems. Not really an experiment, more of a failure. As ever, the Greenpiece Master Longpod bean seeds were set in early spring into cell trays and initially showed good signs of growth.
Weeks later, the trays were moved into the cold frames and the plants continued to grow. At around four inches, they were all planted out into the plots and for whatever reason, that’s when growth slowed.
Of course, we did experience the hottest spring in history and although the beans were well watered and offered natural shading too from structures on the plot, we sensed they were simply not happy.
As the warm days increased, the bean plants wilted, showing obvious signs of distress. Eventually a few tiny white flowers emerged giving the vast number of pollinators something to enjoy, but the usual strong, tall, stiff green stalks never seemed to develop. Instead, thin, weak stems with very little height. A problem. Do we leave them in or take them out?
Contrast that crop to that grown by Kev on plot 2.
Kev alleges that the broad bean is his favourite crop off the plot and wherever he can grab bragging rights over us, he seizes that rare opportunity with glee and delight. As our crop failed, his thrived – growing in his poly tunnel to almost the full height of it!
Sometimes it’s not easy to decide when to ditch a crop but, for the first time, we decided our beans had to go and – another first on site – Kev shared his favourite beans with Martin, from plot 1!
Peas in a barrow (Image: Potty Plotters) Dwarf Peas
Over the months of hot weather, the dwarf ‘Half Pint’ peas have been incredibly productive within the confines of the ‘Meal-Barrows’. Recently, when harvesting the crunchy little veg, a mature lady plot holder stopped to watch us pick.
‘What are they?’ she enquired.
‘Peas.’
‘What are you going to do with them?’
‘Eat them.’
‘How?’
‘Fresh in salads or steamed on a dinner.’
‘Do you eat them all?’
‘Usually’ and handed her a peapod which she promptly popped whole into her mouth and crunched as we gawped in disbelief!
Life Lesson: Not everyone knows peas don’t grow in bags!
Chard on the allotment (Image: Potty Plotters) Chard
It’s a vegetable rarely found in the supermarket due to its ‘save-ability’ quality – but up the plot, chard is now very poplar!
Although we’ve mentioned it before, that two-way shiny leaved beauty is the one that baffles the visitors, but never lets us down. Easy to grow from seed and versatile in the kitchen.
Try the small baby leaves in salads. Then, as the plant grows, cut the bigger leaves and take out the centre stalks.
Chop into chunks and steam, similar to white cabbage. Roll the remaining green leaves, slice finely and steam as a green cabbage.
Julia and the brassicas (Image: Potty Plotters) Brassicas
The never-ending days of sunshine might have caused us to wilt but it’s brought the brassica family to the fore.
Although the heat has proved a challenge for us to grow (and water) crops on the plots, the cauliflowers, cabbages and broccoli appear to have loved it.
As ever, brassicas have needed to be netted to avoid being eaten by visiting creatures, but the sunshine has protected them from obvious munchings by slugs.
Tip: as you harvest the heads of cabbages and broccoli, cut a ‘cross’ in the remaining main stalk to encourage a second (but smaller) to grow.
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