Beautiful new sunflower from Alan Kapuler's Peace Seed mix
Allotments in the news all week this week. First, the good news: Harrow Council is offering 300 subsidised plots for £10 a year and this at a time that other waiting lists in London are over a decade and counting. Almost enough reason to move to Harrow. Or Carrickfergus, where the council is launching its new Eden plots this Saturday. Next, we hear Rosie Boycott, my old boss and Boris Johnson's new food czar, says she want to force London councils to release more land for allotments and make asbo youths work on them... And if all this excitement was not enough, the Daily Mirror has 'blonde beauty and model' Joanne Lawlor sunning herself by a bed of cabbages to celebrate a centenary of allotments and promote National Allotment Week, from next Monday, 11-17 August. Google is bursting with news of walks, talks and other activities, but what is going on where you are?
No blonde beauties on our plot last night but the sunflowers are bursting through, a huge variety this year thanks to Seed Ambassador Nick who passed us on a packet of a Peace Seeds mix bred by the legendary Alan Kapuler.
Sterile (we think) white corn towers over Blue jade and Painted Mountain flowers
No such success with the 'white corn' which despite being now well over 2m tall is still showing no signs of pollinating. Our gardening guru Jane Scotter thinks the seed might have been save too early? Will stick with it as I love its height and the way the sun shines through its emerald green. At least the Baby Blue Jade from the same seed swap and planted only 1ft away is covered in crimson silks and chandelier flowers. As is the Painted Mountain from Mads McKeever at Brown Envelope Seed in West Cork in Ireland.
Last job of the evening was to cut some luscious Demeter lettuce for a BLT with Claire Ptak's homemade sourdough (see her recipe here). After swapping some of our beans for courgettes with a neighbour, I headed home happy. But tell us your success or failures?
