Rhubarb!

Hello gardeners, after a bit of a break the blog is back. Following a prolonged winter the growing season is suddenly in full pelt. If you have rhubarb on your plot it should be about ready to harvest.

We certainly have some down on Lotti and if you think you might get sick of rhubarb crumble here's a recipe for rhubarb and ginger jam courtesy of my mother. I've been enjoying it for years and it never disappoints.

This is the recipe and method for rhubarb and ginger jam - this is for a large amount which I make in 2 batches - you can adjust it to fit what you have.

Ingredients

5.8kg rhubarb - cut into 1cm lengths 

400g fresh ginger-peeled and grated 

12 lemons - zest & juice

4kg granulated sugar

Start the night before and layer the rhubarb and sugar in a large heavy based pan (a jam pan is ideal of course but expensive)

Add the juice, zest and ginger to pan and cook the rhubarb on a medium heat - slowly until soft and sugar is dissolved.

Bring to boil - I turn it up and then back down again when boiling.

Check for set after 20 mins  - put a small amount on cold saucer if it wrinkles when pushed with your finger it is done - or use a sugar thermometer 

Stir & leave to stand for 10mins then pot into warmed jars.

To sterelise jars put in oven for 30mins at 140 c

 

Happy cooking!

 

The good, the bad & the ugly

 The good news is that after the snow comes the thaw. Snow can be great fun but there's a limit to how much can get done on the allotment.
There will be a period when Lotti is a bit soggy but we should be clear of snow and ice for Hillside Harvest's first open day on 16th February. The day is free and includes workshops, hot lunch and opportunities for volunteers to get stuck in. Considering the amount of planning it would be a shame if these couldn't go ahead because of snow.

The bad news is that the polytunnel got squished by the weight of snow. Our polytunnel is really useful for extending the growing season and allowing us to grow things that might suffer outside. Losing it would be a big blow, particularly as we don't have a  greenhouse. 

Today a rescue was underway. First the snow was pulled off with the flat side of a rake, taking care not to puncture the polythene membrane. Once we could get inside we discovered things were not as bad as it had first looked. The flexible plastic tubes, that form the arches over which the membrane is pulled, had not broken as feared.

 Some of the wooden supports had. makeshift wooden supports were fashioned from spare wood and put in place to prop up the tubes. Further repair will be needed, along with permanent central supports, but the polytunnel lives to last another season.
 












And finally an ugly truth. These are, or were, allotment sites. Now they are an overgrown wilderness. Wilderness has its place but it is a shame that this has been alllowed to happen at a time when waiting lists for allotments are on the increase. The Rivelin Valley could see a vibrant allotment community but too many sites look like these. The silver lining to this particular cloud is that community allotments like Hillside Harvest do exist. So if you're on the waiting list come and join us. This weekend we found out once again that we can achieve a lot more working together than we can separately.

Winter weather

Weather affects what we can grow and the work we can be doing in our gardens and allotments. Here in Sheffield, as with most of the UK, it has been snowing. Perhaps more pertinently there have been sub-zero temperatures, freezing the soil and limiting the work that could be carried out. As a result our open day for January was cancelled.

Before the weather turned really cold I did make it down to Lotti where more preparation was underway. I have previously promised more on crop rotation and i will get around to it. I'm waiting for our open days on 16th February & 16th March, where there will be free workshops on composting and plot planning to take advantage of. I've already mentioned that we've been preparing our raised beds for this season's planting. As well as clearing the beds we've been topping them with manure  - where we can get it - and well rotted compost for the brassicas.

I admit this may not be the most exciting of photographs but it does demonstrate the culmination of some very hard work. It will be all the more satisfying when we come back to it later in the year to harvest the veg. Fingers crossed the weather permits better growing conditions than last year.

In addition to the work on Lotti, Hillside Harvest is working with Sheffield Council to improve access to the allotments. Personally I walk down and if you've seen my earlier blog on Rivelin Valley you'll understand why. For others who live further away, or with equipment to carry, a car is really useful. Parking on Hagg Hill is not ideal so we're working on a path to link the lower allotments to a car park off Rivelin Valley Road. There is a path through Reaps Wood but some work remains to connect the path to the allotments. There is a small brook to be crossed and some undergrowth to be cleared. We are hoping that we'll have volunteers to help on our next open day and possibly a sleeper or two for a small bridge and steps up the bank of the brook. If all goes according to plan there'll be a more pleasant and safe route through the woods for all the allotment holders toward the bottom of Hagg Hill. I'll be reporting on progress as it happens.

Back on the allotment we were also moving fruit trees. Hillside Harvest has had to scale back operations and has handed back a couple of plots to the council. Recently some fruit trees were replanted on our main site. I think they'll make an attractive addition to the site entrance and hopefully be bearing fruit for many years to come.

Nothing to do!

Nothing grows in the winter so there's nothing to do, right? Wrong as it turns out. It's an annoying truth that when you think nothing is growing those pesky weeds are still soldiering on. Yesterday down on Lotti there were 5 hardy perennials (allotment regulars not plants) rooting out those unwanted guests. As unexpected bonus to our efforts was some red onions we found that had evaded harvest.

Not all weeds need be completely unwanted. Dandelions, which along with cockroaches may be the only things to outlive a nuclear winter, make a nice snack for hamsters or rabbits. You might want to try them yourself in a salad. Either way, the earlier you get them out the easier it is. Just make sure to take the whole root out - or as much as you can manage - or you'll find them coming back again and again.

There are some members of Hillside Harvest who know what they're talking about and others, like me, who are just beginners. When running a community allotment it can be tricky knowing what's to be done. The first thing I do when I get there is to ask advice from a more experienced member. There is also a handy list in the shed that lists all the jobs to be done that month.

Winter is the time when the allotment is prepared for the growing season. That can be anything from ensuring the plots are clear of weeds to adding fertilisers and compost to your beds. You'll also be wanting to plan out your allotment for the year to come. Many allotment holders use a system of crop rotation and Hillside Harvest is no exception. More on that next time. Until then, as Brucie might say, keeeep gardening.

A magical time

For some Christmas is a magical time and here at Hillside Harvest that's no exception. On the first Saturday of every month members of Hillside Harvest make a special effort to get down to the allotment. Much more can be accomplished as a group than individually. It's more fun too. For January, February and March first Saturdays have magically moved to the third Saturday in each month - that's 19th January, 16th February and 16th March.

On these special days members usually turn up around 10.30 and stay til 4pm or for as long as they can. Lunch is a shared affair around 12.30. Visitors are particularly welcome on these days. My first one was bonfire night and there was a very fine pumpkin soup served followed by fireworks. It's not all about gardening, there are some excellent cooks on board too.



Bonfire Night 2012

During February and March activities are planned for visitors. Free training is available as well as a chance to see what running an allotment involves.  In February I get the chance to find all about compost - if you want to join me its free, nosepegs not supplied. While in March there are experts on hand to explain how to plan an allotment if you're new to it. Check out the website for more details.

I'll come back to the action days but before all that I've got work to do. I'll be getting down to the allotment when I can. My next post will be about what jobs you can get up to in the middle of Winter.

What's it all about?

Hillside Harvest is a small cooperative running a community allotment garden. I became involved for two main reasons - to enjoy vegetables I had grown and to meet new friends. So far so straight forward. But why the blog?

Once I had visited Lotti - the affectionate name members give to where the growing takes place - I realised it was more than an allotment. Sure, it has all the features you'd expect of an allotment. There's the raised beds, the compost bins, the shed and the polytunnel. Even though it was towards the end of the growing season there was plenty of evidence of vegetables being grown and the inevitable fight with weeds that every gardener faces.

But there was more. I found a real community spirit. I've visited a few allotments over the years and generally they're friendly places. What Hillside Harvest has that's extra is a commitment to welcoming people and making allotment keeping accessible. If I'd started out on my own I think the whole thing would have been an overwhelming experience. Working on Lotti there are experienced people to show novices what needs to be done and how. There were no egos on show, just help, advice and encouragement. It made me want to be a part of it and to go back.

This is my attempt to record what goes on at Hillside Harvest on a regular basis. I'd like to introduce some of the members and explain why its a special place. I'll be inviting people to share their insights - on gardening and community - and you'll get to see how the produce is used by the members.

Of course the best way to find out is to come down yourself and experience it first hand. If you're thinking about growing your own vegetables but are daunted by the prospect of a full plot then this is the perfect place to start. If you've got comments, tips or recipes then it would be great to hear from you. This is the start of my journey with Hillside Harvest. I'm inviting you to share it with me.