Hill Close Gardens

I've been on a little excursion today, to Hill Close Gardens in Warwick. I have been meaning to go for ages now, and am really glad I have finally got around to it. It is a restored Victorian 'allotment' site, where local business owners (who lived above their premises and didn't have gardens) could go and garden. Each plot is a small private space, all similar in shape and size but all different in the way they are laid out and designed. Below is one with a stumpery, and above, a view across the garden to the 'shed' - I say shed but they are actually solid, and very attractive brick structures.

They are not just vegetable patches either, although most of them had a pretty impressive veg patch. The ornamental borders were gorgeous and most of them had at least one very mature apple tree.

How about this for a garden shed (cold frame in front) - covered in brushwood, and through the french windows at the front you could see the internal walls had been decorated with hundreds of oyster shells.

Or, how about the interior of this octaganal 'summer house', with open fire, leaded light windows and carpet on the floor?

Well worth a visit, but check opening times first, they are quite restricted, and only open between April and October. There is an 'apple day' in October apparently.

Squash and French Beans

Things at the allotment have slowed right down lately. The only thing that is really happening is that the french beans have gone beserk, and the pumpkin is starting to turn orange. That's it really. I may get one or two sweetcorn cobs, if I'm lucky, but they're not looking too promising. I wonder if it's a bit late to start watering them regularly?

The early carrots are all gone and the late ones aren't ready yet. The runners have started to produce a few beans but they're not doing very well. There's not much I can harvest, apart from french beans, french beans or french beans. I'm getting a bit tired of french beans.

Despite the recent rain showers, it is still very very dry, so there are very few weeds, and everything else just seems to have stopped growing (apart from the french beans).

I may have some time to spend up there this week, and I'm thinking about making a start on my new allotment. Apparently the old chap is pretty much incapacitated now, and has said that I can start on it any time. He is still having produce collected for him, so I can't make any major changes, but I could start clearing weeds.

Extraordinary Aubergines

The big one weighs 1lb 4oz. Hopefully some of the many remaining flowers will now also produce fruit.