Building Raised Beds 4, 5 and 6

View of the Back Garden Allotment from the rear bedroom window this morning after my neighbour Sid and I put together three more raised beds from the boards that I got ready and had the screws in ready for assembly.

I was sowing Dwarf French Climbing Beans in the back of bed 1 this morning when Sid next door came out to hang his washing and he asked if I was ready to assemble some more raised bed frames? I told him I was when ever he was ready, and he said I will just pop and pick up my newspaper and we can do it when I get back.  

 

 
The 3ft scaffold boards are not as wide as the 4ft boards and there will be some gaps and with the twist in some scaffold boards we had to ....umm  persuade the Joints into square to screw them together

 

As my old Dad would have said "Well a blind man would be happy to see it" I may not bother lifting the slabbed area and just build over it, the slabs are too heavy for me to handle. 

 
I now need to get some woodchip and fill the bottom layers of the raised beds with the old timber decking tiles up to the top of the first scaffold board level then fill with manure, compost and finally a mulch mix. I also need to bring another lot of hoops home from Mill Green that  about two weeks away, as I have a visit planned for the Bank Holiday weekend. 

 

What To Do With All Those Courgettes

Skircoat Green & Haigh Lane Allotments

It’s courgette time! There’s often a glut at this time of year, and so our Saturday Produce Stall always has plenty. Come along and try varieties which are different to your standard supermarket ones. Yellow ones not only look wonderful, they are a bit firmer inside too. Our plot holders have been sharing some of their courgette recipes, see below. Do add your own in the comments too!

Air fryer roasted courgettes:

https://recipeteacher.com/best-damn-air-fryer-roasted.../

Courgette ‘burgers’:

https://www.tamingtwins.com/courgette-fritters-recipe/

Yellow courgette ‘Happiness Soup’:

https://www.nigella.com/recipes/happiness-soup

Easy courgette cake:

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/zucchini-bread/...

Courgette brownies:

https://www.theconsciousplantkitchen.com/zucchini-brownies/

Courgette fritters:

https://www.nigella.com/recipes/courgette-fritters

Way Too Hot To Do Much Today

 
View from the small bedroom window of the Back Garden Allotment (BGA) the carboard in beds 4 & 5 has been removed and the grass that continued to grow around the inside of the first frame has been trimmed back. Left open to the sun as its due to be 36C today.  

Yesterday I cut a couple of the 3ft Boards to 3 ft and also pilot hole drilled the screw holes and screwed the four screws in each end. 

I've stacked the 3ft boards so that when Sid next door has a moment we can assemble another 3 raised bed frames up. Then it will be back to cutting what was supposed to be 3ft boards to 3ft. Rugged London really let me down with this second load of scaffold boards they supplied.

These two Crimson Tomatoes have flagged a little of the last couple of really hot and dry days. many flowers and a few very small baby tomatoes. Is there enough time to get a harvest, we will just have to wait and see. 

Big Mother Fucker and Tennis Ball don't appear to be filling out as I was expecting.

This Is Some BullSh*t

 
There are buttons I have that sometime I press or other people or events press them for me. 

Marketing Bulls*t is one of them.

Marshalls popped this one in my In-Tray this morning. There are two triggers here. 

Don't Try a Fear Close On Me - The clock counting down is supposed to make you decide to take advantage of the offer faster as you fear you might miss it.

Then there is that Classic "FREE Delivery" No they have worked out the profit margin and the cost of delivery has not just been ignored, it's in there and accounted for, or should be if they want to remain in Business. 

Nothing is being given away Free its an illusion to make you feel like you gained something for nothing. It's done to make you think you are getting a better deal than you really are, and it works (on most people). 

Now ask yourself are those seeds really FREE? or are they included in the price and I have found that the Stated RRP is often over quoted and the packs included in the mags have less seed than the purchased packs are sold for. 

Less than Half Price BUT only for the Next 48 Hours!

OK I worked for a company that shall remain unnamed that had a store built into one of their warehouses that sold the merchandise for way more than all the other stores in the chain for the sole purpose that the over inflated RRP could be Legally stated in advertising that it had been sold at this price for more than 28 days, somewhere. When offers or marketing pushes were done, the discount looked much better than it really was, and it was not false advertising. 

Remember they are still making a profit at selling it for alleged half price - But there will be a while stocks last or other time restriction like 48 Hours only!  Watch how often these offers are repeated or extended another 48 Hours because they didn't sell as many as they were hoping. 

Thompson & Morgan, Suttons, Dobies and the other members of the group are all doing this SEED Packets from + Free Delivery offer 

We all know the delivery isn't free, it's included in the profit they are making from the sale at even the reduced price. The reality is these seeds have a restricted shelf life, and they need to get rid of the stock whist there is still some life as stated on the packet. 

There are only two or 3 packs of seeds at 69p and then they are 89p and dearer. 

Technically they are not lying the seeds start at 69p but 2 or 3 packs out of 800 or a 1000 seed varieties is a really low %. 

At least the old Wilko 50p seed sale was that until the sale was nearing the end and then seeds when for silly money. With the likes of Seeds to Suit, and Seed Megastore who have a true 134 Variety at 49p. We can buy cheaper all year round     

Eclipse Means More Fossil Fuel Power Generation Needed.

The UK's biggest energy supplier is encouraging Brits to use less electricity during the solar eclipse tomorrow, because solar power generation will plummet.

Octopus Energy urged its eight million customers to delay using their washing machines, ovens, dishwashers and other plug-in devices between 6pm and 8pm.

Tomorrow's hotly-anticipated eclipse will see solar generation plunge at a crucial time of day when electricity demand rises as millions of people come home from work.

Octopus has now warned customers that the eclipse will 'briefly knock out a chunk of Britain's solar power' and possibly require more fossil fuel power generation.

Happy National Allotments Week!

 

Happy National Allotments Week!

This year's theme, Grow to Learn, celebrates the lessons that come from spending time on an allotment – from growing your own food and caring for the soil to sharing knowledge and connecting with nature.

Every time we step onto our plots, there’s something new to learn.

Patience – plants grow in their own time, not ours!

Resilience – we learn to cope with the weather, pests, failed crops and the occasional gardening disaster!

Problem-solving – every plot brings its own challenges and opportunities to find a solution.

Curiosity – watching seeds germinate, flowers open and wildlife appear reminds us that there is always something new to discover.

Sharing knowledge – and this is something that makes our allotment community particularly special.

You don't have to work everything out on your own. A quick chat with a fellow plot holder can provide the answer to a problem you've been struggling with for weeks!

Our community includes people with years of growing experience, as well as plot holders who bring specialist knowledge from their working lives

Sometimes the best gardening advice isn't found in a book or online – it's found by talking to the person on the plot next to you!

Wellbeing – getting outdoors, getting our hands in the soil, sharing a coffee and enjoying the company of others can be just as important as what we grow.

And perhaps one of the greatest lessons of all is that we never stop learning.

Whether you've had a plot for decades or you're growing your first crop, there is always another lesson, tip, idea or new plant waiting to be discovered.

So, what has your allotment taught YOU?

Maybe it's a gardening skill, a life lesson, something you've learned from another plot holder – or something you've discovered the hard way!

Finish the sentence in a comment

“My allotment has taught me…”

Seed Megastore 132 Varieties at 49p

Only a small order of 7 Varieties 

290 Seeds for £ £3.92 

£3.50 Shipping

Total £7.42 

Dwarf French Beans Faraday, Montano, Martini & Stanley.

Radish Black Spanish Long, Endive Fine Maraichere, Carrot Autumn King.

I like Seed Megastore because it's a family run business based in the West Midlands. Seed Megastore provides the finest quality vegetable seeds, flower seeds, Herb Seeds, and garden sundries to growers and gardeners throughout the UK and Europe

I found this company when their 49p collection was 29p and they soon became one of my go to companies. With a catalogue containing nearly 1,000 varieties (and growing all the time) Seed Megastore ensures that their high-quality standards are met on every lot of seed they offer. 

More Sowing In Bed 1

Looking at the weather forecast for the next couple of weeks, there are going to be 3 days when the heatwave is going to return, and perhaps a little bit of rain that would be marvellous.

On the 1st August using the 5 Pronged Dibber Tool I placed a row of holes between the hoops to sow Radish Cherry Belle and then another row with verticals off to sow a grid of Golden Eye Beetroots. 

The row of Cherry Belle Radish presented themselves in the last couple of days, and there are a few Golden Eye Beetroot seedlings just showing 

New Row of Radish Crimson Giant sown today and three Beetroot Bolthardy sown at 80mm x 80mm either side of the worm tower.

Radish Crimson Giant, as the name suggests this is one of the largest Radish you can grow. The globe shaped roots can reach golf ball size and retain their tender and crisp texture with a mild flavour 

Beetroot Bolthardy is a top-rated, reliable globe-shaped variety famous for its natural resistance to bolting (going to seed prematurely in cold or fluctuating spring weather). It produces deep red, ring-free, sweet-tasting roots and holds the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit. 

Visible Golden Eye Beetroot seedlings circled in Yellow.

Hanging Basket

 

Finally got my strawberries potted up and hung up 

10-16th August 2026 is National Allotment Week

 

National Allotments Week 2026 takes place from 10–16 August 2026, with the theme “Grow to Learn – Lifelong lessons from the allotment”. Organized by the National Allotment Society, the event highlights plots as living classrooms that foster practical skills, resilience, and community wellbeing. 

What Is National Allotments Week?

Established in 2002, National Allotments Week is an annual celebration dedicated to raising awareness of the vital role allotments play in promoting healthier lifestyles, sustainable living, and stronger communities.

Spearheaded by the National Allotment Society (NAS), the week encourages people of all ages to connect with the land, learn new skills, and strengthen social bonds.

Allotments are more than just plots to grow food — they are
spaces for learning, wellbeing, and community connection. They offer opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, develop practical and life skills, and adopt a more sustainable lifestyle.

Event Focus and Activities

Core Theme: Celebrating how time on a plot teaches patience, problem-solving, and a sustainable connection to nature across generations.
Community Participation: Local allotment sites host open days, seed swaps, workshops, and harvest celebrations.
Resources: Members can access event guides and promotional materials directly via the National Allotment Society portal.

Keep An Eye On Freecycle

 

Keep an eye out of Freecycle especially if you have just got an Allotment 

Suttons Launches Heirloom Tomato Seed Collection

Fri 17 Jul 2026 I read the Press Release below, It was written in American English despite coming from Suttons.co.uk, perhaps they have a Yank AI working for them. I corrected the USA spellings, in the press release below.  

Suttons kindly sent me the 5 packs pictured above from their range of 24 varieties which can be viewed here . 

It appears that all the packs only contain 6 seeds and have a RRP of  £3.79 but a number have been discounted to £1.95 a saving of 48% what does that tell me?

Basically Suttons are still making a profit at £1.95 and these are Heirloom Tomatoes where one might expect better than 6 seeds or cheaper prices. 

To me it looks like seed suppliers (it's not just Suttons I have been surfing and it's the current trend) are trying to level up the Heirloom and F1 seeds in terms of cost and numbers per pack.

Press Release

Suttons has launched a new Suttons Heirloom Tomato Seed Collection featuring 24 carefully selected varieties, bringing together an exceptional mix of cherry, plum and beefsteak tomatoes. Offering gardeners greater choice in flavour, colour, shape and culinary use, the collection includes varieties suited to everything from snacking and salads to sauces, roasting and preserving.

The launch comes as demand for home-grown produce continues to grow. A recent Suttons survey found tomatoes remain the UK's favourite crop to grow from seed, with 89.9% of respondents choosing to grow them at home.

New heirloom-inspired seed packets

The collection also introduces a new packet design that celebrates the character and diversity of heirloom tomatoes.

Rob Smith, Suttons' New Product Development Manager, said: "Suttons new Heirloom tomato range brings together some real standouts, from rich, dark-fruited types to striped, pear-shaped and beautifully cultured varieties that look as good as they taste. You can grow varieties you'd never normally find as plants in a garden centre, let alone on a supermarket shelf!

What I love about heirloom tomatoes is that each has its own character. Some are sweet, some are tangy, some are meaty and perfect for slicing, while others are best eaten warm straight from the plant."

Why are more growers choosing heirloom tomatoes?

Heirloom tomatoes continue to grow in popularity as more gardeners embrace sustainable growing and home-produced food. With 91% of gardeners saying sustainability is important to their gardening practices, growing your own remains a key motivation.

Heirloom varieties offer an opportunity to grow distinctive tomatoes rarely found in shops, celebrated for their outstanding flavour, remarkable colours and fascinating history.

Support Farmers

When Britain can grow it, should British-grown food be the first choice?

Prioritising seasonal produce could support farmers, strengthen domestic food production and give shoppers a clearer connection to where their food comes from

What do you think?