I do best on the allotment when not under time pressure

Crop updates, autumn cleanup, cooking

Unlike my student and business life, I seem to do better when I am not pressured for time on the allotment. Yesterday I had a great time preparing the mushroom bed in the greenhouse (apparently mushrooms do best on horse manure under the greenhouse bench, so I have prepared them a nice pile of it), planting garlic and covering up the herbs.

I did not feel as I was firefighting and I have done quite a lot, clearing up a nettle patch that I will need to use up and throwing away rubbish that had been there for one year. Herbs were trimmed and covered with fleece so they are ready for any frost that may be coming.

Planted garlic even though the soil was not at its best, while broadbeans are still waiting - hoped to do it today, I actually digged in the green manure in the bed in preparation, but it is b****y raining again! It is very hard this year with such weather: is it just me or was last year actually much better?

Did you know that mint's roots smell of mint? :) They have outsmarted my containing plastic sheets and have anchored fast in the ground. I managed to take some out to plant in the greenhouse just in case the plant outside does not make it, and had enough to share some with the neighbours.

I ended up making another Torta Pasqualina with 650gr of beet that was still growing! And, following up from last week: I had the borlotti beans cooked in tomato sauce and served with polenta: I was not overexcited about them but my husband did seem appreciative.

I am curious to see what will come of the mushrooms when I finally manage to plant them - I have stocked up on newspapers, as you need to cover the spawn with wet ones. If it does not rain too much I may pop in later today and have a go at it.