🍒 Cherry & June 🍒 •• Oh hello again. Well, June was transformative 🌱 I mulched the plot and the big greenhouse with hay from the local farm to try and combat the weeds, and deter the slugs and snails from eating my stuff. It seems to have done the trick 🚜🐌 •• First harvests have occurred with cherries and cucumbers and garlic. Courgettes, squash, and pumpkins are all blooming with big old yellow flowers, as are tomatoes for that matter 🍅🌼 •• Chillies are good. Most plants are in the ground and quite frankly that’s all I have to say today. Bye bye 🐘🧃 •• #HorticultureLife #AllotmentAdventures #JuneHarvest #OrganicFarming #HomeGrownGoodness #GreenhouseGardening #GardenMulch #SustainableGardening #CherryHarvest #VeggieGarden #UrbanFarming #GrowYourOwnFood #BackyardGardener #AllotmentDiaries #WeedControl #GardenHarvest #SummerBounty #EdibleGarden #GardeningTips #PlotToPlate

🫑🌶️ Mainly Peppers & Tomatoes 🌶️🫑 •• Chilli peppers and sweet peppers are mostly sorted now. Currently residing in La Petite Greenhouse ✅ Around 10 varieties I think.. possibly more: Aji Crystal, Aji Mango, Biquinho Yellow, Brasileira 3 Lobos, Cayenne Ring of Fire, Cyklon, Devil’s Tongue, Jalapeño Um-Ji Put, Thay Pumpkin 🔥🌶️ •• Tomatoes also done. Fifty plants in total this year ✅ El Greenhouse Grande esta full ‘o tomate. Also 10 varieties I think.. possibly less: Rebel Starfighter, Blue Beauty, Midnight Sun, Costaluto Fiorentino, Purple Russian, Big Rainbow, Green Sausage, Cherry Tomato, Sungold Cherry, Large Barred Boar 🍅✨ •• In the ground are all the courgettes (about 4 types), all the pumpkins and squash (4 or 5 types), and beans (maybe 4 types) and a bamboo bean structure. Also in the ground is purple kale, and beets and garlic. Trees have cherries (netted) apples and pears (stairs) and even flowers this year. I think that’s it. Waiting for summer to start now. That would be nice 🌞🌱 •• #AllotmentLife #GreenhouseGrowing #PepperGarden #TomatoGarden #ChiliPeppers #SweetPeppers #HeirloomTomatoes #VegetableGardening #HomeGrownVeggies #OrganicGardening #GardenHarvest #PlantVarieties #UrbanGardening #GreenhouseGardening #GrowingPeppers #GrowingTomatoes #Horticulture #EdibleGarden #SeasonalGrowing #AllotmentProjects #SustainableGardening #BackyardGardening #SummerGardening #FreshProduce #AllotmentGardening

🌈 Beltane Rhubarb Gin Part Two 🌈 •• Here in the U of K, we get two Bank Holidays every year. A Bank Holiday is where all Bank Managers have to take the day off and gather vegetables in the fields. This tradition is older than the Magna Carta 🍉🤴 •• Martin, who runs my local bank branch (and has done for 35 years) supplies me with the rhubarb on the first Bank Holiday (May Day / Beltane) which I use to make my Banging Beltane Rhubarb Gin 🍹✨ •• The second Bank Holiday (Spring Bank Holiday) takes place on the last Monday of May. This one is favoured by Bank Managers for they do not have to toil in the fields, but are required, like all people to have a BBQ 🔥🥩 •• I take this opportunity to decant the rhubarb which has been steeped in gin for several weeks into glass bottles ready for drinking. Always drink responsibility, and raise a toast to the Bank Managers across the world, without who, none of this would be possible. Blessings all 🍹🌈 •• #BeltaneGin #RhubarbGin #BankHolidayTradition #GinLovers #SpringBankHoliday #MayDayGin #LocalBankerLove #GinMagic #BeltaneCelebration #GinCrafting #UKTraditions #GinSteeping #RhubarbHarvest #GinTime #BBQAndGin #BankHolidayCheers #DrinkResponsibly #BangingGin #ToastToBankers #GinJourney #BeltaneBlessings #GinDecanting #MagnaCartaTradition #FieldToBottle #BankManagerGin

☔️ The Merry old Month of May ☔️ •• May. May what? May not stop ducking raining! 🦆 May be a sunny day.. not ducking likely. What an absolute bunch of ducking aunts ☔️🦆 •• I think I counted just one sunny day in this merry old month of May. Worst on record according to Michael Fish 🦆🐠 •• Anyway, all of the house seedlings have been transferred to the allotment and the tomatoes are in the greenhouse alongside the generous mizuna and other leaves. Oh and the chillies, cucumbers and melons are in there too 🌶️🍈 •• The kale, garlic, pumpkins, squash, courgettes, and corn have all been planted in the ground and are being eyed up by the pigeons and the snails 🐌 The apples, cherries, strawberries, pears, and blackcurrants are all fruit. Okay bye for now 🍍🦢 •• #gardening #growyourown #organicgardening #allotment #seedlings #greenhouse #tomatoes #mizuna #chillies #cucumbers #melons #kale #garlic #pumpkins #squash #courgettes #corn #apples #cherries #strawberries #pears #blackcurrants #pigeons #snails #rainyweather #mayweather #allotment #homestead

🌶️🔥 Lacto-fermented Hot Sauces 🔥🌶️ •• Oh hello. Sometimes I like to make hot sauces by taking fruity, fiery scotch bonnet chillies and pokey Thai red bird-eye chillies (and some other ingredients) then submerging them in brine for about a month (Lacto-fermentation) 🌶️🔥 •• Lacto-fermentation uses naturally occurring lactic-acid producing bacteria (such as Lactobacillus) to convert the sugars in the vegetables into lactic acid, which gives fermented food that classic tangy kick ✨🔥 •• A bi-product of the lacto-fermentation process is CO₂ which means that every day I have to open (or burp) the jars to let the gas escape.. or explosions will happen! 💥✨ •• Anyway, most of these sauces have already been sold or traded already, so you can’t buy any of this batch even if you wanted to, and you clearly do. But fear not, I am accepting potential buyers onto the VIP list for the next batch, so hit me up, or don’t. Goodbye 👋🌶️ •• #FermentedHotSauce #LactoFermentation #Fermentation #HotSauce #GastronomicDelight #ProbioticPower #ScovilleScale #CulinaryAlchemy #FermentedGastronomy #TangyHeat #MicrobialMagic #ArtOfFermentation #LacticAcidLove #ScotchBonnetMagic #BirdEyeChillies #FlavorScience #CraftHotSauce #SpicyTang #ZestyFerments #SmallBatchSauce #HotSauceAddict #FieryFerments #MicrobiomeBoost #FermentYourFood #SpicySymphony

🌱 The Madness of May, isn’t it? 🌱 •• All the seeds that were sown in Feb, March, and April have slowly been taking over every flat surface, window sill, shelf, nook and cranny, whatever they may be 🍅🌱 •• But it’s okay, for in May after the final frosts and fear of Llamas have passed, I can start to shimmy the little seedlings down to la allotmente’ 🦙🌱 •• Greenhouses have been sorted as best as I can be bothered, and have furnished the smaller one with a vintage drinks cabinet, cos why not? 🍹✨ •• Now it’s all about potting stuff into bigger pots, and moving tomatoes into greenhouse soil, then I really need to mow the plot and clear the beds of weeds, ‘cos quite frankly it’s a mess. But don’t worry.. I’m on it like a scotch bonnet. Okay bye 🌶️👋 •• #GardeningLife #Horticulture #GardenGoals #SeedStarting #SpringPlanting #GardenInspiration #UrbanGardening #GreenThumb #GrowYourOwn #AllotmentLife #PlantLovers #GardenersOfInstagram #VegetableGarden #GreenhouseGardening #SustainableGardening #OrganicGardening #GardenMaintenance #GrowFromSeed #PlantingSeason #HomeGrown

🍹 Beltane Rhubarb Gin 2024🍹 •• I make rhubarb gin every year on the first May bank holiday weekend. Call it a Beltane Bank Holiday gin-making tradition if you like, or do nothing of the sort 🦩🌈 •• Banging Beltane Rhubarb Gin is very simple to make, especially if you don’t dig on crumble, and cakes and fools don’t rock your boat. Never trust a boat rocking fool, as you’ll only end up in custard! ⚓️🍰 •• Anyway, grow the rhubarb, cleans the rhubarbs, chopping the rhubarb ✅ Add the sugar quantity onto the rhubarbs, then be leave the rhubarb overnight in fridge 24 hourings ✅ Adding the gin then leave a month. Simpleton ✅ •• #BeltaneRhubarbGin #MayBankHolidayGin #GinTradition #BeltaneSpirit #RhubarbMagic #DIYRhubarbGin #HomemadeGin #GinLovers #CraftGin #BeltaneBrew #GinMaking #RhubarbHarvest #GinRecipe #SpringSpirits #MixologyMagic #SeasonalCocktails #BeltaneCheers #SpiritofMay #GinFlavors #SimpleSips

🍅 2024 Tomato Season 🍅 •• Five years allotmenting, and tomatoes were always my nemeses, but last year, for the first year ever I had a great tomato season, with proper big stalks, fat fruits and everything, hooray! 🌱🍅 •• So this year, I’ve gone crazy and have lots of weird and wonderful new tomatoes (thanks @loulous_allotment ) as well as some saved seeds from last year’s bounty. No idea where they’re all gonna go but let’s cross that bridge later.. 🍅🌱 •• 2024 Tomato Line-up: Rebel Starfighter, Blue Beauty, Midnight Sun, San Marzano, Roma, Costaluto Fiorentino, Purple Russian, Big Rainbow, Green Sausage, Cherry Tomato, Sungold Cherry, Large Barred Boar 🍅🌱🍅🌱 •• #TomatoTime #TomatoGrowing #TomatoSeason #AllotmentTomatoes #HomegrownTomatoes #HeirloomTomatoes #OrganicTomatoes #GrowYourOwnTomatoes #TomatoGarden #TomatoLove #TomatoObsession #BigTomatoes #WeirdTomatoes #WonderfulTomatoes #TomatoEnthusiast #TomatoBounty #TomatoJoy #TomatoAdventure #RebelStarfighter #BlueBeauty #MidnightSun #SanMarzano #Roma #CostalutoFiorentino #PurpleRussian #BigRainbow #GreenSausage #CherryTomato #SungoldCherry #LargeBarredBoar

🔥🌶️ On It & PedMak Hot Sauce 🌶️🔥 •• It had been over a year since I last fermented some chillies into a hot sauce, so decided last week that I’d better make some more 🌶️🔥 •• For those that do not know, I make the BEST hot sauces (even if I say so myself.. modest I know) 🔥🌶️ •• I have two sauces; On It (like a scotch bonnet) and PedMak, a fiery Thai-inspired sauce with ginger. Both are fermented with garlic, shallots, and pink Himalayan salt 🧄🧅 •• These sauces are probably way too spicy, and way too expensive for you, so please, please don’t request to be added to the VIP list to buy my probiotic, lacto-fermented, flavoursome, all-natural hot sauces that will knock your socks off 🔥🧦 •• #FermentedFlames #ChilliFermentation #LactoHotness #SpicyFermentations #FermentedFireSauce #ChilliAlchemy #FieryFerments #LactoChilliBlend #HotSauceCulture #FermentedHeatWave #ChilliFermentFrenzy #LactoSpiceInfusion #FermentedFlavorBlast #SizzlingFermentation #ChilliFermentedElixir #LactoHotnessOverload #FermentedChilliMagic #SpicyFermentRevolution #FermentedHeatKick #ChilliFermentFever #Onit #PedMak

🦁🍔 Lion’s Mane Mushroom Burger 🍔🦁 •• This burger takes around three months to make from start to finish and really is quite delicious. If you fancy having a go yourself, I’ll tell you how I made it 🦁🍔 •• On the 10th Feb, I took a syringe containing a liquid culture of Lion’s Mane Mycelium, and injected it into a bag of sterilised Rye Grains 💉🍄‍🟫 •• After about five weeks, the mycelium had munched its way through the rye grains and was starting to fruit in the bag, so transferred it to a new bag containing a substrate made from a mix of oak and bran. This was the 16th March 🍄🍄‍🟫 •• About a week later I pushed out all of the air and taped down the sides. I made some holes in the bag for fresh air exchange and waited for the mushrooms to grow from them. And that they did. Then I went on holiday. (This step is nice but not a required stage in the mycological process) 🏖️🦁 •• Once the lion cubs were back home, I harvested them as they were changing colour from snow white to a yellowish hue. I put them in a pan with a burger patty and ate them. They were good. Okay bye 🍔🍄‍🟫 •• #MycologicalDelight #FungiCulinaryAdventure #LionsManeCuisine #MushroomMyceliumMagic #GourmetMushroomExperience #FungalFeast #MyceliumMastery #LionsManeHarvest #MushroomGourmetJourney #CulinaryMycology #MyceliumMagic #LionsManeCookingAdventure #FungiFoodExperience #MushroomCulinaryMagic #MycologicalFeast #LionsManeMyceliumAdventure #FungalCuisine #MushroomHarvestDelight #MyceliumCulinaryJourney #LionsManeGourmetExperience #FungiCookingAdventure #MushroomMyceliumMagic #CulinaryFungiExperience #LionsManeEdibleAdventure #MycologicalGastronomy

🌱💀 Everything got eaten Mate 💀🌱 •• I lost all the broad beans I sowed in December, then lost the broad beans I sowed in Jan and Feb. I planted strong plants in the ground and they got eaten. Thought it was pigeons, so covered them but the slugs and snails ate them 🦜🐌 •• Then I sowed lettuces, and the slugs and snails ate them. Then they ate the sorrel, and the basil and spinach, and the parsley. They ate them all 🐌🐌 •• But it’s okay. I have tomatoes and chillies, and melons and kale and cucumbers and okra growing at home. When they are bigger, I will take them to the allotment for the slugs and snails to eat 🐌🌱 •• But I did harvest some purple sprouting broccoli, and some rhubarb and peas for me to eat. And this is only the very beginning of the season 🐙🐌 •• #GardeningDisasters #SlugProblems #PlantEatingPests #LostBroadBeans #LettuceWoes #SlugsAndSnails #GardenChallenges #HomegrownHarvest #TomatoesForSurvival #ChilliesAndCucumbers #MelonMagic #OkraObsession #AllotmentLife #PurpleSproutingBroccoli #RhubarbDelight #PeaHarvest #GardeningJourney #GreenThumbs #PlantSurvivors #GrowYourOwn #BackyardBounty #GardenSuccesses #HomegrownGoodness #OrganicGardening #FreshProduce

🦪 🍄 Oyster Mushroom Lasagne 🍄🦪 •• At the beginning of Feb, I ordered some Blue-Grey Oyster Mushroom Grain Spawn (and Wine Cap Mushroom Straw Spawn for my wood chip paths but that’s another story). Spawn sourced from @urban.farm.it 🍄🦪 •• I soaked some cardboard and made little oyster mushroom parcels with the spawn, then half filled mushroom fruiting bags with fresh woodchip, and added the parcels to the bags then sealed with packing tape 📦🍄 •• The rest of the grain spawn was mixed into buckets of woodchip. This was to test how the mycelium performed in different environments (the bags were best as they had a more consistent temperature and air flow) 🤓🍄 •• After about a month, the mycelium had completely colonised the cardboard and around half of the woodchips in each of the substrate bags. Time for phase two 🍄✨ •• I popped on down to a local farm and picked up two bales of hay, then procured several cardboard boxes from Lidl (other supermarkets are available). I lined up the boxes and started to layer hay and inoculated woodchip, like a delicious fungal lasagne 🍄❤️ •• I lined a builders crate with some of the hay and woodchips, then started stacking the boxes on top of each other, making sure to keep them moist. Once all of the boxes were loaded I topped up with hay and myceliated woodchips and now I’m waiting to see if I get Oyster Mushrooms soon 🦪🍄 •• #OysterMushroomExperiment #MycologyAdventure #FungalLasagne #BlueGreyOyster #PleurotusOstreatus #MushroomSpawn #MyceliumGrowth #FruitingBags #WoodchipSubstrate #MushroomFarming #HayLayering #CardboardInoculation #FungalEcology #MyceliumPerformance #FungalLasagneRecipe #OysterMushroomHarvest #MycologicalExperiment #MushroomSpawnTrial #OysterMushroomCulture #FungiResearch #MushroomPropagation #HayStacking #MushroomGrowers #FungalDiversity #MushroomScience