
The Hatfield Peverel Allotment Association has been around for over a hundred years, below is an article written by David Goodey and makes good reading!
Read moreThe Hatfield Peverel Allotment Association has been around for over a hundred years, below is an article written by David Goodey and makes good reading!
Read moreRhubarb & custard cocktail
An elegant vodka-based drink that'll wow your guests - it's made with creamy advocaat iqueur and homemade fruit syrup
The Hatfield Peverel Allotment Association has been around for over a hundred years, below is an article written by David Goodey and makes good reading!
Sprouting Broccoli Varieties
Cardinal Broccoli
Deep purple spears with excellent flavour and early cropping.
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/Sprouting-Broccoli/Cardinal-Broccoli.jpg
Summer Purple Broccoli
Annual Purple Sprouting Broccoli. Plants will crop four to five months after sowing, harvesting spears over many weeks. Heavy yielding with a sweet flavour. Should be planted out within 4 weeks of sowing. Good in stir fry.
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/Sprouting-Broccoli/SummerPurpleBroccoli.jpg
Purple Sprouting Early Broccoli
The most popular of the sprouting varieties, very hardy and produces an abundance of dark purple spears, in March, which turn green on cooking.
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/Sprouting-Broccoli/PurpleSproutingEarlyBroccoli.jpg
Red Arrow Broccoli
Excellent uniformity and quality for cutting March and April
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/Sprouting-Broccoli/RedArrowBroccoli.jpg
Rudolph Broccoli
An extra early purple sprouting type producing large spears from late January.
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/Sprouting-Broccoli/RudolphBroccoli.jpg
White Sprouting Early Broccoli
Apart from the different spear colour the leaves are less frilly and blue-green. Creamy white spears which are slightly milder in flavour than the purple and lighter green when cooked. Late February/ March harvest onwards.
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/Sprouting-Broccoli/WhiteSproutingEarlyBroccoli.jpg
White Star Broccoli
A re-selected late white type with high quality spears for cropping in March/April period.
http://www.hpaa.co.uk/joomla/images/vegetables/Sprouting-Broccoli/WhiteStarBroccoli.jpg
Perfect Roast Potatoes
My foolproof way of getting that perfect roastie!
Classic Rhubarb Crumble
Growing up this was my favourite dessert & seeing as only my dad and I liked it I always had a massive portion!
Lamb Cutlets with Butternut Squash & Mint
Simply delicious one of my all time favourites
Usually the risk of frost has passed by now, and with longer days there comes more sunshine and time to be in your allotment. If the weather is dry, then water your seed drills well before sowing any seeds – this way the young plants will develop a good root system.
September marks a change in the seasons, you'll be harvesting the last of your summer crops if you haven't already done so, crops like tomatoes, beans, peppers, sweetcorn will be finishing, but on the other hand the first of the Autumn crops will be nearing ready or may be ready like Apples, Pears, Main Crop Potatoes, Winter Squashes to name but a few!
Hopefully by now we are now standing on the threshold of Spring and the new gardening season. The days are beginning to lengthen and although it may not feel like it at times the temperatures are slowly increasing day by day. More importantly the longer days are the real trigger to new growth and you will find that with the help of a little protection you can really go for those early sowings