Category Archives: Exteme Weather

Storm and the Dark Side

3rd November 2012, Plot 326 was experiencing the calm after the backend of the storm. On the island there had been substantial rain and wind in affect, but nothing compared to the Frankenstorm 3000 human miles or so across the ocean. The storm ruined many human habitats and stopped the Halloween parade. For some electrical power was reinstated after so many days, but others were not so fortunate. Did the high usage of electrical power contribute to the storm? Other areas of land occupied by humans were also devastated, but the loss of life was minimal compared to the Japanese tsunami 18 months ago. Ella Montt missed the state’s shared space community, which was a strange predicament as she was virtual. She observed the far off land’s vegetable growing gardening projects through other virtual portals.

The Chard and Spinach growth had been stunted by cold weather, so harvest was limited. Ella Montt attempted to have a bonfire, but the sticks of wood were too wet to burn. Ella Montt changed her activity and covered an area of soil with re-appropriated wood products to create a mulch. There was no sign of the Garlic, Onions or Broad Beans that had recently been planted to over winter. Ella Montt hoped the seeds would not rot in to the soil.

Harvest: mix of leaves including Chard, Perpetual Leaf Beet and Red Mustard = 5oz = 160g; Raspberries = 3oz = 90g; Cabbage Winter Green = 15oz = 420g.

11th November 2012, at Allotment Plot 326 it was a calm sunny day; the temperature was dipping down very low close to freezing at night. Ella Montt dug the soil. The world had been delivered from the dark side (US election). Shoots of new Garlic had started to appear.

Harvest: Cabbage Winter Green = 9oz = 250g; Spinach Giant Winter = 2oz = 60g; Mizuna and Red Mustard = 3oz = 80g; Raspberries = 2oz = 60g; Spinach Perpetual Leaf Beet and Chard mix = 5.5oz = 160g; Potato Nicola = 1lb 12oz = 800g; Parsnip Halblange White = 1lb 1.5oz = 500g.

18th November 2012 – When Ella Montt arrived at Allotment Plot 326 it was another sunny day; temperatures continued to drop down close to freezing at night. The nearby Oak Trees’ leaves were golden. The tree sap rose during the daytime and fell at night producing the tree leaves colour. Tomorrow was predicted to be warmer. Ella Montt finished pruning the old apple tree. The tree had been embedded in to Plot 326 before tenancy began. Ella Montt dug some soil and then covered it with recycled wood products as an overwinter mulch. The nutritional leaves that could be harvested were very small due to the wintery weather and others were being eaten by wildlife as they grew. The tender leaves of new Broad Bean and Onion plants had started to emerge from the soil.

Harvest: Raspberries = 1oz = 20g; Cabbage Winter Green = 10oz = 280g; mix of Chard, Spinach Perpetual Leaf Beet and Red Mustard leaves = 6oz = 170g.

28th November 2012 – It had rained profusely, not just at Allotment Plot 326, but also all over the Island. The winter drought was over. The river known as The Thames (which winds its way to the Island’s human capital) was flooding. Areas marked on old OS maps as “known to flood”, were no doubt flooding too. At Allotment Plot 326, it was a chilly day. Ella Montt moved about the Plot harvesting any nutritional leaves she could find. There were not many leaves, but every leaf accumulated contributed to boost the vital intake. Ella Montt although virtual was financially poor. Poverty was not desirable in current society, but it was an attribute that some could not avoid due to their circumstances. The Allotment Plot was a continuation of allotment history, which itself plots the history of human poverty and the provision of land for the human poor to grow nutritional plants for their own intake.

A Robin bird perched on the hedge and then the fence, as Ella Montt moved about the Plot, the tiny bird followed her and sang its musical song. The bird was always there in the water months when it was getting dark. Ella Montt dug. The soil was heavy and sticky, but luckily this particular Plot was not water logged.

An allotment inspector drove by in a marked red motorized vehicle. Ella Montt had never seen an inspector in this kind of car before. Several plots near by 326 were still empty. Plots were up for renewal and some would change hands as new would be allotment holders reached the top of the list.

Harvest: a mix of Chard and Spinach Perpetual Leaf Beet = 7oz = 200g; 1 x Potato Nicola = 3oz = 90g; 1 x Parsnip Halblange White = 6oz = 180g; Beetroot Bolivar = 8oz = 230g; 1 x Carrot Amsterdam = 15oz = 30g.

The harvest was quite pitiful considering the physical size of the Plot. A failure in vegetable seed germination had contributed to this problem. The weather had been too warm and dry in the spring and then to cold, dry then wet in the following months.

Vegetable Matter

7th July 2012 – Ella Montt had visited other plants in other lands, where they were other small garden cultivation plot systems. At Allotment Plot at MERL, Rain had fallen. The Broad Beans had succumbed to the pestilence of Black Fly. The thwarted plants were rotting and needed to be uprooted to destroy the scourge. Hence, the Broad Beans were ripped from the soil and placed in the Brick Composter to finish their decomposition. Some Pods were harvested so all was not lost in the grip of nature. A space was now cleared on the Plot next to the Peas. Celery and Tomato plants, which had been raised in the fixed up greenhouse, were transplanted in to the vacated soil space to await growth expansion. The rest of the Plot was green, punctuated with Borage blue and orange Pot Marigold flowers. The Elephant Garlic Scape alien like flower heads were bursting open to reveal seed, the stalks were tall, slender and reaching for the sky. Bees were busy accumulating pollen.

Harvest: Onions Radar = 9.5oz = 265g = 3 blubs; Garlic Thermidrome = 5oz = 145g = 1 bulb; Broad Beans Superaquadulce and Supersimonia 1lb = 450g; Peas Meteor = 3oz = 80g, Kelvedon Wonder and Ambassador = 5oz = 150g, Mange Tout Oregon Sugar Pod II = 8oz = 220g, Ezeta’s Krombek Blauwschokker = 1lb 2oz = 520g.

9th July 2012 – At Allotment Plot 326, Ella Montt was having difficulty comprehending the extent of wild plant growth. The Plot will need intensive labour to improve its condition as a source of edible vegetable matter.

Harvest: Potato Nicola = 5oz = 120g; Garlic Thermidrome = 3.5oz = 75g = 1 bulb.

On 12th July 2012 Allotment Plot at MERL was damp and expecting rain for the rest of the day. Some places across the globe were experiencing flooding because of extreme amounts of rainfall. The floods often inflicted devastation upon plants and other forms of life. Ella Montt harvested Peas and planted a row of French Bean (Climbing) Neckargold. The Beans would need to grow quickly to provide any harvest. The window of planting opportunity was closing fast on the Allotment Plot. Some Enorma plants were climbing other plants so bamboo was installed to aid the Beans upwards.

Harvest: Wild Rocket = 2oz = 60g; Peas Ezeta’s Krombek Blauwshokker = 15oz = 440g, Rondo = 5.5oz = 160g.


Companion Planting, Vibrancy and Pestilance

13th June 2012 – at Allotment Plot At MERL, there had been heavy rain on the 11th. The temperature was often chilly for June, but at that moment the sun was out, (although later in the day grey clouds would accumulate blocking the warmth of rays from the golden light object mass). Ella Montt was in a hurry; she was involved in the cultivation field so access to the Allotments Plots was limited.

The Peas were flowering and Pods were starting to form. The Broad Beans had flowered, but Pods had not yet formed. Some black fly was now present on the Broad Bean plants. The chill in the air was delaying the growth of many of the plants. At least rain had fallen recently to quench the plant roots thirst. Other companion plants were starting to flower; these were Borage, Calendula Pot Marigold, and Green Manure Phacelia. Other companion plants such as Chamomile, Cosmos and Sunflowers, were as yet still seedlings. At another location, the fixed up greenhouse, germinating seeds and seedlings were having difficulties, because the weather temperatures were so erratic and extreme. The heat and inclemency was causing inconsistent growth for un-established plant units, the result of which was becoming a system failure in adequate diversity of vegetable plants for the allotment-growing year. The alarm of unreliable vegetable production was not an ideal situation, but would be relieved temporarily by the Pea production at forthcoming harvesting. Meanwhile at Allotment Plot at MERL, most of the plants looked healthy and did not appear to be suffering.

Ella Montt planted out two Gardener’s Delight Tomato plants and a Black Beauty Courgette between the Pea plants. Then she took a handful of Sweet Corn True Gold, Squash and Bean seeds, distributed them randomly (with intent) and embedded them in the soil. The Onions, the Garlic and the Potatoes physical condition were good. Rocket Esmee was flowering, because it had remained unharvested.

17th June 2012 – At Allotment Plot 326, a challenging situation had developed because the Allotment Plot had been left unattended. The plants were out of control and a chaotic situation of wild plant growth had over grown areas left uncultivated. Ella Montt quickly worked an area that had been somewhat protected by a cardboard covering. Then planted out Squash seedlings, unsure if they would be able to survive against the ferocious mouths of predators. More wild pants were already going to seed, so their removal would not stop the self-seeding reproductive system that was already in process. The Plot next to 326 had not been touched by human hand since early summer 2011 so each passing breeze amplified the situation of wild seed multiplicity. The potential fruit on the Apple and Cherry trees had disappeared perhaps because of drought followed by torrential rain and winds blowing with force across the unprotected Allotment.

Harvest: Broad Beans Superaquadulce = 3lbs 11oz = 1.95kg; Chard = 7.5 oz = 205g; Spinach Perpetual Leaf Beet = 4.5oz = 130g.

27th June 2012 – Pestilence had arrived at Allotment Plot at MERL in the form of a plague of Black Fly. So far the plague was only on the Broad Beans. It was disturbing to see the once healthy plants inflicted in this manner. The other plants seemed uninfected. The orange and blue of companion flowering plants and pink of the Pea flowers were striking against green plant foliage covering the rest of the Plot. The plague of insect life seemed to be consuming the plants energetic force field, suffocating the vibrancy that had pulsated through the plants.

Harvest: a mixture of Peas = 11oz = 300g, Mange Tout Oregon Sugar Pod II = 11oz = 300g.

Parched Earth, Rain Fall

2nd April 2012, at Allotment Plot 326 the parched Earth was resigned to the tight grip that Drought had on the soil. The grip was in the process of tightening. The soil was cracking. Blossoms enclosed in tight buds were forming on the fruit trees and bushes, but the young Plum Tree, planted a year ago on the Plot, looked like at some point in time it had died. The over-wintered Garlic continued to grow, but the Onions were very thin and faltering. Broad Bean foliage looked uncertain. Water levels in rivers, lakes and human-made reservoir storage facilities were very low. Rain needs to fall in the winter months to really soak the ground. Any rain that falls in the summer months evaporates again too easily or floods because it cannot be absorbed quick enough in to dry ground.

Soil was uncovered and prepared. Potatoes were planted in trenches. Ella Montt saw a Toad climb across the disturbed earth. The Toad headed for some cardboard and disappeared in to concealment. Worms extended their bodies across the soil and sank back in to its hidden depths.

Black smoke rose in to the air from somewhere across the Allotments. A waft of unpleasant aroma moved through the air producing a smell of incinerating plastic or some other unidentified entity.

Seeds planted = Potato Red Duke of York and Nicola.

9th April 2012 – Allotment Plot 326, the fruit blossoms were close to opening. More potatoes were planted. The Hose Pipe ban had come in to affect, yet it had rained.

Seeds planted = Potato Desiree.

12th April 2012, at Allotment Plot at MERL Ella Montt weeded the Plot. The plant residue was placed in the Brick Composter. It had rained after the Hose Pipe Ban came in to affect, but this did not mean that the drought was over. The two-winter drought had depleted stores of water and rivers. Rain in winter seeps in to the ground. Rain in the summer months may not build up the water reserves and reverse the drought; because it is warmer the moisture evaporates more easily.

Ella Montt started to cut the bamboo in to 110cm lengths. The bamboo was pushed it in to the hard ground to erect supports for the Pea plants. A net structure was tied between the supports for the Peas to cling on to.

14th April 2012, in the fixed up Greenhouse at another location, some Tomato seedlings were emerging. Ella Montt planted more seeds. Close by a Black Bumble Bee had chosen to nest under some old concrete; soon smaller Bee Friends would be

Seeds planted: Cucumber Tanja x 6, Marketmore x 6; Melon Sivan Fi x 6; Courgette Black Beauty x 12, Gold Rush x 5; Marrow Long Green Bush x 4, Sunburst F1 x 5, Tigers Cross x 5; Pumpkin Mars x 6, Giant Atlantic x 4, Connecticut Field x 4 ; Squash Big Max x 3, Twonga x 6.

16th April 2012, Allotment Plot 326, now the fruit blossoms were bursting open, but the Plum tree stilled seemed dead. More potatoes were planted and other seeds. The soil was dry, the earth parched, even after April showers.

Seeds planted: Potato Charlotte; Onion Red Baron x 250g; Broad Bean  Hangdown Green x 20; Brussels Sprout Groninger; Leek Blue Green Winter; Carrot Rodelika; Beetroot Bolivar.

20th April 2012, at Allotment Plot at MERL the soil looked more moist. The showers of April seemed as though they had jumped back in to synchronicity and a more expected rhythm. Ella Montt examined the Plot for evidence of wildlife consuming the vegetable seedlings as they emerged from the soil. Sometimes there was no evidence; plant material vanished without any trace.

30th April 2012, by the end of April rainfall had accelerated in to a sudden deluge. The ground under the surface was still parched and hard, so the water in some places flooded. Within a matter of days it became the wettest April on the Island in over one hundred years. Once again there was an experience of extreme weather.

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1/11/11 – Allotment Plot 326- another perfect day to dig. An amount of soil was dug over; all plant residues were removed from dug area to the compost pile. Darkness fell early and ended the activity.

03 November 2011 – At Allotment Plot at MERL, Ella Montt found the Squash plant that had tried so hard in recent weeks to produce fruit, had succumbed to the time of year and died. Ella Montt removed the dead plant from the soil and placed it with respect in to the Brick Composter. The day was warm and Ella Montt was able to harvest Climbing Beans.

In the last few days, Seven Billion humans had notched up their existence on Plant Earth; a fact that was recognised and then forgotten about quickly as more humans started to arrive through the reproductive system. Humans pulled in their stomach muscles because space was in the process of becoming increasingly restricted. The humans continued to work the Earth’s surface, many of them constantly complained that that production was slowing and there was not enough economic growth. Ants and worms, which are also in the process of working the Earth’s surface, could not account to the humans their numerical existence on the Planet. The worms had sent out a warning that fracking for gas had probably caused an earthquake in a northern region of the Island, but the humans needed more energy to drive its machines so would probably forget that detail also sooner or later. The Island’s solar dream suddenly cracked and fell in to pieces on the ground. The worms mumbled at the stupidity of the humans who had shattered the solar dream before its speculative reality could become established and a prominent form of energy across the land.

At Allotment Plot at MERL Autumn was becoming more and more visible in its process. Ella Montt had spent time considering the relationship between the Mint plants and the Sweet Potato plants. The idea that the Mint should be allowed to extend its rhizomes across the Plot was a fascination, but it had now become more interesting to Ella Montt to dig up an amount of the Mint plant and save it as an object in a continuation elsewhere, not to be replanted, but as a dried preserve or as an extracted living mass separated from yet still joined to this particular aspect of the Plot.

The Mint as a plant was in the process of seeking to dominate the Plot. Allowing the Mint plant to grow to an unrestricted size would be appealing, because of its ability to send out runners that created new plant nodes, but the Mint would hinder any attempts in vegetable productivity. It also seemed to equate to a responsibility to the Earth’s surface, if Mint was allowed to overcrowd the Planet would that sustain the ever-increasing human population? Or would the Mint become a plant tyranny? Soon humans may not be able to sit down and might have to just stand if they are all to be accommodated. The crushing of Mint under foot would at least provide a pleasant aroma.

Ella Montt carefully dug up Mint roots and runners exposing herself to the awe of the Plant’s industry. The Plant was embedded in the soil in true complexity. A tinge of regret was experienced as the roots were removed, but by necessity its Plot domination had to be thwarted, and more space was reclaimed for vegetable production. However, a few shoots of broken Mint rhizome may have been left to grow once more so that the Plant will have a chance to regenerate, because it is also a valuable participant in the Plot if not left untamed.

The Sweet Potato plants were removed from the soil and relocated to a central area of the Plot.

Harvest: Beans (French Climbing) Blauhide = 4.5oz = 130g. Mint Root = 9lb 13.5oz = 4.4Kg; Mint foliage, an equal amount (approximately) was placed in the Brick Composter to decompose (although it may root itself and grow).

04 November 2011 – Allotment Plot 326 – Harvest: Oriental Tai Sai = 5oz = 140g; Kale Red Russian Curled = 2oz = 40g; Perpetual Spinach = 4oz = 110g; Rainbow Chard = 4.5oz = 120g.

10 November 2011 – Allotment Plot at MERL – As Ella Montt stepped through the glass door in to the garden a black pheasant was disturbed and it ran from the Mulberry Tree to the cover of the trees across the garden where the foxes have their den. This was the second time Ella Montt had seen the pheasant in the garden. Perhaps the bird was a shape shifter? William Morris had not been seen lately, (because he was busy with the exhibition of his work in London), Ella Montt wondered if the bird was William Morris in disguise?

The Climbing Beans from a distance looked like they needed to be cut down, but on close inspection some of the Plants had started to grow again, as a result of the weather remaining warm. Another Squash plant was attempting to grow. The warmth of November was prolonging the life of some of the plants. Ella Montt tidied up some of the companion planting, which was beginning to fade, whilst the tree leaves grew golden and fell to the ground. Harvest would be minimal.

Ella Montt fetched a fork from the Shed. It was no ordinary day, a pulsating excitement vibrated across the Plot as Ella Montt reached in to a brown paper bag to extract garlic cloves to be planted for over wintering. The Garlic cloves were pushed in the soil in the space that the Mint had occupied. The planting of Onion sets followed this action.

Planted: Elephant Garlic = 2 cloves; Garlic Thermidrome = 9 cloves; Garlic Vallelado = 10 cloves; Onion Radar = 40 sets.

Harvest: a pinch of Coriander Filtro; Leeks Blue Green Winter = 2oz = 60g; Parsnip Halblange White = 15.5oz = 440g; Rocket Wild and Esmee = 1oz = 30g.

14 November 2011 – Allotment Plot 326 – Visibility had been subdued all day. The Sun was like a light bulb with a dimmer switch that had barely been turned on. A mouse seemed to be living in the Plot’s Shed. Ella Montt took the fork from the Shed, and dug more soil. Some hidden potatoes were discovered. Garlic cloves were planted. Ella Montt hoped that next years Garlic harvest would be bountiful and not rot as most of this years Garlic had done after harvesting for no apparent reason apart from the hottest drought inflicted April on record. The soil vibrated with excitement as the over winter planting took place in anticipation of the next calender year’s growing season.

The darkness descended early plunging the allotment in to a blanket of shadow that had a slow grip across the earth’s surface. A bio dome of Plant Life lit by artificial light was floating off in to deep space on the other side of Saturn, tended to by the droid Dewey (Silent Running). The Allotment Plot is firmly rooted to Earth’s human Allotment system, classified as a hegemonic from of Leisure. Ella Montt knew the Practical Planting Practice that she was learning through working on the Plot can be transformed in to methods of survival as eco systems close down though disruptions to synchronicity or if humans experience sudden loss of Planet control through demise of their species from pestilent disease or climate meltdown brought on by their own making. Cultivation of vegetable matter for food consumption will be a necessary skill.

Planted: Elephant Garlic = 3 cloves; Garlic Thermidrome = 24 cloves; Garlic Vallelado = 30 cloves.

Harvest: Oriental Tai Sai = 1.5oz = 40g; Perpetual Spinach = 1.5oz = 40g; Shallots Red Sun = 1.5oz and 40g; Carrots Autumn King = 2oz = 60g; Potatoes Madeline = 1lb 1oz = 480g.

17 November 2011 – Allotment Plot at MERL – Early in the morning it was misty, a light, brisk rain shower started to break up the clouds. Later, when Ella Montt arrived at the Plot the sun emerged for a while. A wheelbarrow, a fork and fairtrade gardening gloves were fetched from the Shed. Next to the Shed was a Sycamore Tree. The trees leaves were mostly fallen to the ground and slowly starting to decompose. Ella Montt filled the wheelbarrow with leaves several times, each time wheeling it across the garden to empty the leaves on to the Plot, then collected more leaves from under the Mulberry Tree. Piles of leaves now covered the Plot, not in a decorative arrangement, but in a deliberate attempt to add mulch to the soil and promote its fertility.


The Sweet Potato plants looked like they were suffering from the cold, yet it was not cold. A weatherman had announced that the temperature of the Island had been throughout November 3 degrees warmer than normal. The temperature was still pleasant for humans, but generally speaking this could assist the decease in synchronicity, elements of life outside of the humans’ windows were becoming further out of alignment and was another indication of global warming, the hyperbobject that surrounds the planet and permeates inside the window.

Ella Montt had observed from a far the disruption to the Occupy protests. Human droids who were also part of the 99% were employed to deter the 99% away from their campsites. Captain Swing had called an emergency meeting at the wood table close to the Plot. William Morris appeared stepping out of his role of wall paper. EB climbed out of the Reading Room window. The four sat around the table and discussed the direction of democracy. The conversation turned to extreme weather, then back to the 99% versus the 1% and then to the problematic desire for economic growth that contributes to the hyperobject. EB reached in to the library to pull out a borrowed image of a crop rotation plan that if used in every garden (dig up the lawn) and allotment of land could reduce dependence on the supermarket. Plant life needed to be depended upon more than authoritarian humans. The conversation returned to extreme weather, the four were concerned about the famine in Afghanistan, extreme drought will be followed by winter snow, many humans in remote areas do not have food to see them through the winter.

Ella Montt was very conscious that the harvest from the Plots that she was working with had dropped back. There was still a store on onions and potatoes. Next year Allotment Plot 326 would need to engage in enhanced vegetable productivity, this productivity is not the same as world economic growth, it is to do with ordinary survival dependent on plant cultivation.

Harvest: mix of Beans (French Climbing) 1oz = 35g; Rocket Wild and Esmee = 0.5oz = 18g; Leeks Blue Green Winter = 3oz = 80g; Celery Tall Utah = 2oz = 60g.