Sloe gin or vodka easy recipe

Autumn is the perfect time to make sloe gin or vodka. Hedgerows are full of ripe, juicy sloes and the delicious fruity liqueur will be ready in time for Christmas. So why not give it a go? It's so easy to make and you certainly won't regret it when, feet up in front of the fire with the wind and snow howling outside, you treat yourself to a warming tipple. Why not try one of the other Allotment Heaven easy recipes?

Equipment needed

2 litre preserving bottle such as show here

Weighing scales

Ingredients needed

1 litre bottle of gin or vodka (no need to buy an expensive brand!)

450 grams of sloes

250 grams of white sugar, whose purpose is not only to sweeten the liqueur but to also extract the maxium amount of juice from the sloes.

Method

1. A few days before you're ready to start put the sloes in a plastic bag and place them in a freezer. This will break the skins.

2. Let the sloes defrost before using.

3. Put the sloes, sugar and gin or vodka into the preserving bottle and seal.

4. Give the contents a thorough shake.

5. Shake the bottle every other day for a month.

6. Shake once a week for the second month.

7. When you're ready to drink (see below) strain clear the liquid into the 1 litre sterilised gin or vodka bottle.

8. Add more sugar if necessary according to preference.

9. The liqueur can be drunk from the third month onward, though will improve with age.

The left over sloes can be used to make jam.

Wicked whistler!

My wife said 10 little words to me the other day that have since caused me to ponder quite a bit. She said...

I've always known when you're up to something. You whistle.

Really? For 37 years of marriage every one of my secrets and faux pas has been known all along? How earth shattering are the implications of that!

And the thing is, I'm always whistling. Ask my sons, who are driven daft with my whistling and will often stop mid dart throw at our weekly games competiton and stare at my pursed lips. I thought it was because, being a really positive person, I'm pretty much happy all the time and my whistling is an indication of that. Just didn't realise I'm down right wicked and up to something every minute of the day!

In my judgement there's hardly any situation which won't benefit from a quick tune up of the lips. Trying to attract the attention of a vacant shop assistant? Try 'Help, I need somebody...'. Or if you just want some peace and quiet, try 'Leave me alone'.

This startling revelation has got me doing some serious thinking. Every time my lips quiver on the edge of a good toot I suddenly start analysing what I'm doing to see if there's any malice in it. Have I already performed the errant act or is it all about intent? Is it just what I'm thinking at the time? Maybe there's something in the tune I'm about to whistle? Am I giving away any clue in that? I'm having to be careful not to tune up on any of the following...

* I should have known better

* Oops! I did it again

* Mercy, mercy, mercy

And I find myself seriously considering occasional tactical counter-whistling. Kind of constructing a make up tune when I know I'm innocent. Trouble is, I'm not used to being blameless so how do I judge that?

All in all it's a bit of a puzzle. But not all negative... although my son John denies it, he's saddled not only with the same name but also a tendency to whistle. Wonder what he's been up to?

Allotment or Garden Christmas Presents

Wondering what present to buy your favourite vegetable, flower or herb grower? Here are a few stylish value for money options.

Any suggestions for additions are welcome. Just add a comment at the bottom of the page and I'll update the list.

Note the price shown below does not include postage charge. This is shown on the seller's web site where applicable.

Books

		Allotment Vegetable Garden Planner: Track your triumphs and endeavours with over 70 pages for recording planting essentials such as sources of seeds, varieties, planting & harvesting times. Three sections for vegetables, fruits and herbs, all with their own record pages along with advice and plenty of growing tips. Includes pages for planting scheme plans, 24 plant name tags to identify seedlings and young plants plus a slider-grip bag to store seed packets. Price £7.00 from Amazon.
		Shed Chic: Sheds need no longer be neglected outbuildings or decorative afterthoughts. They are equally successful as spaces in which to indulge creative pursuits or to make a well-considered home-from-home away from the outside world. Shed chic is all about making space. The photographs are excellent and there are hundreds of them so you are bound to find inspiration here for your own shed. Beautifully written, even if you haven't got a shed this book will help you dream of your own. Price £14.21 from Amazon.

Storage

		Garden Work Tray: Heavy duty green plastic with handy storage containers & large potting area, meaning everything's close at hand. Useful for greenhouse or anywhere for potting. The tray is easily portable & lightweight, size: 59 x 60 x 16.4cm high. Supply your own tools. Price £5.99 from The Emporium.
		Tool Bag & Stool: Sturdy and practical, not only provides pockets to pop your tools in but also allows you to sit down and rest. Note tools not included. Price £9.00 from Countywide.
		Utility stool with tools: As an alternative this option comes in a smart gift carton. The detachable tool bag contains a range of tools with a basket underneath for waste or vegetables/fruit. Price £32.99 from StrawberryFool.
		Garden Apron: Another option for keeping tools handy whilst giving protection for messy jobs. Combined with a tool belt for keeping all the essentials in as well as a small compartment for a mobile phone, the extra strong apron has an adjustable neck & body straps to fit for comfort. Size 48 x 48 x 58cm. Price £8.65 from Amazon.
		Children's Gardening Bag & Tools: This sturdy canvas bag has 6 garden tools & a water sprayer for the little gardener. Tools made of strong metal with a solid wooden handle & all tuck neatly away in the canvas bag. Price £13.75 from The Childminding Shop.

Propagator

Self Watering Windowsill Propogator: A complete nursery for the windowsill featuring 7 mini vented propagators allowing the growth of a large number of plant varieties on just one unit. The heated base contains a 13 Watt carbon fibre element for even heat distribution. Not thermostatically controlled, but designed to increase the ambient compost temperature by around 8°C. Size 76 x 18.5 x 14.5cm. Price £14.99 from ebay.

Unusual watering cans

		Elephant Watering Can: Hand made in India, this unusual watering can holds approximately 2 litres but is lightweight, perfectly balanced and hand crafted from weather-resistant galvanised sheet metal. Price £18.49 from Greenfingers.
		Snail Watering Can: Or how about a slightly smaller alternative for the kids to use. Price £12.49 from Greenfingers.

Miscellaneous

		Beanstalk Magic Beans: Five beans with messages and pictures laser etched into each which continue to enlarge as the beans grow. Just plant the seed into the water beads (or soil) and less than two weeks later special messages grow with the plant. Different packs available. Price £3.00 from Not on the High Street.
		Firestick: For 'boys' who love to light fires in the Ray Mears fashion. Strike the blade down the firestick and a shower of sparks will start your camp fire in an instant. Price £8.50 from Not on the High Street.
		Help OXFAM Plant an Allotment: UK gardeners are discovering the joys of growing their own, but for many poor Third World women and men an allotment isn’t just a way of saving on the weekly shop... it's how they feed their families and earn a bit extra to buy other essentials. This gift will supply the tools, seeds and training to create working allotments that will produce a lot more. Cost £24.00 from OXFAM.

Bus pass blues

I've been looking forward for ages to getting my bus pass. Visions of freedom as I travel far and wide free of charge, only interruptions being frequent and desperate dashes to the public loos at each major stop, have entertained me for months.

Already told the family that when my 60th birthday arrives at the end of this month I'm off for an initial foray to see how far I can get on my bus pass in a single day... did I hear my wife mutter 'Lands End with any luck!'

So this morning I thought I'd better start thinking about the application process. Don't want to miss out on a few days of bliss by sending in the paperwork late.

Wait a minute! What's this I read...

The Government has changed the age of eligibility

By 2020 everyone will need to be aged 65 to qualify

Residents who turn 60 on or after 6-Apr-2010 no longer eligible on their 60th birthday

Use this calculator to find out when you're eligible

So I did... and I'm not flippin' eligible until May 2013!!!!!!!Can't tell you how disappointed that makes me. Thieving bustards!

I've not given up hope and am examining the fine print to seek an exception with which I can wheedle my way into a pass. Maybe my mum actually produced me earlier and my birth date is wrong... wait a minute, that 1951 on my birth certificate could be read as 1915 in a certain light. Otherwise I feel a complaint email coming on!

In the meantime it's back to the normal mode of transport and a lot more time to dream about my first bus pass adventure. (Sob!)

Making a clay lined pond

There's very little surface water on our allotments in St Ives so what better than to have a pond on my plot, thought I almost a year ago. Hopefully loads of wildlife to observe while taking a rest with a cup of tea.

Thought a lot about the benefits of rigid v sheet pond lining before it hit me... whenever I dig a hole in the winter it quickly fills with water and stays filled. Could the heavy clay hereabouts have something to do with it? Could I make a clay lined pond? It would certainly fulfill one of my ongoing allotment criteria... something for nothing.

So this post is all about my pond experience. If you live in an area of moderate or significant clay as indicate by the map below you might want to consider a clay lined pond. My hole was dug in November 2010 and the assumption about clay was immediately confirmed... the flipping' thing was full of water before I'd finished and most of the work was completed up to my wellies in wet. Since then the development has been amazing. The mucky hole in the ground has transformed into a pond of clear water, home to a thriving community of plants and wildlife, always a source of interest while taking a rest.

Besides having a pond for free I was also able to stock it gratis... a call on allotment chums brought in pond plants, mud to 'seed' the water with bugs and a bucket full of frog spawn. Added to that I'd raised perennials from seed collected in my garden and transferred excess plants, so the pond and surrounds were soon bursting with new life as Spring arrived.

Unfortunately also collected some unwanted blanket weed which needs periodic cleaning out, so do be careful you don't accidentally introduce unwanted residents if you decide to instal your own pond. This invader came from one of the allotment water tanks. And you do need to carefully consider how you'll maintain the water level in your pond during summer. At its hottest I'm wheelbarrowing in over 40 gallons of water week... that's a weight of 28st (181kg). So you need a water source nearby.

Below you'll find links to more details on the plants and wildlife in my pond as well as a photo record of development taken at two week intervals. This post will be updated periodically to form a record of the pond for 2011. If you're thinking of having a go yourself and have a question leave me a comment or use the 'Contact me' tab above and I'll get back to you quickly.

Here's the map of England showing areas of clay concentration. If you want to see a map for a different area search Google for a map showing clay deposits.

Here's a list of what's in my pond (this doesn't include the wildflowers and other plants surrounding the pond)...

Dragonflies & larvae	Water boatmen
Pond skaters	Water beetles
Pond lice	Frogs
Water lilies	Marsh marigolds
Stink bugs	Curly water thyme &other oxygenating plants
Sedge	Flag & other types of irises
Damselflies	Soft rush

Note: The first home produce frogspawn arrived in spring 2013. To view the post about the click Allotment Heaven: Frogspawn!.

And here's a series of images showing how the pond has progressed from the beginning.

Nov-2010: The pond dug to it's deepest at 1 metre (wellie depth) and the sides coated in clay, the whole site is mud,mud, mud. Didn't need to worry about how I'd fill it with water... as I dug it filled!

Mid Jan-2011: Widened the pond to include more shallow edging and create a small island.

End Jan-2011: Not much change... still lots of clay earth surrounding the pond that needs clearing.

Mid Feb-2011: Now managed to clear the excess earth and have the pond surrounds gently sloping inwards. Loads of earth moved away to other parts of the allotment though... what am I going to do with it?

End Feb-2011: Not much change... waiting for Spring so can do some planting.

Mid Mar-2011: Now things are starting to happen! Moved quite a few plants from the garden and found a home for Becky's unused rockery... creating a dry stone wall near the pond with all the excess earth banked up behind it. A call for help from fellow allotmenteers also resulted in free pond lilies, irises and oxygenating plants as well as pond mud to 'seed' the water with bugs.

End Mar-2011: Added another shallow edging area on far side of pond. Dry stone wall now finished and turfed along top. Gifted a bucket of frog spawn.

Mid Apr-2011: Added logs against far side of pond with a damp shelf underneath for frogs etc to hibernate in Winter. Seeded in front of dry stone wall with wild flowers. Seeded grass area to left.

End Apr-2011: Tadpoles have hatched into water that's now much clearer. A stoney area added to the right. Plants starting to establish themselves.

Mid May-2011: Water now clear... but with warmer weather having to add water weekly.

End May-2011: More plants added, mainly perennials grown from seed collected in the garden.

Mid Jun-2011: First froglets appeared at last!

End Jun-2011: Planted up the bank behind the dry stone wall with herbs, the wild flowers in front are now well established. The bench is moved to the pond whenever we take a break for a cup of tea and a view of what's happening... the first pond lily flower has appeared! Water not very clear 'cause I've just finished adding more.

Mid Jul-2011: Everything now well established and the froglets are striking forth all over the plot. The globe artichokes I planted a month ago are growing quickly on the left.

End Jul-2011: Lots of things flowering now, loads of wildlife in the pond and around. Damselflies and dragonflies being attracted by the water.

Mid Sep-2011: Oops... where did I put the August photos? Here's the pond now well established and always the source of interesting happenings.

End Sep-2011: Noticed a new inhabitant of the pond... a sedge plant growing to the left. Two larger frogs also appeared from under the log pile, maybe getting ready to hibernate in spite of the 85F temperatures.