Moving rhubarb

The black plastic covers the holes where I've taken out the later cropping of my two rhubarbs, hopefully not killing it in the process. It's gone a few yards away in the narrow strip to the right of the tree.

It was amazing to be able to do anything at all today. I only went to see if we still had a hut or the cloches after the gales.

The hut's still there, one cloche is ok, but I couldn't see the other one. Hardly anything to clear up really. Oh, and the old incinerator I was using to force the other rhubarb had blown quite a long way away, but I still found it.

The plan is (there's always a plan) to plant potatoes where the black plastic is. It's a flowerbed that I've been clearing over the winter and the ground is very uneven and full of weeds so I'll mulch it with some more plastic and when the weeds have gone, potatoes will help the soil return to a more usable vegetable bed. The flowers are all being popped into odd places where they won't take up so much space.

Happy gardening (and planning ahead)

Gadgets

As you can see I've been messing about with the blog. I love the moon phases gadget and I'm definitely keeping that one, but the cat may have to go! |It's kind of fun, but I can see it'll end up being annoying after a while. I wanted to put a playlist in as well but Roo (trainee computer nerd) says websites that start playing music at you as soon as the page loads are really annoying too. I suppose that's true but it must depend on whether you find one with music that you like, doesn't it?

What I really want to do is change the background. I want to keep it green, but with a pattern of oak leaves printed down the side borders, and I haven't a clue how to do it. Anybody know?

Happy blogging

Temporary hibernation of gardener

Brr. No photo today. It's been a lovely, lovely day but too cold to be outside. I seem to be one day behind at the moment - I mean I'm updating the blog a day after whatever it is I'm writing about. I must be all slowed down because of the cold. Heaven knows, I'm finding it hard to get up in the mornings, it doesn't seem natural to crawl out from under a warm duvet before it gets light. I can really identify with all hibernating creatures right now. My cat's doing it too. And as for the kids...

Anyway, yesterday I took the opportunity to put some more broad beans seeds in pots. I'd had to wait for the compost to thaw enough to fill the pots, it's been solid for ages. The previous sowing has grown to about 3 or 4 inches high so I've moved it to hide from squirrels and frost under some fleece in the front garden. Hopefully, I'll have some successional croppings of beans later on in the year if they survive.

happy gardening

Cold winter days

Happy new year to anyone who looks at this blog. The photo was taken yesterday (new year's day) and the happy smile is because I was well wrapped up against the cold. The temperature struggled to get above freezing as it has done for many days so the warm coat and the fab hippy hat (Christmas present) were much needed.

The pond was thick with ice and the ground solid. I managed to dig out some leeks and parsnips but didn't hang around for long, just went home to make soup.

Happy gardening for 2009