Objects of desire

It was my turn in the Trading Hut this morning, selling compost and seeds and taking people's subscriptions to the allotment society covering the four linked sites around Redland Green. It's all wonderfully organised - all you have to do is turn up, unlock the well greased padlocks, hang the "open" sign up on the main gate and you're in business. I only do it a couple of times a year so when it's my turn I've always forgotten what to do but the customers are very forgiving. It's a good excuse to have a look around other people's plots too. This site has grown several polytunnels since I last had a proper look. Aah - now there's an object of desire. J and I would love a polytunnel but there's no room on ours for one. I have to be fairly careful putting up a large cloche without overlapping the grass path.

So - no polytunnels for us then. Back on my own plot this afternoon, I planted a module of red onions (Red Baron) admired the spring flowers and did a bit of preparation for planting the spuds. Hopefully tomorrow as it's a Bank Holiday.

This photo (primroses under the plum tree) shows that remarkable phenomenon of not noticing things that are right in front of you when taking a picture. I really, honestly didn't see the triangle of broken pot until just now! I think it's hereditary, my mum always used to take photos of my dad with something stupid like a signpost growing out of his head. No signpost here, but I would've moved the pot.

Happy gardening (and I bet you take better pictures than me)

Still plenty of leeks

My my. He said he was taking a picture of me holding some leeks. Instead, as a change from vegetable pictures we can all gaze on his handsome face! 

 You may just be able to make out the leeks in my hand. They are destined for mini leek and bacon tartlets to take to a lunch do tomorrow. That's probably why I've put mini photos in this posting.

Happy gardening

...and here's one I made earlier...

In a "Blue Peter" moment during the winter I made this bird feeder specifically for peanuts as they are too big for the birds to get them out through the wire grids of either of my shop bought ones. You can tell it's home-made, can't you?

However, the allotment birds don't seem to like peanuts. I wonder why not? The mixed seed and fat balls seem to last about five minutes but the peanuts often don't need re-filling. Picky chaps, allotment birds.

Happy gardening (and bird watching)

Froggy business

Yay! Spawn!

Usually the frogs are active before now but it has been really, really cold so I'm not surprised. I'm very glad we've got some though - I always suffer from spawn envy if other ponds have some and we don't. That makes me sound weird, doesn't it?

I'm on holiday this week. I was on holiday last week too but J and I were away in the van, camping (brr) in Devon. Anyway, it means today I've had a bit of time to dig out the decent compost from one of the bins and spread it on the beds where I'm going to put the potatoes. I've got Charlottes and Maris Pipers, same as last year for the obvious reason that these are the varieties thar we prefer to eat. The onions can go in any day now too. Whew, it really feels like the long, hard winter is nearly over.

Happy gardening (and welcome spring)

Crocuses

Mmn, lovely. The golden crocuses have appeared. Some at the foot of the minilith and some around the edge of the pond. Before you know it, it'll be spring.

Today, I dug up all the remaining parsnips as the foliage died back a while ago, and it's been sheer guesswork trying to find them. Their bed is now ready for me to add compost and start all over again with something different.

I'm at the planning stage at the moment. My charlotte potatoes have already sprouted enough to plant, but I think the ground's still too cold. I think the old parsnip bed may become home to early potatoes in a week or so.

Also today - I swept the hut and chucked out a pile of broken canes, dug up some more leeks, re-filled the bird feeder, tidied away some hoops and netting and sat with my face turned up to the sun, with a flask of green tea. All very nice on a February Sunday.

Happy gardening.
Note: Minilith, from monolith - a single block or piece of stone, usually of considerable size and mini - small, miniature, of reduced size. It works for me!

Pigeons at work?

I had a brief respite from "knackered knee syndrome" yesterday and managed to get to the allotment for a look around. I spent most of the time putting the new bird feeder back together again after I found it on the grass under the tree, minus any birdseed and unfortunately, also minus the hook that fastens it to the tree. I suspect pigeons at work, hefty great things. The seed I've used is for wild birds, robins, finches and the like, not enormous great pigeons that pull the entire feeder off the tree! Lets hope my new hook is strong enough.

I also popped some tulips into a pot. My neighbour passed them on to me as she left to go to New Zealand for a couple of months and they should have been planted in autumn. I wonder if they'll do anything? They were all sprouting madly, so maybe they will. Hope so.

 Sorry about the horrible red text in the last posting. I don't really know how that happened - I've recently upgraded my blogger account because I understand that I'll have more control over the layout etc, I am particularly keen to be able to move the photos to wherever I want them, but I didn't notice that the text was going to change colour like that! I'll be very careful this time! I forgot to take the camera to the allotment so I can't try out photo re-positioning either! Duh!

Happy gardening (in green or red?)

Candle in the branches

It was a good day to prune the old apple tree. The first of February is Imbolc, the day when we see the first signs of spring and celebrate the returning daylight with a fire festival.

It felt very cold today and spring is obviously some way off but to honour the day, and the goddess, if that's your way, I hung a candle lantern in the branches after re-shaping the tree, and left it burning when I walked back home down the hill. I like to think of it flickering amongst the branches as night drew in.

Having also cut down my autumn fruiting raspberries to ground level and done a bit of digging, not to mention painting a bedroom ceiling and doing an hour and a half's yoga class, I am now completely exhausted and fit for nothing more physical than sitting on a sofa with a laptop on my knees. Oh, and I may just possibly be able to lift a glass of red wine to my lips! 

Happy gardening (it's all worth it - honest)