Category: Uncategorised

It’s March 21st and definitely the start of spring: ladybirds busily hurrying about (all natives too!), the amazing green of new leaves just out of buds, spawn in the pond (at home) and… the mallards are back, three of them (at the allotment)! I love those three ducks, they are so beautiful when they lazily…

What a tangible sign of spring when the broadbeans are out once again! For a moment I thought it was some horrible weed, as I could not recognise the shape of the shoots. But it’s definitely broadbeans, and I will probably manage to find space for sowing some more. This must be one of the…

Reading and writing about gardening, despite weather in the way; wildlife station I was already enjoying the thought of another whole weekend outside in decent weather but the forecast goes: Saturday: Grey Cloud Sunday: Light Rain so I have to prepare myself for more miserable weather and less allotment than expected. Maybe there’s still time…

Space management, to do list for next weekend This week I am starting to feel restless for staying away from the allotment so many days in a row: but it is still 35 days before long days and British Summer Time! Is this hobby getting a bit out of hand?!? This winter has seemed more…

Crop updates, new bed, “nature reserve” The salad mix is growing really fast, no sign of any other seedling, but I planted quite a few new things shallot Vigarmor salad Lollo Rosso celery Victoria sweet peas (5 varieties, leftovers from last year) tomato San Marzano chamomile (lawn) and pea Twinkle (last year it did nothing,…

Crop updates, acting on plan It was a sunny day so I spent the whole of it gardening. The snow has finally gone, so it was time to inspect how the different plants were faring. Gloom on the artichoke patch: most of them have rotted – I was so looking forward to eating artichokes this…

Reflections on prices and wartime slogans Tonight I went to Waitrose – it must have been a while – and I was a little bit shocked by how much I spent. Be it because of the credit crunch, the strong Euro, oil prices, general lack of sustainability of our way of living, or all of…