Spring forwards, fall back

In spring the clocks spring forward and in autumn the fall back. The extra hour we lost in bed this morning was amply repaid by sunshine this evening. Rather then coming in from work to dark and cold it was still a fresh spring afternoon when I got home. It remained pleasant in the garden until well after 7 p.m..

This valuable time allowed us to catch up after the rainy weekend. The peas were planted in the other raised bed and two rows of beans extended the vegetable by another metre.

The chickens have, in true pavlovian fashion, learnt that spades are associated with worms and have become much more affectionate as a consequence. This increasing closeness has prompted them to be named; Blacky, Scabby, an Nicey. They haven't fought over the names at all.

Rain stopped play

For most of the weekend it has been dreech, either overcast and cold or heavy downpours. As a consequence little work was possible in the garden. We did get a row of onions (Stuttgarter) planted next to the potatoes but other than this and some weeding nothing else was possible. To further depress the spirits I was on call again this Sunday. In an attempt to get ready for the big break two other plans have been hatched.


Firstly we will try and reduce the red meat in our diet. I have no desire to fight with cows or bulls after retirement and could not bear to stick a pig. This will not be easy, especially as the popular press is waging a war to remind Europe that mince is a mainstay of our Scottish culture. There is no vegetable equivalent of mince (or the scotch pie) no matter what the continental lentil sellers suggest. We will take the easy way at first; dal, vegetable curries, vegetable pakora and chapatis will see us some of the way. Chips and pasta will help later. If in a few days we have become really desperate then the mung bean and fenugreek may have sprouted. We may have a party to celebrate.

Secondly, we may move to Wales and Lisa's cunning plan is that I learn Welsh. This has got off to less than a flying start. I have discovered many letters change randomly from one to another (P becomes B except after C having become G). I seem the rules for this are based on those which govern the date of easter and whether offside has been committed. Once I have overcome this hurdle I can grasp the joy of verb-nouns, grammer, pronunciation and a language with no simple single word of yes and no. All this makes the fact that “she” is said “hi” (he) a breeze.

Anway,
not to worry,
paid a becso !

We plough the fields and scatter

The attack on the jaggy corner continues through the Easter weekend. We have been very lucky, despite short hail showers, it has been bright and crisp and a pleasant for grafting. The first assault was on the soil in the far vegetable beds. As the before and after pictures show, three hours of work with the the spade, rake and riddle did their work. There is something very satisfying about an even, dark, and crumbly patch of soil.

After the preparation the following were planted from left to right in the front vegetable bed :-


Carrot, Chantenay Red Cored 2 (Mr Fothergill's - Rows 1,2,3)
Lettuce, Butterhead (Mr Fothergill's - Rows 4 & 5)
Carrot, Early Nante's 5 (Suttons - Rows 6,7,8,9)
Brocolli, Green Calabrese (Mr Fothergill's - Rows 10,11, 12)
Leek, Mammoth 2 Snowstar (Mr Fothergill's Rows 13 & 14)

In the first row on the main bed we laid our first line of potatoes (King Edwards) and behind the greenhouse (to make sure that jaggy corner doesn't become too tame) we placed three Gooseberry bushes (From Dobbies).

By the end of the day the site was starting to look quite passable.
Later in the year we can see if this labour is productive.

With a little help from my friends

It would appear that yesterday's post reporting that spring had sprung was premature. Today's attempts to preserve sanity while on call was cut short by hail storms. Short and brief but hard and cold enough to cause us to abandon our endeavours early.

However, in the few hours we had we did manage to tame a further stretch of jaggy corner and the clivilised world has grown by a few more feet.






Our animal pals decided to assist. The canine contingent made the most noise but were by far the least productive. They managed to do little other than ruffle the feathers of our poultry pals who can be seen pleading for help. In between these interuptions the chickens did sterling work in eating many disgusting looking wrigging and scuttling insects which I am sure we can do without.
The chickens are by far the best in the household at recycling. They take everything we dont eat (by and large) and supply us with both eggs and composting material. Apart from the black hen, who maybe a satanic infiltrator, they are placcid and ever grateful and demand very little from others or life.

By the end of the afternoon we have managed to make some difference and this should be noticable on today's picture. We have also managed to create a coldframe by recycling the wood from the old hen run and using polythene from a matteress delivery.

The abandoned greenhouse now has a path and two good beds. There is even a feeling of purpose at this end of the plot.

First assault on jaggy corner

It would seem that we have had the first day of spring and certainly there hasn't been any snow now for a few days. It is possible to stand around outside with minimal protective clothing and it is light enough to walk without a torch. Time, therefore, to get busy again in the garden.

Here is the before picture. This is prior to our planned assault on the productive but dangerous "Jaggy Corner" of the garden. This is the area where brambles, broken glass, and the remains of a greenhouse make life difficult. This is an area for gloves and elastoplasts. However this area does produce the best fruit (brambles) and gives the most jam.

The task on clearing this space was helped by our robin who kept us company for most of the task. He is probably about a friendly as the cat now. Certainly he will stay in the same vicinity to the same degree as the cat.


After much digging, much earth moving, much bending of iron pol;es and clearing of wood it was clear that we were making very little difference to the area. It gives one faith that after all this effort we were unable to make any great impact onto nature's plan. Hopefulyl human endeavours on the global scale will have as little effect.


To prove that there had been little effect, and to really appreciate the minimal impact of three hours of dangerous and back straining labour, here is the after picture.
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE