May 2014 Feb to April 2014 June 2014

Having just moved a bit more into the 21^st century and got a tablet computer, I’ve realised this site’s blinking awful for randomly rearranging stuff on small screens. Um. Sorry.

Not sure how to fix that at the moment. But I will find out…

Progress report: Germinating courgettes, runner beans and marrows. I am rescuing pots out of the propagators as soon as they grow, so that they don’t get terribly leggy.

Saturday May 3rd

Went up on a gorgeous spring day, though initially rather chilly! Last night’s frost had caught out a lot of people and there were some blackened potatoes around the plots. There were already a lot of people at the focal point, and I deafened them for a while as I strimmed the grass as fast as I could. It was already twice as high as last time I went up. Managed to find the paths again and then went for some cake and a cuppa at the focal point. Vince had been making Bakewell tart again. Yummy. I was about to get up and go back to work when Chris arrived so we had a long chat. Eventually I got back to the plot, having noticed to my extreme annoyance that slugs had eaten every flaming one of my Brussels sprouts. I hadn’t slug baited them, which didn’t help. Back to the drawing board. I might end up with broccoli yet, if South Heath doesn’t have any more sprouts. :-(

Because of this, I was in two minds as to whether to plant the cabbages out at all. But I did (after having to remove a lot of bindweed and sprouting spuds!) They did get put under the weed control fabric - which is a great slug hide. But not before I’d put a handful of little blue pellets on the soil, and then put the fabric back. Tainted feast. Crawled around for a while putting the cabbages in, then remade the tented netting. Needs supporting canes really but don’t currently have any spare. In went just eight minicoles, four red rodeo and four ruby ball.

Next was a bit of tidying; I’d taken up the big dump bag again and filled it this time with spiky Worcesterberry prunings. There were a lot of OUCH sounds floating over the plots. I really do need some more leather gloves. Added a lot of the remaining forsythia prunings, bar a few very useful larger sticks which I think will be useful to train the few peas I germinated. Dug some leeks, packed everything up then tried to work out how to get a strimmer, a heavy trug, a full dump bag and me back to the car.

Next time: the loppers will get another outing so I can trim back some more out-of-control bushes. And I need to plant those peas out. And replant the tall cage with something.

I’ve had this plot for 13 years now. Yikes.

Monday May 5^th

Planted the few pea plants I had up sticks that were once bits of the forsythia. Might as well! I assume the peas will get eaten, but there’s only one way of finding out. Onions doing OK given they’ve not been in long. Pushed several back in where they’d been pulled out or had pushed themselves out, and watered the lot. Dug more leeks, which are bolting for the Jamaican relay team now.

Chopped up the remaining bits of forsythia and the pruned Worcesterberry branches, then decided to have a go at the Worcesterberry again.

This whole area out to the ancient bucket was Worcesterberry and its suckers. Worst thing is, I know it’ll grow again. But not for some considerable time. <evil laugh>

Peas I once had sprouts here.

Moonbells 1, Worcesterberry 0.

Now to chop up and take to the dump even more bits, with vicious thorns on at that. I think it was about 8’ tall given the pieces I was pulling out after cutting the base. I am glad I have got the giant rubbish bag!

Feb to April 2014 June 2014