Some gains, Some losses

The good news is that  plants have germinated well in the comfort of the greenhouse and slug damage is minimal.  Not so the cat who jumped onto a table in there and knocked off courgette plants!

The not so good news is that once planted out in the garden, complete with own chicken manure compost and watering, they have had mixed fortunes.  The brassicas (all muddled up now so I can’t tell which is the Cavolo Nero and which is the Autumn calebrese!  Hopefully they will reveal their true identity  once more leaves appear.

 

Some peas (which I have to grow on a table in the greenhouse because of mice)  have struggled to thrive whilst a few have shone through and look healthy.  It may be because of the frosts we had earlier for a couple of nights then the large diurnal change in temperature during the day to blazing sun.  Poor peas didn’t know whether they were coming or going.

 

As usual outside seed germination has been pathetic.  Where am I going wrong?  is it a) lack of water or b) slugs getting there first?  I have got carrots growing well in a trough in the cold frame but just can’t get them to germinate outside.  Beetroot are sparse too.  I’ll have to reseed …

May 1st

Ne’re shed a clout until the May is out so they say.

With previous warm weather and now rain the weeds have rejoiced in their prime growing conditions.  Ground alder looks like I’ve been deliberately farming it on an industrial scale.  It’s no good trying to extract it in dry weather as was the case in April, the roots within the soil hang on to their habitat grimly refusing to let go.

Today was better after rain.  Each year I go through the same ritual.  Kneeling down on hands and knees, forking it all out piece by piece, planting some other plant I do want in the vain hope it will take hold,  the ground alder returning then the plant dying, smothered to death.

I’m working by the front wall so I see everything that goes on in our lane, or isn’t going on as it should be because we are in lockdown right?   Wrong – neighbours just down the hill have a vehicle going up and down their drive every five minutes.  They seem to be clocking up a rate of two parcel deliveries or visitors an hour.  Immediate neighbour over the road should be self isolated  for health reasons .  He gazes at his ridiculously large  vehicle on his drive for his needs….  He can’t bear it any longer….  He climbs in and strokes the dashboard instruments lovingly….  His twitching fingers clutch they keys and before he knows it they are inserted in the ignition, turning the engine. It’s fired up!  He listens to it throbbing on his drive for a while.   I’m choking on the fumes a few meters away trying to extract weeds.  The gates open and he eases it out onto the lane.  Not really.  He revs and fumbles it out onto the lane and drives off.  Two minutes later – back again!  Well that was fun.

I do meet plenty locals out walking though – we’re allowed to do that. This morning I managed to hold a discussion on our village Climate Change initiative.  Nothing’s happening apart from more climate change.  We could be doing loads online…

This year’s victims will be monbretia.  I enjoyed the riotous colours of reds oranges and yellows displayed by this plant as we cycled around the coastline of western Scotland last year.  Old white washed cottages had huge strands of monbretia spilling out onto the verges. I’m wishing mine will do the same and smother that ground alder in the process.

On the veg front the lettuce seedlings donated by a friend can now be eaten as small salad leaves along with radishes.  If we were self sufficient we’d have died of starvation by now!  Broad beans are in flower and the bumble bees are busily pollinating them. the climbing beans are ready to go out but I daren’t let them in case of a freak frost.

Sorry for running off script with the garden routine – it’s these ‘unprecedented times’ you know!