It’s shouldn’t happen to Adam the Gardener

My last sit of the six week long marathon was this little miniature schnauzer. Very nice dog, but for me to have a dog of this size I would want one to be a bit more lively! But she is quite a character, steals things left lying around like tv remotes and so on. She wasn’t keen on crossing the road to the nearby recreation ground, a reluctant walker perhaps, a bit like the St Bernard. The house was near the centre of the village and was very nice inside. 

When that sit finished, I went home enjoyed sleeping  in our bed, and felt very chilled. I was busy the next day, and this lovely weather, meant a trip to the allotment was needed. Next year I plan to grow my own plants to put in it, this year there hasn’t been time. The cage is going to be a boon soon, no birds or butterflies like cabbage white can get to the plants and fruit. There was a question about the merits of a cage or netting as it does stop bird eating insects meaning things like whitefly can be worse in a cage than outside. But I will live with it and see what happens. All of the trees have blossom on them, some not quite open. I only really know what one tree is. 

I had an afternoon up there, but first went to a local nursery to buy those plants. I had secured two more raised beds, as with those tree roots, growing things directly in the soil near the trees is going to be marginal. I was surprised and pleased about the lack of weeds. For sure they are growing as in some places, things like bindweed are appearing. But all around the perimeter where last year the bind weed scaled to the top of the netting, it is gone. It is appearing from under the raised beds, but  short of moving them I am not sure I can do much. The onion and shallot sets are sprouting, and half the broad beans. I bought some more broad bean plants  to fill the gaps. I weeded the entire plot, and was filling a water butt from the hose pipe that goes to the tap by the church tower. The water was really slow, why? Well a nearby overflowing water butt gave me the answer. Over the years, a handy reel of hosepipe that reaches to the tap, has been the centre of a water company distribution system going to many plots. The answer is make sure everything is turned off before applying water to the system! Then while weeding, I heard a creak,  a crash and then sound of running water.

The water butt had been perched on two pallets and one was clearly passed its best and broke catapulting the butt to the ground, where it broke up and water gushed everywhere. I was going to leave my water butt on the half plot I used last year, which I have given up. But now I needed it. I continued my weeding and planting. The raspberry canes, the old and my new ones are growing, and I put up the canes for the climbing beans. I also bought two lavenders for the piece of land outside the cage, to go with the other herbs I bought a month ago. My radish have germinated, but no sign of the beetroot or spinach yet.

I have planted some Pac Choi and Kohl Rabi the latter you grate into salads, it looks like an alien! I also planted peas, the mice might attack them, going after the seeds which will still be present even after germination. If they do I won’t bother with them again.  I have Savoy cabbage,  Pointy cabbage, Cauliflower , Broccoli and Red cabbage plants I have used slug pellets, which I don’t like using.

It was then time to put my feet up while I waited for the dustbin I am using as a water butt to fill up. Earlier in the day, I did my first duty as a volunteer driver for folks who can’t get to doctors , hospitals on their own. It was an easy drive, just to Wargrave. I like the contact , meeting new people. At home I enjoyed the series on Netflix  Toxic. After all that work I had a nice soak in a bath.