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Wednesday,28th January
Believe it or not, I did go to the allotment yesterday,
just to say hello and make sure it hadn't forgotten who I was. As it was
a reasonable sort of day I walked it but the earth on my plot was not
fit for any walking so I contented myself with standing on the paths and
throwing handfuls of Growmore over the raspberries, strawberries, gooseberries,
blackberries and loganberries. About time I had a decent crop off that
lot.
While there I bumped into Chairman Ian and we wasted a few minutes discussing
the progress EDF were making in tackling the pylons. Certain structures
of a scaffolding nature were in place but no evidence of pylons biting
the dust yet. Could be some time methinks.
In the evening I made my monthly sojourn to the North Star for Association
Pub Night. Don't let Mrs N say I never take her out. We were definitely
fewer in number than usual although nonetheless jovial for all that and
an enjoyable time was had by all. We're all going to have an enjoyable
time on the 20th (Feb) too as everyone there had made sure they'd got
their tickets for the dinner. Did you get yours? If not, get hold of Ken
and see if he can fit you in. Just mention my name (Ned!!).
Sunday, 25th January
As
you may well know, this weekend was the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch; you
watch the birds in your garden for one hour then send in the results to
the RSPB. My chosen hour was this morning from 9.30 till 10.30. Somehow
the birds had found out again. I don't know how they do it but every year
all the birds know to stay away from your garden during the hour you're
watching. That's gratitude for you. My garden is full of trees, shrubs,
birdfeeders and bird boxes - a birds' paradise in fact were it not for
the dozen or so marauding neighbourhood cats - and how do they repay me?
They all hide on Big Garden Birdwatch day. Why, even yesterday I was putting
up a new bird box for them, not just because I love birds but also because
the weather made it more or less impossible to do any gardening. I even
did a small ceiling mend in the study and a load of washing up so it shows
I was stuck for something constructive to do.
I downloaded this computer programme as well which lets you watch the
telly on your computer. No, it doesn't! unless you like to watch the telly
with the picture freezing for 5 seconds or so regularly and the sound
disappearing but as it was free there's not a lot I can do about it really.
Perhaps it's the weather playing havoc with the signal; it's put a stop
to most things. I haven't even been washing the car so yesterday I got
one of those nice Eastern European gentlemen up at Tesco's to do it while
we did the shopping. £5, bargain! Won't be long at the present rate
before we'll be going over there to wash their cars for a couple of euros.
Wednesday, 21st January
How
nice to see the little snowdrops flowering away as I walked up the garden
to the greenhouse this morning. Some of the daffodils are well up too
but none of them anywhere near flowering yet. With the sunshine you could
have thought Spring was well and truly underway but the outside thermometer
was nowhere near convinced and hovered begrudgingly around the zero mark.
I couldn't do much really apart from clearing up the mess I made the other
day when I finished pruning the apple trees. I did another job too then
between the rain showers replacing a pane of glass in the greenhouse.
Why did it have to be right at the
top? And the greenhouse was built on breeze blocks too to raise the height
somewhat to give more headroom inside. Seemed like a good idea at the
time. So there I was balancing on a stepladder next to the greenhouse
and leaning over trying to remove (then reinsert) those dastardly spring
clips. Still, I managed without cracking or chipping the replacement glass
so I was quite pleased with myself. And no injuries to report!
Then later this morning it was off to the tip transporting all said prunings
to the green waste section - it's nice to get out, isn't it? This afternoon
I went for the usual stroll with the rest of the crew, down Pond Lane
and up round Saint Symphorian's - and the sun still shone. They've spruced
up that little cottage in Pond Lane but I include a picture of what it
used to look like so if you want you can go and see if the changes are
an improvement.
Sunday, 18th January
Horticultural activities so far this weekend have been restricted
to the confines of my own back garden. The weather's been pleasant enough
at times but it's so boggy underfoot that several tasks have been ruled
out. I did go to the allotment on Friday but 20 minutes or so of slipping
and slithering around persuaded me conditions weren't quite right for
digging. Still it wasn't a complete waste of time as I managed to get
a couple of free barrowloads of manure and I ran into Ken as he was putting
up his Association Dinner notices reminding
people that this coming week was the last one to get your tickets (I don't
care, I've got mine!). Obviously a chat ensued as we put the allotment
world to right.
I ventured to our Store at Humber on Saturday morning to buy some seeds
and onion sets, red and white, (yes, they're in now) and 
a
jar of Pete's marmalade. £1.20p - bargain! On returning home I got
a little ladder out and finished pruning my apple trees. The ground was
so soggy that my ladder kept sinking into the earth and when I pulled
it out each time to move on, the plastic protectors on the ends were left
buried beneath the turf so I had to dig them out. The Discovery tree is
getting a bit of a handful. I bought it on a dwarfing M9 rootstock about
25 years ago but it appears to have thrown out some roots from above the
graft and is now over 12ft tall and wide. It has 4 main branches so in
future years I think I'll just concentrate on one or two branches each
year, out of respect of my advancing years and decreasing stamina. They're
lovely red apples though and they took first prize at last year's show.
The only trouble is they don't keep for more than a couple of days before
going a bit woolly. We always have a glut of them so starting to cut it
back next year won't do any harm, I don't think, if I do one section at
a time.
Wednesday, 14th January
I saw the sunshine this morning but realised it would be
useless setting foot on the sodden allotment soil so decided to carry
on with
the apple tree pruning in the back garden. It wasn't long before I realised
I wasn't actually working in the sun and it was bloomin' cold - 0°C
in fact according to a nearby thermometer. But I ploughed on and I have
now finished stage 1 which is pruning all those bits I can reach. The
next stage involves ladders and saws and long-landled loppers and things
and it's not nearly so cosy - but then I realised I had some very important
things indoors I had to be getting on with so I had to leave it for the
time being.
This afternoon my strolling took me through Longcroft Park and I have
often been puzzled by what looks like a minor grass ravine there. Have
a look at the picture. Does anybody know what it is?
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Monday, 12th January
At last I got to the allotment this morning. I only saw
one other person and he was on the plot next to me. "Bit bleak, isn't
it?" he said. Well, no arguing with that assessment! But it made
a change from the ground being frozen solid even if it was miserable.
I got on with pruning (down to the ground) what I hope are my autumn fruiting
raspberries. It's not easy to tell as I have 3 different kinds (summer,
autumn, dual) and they're all mixed up in the rows. I know it sounds daft
but it's to do with when and how I acquired them. It started off as a
row of summer fruiting and a row of autumn fruiting (though a few different
varieties) but then some didn't do so well, then I was given some and
so on. I'm sure they'll survive.
I even tried a bit of digging on what was my strawberry bed but it's got
too much couch grass in it now so I've moved the strawberries I want to
keep and I'll try and dig out all the couch grass - and bindweed. Soul-destroying,
isn't it? You know for every piece you remove you've probably missed 2
or 3 and what's more you've created several new plants by breaking the
roots that didn't come out cleanly. And the soil was heavy, and there
was a bit of frost about a spit down and it started to drizzle with rain
so, you've guessed it, I packed in. Anyway I had important things to do
like buy a couple of books of stamps at the post office (hardly any change
from a tenner!).
On a more positive note my second attempt at a bonfire was a blazing success
last night leaving just a pile of wood ash. Just right for the raspberries
except the wood ash is in my back garden and the raspberries are on the
allotment.
Friday, 9th January
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Ned-pruned dwarf apple tree |
Nice bit of sunshine enticed me outside but it was deceptive,
wasn't it? Hardly any warmth in the sun at all and the ground was still
rock hard, couldn't get the fork to go in. Still I was determined to do
something so I set about pruning my apple trees. Well, I made a start
anyway and I made sure I started with the smallest one so I could achieve
something. My old gardening tutor said
that that when you'd finished pruning an apple tree you should be able
to throw your hat through it (something to do with air circulation) so
I hope he's not looking down on me.
Then this afternoon I went to the garden centre; not one of my usual haunts
but someone had given me a voucher. No point in buying anything to plant
as I couldn't get it in the ground and I don't want to buy any more equipment
to cram into the shed so I bought a blue tit nesting box. The one I've
already got was nested in this year so if they come back perhaps they'd
like some new neighbours, not too close though, don't want to set up a
territorial war. ( More
severe prune) ›
This evening I set up a bonfire but for some reason it never took off
(no, I wasn't trying to start it with the wood I'd just pruned off the
apple trees!) so I guess I'll have to have another go over the weekend
before the rain arrives. Still while it flickered it kept me warm for
a little while.
Wednesday, 7th January
Oh,what joy to be back in the land of the living! Well.almost,
anyway. I knew I wasn't right on New Year's Eve at the dinner table and
trying to engage in conversation afterwards but I felt a little better
on the walk home and thought I might be OK. Until I woke up 
the
next day. We were meant to be going on a walk but there was no way I was
going anywhere - it was just the start of what was to become a 4-loo roll
cold (I use them as paper hankies!). It came complete with sores on nose
and lips so not only did I feel ghastly I looked even more frightful than
usual as well. Most of it has gone now and I did go for a little walk
this afternoon around the Titnore Lane area. Not very warm, though. And
it's not been very warm in my greenhouse either made worse by a hole and
radiating breaks in one of my greenhouse windows, the one at the top,
of course. Some little pleb with a catapult, I expect. I've just patched
it up for the time being because if I take the pane out completely the
temperature inside will really plummet. I've got 2 paraffin heaters in
there but it's still a job keeping the temperature above freezing. Not
sure how the orange tree is going to like that. Still at least it's dry
so perhaps I'll have a bonfire; that should warm the greenhouse up a bit
although I probably won't actually hold it inside the greenhouse itself.
One thing that helped cheer me up was the arrival of my tickets for the
Association Dinner in February. Have you got yours yet? I'm looking forward
to that at a time of year that is normally a bit bleak. Roll on the 20th
February.
Thursday, 1st January 2009
Unfortunately Ned has succumbed to the winter lurgy and is unable to correspond at the moment. And just when he had so much to tell you about: the dinner, new page for allotment tenants, a new recipe, the winter walk and Tuesday's pub night. Still, I'm sure you understand and all wish him a speedy recovery. (Ed)