Worthing and District Allotments and Gardens Association

Wednesday, 28th April

Well, I'm back, in more ways than one. The weekend before last I was away in Belgium with a Worthing Coaches trip to the Belgian Flower festival in Ghent, then last weekend Mrs N and I spent the weekend with some friends. "We know you like walking," they said. "so we've organised a little walk for this afternoon." NINE MILES! The walk was alled "Hills and Mills" so you can guess waht the terrain was like. Then as soon as we got in it was off again to eat out. Still we recovered on the Sunday with a visit to a National Trust stately home - The Vyne near Sherborne St John.
Last night was Pub Night and all the holiday goers were there then this afternoon I went walking with our walking group, so I have been about a bit but now I'm at home and sitting down for a few minutes.

The other way I'm back is back on air. I can access the site on my new computer now thanks to a bit of help from my computer guru, Terry. No pictures yet though as I've lost my Photoshop disc which I had for years so I can't install it on this new machine which is taking more training than a cat to do what I want. It's taking a lot of my time.

As if I weren't short enough of gardening time I've now got the job of putting some tiles back up in the bathroom. Trouble is the plumber has moved the pipework and I've got to cut and drill the tiles. I've only got one spare tile so it's take it steady time again. While I was trying to do that this morning I was interrupted 5 times and our eldset is coming round this evening so after this bit of typing I think I've finished for today.

However, I have got some gardening done. I continue to pick purple sprouting broccoli, rhubarb and parsnips and I still have onions left. This year's onions are going to be rather late as I want to put them where the broccoli is but I have managed to dig over some vacant space. I've also been potting up tomato plants and hardening things off. Next week I must burst into action.

Wednesday, 21st April

Still having computer problems, I'm afraid. I've got my new one but it's not talking to my old one so I can't transfer my files (and web stuff) over which means at the moment I've gone back to using the old one. No doubt I'll suss it some time. I'm not really getting much gardening done either; yesterday when it was so lovely I was indoors removing tiles in the bathroom very gingerly to make way for a new shower. Trouble is I've not got many spare tiles so I can't just smash merrily away.

In the garden I have squidged my first lily beetle of the season. The only good thing about them is they're bright red so they're relatively easy to spot and deal with before they deposit their mess all over the lily stems. I've also sown some carrots in a bin to try and grow some long ones. How you get them out I'm not too sure.
Of course the other reason I haven't got much done is because I've been away again - this time to the Floralies in Belgium, a flower festival held every 5 years. I'll write something for the News page later when some of the other trippers have sent me their photos. 10 of us went from the Allotments and a great time was had by all. Next trip for members is Wisley - have you booked?

Thursday, 15th April

I've got my spuds in at last! Charlotte and Desiree. And that's not all; I've sown my parsnips as well. Perhaps I should say I've made my first sowing of parsnips because I find germination of parsnip seeds is always a bit hit and miss. Last year they did fantastically well; every single one germinated and we're still suffering a glut now so this year they're bound to be rubbish. The purple sprouting broccoli is finally producing too, just as I was about to give up on them and grub them out to make way for the onions. The onions will have to stay in trays a while longer because after months of waiting there's no way I'm ditching the broccoli crop now. I shan't grow them again though because they're in the ground for so long and they take up a lot of room.

Away from the allotment I've been trying to get things out of the greenhouse but the orange tree looks very sick and I've had to trim quite a bit of it off. Perhaps it will make it easier to manoeuvre out of the greenhouse at a later date and lift and carry to its usual summer position in the garden.
The lawn is growing now and that's without any recent rain so Sundays resound to the pleasant Spring sound of electric lawnmowers. Barbecues next, I suppose.

I was sitting here the other night updating the site when the phone rang next to me. "Hello," I answered only to be greeted by, "What are you doing there when I'm in the restaurant in Chichester?" A friend claimed he'd sent me an email agreeing the date but I claim never to have received it. Oh, dear! I've decided the computer will have to go. It's getting more and more difficult to do amything with it - like update this site, for instance - as it's become so slow and unreliable. So I've ordered a new one which means this could be my last message for a while (assuming it agrees to load this!) because it will take me some time to work out how to set up the new one when it arrives next week and then even longer to work out how to transfer everything over to the new machine, especially my internet connection. Merry Christmas then!

Sunday,11th April

We've certainly had some lovely gardening weather recently, especially this weekend. I haven't been to the allotment this weekend except to go to the stores and buy some compost but, no, I have not been skiving this time. Instead I have been working in my own garden pricking out, potting on and hardening off mainly. It's been lovely and warm in the greenhouse! Outside the mowing season has begun in earnest so I have at last unpacked my new lawnmower and put it to use. I love the garden at this time of year with the birds singing and the spring flowers in bloom, mainly yellow (daffodils, primroses and forsythia in my garden) but with splashes of pink (hyacinth, primroses and heather) and blue (muscari, hyacinth and aubretia). And didn't the trees burst into blossom all of a sudden?

Talking of singing birds, Mrs N and I spent Thursday morning at the RSPB centre in Pulborough Brooks. Every Thursday morning they have 2-hour guided tours of the reserve which only cost me a couple of quid as I'm a member. These guys certainly know their stuff and how to spot and identify all those LBJs (little brown jobbies). We saw and learnt how to recognize bullfinches, black caps, chiff-chaffs, herons and a load of other birds. We also saw some grass snakes but no adders or pythons. We probably wouldn't have seen much at all if they hadn't lent us some mighty fine binoculars. I was so impressed I bought a pair. So much for my cheap day out.

Wednesday, 7th April

Well, Easter's been and gone and I still haven't got my spuds in. I'm afraid I've been gallivanting again, going away for a long weekend in Kent and then yesterday a group of us went to Midhurst, or Trotton to be precise. "Where? Why?" I hear you ask. Let me explain. A few weeks ago, to use up some retaurant vouchers, Mrs N and I went to the Southdowns Country Hotel & Restaurant there for lunch. What a great idea it turned out to be! There weren't many of us in the conservatory-type retaurant but I don't know why because the food was fantastic and the service excellent. It could be because they were under new management and word hasn't got round yet. The new man, a Mr Klein (mention my name and Worthing Alotments if you go - only joking), was very friendly and welcoming and the beer was OK too. I would have tried the wine but I'm afraid I was driving and restricting myself to one glass is always a bit of a downer. Anyway, to cut a long story short, we decided to go back so this week we returned mob-handed (if you can call 5 a mob). The place was much busier as there was a big group there in the main restaurant. Despite the staff's plea for patience and understanding because they were so busy, we didn't notice any difference at all - the service was just as attentive and the food just as good. This time Mr Klein was in the kitchen - he is a chef - but he did come out later for a chat and was as convivial as before. I'm not on an earner or anything but I would seriously recommend the place on what I have experienced although I have not been there in the evening yet. Don't take my word for it, have a look at their website at http://www.southdownshotel.com and go and judge for yourself. If you don't like it let me know.

Lunch went on for a while so afterwards we went for a little walk up to Cowdray Castle. It's only a ruin now but it's still impressive and it was a pleasant day for a stroll. Then it was back home and down to earth with an Association committee meeting, the nearest I come to work these days.
Now you may think from all that that I haven't been to the allotment at all but you'd be wrong. I've been there this morning and yesterday morning (Yes, yesterday was a bit busy. I'm almost in danger of getting a life.) The soil is still heavy but much easier to dig and I'll soon be ready to put in my potatoes, Charlotte and Desiree. I have nothing in the ground yet apart from the parsnips and some very healthy-looking rhubarb plus the perennial soft fruit. My home vegetable plot is still occupied by purple sprouting broccoli and leeks so no digging there then. I have got things in the greenhouse though and with the days drawing out and the temperatures going up I expect seedlings and plants to really get a move on now.

Thursday, 1st April

Believe it or not, I have been to the allotment quite a few times this week but not today. OK the sun's doing it's best but all that rain has left my soil rather damp and heavy. In fact it was heavy digging on Monday and Tuesday and I haven't achieved nearly as much as I wanted to. My potatoes will certainly not being going in at the traditional Easter weekend. Apart from the low temperatures the other thing holding things back is the low light levels. What do I do with my seedlings (e.g. tomatoes)? At the moment they're still indoors on windowsills but they risk becoming rather "leggy" as they reach towards the light. I'm afraid I don't have a conservatory and the temperature in the greenhouse fluctuates wildly between 30+°C when the sun is out and nearly freezing some nights. Not the sort of conditions young seedlings enjoy! Still, I musn't grumble, it kept relatively fine yesterday afternoon for our walking group although only 11 brave souls turned up and 2 of those decided not to walk! It might have been fine but, boy, was it cold? (Yes) Even so it was nice to get out and see daffodils, primulas, heather, hyacinths and the like flowering away and even some hawthorn blossom. Perhaps we're going to get a little dry run now and by the end of next week my plot will have been all dug and my potatoes all snug underground. I reckon!

Oh, have you heard? If you wear glasses and take your presciption to Auto Windshields they'll make you a windshield to the prescription so you don't have to wear your glasses while driving. Unbelievable some of this modern technology, isn't it?