Dalek Emptying and Filling

Another fine week, but with increasing chilly winds, so I wrapped up warm when I went to the Hill today.

I had the place to myself until Fuchsia Allen came by with his unfeasibly large dog, and stopped to say hello. We chatted about the talk on dahlias that is taking place in the club house next month, and I suggested a seed swap at the same time.  We'll see if the committee think it's a good idea.

I jigged about with the second of the four dalek composters until I could release the contents in a controlled fashion on the bed.  Only about half the contents were ready to use, and it was quite dry in the bin - perhaps I should empty a watering can into the bins each visit in future.  It's a shame that the lids aren't porous.

I put the uncomposted stuff back in the bin once it was newly positioned in the next bed up, and also half a dozen bags of manure that a kind soul had put on one side for me on the plot when the muck was last delivered.  It tends to arrive in the week, and there is often none left by the time I get to it - I think my fairy godmother was Woodchippings Paul - I must thank him when I next see him.

I forked over this bed and the adjacent one before digging some parsnips to take home - and spent the journey back pondering how to use the rest of these along with half a dozen or so fat celeriac which will all need lifting soon in time for the new season's planting.

Dancing with Daleks

Spring weather continues to be as it should, with warm sunshine and a brisk chilly breeze. The spring bulbs are all flowering, and that means that the weeds will not be far behind.

It'll soon be time to get the potatoes in, but first I must do some bed preparation which means emptying and moving the compost daleks.  I made a start this weekend by digging most of the last of the leeks up in the bed nearest the front, then undertook a vigourous and ungainly jig with the first dalek to get all the lovely compost out of the bottom.

There's a small amount un-composted which I put back in the bin once it was in it's new position of other-end-of-the-next-bed-up (mostly paper shreddings and the stalks from the sweetcorn) , but in the main I spread about some quite reasonable stuff.  Not quite what you might call seed compost - a bit 'robust' - but I'm sure it'll be fine in due course.

I made sure that I left enough room by the new dalek position to plant a couple of dozen shallots - these were such a success last year having kept far better that any onions I have ever grown.  I'm still using them in the kitchen now.

I picked kale to go along with the leeks I'd dug - all of a sudden under the cage I have some fabulous new leaves - and also dug a couple of parsnip and celeriac.

And by that time it was so dark I couldn't take any pictures, so it was time to come home.

Missing: Winter Weather

I've got bored of waiting for Winter to arrive.   Wet is most certainly has been - the floods have been devastating for many in Somerset and along the Thames - but cold, no.

Of course we may well have a cold snap ahead, and frosts and maybe even snow; but the nights are lighter, the birds are singing the snowdrops have been fabulous and the crocus' and daffodills are now bursting out all over.  I even heard a woodpecker in one of our local parks the other day.

What does that mean for the plot?  It means that until it dries out a bit, there's not much happening, bar digging up parsnips, leek and celariac to use in the kitchen.

But it is the first week of March, and I've had enough of looking at chitting potatoes, so last week I spent a merry evening with all the seed packets out to see what I can get underway.  I rescued last year's compost from the mini greenhouse and some pots and trays from the garage, and off we go.

I've chosen six varieties of tomatoes to grow in buckets again at home in the courtyard garden, sown a trough of miscellaneous salad leaves to cut and come again and some sweet peas, saved from last year.

I've also finally podded out all the broad beans from their dry and blackened pods.  Broad beans don't come true year on year, which is a shame as the crimson flowered variety is the absolute best in the world in appearance and taste.

I can't stop them cross pollinating, but I can take a good guess which out of all these saved beans are likely to be the most similar to the crimson flowered/green beaned parents.

The season starts here.