Positively defrazzled!

Much as I would have liked to have followed Glo’s suggestion that I visit Shoreham-by-Sea to get defrazzled I opted to spend a couple of hours  pleasantly pottering instead.

Thankfully yesterday morning the weather was cooler, and less humid,  so I harvested some potatoes, a couple of red beetroot, lettuce leaves, a bowl full of delicious raspberries and the last of the sweet juicy strawberries. Plot neighbour Lesley kindly gave me a carton of blackcurrants, which I shall eat later on with a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream.

There’s now lots of poppiesDSCN1453and pot marigolds Sherbert FizzDSCN1457

The bees love the flowering teaselsDSCN1451and how about this jewel of a beetle DSCN1455

Whilst wandering round I also saw two sparrows on the nut feeder, butterflies fluttering overhead and ladybirds loitering.

Thanks to cooler weather, some pleasant pottering and looking at enjoyable posts like Glo’s  Bright and ‘Cherry’ I’m feeling positively defrazzled!

Frazzled

I have to say that I don’t like this hot (over 30C) and humid weather, made even worse with the poor air quality.

As well as feeling generally frazzled it affects my joints,  particularly in my right hand, which makes it difficult for me to grip or type.  I do have medication that I can take but the side effects are even worse to cope with!

Particularly annoying is that whilst like this I can do little on the plot. I’m not even trying to water and weed, both of which are essential jobs.

Even a simple task  like taking a few photos becomes somewhat exasperating.

It’s Feeling Hot Hot Hot,  so  stay cool cool and have a good weekend!

Summer plotting

I’ve finished planting and sowing now until the autumn, but there’s still plenty to do such weeding, watering and harvesting.

So far I’ve had first early potatoes Swift,  lettuce  Buttercrunch and Lollo Rosso,  some finger-tip sized radish French BreakfastDSCN1380a few raspberries and, as you know, lots of strawberries. I’ve even had my first beetroot Cylindra and a couple of Burpee’s Golden which I lifted yesterday morningDSCN1403 cooked after lunchDSCN1405and had for tea in a couple of salad sandwiches. Very tasty!

Colourful nasturtiums have started appearingDSCN1384as have some poppiesDSCN1390and how about this bouquet of blooms on the rose Valentine HeartDSCN1387

I’ve seen a few of these, which thankfully are rather smaller than shown here! Ladybirds are now apppearing all over the plot, and are one of many insects I’ve noticed on the teaselsDSCN1398

As you’ve probably realised by now there’s nothing on TV next week that I think is worth mentioning here.

Have a good weekend!

What…no strawberries!

If you thought that Thursday’s story about not being able to grow flowers on an allotment was ludicrous then this story is even more ridiculous! I talked about it at the horticultural society hut this morning and the comments ranged from polite disbelief to utter indignation. That was whilst drinking our cups of tea and eating a slice of delicious strawberry flan that Colin, one of the committee members, had made with ones grown on his allotment.

I like most sausages but I’m not at all sure about strawberry and cream ones! I think that I’ll give these a miss and stick to my usual pork ones.

I was going to do a plot post but it’s such nice weather that I’m going to have some lunch, including sausages and strawberries for afters, then take a leisurely stroll through the ecology park, allotments and playing fields.

It makes you think!

There’s nothing on TV next week that’s worth a mention so here are several blog posts of particular note that I’ve read during the week.

If you have, or can make, the time then it’s well reading all the various links and comments on them.

On Monday morning I read What’s wrong with an allotment plot full of flowers on the Guardian Gardening Blog with a sense of disbelief and dismay!  I did this on Allotments 4 All to see what fellow allotmenteers thought about it, then commented, as Sofaflyer, on the Guardian post. As a less-conventional allotmenteer  I really do sympathise with Chris Smallbone, who incidentally has his own excellent website Dig My Plot.

A couple of weeks ago lawn lounger Veg Plotting did this light-hearted guest post How to spot the arrival of summer on the Guardian’s Gardening Blog which sadly attracted some rather negative comments.  She was unable to respond to them as she was on holiday and comments were closed when she got back.  She has however repeated the post on her own blog along with her feelings about those remarks.

Yesterday Uphilldowndale did this thoughtful post Anon which is about something that could affect all bloggers, particularly those who do so anonymously. Likewise Maureen did this post British Court Rules Against Blogger Anonymity on her A View From Britain blog. I agree with what both of them say and fear that a lot of good blogs will not only stop, but probably be deleted as well.  If that happens it will another step in the wrong direction that this country seems so intent on taking. This morning these related articles were in the  Guardian,  Telegraph and  Times.

Ending on a light-hearted note I came across The Hairy Pot Plants well designed website this week which is well worth taking a peek at!

Have a good weekend!

It would be nice…

to say that the broad beans that I ate yesterday were ones that I grew on the plot.  Sadly that’s not so and it looks like I won’t be doing so either as mine are totally infested with blackfly. The first variety I sowed were so bad that I pulled them up during the week and got rid of them. In their place I’ve sowed  more beetroot and lettuce, and a packet of carrot Autumn King.

The other ones aren’t so bad, but that’s not saying much!  The ones I ate were kindly given to me by plot neighbour Joe, being ones he planted last November. Even these weren’t that good as despite having plenty of long pods they contained surprising few fully grown beans.

I had six courgette seeds, two of which I gave to Joe and of the other four just one appeared only for it to be completely nibbled away!  I’ve been given a few more  so I’ll try again.

On a happier note I’ve had potatoes, lettuce leaves, lots of strawberries  and today I ate my first raspberry.

It’s good to see the birds again now they’ve finished nesting, and last week a jay flew across the allotments and there was wren perched on top of a bundle of bamboo canes singing it’s heart out. I keep seeing sparrows on the non-flowering Iceberg rose,  presumably eating the greenflies.Sparrow on rose bush

Apparently Missy Fox had four cubs a few months ago, a bit later than usual probably due to the cold weather, but sadly one of them was found dead  during the week. It looked okay so we guess that it had been poisoned. Last year’s cub Digger is still around and certainly living up to his name!

Springwatch specials

I’ve really enjoyed watching  Springwatch over the past three weeks but can hardly believe that it’s finished for another year.

Happily next week there are three Springwatch specials being shown on BBC2 all starting at 8.00pm.

On Monday there is Springwatch Close Encounters with Simon King, Wednesday sees Springwatch Holidays with Martin Hughes-Games and on Thursday it’s Springwatch Home Movies with Gordon Buchanan.

Don’t forget that the RSPB’s Make Your Nature Count, which I mentioned last weekend,  continues through to Sunday.

Have a good weekend!

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