Flighty's plot

Spring is near.

Spring by Brian H.Gent

The month of March has come at last, The worst of Winter now has passed, But, until it’s really Spring, March will have her final fling.

Rain must fall and winds must blow Before we sharpen spade and hoe; Nature needs no hand of man To help her with her future plan.

Snowdrops bloom in wood and field, Chill winds never made them yield, Crocuses in drifts close by Turn coloured faces to the sky. sun-1

Gorse and heather on the moor, No wonder that our spirits soar, To see their colourful display Overcomes the dullest day.

Willows show a hint of green, Waters still reflect the sheen; So many signs to bring us cheer, Now that another Spring is near.

This poet also wrote my favourite garden poem My little friend, which I featured in this post.

Natural World. Iron Curtain, Ribbon of Life is on BBC2 at 8.00pm tomorrow. This is all about the wildlife in what is the world’s biggest conservation area stretching some 8,000 miles across Europe, protecting everything from bears in Finland to rare eagles in Bulgaria.

I’ve just started reading Dance with Wings by Amelia Carr. Not surprisingly it was the title, the fact that the author is interested in aviation and has a private pilots licence, and that the book is dedicated to the brave men and women of the Air Transport Auxiliary that caught my eye and prompted me to buy it. I’ll let you know what I thought of this novel when I’ve read it!

I’ve not done much looking skywards lately as RAF Northolt has been closed to visitors for much of the time during recent weeks. However one notable aircraft that I did see landing there last week was this Czech Air Force Antonov An-26B.

If you’re planning on going for a walk in the countryside this weekend then it’ll be well worth having a look at the excellent When to Watch Wildlife – March Wildlife Highlights before setting out.

Have a good weekend!

Two birds and a bee

It wasn’t sunny most of last week but it was dry and relatively mild so I did plenty of general tidying up on the plot.

Much of the bottom vegetable patch is still very sticky in places but it was better at the top flower area where I dug some it over. That attracted the robin(s) after a tasty worm but much as I tried I didn’t get a good photo of the gardener’s friend. This was the best one where it’s sitting on top of a sunflower stem. dscn1017

On Friday I got my first sighting of something using the new pond, which was a wood pigeon having a drink. dscn1025 Sadly these are just the opposite to robins as they are pesky birds on allotments and in gardens.

The crocus started to flower this week bringing some much welcome spots of colour to the plot. dscn1020

Taking nectar from a purple one on another plot was this bumble bee. dscn1027

This is one of several groups of daffodils which are spread around the plot, and should be flowering before too long dscn1016

There were also several of these which I have to admit I can’t remember what they are! dscn1023

Happy gardening!

Happy blogging

I’ve been blogging now for just over four years and I’m enjoying it as much, or perhaps even more, as I did when I started.

This has been my main blogging home for nearly for two years now. Besides doing my own posts I’ve always enjoyed reading entertaining and informative blogs as well as often commenting on them.

Here are four very different Lawn loungers blog posts to illustrate what I mean.

One of my first favourites was Tizwoz and I was sad when he stopped blogging. However I was very glad to see that he’s started again and has done this excellent post Book Worm reviewing two very contrasting books.

2times20, or MJ to some of us, went to the end of the world which is certainly somewhere a bit different! Even though my desire to travel afar has somewhat diminished nowadays I can still enjoy visiting unusual places like this from the comfort of home.

I’m not much of a cook but reading Panda-eyed‘s mouth-watering post Chocolate and clementine heaven, oops, I mean, cake makes me rather wish that I was! A slice of that cake would be perfect with a nice cup of tea.

Olivia has recently settled in Washington, DC and knowing her love of museums and aviation it’s not surprising that she visited the magnificent aerospace museum there. After I read this I was browsing and found this! They’re civilian owned warbirds photographed two years ago but it could easily have been Vietnam 40 years ago.

I never to cease to be surprised by the output, quality and range of subjects that are blogged about, and often photographed. I suppose that I shouldn’t be really as it’s something that we surely all enjoy doing!

Happy blogging, and have a good weekend!

I did more plotting…

last week than I have over the past few months!

Wednesday was overcast, but relatively mild, so after breakfast I went to build the new compost bin. I found that the original compost heap was ready to use so I spread it over the vegetable patch.

I worked steadily through the morning and, with surprisingly few problems, ended up with a bin that’s big and permanent. On Thursday I went back to apply a coat of green wood preserver so that it will blend in, especially once some grass and plants have grown along the front edge. dscn0986

Next on the list was the new pond which I did on Friday dscn10062 I reckon that it’ll look okay once there’s some grass and flowers around the edge. I like the way the water sparkles in the sunlight and the wind ripples the surface.

Yesterday was a gloriously sunny, warm day which got off to a brilliant start when I said Hello again! to Fox Newton. I spent the morning doing some much needed tidying up all over the plot so that it now looks rather better than it did. Mind you that was only the start as there’s lots more to do to get it ready for planting and sowing.

Hello again!

This morning as I walked towards the allotment gates Fox Missy appeared from under the willow tree. I stopped and whilst getting the camera out of my pocket she came ever closer dscn0996

before crossing right in front of me dscn0998

then stopping to look at me again before wandering off. dscn1000

If that wasn’t a brilliant enough start to the day once I went through the gates I saw several pied wagtails just ahead of me on the roadway which I’ve not seen there before.

Later on whilst working on the plot I looked up to see Missy sitting about ten feet away yawning and scratching, but of course the camera was over in the shed!

Four to watch

This evening on ITV1 at 9.00pm is the first in a new four part documentary series Billy Connolly: Journey To The Edge Of The World. He travels across Canada by way of the Northwest Passage starting off in Nova Scotia.

At the same time over on BBC2 is Natural World – Cassowaries. These are very large flightless birds which can be 6 feet tall, weigh 13 stone and have 5 inch long claws so it’s definitely not one I want to see on the plot!

There is another Natural World programme on BBC2 tomorrow at 8.00pm. It’s A Farm for the Future in which Rebecca Hosking looks at techniques which show that nature may hold the answer to a low-energy future.

Since many bloggers are also keen photographers they may enjoy watching The Genius of Photography which starts on Saturday on BBC2 at 7.00pm with 1/6. Fixing the Shadows. This programme looks at early photographic pioneers such as Eadweard Muybridge.

Have a good weekend!

Plot life

I was recently looking through the photos that I’ve taken during last year and was pleased to see several that I can use as header pictures.

I’m starting with this one of a gardener’s friend on one of this gardener’s favourite flowers!

It’s always good to see ladybirds* anywhere on the plot such as the blackberries, runner beans and sweet peas. * That is except Harlequin ladybirds like this!

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Sweet peas were one of my real successes from sowing seeds in pots indoors to cutting a bunch of fragrant flowers to bring home.

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I usually start any plot visit by walking round looking at the plants and any wildlife, although there’s not been much to see during the past few months. Perhaps it was just the brown, ripped topped, sunflower stems or an elusive dunnock feeding on seed that I’d scattered on the ground.

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I’m going to have a second pond! This one is a green plastic dustbin lid that is about 21 inches diameter and, at most, 3 inches deep. I’m hoping that the birds will use it as a bath and insects, such as dragonflies, will be attracted to it.

I’m aiming to do that, and build my new compost bin, sometime during the next few weeks whilst the ground hopefully dries out enough to be able to start some serious plotting!

Here’s one of my plot best photos which is a reminder of sunny, warm days!

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Cold and hot

I didn’t get to watch Nature’s Great Events last night but I’ll catch up with it when it’s shown again on BBC1 Sunday at 6.00pm. 2/6 The Great Salmon Run is on BBC1 next Wednesday at 9.00pm.

If you like monkeys then Natural World- Snow Monkeys on BBC2 tomorrow at 8.00pm should be of interest. It’s all about Japanese macaques, and the programme is Radio Times’ Pick of the Day.

Earlier this week it was good to see that former blog friend MJ has returned to blogging with a new WordPress blog 2 times 20. She lives in Bueno Aires, Argentina where, as you can see, the weather is somewhat better than here!

As you all liked the little koala that I mentioned, and showed, here last week here’s another one over on Maureen’s excellent A View from England blog.

I’m sure that, just like me, plenty of you also wear socks in bed at this time of year. Being a couple of inches longer than my bed and sleeping straight rather than curled up if I didn’t my feet would be frozen! I mention this as a lead in to this wonderful poem by Wendy Cope.

The Joy of Socks

Nice warm socks,

Nice warm socks –

We should celebrate them

Ask a toe!

Toes all know

It’s hard to over-rate them

Toes say ‘Please

Don’t let us freeze

Till we’re numb and and while

Summers gone –

Put them on!

Wear them day and night.’

Nice warm socks,

Nice warm socks

Who would dare to mock them?

Take good care of every pair

And never, ever knock them!

Have a good weekend!

February blues!

Back in September the Met Office had forecast a drier and milder winter than normal so I was looking forward to doing a few hours general plotting most weeks so that come the spring I would all ready to plant and sow. As we now know it’s actually been colder and wetter than usual, and looks set to continue!

In view of that it’s not really surprising that I’ve had a touch of the February blues!

Considering the snowy week we’ve had here in the UK I thought that this poem was rather appropriate.

Bridal White by Kathleen Gillum

The snowflakes dancing down the breeze

Come softy without sound,

And spread a fragile, feathered fleece

Upon the hardened ground.

A glistening mantle has been draped

On walls of old grey stone,

And gives to houses, roofs and eaves

A beauty of their own.

An ancient church, an old schoolhouse

Which stand on village green,

Are etched like pencilled silhouettes

Against the snowy scene.

All is transformed with silver wand

Waved by a Winter sprite,

Our old familiar world is dressed

in veil of bridal white.