I’ve read this morning over on Chippy’s blog that fellow blogger Beachhutman sadly died during Tuesday in a Beijing hospital.
This sudden news comes as a real shock as George had been a notable, and popular, blogger for many years.
He originally blogged on 20six and then moved to Platform27. He stayed there when many of us moved yet again as he was able to continue blogging from China where he had worked, and partly lived, for the past couple of years.
He was quite simply one of the best…
This morning was my first stint as one of the helpers in the horticultural society’s hut. It was just for a couple of hours and, not surprisingly, there were few people there apart from the regulars. One of the perks of the job is that I get a second cup of tea and another ginger nut to dunk in it! It was an enjoyable morning and I look forward to reporting for duty again on 15th February, although I’ll be there on the intervening Sundays as usual for bird food.
The seed potatoes that are on order should be delivered during the week and I’ll go and help with off-loading them. They’re Early Arran Pilot, Foremost and Swift; Second Early Charlotte, Kestral and Marfona; and Main Crop Cara, Desiree, King Edward, Majestic and Picasso. I shall get one variety each Early and Second Early and two Main Crop. I’m undecided which ones so I’ll be looking at sites such as the Potato Council.
Last week remained cold so my brief visits to the plot were just to refill the bird feeders and icy pond. However on Wednesday I stopped to chat with John as he had a good bonfire burning
I arrived there on Thursday morning to be told by Joe and John that during the night thieves had smashed the lock then forced open the metal door to the concrete storage building and taken three of the rotovators. They had also broken into a number of the larger sheds but we’re unsure what, if anything, was taken from those.
On a happier note it’s the horticultural society’s 70th anniversary this year and the annual show will be held, at the nearby sports and social club, on the first Saturday in September. Not only will I be going this year but have been persuaded to enter some of the classes as an exhibitor. For novices only there’s six of one variety of runner beans, a collection of one each kind of four different vegetables and one rose bloom. I may enter a few of the other classes as well!
I think that allotmenteers will now be keen to get working on their plots again. One of my first jobs will be to sort out my new compost bin now that I’ve got some suitable wood pallets, which I dropped off there on Friday.
Here’s hoping that this year is a good one for all gardeners!
On BBC2 tomorrow at 8.00pm is the programme Natural World – Cuckoo narrated by David Attenborough. It looks to be a fascinating film about this bird which is a cheat, thief and killer! It’s being repeated on BBC2 Sunday at 5.00pm.
That’s one bird that won’t be be seen over the weekend of the 24th/25th which is the date for this year’s RSPB 30th anniversary Big Garden Birdwatch. I’ll mention this again a couple of days beforehand.
On BBC1 next Wednesday at 9.00pm is the first of an interesting looking new three part series The Secret Life of Elephants filmed at Kenya’s Sambura reserve and presented by Saba Douglas-Hamilton. Save the Elephants is a site dedicated to securing a future for them and sustaining the beauty of the places where they live.
I’m sure that Daffy will settle down to watch this as elephants are her favourite wild animals. Mine is Sammy’s big cousin the wonderful snow leopard. Do you have a favourite wild animal?
Have a good weekend!
Yesterday I walked to hut via the ecology park and the plot. It was well frosty but a close look at one of these on a nearby tree branch cheered me up!
It was good to chat with the folks who were there whilst drinking a cup of tea and dunking a couple of these. Next week will be my first stint as a hut helper which I’m looking forward to!
This morning there was a covering of snow here! As you can see from these plot photos it was very bleak.
Roll on summer!
I don’t generally make resolutions at this time of year, but I do resolve to continue to try and become an even greener Flighty.
This is a helpful article, that was in Friday’s on-line Guardian, for what to do with all that excessive Christmas waste that we generated.
On BBC2 next Wednesday at 8.00pm is the first in a new series of It’s Not Easy Being Green presented by Dick Strawbridge.
A reminder that if you decide to wrap up warm and venture out into the countryside then have a look at the January Wildlife Highlights , on the excellent When to Watch Wildlife site, to find out what you’re likely to see.
As you can see it’s stopped snowing here on this blog and I’ve changed the header to show some of my Valentine Heart roses that were among the plot stars of last summer.
Frog Newton would like to wish Fox Newton,
all the other wildlife on Plot 124, as well as Glo (Porcelain Rose)*, Flighty and everyone else who looks at Frog ponderings a Hoppy New Year!
[* My thanks to Glo for giving me the idea for this post with this photo, her comment and the image above which she sent me a few weeks ago!]
For myself, as for many others, this year has not ended on a high note thanks to the economic downturn.
However I do feel that it has been a blogging good year!
It’s been my fourth year as a blogger and I’m enjoying it as much as I ever have, and perhaps even so with my Flighty’s plot posts. I’ve continued to do my regular Thursday and Sunday posts every week, and a few more besides. I’m also thankful to everyone who stops by to read them, and especially to those of you who comment.
During the year there have been a some changes to my Lawn loungers favourites, which I suppose is inevitiable. A few weeks ago I was surprised, and sad, to find that Aboveboard had deleted her blog without warning.
Looking at, and often commenting on, all these favourite blogs has long been part of my blogging routine and I look forward to seeing more excellent posts and photos next year.
As it’s unlikely that I shall be posting here again this year I would like to wish you all a 
I generally buy myself a non-fiction book for Christmas.
This year it’s The Bedside Book Of The Garden 
by Dr. D.G.Hessayon. On the back cover it says...Gardening is about planning and planting and pottering, but it is also about sitting back occasionally and just looking and imagining…
I shall enjoy sitting down to read it with the obligatory cup of tea and a couple of the Royal Edinburgh All Butter Shortbread Assortment that I’ve been given.
Happy Christmas reading!
to everyone who visits here. I wish all of you the very best for the festive season which I know is a particularly difficult period for some, myself included.
This is the picture on the front of cards that I sent to some good friends. I bought them from Thrive, the horticultural charity that uses gardening to change lives, which is a good cause that I support.
There are a few nature and wildlife programmes, mostly repeats, among the more usual fare that’s seen at this time of year.
Being repeated on BBC2 weekdays all next week and the one after are The Life of Mammals with David Attenborough at 8.30am followed at 9.30am by both series of Wainwright Walks with Julia Bradbury.
Over on Five next week is Penguin Adventure with Nigel Marven being shown each weekday morning at various times.
On Christmas Eve on BBC1 at 1.40pm is Big Cat Diary – What Happened Next? and over on Five at 6.30pm is Polar Bear Adventure with Nigel Marven.
There is an intriguing looking programme being shown on Sunday 28th on ITV1 at 6.00pm. It’s Help! I’m No Bigger Than A Bug in which naturalist Nigel Marven, along with his team, are shrunk to half-an-inch tall then attempt to cross his garden. They’ll investigate the daily fight for survival that takes place in this miniature jungle.
On Monday 29th on BBC2 at 6.15pm is another showing of the delightful documentary Joanna Lumley in the Land of the Northern Lights.
I will be doing entries as usual over the holiday period but the next two Thursday entries will be a day or two earlier than usual.
Have a good weedend!
Flighty's plot 
