Flighty's plot

Books, tea and biscuits

I wish that I could be writing that these books were read whilst lawn lounging on the plot. Sadly the weather has been such that I’ve read them all sofa flying.

The Dig by John Preston is the absorbing fictional story of an archaeological dig in Suffolk during the summer of 1939. It was Classic fm‘s Book of the Year 2007. [As an incidental footnote I found the first buried treasure of note on the plot last week. It was a small flint with an surprisingly sharp edge to it.]

Blue Sky July by Nia Wyn is a book that I wouldn’t normally read but I started it at the bookshop and found it so engaging that I had to take it home to finish that evening. It’s set in Cardiff between 1998 and 2005 being the true story of Nia and Joe, her brain injured son. I found it an absolute joy to read and is a book that will haunt me, as very few books have done, for a very long time.

Eating for England by Nigel Slater is a wonderful book which brings memories of childhood flooding back. I’m sure that, like me, readers will flick back and forth to see what he writes about such delights as Toblerone, Ribena, Sherbert Lemons and Branston Pickle. Of tea and biscuits he says that PG tips is life’s cure-all, a hug in a mug, and that he sometimes thinks that the dark chocolate digestive is probably the best biscuit in the world.

On Sunday evening put your book down for a while to watch the first of three programmes in a new series titled Pacific Abyss which is on BBC1 at 8.00pm. That’s followed by the two excellent Britain from Above programmes that I mentioned last week.

Have a good weekend!

Blog pottering

The weather is much better than yesterday, sunny rather than wet, so I shall visit the plot later on for a potter round. I shall stop by the hut to say hello, buy a few things that I need and have tea and a biscuit.

Yesterday my newspaper, The Independent, included this interesting article all about allotments.

It also mentions that tomorrow is the start of National Allotments Week.

In my entry last Wednesday I mentioned a Panorama programme that is being shown tomorrow evening. I was delighted to see this comment had been left by DL who appears to be one of the show’s team.

I don’t blog much over on MrFlighty but I have some good friends there so I keep it ticking over. I’ve recently joined two Group Blogs, Britishwildlife and Weathercheck, and post occasional entries on them, as I did yesterday.

Happy birthday Daffy

You’ve given me sunshine and smiles like this ever since I’ve known you.

Reflecting on my plot flowers for ones to celebrate your birthday with I thought about a Pretty Lady rose, sunshiny California poppies or fragrant sweet peas.

…..…..

All lovely flowers but surely it has to be this wonderful one…..

With sunshine and smiles…Happy birthday Daffy xx

It’s only Wednesday…

but I’m doing my usual Thursday entry a day early.

Britain from Above is a new three part series starting on BBC1 Sunday at 9.00pm which is a journey through one day in the life of Britain as seen from the skies and through the eyes of Andrew Marr.

The first of a companion three part series Britain from Above:The City follows it on BBC2 at 10.00pm.

Monday’s Panorama on BBC1 at 8.30pm is Notes on a Dirty Island in which writer Bill Bryson reports on the increasing problem of litter in Britain.

On Friday I’ll be doing a entry as an early celebration of a dear friend’s birthday which is next Sunday.

I know that it’s only Wednesday but have a good weekend!

Plot plants ~ Globe Artichoke

In complete contrast to last weeks dainty Linaria I’m featuring one of the larger single plants on the plot.

It is the globe artichoke that is growing next to the log pile and stands around four foot high. There are two heads on it, both of which I’m letting flower then seed. It’s an impressive looking plant and this head is about the size of a tennis ball, and loved by insects including the bee that’s visible.

Daffy, and others, might be interested to know that, apparently, it is a plant that rabbits do not eat!

A brief one

I’m sorry if you’re expecting to read one of my usual Thursday Tea time entries as I’m only doing a brief one this week.

There’s nothing on terrestrial TV worth mentioning apart from the two excellent programmes that I wrote about last week.

Reading American expat Maureen’s blog A View from England earlier in the week I learnt that it’s National Parks Week (UK) 28 July to 3 August. If you live near one and looking for something to do then have a look at the link.

Have a good weekend!

Plot plants ~ Linaria maroccana

This is intended to be a series of occasional entries on plants that I’ve grown and photographed on the plot.

This is a dwarf plant with spikes of dainty Snapdragon like flowers from June to September. It is an easy to grow sow and forget annual that is good for cutting. Photo was taken on Thursday 24 July.

Two to view

It’s good to do a Thursday entry about two worthwhile TV programmes that are being shown next week.

Both are on Wednesday starting on BBC2 at 7.00pm with a repeat of the series Grow Your Own Veg presented by the ever enthusiastic Carol Klein. Now that I’m growing vegetables I shall watch these with great interest.

On BBC1 at 8.00pm is Lost Land of the Jaguar the first of three new programmes in which an international team of explorers, scientists and film makers discover the animals and plants that inhabit Guyana‘s spectacular landscape of virtually unknown, and untouched, rainforests.

Have a good weekend!

Plot hotspots

I took these photos this morning

1) 2) and 3)

1) is Chrysanthemum carinatum, 2) is a California Poppy and 3) a (French) Marigold. They certainly provide hotspots around the plot.

The other plot hotspot is the compost heap! It’s hidden away behind the shed and is only about four by two by one feet. I add any household waste, such as banana skins, potato peelings and tea bags, to it every week or so. This morning I completely uncovered it to find that it’s now nearly all good usable compost. I cut all the comfrey back to ground level and added it to the heap, chopping it up with the spade. I added a watering can’s worth of water, forked it over to aerate it then recovered it.

A couple of hours

on the plot was the perfect way to spend a sunny Sunday morning. Mind you most of it was spent doing some much needed weeding!

I concentrated on the soft fruit area. I also cut the original raspberry canes back to the ground whilst leaving the new growth alone. Rach over on The Big Sofa had been seeking advice on this during last week, and I could understand her hesitation when I did mine.

The strawberries are putting out lots of runners, and there is plenty of fruit forming on the blackberries.

I’ve had several lots of onions, beetroot and lettuce

I feel a bit guilty about the beetroot as the seed came from Mildew who sadly has had problems with hers!

The bees love my Poached Egg Plants

The Valentine Heart rose has masses of buds on it , whilst the Pretty Lady continues to produce some lovely looking blooms

It’s pleasing to see butterflies fluttering around the plot even if they are just white ones as I photographed last week, and especially as Louise mentions, over on her gardening blog, that it’s Save Our Butterflies Week.