Plot One Twenty Four

Nearly six month’s ago I did the first entry here on Flighty’s Plot and today the weather is just the same, only a lot colder!

I can look back on the intervening period with a great deal of pleasure and a real sense of pride.

The following photos were all taken earlier today, and which I hope give you an idea of what the plot now looks like.

This was taken from the roadway at the north-west corner.dscn0184.jpg

Here’s the view in the opposite direction showing almost all the plot.

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All my paths are wood chippings which were free, and are environmentally friendly. The area up to the path from the shed across to the grass pathway will be mostly for soft fruit, vegetables and a wild area. The area beyond that will be all flowers.

The soft fruit, a blackberry, six strawberries and nine raspberries, are in the area between the wooden box in front of the shed and the wood chip path, being visible as darker earth. The box is my compost heap, which is bigger, neater and less obtrusive than the previous one. Visible to the left of the picture is the pond

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Once the grass has grown and the three lilies, one above pond, one on the left and the other not visible but to the left, have spread then hopefully it will fade into the background and not look like a washing up bowl!

Here’s my rosemary dscn0190.jpg ,

the hawthorn tree dscn0187.jpg which is six inches high,

an aquilegia(?) dscn0186.jpg and the log dscn0185.jpg

I want to thank everyone who has followed my allotmenteering exploits so far and commented so favourably on my progress.

A special thanks to Daffy who wrote this lovely poem

There was an aviation entry on a regular basis,

Until you discovered your own little oasis.

A place where you could set a seed.

A place to create and where birds could feed.

To start and grow from nothing at any rate.

A place where you could happily cultivate.

A place that is now in your heart to the core.

That very special place is Plot One Twenty Four.

Bitter for Sweet

by Christina Rossetti who is now considered to be one of the great Victorian poets. Few women from her time are acknowledged in the same way.

This poem heralds the onset of winter, and she remembers the warmth of summer days and the chills of autumn.

Summer is gone with all it’s roses,

Its sun and perfumes and sweet flowers,

Its warm air and refreshing showers:

And even Autumn closes.

Yea, Autumn’s chilly self is going,

And winter comes which is yet colder;

Each day the hoar-frost waxes bolder,

And the last buds cease blowing.

Simply superb

My interest in aviation has waned somewhat over the past year and I now do few related blog entries.

However I do still look at numerous images on sites such as Airliners.net and occasionally see one that seems to be just about as good as it gets.

I’m sure that you’ll agree this Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress is simply superb.

It reminds me of the famous Memphis Belle which was the subject of both a 1944 documentary film and a 1990 fictional film.

Have a good weekend!

I’m now a Blog Schmoozer

thanks to Nikki who has awarded me this schmoozebloggerthumbnail.jpg

This award is for bloggers who effortlessly weave their way in and out of the blogosphere, leaving friendly trails and smiles, happily making new friends along the way. They don’t limit their visits to only the rich and successful, but spend some time to say hello to new bloggers as well. They are the ones who engage others in meaningful conversations, refusing to let it end at a mere hello – all the while fostering a sense of closeness and friendship.

My grateful thanks to Nikki for this, and in turn I’m going to award it to Daffy who really does deserve this award as she does all the above and more.

A Smile Award, raspberries and roses

Many thanks to my delightful friend Daffy for not only giving me a Smile Award make-bme-bsmile.jpg
but also making me the top of her list! I’m honoured.

I’ve long said that I intend growing raspberries, which are my favourite soft fruit. My Saturday newspaper had a special reader offer of 3 of 3 each Glen Moy, Glen Ample and Autumn Bliss for a bargain price so I placed my order this morning. Hopefully next year I will be eating my own raspberries from mid-June through to September.

It is also my intention to grow a few roses on Plot 124. After much deliberation, and chatting with a couple of keen rose growers, I’ve placed an order for one of each Iceberg, Pretty Lady and Valentine Heart.

Tomorrow I’ll be thinking about my rosey friend and her lovely cat, and hoping that all goes well.

Lastly if you’re having a fireworks party tonight then enjoy yourselves, but please have a read of TJMum’s entry Guy Fawkes Night for some timely and welcome advice.

Autumnwatch

Need I say more? Oh all right then…

As the Radio Times says the usual trio of presenters are back on our TV screens next week with a biannual yomp around the British countryside.

Autumnwatch is on BBC2 Monday through Thursday at 8.00pm.

As last year it comes from Martin Mere Wetland Centre near Southport, Lancs, where beavers will be one of the more unusual animals featured. Elsewhere Simon King will be searching for notoriously elusive wild boar.

Have a good weekend!

Plot progress

I’m still busy on Plot 124, having made the most of the generally fine weather.

Yesterday I did the paths, being wood chippings over trodden down earth. Today I added lots of wheelbarrow loads of compost to all the vegetable areas, and partly elsewhere, which I then raked over.

I’ll do a full progress report entry, with photos, within a couple of weeks when the shed is in situ and a few more features and plants have been added.

I really can’t believe that it’s just four months since I started work on the plot, and I’m well pleased with what I’ve achieved so far. The next four months will be spent just pottering in preparation for next Spring when the real fun begins!

You’re really something else…

On Saturday I received another birthday card which I knew was going to be late but which was well worth the wait.

It was from Nikki, my rosey friend in Southern California, who kindly did this Flighty’s day entry on my birthday. That was very much appreciated, and thanks also to everyone who commented there adding their birthday wishes.

As you can see the card is absolutely brilliant! The words say You’re really something else… image0001.jpg

Inside she says that this card reminded her of that adorable photo mrflighty.jpg of Flighty sitting in a cardboard airplane grinning gleefully.

She thanks me for my thoughtful friendship. In return I thank her for the constant delight and enjoyment she has given me by sharing her wonderful garden, with its lovely roses, for the past two years. Long may it continue!

Partly for the birds

Rather disappointingly there are no new nature or wildlife programmes on terrestrial TV next week. Remember that A Passion for Plants continues on BBC2 Friday at 8.00pm, as does The Nature of Britain with 3/8 Urban on BBC2 Sunday at 6.10pm and 4/8 Freshwater on BBC1 next Wednesday at 9.00pm.

I’ll be taking particular interest in tomorrow’s Gardeners’ World on BBC2 at 8.30pm as Monty Don will be beginning to plant out a new soft fruit garden.

Fellow bloggers Louise and TJMum have both mentioned in entries this week that Saturday is Feed the Birds Day. If you already do so then good for you, but if not then please make the effort like I’m going to. I’ll be putting at least one feeder on Plot 124 on Sunday, with more to follow soon.

Don’t forget that here in the UK the clocks go back one hour on Saturday night.

Have a good weekend!

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