Well that, for the most part, was a cracking week of weather. For 2 or 3 days there it was every bit as good as mid-summer, actually even better, because there were no pesky bugs biting or stinging (not strictly true, but more of that later). It was lovely to be working out in a T-shirt, and I really should have put my shorts on but didn’t. At the end of the week it wasn’t so warm, but not that bad, and by mid-week the temperature is set to go back to the high teens. The downside? Yep, there’s a downside. I could do with some rain! I know, I know. For weeks, nay months, I was complaining about how wet that it was and how I couldn’t get onto the soil, well now it has gone the way of the past few springs and has done a 180° turn. In places the ground is developing wide cracks and my clay soil is becoming like concrete, and as a consequence is quite difficult to work – particularly for creating seed beds. It’s the farmer’s lot to complain whatever the weather. I’ll shut up about it now….temporarily.
Yes about that sting. I got home last Tuesday evening and had to go to the garden shed for something. Whilst I was in there I noticed a queen wasp on the inside of a window, so I opened it and let it out. I then gathered up some rubbish from the workbench and immediately felt an intense pain on the outside of my little finger. Amongst the litter I had scooped up lurked a second wasp, which took exception to my manhandling it, inserted its nasty venomous needle in my skin. Now I like to thing that I’ve got quite a high pain threshold, but that injection ruddy well hurt, and in a fit of nostril flaring adrenaline fuelled rage I dispatched the offending insect, for which I have since suffered pangs of guilt, after all, it was only protecting itself. Anyway, as if it were retribution for my heartless moment of lack of self control, 5 days on the site of the sting on my finger continues to irritate.
Things have changed dramatically in the past week on the goose front. On Monday my regular pair of Canada Geese were calling at the shed to be fed. Since then I have not seen them, but another couple have taken their place. I know that they are different because in the original pair the Drake was considerably larger than the goose, whereas the second couple are much more closely matched size wise, plus the goose (until today) would not feed from my hand. My assumption is that my original geese are nesting, with her sitting on eggs while he provides personal protection. I guess time will tell. But it’s interesting that the second pair were obviously observing the first lot from afar, and as soon as they were out the way they were emboldened to come abegging for food.
One of my favourite trees burst into blossom last week. it is the crab apple closest to the potting shed door. Malus floribunda. It’s small lollipop of a tree, but at this time it is a cloud of pink blooms and hums with a host of bees gathering pollen and nectar. The flowers are miniature apple blossoms, and are beautiful, but almost even more stunning are the red buds just prior to breaking. It is a tree that every garden should have if there is space for one, and because it has a compact growing form it doesn’t need a large area in which to grow.
Seduced by the beautiful weather early last week I planted out a dozen courgettes. It’s a risky business so early in the season, but I have protected them with glass cloches, so it’s a gamble in which I have hedged my bets somewhat in the hope of getting an early crop. I have another batch under way in the propagating greenhouse so all will not be lost if they succumb to frost. I planted the first batch of cucumbers in the greenhouse last week, and I got 30 tomatoes in today. The polytunnel tomatoes won’t go in for at least another couple of weeks. I have cabbage plants to get in outside, but I was waiting for some rain to get them off to a good start, but that’s not going to happen so I will just have to press on with it and resort to manually watering them in, as I did with the 140 lettuces that I planted outside this afternoon.
The way things are going on the veg availability front (or rather lack of availability) might make me bring forward my annual spring break to deliveries. For those of you that do not know, I have taken to suspending deliveries for a short period during the worst of the ‘hungry gap’ for 2 reasons. The first is because there is very little fresh UK produce to be found at this time (and virtually none of my own grown veg), and the European alternatives are very expensive. The second reason is that a break at this time gives me a chance to put my efforts into getting ahead and making the garden as productive as it can be at this the busiest time of the growing season. In recent years I have taken 2 or 3 weeks out in May, but I might bring it forward to commencing the last week of April. We’ll see what happens in the next week or so, I will of course let you know.
This week I will have a very limited quantity of English grown cucumbers. There is no way that I will have enough to satisfy demand for them, so I will sell them on a first come first served basis, and I will limit them to one per customer. I will be cutting the last of the spring greens that are currently ready, but there should be more in a week or two. There will be purple sprouting broccoli again, but no other greens. Even the root veg is nearing the end of its availability now. Lemons are ‘Fino’ from Spain, apples this week will be ‘Spartan’ from Kent, there are oranges, and a limited quantity of avocados.
Right that’s me done. I have got the man from the Soil Association coming on Wednesday for the annual inspection/audit, so I have some paperwork to prepare for that. It’s a different person this year so I hope that he’s gentle with me. I will report back next week.
Phil