Yep, it’s the first day of March, and that heralds the start of meteorological spring. And the signs are suddenly everywhere, not least the rapidly increasing daylight hours. This winter has felt like it has dragged on a bit, so to see signs of new growth, and the frenzied activity of the bird population as it pairs up and establishes territories is uplifting. Fresh new vibrant green Hawthorn leaves are appearing, lush nettle foliage full of nutrition is everywhere – and it is at this stage that nettle tea is at its best. And the Daffodils. Is it just me, or are they particularly good this year? I felt almost Wordsworthian as I walked amongst hosts of them this morning. Well not exactly hosts, but nice stands of them in the field margins, brightening an otherwise steely grey day.
In the field behind these beauties, and along its edges and hedges, I saw/heard lots of birds. Some nice interesting ones like Linnet, Skylark, Yellowhammer and Raven, but what really captivated me was a large swirling flock – very like a murmuration, of Golden Plover. For almost the entire walk the flock accompanied me, albeit at a distance. It swooped and and then soared, in a spectacular aerial dance routine, white underparts shimmering against the gloomy sky. It was a first for me, and something that will remain in my memory. Having mentioned murmuration, I saw one on Friday evening in Stoke by Clare. It was only a mini one consisting of not more than a hundred Starlings at a guess, but nonetheless they still put on an impressive display of aerobatics.
Forget spring, last Wednesday was like summer! Shirt sleeve weather, comfortably warm and sunny, a real treat after the wet and gloom of the past few weeks. It didn’t last, but it was extremely useful in terms of lifting the old spirits, and there is the promise of more mild sunny days in the week ahead. if we have a run of a few days of dry I might finally be able to get onto the soil to do some bed preparation – not before time. In the polytunnel the spring cabbages are responding to the stimulation of increased warmth and light, and the chard is putting on a growth spurt. Seedlings in the propagating house are rapidly filling the benches. The game is afoot!
Another sign of spring is that our two ducks at home have started to lay eggs again. They are the messiest of creatures, at their happiest when drilling into the mud in search of tasty morsels, emerging with mounds of wet soil piled on their beaks. idiots, but endlessly entertaining.
So, apologies for last week. I didn’t have enough of some items, most notably Blood oranges, apples and sweet potatoes. The reason is twofold. 1. The apples and oranges were much larger than anticipated, so there were not so many per kilogram, and as I buy by the Kg that’s important. 2. I had an unusually high number of orders, so demand outstripped the available supply. I never know from one week to the next how many orders I will receive, so it’s sometimes a precarious balancing act, and on this occasion I toppled off the high wire! All items are subject to availability, so the earlier in the week that you place your order the more likely you are to receive what you have requested.
This week sees the reintroduction of Avocados. It is now far enough into the season for the quality to be more reliable than the early ones, so my fingers are crossed. Blood oranges are back to ‘Sanguinelli’, and I have ordered extra this week, so that should mean that there are plenty for all. Apples will be ‘Blaze’. There will be sprouts, spring greens and curly kale, and mostly root vegetables. There is no celery available this week.
If the sky clears this afternoon you should get yourself somewhere with a clear view of the western sky so that you can view the alignment of Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune, some of which will be visible to the naked eye. You will need binoculars or a telescope to see Uranus and Neptune. The ‘Planetary Parade’ will be visible from just after sunset. Fortunately we have an uninterrupted panoramic view of the western sky from our house/garden, so all we need now is for the clouds to disappear.
I need to go and clean out the chicken coops, so I’m going to leave it there. Enjoy the nice weather if it arrives. Oh, and if you are within striking distance of Wyken go to Woosters and buy some of their hot cross buns – you won’t be disappointed, but you will need a hearty appetite to eat a whole one in a single sitting.
Bye for now
Phil