I hoard stuff that might come in handy. It sort of overflows from the top of cupboards and takes over a bit. I blame it on on the fact that I grew up in a house big enough to keep extra stuff, but now live in a wee little british domicile.
But in this time of year, all is forgiven - because there is a reason behind the hoarding (sometimes) and this pile of fruit punnets and mushroom trays is about to be put into service for seeding the crops. Watch this space.
Now that my veg-table has sat pretty much unloved all winter, it's time for a change. With the allotment still undug and my previous experience with using a seed bed had lead to the largest weed collection ever seen, I decided that the veg-table would make an excellent weed free seed bed and cold box combined.
And voila, the pictures speak louder than words! (also, after I took the photo above, I removed the seed packets. So this photographic evidence is how I'll know exactly what is planted in each row!
It's been a long hard winter, but it seems like there is now a light at the end of this long damp tunnel. We've now had several days where that large bright orb has appeared in the sky.
I really felt like we were all groping our way around the surface of the earth with our eyes blinded from glare - hands out pumping the air - exclaiming "too bright! too bright! what is it?" as we emerged from our caves of darkness.
Yes, I do hate winter in England THAT much. And as we've not had a good summer in - is it 3 years now? - I think we are owed one this year.
So it's now march, and it's time to clear the dead tomato plants out of my greenhouse, reshelve the grow box and plant my seedlings along the conservatory window sill.
I didn't do a seed order at the end of last year. That was a combination of not having time, and not needing too many new varieties. I had a lot of left over seeds, and I also had a lot of my own harvested and dried seeds.
I was particularly proud of my runner beans. I don't like them... I don't like to eat them - and yet I grew them. So I let them all dry on the supports, then I harvested them and popped out the gorgeous seeds. Black and purple seeds - really pretty. I took a photo of how beautiful they were, and decided I'd probably give them away.
Then I foolishly packed them away and forgot about them.
Fast forward a few months. I took out my seeds and inspected them.
My beautiful purple seeds are infested with bean weevils. They've made horrible little holes in each one of the shiny and opulent beans. I sadly divided them up and separated the good seeds from the bad ones. Then I put the good ones away again.
God, I am so stupid!
I've just looked at them again, and they are totally ruined. There must have been a few undetected bean weevils in the pile of good beans. What I have now is utter desolation!
So. No runner beans from THAT batch! Well - maybe just one. For some reason there has been a runner bean sitting on my bedside table for 3 months. It's now beankinds last great hope!
But we move on!
At the end of last growing season, I sowed green manures on several of my plots. I used winter tares, field beans and hungarian rye. Then I didn't go back down to the allotement for - oh - 3 months? Whoops!
My Father-in-law opted to do some digging a few weeks ago while the rest of us went to Bluewater to go shopping. I took him down to see the lay of the land and tell him what he could dig. I was very worried about what I might find!
Luckily, everything was pretty tickity boo. The field beans had been the least successful, but the other green manure had nicely covered the area. He was able to start digging them in for me.
He only got one row done, because the ground was SO sodden that each forkful he tried to turn came up clinging to the tines. The claying ground was so heavy that it was far too hard for him to dig it over. But it was a great start.
I really need now to get off my behind, and get the rest of it going. We've had clear weather for over a week now, and with any luck the ground will have dried out enough for digging.
So, next task - adjust my plot rotation grid and print out this year's fun filled vege fiesta!
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