31 May 2006
This much I know
Slugs are merciless.
Filed under: This much I know — Clare @ 10:39 pm
Archive for May 2006
28 May 2006
One step beyond!
As predicted, the weather yesterday was very, very wet. Fortunately, my friends are resiliant, hardworking and loyal (or just plain mad) so we braved the torrential rain and were later rewarded with sunshine. This is us at the end of our five hour stint - we’re pretty much dried out by this point, […]
Filed under: Blue Peter corner — Clare @ 1:19 pm
26 May 2006
Conversation with my readers
Everything is ready for the team allotment event this weekend.
What team allotment event?
You know, the one where I invite a shed load of friends over to come and work a day down on our plot, building frames for raised beds, levelling paths, laying black plastic, weeding and generally being bossed about with nothing in return […]
Filed under: Review & plan — Clare @ 6:30 pm
26 May 2006
Situations vacant / personal ads
Incompetent Head Gardener seeks enthusiastic and able Allotment Assistant for dirty days out with garden tools.
Job description:
Digging when I tell you, where I tell you and in the manner I tell you. Digging while removing endless bindweed roots. Then more digging.
Motivating me on weekend afternoons, comforting me in times of slug attack, turning a blind […]
Filed under: Mulch — Clare @ 1:27 am
22 May 2006
The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Slugs
(with absolutely no apologies whatsoever to John Knox for stealing the title of his misogynistic diatribe and improving it)
It’s great weather for slugs. Or so I gather from the beans at the allotment that have been reduced to pitiful-looking bare stems. I have back-up beans so all is not lost, but I’m gutted […]
Filed under: Wildlife — Clare @ 5:16 pm
20 May 2006
Step 1: Hello, My name’s Clare, and I’m a seedaholic
As it is raining on and off here in an unpredictable and disappointing manner, I am going to treat myself and sow some seed. This is unusal for me. I am much better at buying seed than I am at getting around to actually using it. Just as I seem to believe […]
Filed under: Sowings — Clare @ 12:35 pm
18 May 2006
P’Soup: Not for kids, but not x-rated either, just ‘adult’ in an ‘approaching middle age’ kind of way.
Over here at Pumpkin Soup we’ve been enjoying a surge in visitors. It’s that time of year when lots of folk in the southern hemisphere are searching for pumpkin soup recipes and many of them make it here, disappointed, no doubt, by the paucity of curcubit culinary suggestions elsewhere and then further disillusioned when […]
Filed under: Mulch — Clare @ 2:31 pm
15 May 2006
This much I know
Even weeds can be charming. Plus, dandelion clocks transport me back to childhood and make me want to blow…
Filed under: This much I know — Clare @ 8:09 pm
14 May 2006
Tempting fate?
(Or, ‘The unshakeable optimism of the allotment gardener as she invites frost disaster’.)
As rain stopped play yesterday we took advantage of the dry weather today and finished preparing our sweetcorn bed. We have now covered it with plastic and planted out the first batch of sweetcorn seedlings through holes cut in it. Perhaps […]
Filed under: Hard labour — Clare @ 5:12 pm
13 May 2006
How to survive a wet spring day
Start the day by having your hair cut so you look like a goddess down the plot. Everyone knows that vegetables grow better when you make an effort with your appearance.
Rejoice to find that your bean frame is still standing and your beans are thriving. Don’t let on at how surprised you are […]
Filed under: Seasons - spring — Clare @ 4:50 pm
13 May 2006
This much I know
Alien life forms are emerging in my plastic greenhouse. I can only hope they come in peace.
Filed under: This much I know — Clare @ 10:47 am
11 May 2006
The Pumpkin Soup engineering project
Having survived my Italian exam without sounding too much like an idiot (though it did feel like the longest 12 minutes of my life) I treated myself by hot-footing it down to the allotment and dragging my long-suffering assistant with me. Tonight’s project? The frame for the climbing beans.
I’d popped down earlier to […]
Filed under: Baby plants, Blue Peter corner, Italiano, Sowings, Today's Bible — Clare @ 9:27 pm
11 May 2006
In bocca al lupo
Today I have a day off work which has actually coincided with gorgeous sunshiney weather. Alas, I have a day off work because I have my Italian oral exam in the early evening.
Still, I have been taking advantage of the conditions to plant out my strawberries in the garden while practising my presentation: “Vorrei […]
Filed under: Hard labour, Italiano — Clare @ 3:09 pm
8 May 2006
Bitten by the allotment bug
Yesterday down at the allotment I really started to feel that our plans were taking shape. We rolled back one of the sheets of black plastic and marked out what will be the squash and sweetcorn beds then raked the paths flat (kind of). If all goes according to plan then all the […]
Filed under: Hard labour — Clare @ 7:55 pm
6 May 2006
That time of year
Aside from frazzled tomato plants, I today discovered hard evidence that my most common garden foe is out and about wreaking the usual slimy, munchy havoc on my seedlings.
At home in the garden we have few slugs (unlike at the allotment), but unbelievable amounts of snails. Being a softie, I can’t bear the thought of […]
Filed under: Wildlife — Clare @ 2:44 pm
6 May 2006
This much I know
Sunny weather is fabulous, but it has its down sides - as my scorched tomatoes will testify.
Filed under: This much I know — Clare @ 11:08 am
2 May 2006
Poorly sick
I’m not feeling at all well today and so instead of working I am taking it easy at home. This means that on top of feeling dizzy and nauseous I am also plagued with guilt at missing work as well as worried sick(er) about the extra work that taking a day off will inevitably […]
Filed under: P'Soup rumblings — Clare @ 1:08 pm
1 May 2006
It’s bloody hard work this skiving business.
In spite of having work to do today (Public holday? Sorry? What’s that?), I’ve been bitten by the gardening bug, having sowed my squash seeds yesterday as well as further sweetcorn and french beans (that’s them on the bottom shelf).
Consequently, today I’ve been a bad, bad girl and instead of getting on with all the […]
Filed under: Hard labour, Sowings, Today's Bible — Clare @ 5:58 pm