A winter's musing

It was bitterly cold here last night and we had fully expected snow by the morning. Alas, or hoorah, depending on your view, there was none when I opened the curtains, just evidence that it had rained overnight. Yet talking to folk during the morning I learned that it had snowed in Dunfermline, Kent and Bingley, just a dozen miles from us. Funny how weather works.

I was able to get out and have a brief look at the vegetable patch, clearing it of leaves and other detritus which had blown on to the soil. I strongly suspect something has been into a few of the holes I made for the garlic and has made off with it. Only time will tell.

And what did I spy? A small piece of broken china, just lying on top of the dirt. Where did that come from?

Just a bit baffled

As I have said before, my opportunities for tending to the vegetable patch are a bit limited these days. It's dark when I get home and fairly soon it will be dark when I get up.

Today being Saturday I had the chance for a look. There's nothing happening much there at the moment, just a some chives and a bit of garlic planted and waiting.

What puzzled me, though, was the green manure - the phacelia tanacetifolia. Now the patch is divided into two distinct halves with a bit of paving down the middle for met to stand on. The phacelia is growing fine on one half, but not on the other. The bit where it is not taking is also the part where I had the lettuce and spinach which didn't take.

Is there something wrong with the soil? And why? It's virtually the same patch, after all. I'm mystified.

The proof of the pudding...

A lot of activity in the house this morning as we had invited guests for Sunday lunch. All three of us were involved in busy preparations for Dick and Liz, who we hadn't seen for a couple of years, and friend Jan, who knew Dick way back.

Dorothy made the canapies for starters and Bakewell tart for dessert, while Susan did ham and a leek and potato au gratin. My contribution was some of the parsley I have been growing in the conservatory.

It was all very nice and plenty of compliments were made. Inexplicably, no-one mentioned my parsley. But I was able to sit back with a warm inner glow, knowing this was something I had grown myself.

Now hear this, now hear this: Veg patch under attack

It's a great blessing of where we live that there is so much wildlife around. Badgers, deer, foxes, rabbits and squirrels (not red, sadly) make their home nearby. Some folk have even reported the Beast of Brighouse just a short distance away. If such a thing exists it must have been in our woods, perfect lair for it.

I've complained in the past about something digging a big hole in the veg patch, but really I wouldn't be without our animals. They can't go to Tesco.

Little did I expect, however, the latest intruder. Surveying the plot this morning, I found a spent firework. Twas a rocket, no doubt from the organised display held near us last night.

It put me in mind of when I was a lad and your dad nailed Catherine wheels to the shed door and let off those crazy aeroplane fireworks that darted in all directions. Ah, happy days! We survived. Mind you, I'm glad I became a dad after they tightened up on these things and banned them. I'd have been the first to be got. 

The man who planted garlic

A nice autumn day today, dull but not too chilly or raining. It's windy, though, because that's the nature of where we live. You could have sailing boats becalmed at sea and there would still be gusts of wind at our house.

With the clocks having gone back last weekend, I have been unable to tend to my small plot during the week as it is dark by the time I get back from work. This morning was a time for surveying the scene, rooting out a few weeds that have grown hold and getting rid of leaves that are all over the place.

Took the opportunity to pop in a few cloves of garlic around the edges, probably about a dozen holes altogether. Sadly, they are shop-bought rather than any rare or organic type. I think I might move into that sort of thing later when I've got the hang of this thing.

Anyway, the garlic is in now before the frosts come and I gather I just sit back and wait until they start to appear sometime next year. It was a near run thing that I got them in at all as our dog Dolly decided to come out and help me dig. At least her willingness to be near garlic proves she is devoid of any vampiristic tendencies.