The garden is taking over

Last night, as I climbed into bed, I found an onion set in the sheets. The garden is taking over.

I wanted to plant the onions in some warmth and found that the sunniest place in the house yesterday was in our front bedroom. So I did that fun thing of soaking of the peat pellets there and planted 12 onion sets. I know, not much of a succession planting scheme (where I promise only to sow a few each week rather than a whole lot in one day) but I figure they may just store well if they grow properly and are lifted in the correct manner and dried in the sun.

Yesterday I went out first thing to do the weeding on the plot. I am giving myself until the end of this week to finish all four plots and made good progress.  Today I have just half a bed to go. There’s not much else to do.  I could try and pull up a few weeds on the covered area, or try and get the messy end neater, but after crouching down on a piece of carpet to save the knees and balancing on a rickety plank to save compacting the soil and pulling out bits of unwanted root matter for about four hours, one loses the will to live.  The robins are as hungry and grateful as ever for my work.  One yesterday even took a small worm from my hand. Cheeky critter.  They are quite demanding – chirping noisily if you don’t pull up a worm every few minutes and making them available in a spot away from the flashing fork.

The drive is getting easier, but the lock on the gates at the front of the site is so fiddly in cold weather. I can open it, but spend ages cursing and wrenching it to get it shut again.  Never a zen start to the calming process of tending the veg.

Back from my weeding and very pleased with the work.  But on my hour’s run around Primrose Hill park later today I found myself looking at the grass as one big weed bed, rather than a vista of green.  How on earth do they do theirs?  Janet and a friend came by to inspect the plot today, and I did boast a lot about the good weeding work. What a dull person I am turning into.  A bindweed bore.  Next week I shall go back to the grunt work of trying to clear the top part of the plot, and maybe having another go at the apple trees.  Now it’s time for a beer and a relax and a peruse of this month’s crop of garden magazines. Bliss.

Vegetable: Red Baron Onion Sets
How many?: 12
How planted?: Jiffy 7s
Notes: In a warm heated room

Vegetable: Tom Thumb Lettuce
How many?: 12
How planted?: Jiffy 7s
Notes: In a warm heated room