A planting frenzy

It has stopped raining. Break out the biscuit tin.

***

And that was as far as I managed. I hurtled outdoors and only came in at 8pm. Happy days.

It turned out to be a cosmos, cabbage and cat day.

Cat day was the best bit. Artur has returned to the fold. The poor thing has had a rather trying week.  Jean Daniel went away on Sunday for a three day trip and left his brother in charge of Artur feeding. But somehow Claude forgot. And the cat was stuck inside the house (the door had slammed shut) without food or water for the entire time.

He had apparently howled himself hoarse trying to get out. He is a scrawny and sorry creature right now.  But with a lot of attention and affection he is bound to return to his usual self.

He presented himself to the potting shed first thing. Perched on the blanket and looking at me balefully.

I knew better than to rush at him and try to pat his head. It takes time to be forgiven after my absences.  But a few hours later he trotted down to the potager where I was planting out cosmos seedlings and leapt onto my lap. Happiness for both of us.

Even better, he didn’t squish any of the plants. He sat nearby supervising.

He did get bored after a while and went back to the comfort of the shed.  I, meanwhile, soldiered on.

Today was cosmos on the edges of the potager day.  It’s a sort of colourful hedge that is tall enough and unpalatable enough for the deer to be deterred.  I am trying out lots of new varieties this year:  double click cranberry, rose bonbon, fizzy fizzy, cosmic orange, antiquity, bonbon snow puff, colarette improved and brightness red.

Well, antiquity is a standard which works well in the garden, but the new ones might be fun.  The weather is perfect for planting out.  But I am watering the planting holes well first, just to give them a good start.

I haven’t finished all the brassicas – I heard the village bells ringing 8pm over the other side of the valley, so halted the toil.  But so far I’ve done all the calabrese, cabbage, kailaan and bokali.  But realised that I have missed off brussel sprouts.  For the first time I’m actually following my very ambitious planting plan.

So I need to sow those tomorrow.  I’ll have to shoehorn them in somewhere.  I’m chock full already.

So too is the potting shed.  I feel as though I’ve planted out hundreds of little plants today, but when I go up to put away the tools, I swear everything is growing like mad – twice as tall as yesterday.

A few more days and I ought to have everything out. It’s too cold for the tomatoes, cucumbers and aubergines however. They need their sun.