Something is missing up beyond the rhubarb

Up to the plot after a long session’s climbing and a quick lunch. We had so much lovely warm weather, I was looking forward to seeing a bit more growth. And not just the weeds. Actually, so far the weeds are minor; just a few interesting bindweeds and some couch grass creeping in from the far side of the plot, which hasn’t any wooden barrier stopping the march into the broad bean patch.

I greeted Charlotte who had roped in two friends to help her do the first of the digging. I put down my bags and spade and fork and looked happily over my burgeoning garden. Wait a minute, I thought. Something is missing up beyond the rhubarb. Where is my cucumber plant? Villainy – I have had my first casualty. The cucumber has been entirely devoured by one fat slug. I stifled a cry (there are neighbours now digging nearby and don’t need to see hysterics in the vegetable patch) and went over to closely inspect the damage. Not a leaf, not a stalk, nothing. Just a fat slug at the base. He looked like he was about to launch into the plastic label for dessert. Hah! He didn’t have a chance. I happened to have a pair of secateurs in my hand as I went to inspect and I’m afraid, in my fury, I made it an ex-slug in a thrice.
It’s so unfair; why couldn’t it go for the rhubarb leaves instead. There’s plenty of those and they are utterly useless to me. If it only knew that the cucumber was a rare beast; one I had purchased at the garden centre, carefully jogged one mile home, watered, nurtured it and then… sent it to its death. Time to order more nematode biological controls.

And I knew that I couldn’t possibly plant anything else up in that area of the plot until the slugs had been brought under control. All the flower seeds went back into their box. I’ll have to plant them at home in jiffys instead. So, what to do? I had a whole afternoon and only task left. Cutting grass. Such a bore that it is romping away and I have huge long swathes of the stuff surrounding my plot. One of my duties as a plotholder is to maintain the paths around me. First I tried out Charlotte’s hand mower that she inherited. I cleaned it, pulled off the grass stuck in the blades and heaved it over to my paths. Sadly, despite getting some tremendous exercise by pushing the heavy object up and down the length of the plot, its blades are just too blunt to make any impact. So I got out my hand shears and went to work. Two hours (and one blister) later I have a neater area of grass, but it is knee high at the perimeter. I’m just going to have to make friends with someone who possesses a more powerful mower.

Home to plant my flowers in the dull surrounds of the kitchen window.

Flower: Nicotiana Evening Scent
How many?: 7
How planted?: Jiffy 7s
Notes: Unheated windowsill

Flower: Scabiosa Black cat
How many?: 8
How planted?: Jiffy 7s
Notes: Unheated windowsill

Flower: Nigella White
How many?: 8
How planted?: Jiffy 7s
Notes: Unheated windowsill

Flower: Cornflower B
How many?: 8
How planted?: Jiffy 7s
Notes: Unheated windowsill