Sunday 12 February 2017

Cold Cold Cold

Well the north wind did blow and we did get a dusting of snow (although some may call it sleet). It wasn't enough to have fun in but it made the rooftops look pretty.
The old Hungerford Fire Station - 'Hungerford Volunteer Fire Brigade' from 1910.
We avoided being outside too much today by going to Wantage to buy our seed potatoes - Charlton Park Garden Centre is great because they sell individual tubers for 17p each. And there are so many varieties to choose from...
We opted for Orla, Kestrel, Chopin, Desiree and Burgundy Red - most will be grown in bags. We don't grow masses nowadays. When we first took on the allotment we grew 2 full rows, but we don't store them and there were far too many.
Yesterday we stayed on the plot for a little while so Jamie cleaned the bird bath and I cleared old pots in the greenhouse. This is a little video of a bird singing - well, it's the sound of a great tit but I couldn't actually spot the bird and had to look up the song when I got home - you can see the snow though :-)

The bulbs are making their way up through the soil. The garlic I planted last month are being pulled up by birds so each visit I have to push them back into the ground. They'll be fine though once the roots get a grip in the ground.

We visited the plot twice this weekend - to feed the birds and pick some veg. We've taken the netting off the sprouts now, so the pigeons will probably clear the plants off and the blackbirds and thrushes can clear away any under the plants to clear any pests that the cold temperatures haven't killed off. (Fingers crossed)
Today's song title is very apt and is provided by 'Cage the Elephant'.

6 comments:

  1. You still have something from your allotment... The striking yellow buds are so promising...

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    1. Yes, still more carrots, leeks and parsnips to be picked...

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  2. No sprinkling here bit some wet sleet and constant drizzle. We like Orla and Kestrel last year. No plot visit for us this week. Being able to buy individual tubers is great for trying something new.

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  3. I`ve never seen seed potatoes sold individually. What a great idea.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, it is great - easy to get carried away (as we have previous years). If you ever see a potato day advertised near you they will have individual tubers for sale.

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Belinda