February is the shortest month in terms of days. Let us hope that the bitter winds, ice and snow of mid February 2021 stay short in the memory having been replaced by the sunshine and warmth of the Spring.
Spring. Our beloved season. Two thoughts on the season that I am minded of are by musicians. Bob Copper, the Sussex folk singer characterises the season as arriving when the air is "soft". I think we all know that feeling. And Lenard Cohen, not in a song but in his novel "Beautiful Losers" has "Spring comes into Québec from the west. It is the warm Japan Current that brings the change of season to the West coast of Canada, and then the West Wind picks it up. It comes across the prairies in the breath of the Chinook, waking up the grain and caves of bears ... No bears on either the Home Garden nor plot 106, I have to say! But evidence of creatures of the land and air needing to sustain themselves at this time. The leaves of the purple sprouting broccoli, the sprouts and the January King cabbage that are uncovered are stripped by flocks of pigeons. Any uncovered sowings of early broad beans, peas, sweet peas would make a welcome fix for the voles and mice! I have begun large numbers of sowings for perennial flowers. They will be used in my 2019/24 renovation for the Home Garden. I am working towards that whole plot being enticing and rewarding to Mother Nature when she calls. More about that over time but a little taster Dru is very, very keen on butterflies and their conservation. With that in mind here is something that you might try. Honesty is the best policy they say. I agree. This plant has a tendency to sometimes be seen as weed like but we will not pursue that. It is quite a large plant producing purple flowers and excitingly transparent paper like discs that contain its seeds. It easily self sows. It is a member of the brassica family and there is the the clue to the butterfly connection. A somewhat rare visitor to the Home Garden is the Orange Tip butterfly one of the earliest types to emerge after Winter. They lay their eggs on Honesty The coming weather week will be good here on the Sussex coast with high pressure nearby making it settled and sunny. I hope that you are able to enjoy that. And, if you are in Canada, that the bears are waking to welcome in this very special time .... .
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" Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence. Henry David Thoreau As in gardens, allotments have differing types of paths. Often, I am sure a newcomer keeps to what is in place. When I took over the plot was very overgrown, so much so that paths were not apparent. Meaning that there were no concrete, grass, paving slab types seen. So I could create my own paths. Given that there are regular loads of wood chippings left by local tree surgeons it was perhaps not rocket science to use those, and, I did that in year one to a depth of about two inches on one long and two smaller paths to divide the areas up Wood chips have their champions and detractors on the matter of how they benefit, or do not benefit the soil. I was very clear in my mind that after the initial tidy up that included the use of a rotovator for about a third of the area and double digging the rest, no more digging would take place in my tenure. The alternative I chose was " no dig". That is to put manures and composts on there and along with green manuring build up the soil fertility, humus and bulk. Having done some research online, from books and speaking with gardeners, wood chips need a bit of thought before use in no dig projects. As they decompose initially, their interaction with the soil " robs " the latter of its nitrogen content, very much impacting future crops that need that essential component for growth. Over time and as full decomposition takes place the wood chips compost down and eventually boost soil fertility and replenish the nitrogen. Comments from you on this one, most welcome please ! What I did see in the year following making the paths was fairly rapid decomposition and many, many earthworms. In addition clear signs of fungal activity too. These two really pleasing So this year using old bits of wood from the plot, home and anywhere it was offered, I have made some Mark 1 paths. Using the wood a bit like shuttering around concrete to help it set, in my case it is around fresh wood chippings to a depth of about six inches. Really the paths are linear compost heaps. I anticipate using them for three years and then changing the configuration of paths. We shall see To say that the weather has been wet would be an understatement and cold. January here has been the coldest here since 2011. The days are lengthening and if it has been possible to make the preparations by cover certain areas then the planting season can go ahead On January 5th I planted out Shallot "Golden Gourmet" and Onion "Autumn Red" https://www.wilko.com/en-uk/wilko-autumn-bulbs-red-onion-1421-50pk/p/0281841 https://www.wilko.com/en-uk/wilko-shallots-bulbs-500g/p/6482240 A great success last year were broad bean "Aquadulce Claudia" so I am returning to them. Sown on Christmas Eve in pots in my cold greenhouse and planted out on February 3rd https://www.thompson-morgan.com/p/broad-bean-aquadulce-claudia/138TM I planted quite a good variety of top fruit on the plot - Morello Cherry, William Bon Cretien Pear, Discovery Apple, Spartan Apple, Czar Plum and Bramley Seedless Apple. But little soft fruit so I bought some Raspberry canes "Autumn Bliss". Reason for this variety being they are a late cropper and the canes can all be cut back hard after fruiting, unlike the summer varieties, they are self supporting and were on sale at a good price! https://www.suttons.co.uk/vegetable-fruit-plants/soft-fruit/all/raspberry-plants---autumn-bliss_mh7113 As I type this up on my allotment seat it has been a lovely day, Spring like at 11 celsius. On Sunday heavy snow and bitter east winds are forecasted. But to use that quote of Henry David the path to true Spring is narrow but, yes we do walk on it in love and reverence ..... |
AuthorI launched this website on 16th August 2020 to bring together my thoughts on gardening,, its importance for health and wellbeing and two projects running concurrently, a renovation of my own garden on the West Sussex coast at Lancing and a nearby allotment. But also to learn from other gardeners about the inspirations for their plots, about their gardening projects and enjoyment of beautiful plants and gardens Archives
February 2024
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