" There are good and bad times, but our mood changes more often than our fortune.." Thomas Carlyle
It is certainly the case that gardeners, growers and farmers have a bit of a reputation for not being happy with the current or recent past weather. Too cold! Too dry! Too hot! You will know what I mean and just like me plead guilty with mitigating circumstances Met Office forecasts are looking promising if you like warm, dry and sunny weather over the next week to ten days. The magical 32 Celsius ( 90 Fahrenheit figure is likely to be reached) But what a different story three or four months ago here on the Sussex coast with exceptionally dry, cold and sunless times. This is only my second full season on Plot 106 so it is much too early to be able to talk in terms of "normal" or "trends" to describe and explain what is happening or how things grow in comparison to earlier times. But it was noteworthy at least And the results were considerable difficulties with planting out, growing or harvesting crops early on. Actually for about six weeks nothing really happened in terms of plant growth, they just stayed there. A May storm (winds gusting towards 60mph) destroyed a neighbour ploy tunnel and blew it onto 106 and many of my plants were ruined. Some were retrievable in that I could resow and I did, many were not Anyhow where are we right now? Crops are vein picked and the outlook is promising. Broad beans have done well. Sown on Christmas Eve and planted out late February they area treat. We talked the smaller whole pods for stir fries and leave the rest for shelling. This time we have created home made " humus" too. Rhubarb has done brilliantly. The crowns are into their first proper season as I only picked lightly in their first summer. Early and second early potatoes are being lifted and at this stage the lush green halums bode well for the main crop too. Garlic is good, I have lifted about fourty bulbs. Onions are very hit and miss, they are grown from sets and number quite a few bolsters. Tomatoes set and growing well. Sweet corn well on the way to a good harvest. Cauliflowers, cabbage and brocoli are so, so, they seem to have been most affected by that weather referred to. Over the coming month the leeks will be out and I will be looking for early squashes to pick. About a quarter of the whole plot will be green mabred once those early potatoes are taken I look forward to the lazy days of summer on 106. The days of promise and expectation...
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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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