GARDENING BLOG
Week seven February 11th - February 18th
2005
Sunday 13th February 2005 The wind turned northward and after a bright start to the day there were snow flurries and spots of rain. But there wasn't enough snow to lay on the ground or keep one in doors. Yesterday I dug up all of the remaining snowdrops in the old apiary site and re-planted them in the allotment. I also dug up a lot more aconites and today I finished planting those out as well. There are however still quite a few plants left to move. I also moved two very large old climbing roses to the back garden and took a bunch of cuttings from the strongest one and buried them a few inches down under the ground next to the aconites in the allotment (a fact I must remember). Geoff gave me some yellow raspberry canes that I have planted as a row in Fergle & Sarah's allotment that Patrick has taken upon himself to help out with while Fergle is in Ireland (as yet he has not done much with it) I hope Sarah and the kids like raspberries.
Saturday 12th February 2005 Cold winds from the North West dominated the day. When it is windy then the apiary is the place to be and I still have snowdrops, aconites and a selection of daffodils growing there that need to be moved so digging up the plants out of the wind was not unpleasant. The allotment is however much more exposed and planting them out was not so nice. At the bottom of the lane to the apiary is a makeshift gardeners dump (why people feel they can dump their garden rubbish outside of their own garden I don't know) where every year old plants and the results of garden weeding end up. Along with the weeds a lot of bulbs also get thrown - so I collect then. Having never been too proud to gather in other peoples discarded snowdrops means that over the years I have built up a small collection of interesting specimens.
2003
The
cold spell continues. I have now pruned the blackberries, pruned the
autumn fruiting raspberries and started on the gooseberries. Although
the weekend was cold it was bright, dry, and sunny with north easterly
stiff breeze. Ideal for the first bonfire of the year to burn the punning
on.
2002
17th February Bought a bag of blood fish and bone and two bags of early
potatoes (Swift and Concorde no Maris Bard left). Planted out Japanese
onions in ground
prepared with blood fish and bone. Pruned Autumn raspberries down to
the ground. Pruned gooseberries. Planted out a row of gooseberry bushes
rooted from last years two year wood punning. Dug up more potatoes
and cleaned out spear grass putting them on a bonfire of pruning's.
I have joined (after many years of resisting the temptation) the bonfire
gardeners. Most of my allotment neighbor's have regular bonfires. In
the past I have always tried to compost rather than burn. Burning is
certainly a much quicker way of getting rid off prunings etc. although
I still think that composting is the better, if more time consuming,
practice. I must now start getting into digging gear. I need ground
prepared
for onion sets, broad beans, peas, carrots, etc.etc.
2000
Weekend 12/13 Good weather for gardening. Although the wind was cool the sun shone. I've now finished planting shallots after buying yet more from the allotment shed. The apple trees still need some pruning but not so much after this weekend. Last years crop was so heavy for one of the trees that it broke two of the branches, one of them surprisingly large. The weather was warm enough and the ground dry enough for seed sowing. Although I'm probably going to regret sowing sprout seed so early the Early Nantes carrots should be OK. The row of garlic is now making an appearance above ground and will need hoeing next week. Hoed the beans again after giving them a dressing of wood ash. The asparagus bed has been under carpets since last autumn and now has a layer of mulch from the compost heap emptied at the beginning of the year. It's like the filling in a sandwich. Harold gave me several climbing (or rambling?) roses one of which is now planted under the apple tree. A move that I will probably regret in years to come.1999
February 14th After a week of ice and snow we are still suffering very low night temperatures.Although some patches of snow refuse to disappear most of the ground is clear. The Autumn sown broad beans have so far stood up to the ordeal well and the garlic is beginning to break through the surface of the ground despite the weather.
The soil is still frozen and unworkable for seed sowing.
Pruned gooseberry bushes.
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