27-29th May

I went to the allotment for a little time after work. My back is too bad for any serious work. I seem to have a weakness that feels like a lump, or someone constantly poking me. It feels as if something has lapsed or torn, it is not my usual stiffness or spasm. The good thing is despite all that, it does not give me constant discomfort, although I always know it is there, and I can move about adequately most of the time. However, digging is out for now. So the allotment visit was for a few minor things. The lovely orange plastic scaffold netting is too high and I trimmed it down to a size I could step over while I was erecting it, but I hadn’t done it for the last section, well now it is done completely. Even the slight bending to cut that was sore on the back though. I put down slug pellets (organic of course!) around the progressing salad leaves and the sweet peas and the brassicas. I had a peek under the fleece sheet and counted a total of 7 carrots – argh! On the plus side, the leeks are showing through. They have shot up and are like little stems of grass about 2 inches tall. This is a relief. I made my first harvest from my plot, from my one rhubarb plant, picking 7 stalks. Later they were washed, and chopped up for freezing. I hate rhubarb and this plant and all its produce is for my wife.



The Eden Project (and following)

 

Driving home I stopped in a country lane lay-by and picked a large bag full of stinging nettles. Each arm got brushed by the prickling stingers but the sensation was very mild and lasted no longer than a few seconds. I did get stung quite badly though through the hole in my right glove on the inside of the knuckle of the thumb. The point of this exercise is for making nettle tea – not for me – for the plants. I have an empty green dustbin, I fill that loosely with nettles and fill with water, leave it to steep for 2-3 weeks, dredge out the nettles for the compost bin (it makes a lovely rich, loamy compost apparently), and dilute the remaining water as a good high potash tonic for plants.

 

 

28^th May
Today was another constant rainy day, the type that will soak well into the ground. The sum total of my gardening today was to replenish slug pellets around the sweet peas. I noticed that the salad leaf veg in my box have germinated very well and small little seed leaves are making 4 rows of dotted green.

 

 

29^th May

To the allotment again to find that the strip of grass in front of my plot where I park had a huge load of manure on it. I don’t think it’s horse, it hasn’t got the right smell, it may be cow or pig. Either way, what a cheek! Some of it is making my fencing bulge inward and judging by the fact the horse manure from a few weeks ago is still untaken, who knows how long this will be here? I sowed two more rows each of the spicy oriental and the Italian salad leaves, and collected another bag of nettles from outside the gate of the allotment gate. It was just starting to rain as I finished and we had a heavy downpour that was still going strong a while after I got home. At lunch time I had put out the petunias to plant out this evening, instead they got a very good wash and came back in after tea.

 

Later I looked at the photos I took after all my digging and trimming at the allotment, while there were still no weeds showing and the surrounding grass had not got going. Then I thought of the present state of affairs and how much work I will have to do. Then I thought of my back and decided to stop thinking and go and make a cup of tea. I have an appointment with my doctor about my back on Monday.