Two weeks ago I started this post. I don’t know what got in the way of me completing it. Perhaps it was the end of term which passed in a whir of school trips, successive cover lessons involving repeat showings of Blue Planet or feature films and the year eight boys going mob-handedly feral at lunchtime. Family matters have also been an issue with Mrs B’s mother slipping from this mortal coil (four days after celebrating her 70th Wedding anniversary). But the circle of life was shown to be rotating strongly with the graduation of our little girl to the rank of qualified medical practitioner. That’s a doctor to you or me. (No, not a nurse, nor even a pharmacist. A proper doctor).
Time is passing so fast these days and yet what I wrote two weeks ago unsurprisingly fits well for now:
*****************
Today I saw the first rumours of hose pipe bans coming into force – though not, thankfully down here in the wet West Country. Surprisingly, they are talking about the North West being the place they will need to impose the restrictions. I always thought Manchester and Liverpool got more than their fair share of rain, but then I guess they also have more than their fair share of residents to drink all the water from the tap (like the Tiger Who Came to Tea).
I am not sure how the garden would cope if I were able to water it regularly via a hose pipe. When I started the garden in the winter, it was chucking down with rain and I was more concerned with drying the clay soil out rather than retaining water. But regular watering is a fact of life at the moment and the veg have hit their stride. We now have courgettes, potatoes, green beans, runner beans, mangetout, kale, carrots, onions and shallots. And we have salad coming out of our ears as well as raspberries and blueberries starting to ripen.
Tomatoes will be in plentiful supply soon, but we’re just waiting for the first sweet million to ripen, then they will all go off like a firework.
Yields have not been as good as I might have expected at the old place, but for a first season on a new plot I feel pretty pleased.
Midlife Gardener 