SNOWDROPS & ROSES..

We awoke to a cold, chillybilly day, I wanted to stay snuggled down on her shoulder in bed but she said such things as "egg and tea GeeGee, let's get up and start our day, we can always come back to bed if it's really grim outside", so, against my better judgement, I was persuaded to 'get up'.

Well, it's a good thing that she wasn't lying and we did get egg and tea because 'out there' in the big outside world aka Knightsbridge, it was cold and damp. 

She pottered about a bit, as mothers do when they secretly wish they were back in bed. But at about midday, she took another look outside and squeaked "oh look, it's cheered up, you're staying here as it's too cold and windy for you but I'm going to the allotments".

And go she did. When she arrived, there wasn't a soul in sight which she thought was a bit weird, no Linda, no Joska, no Ros, just herself and lots of birds whizzing about.

The plan is to build three tall raised beds on the old asparagus bed, it had beans in it last summer and she let the plants overwinter so that the nitrogen nodules would break down and enrich the soil. 

She wasn't planning on staying long, so didn't open up shack or tool shed, she pottered about, picked leaves of chard, landcress and spinach and looked at things.

The beds of garlic are in great shape, it should be a good harvest. The chives are sprouting and all of the other herbs are doing well.

The wild garlic has shot up, it's underneath one of the Stella cherry trees and has loved the thick layer of horse manure that was put down under the cherries last the Autumn.

It was when she went back to the table to pick up her basket that she saw them, clumps of tiny little dark green spiky shoots, she smiled and thought well, how lovely, Spring is on its' way. 

What were they? They're Snowdrops and beside one of the clumps, just poking out of the earth were the tips of some early Narcissi.  

She carried twelve of the longest boards over to the space where the three raised beds will be and spaced them out.

Just before she actually fixes them into placet and using a hoe, not a spade or a fork, she'll give the weeds a hard time, then she will place the boards into position and fix them securely together.

The horse manure will be put in together with buckets of sharp sand, this is to help lighten the soil and she will top the beds off with a sheet of thick black plastic, this will cause the manure to heat up and to rot down faster.

Mr. and Mrs. Worm will love it and do their splendid job of dragging it down into the earth.

On the narrow walk ways between the beds, she will lay a thick layer of cardboard or paper down on the walk ways to discourage weeds.

'Time to go' she said to heself, the air temperature was dropping fast and then she saw Stuart, opposite neighbor, coming down the track with a wheel barrow of manure.

They greeted and wished each other a happy new year and stood looking at the plot where the big sycamore trees have been taken down, what a difference in light and air it has caused. 

They said their goodbyes, she turned to walk off down the track.. and what did she spy?

Not one but several of her fence roses in bloom, 'Gloire de Dijon', she has a heavenly colour but.. roses in January? 

We might have roses and snowdrops in the same vase, what could be nicer?

She's off out early tomorrow to go to the allotment trading hut to purchase red onions sets plus seeds, we'll be back when she comes home.

Chirps to you all, stay warm, just think.. we are nearly half way through winter and the days are getting lighter sooner and staying lighter longer, yes, they are, I can't help it if it's cloudy or rainy, but above all that rubbish, the daylight hours are increasing.. oh yippee!

GeeGee Parrot.

January 13th, 2018.