Realm of the Ice Queen

This time last year

According to the TV news and weather people this time last year we were basking in temperatures of around 70F – Today it is a smidgen (technical term) over freezing. We woke up to yet another covering of snow and a biting cold wind from the east. Looking on the Met Office website my planned week of gardening may be spent in front of the fire instead;

“Scattered wintry showers, especially in the east, some turning heavy towards midweek. Widespread, penetrating night frosts, locally severe.

Snow Primroses

Outlook for Wednesday onwards; Some sleet or showers are still possible in the east but these will tend to ease. Staying generally cold or very cold with widespread overnight frosts and bitter winds. Rain, locally heavy, probably spreading into southern areas from around Saturday next week and turning to sleet or snow as it moves northwards, giving further snow accumulations in places. Cold or very cold at first, but temperatures recovering to nearer normal across southern areas during Easter weekend.” (http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/uk_forecast_weather_noscript.html)

Brave or foolish

Out in the garden a few spring flowers have braved it but nowhere near as many as you would expect at this time of year. 

Like many other gardeners I am frustrated by the continuing cold, unable to get out and get planting. In the greenhouse some broad beans are hiding in tubes of compost waiting for spring warmth. Last year I had already planted raspberries, taters, strawberries, asparagus, broad beans, spinach, carrots, parsnips, beetroot and herbs. At the moment on the allotment there is a row of onions hiding under a cloche and the resident fruit bushes, asparagus and strawberries toughing it out.

January and March are the same

A new life awaits

Its just by the door!

I mentioned the broad beans in tubes of compost – they are toilet roll tubes filled with compost. It made me think about the great tradition of recycling in gardens and on allotments. In the past allotments were filled with wonderful home made sheds, usually made form old doors and cast off windows. Which of course could make an allotment site look like a shanty town if done badly but done well it added character and colour to allotment sites. All manner of things were recycled to make plant supports, plant protection and even seating. Today because owners of allotment land want things to look tidy and uniform and because of an increasing need for security the makeshift sheds have been replaced by mass manufactured ones but the inventiveness of plant supports and other structures remains the same. On a smaller scale it is in seed raising that recycling is particularly useful. With so many plastic containers and food trays being unrecyclable (in this area at least) they get re-used a few times before finally heading off to landfill. The square deep boxes that mushrooms come in are useful for seeds or in the kitchen for vegetable trimmings before composting. The rectangular deep fruit boxes are good for seeds because they have drainage holes in already. Cress containers can be used to grow more cress or similar seeds. Milk containers make useful scoops or funnels. Large clear fizzy drink bottles are very good – cut off the bottom to make individual cloches; cut in half lengthways, cut off the ends and make a manageable length of pea guttering; if you cut fins in them they can be used as spinning noisy bird scarers. No end of assorted household items get used for storage of garden sundries, particularly if they have lids to stop spillage. I think nearly all gardeners use egg boxes for chitting potatoes and I'm sure they have other uses too. As well as household items gardens themselves would be recycled with prunings of hedges and bushes being used as plant supports or protection the following season, plants composted and grass trimmings or swept leaves used as mulches. Perhaps all this recycling and being in tune with nature is why so many gardeners are happy contented people when out on their plot.