Wood Pigeons are New Superfood!*

EAT ME!!!!

All you carnivores out there go and eat Wood Pigeons – they are marvellous! They are free range, live very happy lives and have a very healthy diet – mostly strawberries and pea shoots from allotments. There are thousands of them about so there are plenty to go round. Just think of all the pies, casseroles and roasts you could have and how many gardeners and farmers you would be making happy. Eating wood pigeons would be a great service to the nation – go on tuck in!!!*

( * I made that up - I just want rid of them by fair means or fowl!)

Where to start?

I've not posted anything for a while because of various things – weather, work, holiday and working on the allotment. When I went down the allotment after our holiday I found a weed choked thirsty mess. I had to come up with a plan of action otherwise I would have just been jumping from one job to another and not really achieving anything. I decided to start at the bottom end where the peas and beans are. 

Look No Weeds!

The first job was to weed the peas which had been grown in bottles. They then needed support so I used some plastic plant support along one side and tried to encourage them to grow up this. Then I hoed out the weeds where the field peas should have been growing. After that I carried on with a hoe down and worked up towards the potatoes. This was done on a very hot day and turned out to be more tiring than it sounds. My weeding was interrupted when I went up to the shed for something and found wood pigeons eating my strawberries so I harvested the fruit then changed the chicken wire tunnels to make them more pigeon proof. 

Sickly potatoes

The dry weather is causing great distress to the plants with spinach and onions running to seed early; broad beans plants are about half the size they were this time last year; French beans are tiny – barely two inches long and goodness know what is happening to the potatoes – the earlies and salads are all turning yellow and dying off and I don't think it is because they are ready to be dug up. Before I went away I replanted where seeds had failed to germinate – mainly Scorzonera and Chard – There is still little or no germination, it is very disheartening. Equally disheartening are the peas which I rescued from weeds only to have the plants stripped of leaves by pigeons. More mesh has been put in place to protect what remains. 

Small rewards

Today I chanced it and put in some Speedy french bean seeds where the field peas should have been. I also finally planted out my pumpkins, it was cool and cloudy so they should be able to settle in ok. The combination of very dry weather causing distressed and undersized plants and crops and masses of choking weeds has got me down today. Weeds wouldn't be so bad if they stayed away but wherever I clear space and plant seeds all I get is more weeds! Pigeons eating and crapping on everything don't help either. I had to fish a dead pigeon out of the half full waterbutt today as well! At least its one less pest! Next time I go to the allotment I shall take the big strimmer and get on top of those weeds. If only making it rain was as easy. On the bright side I have again come home with a box of beautiful jewel red strawberries!

Before we went away I went on a Master Gardeners day at Holt Hall and visited their wonderful vegetable gardens. The garden has been in cultivation for over 100 years. There is an old hot house where melons were once cultivated and next door is a marvellous greenhouse where strawberries and tomatoes grow in one half and seeds are raised and potted on in the other half. A poly tunnel was full of early crops of potatoes, carrots, beetroot and courgette. The best part is the walled garden where different methods of cultivation are used. There are raised beds, no dig beds, 3x3 metre garden, wild life area, a pond and much much more. It was a really inspirational visit and I came away with a lot of ideas. Holt Hall gardens are open every third Sunday (the next one is 21^st July) and free of charge – well worth a visit.

The Exquisite Walled Garden at Holt Hall