Slow painting

Sunday 16 March 2014

Garlicking along


In January the annual allotment fee invoice came in, and we had another stocktake about whether we had the time to keep the plot on.  We hadn't got to the end of that when, what seemed like a week later, a red final demand notice came in.  The waiting list for plots near us is very long - between 5 and 7 years - so although we hope not still to be in Edinburgh by that point, we couldn't face giving up and plot and going back on the waiting list.  So here we are, committed for another year and watching the garlic grow.

I planted garlic on 4 January.  By 16 February it was showing green shoots.  When I was at the plot two weeks ago it was higher still, but I didn't get any photos.  I'm just about to go along for a morning's work and will check on its progress then.  Thankfully, despite the late planting we have had some days of frost to help bulb development. 
 

Meantime, potatoes have been chitting away.  Charlotte and Desiree, not too many of either because we want to leave space for more interesting things.  Not that a home grown tattie isn't a delight, but there are other things which cost more and taste of nothing in the supermarket. 
 


And finally - our new weed for this season.  Foxglove seedlings, liberally strewn across the plot by the wild floxgloves on our inherited weed heap/compost pile.  I'll dig a couple up for the garden, but the rest will have to come out.  It seems a shame, but they are definitely a 'plant in the wrong place'.