Early Spring Bits and Bobs.

[Geoff]

What an amazing day. No frost last night then sun all day; coffee, lunch, afternoon brew and evening meal all outside. Think I should have dug out my sun hat! Planted shallots raised from seed and built the frame for the sweet peas, I'll get them planted as soon as my new length of fleece appears. Tomorrow I'll plant about half the seed raised onions. Can't imagine why but we have a first, a moorhen keeps visiting the garden.

[peter]

Four thirty foot rows of potatoes planted and earthed up yesterday, along with the brassica cage dismantled and half re-erected in this years position.

[PLUMPUDDING]

We've had a keen frost four out of five mornings this week. I had to break the ice on the bird bath this morning.
The first of my November planted potatoes are through so I've earthed them up a bit and put some straw over the shoots to keep the frost off.

[Motherwoman]

One of the newbies on our plots has planted out runner beans and squashes... oh dear. Haven't met them, just been watching the plot. Perhaps they're not early risers.

MW

[Monika]

Just got back from the allotment, in the dark, having worked there over the sunset in a slight easterly breeze with oystercatchers and curlews calling in the fields around us. Lovely and peaceful.

Hoed and limed the bed for the summer brassicas, dug 32 holes for the broadbeans which are growing well in roottrainers at the moment and prepared two rows of peas which are 'soaking' in damp potting compost, ready for sowing next week.

I know I probably shouldn't say this, but we are really in need of a good rainfall. The soil is exceedingly dry and, because of the lack of prolonged frost this winter, many soil clods from the autumn digging never broke down. No heavy rain forecast, though.

[peter]

Seems early, yet appropriate, for my Passionflower to be in bloom.

[oldherbaceous]

Morning Peter, it looks more like a Clematis to me!.....and why should it be appropriate?

It's mine and Cooks 24th Wedding Anniversary today, blowed if i know how she has put up with me for that many years.

[alan refail]

Morning Peter, it looks more like a Clematis to me!.....and why should it be appropriate?

That was my first thought, OH, but didn't get round to saying it.

[alan refail]

I did you this anniversary cake, OH. But come to think of it, it looks more like a heart-shaped spam sandwich

[oldherbaceous]

Thank you Alan, compared to what i normally get served up, it looks wonderful.

[peter]

Passion plays for Easter OH.
Do Clematis produe fruits? That one does, subgolfball size that look oike a Passion fruit.

My sympathy to cook and congratilations to you.

[oldherbaceous]

Morning Peter, i don't know of a fruiting Clematis, but there again, there are a lot of things i still have to learn.

I started going out with Cook some 30 years ago when she was only16, and yes, i am a lot older than she is. I suppose that makes her some special person, as some of the mad energetic things i do, would test the patience of a Saint.

[alan refail]

Peter

Here's clematis seeds before they go feathery'



You can see them in the centre of your flower.

Here's a typical passionflower and fruits.

passif.jpg (6.93 KiB) Viewed 4149 times

[robo]

Had a couple of hours strimming the field this morning it was very warm counted 50 swallows diving for the flies that the strimmer was disturbing in the long grass, its always the same in this part of spain at this time of year everywhere is green and lush, another month and it will be brown , we are lucky as all the fields around hear have water piped to them it is a fruit growing area we are surounded by lemon and orange , nectarine , olives and our own almond trees which are past there best, the field behind us has a fig tree that nobody bothers with apart from me, all the olives that are grown in this area are transported to italy where they are crushed and sold as italian olive oil

[Geoff]

I think you have two plants on the same support. A clematis that is followed by a passion flower that gives you the fruit. Passion flowers have the complicated centres that give them their silly name, can't remember the full script, and more petals than clematis like this example.