Real spring bits and bobs

[Catherine]

How exciting OH I love thrushes, we have a pair of blackbirds which have returned this year after raising two families last year down the side of our kitchen next to our bins. They both became tame and used to us so we are really pleased they have returned.

I was topping up the bird feeders in the garden during the week and Mrs BB came right next to me not a bit afraid. I am hoping they come back and raise another family soon.

Geoff, there are parts of the area round Colne where the roads are just drivable. The road from Blacko to Gisburn only opened properly on Wednesday after abandoned cars and a lorry had been moved. We are waiting to come over to your area to do some walks again but we wont be doing it any time soon I think.

I was returning from work this afternoon on a very narrow, previously blocked road and a very rude man expected me and another car to reverse quite a long way back because he had a "posh" car and when we didn't move be started to be very abusive. I just smiled cheerily and waved nicely as he had to go back instead of us. Oh and I did remember to say thank you. I think I spoiled his day.

[Colin Miles]

Well, we have been 'lucky'. Der Spiegel reports that

The average temperature in the northern German states of Berlin, Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt has been minus 2 degrees Celsius (28.4 degrees Fahrenheit) this month.

and it looks as if it could be the coldest March since records began in the 1880's.

[Parsons Jack]

Still the cold wind, but otherwise quite pleasant today

Lots of rotavating done this morning on the big plot. Hope we don't have another cold, wet spell. I'm keen to get planting now

[Monika]

I wondered how you were getting on with the new car, Geoff. Have fun driving it!

We still can't get onto the allotment because the sunken path to it is filled with snow. Luckily, we got everything dug, the manure spread on one area and the lime on another. Even the rows for the peas, broad beans and all the brassicas are staked out. So, when spring does arrive (end April?), we are ready to get going.

By then, the greenhouse will be bursting at its seams - I sowed the second lot of broad beans today (Witkiem Manita) and pricked out a tray of antirrhinums. Both will be quite happy in the unheated greenhouse. Brassicas will be next. Other than chillis, sweet peppers and tomatoes, which are still in the house on a well-lit windowsill, I am not going to start anything slightly temperature-touchy yet!

[vegpatchmum]

We've reached a heady 6 degrees outside already AND the sun is shining. Oh happy days

Going to rake about in my seed box and see what else I can sow now - indoors of course

VPM
x

[Clive.]

It seems warmer up North...only 4 C here....with upwards trend...moved to 5.3 as I typed

Important thing is it is dry on the top and sunny...reckon I'm going to put out the rest of "my" Onion sets...those that went in a month ago have not moved sent out any shoots but have made good roots.. I have just also sized up the location for the Broad Beans...seed, that is.


Clive.

[oldherbaceous]

Just popped back for lunch from the Big House, the moles have moved in, in large numbers since last Friday. Set lots of traps so fingers crossed, as they are making such a mess of the lawn. Started pruning the Roses there, nice when the sun comes out, but a little nippy when it goes back in again.

[Colin Miles]

One of my ponds is full of wriggles! Amazing. The frogs got in early in mid-Feb, Valentine's day if I remember right, but with all the freezing that the pond has suffered I am really surprised at how many seemed to have survived.

[Parsons Jack]

A bit of a grey miserable day here. We even had a short drizzly, sleety shower this morning. Still got that cold wind as well.

Still, I managed to finish emptying one of my bays of rotted manure and spread it on the plot. One more bay to go, then I can fill them up again

[Clive.]

I got the Onion sets in and ran the hoe through the very poorly looking overwinter ones.... and then some Broad Beans sowed too.

Need to do the same at home here now.

The sun today was lovely. When I fetched some logs from the heap they were sun warmed as was the side of the Asparagus mounds.

...and all rounded off with a plate of Haddock and Chips.


Clive.

[Monika]

We managed to get to the allotment today by scrambling down a steep wooded slope because the official path to it is still covered by waist-high snow drifts. But good news: the only animal tracks on the snow were by a large bird, possibly a goose (we get a lot of migrating pink-footed geese crossing here), but no rabbit or deer tracks. Strange, too, that four or five of the eight allotments on our site are almost snow free and two or three are still covered by knee-high snow, because the wind blew it off the fields.

The only thing growing on our own allotment at the moment is rhubarb and that has survived, albeit slightly "scorched" by the freezing winds. Overwintering shallots are at a standstill and the overwintering onions (Radar) don't look at all happy.

[Clive.]

So much for me enthusing over the drying weather we have enjoyed over the last week...and the hope to get on in the garden here tomorrow...
Just had a fine snow blizzard that has put nearly an inch down on the grass in no time at all and stuck to everything making for some sizzling and sparking on the insulators of the pole mounted transformer 2 gardens to the south of us.....

Clive.

[PLUMPUDDING]

My garden is still under at least six inches of snow, so no chance of planting onion sets or anything else. I've still not planted the garlic or shallots which have been waiting in pots in the cold frame. It has been either frozen or covered in snow since Christmas. The pond is still covered with ice, so no sign of any frogs. Sick of the sight of the white stuff now. Still it is nice and sunny today so things are thawing out a bit.

[Clive.]

Oops, sorry...I shouldn't be moaning about our little blizzard last night...it was just frustrating to have just looked out at what was lovely and dry at last with plans in my head for the morning a few minutes earlier and see the snow coming down...again. It really did come down quick and was such fine stuff that when I first looked out I thought I was seeing fog....seems it was the wrong sort of snow for things electrical.
It was still on the ground this morning with some more large flakes coming down. I was also concerned for our work car park...as we had to close last Sunday as it was all too wet and I was fearing for a repeat this weekend...which would be bad news indeed.

Thankfully the sun came out this morning and has mostly stayed out. Went in to work and raked the gravel and cinder path in the Orchard ready for tomorrow and found the car park to be ok...then sawed some pencils in half. ...I could because I had a saw.........
Lunch with Mum at one garden centre...we bumped into some friends from the old days of driving model steam locomotives...
Picked up a bag of compost and some gravel at another garden centre....very sad to see it looking a little empty and items spread out on the shelves..
...and home to find it dry enough for those Onion sets after all.

Clive.

[peter]

Did twelve miles with dogs & (unusually) wife today. Beautiful sunshine eventually gave way to dry cloud cover and the temperature dropped in the chill east wind.

Paused in sunshine for wife to take a scenery photo we were slowly overflown at low level by a magnificent buzzard(?).