The best antidote to a grey January afternoon

Well one of my resolutions was to post more on my blog. I’m sorry I haven’t kept up as much as I intended – I managed to break my laptop. And with Rich working morning, noon and night, it’s nigh on impossible to boot him off so I can write.

But here I am.

Ahhh Fridays. I do like Fridays. Now that I’m in the throes of my four-day working week, Fridays are MY day. You know, when the rest of the world isn’t off work. I rise late, I write, I write some more and catch up on getting all those little jobs out of the way; bottlebank, money bank, library, tidying… Today I’m planning on starting another letter. I’ll plonk myself down at some point during the afternoon and scribble away, no doubt accompanied by the background noise of a terrible 70s film on Film4.

My Smallest Smallholding is… well. Hmm. Green and weedy is the most diplomatic way of describing it. Or perhaps ‘slumbering’. Yes, I like that word. After the snow melted it was like an eye-popping explosion of GREEN. Everywhere was bellowing GREEN! GREEN AND BROWN! GREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN! The snow also uncovered all the messy bits – the unkempt piles of leaves, twigs, weeds, unpruned shrubbery, wonky veg plot borders etc etc. Whilst the snow laid, at least it looked relatively neat. Ah well. Such is nature. I have a lot of work to do this spring.

My local garden centre does a brilliant deal on seeds at this time of year – 50% off, with many “buy two get one free” offers to. So I am planning on heading over there with an extremely limited budget and starting to thumb through the racks. I’m definitely going for squashes again this year. Although last year’s produce was rubbish, at least I managed to get the plant to actually fruit. So this year, who knows. We may produce something edible – it has been known!

I’m not going for potatoes this year. I call my small bit of England ‘The Smallest Smallholding’ for good reason, and potatoes take up a lot of space. OK, maybe I’ll relent and grow a row or two of Charlottes. They’re fantastic when they’re freshly dug. In fact, I doubt whether Rich will allow me NOT to grow them. But as far as maincrop goes, I can easily buy a big sack from the local farmer for around a fiver.

I asked Rich whether he’d eat strawberries, if I grew them. His response? “Depends if they have maggots in them”. Let me remind you that this year, Rich is 30. Yes, really.

And apart from my staple crop of sunflowers (seeds for the birds), onions and garlic, I’m not entirely sure what I’m going to do. I think I’ll decide when I get infront of the seed racks.  I have a feeling that this year, anything goes.

Weight: 11stone 6lbs

Comments

  1. 4lb off needs a comment. Congratulations.
    Kay x

  2. We grew “Atlantic Giant” pumpkins this year and got 3 pumpkins off each plant. And we are a *lot* further north than you. They do sprawl a bit but if you plant them next to the peas or beans then by the time the pumpkins sprawl, the beans will have bean’ed. We have never had any luck with squashes, but possibly it’s the location that’s at fault.

  3. I’m in the throes of my first real growing season. Choosing what to grow is certainly the hardest thing. I’ve got three rows of potatoes and although it’s a lot of space I can’t wait to taste them. Better than from the shops I’m sure. I’m also growing butternut squash, courgette, aubergine, cabbages, broccoli, spinach, beets, beans, tomatoes, celery and salads. We’ve had a rubbish summer in NZ so am not that hopeful for a huge harvest. But, I live in hope!

    Hope you enjoy your seed shopping trip and your new found freedom on Friday’s.

  4. Really delighted that you’re loving your Fridays and the three day weekend is working out!

    I loved the snow because it covered up a multitude of sins. Now it’s gone, I’m feeling ashamed of the state of the place.

    I don’t think I’ll do maincrop potatoes either this year. Too much space for the reward and you can get greats sacks very cheaply.

  5. We grew salad and early potatoes in large plastic garden refuse sacks which I got from B&Q. Worked really well and hardly took up any room.