Today I was speaking to a rather glum-faced new plotter who recently took on one of the vacant centre plots and full of enthusiasm got her plot turned over and dug and planted up some beds of seed and seedlings a number of weeks ago…

She seemed almost disheartened that nothing she had planted or sown had grown or is showing any signs of development, and she was blaming her own beginner’s lack of knowledge and inexperience and wondered why she had ever taken on an allotment in the first place.

But, I told her she was not alone in feeling this way especially this year, given the extremely intemperate spring and early summer we’ve had to date, and somehow I think she thought I was simply trying to placate her own perceived inexperience, but nothing could be further from the truth…

I told her to look around the other allotments, really look, and that she wasn’t the only one with little growth or cropping, and I was at pains to get her to stick in there, as it was only her 1^st year and that even if things-meteorologically speaking- didn’t improve drastically, well she should take all of the ups and downs and learn from them, as we all do.

But I think what clinched it was when I told her that today we were only 5 weeks away from mid-summers day and that it was only 11 degrees Celsius, which is 4 degrees below average for the time of year, and that on 21^st December last year which was mid winters day, I was down in the walled garden and the temperature was 13 degrees Celsius. I told her the dawn temperature on 21^st December 2011 was 6 degrees, and that this morning, at 5.00am it was 1 degree.  And I think she’s getting the picture, so hang on in there Phyllis, we don’t need another vacant plot.  All the experience in the world must still function in accord and within the constraints of the natural elements, and this year they are challenging even the most experienced gardeners…so chins up, trowels down…

IT’S STILL ONLY THE MONTH OF MAY…

Hi Everyone
Please do not take this the wrong way, as we are simply reminding people,
But Please Please Please,if you must bring your dog into the walled allotment garden
could we all ensure that the dog/dogs are kept on a lead at all times, and where possible, tethered if they are to be left unattended for any time…

it is not our desire to have to remind or invoke licence agreements as that is a Dublin City Council prerogative, but, as a courtesy to all concerned we need to remind everyone…

Being concerned about the unseasonably low temperatures during the whole month of April, and a little worried that they would –as they most certainly have-continue into May, I decided to build a small poly-cloche to cover my Strawbs.  The hope is that if I raise the temperature & humidity level even for a 2 or 3 week period, I will encourage bloom, which to date, has been slow.  Not mind you, that I was unduly worried, for the particular variety I am growing is the ‘Cambridge Pine’ a rather late cropper; last year I did not get anything worth picking till the end of July, but, even in accord with some of the other Muck-Rakers & dirt-diggers it was worth the wait. But, given the miserably cool wet and dull spring we’ve had I thought I’d lend Mother Nature a helping hand.

So we bent some bamboo and plugged it into the soil; and we covered it with a length of fairly decent polythene, and we staked it into place as a temporary measure using 2 lengths of 3”x3” which looked forlornly redundant, and we placed a couple of generous rocks and stones either end to close the tunnel off. Et voila…not pretty; no aesthetic masterpiece, but hopefully…functional.

Now just as we are learning to adapt to the vagaries of abysmal springtime weather this year, you may recall that this time last year we were all learning about the Pigeon, and all about what the pigeon likes to eat, and that the pigeon likes to eat a lot of what it likes to eat; and that the pigeon likes to eat a lot of what we like to grow to eat; and we all soon learned the value of the old allotment maxim;

If You Don’t Net It, You’ll Regret It.

And so you learn, and you move on. And you learn from the memory of decimated Brassica; and you learn not to whine too much about inclement springtime, and before long you’ll learn that nothing, and I mean nothing is safe from the Magpie.  I know they get a lot of bad press being an introduced species, and there’s no doubting that they can fairly bully all the smaller avian varieties, especially this time of year when every feather is foraging to feed the gaping mouths in the nests.

But, you have to picture this; I’ve just erected my small purpose-built strawberry-bloom-enhancement-propagation-unit (aka home-made Poly tunnel), and today on my lunch-break I drop into see how things are drying up after the deluge of the last 2 days, and there they are, 2 magpies, standing on the apex bamboo supports of my recently constructed climatic control dome. Thus far you may think that I just don’t like magpies trespassing on my patch but nothing could be further from the truth, I believe in living and letting live (slugs and snails being notable exceptions), and the Magpies are more than welcome on my patch, it’s just that I’m not a great fan since they decided to use my new Poly-tunnel as a killing perch; standing on my bamboo curves, with insect prey in claw and staking it to death a 100 times with a rapid head and beak.  Unfortunately the polythene covering directly below the kill site gave way, and on closer examination I gather that this was not an isolated incident.  Now I did not curse my luck, oh no. And perhaps I may have let slip an exasperated rhyme with Duck- still on the avian theme-but I thought it best to look on the Brightside, and view it more as a pica pica impromptu ventilation unit.  See, life’s better when you look on the Brightside…thus, I am now the proud possessor of a rather hastily constructed and rudimentary simplistic strawberry-bloom-enhancement propagation unit with multiple pica pica random air & temperature control vents…I know, I know; I promise to try and get out more…

All of my seedlings have been shown the door. It was becoming a case of “either they go, or I go!”  They’d grown to a point were I had no option but to start hardening them off.  But with the chilly north-easterlies of the last 5 weeks still the dominant air feature, I’m not certain whether they’ll be able to adapt quickly enough without failing completely.  But it is all part of the growing up process; I’ve played my role and now it’s up to them.  They, like all young children, got so used to being nurtured in the warm and loving environment of the family home, and having all their young needs met with just the right amount of heat and light, and the daily feeding and watering with tepid water so as not to shock their young systems too much; and the making sure they weren’t left standing in a draught, and also ensuring they weren’t left standing in direct sunlight lest their young immature foliage become scorched; yes, they grew so used to this, that they thought nothing else could or should be expected of them.  But boy oh boy  they are having to learn to grow up quickly, I mean, there comes a time in every young life when the nest must be flown, , or, as in this instance, the window sill must be cleared…

So, after a good heart-to-heart, I’ve told them I expect them to be able to stand on their own 2 feet from now on (well, roots actually; but you get my drift) and that from now on they were on their own. I told them it was no good thing for any young plant to spend all of its days in doors, shut away from the harsh climate of reality, and that all young seedlings must spread their wings (well, branches) and reach for the light on their own terms. I told them I’ll always be here to offer the occasional bamboo support, and to provide necessary interventions should times get tough, but that at 1 month 3 weeks and 2 days old it was high time they learned how to adapt to the real world, and I also reminded them that it is only those who adapt survive.

They looked quite forlorn yesterday evening, dressed in their clear flimsy polythene coats as they just stood there, at the end of the back garden, staring through the kitchen window into the warm environ of the dining room, but, I manned it up and pretended I didn’t notice them, and I know that some day, maybe not today or tomorrow, but maybe in June or July they’ll be flourishing, and the cold days of learning about cold days will be a distant memory…

For reasons which by now should be abundantly clear, we have no need to record that most gardeners were glad to wave goodbye to April this year. Unfortunately, the month of May has begun in exactly the same fashion as April’s ending, with a little added extra, just for the hell of it: over 1.5 inches of rain yesterday, and although it is somewhat drier today, the short term forecast is for more cool, showery and blustery weather over the Bank Holiday weekend.  It is one thing to expect a continuing amount of fiscal impoverishment given our Nation’s monetary state, and we Irish are becoming quite good at the auld austerity trick, sure aren’t we the poster boys of Europe for exhibiting our ability to knuckle down and get on with things without too much griping. Yes, we are becoming quite good at the aul’ austerity, and I firmly believe that by the time this crisis (if that’s what it is) ends, if it ends, then every Irishman (& woman) on the basis of real time 21^st century experience, will be well versed in the austerity subtexts of the complete works of Charles Dickens…

It is a hard and bitter pill to have to swallow measures imposed by the international 3 piece set (Troika), but you can’t help feeling that someone is completely taking the urine when Mother Nature expects you to put up with her meteorological austerity package as well; slashing the spring time temperatures; blowing cold gale force winds in your face all through April; cutting back on available sunlight and to top it all off, waiting till the 1^st day of summer to attempt to drown the whole country in one fell swoop.

But take heart all, for just as one swallow doth not a summer make, we, being mere mortals, must not presume that a bad 1^st of May bodes a bad month of June; (It has a ring to it, doesn’t it) and as Carlyle says, we will have a summer in anyway, and we must make of it what we will…

“Sweet April showers
do spring May flowers.”
Thomas Tusser, A Hundred Good Points of Husbandry, 1557

“It was the month of May, the month when the foliage of herbs and trees is most freshly green, when buds ripened and blossoms appear in their fragrance and loveliness. And the month when lovers, subject to the same force which reawakens the plants, feel their hearts open again, recall past trysts and past vows, and moments of tenderness, and yearn for a renewal of the magical awareness which is love…
The month of May was come, when every lusty heart beginneth to blossom, and to bring forth fruit; for like as herbs and trees bring forth fruit and flourish in May, in likewise every lusty heart that is in any manner a lover, springeth and flourisheth in lusty deeds.  For it giveth unto all lovers courage, that lusty month of May.”
Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte d’Arthur

“Now the bright morning star, day’s harbinger,
Comes dancing from the east, and leads with her
The flowery May, who from her green lap throws
The yellow cowslip, and the pale primrose.
Hail, bounteous May, that doth inspire
Mirth, and youth, and warm desire;
Woods and groves are of thy dressing,
Hill and dale doth boast thy blessing,
Thus we salute thee with our early song,
And welcome thee, and wish thee long.”
John Milton, Song on a May Morning

“Long stormy spring-time, wet contentious April, winter chilling the lap of very May; but at length the season of summer does come.”
Thomas Carlyle

“You must not presume that a bad day in May bodes a bad month of June..”

The Plotman

Anyone have contact for plot 58. Need to get in touch. Ring 086 0688320.

Rose Festival Day…&

                                   Annual BBQ Day…

                 Sunday 22nd July…

Amended…

I love winter’s moody mornings;

I love winter’s chilly days;

I love winter  with November’s stormy breezes;

And I love winter, in December, when it freezes.

I love winter every moment;

every moment of each day.

I love winter.  But I’ll tell you

I don’t like winter

when it falls between March and May….

a little poem in memory of this year’s wonderful April…

and the reality is, that this April is as bad as it gets from a gardening perspective.  However the good news is, that if you agree with the previous statement, then things CAN only get better,  So here’s hoping for a little respite in May everyone…keep the chins up, and the trowels down…

According to the latest forecast we are in for some very wet and windy weather over the next couple of days, so, what’s new there???

But the approaching storm clouds doth bring a silver lining

for today I saw the 1st Swallows of the year…

An omen perhaps, of more temperate climes ahead…