2025 Welcome

2025 kicked off with Storm Eowyn.  Edinburgh Botanic Gardens lost their tallest tree. Across town our allotment site we also experienced a bit of a blow. When this tree toppled its rootball ripped up the site access path. The Council Allotment Officer assured us that given the extensive damage across all of Edinburgh we shouldn't expect the Parks arboreal team to attend to it for some time.  This prediction has been borne out.

Our neighbour's greenhouse suffered a direct hit and 100% glass loss. With the shielding of the wall my new build of last year survived unscathed except for a puncture in the corrugated plastic roof from flying debris. I can repair that.  

The brassica patch is a source of some encouragement in times of adversity!  The purple sprouting broccoli and Russian kale seem unperturbed by the storm and the weeks of cold easterly winds. (The Italian kale is not so happy)

and the "Yellow Cabbage" is good and yellow.

So even at this time of year there are positives, But I can't resist suggesting this song as the allotment anthem.

  

 

I'm Happy When It Rains

 Before the flowers on our Wisteria get washed away I just wanted to record it in all its glory.  

Almost as if it was waiting for the change of month the first significant rain in weeks arrived yesterday in Edinburgh.  I recall that April 2017 was exceptional in that we got 3mm of rain in the whole month. Well May 2018 will not be as low as that but was exceptionally dry.  In addition Edinburgh traditionally gets its last ground frost in May. There was none this May - so the last frost date will either be in April or June. We certainly have had hail showers in the summer before. Hindsight is a wonderful thing because if we had known this was how it was to be in advance we could have started our courgettes and sweetcorn a month earlier!  

Just One More Night?

The task of wheeling everything out each morning and back in each evening is a tiresome one

But if the weather forecast is correct it could be coming to an end:  We are due to get a touch of frost tonight (Tonight's the Night) and then the night time temperature should be good for the next couple of weeks.

Up Up Up

Bee on Willow

After lolling about in the doldrums at 6C or below for a week the temperature today has followed the following pattern

7am   7C

8am  8C

9am  9C

10am  10C

11am 11C

12noon 12C

1pm 13C

Unbelievable! And on the subject of bees. the bumble bees have woken up and are prospecting for nest sites. So far they have evaded my camera lens. Above is the best shot to date.

Here's the most uplifting song I can think of to reflect the mood:

Easter Eggs?

I am so glad the weather improved for an hour or two on Easter Sunday.  The delayed Good Friday planting finally went ahead and the first two rows of tatties went in.

The potato patch gets underway

Just as well,  as the weather turned at midday and after another frosty night today went from bad to worse with "wintery showers" developing.

We live in hope:

HXB

In time honoured tradition

This year's batch.

Looking at the weather outside I don't think I will be keeping the other tradition - planting potatoes.  It is grey windy and cold (4C) in Edinburgh today.

The Missing Ingredient

.

A week ago I welcomed the rain. Now after a wet week we need some SUN.  I've heard of strawberry crops rotting. It doesn't seem to put the birds or slugs off.

Strawberries at the ready

Runner beans at the ready

Courgettes at the ready

The only crop that really likes these conditions is potatoes.  (Sssshhhh but these conditions are blight inducing - fingers crossed)