So much for self sufficiency!.

Oriental poppies, bluebells, roses, primroses and holly berries all out together. My garden has me confused. Stuff is coming up at the wrong time, some plants have disappeared completely and others, those that won’t normally self seed at all, are thriving between the stones of the path,
In March the temperature in my car at 8am was often around zero but by noon it could reach 20 degrees F, and now we’ve apparently had the warmest April since records began. No wonder many of my poor little vegetable seeds have refused to sprout. Then there are the slugs. I wrote a whole C.L. blog on slug hunting with a torch. After last night’s shower I could make it a book. Anyone any ideas on what to do with a Sainsbury’s carrier bag full of slugs and snails. Ebay?
I promised myself I would be self sufficient in veg for at least 6 months this year. O.K. I’ll buy frozen peas but I need them in the freezer in case I sprain an ankle digging my rock hard ground. All I have to show so far are a few tiny lettuces. Maybe I could serve them with salted slugs. Any ideas.

Thrift Queen

I caught the end of a radio programme about a group of people who have given up shopping for a year. I didn’t hear it all so presume buying food and medicine is o.k. and , hopefully, soap. All else has to be repaired, made, bartered, swapped or bought second hand.

Since giving up full time work I’ve become something of a thrift queen. Apparently it’s quite fashionable, which is more than I can say for my trousers. I like the idea of not going to ‘the shops’. I no longer need all the smart clothes that lurk in my wardrobe and I’m not tempted by the fancy catalogues that flood through my door and into the recycling box. They never offer the mud coloured trousers and battered hats I really need.

There was a time when I kept an old pair of jeans and a tatty sweatshirt for weekend work. Now all my clothes have to do for outdoors. Slowly my entire wardrobe will become designated gardening clothes. I wonder where the line is between charmingly eccentric and the village bag lady. I guess I’m soon to find out.

Home hint for the slatternly blogger

:

A quick hoover round and a touch of furniture polish at nose height on the door frame and no one need know you’ve been on the computer all afternoon.

In at last

In at last after many misconceptions and mistakes. Unfortunately I haven't got time to write anything as I have to get down the allotment before it gets dark and it's dodgy in the lane with a wheel barrow without lights.