Friday 27 April 2007

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.

11 comments:

Un Peu Loufoque said...

Ah but did you see Mushrooms are now cropping twice in the wild this year ? The world has gone mad I tell you!

Milla said...

mercifully slug-lite, here. Dread to think what might be eating them though...

Faith said...

slugs! we used to have a children's book about them - what you could do with them. Horrible things like put them in your sister's shoe! Don't get many here but i used to get them in my old garden, put them in a bucket and pour boiling water over them. Yes I know it's not nice, but its quick.

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

we get snails more than slugs here which is better because I can pick snails up and throw them into the field. expect they come back but it takes them an hour or two.
my veg garden isnt delivering yet either - the hungry gap i think they call it.

Suffolkmum said...

The few veg I've got room to grow aren't doing much yet either - but I have got a rose out! It is mad isn't it. Luckily we don't get too bothered by slugs, but have snails all over the place. Aren't you supposed to give slugs beer or something? Good for you, trying to be self sufficient for at least part of the year - I'd love to be, don't really have the room yet.

Inthemud said...

You could lightly fry them and add garlic and herbs!!

Yes, it is all very odd, I still see several red berries on the holly bushes nearby, climate is a changing alot, but I doubt there is anything we can really do to stop it, i 'm of the view that climate changes have afffected the world since it began and humans have very little if anything to do with it. ( Sorry if you strongly oppose this view!)

snailbeachshepherdess said...

well we rescued two great big Aylesbury Ducks, they live in the garden and we havent seen a slug or snail since

Pondside said...

You need ducks!.....or an alternative recipe book with ideas for Slug Lasagna, Slug Oscar,Slug-in-the-hole, Slug Soufle.....

Kitty said...

Yes, I was going to say Ducks. But they will leave slimy green poo and eat your plants apparently.

Eden said...

You need some ducks or frogs for the slugs. Horrible (the sugs of course, not the ducks and frogs!). Everything in burst at once here too -- madness. Eden.

Westerwitch/Headmistress said...

We get black slugs here - I want to plant Hostas but the slugs love them. We had the rhoddys flowering in November . . . . and yet everything else is late now up here. No House Martins yet - which is sad - I have seen them in the Village.