The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies. Gertrude Jekyll

Annie's Little Plot

Annie's Little Plot

Sunday 29 April 2012

Enchanted April?

Its not really been an Enchanted April this year, what a month, I think we've only had about 2 dry days. I've struggled to get up to the allotment as the days when I've been able to go its been chucking it down with rain and the days when it has been fine I've had other things to do. It couldn't be more contrasting to last April when it was completely dry and sunny. I wouldn't have minded the rain so much apart from the fact that it has been so cold as well. I managed a quick evening up there last week when I planted by Broad beans that I had sowed in loo rolls in early March. I'm planting my normal variety 'Aquadulce' which did well last year and also a crimson flowered variety. 

I also planted my red onions which I had started off in modules (that was not really needed this year, I did it as last year we had a really dry spell and they took ages to get going, thought I would speed them up into root). It was a refreshing evening with the whole site to myself.
The peas that I planted a week or so ago haven't faired too well the slugs have cut down some of the plants, I've sown some more so may have to replace them.
I've been doing quite a lot of pricking out, potting on and more sowing at home but I haven't sowed my squash or courgettes yet as I'm running out of space in the greenhouse and back bedroom! I need to move some things out but it seems too cold. I'm going to sow them this bank holiday weekend at the very latest.
The rain has been unbelievable though, some days it has rained all day, there have been some really heavy downpours which if you get caught in you just get drenched. Many of the Yorkshire weather stations are reporting record rainfall for April. 
This made me laugh the other day when I was walking home across the small park near my house, two ducks making a home on the football pitch. Its certainly wet enough for them.

If you want to forget this weather for a while then I thoroughly recommend that you read The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim. 
A book about two married women who completely out of character decide to reply to an advert in The Times, to escape from a gloomy cold London to a Wisteria-scented and sunlit Italian Riviera. They are joined in their adventure by two other women who have their own reasons for escaping the English spring. The place seems to work its gentle magic on each of the women in ways they never expected. They are transfixed by the beauty of the place and it has a soothing, calming effect. The descriptions of the gardens, flowers, scents and even the gentle breezes just make you feel like you are there yourself.
Escape today even if only into a book.

4 comments:

  1. Let's hope tomorrow is a nicer day...

    :0)

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  2. Hi Annie, Oh don't get me started on the weather. It's dry and sunny but with some looming clouds here today but we've had so much rain and it's been so cold here we lit the woodburner again on Friday. I'm suffering from similar problems with clod frame and window sill backlog. It's probably warm enough to plant out some plants but the ground is too wet to be working it and with another week of torrential rain predicted I'm slightly despairing at the moment!!I love Britain but the idea of escaping our weather appeals greatly after the last month.

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  3. I love that book and if I remember when they left for Italy it was pouring down in London, The film is excellent too. Your plot is looking very neat and you were lucky to be able to plant some things out. The weather has been truly attrocious - surely, it can only get better.

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  4. Yes Elaine, it was horrible in London when they left for Italy so a good book to read now, the film was brilliant with excellent casting of Josie Lawrence as Mrs Wilkins and Miranda Richardson as Mrs Arbuthnott.

    Thats the nice thing about being part of a little blogging community, you see that everyone is in the same boat. We are all struggling with the weather at the moment! Here's hoping that it gets better soon.

    Wellywoman, I'm a bit fortunate that the raised beds on my plot drain well, as my plot is slightly sloping (not good at the bottom of the plot!) so I've been able to get some plants in but my mini-greenhouses and back bedroom are bulging with plants.

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