Used duck bedding everywhere

We paid a visit to the allotment at the weekend. The main reason for the visit was that a few changes of duck bedding were still at home in dustbins and we needed to get it into the compost bin. The trailer was loaded and off we went.

It was far too muddy to do anything and we were only there for a short time but I had a chance to inspect what we had abandoned in the Autumn.

It was a great surprise to find that we had sprouts which were ready for picking (except I forgot to go back and pick them). It was a bit of a struggle to get under the collapsed brassica cage but the spring cabbage were still doing well, there was some overgrown chard and some kale that also need picking.

















There was also a patch of carrots that should have been dug months ago but it looks like our resident bunny has been helping himself. I spotted him but couldn't find where he was getting in or out. I dug the carrots that hadn't been touched but thought it only fair to leave these for him.













There are things that we grow on the allotment which I still can't understand why. I suppose they are mainly for ornamental purposes. One is chard, the other is globe artichoke. The plants grow huge, there is so little edible from them but they do look pretty, so they will stay. A sign that spring is on its way is that they are shooting like mad and will soon take over half a bed.











Another sign that spring is on the way is the rhubard. I love it when the buds first appear and the red leave unfold. This is another plant that will soon take over but at least it is tasty. We still have a few bags left in the freezer from last year so we had better hurry up and eat that to make room the the 2010 vintage.

As I can't drink alcohol and Nick won't tough a drop of it, I think wine will be off the agenda this year so I will have to look for other uses for rhubard. My brew of rhubarb leaves as a spray for pea moth and thrip certainly works so maybe a new tub of that will have to be made. It smells nearly as bad as the comfrey tea but they both work so i will just have to keep holding my nose.

Nuthatch and hyacinths

One of the few pleasures in life at the moment is timing putting the kettle on for a cup of tea and the Nuthatch arriving for his daily feed.

I am worried that I am overfeeding the birds as he is getting bigger by the day.

This week is the first time I have seen starlings feeding and they are so amusing as their sense of balance isn't great and they really do underestimate their own weight as they seem to spend more time falling off things that hanging on.






More of my supposedly white hyacinths are in full bloom and the kitchen smells wonderful. I can't understand why I am getting such a range of colours though as I am sure I would only ever buy white ones. Strange!

Happy ducks

There's a duck in the garden - what am I gonna do.......

At last the ducks have been brave and ventured out into the garden. I may have been something to do with the Hansel and Gretel style lettuce trail that I left though.

They did a bit of mowing of the grass and a lot of quacking before running back to safety and a quick swim before bedtime.