The footpath disappeared because the weather looks like this.
So we huddle indoors, watch too much news and talk about what we would do if we were in power. It is a shame I forgot to become prime minister.
When the rain stops, it is easier to stop obsessing, go to the garden and think about that instead.
Jobs to do to Take Your Mind off Things.
Seedlings
All that work in March is paying off. Pots are groaning with a thousand lettuce, leeks, tomatoes, whatever you thought you needed to be self-sufficient in.
It is worth sorting them out.
If you don’t, the slugs will do it for you.
Decide about the Catnip
I bought dried catnip. The cat was interested, but I expected it to go crazy in a hilarious way, so I grew some. It grew too fast, the cat ate a whole plant and things got out of hand. One person has been scratched, and nobody is sure if it was funny after all.
‘Is it Cruel to give Catnip to Cats’ comes up fairly high on Google. The cat says it is fine.
Weeding
30 years ago somebody made an asparagus bed and it’s still here. If you weed it all year round you get a good four spears a day for nearly two weeks.
If I paid myself £10 an hour to weed the asparagus, and then bought it off myself, it would be more expensive than the asparagus from Chile.
Pumpkins.
These must be planted now. If you don’t plant them now you will have no homegrown pumpkins for Halloween and then the evil spirits will get in and all hell will break loose over winter. All hell might break loose over winter anyway, but it is best to be on the safe side.
Take up the challenge of No Mow May
Gardeners are encouraged to leave lawns alone in May to allow everything to flourish and feed the wildlife. This lawn is full of buttercups, dandelions, daisies and all sorts of grasses. Starlings come to graze in the mornings, swallows swoop down for gnats at dusk, and the chickens chase butterflies all day.
It is amazing what comes up if you leave it all alone.
Think ahead to the Walnut Harvest
It is fine to count walnuts before they are hatched. This tree is 17 years old and it looks like we might get 7 this year.
When gardening comes down to counting walnuts, it could be a sign that it is time to get out and about.
Wild Swimming
The river near us is swollen with rain and just about deep enough but not quite the right shade of crystal clear.
Wim Hof is right, cold swims work wonders, but maybe not in liquid mud. Time to scuttle home before it rains again.
There is always more to do, like telling chickens they can’t move in, even if it is wet out there.
are you selling catnip? I think I could use some…… thank you for another great post – made me laugh out loud and think about things