Terry Walton is being delayed from his allotment tasks by daily distractions!
Shed painting and an unexpected delivery of manure have stopped me cracking on with my delayed planting
Iwas on the plot early one morning last week, and for the first time this year I heard the distinctive call of the cuckoo. This is much later than normal and is usually in early May. This call to me is the true sign of spring and is a very welcome sound to my ears. However, this bird’s nature is not one to be proud of; it lays its solitary egg in some other bird’s nest so that they can foster it! The part in parental responsibility of its offspring and actually leave the country before its child has left the nest. It’s unfortunate that numbers of this badlybehaved bird are on the decline – it would be another ecological disaster if this distinct sound of spring disappeared from the countryside. The old saying of ‘don’t plant your ta ies out until you hear the cuckoo shout’ would no longer apply in gardening folklore!
With the season gaining momentum after a strange April of cold winds and an almost total lack of showers, I could do without any interruptions and distractions. So why did I wait until now to paint my shed? I erected the shed back last autumn but kept pu ing off giving it a protective coat of paint. ‘This won’t take long’, I told myself! However, due to it being partially below ground level, it made for a difficult task. It’s finished now and after many years of making my own buildings it does take pride of place on the plot.
Just after I thought, ‘I can now concentrate on the plot and catch up with my delayed planting’, then what happens? The local stables decided it was time to get rid of the large amount of manure that had built up around the yard. Firstport of call was the people at our allotments. Ten of us couldn’t turn down such a precious gift, so it was all hands on deck. I hastily cleared a composting bay and soon this black gold was safely stored for next season. We usually get this supply in autumn when I have space or can distribute it around the plot but I can’t look a gift horse in the mouth, or at least one part of the anatomy of the animal!
The planting season heightens and more tender plants are finding their new home out on the plot. There’s dampness in the air and those despised pests, the slug and the snail, are on the prowl. They don’t take long to munch their way through a row of fresh, young le uce leaves. The control of these menaces is a dilemma for gardeners. You can spread the li le blue pellets around, which poisons them, but they can also have a detrimental effect on other wildlife. I use Nemaslug to control the slugs; these nematodes control the population without any consequences on natural surroundings.