Weeds 0 Mal 1 (After Extra Time)

What to do with that extra Bank Holiday day? Given the state of the plot there was no question: Weeding.  I started at on end and just got on with it.  Of course it rained incessantly. After three hours I had progressed 6 metres along the bed through raspberries, strawberries, runner beans, jerusalem artichoke and french beans  I have now discovered that my average weeding rate is 10 minutes per square metre or  6 square metres per hour. Given the overall plot size is 180 square metres, if it was all planted, it would take me 30 hours to hand weed the whole plot! Crikey! Thank goodness for potatoes!

The view from the shed - in the rain

And now something for Tany:

It's the reserve celeriac!

Blue Gold

It's taken two years but the first blueberries have arrived:

First Blueberries

Here's how they look today:

Bushes today

It all started as a big disappointment as the three "bushes" I ordered turned out to be more like twigs.

Bushes - or twigs -  Day 1  21-3-2010

Their first winter was spent especially well protected 

Winter 2010/11

Even before they arrived I had spent a lot of time and money preparing the ground for them.  I had a paddling pool/sand pit that the children had grown out of.

Preparing the ground Autumn 2009

This was buried two foot down

Preparing the Ground 2

...and filled with ericaceous compost- about 5 bags worth in the end.

Preparing the Ground 3

At one point it looked as if it was all for nothing:

Winter 2011/12

but they bounced back.

One year Old 

Now, two years on, things are looking rosey

On the vine

Unfortunately given the recent inundation we can't have the confidence to eat the crop, but at least we are providing some  snail food!

Snailfood

Blowing Bubbles

What other blog takes you from shit to champagne in successive posts? 

 Back here: June 24th I made some elderflower champagne. I bottled it a week later and left it for a generous 4 weeks before sampling.  Would it be bubbly???

Would it hell!

Something suitable to celebrate Olympic gold.

...or any other excuse


It tastes really refreshing, and the elderflower aroma is so delicate.  It seems you can bottle it!