Trying not to cf.

Nothing to compare with this 

Here in the lea of the South Downs garden of  my youngest daughter is a flourishing Ginger plant, well thats what she says.  I am wondering whether its actually Tumeric as the leaves are quite broad, and the last time I did manage to get ginger growing from a rhizome it grew to about 30cm but had narrower leaves. I've got 5 bits of rhizome of Ginger in the greenhouse at the allotment today, and am hopeful. I have nothing to compare the plant with until the next time I get to the Chelsea Physic garden where both plants thrive in the new beds by the beehives.

This year the weather for growing things requiring high temperatures has been better than in 2015 , and we have had lots of night rain . I am hopeful that the row of Italian plum tomatoes which I have companion planted next to the Asparagus , will bear much fruit, they are doing so much better than all the greenhouse ones around. And I only planted them to ward off Asparagus Flea Beetle, have not watered them , nurtured them or fed them . I am disappointed that I've not managed to grow aubergines successfully either, I did have some fruit last year. The effort of actually growing them , feeding them and nurturing them to produce 3 tiny fruit was not worth it compared with buying 3 for 69p each in the local greengrocer. 

From left, Broad beans, Asparagus (hidden) Tomatoes, Asparagus, Broad beans

And so to Echiums.

I can happily report that the ones in the garden of other daughter are doing so well, and are so high that people are knocking on the door asking what they are.

See one peeping over the wall, at moment is at least 15' high. I see that someone in the Echium Plant sale business has started a website where people post their stats and compare their plants. I know that daughters one is tall, and she has four others , a veritable forest. I have considered that we need to keep  my daughter supplied with plants for the next 3 years, when the thousands of seedlings from the ones in the picture have germinated all over her garden . They take three years to flower, and then they die, a triennial rather than a biennial like Foxgloves. I have a tray of seedlings coming on nicely. A few years ago seedlings were coming up all along the path edge seen on this photo, but the first frost got them , as always happens , which is why I have to fleece them , and even then I sometimes am unsuccessful at getting them through the winter. I have a small Facebook Group called "WE got and Echium through the winter" where we encourage one another . Compared with all the other sites on Facebook its not in any way viral , just very Niche , if not Exclusive.

Lots to be thankful for

Whats App for Birders

I was going to grouse about the patronising ticket collector here on Hull Trains but wont .*

I am thankful because

• I instructed eldest child last night on the art of cutting Asparagus. She will have to take the spears this week so that more will come. I am actually excited at the thickness of the stems and the fact that I have kept the ridge weed free and watered , even though we have had no rain to speak of for 4 weeks. 
• There is still standing water in the fields between Filey and Beverley , and in some places these near  scrapes are now temporary home to many vagrant birds,I saw an Avocet from the train window, what a treat! 
• The latest FBOG/Grapevine  initiative  is great . I  receive sightings  of bird traffic through Filey on Whats App. You will be interested that I can report 4 Buzzards through East Lea an hour ago, and a Bluethroat last week .(I have always wanted to see a Bluethroat)
• I like the new clock in Paragon Station 
• Last week , a very busy one with the daily trips to irrigate my parched plot, I did an ecumenical  course in Filey at the Convent . Every day I saw a Spiritual Director who helped me to sort my Prayer Life out . It was the perfect run up to Pentecost. It sat well alongside the Archbishops' initiative Thy Kingdom Come .  I feel and know that it did me good!
• I have started to wear my sandals 
• LBNL the fields are looking so organized and full of potential. Spouse has just told me to look out of the window at a particularly attractive field of Potatoes, red soil of the fens , miles of farmland to each horizon . He knows me so well. 

*

Oh !I just have !

 He needs to remember that seniors may have their tickets and rail cards all ready on the table for him in the very same way as juniors could. We are not brain dead, or slow or thoughtless, but accommodating and forward thinking .

Eternity in the hearts of man

Echium Friday

I've wanted to use that phrase for a long time. Its out of context and relates to God but I still love the words. Today I went to the allotment for an hour to see what the recent rain had done and whether I could get my first picking of Asparagus. Four hours later I thought an hour had gone and came home. Certainly eternity or a paradign shift in my concept of time. 

It was just glorious out in Filey today. I had seen the light on the beach at 9am when I spotted the shining sea from the top of Cargate Hill as I did a quick shop at Angelas. Inland , with a cool breeze and blue skies it was perfect gardening weather. Yesterday I had been out at 6am in St Oswalds , watering the flowers, as I had forgotten on Saturday. The Iron work on the South Gate was covered in ice. The temperature in the allotment greenhouse however was over 30C today, and its no wonder all the sunflowers are up after 4 days , but the night temp must be nearer 3C. 

The Asparagus is showing , but only just. I couldn't justify picking the 4 first shoots all over 1cm thick. I'm quietly  pleased .

Echium Monday

My allotment neighbour D is in Lanzerote , land of lava . Little does he know that here in the no volcano any where near soil of Filey Allotments is growing my very own Echium , a native of the Canary Islands. It has grown 30cm in a week , beating the Blackberry , usually the fastest grower.

The recent rain though relentless for hours in Queen Street, has barely moistened the soil by the railway line. The Horsetails have begun their latest offensive , but I am on to them . 

Tomorrow I shall spend the day filling the baths with water with the hosepipe, check my micropond for signs of tadpole life, and try and plant some neat seed rows just to fit in with all my neighbours who are all school of Percy Thrower and his update Monty Don. I am school of Rosemary Varey and Blue Peter. John Siddle once commented that my gardening style was Organized Chaos. I'll take that as a compliment. One thing is sure . I will arrive at my very own corner of Filey and time will stand  still .