Vegetable growing in lockdown...

Hello all,

Moving into the 9th week with big hair now and some confusion over the relaxation rules….

This lockdown has meant Allen and I haven’t attended any events or festivals along with the rest of you.  Which has meant that although our weeks are busy supplying shops and drinkers at home,  our weekends are suddenly free.

“Let’s grow some veggies”, something I used to do years ago.   I planted a myriad of bean seeds, courgettes, beetroot and other leaves.  It is a long time since I’ve flexed my green fingers.  The courgettes and beans popped up nicely, I planted them out.  Well watered and weeded, I looked forward to the produce.  But, I forgot the overnight frosts and woke up to sorry specimens of runner beans, French beans and courgettes ….

How are the beetroot ?  I forgot to protect these too, pigeons have scoffed the lot.   What about the lettuce, chard and rocket?  They’ve germinated in random places - surely my planting can’t be this bad?  Eventually I spotted a visiting cat and twigged what was happening…. Come back Milo (our devoted dog) - he used to keep them at bay.

Hey ho, I’ve a few spring onions and broad beans.  I’ll keep on shopping…

We’re coming into elderflower season.  It’s coming out all along the hedgerows.  Our Wild Elder cider came about when a customer blended his cider with some of my elderflower cordial.   May/June is the time to be picking the blooms, no green stalky bits please.  Sounds idyllic but you need a stout stick, long thick trousers and shirt and for some people, antihistamine.  The best elderflower bushes always seem to be surrounded by nettles and brambles.

Thanks for all your support in buying online and in shops.  We’re finding the what3words app very useful in delivering your cider.   If you don’t know your what3words to uniquely identify a safe place for your delivery, then take a look at the what3words website to find your words.  All the world's surface has been subdivided into 3m x 3m boxes!!

I hope you and your families remain safe and well.   Looking forward to some semblance of normality.

All the best, Jane