With all the rain we've been having, I haven't been able to get onto the soil to do any weeding at Haddock's, and it's beginning to look a right bloody mess.
The wretched Oxalis is growing like crazy, and I'm becoming extremely frustrated. What started so well is slowly becoming a nightmare.
Everything that is already established is doing well, but my sowings of winter 'greens' have been a disaster. Birds have being playing havoc with my young seedlings, and where I've re-sown I now have Molehills.
I need Chard, Broccoli, Cavolo Nero, and Kale to get us through winter, and at the moment it's not looking good. I may even have to see if I can buy plants.
I need two or three days of serious sunshine in order to tidy-up. I also need the Magpies, Blackbirds, and Moles, to go away for a few days; in fact, forever.
p.s. Since I wrote the above, we've had even more rain. The soil is once again waterlogged, and the bloody Oxalis spreading like crazy.
It looks good in the photo and even the sun is shining.
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking that myself. In fact it's very wet, and the Oxalis is everywhere. It must have been a brief moment of sunshine. Another storm last night.
DeleteDo you grow runner beans?
ReplyDeleteNo, only French beans, and they're just coming into flower.
DeleteCan't see ours in the fog this morning!
ReplyDeleteI'm just back from walking Bok; I had a job to find my way home. Pea-souper.
DeleteOne thing I love about summer is that all the oxalis dies out and disappears all by itself. You'll have a mountainous molehill of oxalis once the rain stops and you pull the damn stuff.
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping the sun comes out again!
One needs to dig out the wretched little pink bulbs as well, or it just re-grows. It has become a real nuisance; I need to find a solution.
DeleteSometimes it's best to accommodate and live with the "enemy". Particularly one as pretty as oxalis.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, what you do you expect? Paradise before the serpent arrived on the scene?
U
I'm annoyed as I know that it was my neighbour who threw all the tiny bulbs over into Haddock's. She even laughed about it.
DeleteI agree. If I have one pet hate it's people being thoughtless. For the thoughtless to then laugh, well... Mind you, at least you are not in throwing distance from John (see his last post). Catfood today, anything goes tomorrow.
DeleteApropos neighbours: I once found myself in the doghouse when the dandelions in our garden (I like them because they are yellow, friendly and tenacious) had turned to seed. I showed the then little Angel and his equally little friends how to blow the seeds into the wind. Unfortunately, wind doesn't recognize boundaries. That's why I love the meadows of my childhood. Boundless.
U
How bizarre. We haven't had rain for at least three weeks - perhaps more.
ReplyDeleteI opened our pool in mid-May, and I think I've had just four swims. The weather has been appalling, and looks set to continue!
DeleteIt took me two years to get rid of oxalis in our garden of years ago by dabbing the leaves of each stem with poison on a artists paintbrush. I did win, but it was quite time consuming.
ReplyDeleteI did consider that; I'll have a go.
DeleteOh Cro ..... it’s so disheartening when you have worked so hard ..... hopefully the weather will improve and you will be able to get on top of it. XXXX
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't look good for at least another week. Quite depressing.
DeleteI feel your pain. Birds are the bane of my life in the veggie patch. Though I do feed them. Serves me right. No moles in Australia but possums and rats are a pain. Oxalis is the pits. As you say, you have to get every tiny bulb out or your effort is useless. Is that neighbour still there? I'd be having more than a word!
ReplyDeleteNo she's sadly in her box. She was a lovely lady; apart from the Oxalis.
DeleteOh dear. Something to remember her by, then.
DeleteSow some second crop perpetual spinach, which I suppose is what you call chard, for the winter. It all looks good in the picture.
ReplyDeleteI have some in. It's a great crop, and is already almost ready for cropping. I'm still eating the PS I put in last year. I shall put a second row in later. The Swiss Chard is a much bigger plant, but tastes much the same.
DeleteSo You've been having all our rain!!
ReplyDeleteDo you want some?
Deleteyes...but I'm dreading it arriving in bucketfuls..much less useful than gently soaking in
DeleteI've just planted my butternut squash. Everything is late here because of the cool weather. It's beautiful today. Your garden looks good in the photo though.
ReplyDeleteApart from the constant wet, and the wretched Oxalis, I suppose it's OK.
DeleteWe have had rain and black clouds for three months, only interrupted by very hot,humid days. Today we are having more flooding. Black spot has already appeared on my tomato plants. It fits the mood of my country also.
ReplyDeleteWhen the sun does shine it becomes very humid here too; not much chance of that today though.
DeleteYet I look at Haddocks with envy Cro - perhaps it is because it is too far away to see the Oxalis. All looks delicious to me.
ReplyDeleteI try to pull the bigger leaves out, so it probably looks less invaded than it really is. I'll take a close-up one day.
DeleteThis is what you say every spring. All will be well.
ReplyDeleteAnd then in Summer, when we have guests, the weeding is ignored and it becomes overgrown all over again. As long as it provides us with plenty of fresh veg', (as you say) all will be well.
DeleteIf you can describe the super photo of Haddocks as a 'right bloody mess' then I'm relieved that you can't see my veg garden! Everything was late getting into the ground here so I'm hoping for a good summer and a speedy catch-up.
ReplyDeleteIt's a real battle to stop the pigeons eating the brassica. Cavolo Nero is their favourite - and mine, and they usually win!
I've had to re-sow my Cavolo nero three times. Once it's established they seem to leave it alone, but they love they tiny seedlings.
DeleteWe could do with some of your rain here, it is unrelenting sunshine in Somerset. Still apart from me having to water everything it is great to have a nice summer. My penknife has turned up, just after buying a spare, it was put in a safe place by my wife.....
ReplyDelete