Spring, finally. Blossom-lined streets, tulips in the flower beds, green mist twisting through the twigs and branches and a genuine warmth in the air.
The weekend started with a trip to Jane at Fern Verrow at Spa Terminus who had brought us 22 hazel poles from her farm in the foothills of the Black Mountains, along with a bucket of cow manure to make a new cowpat preparation pit.
On Sunday we picnicked at the plot and spent the afternoon making a robust frame for the climbing beans from the hazel poles.
It was glorious to feel the warmth of the sun. A green woodpecker cackled from high up in the trees and painted lady butterflies danced around the path stopping to spread their wings and soak up the sun. The pond, a giant jelly of frogspawn.
The afternoon passed blissfully. We cut twiggy bits of hazel to make pea sticks and planted two lines of Basque peas. Nancy and Rose moved a few surviving winter salad seedlings and gave each other rides in the wheelbarrow, ’til it ended in tears.
22 march 2013
Howard Sooley
plot 29 