The Good Life - Seeds and weeds

 A view of the raised beds over our shrubs, watering cans, tubs and general junk which awaits a permanent home

There is a saying "Only God can make trees, but I am in charge of seeds and weeds". The weekend arrived and my chores were allocated rapidly by Corinne. She has consulted the lunar calender and announced we must plant legumes by close of business on Friday. Dutifully, and under her close supervision, I have planted seeds for our annual crop of cornichons, patissons, pumpkins, dwarf yellow beans and borlotti beans (all labeled in French which is to be expected). As it has been raining I am instructed the weeds will be gathering strength and I am to pick them from the beds as they appear. We have already plucked and cleared the soil of the deep rooted dandilions which in earlier times and in her native Franche Comte would have been forced, not unlike rhubarb, and harvested for a salad. The French have the following expression for the tenacity and depth of these roots "Manger les pissenlits par la racine" or "eating the dandelion by the roots" which roughly equates to the English expression of "pushing up daisies" implying death being a common denominator.

Enough about death and weeds. After five weeks the transplanting appears to have been successful, and the majority of the plants which have been moved over from the old allotment have survived, and some are flourishing. The rhubarb, chard and chives have all settled in well and buds on the currant bushes have also betrayed signs of life. For some reason my gooseberry bushes, which I am convinced are barren, continue to disappoint me by pretending to be dead. I know they will eventually sprout their distinctive leaves and ultimately disappoint me once again. It is their last chance to turn over a new leaf, or else they will be replaced by red currants!

Over the past few nights when our evening meal had been cleared away, Corrine set out seed trays on the table and we rummaged through the seed bag for seeds that could be sewn under the auspices of the lunar calender. On Saturday evening we sewed more dwarf yellow beans, courgettes and borlotti beans. My thoughts of last years dwarf yellow crop quickly wandered to the massive slug migration that took place towards these plants and the consequent devastation. I asked Corinne if she had considered slug countermeasures this year, and she immediately suggested we use trays of beer. This is a classic technique for luring Irish slugs to their doom. However, I did inquire about the whereabouts of my Christmas present to her; the romantic first edition of "50 facons d'assassier les limaces" by Sarah Ford ("50 ways to kill slugs").  I was informed the book was unfortunately on a short term loan to a French friend and would not be available for consultation.

 Planting the onions in drills

 
Sunday was spent digging dung into the soil and enriching the raised beds; raking them and removing a vast quantity of stones. Following the hard work, we set about planting garlic, onions and shallots in neat shallow drills. Taking advantage of the warm sunny weather and imminent rainfall, Corinne also sewed salisify, beetroot, carrots, parsnips, tarragon and radish. A fleece cloth was staked down over the beds to protect the freshly sewn crop from any frost that may rest upon the ground. The long cold Winter may have just ended but the fingers of Jack Frost still caress the land most nights and may damage seedlings if they lie unprotected. For the next five days I must retreat to my indoor life and existence, with my bright red face, and be somewhat diligent working at my desk, occasionally imagining the growth and developments in the allotment.