The seven-spot ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata)
There was a constant stream of rain showers across the country last week however most of them managed to bypass our little garden. The first slugs have emerged from the dank dark world they occupy but as yet there is limited evidence of them in allotment. Corinne is returning to France soon with the primary objective of returning with my Christmas present to her; "50 facons d'assassiner les limaces" [50 ways to kill slugs]. This authoritive tome should provide valuable assistance in the weeks to come. Nature's great counter offensive to the nasty aphid population has also arrived on site. Brightly coloured ladybirds have appeared in force to commence their annual feast. The less common 22 spot lady bird can also be found at this time of year. These guys prefer a diet of microscopic fungi and mildew which they find on plants.
The cool recent temperatures may have slowed growth in the last two weeks but the annual cycle of the seasons never ends. Swifts and swallows, yet another cornerstone of summer, have also made to Ireland's green shores despite numerous reports of delays imposed by closed aerospace and volcanic ash clouds. We hope this weekend will be a turning point and signal the end of a prolonged cold spell, bringing a return to normal temperatures for this time of year. We have been quite cautious for fear many plants might perish and have decided to delay putting down the courgettes, pumpkin, patisson, and corn, to name but a few,. This weekend we spent a lot of time transplanting the lettuce, turnips and carrots to new beds. We think cabbage seed may have become mixed with the lettuce seed, because we have some very odd looking lettuce with robust dark green leaves. These mystery plants have also been transplanted and given a new home.
I have discovered one of the most remarkable things about working on an allotment is the fact that you become thoroughly absorbed in it to the exclusion of so many other daily activities. I often lose track of the time and find that we arrive at the shops to do the weekly shopping last thing on Sunday evening covered in muck and dirt. Following the news seems less relevant, especially at a time when the media are behaving like merchants of doom and gloom concentrating on the past, current difficulties, shortcomings and failures, with little or no consideration of the future. I find the allotment is the perfect anecdote to the morose content of current affairs. Over recent weekends in the allotment, we have rarely had a chance to dwell on the past. In the world of the allotment a disappointment is always short lived even though the compost heap may be full of them. I may have persisted with my gooseberry bushes for two years while they promised nothing but barren thorn ridden branches but beside them the raspberries would always be abundant in fruit. Running an allotment is possibly the purist pursuit in optimism you can have.
The word mistake is rarely used. In circumstances where an error is made, it is easily covered up and forgotten or is simply put down to experience with no loss of face. While the scale of the allotment may be quite small your focus is solely fixed on the future; the next phase of planting; and planning the extended harvest of various crops; and last but not least dealing with the pests, and attending anger management classes to address the sensible slaughter of thousands of slugs. There is very little to regret - except perhaps this week and the non-appearance or germination of my tomatoes.
A pretty 22 spot lady bird (Psyllobora vigintiduopuntata) on a nettle leaf
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