Tuesday 24 April 2018

Buttercups!...



Buttercups! 
We have a lot of them, and don't they look so bright sunning themselves in the sunshine. 

However...... this is supposed to be Veg Plot One, and there are supposed to be other things growing here, like onions, leeks, chard, etc. 
They are still there, somewhere beneath the buttercups. 


I shall scythe another row tomorrow (sorry buttercups) which should get me alongside the row of onions which I planted last autumn. 

I love my scythe. I do not keep it very sharp though for fear of cutting myself on it, but it is sharp enough to do a good job of keeping things cut down.  There is something addictive about working with a scythe, but only when there is a length of greenery to cut, when a steady rhythm can be established, and the hips can get into a good swing.

It has been lovely to have a few days of sunshine. After the long and wet months of winter, my bones drank in the sunshine with relief. Not sure about what I am going to be doing about starting seeds off though. A bit slow on that front this year. Been a hard six months in more ways than one, decisions to be made for which there was no pain free solution, uncertainty about the direction of the farm, etc. Not to worry, we are finding our way through. Be glad when we are on firmer ground though. 

Anyway, just to let you know that we are still ticking along, but not in quite the direction we were.

Bye for now,

Vx













10 comments:

minwks said...

Hi Vera, Nice to see you post. The sun has stayed out for three days here in Vancouver BC Canada. The bare trees are suddenly flushed with fresh green foliage unfurling as I observe. It certainly makes one feel that maybe anything is possible.
I hope those feelings of well being will wash over you as well.
All the best.
Janine

northsider said...

Good to read you're OK. I was thinking that Vera hasn't posted a blog for a few weeks. Buttercups like damp meadows and aren't so keen on granulated fertilizer. They call it: "Bag manure" here in Ireland.

Mama Pea said...

Well, at least your "weeds" (aka lovely buttercups) are lovely to look at!

It never seems to matter at which stage of life you are, changes happen. Or are necessary. Sometimes for the better, sometimes not. But what can we do but keep on keeping on while making the best decisions we can for ourselves? And keep those negative thoughts far, far away with the positive ones always at the forefront. Hoping all comes together for you in the way you wish.

Rhodesia said...

Take care and I hope all goes well for you both. You both work so hard. Keep in touch when you can. Diane

Dawn said...

I am sure what ever direction you head off on is the right one for you at the time :-)

Coco said...

So I´m not the only one. I was a bad gardener and didn´t do the required bed clean up in the fall and now it´s a sea of weeds and grass in the old section. But I need to focus on the new beds while we´ve got a bit of sun, as they say it will be raining again next week.

And we´ve got visitors coming, so the house will have to be cleaned too. Don´t know what I´ll do with the seed trays spread out all over the kitchen table. The tomato seedlings look like they´ve got true leaves this year, which is a huge leap forward!

Best of luck with your projects and figuring out your plans. Happy Spring!

Unknown said...

Lovely to read an update from you

Vera said...

MINWKS, the energy of spring has most certainly lifted my spirits up, Janine, and helped me to feel that we can keep on this wonderful life that we have on the smallholding, even if things have to change for us to do so.
All the best to you too.

DAVE, I am not sure why buttercups do so well here because we do not have consistent dampness on our land, but they must have evolved a way of coping with our up and down temperatures!
Love your writing.

MAMA PEA, thanks for your words of wisdom. We are soldiering through this time of change, and trying to stay positive as best we can.

DIANE, bless you.

DAWN, we want to keep the smallholding running, that is our main intent. But greater forces are making us rethink certain things, and that is what we are doing at the moment. All will be well though, of that I am sure!

Toirdhealbheach Beucail said...

Vera, are buttercups consider a nuisance flower (aka "Weed") there? I believe they are in other places.

Vera said...

COCO, not a seed tray to be seen here, full or otherwise,! But I have got some new bags of compost waiting for the 'off', which will presumably be this year and not next!
Good luck with the visitors, and don't be worried about your seed trays everywhere....it is your home and you can have it as you want it, and I would think that it looks a very homely home as well!

SHIRLEY, thanks!

TOIRDHEALBHEACH BEUCAIL, I would think that they are considered a weed here, but I think they should be classed as a semi weed because they are so pretty, as are all the wild flowers which are blooming in profusion here at the moment!