With dry weather during yesterday morning I ventured down to my plots mainly to see how wet the ground was and try to estimate when I would be able to complete the final preparation of it, before sowing and planting starts in earnest for this season. With the lower parts of N2 Plot still under several inches of water and all the grass areas and paths saturated, there was not much point in any digging, raking or early sowing taking place. Most of the beds on both plots, higher up the sloping ground were damp but workable if walking boards were used to stand on. I set about removing the few remaining Sprout plants from 1 of the top 2 beds on N1 Plot and turned over the soil, mixing it with the well rotted compost, on its surface, as I went across the bed. The soil was slightly sticky but broke down well, despite the recent deluges of rain, as the digging progressed. This bed will be used for roots this season. After about an hour, more rain clouds were gathering so I checked around the plots, removed a few weeds, cleared up some small tree branches blown about by the recent winds and consigned them to the compost heap. Hopefully this weekend, when a lull in the wet weather has been forecast here, some early sowing of Peas and Broad beans will be possible direct, with some brassicas being sown into pots/trays.
Whether it is Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter, all gardeners and farmers have 1 thing in common. That single factor is the reliance on reasonable weather so that they can produce good plants, flowers or harvests of vegetables etc. This blog wasn't designed to be a "soap box" for opinions about global warming or climate change but the fact remains that warming, cooling, climate change or no climate change, gardening is still affected by numerous climatic and weather conditions. Due to the fact that the Prime Minister has finally acknowledged that the recent storms, floods, rain and wind, may be linked to climate change, (with the second meeting of the Cobra Committee taking place today, to discuss it). I suggest that ministers also swot up on global dimming as well. What does the future hold for farming and gardening in this country if the recent weather patterns continue or worsen? I say it will be the same old story in this country. (Shut the door after the horse has bolted, we have lessons to be learned, (where's the lesson plan from last years floods then), lack of co-ordination and co-operation between authorities and others dealing with the problems caused by the weather, such as flooding, (too many cooks spoil the broth), under funding for flood defenses and improvement of old infrastructure (stop some of the foreign aid this country dishes out, for little return, and spend it on this country), stop the idiots who persistently plan housing and other building projects on or near flood plains, doing so,(it seems ludicrous to me that they are willing to build and sell properties that have the likelihood of being flooded, but if you own one which is now subjected to flooding you can't sell it or easily get it insured). Get away from the outdated idea that sand bags cure the problem of flooding, (cheap options). Finally, a solution, buy everyone who lives in this country, outside of London, (they have the Thames barrier anyway, now there's a give away), a rowing boat or life raft plus a years supply of rice plants.
There's Always Tomorrow!! (Perhaps)!!
