Bek and I have been away this week, leaving the plot in the capable hands of Auntie Mary (Bek’s mum) and the chickens in the care of Sue, who works in the shed next door, and Cousin Paul.
As we predicted, sunshine during the day and showers at night have brought the flowers out in abundance. We now have lines of sunflowers, some funky Amaranthus, larkspur all of our own and lots of other colourful stuff. The weeds are also loving the conditions so we need to wade in there and pull them up, roots and all.
Weeding is really addictive. Once you start, it’s difficult to know when to stop. It’s always a case of ‘just one more row’ (all our flowers are grown in rows, on raised beds) and before you know it, hours have passed. It’s much easier to pull the weeds out when the soil is damp and I couldn’t resist pulling out some bind weed and fat hen when I went up to the plot this evening… having just got back from Norway and then a hen weekend in the Malvern Hills. Bek has been in Cornwall, having a well-earned rest.
Tomorrow I/we have got a date with Wedding Flowers magazine in London. They’ve asked us to brink a selection of flowers from our plot as well as a table arrangement in the same colours (bright pink, ruby reds and acid green). Should be a challenge. And it’s being filmed, just to add a bit of extra pressure. Better go and find some clean clothes and get some beauty sleep, before taking the flowers up on the train tomorrow morning.
It’s good to be back. Oh, and on two legs as well!
PS. The chickens started laying while I was away. Teeny weeny eggs, some creamy white and some brown.