I was thinking about an attack on the garden – gloves on, secateurs ready – then I noticed a caterpillar on the nettle I was about to attack! – so gloves off and I will wait another couple of weeks.
So instead I put some lamb to marinade with garlic, lemon, cinnamon and herbs and salt. A Felicity Cloake recipe for kleptiko. I might go and get some shallots to pickle tomorrow, and thus strawberries for jam too. The weather is turning so it will give me something to do! Well I could try cleaning? Nah! Coconut cookies with strawberry jam appeals to my creative spirit! And then maybe soak raisins or sultanas in brandy and make some xmas style cookies?
Although only August I have already noticed gardeners ‘tidying’ their patches. STOP – let it go! Where are the insects going to spend the winter if every scrap is tidied. Bugs like nooks and crannies, hollow stems and the seeds from blossoms only vaguely remembered. My garden receives mainly negative comments but it does provide potential hiding places through the winter.
However the garden is just an oasis in a sea of clipped lawns and insecticides – even when people have flower pots these will be emptied and sanitised. Oh well – I can only do my bit!
I understand that there will be right wing demonstartions outside many asylum hotels today. the police will be busy, but hopefully they will arrest lots and give their poor partners a night off from abuse! We will recognise the people – lots of muscle and tattoos, a lot of searing and abuse. They will be violent to the police – who are there to prevent criminal activity. These people are too thick to realise the hypocrisy and stupidity of their actions.
Meanwhile – JDVance will visit London which he says ‘Is not English anymore” – neither is America! He should just fuck off, The USA Ambassador to Israel has also condemned Starmer for wanting to recognise Palestine, whilst also reverting to incredibly childish remarks about Dresens bombing in WWII – which many historians see as a huge mistake, possibly a war crime? Why Americans think they have a right to tell us what to think is ridiculous.
Meanwhile – Labour MP’s and Cabinet members have rental property whist claiming a philosophical allegiance to the poor, and working class people. FM – they include the Chancellor and the Foreign Secretary. I have nothing against landlords, but … anyone claiming to be a socialist should not be making money from unearned income (I know that many landlords work hard to create … actually I don’t). They should resign! Lammy has cossied up to Vance in a ridiculous manner – is he supporting his attitude on abortion clinics, London, free speech? We need to know. Should I be kind to him because he is black – so is Kemi Badenoch – and Jenrick, Tice, Farage at heart!
I am planning on growing some roses from hips – let me know if you want some and if they are successful you can have some.
Sorry to bang on about my garden again. A traditional suburban street – neatly tendered lawns, often sprayed with weedkiller are the norm. Some neighbours do have pots of flowers (but also I have seen them spraying dandelions with chemicals. So it is not surprising that wildlife is taking its time to colonise. Early spring and a goldfinch was feasting on evening primrose seeds, and I have seen lots of skipper butterflies, but few others despite having nettles and budleia plants. The mulberry trees have plenty of fruit, as do the raspberries but few visitors having lunch! I have lots of roses, herbs, chicory and fennel, and 4 hanging baskets full of flowers. Is it too far for the critters to find me?
In my dreams every garden would be like mine – and populated with slow worms, lizards, foxes and badgers visiting, flocks of birds and butterflies, and moths at night. But the tidiness gene has captured people – fed by advertising. Does my garden look neat and tidy? Defintely not – but it does offer food and sustenance for a variety of creatures – as it should!
I was given some beetroot – so will pickle some. my mulberries are nearly ready – jam? I am not sure I will have enough? Tomatoes are still doing well – Martin and Holly round tomorrow so they can fill their boots! i ought to dry herbs whilst the weather is good. Mints, thyme, sage, oregano and rosemary are all doing well. And roses – could I make rosewater for use in baking? I have lots of roses, and could I grow some from the hips?
I ought to make some more ciabatta and some lemonade with strawberries and ginger and mint – I might add a little stevia to sweeten if necessary.
Farm shop also had pickling onions on sale – so, whilst it is a bit early I will make some soon. I will also get some labels printed – not sure what yet? JamJams pickled onions? I have given up on picalilli after 3 years of failure!
I think now is the time to put the transfers on my apples – I will peel them off in 6/7 weeks and have apples with bespoke initials on them – cool. I might even get inventive and be rude!
There is so much crap talked about in the press. Scaremongering is rife. Yes there is a shortage of water in some areas – notably those relying on reservoirs. However despite the dry spring only the northern counties are affected. Those areas with mainly groundwater supplies are relatively unaffected. Rain over the next couple of days will only bring a temporary respite to reservoir levels. So it will be areas with reliance on reservoirs that are affected by droughts. Long term changes in climate will take longer to filter through the system for groundwater supplies. River flows are below normal almost everywhere across the UK which has a bigger impact on wildlife, especially when water companies pump out sewage. I have no idea about my next comments! But surely farms should take measures to ensure water supply in these times of climatic change? Mega water butts could be the future?
It does not look like much rain here until maybe tomorrow afternoon.
My water butts are getting low – not surprising when I am using 15ltr + every day. So my 200ltr one is empty and the 100ltr one is low but the 50ltr one ok for now! 40% chance of rain on Monday – I could do with a big downpour soon!
The water companies themselves have been trousering profits for so long that they have forgotten that they are supposed to provide clean water and treat sewage. No new reservoirs for 30 years (indeed some in cities sold off for housing!). Can there be any doubt that the public want privatisation of the water companies, even if it requires higher charges in the short term. I would suggest ownership is transfered to the residents who use the water and sewage facilities. If there are surplus profits in the future – then they would benefit. An incentive for conservation of resources as well. The water companies have justified bonus payments as being retention bonus’s. What bullshit. I would hazard a guess that most directors know jack shit about water supply – they are appointed to maximise profits and manipulate finances.
OK – and you and I are expected to obey a hosepipe ban whilst golf courses, etc. are given dispensation to use as much as they like. If there is a ban here – they can fuck off, and then fuck off some more! My wildlife garden is on average 1m high throughout with a couple of mulberry trees, a large apple tree, a baby apricot tree and lots of raspberries and roses. These are swarming with skipper butterflies and whites, hover flies and bees. My garden is an important service station in the wilderness of lawns cut to 5% of their lives and then insecticided. Temperatures in the garden are lower than neighbours and it is ahaven for wildlife.
These do not do justice to the garden. Stepping out of the patio is stepping into a wilderness! (and I have over 50 plants indoors!
So why should I watch my plants wither whilst the golf course can water? Oh, and they do not water the wildflowers, only the Bentgrass and Bermudagrass are commonly used. TBH who would obey a hosepipe ban whilst the water company directors earn 6 or 7 figure salaries for circumventing te law. Yes I am fucking angry!
I am constantly surprised by just how bad the government were. NHS waiting lists; migration figures; water company negligence; education in a mess; housing crisis; the legal system; prisons. Just what were they doing?
Will Labour be any better or is it the system? First signs are not great. Has anything noticably changed for the better? Winter fuel payment fiasco; benefits cuts; inertia about water supply. The overall consensus is that we are getting more of the same ineptitude. Pandering to the RWPress and failing at every step with new policies. I do not want to hear about the multi billion black hole left bybthe tories. I want to hear about reform of just about everything. Every government department should be tasked with how they are going to revolutionise their policies within the budget restraints. I do not expect to agree with all of them, but a vision of the future is needed, fast. Starmer seems proficient at international relations which is a huge improvement on the past 15 years
Domestic news – my nextdoor neighbour was spraying weed killer on dandelions in her lawn. I hope the poison does not affect the growing number of insects in my jungle. She is fighting a never ending battle as my garden cherishes dandelions and the chicory, evening primrose and fennel are spreading! My roses are also looking good – hopefully they will grow in size over the next year to become fully fledged bushes. I might get some more in the autumn. I have red x2, white x2, yellow x2, white x3, purple x1 and orangex1. I also have a mallow that has appeared in the back lawn! i am cutting the sky rockets on my apple tree – I know it is not the time stated – but it feels right to me! Sage is escaping and rosemary and oregano is doing well, as is my lemon mint by the patio.
I might make some cheese straws with crushed pepper, basil and sun dried tomatoes later. I watered the hanging baskets at 5.30am this morning but may have to do them again later.
It is time for TV companies to get topical – something they use to justify the blanket coverage of the racist Reform Party. My proposal a weekly bulletin about the climate crisis. It should include extreme weather events from around the world – todays bulletin would include the Texas floods and the heat wave in the Mediterranean. It should also braodcast the abount of renewable energy produced weekly (or daily). Green initiatives could be highlighted with expert input. It could also report on sewage events – name and shame. It could also include debate between climate deniers and green proponents.
National Grid https://grid.iamkate.com stats show 71.5% of energy used at this moment was renewable. I do not care about the arguments that it is daytime and breezy. This is 71.5% of non-polluting energy now. If we can scale this up and add battery storage we can lead the world. The Guardian today has a report on balcony solar panels – cost abot £2000. I know many cannot afford this but maybe some of the UK’s wealthy cound set up a fund to support. My solar panels repaid in 8 years and this year have been spectacular!
PS. My wild garden is well known, but I wonder just how effective it is? Does it attract insects and other wildlife? Does it lower the temperature in summer and raise it in winter? And I know I get a financial result from the herbs and Mulberries at the front and the tomato and raspberries at the back. My little apple tree is now 3m around and the replacement apricot tree is doing ok. It sounds like I have a large garden but this is not true, about 10m wide and 5m at front and 10m at back. It is wild though! A dozen roses and a large sage and a large rosemary, also thyme and a variety of mints. And tomato and a cucumber and basil in greenhouse. Some neighbours are restricting mowing – whether for ecological reasons or just lazy I have no idea!
I have no idea what I am doing in the garden – so I have decided to cut back the apple tree which looks like it may be bigger than the house. I will easily fill the wheelie bin! I think I will add this address to my post that i will put in the papers. Basically I do not give a fuck if everyone knows it was me – only the daft will not work it out!
