A Weasel, Beets and property To Let
I saw my first weasel today but unfortunately it was already dead. I refrained from taking a picture. It had been brought into the garden by one of our cats. I assume he had been hunting in the wood nearby. As usual with cats he then looked surprised when he next walked past the body, as if he’d never seen it before. The Digger has kindly gone out to give it a decent burial (the weasel, not the cat).
I picked some Perpetual spinach leaves and three Beetroot ‘Chioggia’ from the small allotment. Perpetual spinach is not a real spinach but a relation of beetroot which doesn’t happen to produce roots. Also known as Spinach beet it’s a very reliable cropper. It’s very hardy, grows in dry ground and is also a “cut and come again” vegetable so stands for a long time.
Perpetual spinach and Beetroot
Here’s the Perpetual spinach on the allotment. A short row provides ample leaves as you can see.
Perpetual spinach in the small allotment
I’ve got three cloches in place sheltering Rocket, Chicory, Lettuce, Winter radish and Tatsoi (a Chinese brassica). I find any growth is very, very slow at this time of year so the little plants are very vulnerable. I’m wondering how many will survive attacks by slugs and snails so winter cold is actually the least of my worries. A pity a hedgehog couldn’t take up residence in each of them. Perhaps I’ll put up a “To Let” board outside each one.
Cloches sheltering crops over the winter
7 comments
Oh do put up a “to let” board and lets see who moves in …. probably a squirrel!
:)
The poor weasel. My cat likes to drag presents for me into the garden too.
Hi Easy, poor weasel but gorgeous cloches, I love the neat and structural look of them. Good for you having food still available from the ground. The beets look great!
Frances
http://fairegarden.wordpress.com/
Those beets are pretty. I’m thinking about growing some next year.
9When I was a kid, my father grew beets all the time–but I refused to eat them! Now I’m wondering what I missed, so I’ll stick a few in the ground and see what happens.)
Your beds look so neat and tidy–especially with those cloches. If you manage to get a hedgehog to move in, do take a picture for us!
Sorry that this is probably a totally inappropriate comment for this posting but I am trying to spread the message about the nationwide problems with contaminated manure. I hope you have heard about it – if not try this link to our website http://www.glallotments.btik.com/p_Contaminated_Manure.ikml
You may have already done this but I am afraid I haven’t had time to browse your website fully, but if not would you consider placing a warning on your website as this problem hasn’t gone away – contaminated manure could be in the system for a year or two yet even if the herbicide that has been temporarily withdrawn is never used again.
Now is the time that many gardeners will be obtaining manure and anything we can do to prevent others from experiencing the problems faced this year is worth a try.
Neat and clevers shelter you got, I really would like to have those… / LOL Tyra
Nice cloches. Are they homemade or store bought? I could use some, but I’m not handy.
And the poor weasel!
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