THE RHUBARB EXPERIMENT

And I am not referring to my writing (though others might be).

First RIP Nigel and condolences to Monty Don.

I have pulled half the rhubarb patch, kept the best for eating and freezing and then removed all the straggly bits and put them with the leaves on the compost heap. Chopped and packed we get four pounds of stems for freezing and some over for tonight with custard.

Then the bare part of the bed is fed with liquid seaweed  and the whole bed well watered. We are hoping for a fresh flush of luscious rhubarb. 
 It is Saturday and 25C though the BBC says 16 to 18C today. Tomorrow is supposed to be cold -  about 9 or 10C.




I have baked our bread and R is making flapjack/nutty flip.
This morning we went for a walk and saw A and P. He showed me a copper beech hedge I gave him some years ago - thriving. His garden looked wonderful - the only  bonus was his rather weedy asparagus but my bed does have several years head start. There is enough for lunch tomorrow, again.



Another experiment involved deadheading one of our three yellow azaleas to see how it would flower this year compared with undeadheaded ones. You can see the difference - the one on the left was done, the one on the right left alone. Another autumn chore added to the list.

This is the wood and at present it just gets better and better with all the wild flowers. That is one reason we have been having the new fence put in between us and the field at the back - full of sheep and lambs - and later cattle.

This is yet another molehill and the mole lady cannot come as she has to stay home. I scatter the soil or take it to the compost heap but this mole (or moles) is/are small black JCB diggers.

Up on the banking the blue camassias have self sown and are spreading, good to have now the daffodils and fritillaries are done. R has been dead-heading the daffs. I want the fritillaries to self sow.

The beds are full of self-sown aquilegias, the old fashioned ones not the Mckana hybrids which I find are a bit brash with their bright colours. These are good old Granny's Bonnets, columbines and in a range of pinks, blues and purples, all self crossed.

 I have planted out the first ammi and two of the cosmos - probably a bit early but we should be all right (I hope).

 It looks like the tree bumble bees have taken over our kitchen vent. Must be careful as they can sting and unlike honey bees have no barb so can sting and sting again. The only arrived in the UK in about 2001.

The rats are gone for now - but sadly so are the bird feeders and so the birds. We have seen the odd swallow and house martin but our nesting birds are not here, have not returned, in fact there seem to be very few swallows and martins this year.

Poems about rats - 

RATS

I am watched.

A big brown rat,

sits complacent 

and fat by the bucket

of compost waste,

waits for droppings

from the feeders.

I am sure it is smiling.

Come a pheasant

the rat meanders 

to the shadows,

squats, regards

the bird with disdain.

A she or he? 

Probably female,

possibly pregnant, 

lives downstream

where horses are,

where there is food.

One autumn day

I watched it

paddle across the pond,

chin up,

not in a hurry,

just out for a swim.

Come the day 

we are gone

they may inherit the world.

For now, they wait. 

and -

RAT WORLD

They are ready.

With opposing thumbs,

they could manipulate

computers, 

knit fine clothes,

paint miniatures, 

grow micro-veg.

Their cars

would be small,

low pollution, 

their streets narrow,

houses squat,

that is what.

It would take little

to fire a rat

into earth orbit,

a one stage rocket

ten feet tall

would do.

Perhaps they have

a lab’ in China,

near Wuhan,

have already begun

the take-over?

Once we are gone

the cats and dogs 

had better beware,

they could be next.