the back room is a nursery/sonic youth

The flat has been quiet over the last few days, and I’ve had some time to change things round. Worked ’til midnight last night moving the back room round. Eventually it’ll be the daughter’s bedroom but it’s been a clothes drying room and general junk room for over a year now, so I’ve created an interim configuration and cleared some trash. With the cabinet by the window, I can propagate seeds:

On the left are 28 broad bean seeds (Bunyards Exhibition) to go where the first lot of Aqualdulce Claudia failed to germinate (outdoors sowing is more tricky). I’ve fashioned a bubblewrap cover and use a bent coathanger to keep it off the modules. On the right is a tray of parsley (plain leaved 2) and a tray of leek (bandit). Still got lots of seed left: 27 broad beans; 2/3 of the parsley; 1/2 the leeks.

Enjoyed myself thoroughly this evening sowing the seeds, playing Daydream Nation by Sonic Youth on the hifi. It’s probably my all time favourite album…

Everybody’s talking about the stormy weather, what’s a man to do but work out whether it’s true?

Shame I couldn’t find a decent video of Hey Joni on youtube:

In this broken town, can you still jack in and know what to do?

Very early broad beans means NOW

Took an hour and a half to weed and spread manure on the bed for beans. Problem is: Super Aquadulce are very early broad beans and should be planted by the end of February. I thought I had next month as well! So, the modified plan is: plant 1/3 tomorrow, 1/3 at the end of February, and 1/3 a fortnight later.

Compared my raspberry canes with C’s. Unfavourably it turns out! Maybe I’ll plant some new canes at the end of this year and then dig up the current canes when the new ones have settled in. Not sure where thy should go; not down the West end of the plot, but I’ve got nowhere obvious in the middle or East end. Where the second compost bin is? I thought I was going to put in espalier apples along the North side of the plot, so that’s difficult.

Measured out the leek bed — that’s the next one for putting manure on. It only seemed large enough for 15 leeks at 9″ spacing. That’s an under-estimate, but I’ll probably extend the bed along another couple of feet and have enough space for a few more.

Ambitions for the year

Last year was pretty crap on the plot. This year will be better. Better organised, for sure, and hopefully better produce. Today I received my seeds from Garden Organic: climbing French beans (Neckar Queen), broad beans (Super aquadulce), calabrese (green sprouting), leeks (bandit), turnips (purple top milan) and coriander leaf. And a sieve, which my daughter models with aplomb:

Cost: £17.32