Thursday 22 April 2010

Frostbite

There has been a frost for the last few nights, but the mornings have started out cloudy, so no harm has been done. However, this morning it was bright and sunny early, with the result that several of the courgette plants in pots in the greenhouse have been damaged. Just a couple of leaves, but it'll weaken the plants and hold them back. It's a nuisance. In fact, the cold wind is a bother as well, as the bright sunlight makes the greenhouse too hot, but having the windows open lets in a cold draught.

This afternoon, I was potting up some more seedlings (I've been a bit busy so I'm a bit behind), one of the bantams looked in, with an inquisitive expression on her face. When she saw me, she moved on. Just as well that we're spending this week putting up netting, to keep the girls and the bunnies out. I've got various things ready to plant out and don't want them all eaten straight away. Mind you, I'll still have to net everything against birds (songbirds and pigeons) which love freshly-planted or sprouted seedlings.

Having said this, it's been lovely weather to go out and about, as long as you keep moving. I went into town first thing to have my hair cut and then went and bought fish at the market. Cheerful because of the sunlight, I bought asparagus from Al - it's still very expensive but it is local (Norfolk, that is) - I don't buy it out of season. This is the second week he's had it in. In view of the frosts, I think it must have some protection from the weather. When my asparagus bed was younger, it usually started in April but was easily damaged by frost. Now, like me, it stays in bed a little later until the year warms up.

6 comments:

savannah said...

we're doing square foot gardening in our back yard this season and had to built a cage over our veggies to keep the SQUIRRELS out! *sigh* based on what all of the additional costs have been, we're loking at very, very expensive vegetables! xoxoxo

Anonymous said...

Pigeons?
Damn' flying ra ... they do a lot of damage these birds.

luckyzmom said...

Woke up to snow today. It soon turned into rain. Which washed most of it away.

Dave said...

No frosts here for the last week. I'm that bit more sheltered, with my own microclimate of course.

Z said...

I do sympathise, Savannah. The five foot brick wall we're building is to keep out giant rabbits.

Mago, don't get me started on the year that rats ate all my sweet corn, straight off the plant. Horrible, that was.

We've got loads of pigeons and doves. And the occasional squirrel, but they are severely discouraged.

LZM, Nevada is nothing like what I thought - all this snow and rain you get in the desert!

Indeed, Dave - though I think it's your warm and sunny personality that causes your own microclimate around you.

Anonymous said...

Most baroque buildings here in the area are made from "Sandstein" (sandstone?), a "soft" stone good for artwork, comes in red, yellow, green and all between.
Bird crap, mostly from pigeons, reacts acidic, and the baroque crumbles: No more world heritage. Dead tourists hit by broken volutae. We should remember the good old pigeon recipes of our forefeathers, why did the buildings survive so long? Save a building, kill a pigeon.