Published 05 February 2012
It was a Christmas Present, from Duffus:
'Thought it would look good on your plot Mabel.'
Mabel agreed and called it Roberto on account of his 'Italian dark eyes.'
'He's with me, in Mabel's summerhouse,
He'll keep you company till spring dear.'
I didn't say anything of course, and I keep telling my hat it was kind of Duffus to think of Mabel and kind of Mabel to think of me and it's not Roberto's fault;it's just that ever since one crawled up my pole, I've never liked snails.
'He's got such a pretty shell dear'
It's dear brown, like rotting leaf compost.
'And at least he's made of stone, so he won't nibble the cabbages.'
That's lucky - Roberto's large so if he was real they'd be no cabbbages left.
'So kind of Duffus to give me a present. I don't get many know dear, so many have gone on.'
I wanted to flap; Mabel could have my best hat and gloves only I couldn't,on account of there being no wind in the summerhouse. All I could do was beam.
'Never mind dear, you make me smile.'
This cheered me, as did her next comment:
'Now I must get on with making your new spring hat.'
So she is busy, making my hat and I'm busy, watching the plots in the distance. Only Gary has not been down there - but Gary doesn't like it wet, or cold or muddy - he just likes harvesting strange looking vegetables.
As well as making your scarecrow a new hat, Mr Stanford has lots of other things he says should be happening:
PLOT TASKS FOR FEBRUARY
My hat tells me that spring is just around the corner but it seems very cold to my pole, even though Mabel has the heating on in the summerhouse.
If you haven't completed all your digging and trenching by
now Mr Stanford would you call a 'sluggard'. However, Duffus says there is still time to dig and he is making his runnerbean trench as follows:
Dig a trench 17.5 inches wide ( Duffus is a plumber so likes to be exact) and the depth of your spade (not including it's pole). Fork in lots of organic matter, like rotted compost, leaf mould etc and leave the trench open to the weather until you're ready to sow. It needs to be well rotted - if you use partly decomposted vegetable peelings etc you'll attract mice and rats.
Digging tip: digging is lightened if you keep a small wooden scraper to hand and pause to clean the splade-blade - it also gives your back a rest.
Below is a list of questions that Mr Stanford was asking Mabel whilst they had tea with me:
Have you brought all your seeds for this year?
Are you ready to plant shallots?
Have you set you early pototoes?
Do you have your onion sets ready?
Have you planted your shallots?
Are you ready to sow parsnips once the ground has warmed up?
Mabel's answers were 'Well, no dear, I don't seem to have done allthat but nevermind, Spring will come anyway.'
Mabel is very relaxed about her plot.
On the plot in February - first three weeks
Mr Stanford always plants his shallots on the shortest day of the year but Duffus thinks it is better to wait till now. The soil needs to be reasonably fine - wait if it is muddy. Push the bulbs firmly into the soil so that just the top third is peering out. Duffus plants rows one foot apart and with 9 inches between the onions.
Spring cabbages
These can be planted out now - if that is, you have any.
Broad beans
If you have a gently heated greenhouse or a cold frame (only cover with mats at night if it is cold) sow some beans in pots. It should give you a good result and beats the blackfly if you sow in June.
Greenhouse sowing
A gently heated greenhouse means you can sow cauliflowers which like a long and steady growth season and a temperature of 55-60 degrees for germination. However, Mabel thinks Cauliflowers are difficult to grow so buys them from the supermarket.
You can also sow peas and lettuce ready for hardening off in Spring and tomaotes ready for summer. However, tomatoes are warm loving plants and become very miserable in the cold so your green house will need to be constanty warm.
A few seeds of cucumbers can be sown now but only if you have a heated tray as they like tempeartures of 75 degrees gently flowing around their base to germinate.If you're really keen you can sow the sees in 3 inch pots (one seed per pot) filled with suitable compost ( Mr Stanford makes one of loan, leaf-mould and sand in about equal parts but Duffusbuys his from the local garden centre). You can tuck the pots upto their rims into a frame that is half filled with coconut fibre (Duffus buys this online at Garden Organic)
Last week in February
It's generally a good idea to feed anything you've got in your plot like spring cabbages and soft fruit with a spray of seaweed or comfrey -it will perk them up no end.
Parsnips and turnips
Gary thinks these are boring but Mabel loves them. If the soil is warm enough and not too wet, you can sow in a warm sheltered spot on the plot. For turnips, sow just a few seeds then make successional sowing every 8-10 days so you get a constant supply of young roots.
Herbs
At the end of Feburary, plant out some chives or divide old clumps that are overcrowded. Just lift the plants and gently pull apart. Mabel then dots them over the plot because 'the bees love their flowers and they look so pretty dear.'
Parsely can be sown in a warm sheltered spot for an early summer harvest.
Mint can also be divided at this time. Mint can take over so best plant in an old pot or bucket with a few drainage holes. It's nice to pot up some mint to keep indoors or in the summerhouse as they smell is very nice and much better than onions - of which Mabel has four strings in the summerhouse.
Early Potatoes
If you have a very sheltered spot, south facing and don't mind a small gamble, you can plant some early potatoes. You will need to take care of them and tuck the young shoots up with straw but you may be rewarded with some lovely early potatoes.
Fruit
Remember that this is the last week really for planting out any new fruit bushes or rhurbarb
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