Published 20 April 2010
Feeding cabbages. The Director was digging when Mr Stanford came along, puffing on his pipe. He stared for a moment at her spring cabbages, then said,
'They look a bit small; have you fed them?'
The Director leaned on her spade and said that she had, with non animal fertiliser.
Mr Standford frowned and pointed his pipe at three lines of string tied neatly between sticks.
'I see you've been doing some sowing.'
'Parsnips, carrots and beetroot' said The Director, 'sowed last week of March, just before full moon.'
'Too wet and too cold then, they'll rot.'
'They've got the moon's graviational pull to help them up.'
Mr Stanford grunted then asked;
'When you planting your potatoes then?'
'I'm not; thought I'd give them a miss this year as I don't really eat them.'
'You can't beat own grown potatoes, and they help break up the soil, save you some spade work.'
'Oh I don't mind digging, better than weight training at the gym.'
'Never see the point of gyms. What you got growing on at home - cabbages maybe, tomatoes?'
'Sunflowers and sweet-peas, to help feed the insects. I'm going to sow Brussels Sprouts, cabbages, ridge cumcumbers from the 18 May onwards, that's when the moon's in its waxing phase.'
Mr Stanford puffed hard on his pipe for a moment before saying:
'My cabbage seedlings are growing well in the cold frame. Good germinations this year, so I'll have plenty. Just let me know if you need any. Have you seen Duffus by the way - he's promised me some piping for my runner-bean trench.'
The Director hadn't but offered to send him a text. Mr Stanford said he could do that and went puffing away onto his plot.
I thought it was nice to be offered cabbage seedlings but The Director didn't seem pleased; she muttered to me she could grow her own just as well.
It was quiet for a couple of days after that. I watched a lady blackbird flying in and out of the bush overlooking Gary's plot, bits of twig and moss in her beak. The bush behind Mabel's plot has a better view but I've observed that most birds are only interested in worms and insects.
She stopped building for a while when Duffus and Mabel arrived. Duffus planted his potatoes and covered them with rotted horse manure. Mabel did the same only she covered hers with tealeaves. I observed Duffus feed his spring cabbages from a bucket marked 'Concentrated Organic Chicken Manure.' He told Mabel this would help with the nitrogen content; apparently if you're a cabbage this is important.
'Yes dear' said Mabel, 'but the caterpillars wriggled in under my fleece last year. They ate so many this year that I've decided to buy them from Appleton Stores.' Duffus told Mabel he 'couldnae let that happen' and he'd 'have plenty' for her.
I think The Director may need some as well; her spring cabbages are much smaller than Duffus's.
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