Flying Insect Fireworks

I have started a late night slug and snail patrol of my raised planters.

Two nights ago I had a surprise when I found a toad in one of them, obviously with the same idea. Unfortunately it was a small toad that had come across a very large slug. I departed to inspect the veggie patch proper. When I returned to check on the toad it had disappeared and large slug was heading towards my carrots...

Last night no toad but I did remove and squish about half a dozen more slugs.


I then had to brave a swarm of flying insects that had been attracted by the outside light. However, they are forgiven by providing me with my very own fireworks display. Yellow/orange glows of great intensity as they got close to the light, and then streaks getting slowly dimmer as they fell away. Others twirling like catherine wheels. My camera cannot capture the magic but the mere fact that I haven't ended up with a photograph of black sky gives you an idea of quite how bright they were...

Healthy Eating?

So into week three of the latest diet, eating a lot of fruit and salads. Had a bit of a setback when we went out for a very nice meal just over a week ago to celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary, but so far I have lost 4 lbs. Still on target for decimation before the BMSC.

But am I hitting the 5-a-day target?

Well, that's the question.

I decided to try to find out exactly what is 5-a-day. This is the nhs site on the matter.

I am a little disappointed to find out that my home-made smoothies that I have had for lunch the last couple of days actually only count as a maximum of 2 portions, even though they contain 1 portion of orange juice, one banana and at least one portion of my freshly picked alpine strawberries. Hmm. So if I ate the strawberries, then the banana and washed it down with the orange juice it would be 3 portions. Crazy.

No matter though. I have been having at least one portion of my home grown lettuce and at least 2 portions of other fruit each day.

I am disappointed but not totally surprised that potatoes don't count - not that I have been eating them lately, but I will be starting to harvest them in another couple of weeks.

Yesterday I picked the first of my radishes - they have a nice kick. The tops have been washed and are in the fridge - I should have enough with the next batch to try the pesto. I had a practice run with the last of my first-sown rocket a couple of days back. Paul has just finished it off with pasta for his lunch.

As I previously intimated pretty much anything goes for pesto - the golden rule appearing to be the magic ratio of 2:1:1 for leaves, cheese and nuts. Not sure how healthy it is calorie-wise though - cheese, nuts and being drowned in virgin olive oil - but it tasted pretty damned good.

Back On The Study Wagon

I had taken a sort of break with my word studying. The garden was/is taking up a lot of my time and to be honest I had lost my enthusiasm for it. However, as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder.

So about three weeks ago I decided to put in a concerted effort on the lower probability 7s and actually go through them all starting at 20001, which I certainly haven't done for a very long time - probably pre Sowpods. And today I got to the end. Hurrah. I'm not saying that I know them all, but I know a lot more now than I did... And now I have gone back to the start - just whizzed through the top 1000. Hopefully will get some time in on the high-prob 8s before the masters next weekend too.

I'm also revising the fours. Trying Joel Wapnick's technique of trying to fix every tenth word and then fill in the gaps. Works when I can actually remember the key words - I have found I don't even need to remember all the key words as long as I can remember enough of them to know whether I am on track or not. Only problem will be when we change dictionary again...

I haven't touched my cardbox. Am thinking of scrapping it and starting again, only adding in words I miss or are of the type that leap out as the only possible answer but are not in my normal/high-probability scrabble vocabulary. I still think revising the high-probability words more frequently is more beneficial.

Radishes

The morning veggie inspection showed that some of my first sown radishes are ready for picking.

I seemed to recall that the leaves are also edible, so on to the web to check out options.

I was stunned by the number of hits I got for radish tops. The most interesting of these was for pesto. It seems that the world is your oyster as far as ingredients for pesto is concerned.

Penny brought us back parmesan cheese from her last trip to Italy. I had bought Paul some pistachios at Christmas that have remained unopened. We have garlic and good quality olive oil.

So I am going to give this recipe a try, give or take...

First Harvest of the Year

It was spinach picking day today - flower buds had appeared over the last few days with the warmer temperatures. I had been taking a few leaves most days for the last couple of weeks, along with the rocket which has now bolted. Fresh sowings of both were made last week. So I have pulled one row out completely and have experimented as per my RHS veggie-book-bible, and cut the other row back to about an inch above the ground to see if they re-sprout. I may have left it too late. I made a spinach, onion and cheese omelette for tea tonight, a few leaves are in the fridge and should keep for a couple of days and the rest (about 250 grammes) have been put in the freezer.

My dwarf beans are indeed dwarf having hardly made it up to the netting I have provided them. However, on inspection this morning there appear to be flower buds so hopefully beans will follow. I seem to be a voyeur of insects mating lately - not sure what these are (zoom in on photo) but they did not seem at all concerned with the intrusion of my camera.

The two tomato plants I bought at Paxton now have some tiny tomatoes on them and more flowers. I need to stake them up now. I don't know whether they will ripen outside - may be another use for the sunroom window sills. In the same family the potatoes are also starting to flower.

My peas seem to have survived the trauma of their transplantation. I am now sowing more in situ at about 10 day intervals. The first batch are growing nicely and I can see signs of the next lot breaking through.

The runner beans are varying in how well they are doing. The first Red Rum ones are climbing up their wigwam nicely, but the next lot don't seem to have quite got the hang of it yet. One is trying, but has stretched across to the next plant's pole. The Sunbright ones were a little slower to get going, but now seem to realise what the obelisks are for and have put a spurt on.

I am extremely pleased with my lettuces. I have been picking occasional leaves from the salad bowl variety, and the Romaine ones are looking very healthy. They should be ready for picking in another week or so.

I am having mixed luck with my cabbages. Currently a 60% survival rate with the ones I transplanted to the veggie patch. Hopefully they are now large enough to survive the occasional slug or snail grazing on them.

However, the ones I kept in the raised planters are looking a lot better. The second sowing of both summer and winter cabbages that I made a month ago have almost all germinated and now have at least one pair of true leaves. I had almost given up on the first sowing of curly kale but three plants have started putting on real growth now.

The third raised planter is also getting in on the act, being used for second sowings of lettuces, spinach, carrots and kale. The radishes and replanted onions are also in here.

Not everything in the garden is rosy though.

The Amsterdam forcing carrots in raised planter one are down to maybe one or two plants if I am lucky. The Supreme Chantenay carrots are faring better and hopefully I will get a reasonable crop - the tops are now a reasonable size. I think my idea of replanting the thinned plants was not worth the effort though. I am not sure what the problem is - I am guessing a combination of slugs/snails/voles and Jen. Paul has put mousetraps in planter two as vole holes and little tunnel/mounds of soil have appeared in the last week or so.

My onions and leeks are also not progressing as well as I would like. I guess there is still time for these to thicken up.

Another Early Morning

I awoke and looked at the clock. It was flashing - we had had a power cut. It said 2.55 but I was informed by Paul that it was actually 5.30. Did I want to get up at this time again? No.

So I tried to get back to sleep. Paul resumed trying to snore...

I must have dozed for a bit but was rudely full awakened by our telephone blipping and telling us calls would be answered after 6 rings over and over again. It varied how far through the message it got - calls, calls, c c c calls would be...

Calculating the time as about 6.45 and needing the loo I decided to get up. Paul unplugged the phone, plugged in our old one and then went back to bed.

Coffee made, laptop on and I then discovered that we had no internet connection. My whole first thing in the morning routine was up the creek. Normally I get my email in, check out any new blog postings that I link to, check the weather forecast (both BBC and metcheck and decide which one I like best) and finally catch up on facebook.

I tried the old switch it off and on again trick, but it didn't work. However, I could hear Paul getting up now so he may know what to do.

He also tried the old switch it off and on again trick, but it didn't work. It wasn't behaving as he would have expected. He trotted off and returned with our old magic box but couldn't find the cable. I suggested it may be in the drawer full of cables of all colours and sizes under the TV. He was just in the process of emptying it all out when Hey! Presto! my internet connection came to life.

Switching the phone back on and it too was miraculously cured.

We guess we were working on a budget power supply.

Time for a second cup of coffee...

A Tale of Two Doggies

I woke up early this morning and decided to just get up as I had been tossing and turning, Paul had been snoring, and it was a glorious morning.

"It's only half past five".

"Yep".

I made myself a cup of coffee, let the dogs out the back, opened the gate so that they could get through to the patio where I had placed a couple of chairs to deter them running through on to the front lawn. I was sitting quietly sipping my coffee and enjoying watching and listening to the birds. A lovely peaceful start to the day.

And then out of nowhere appear two very wet and weed-covered black dogs, one large (labrador) and one small (not sure), from the lawn on to the patio. Luckily I reacted faster than Poncho who had just wandered through the gate. I grabbed him by the collar and shoved him in to the sunroom before he realised what was happening. I then locked the side gate before Jen came running through from the back garden.

Now I had Poncho going ape-shit in the sunroom, barking and standing on his hind legs, front paws on the window. Jen barking and jumping on my potato plants in the back garden. And two black dogs looking at me questioningly with wagging tails.

I tried to get them to exit stage right. They followed me to the lawn but no further. And then they just ran down my bank and away. Investigation of the wet doggy paw prints indicate that they headed to the gate opposite Margaret's.

The New Lawn Saga - Part 1

This is a precis.

Now that my planters, veggie patch and fruit tree bed to be are up and running I had told Paul that I really wanted the lawn to be done this year.

"What do I need to do?"

"Ask Karen*. But for a start you need to get rid of the weeds".

So Paul's first task involved getting me to make up the weed killer and then getting Penny to apply it...

Time goes by...

"Now what?"

"Ask Karen. But you need to remove all the rubbish and large/loose stones".

So an hour or two of clearing up.

"Can you order some topsoil for Wednesday?".

"You order it. We are not ready for topsoil. There are still loads of stones to clear".

Yesterday there was no sign of activity so I came inside to find him.

"I thought I had finished. I wasn't worried about the small ones..."

"We are going to be spending a lot of money on topsoil and turf. I don't want to then find that it all dies and we have to start again. I will help you".

So after lunch we both went out. It was hot and after an hour or so Paul was obviously losing all interest.

"Do we really need to get all these stones out? They are going to be under about four inches of topsoil".

"Ask Karen".

We had seen her drive past a little earlier so hopefully she was in. So off he went. She was waiting for her builder to come so said she would pop along later.

And so she did.

So her judgement is that we will need to hire a rotovator and remove all the big stones. I felt a lot happier, Paul didn't.

So this morning Paul has been on the phone and we have three people coming to quote for doing it all for us...

* Karen is a neighbour who laid a new lawn last year. She also gave up her job a couple of years ago to retrain in horticulture.

Twitching at Todheugh

Springwatch is in overdrive at Todheugh.

Yesterday I took my binocs with me when we walked the dogs down the path by the river. While I was watching the oystercatchers I saw a kingfisher - a flash of iridescent blue speeding along the river. Now you see it, now you don't.

I needed to pop into Duns today to put a cheque into the bank.

As I stepped out of the door I saw this little cutie pie. I am guessing a song thrush chick. Frozen to the spot - if I don't move she can't see me...


Back in to get camera and warn Paul. Don't let the dogs out. Jen has a history of swallowing chicks in a single mouthful if we don't see them before she does...


Then I spotted a second one on the corner of the lawn at the start of the high bank. Same reaction - don't move...


A little further on, huddling at the bottom of the wall amongst stray wild strawberry plants, I found a third chick.


Luckily they have all moved on now...

New Residents

I have heard and seen them flying overhead in the evenings for the last couple of months.

They came, they saw, they moved in...

NSC Scotland Heat 2010

So as you may have gathered I have not been doing my 5 hours a day studying recently...

As it is
1) now raining quite heavily so I am stuck indoors
2) I have done my anally retentive gardening for today in the drizzle of rearranging all the orange/yellow/red violas to one bed and the white/mauve/purple ones to the other now that they are flowering
3) it was only seven games and
4) I won
I decided I would blog the tourney. I had said that 7 games was a lottery but now, of course, it was all down to skill...and I got more than my fair share of blanks...

Allan had arranged to get here some time between 7.30 and 7.45 yesterday morning. And actually arrived just as the pips went for 8.00 on his car radio. I was waiting at the bottom of the drive. We arrived with 20+ minutes to spare.

Game 1: Margaret Harkness W: 376-524
A slow start for me, replying with OVUM on my first move and was hit with TAJ. I was forced to change so was about 80 behind after Margaret's third move, but had picked a blank and the Z. (W)IZ for 35 and a nicely balanced rack. EX from Margaret for 30 and I bonused with HaPLITE to level the scores. From AAEQRRU I opted for the turnover with QUARER rather than QUA(I)R for a few less point and was now hit with SAINTLY for 90. But I had picked the second blank, and WARDmOT(E) gave me back a small lead, immediately extended with (N)ANDINAS from the bag. We traded 33 point triples with C(A)VED and H(Y)LE. We both balananced on the next move, BI(Z) from Margaret and U(D)O from me. I was rewarded with (D)ONARIES to make the game safe. A neat two move playout of INFO and BYE increased my spread.

Game 2: Kate Surtees W: 355-366
A game I struggled with from start to finish. Kate opened with BAUK and with a clunky consonant rack I replied with V(A)W. Kate exchanged three tiles and I decided to try to avoid the totally blocky board type of game so played LIC(K)ED. TRAYNES hooking it from Kate, but it was playable anyway so I didn't feel so bad. My pickup could have been better, still consonant heavy so J(A)NN from me. My rack was not developing well, and DETEsTS from Kate on move 6 saw me 109 points behind. I started chipping away at her lead, and my bonus of FIgMENT on move 9 got me back within 20. After 12 moves each our scores were level. Coming onto the last rack, 23 behind, I held AEILOWZ to Kate's DEIOOPR. I spent a couple of minutes trying to find a two move playout that scored enough and couldn't see one. Finally I opted for OW and hoped for a miracle and got one. I may spend a little time examining this end game to see if there is a sure win without time pressure. My clock stopped dead on 0.

Game 3: Ray Tate W:477-417
I opened with ANALoGY. Ray got back-to-back bonuses on moves 3 and 4 with a face value LOUSI(E)ST and MODIsTE to take a small lead, but I responded with DEARIES on move 6, AX for 37 and then (L)IBELANT on move 8 to go over 100 clear. ZO from Ray for 64 got him back within a bonus but I started blocking the floaters and was not going to let that lead slip.


A break for lunch. I think I was in second place, with three players unbeaten.


Game 4: Philips Owolabi W: 495-418
Two Ss and one vowel on my opening rack, so WARMS seemed like a good option. Philips just dumped (R)EW. I had hoped for a Helen-friendly L but dumped JOUR(S), keeping ANS. (W)AIVE from Philips and I opened my bonus account with DANNIES. He replied in kind with FARSING. With AELNORY I opted for (F)OY, unfortunately not blocking Philips' ZOEAE for 72. Another nothing rack for me of AAELNRT and no friendly floaters so I dumped LA, hoping for one of the many unseen Is. Philips balanced a consonant heavy rack, and with my pick of the X and another consonant I played AX for 52 to almost level the scores. Philips continued scoring well, but I hat-tricked on moves 8, 9 and 10 with aPOLUNE, dIVISIO(N) and, perhaps greedily as I think POUT(Y) was actually a much better play, OUT(C)APER. Luckily for me Philips' last rack of ENTICED did not play...

Game 5: Simon Gillam W: 308-412
Simon started, and for the second game I responded with VAW, although this time I also played the A. DELTA from Simon and ABLY from me, a worrying play leaving 3 consonants. Simon dumped QI, but I had picked well to take the triple with (Q)UAT. I picked the first blank, but with an awkward consonant combination of B, F and P I just dumped F(A)B for 8 on my next play. I now had SYNAPT?. Given the options of TYmPANS, SYNAPT(E)s which I wasn't 100% sure took the S I actally opted for PANTY for 42, keeping back S?. It worked out well when I bonused the next move with EVO(C)aTES to go 100 ahead. I went for turnover on my next play, WOODI(N)G for 30, keeping an E. My next play was a no-brainer from a rack of EEIIUUU, and I picked the second blank. Again I turned down a bonus that I wouldn't bet my life on as KEN kept be 95 up with a good core rack leave. I wasted a lot of time on the next move, trying to find a bonus starting with a C or T, before giving up and playing E(C)HiDNAS. With rubbish left in the bag I knew the game was now safe.

Game 6: Allan Simmons: W 335-412
I was replying for the fourth time, but it worked in my favour with the 4x sUG(A)RING for 86. A comment from Allan re me having a blank... I maintained a 70-80 lead over the next half a dozen moves, extending it to over 100 when Allan exchanged all 7 tiles on move 7. I hit him again on move 9 with SCARLET, opting for a lower score but more controllable board position. I now just set about closing the bonus spots, not worrying too much about non-bonus dangers. Allan made an opening with NO(G), leaving one in the bag. I would still win even if he had a bonus, but with AEIINWY? unseen I saw the possibility of ANYWIsE so blocked with P(IsO). And was proved correct when I picked an I...

I was now the only unbeaten player and my spread was such that barring a disaster I would win the heat.

Game 7: Julie 'The Giant Killer' Tate: W:402-321
A vowel-heavy opening rack and I dumped PIU. XU from Julie for 34. Still vowel heavy, I risked COURIE. pIErAGE from Julie for 60. Hmm. I had picked an S, so JIVES for 54 and staying in touch. I was pegging the lead back with some steady but not outstanding scoring, and overhauled Julie on move 6 with (I)NFIRM for 45. We were then swapping the lead move on move, heading towards the end game. I had a tough decision with AAAILNS. There was still an unseen S and the Z to come. Julie had just played (O)TTER. After a lot of thought I opted for NAIL and promptly picked both the S and Z, and raced across the line. The score really does not reflect the closeness of this game, the only one where I was never even close to getting a bonus.

So, 7-0. And possibly the first time I have completed a blog report before John G. has got the ratings published :)

Weeding Between The Lines

The air is alive with dandelion seeds...

The rain followed by several days of heat and sunshine means that weeds are thriving, growing almost as quickly as my peas did.

Time to sort out the raised planters again. Wasn't too much of a problem in the first two but in the third I had to try to distinguish my rows of seedlings amongst the chaos of the weeds. Hopefully all in order again now. Butterfly netting now over the middle planter which has more cabbages in it.

I planted out my gutter-sown peas last night. I think I was a little over ambitious in my length of guttering - they were not as easy to slide out as my fruit and veggie book implied. Slightly easier after I gave them a good soaking and they do all appear to be standing, albeit slightly more squashed together.

I noticed that the number of cabbages planted in the veggie patch is going down. A couple of little stumps and fat slugs/snails somewhere :(

A couple more rogue potato plants dug out. Some more peas sown directly into the ground along with a few more dwarf beans. Another row of radishes as the old seed that I tested seems to still be viable. I noticed one of my red onions from last year that was too small to eat had started to sprout so I have planted it too.

A slight panic last night when I thought I had lost one of the plants from Lamberton nursery. I couldn't remember buying let alone planting a diascia. So this morning I went out and counted the plants I had planted. Hmm... seventeen. All present and correct and not a diascia in sight. It was another dianthus not a diascia as misreported in the earlier post (now corrected).

LB9 Open For Business

A full day spent digging out stones/weeds and about 10 barrow loads of soil relocated to the bed by Margaret's wall. Three rocks dug in at the top and some more pieces of slate pushed in to keep the soil in place. LB8, here I come...once the weed killer kicks in...

Plants, Plants and Yet More Plants

We went to Hugo's for lunch yesterday and when we got home I found my first delivery of plants from J Parker had arrived. MIL and FIL went in to Berwick to try to get a chip on their windscreen repaired while I set about planting and potting on.

The Bowl of Beauty paeony (well actually a lot of roots and a couple of buds) and the bearded irises have been put straight into the garden. I may replant the irises as I was rushing to get them in...

Next I potted on the hostas. I had ordered two packs of a random selection of 6 varieties. Obviously there had been a problem with the quality control of the packing as I actually had 7 in one pack and a whopping 13 in the other. Should be almost enough for the whole of the remainder of the LBE if they all survive the trauma.

Then I planted a rather sad looking stick with a few leaves into one of my nice pots - magnolia soulangeana. I am hoping to eventually get it into the long bank to replace one of the brooms when they finally need to come out. I thought they may be in their last year now but the hard winter seems to have suited them well and they look healthier than they did last year!

My free gift rhodondendron was pot grown so will make it in to the garden in the next few days and the free gift Devon dianthuses have also been potted on.

Finally the lily of the valley - I had planned for them to be behind the sheds but that area needs to be weeded first so I put 5 behind the gooseberry bushes and the remainder are temporarily planted in a pot.

Today the sun is out, the start of a promised spell of good weather but I will 'wasting' Saturday in Perth again for the Scottish heat of the National Scrabble Championship.

MIL and FIL departed this morning.

Paul is out clearing the back in preparation to spraying the weeds yet again.

I am hoping to start planting 'my' nursery purchases (many thanks to Lilian who insisted on buying them for me when we went to pay) today but there still appears to be more traffic than normal so I will have to be careful.

Edrom nursery:

Globularia Nudicaule

Saxifrage fortunei Rubrifolia

Saxifrage 'Blackberry and Apple Pie'

Iris Setosa dwarf form

Dodecatheon dentatum

Phlox sublata Marjorie

Penstemon newberryi Amethyst

Dianthus Inshriach Dazzler

Dianthus Whatfield Wisp

Phyteuma scheuzeri

Lamberton nursery:

Globularia velutina

Geranium subcaulescens Splendens

Geranium cinereum Ballerina

Dianthus gratianopolitanus

Gentiana angustifolia 'Frei'

Verbascum atroviolaceum

Erodium 'Natasha'

Action-Packed Weekend

MIL and FIL arrived on Thursday afternoon, Colin and Maureen on the Friday.

On the Friday evening MIL, FIL, Maureen and I went to see The Resurrection Man at Coldingham village hall whilst Paul and Colin went into Duns to watch the rally stage through the town. The original two nights of the play, written by local hero Mike Fenty, had been when I was in Malta. They had sold out so this extra performance was to satisfy local demand. A good time was had by all.

On to Saturday with fingers crossed. The weather forecast had been for heavy rain but the morning dawned as overcast, not too cold and, most importantly, dry. There were two planned stages past us, one in the morning then another mid afternoon. There was enough time between the two to allow people to get to us for our planned barbecue and get away again if they didn't want to watch the cars. As it turned out the morning stage was a damp squib - early in the running there was a bad accident with one of the cars around Billiemains and the stage was stopped. The barbecue, however, was a great success. And perfectly timed - we were just packing up and people thinking about heading home before the roads were re-shut when some light rain started to fall. Reg stayed on to watch the afternoon session - a good view from our patio and easy to dive back in to the sunroom if the weather deteriorated.

What could we do for entertainment on the Sunday? I had been planning an afternoon out with MIL and Maureen to Edrom and Lamberton nurseries but the rain had set in. However, it stopped late afternoon, the sun came out and a glorious evening followed on.

The question being asked was 'Have you seen the hole?'. Margaret had asked Paul so he had gone to look a few days earlier. The previous evening Paul and the dogs showed Colin. So Sunday evening we all had an expedition to take a look. Through the field just before the bridge and then turn left towards the river.

The first photographs I took could not convey the size of the hole, but this one gives an idea of the scale. We don't know what happened but are guessing that the river/burn backed up here when it flooded and then just carried away the soil when it receded again.

Colin and Maureen were going home the next day. I suggested to Maureen that we reschedule the garden nursery outing to the next morning, weather permitting, followed by a late lunch here and they depart in the afternoon. And so it came to pass...

We three set off around 10.30 a.m., with lunch scheduled for 2 p.m.

Edrom nursery first. I had never walked around their woodland plant garden before, but we were drawn in with the rhododendrons putting on a magnificent display. Then a browsing of the rockery and scree beds before on to the serious business. One slow walk around the plants and then the second pass with basket.

Plants bought, a drive across Coldingham moor to the A1 and back towards Berwick. All was going well until, rounding a corner, and traffic jam. Luckily this turned out to be road works/traffic lights - replacing a section of crash barrier - and we weren't held up for too long. Turn off shortly afterwards towards Lamberton. Some more purchases and enough time to explore the garden there before setting off for home over Lamberton moor. We had timed it to perfection, pulling up into the drive with a couple of minutes to spare.

I carried my first box of plants up to my bench, and Maureen brought the second one. Colin 'She's not bought all those plants has she?'. I quite truthfully replied that they were mine... her's were already stowed in their car :)

I couldn't get around to positioning/planting them yesterday. The latest excitement is that the Duns/Preston road was shut for resurfacing yesterday and the same appears to be true today. As a result the road past us is the diversion route! More than making up for the lack of cars from the rally. We even have a number 34 bus going past on a regular basis...

To get over my gardening withdrawal symptoms I weeded the herb bed yesterday evening. Oh what joy when I discovered baby lavender plants hiding in amongst the weeds. And the garlic chives that I sowed and had given up all hope of germinating were hiding in there.

The other ongoing entertainment has been the progress of my peas. I am now up to 31 germinated out of 36 sown. I don't think the missing 5 are going to come through now. But on the whole the ones that have made it are growing rapidly. They should be ready for planting out before the week is out.