Ideas and Complications

Last week I was having a panic. Today the whole world looks like a faded sixties colour photograph. There is none of the crispness of true colour, and none of the drama of black and white. Everything’s dull. And now, quickly, I will say there is absolutely no reason for this. Nothing is actually wrong. A psychological trauma from some childhood disaster, or even an ecopsychological trauma. To write this blog I have to be who I am, in the moment of writing. But as you will see, things are actually going rather well! Things are actually going rather well!

Action

The main action of the week has been to install a diverter to fill my water butt with rainwater from the downpipe. The diverter is a small magical unit that fits into the downpipe. You cut out 30 centimeters of pipe, and insert the device and a tube comes out of the side and goes into the water butt. When the water butt is full – this is the magical part – the rainwater continues on its original journey, until water is used from the water butt, whereupon the magical box fills it up again. How about that? Bring on the rain!

Plants

The tomatoes and cabbages have all come up, the leeks are reticent. But it has only been a week. I’ve taken the cover off the propagator, as the seedlings are looking a little leggy, and I must remember to put it back on tonight. Also growing are the seeds I sowed in week two. This is exciting. I’ve lifted the cover on them too, to give them a bit of air. The picture this week is one of the marigolds, showing the seed casing on the seed leaf. Also I’ve sown some peas in pots on the greenhouse bench .

Harvest

A small harvest, but a happy harvest. I took a pot of peppermint to Cornwall to give to Anna. Also I have promised my brother a selection of herbs for his birthday later this month, and some are already ready. The parsley I transplanted to large pot is growing well, and could be used, and I have been drinking nettle tea from last year. I need to remind myself to harvest lime flowers this year. It is far too early, the lime trees are not even in leaf yet, but I must not forget. Lime flower tea is so delicious.

Other things

I know this is about vegetables, but it is also about being alive in a mad world. Mad out, mad in. Since last week I have had a lovely weekend in Cornwall, where I danced Biodanza all day on Saturday. Yesterday I went out walking in the rain, the same rain that filled my water butt. My seeds are coming up. I’ve herbs to give away. As I said twice in the first paragraph, things are going rather well. The mad voice inside had better know that I plan to carry on. Mad out, mad in, maybe, but no surrender.