26th March 2012 – At Allotment Plot 326, Ella Montt removed items that were cluttering up the shed and in doing so disturbed a Field Mouse habitat. A Mouse exited the shed in the bottom of a big tub that had drainage holes around its base, after a few moments hesitation the Mouse escaped from the tub by squeezing through one of the holes. Then the Mouse ran across the Plot and disappeared down a hole next to the netted area of over wintered cabbage plants. Ella Montt had discovered many Mouse network holes across the Plot. She much preferred the Mice to larger rodent creatures.
Ella Montt moved the patterned carpet and repositioned it so that she had access to the soil next to the Broad Beans, Onions and Garlic. The soil was dug over. The left arm of the digger had suffered a fracture in December 2011 and was not as strong as it had been prior to this happening; battle with bramble rhizomes was now more difficult. Covering the soil whilst not in plant production was necessary to thwart bramble invasion. Ella Montt planted some more Broad Bean seeds. The seeds seemed vibrant and ready for growth activation. Parsnip seeds were planted next to the Broad Beans.
Plot 326’s soil was starting to crack, because of lack of rain. The pile of apple tree branch wood had dried to tinder. Ella Montt repositioned the woodpile, so that she could fold back the ground cover beneath it to examine the soil, which had been covered over the winter. The soil was ready for planting, so the covering was replaced to wait for the planting activity to commence. It was essential that the soil was not left uncovered, because the heat from the sun would evaporate any moisture contained with in it.
Seeds Planted: Broad Bean Hangdown Green 1 row x 10 seeds; Parsnip Halblange White 3 rows (an unspecified amount of seeds).
29th March 2012 – Allotment Plot at MERL’s soil was starting to harden. Ella Montt forced a hand fork in to the ground and finished planting the row of EKB Peas. Non-human wildlife is eager to find food so any germinating seeds that rise from the soil when the plot is unattended, will be at great risk and will probably be eaten before the plants have time to mature. One frost damaged Globe Artichoke plant had survived from last year and was starting to revive.
The sky was blue and cloudless apart from the trails from aeroplanes. The temperature was pleasantly warm, almost like a summer day, however it was still March. On the Island, Human purchases of Water Butts were reported to be up by 800%, yet there was still no rain to fill the Butts. At another location water was saved after utensil cleaning activity to be deposited on the soil surrounding plant life in the garden.
Ella Montt took the garden fork and removed some of the dried plant material from the Brick Composter and placed it in the wheelbarrow. The plant material had yet to fully decompose, because lack of moisture was preventing this. EB stepped out of the reading room window and joined Ella Montt at the Plot. Together they dug the soil over and made trenches for potatoes to be planted in the Plot. The Potatoes were placed in the ground. Ella Montt used the garden spade to shovel the new soil from the Brick Composter on to the Plot to cover the newly planted Potatoes. EB earthed the Potatoes up. The remaining dried plant material was emptied from the wheelbarrow back in to the Brick Composter. Ella Montt fetched the watering can and watered the Plot. EB stepped back in to the reading room.
Seeds Planted: Pea (Edible Podded) Ezetha’s Krombek Blaschokker x 30 seeds; Potatoes Lady Balfour Main Crop Potato x 15.
Harvest: a pinch of Chives.
