"shazzbat" wrote in message
...
snip .
So how was yours?

Lovely weekend, and easy digging because the ground is so dry. Here in the
Isle of Wight we've had hardly any real rain for about 3 months and we're
beginning to worry. Is this a national problem or just the march of the
South toward the Mediterranean?

On Sun, 20 Mar 2005 22:08:58 -0000, "shazzbat"
wrote:

So how was it for you? We've had a fantastic sunny weekend here in Dorset,

No serious gardening at the weekend ;~) Got all the early crops in
last week. Saturday morning watering and pottering in the greenhouse,
afternoon out on the hills - just before I got to my parking place I
saw a Red Kite for the first time, just stopped the car and sat there
gobsmacked. Sunday afternoon photographing the Camellias in the
Camellia Walk. Weekends don't get much better.


=================================================

Rod

Weed my email address to reply.
http://website.lineone.net/~rodcraddock/index.html

"shazzbat" wrote in message
So how was yours?

Lovely weekend, and easy digging because the ground is so dry. Here in the
Isle of Wight we've had hardly any real rain for about 3 months and we're
beginning to worry. Is this a national problem or just the march of the
South toward the Mediterranean?

Warm Thurs, Fri and Sat, then colder Sun. First ladybirds on Thurs and
bees on Fri, then butterflies on Sat! First clump of daffodils came out
overnight, not surprised since the temp went up from 4 C to 16C in one
day. The rest seem to have followed a couple of days later. Pleased with
the bright flowers of the heathers, the big bumbles were crawling all
over them, will make more of these I think (Erica's on chalky soil).
Weeded three medium circular beds and started on the bank, very pleased
with how crumbly the soil is, moist but not wet. Seems to have been a
drier and colder winter than usual. Did my usual pattern of an hour or
so intensive weeding, then a potter round standing up, snipping at
things and looking and planning, cup of tea, sit down for a while, then
back to the intensive digging under the fruit trees on hands and knees.
I really do find that a proper warming-up and warming down from this
activity pays huge dividends, so I start and finish in extra clothing if
its cooler or windy, and always leave time (even in twilight) to potter
round for a while at intervals and at the end of a session.

I also find some slow and progressive yoga-style stretching each morning
while still lying in bed does me a power of good. I started some years
ago when I had a bad back and could hardly bend my knees, but now I can
get them crossed over almost under my armpits! It just takes a while to
make the improvement, tiny bit by tiny bit, just like the garden really.

Good to look out the window and see the results though, great
encouragement to plan moving plants into the cleared areas.
--
David