15 September 2007 - Trailer trash

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

But first, the good news. After the tragedy of the original pumpkin, five of its brothers (or clones, I suppose) are making their presence felt. The have been propped on wooden boards, to avoid the decay suffered by the original. Sunshine will harden their shells in time for Halloween. Much trimming of dying leaves, leaves blocking the sun from reaching the pumpkins, and the remaining flowers (who, intent on securing a future for their own little fella, will divert resources away from our famous five. We brought one little guy home, and will see later what recipes are available from the Information Superhighway.

More good news on the peas-in-the-pod front. We sampled one with Pat and Jan next door, and they are the sweetest, freshest vegetables ever.

Pulled up a sample carrot, then another. Came on well - and these from seed!

Backbreaking work transforming the original potato patch into a proper bed. Got about half way through today, with the unexpected pleasure of finding some more potatoes that we had missed in the original harvest. This bed will be for overwintering cabbage and onions, also from seed, but now moved to the cold frame to get used to being outside.

Then to nearby Radlett, to pick up floorboards offered on Freecycle, to make borders for our new beds and, well, just because they were free, basically. Very nice fella (who got a dinghy from Freecycle) helped us load about 400 pounds of wood in our trailer, and lent us a rope when the front of the trailer started to look a little saggy. You may recall our shed-transportation experience three months ago, almost to the day. We didn't get far this time before the front splayed outward under the pressure of the wood, and we had a tense time on the three miles from Radlett.

Fortunately, we arrived almost intact, and with no one to witness our shame. Wood unloaded, harvest made, and no one the wiser. Apart from you, dear reader.

Harvest: the newly found potatoes; some lovely peas; two carrots; one celery (for soup); two raspberries. Tonight we eat like kings. Again.