More
pea and bean structures
A neighbour of mine recently asked me if I wanted to try
some wood pigeon. Always up for something new I said yes, expecting a pre
wrapped, plucked and oven ready bird to be presented to me. I wasn’t really
surprised when I popped around to their house to pick them up. The birds were still fully clothed with all
of their limbs attached.
The same thing happened to me a few years back when I was
living in Newport, Co Mayo, a neighbour asked me if I wanted a pheasant and
after saying yes please, had it unceremoniously slapped onto the kitchen table
with its beautiful plumage shining in the sunlight and dead eyes staring up at
me. It took me all afternoon to pluck the feathers, retching continuously as I
did. This time I was invited into the neighbour’s kitchen where we “prepared”
the three unlucky birds.
The horror of it
The whole scenario was akin to a horror movie with blood and
feathers flying and made me realise just how much I like these birds. Alive. Wood pigeons remind me of my mother’s garden
and I love to hear them cooing in my own back garden and down on the park. It might be a coincidence but since I brought
the birds home and cooked them according to a recipe online, I haven’t heard a
sound from the pigeons in the back garden. I’m not saying that I have eaten my
garden friends, but I think that they know what I have done and are keeping
well away. I have realised that this is why chickens either run away from me
(or that they try to attack my legs) It’s because they know too. I eat their
relatives. I didn’t really enjoy the meal and the lads spat out a few lead shot
which didn’t go down well. I think I understand vegetarians a little better
after this week.
Tunnel Vision
I love the tunnel. It’s been up a week and I have put all of
the seedlings in there. I have also started to dig a few beds. I am not going
down the road of building raised beds. The tunnel is built on a giant 12x20’
raised bed as it is so to build smaller ones on top of that would mean the
drainage would be too good. I would need to be going in there every day, (maybe
even twice a day for tomatoes), and water. By letting the plants find natural
water with their roots will save me a lot of time and energy standing around
with my hosepipe. I haven’t gone too mad digging the beds; I am expecting a
delivery of two eight foot long tables courtesy of the old Fruit of the Loom
factory. I had some in the old tunnel and they were great, just the right
height and not easily damaged by water or humidity. I like the idea of just digging
the soil as it makes the design of the interior so much more versatile. I can
change things around at a whim. It’s funny I have this way of thinking. I did
write a book of the virtues of raised beds after all last year. I might change
my mind next year when things have settled down and I can see where things fit.
I have had so seal up the dummy door in the tunnel this
week. The cold wind was relentless and came straight through one side of green
netting and out of the other. It’s made a big difference to the temperature and
the seedlings seem to be happier.
As per the seed packet instructions I have been planting
some seeds directly into the soil. I put in a few rows of beetroot, wild rocket
and spinach. A Facebook chum told me that it’s still too cold for beetroot but
I think if I don’t do it now then nights will be drawing in. I’ll take my chances.
Just the way I like
it
The other thing I have been doing this week is setting up
the pea and bean structures. My lad informs me that I always seem to be making these,
I agree it does take a bit of time and I tend to make a big thing of it, but I
assured him it’s only once a year. The big difference is that I didn’t use
hazel rods from the woods. I actually bought pre wrapped and prepared bamboo
poles from the garden centre. They were neat, uniform, trimmed, clean and tidy.
They were prepared in the very same manner that I would like to buy all of my
meat in future.
