The Day the Grass Won

I didn’t manage to get down to the allotment until after lunch today. I spent the morning trying to persuade my eyes that I hadn’t spent half a day outdoors, so they needn’t stream and itch anymore. Typically, they refused to cooperate! But knowing how much more work there was to do, I knew I would have to brave the pollen again and head out.

It is appallingly humid despite being overcast. There is a heaviness in the air and despite promises of the weather breaking, there was never more than the odd few drops. What we need is a proper rainfall overnight with a little bit of thunder thrown in to break the humidity once and for all.

My first job was to shift some of the willow cuttings onto the compost heap by the shed to clear the veranda. With gloves on to protect my hands, I started clearing away the wretched grass that keeps insisting on growing in the stumpery. It was interesting to see how the bark on the logs was beginning to break down and as I moved around, to see the insects scurrying for cover. We definitely need to add some more ferns and to add some new logs to build it up a little more.

On a roll, I walked to the fruit section. I’ve been putting off sorting this section for weeks. Armed with my trusty secateurs, I pruned the honeyberry bush and some of the trailing branches from the gooseberry and blackcurrant bushes which were hanging over Will’s plot. Between the fruit bushes, there was yet more grass. Removing this was a delicate operation and more than once I had a face full of grass which left my eyes streaming massively. The difference though was very satisfying. Unfortunately, the blackberry bushes seem to be struggling so I will need to source some more to replace the older ones which have died.

As part of my sorting out the end of the plot, I began to harvest some of the rhubarb. Those two plants produce more rhubarb than any other rhubarb plants on the site. I do nothing to them, in fact, I actively neglect them. Yet still they produce several hundred weight every year. Hearing some human noises a few plots away, I picked up the rhubarb and headed across to offer it to anyone who wanted it. Happily, Jason is a fan of rhubarb and accepted the entire lot! What a relief!

Just as I was about to move on to a different part of the plot, something caught my eye between the honeyberry and blackcurrant bushes. It was an eggshell. Half of one, tiny with a blueish tinge to the inside with a cream outer with faun speckles, rather like a robins egg. As I pushed back the branches, I found the other half! The shell was so delicate but you could clearly see where the two halves came together. Our site is such a haven for wildlife – it’s part of what makes this place so special.

Next I began to clear the bog garden. Again, like the stumpery, I haven’t done much to it since it went in. Aside from the reeds growing well, it definitely needs some TLC and some new water-loving plants. I cleared away about half of the weeds before conceding defeat. The grass had won.

Eyes streaming, I closed up the shed and retreated home, praying for the pollen count to drop! My plan for the next few days is to continue to weed and reclaim the greenhouse which is rapidly disappearing under bindweed.