Unrelenting Rain

When I walked down to the plot this afternoon, I knew what I would find. Storm Katherine came through yesterday evening and overnight, bringing with it a torrent of rain and high winds. I knew the plot was going to be awful when I let the Topknot Gang out in the garden this morning to find the lawn sodden.

The plot is completely flooded. The water table is arguably above the level of the soil and the entire plot is absolutely saturated. There is no way I will be able to plant anything for several weeks assuming that we have no more rain in that period. It’s just completely frustrating as I’ve done everything to try and stop it flooding including planting trees, the willow arch and screen, double digging, raising the soil level, you name it. Nothing works.

Ten years we have had this plot, it has flooded every year, even on the drier winters. Without putting in raised beds like on Mick the Greek’s plot, I don’t think we are going to manage to maximise the growing season. The issue is that raised beds cost a lot of money, even if you try to do it on a shoestring using pallet collars, recycled cardboard and topsoil.

The chickens were damp but ate their treats greedily when I threw them out. The phantom egg layer was at it again in the New Coop – this time laying an egg in the middle of the run floor. Seems spiteful considering they have a large, clean and dry nest box …

The chickens’ egg laying is still in the spring glut with eight eggs just today. That takes the total for the last three days to twenty-five! Looks like Toad in the Hole, three egg omelettes and lots of baking over the next week!