Lock Down ANtics
Lockdown at the Gents
Having been married to Chris for over 50 years I have struggled to
get him interested in anything to do with gardening, apart from
cutting the grass. He did once dabble in growing rhubarb and
potatoes in a tiny patch behind the shed but it was a total failure
and he gave up. Part of the problem is that we have a caravan
which means many days away from home, particularly in the
summer when watering is so important.
Then came lockdown and the time to potter. Seeds were ordered –
tomatoes, chillies, lettuce, spring onions, peas, beans and seed
potatoes, compost and grow bags were delivered, advice and tips
were sort from the internet and friends and the planting began. A
makeshift shelf appeared in our tiny shed and windowsills became
covered in small plant pots, yoghurt tubs and seed trays.
Every day we peered longingly into the pots looking for a sign of
germination and it was like Christmas the first time a green shoot
appeared. We thought the beans and potatoes had had it but one
day they too started to come to life.
We have no space in our garden for a vegetable plot but we
managed to find small areas in borders and used every tub and pot
we could lay our hands on to transplant seedlings or to sow
directly outside. The path round the house is the new veg patch
and already we are picking baby lettuce as we ‘thin out’ very
crowded planting areas.
The day we found a family of rabbits in the garden our first thought
was ‘the lettuces!’ but fortunately, no harm was done and the
rabbits have not returned. We continue to lovingly tend our crops
and every morning the first activity is to review progress and see
how things are progressing. We have yet to see how many peas or
beans we can harvest but the lettuce has already proved a success.
No matter what the final results may be, it has been a very positive
experience for us, doing the gardening together, and we have
lockdown to thank for that!
