Book Recycling

I'm very bored at the moment as it's either raining, snowing or sleeting (I'm not sure what it is as I write this, but definitely one of them!) or we're away somewhere. So time on the plot is somewhat limited - fortunately my employer is helping with this and making me redundant at the end of March, so should be a top growing season ahead! I should be more concerned I guess, but I'm quite looking forward to escaping the drudgery and a new challenge. Quite what that will be I have no idea.


However, back to the subject. I've just finished reading One Man and His Dig: Adventures of an Allotment Novice, a late Christmas present from my brother. Has to be said it's no literary masterpiece but it's vaguely entertaining and about allotments. However, I'm not going to read it again and it's only going to sit on the bookshelf with the other 20+ allotment related books gathering dust. So I thought I'd jump on the competition band wagon and give it away, rather than take it to one of the local charity shops. Just leave a comment on this blog entry before the end of February to go into the draw - job offers (or even suggestions!) could help your chances!

I realise I may not have given this the best 'sell' ever with my comments, but hey it's free and the reviewers on Amazon have given it five stars so far. The only condition attached is after you've read it, you need to offer it to your readers and continue the recycling chain. And if all goes well I might start offering some of the other books. Lord knows we could do with getting rid of some cook books!

You can never have too many books!

Santa was somewhat late delivering this year as our youngest was still awake until not long before 1am. She then woke up again at 4.09am. Oh yes, 4.09am! Her brother woke at around 5.30am. The neighbours got up at 6am. And finally ours woke up and got up at 7am. Mrs D and I drank a lot of coffee that day.

Despite spending most of the morning in the kitchen (and over-cooking the turkey - cry), we all had a great day and shared lots of lovely presents. I'd already had a blackcurrant bush delivered (Titania from Ken Muir), which is still being kept alive in the kitchen with regular 'baths' in the sink! The 'library' was increased with a number of fruit books:

Nigel Slater's Tender: Volume II, A cook's guide to the fruit garden

'The Apple Book' by Rosie Sanders

RHS 'Growing Fruit (Royal Horticultural Society's Encyclopaedia of Practical Gardening)
' by Harry Baker (retired Fruit Officer at RHS Wisley)

'How to Grow Orchard Fruit' by Richard Bird and Kate Whiteman

You may have noticed a bit of a theme! Following on that I also received a 'Aluminium 3in1 Apple Peeler Corer Slicer Suction Stand - which is amazingly addictive!


Is that a thaw I see?
That white stuff seems to be disappearing and we've finally turned off the heating (for at least some of the day), so I'm hoping the soil will also have defrosted enough to get the blackcurrant in the ground and salvage the brassicas under the collapsed netting. Before the next lot of snow strikes...