I went to the plot a couple of times last week but needless to say it was far too cold and the ground still much too soggy to do more than just look at it and shake my head in resignation. The weekend has been so miserably cold and wet that I don’t think that I’ll even bother to do that next week.
Not surprisingly I’ve spent much of the time just armchair gardening browsing through some of my various gardening books.
Why it’s worth collecting gardening literature in the Daily Telegraph last week was interesting. I don’t think that any of my books are worth much but I’m sure that someone may have one or two that perhaps are.
My highlight of the week was getting a close look at two mistle thrushes perching on the branch of a nearby tree I was walking past. It was particularly pleasing to see them in view of this recent report. At home it’s been good to see the pair of great tits a few times as these are the least common of all the birds that I see regularly.
Have a good week!
Flighty's plot 
What an interesting mix of thoughts. xx
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Menhir thanks. xx
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I managed just one trip last week – to empty my food scraps into the compost bins. I had to rescue 1 of my bins from the next plot as it and the bricks weighing it down had been blown over there by the recent high winds.
I thought that article was most interesting. Like you most of my collection isn’t worth much in £££, but has a lot more value to me. However, I do have a couple of first editions of Vita Sackville-West’s In Your Garden and In Your Garden Again , the value of which were a rather nice surprise!
Here’s hoping we can get back out on the plot again soon.
xx
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VP that’s one reason for my plot visits.
Me too, and I guess that for most of us it’s not their value that’s important.
I hope so! xx
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The weather is utterly dire isn’t it? I don’t think we’ve had a dry day in months. Even if it doesn’t rain in the day it rains at night so it’s hard to get digging that’s for sure.
At least you can read up on what you’d like to do and have some beautiful birds to watch. Fingers crossed for a dry spell eh?xxxxx
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Snowbird it sure is. The grounds had no chance to dry out.
That’s true. Yes indeed. xx
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Brrr. Good thinking to stay in and keep warm and enjoy gardening through books!
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Nikki it snowed overnight, and it won’t feel warmer than zero all week so that’s what I’ll be doing. xx
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It’s good to use the time now for reading because come Spring it will be full steam ahead outdoors! I’ve just ordered Robin Lane Fox’s collected garden writings, really looking forward to reading it. Love Cleve West’s book, I recall I have you to thank for that recommendation, so Thankyou!
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Sara I can’t wait for the full steam ahead! I hope you enjoy that book. Yes Cleve West’s book was a real joy to read. You’re welcome. xx
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It’s a while since I’ve seen any thrushes, and to think they were such a common garden bird when I was a child. i see great tits more regularly than I used to, but I agree that they’re one of the least common ones to visit the garden. I haven’t even ventured to the plot this week, it’s just far too claggy to do any work.
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Jo I rarely see any, and like you remember seeing lots in mum’s garden.
I don’t blame out with it being as bleak and depressing as it is at the moment. xx
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I got as far as going to a friend’s greenhouse today in the hopes of potting up some new blueberry plants but it was just too cold and wet. I noted the pools of water lying on the surface of a neighbouring allotment and decided that the potting up could wait for a few more days. The weather is so variable but I seem to miss all the bright days through working! I don’t know enough to identify many of the birds I see but I’m enjoying seeing lots of robins up at Capel Manor and listening to birds singing in the trees under my bedroom window at night – must be the safety lighting keeping them up!
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Caro it’s been too cold and wet for far too long now. I don’t think that there’s been many sunny days for you to have missed.
You’ll have to get a bird book, such as the Collins Gem Garden Birds, so that you can identify the birds you see. xx
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I have a thrush visiting the garden , not a mistle one though. It was an interesting article on the books, alas I have checked my collection & there is no money there. They are still valuable to me though.
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Joanne you’re lucky to see any kind of thrush in your garden. Never mind I think that their value in that way is much more important. xx
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Only seen a mistle thrush once and that was during the really cold winter of 2012. Very beautiful birds and sad they are such a rare sight. My pile of gardening books grows but I don’t have any that would be worth anything monetarily. There was a second hand garden bookshop we used to visit and it was eye-watering how expensive some of them were. I thought it was rather sad that books I would have liked to read were £30 and £40 and out of my price range. I can understand the rarity factor but I see books as being something that should be available to all. I share your frustration with the weather. It rained all day yesterday and there’s more to come. *sighs*. Enjoy your books this week and hopefully something drier and milder will be along soon. WW x
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Welly before these two I’ve only seen one or two in recent years.
I agree with you about the cost of some second hand books.
Snow overnight and this morning here. Thanks, and I do hope so! xx
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This winter weather is getting a bit depressing now isn’t it – it just seems to go on and on. I have taken to selling a few unwanted books on Amazon that were too good just to give to charity shops. You don’t really get what they are worth but it is better than nothing. Seen a few thrushes this year, the bad weather has brought them in but yesterday was most surprised to see a moorhen in the garden, now that’s a first.
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Elaine yes just a bit! All my unwanted books go to a local Barnardo’s bookshop.
I think that seeing a moorhen in your garden gets you a gold star! xx
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Dispiriting, isn’t it, the soil so cold and wet. My grass squelches underfoot as I walk on it, and I don’t dare plant anything. It was lovely today, cold but clear and sunny, so I managed some pruning, but we need a run of dry weather to be able to get into the garden – or on to the plot – and work properly. Ho hum, at least you have some great books to read!
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Janet yes it sure is! Same here. Lucky you, just cold and wet here.
I’ve been enjoying browsing through the books yet again. xx
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glad to see Dr Hessayon has a place on your bookshelf Mike we have almost the entire dog eared collection, all the best David
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David I’m sure that at least one ‘Expert’ book is on every gardener’s bookshelf. Cheers
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Its so cold and wet, when are we going to get some settled dry weather? I’m with you with the armchair gardening, I’ve just finished reading The Curious Gardener by Anna Pavord, which was a lovely collection of her garden writing and I’m about to start The Morville Hours by Katherine Swift.
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Annie I wish I know, it’s long overdue that’s for sure.
They’re two good books by the look of it, both of which I’ve added to my reading list. xx
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I like Ken Thompson’s style of writing, Flighty. An Ear to the Ground and No Nettles Required are to read more than once if you haven’t read him before.
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Jane hello, and welcome. Thanks for these two recommendations which have been added to my reading list. xx
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Hi Flighty – I meant to use my gardenclickers name 😉 J
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Jane thanks for that as I wasn’t sure if I knew you or not! xx
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