Life on The Weald - April 2025
and sundry distractions including a trip down memory lane
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| 1 April - Frog spawn in the pond |
Tuesday 1 April
The first day of April was a warm clear day with a maximum daytime temperature of 15C. There was some good news in the pond, as I spotted a large clump of frog spawn.
More good news. there was purple sprouting broccoli to be harvested
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| 1 April - purple sprouting broccoli |
At home I had sown next season's crop. I normally grow Early purple sprouting broccoli which is usually ready for harvesting in late winter or early spring, but this year I have also sown some summer purple sprouting broccoli which should be ready for harvesting in late summer or early autumn.
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| 1 April - summer purple sprouting broccoli |
Last year, Sylvi had received a birthday card impregnated with wild flower seeds, and I thought it was time to plant this out. I created a seed bed close to the pond where I put the card
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| 1 April - last year's birthday card |
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| 1 April - last year's birthday card |
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| 1 April - a new frame for climbing beans |
March had been a particularly dry month and the plot was in desperate need of water and the water supply was due to be turned on this week. It was, but unfortunately there was a fault in the northeast quadrant, where our plot is located so we had to rely on water that had been collected/stored in our water butts.
Friday 4 April
I had a go at repotting one of the Blueberry bushes. It was not an easy task to remove it from the pot as it was totally pot-bound. I loosened the roots, shaking off much of the soil and repotted it with fresh ericacious compost. There was not much time spent on the plot as later that day I took a trip down memory lane to re-visit Crossness Engines for its 160th Anniversary. One of my last duties as Chair of the Trust had been to preside at the sesquicentennial (150th) Anniversary in 2015.
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| a page from the Crossness 150th Anniversary programme |
It was good to meet up with former colleagues, including Sir Peter Bazalgette, my predecessor as Chair and a descendant of the engineer, Joseph Bazalgette, who designed London's Victorian sewerage system which survives to this day.
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| With Sir Pater Bazalgette at Abbey Wood |
We met at Abbey Wood railway station and then journeyed to Crossness on a refurbished London Routemaster bus that the Trust has acquired.
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| The Crossness Routemaster |
From the gates of the Thames Water sewerage plant we then travelled to the Engine House on the newly completed Royal Arsenal Narrow Gauge Railway which has been built and restored by volunteers at Crossness.
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| The RANG engine |
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| RANG Railway |
6 April
One of the Achocha seeds that I had sown had germinated alongside 4 sweetcorn but only 1 meteor pea. Another day of distractions as it was the Brighton Marathon. In typical Brighton style, the woman who came third, in the elite section, ran in fancy dress, after her hen night, carrying an inflatable doll. And a Hungarian runner proposed just before the Finish line.
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| 6 April - 3rd woman home |
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| 6 April - a Finish line proposal |
8 April
I planted out some mangetout that I had sown at home and also some Early pea seedlings that I had bought at a garden centre.
9 April
Still not much success at home with my Meteor peas as only two of twelve had germinated, so I sowed some more. 4 of the 6 sweetcorn that I had sown had germinated and I sowed two more in the empty cells
13 April
Sunday 13 was a fine day and we made a brief visit to nearby Truleigh Hill
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| 13 April - A view of the river Adur across a field of Alexanders |
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| 13 April - a walk in the woods |
The woods were full of wild Arum lilies (Arum Maculatum) also known as Cuckoopint, jack-in-the-pulpit or Lords and Ladies. Later in the month they will prouce a flower stalk, spadix, partially enclosed in a pale green spathe or hood, followed in the autumn by a sea of red or orange berries. The "pint" in Cuckoopint comes from the old English word "pintle" or penis and refers to the shape of the spadix or flower stalk. The name Lords and Ladies also refers to male and female genitalia and the appearance of the spadix and hooded spathe!
You are advised to avoid smelling the flowers, which have a faecal aroma, which, apparently, is attractive to pollinators. The berries are poisonous to humans, but not to birds who disperse the seeds by eating the berries.
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| 13 April - familiar leaves of the Arum Lily |
After a bright sunny day, there was heavy overnight rain, much needed following dry March and the fact that we were still without a water supply near our plot.
16 April
In the garden, the three cornered leek dominated not only one of the flower beds but had also begun to take over the lawn! Also called Snow bells (Allium triquetrum) it is an invasive plant with stems that are triangular in cross-section. All parts of the plant are edible and the flowers, with a taste of mild spring onions, make an attractive addition to salads.
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| 16 April - three cornered leek |
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| 16 April - Lady among the Snow bells! |
In some areas it is erroneously referred to as wild garlic but, although in the same family, wild garlic is a different plant (Allium ursinum) which has a much stronger garlic taste. Three cornered leek has long slender leaves whilst wild garlic leaves are broader and oval shaped.
When they have finished flowering, I will need to dig up and remove as many bulbs as possible (they can be used as leeks) otherwise they could take over the whole garden. It is an offence to plant or dispose of it in the wild.
At home the dining room table had been taken over by seedlings o someting had to be done if we were ever have guests for dinner!
We cleared the conservatory to find a new home for plants. It is unheated but gets a lot of sunlight and does benefit from residual heat from the house.
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| 16 April - clearing the decks |
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| 16 April - a new home for the seedlings |
17 April
Whilst clearing brambles and bindweed from around the apple tree, I came across some wild garlic that I had planted last year and thought it had not survived. I was pleasantly surprised and it was about to come into flower 😊 The photo shows that the shape of the leaves is ver different from those of the three cornered leek.
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| 17 April - wild garlic |
It was a day for more smiles at home as some of the more spectacular tulips were in full flower.
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| 17 April - Tulip "Belicia" |
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| 17 April - Tulip "Swan wings" |
Easter weekend, when many are busy on their plots, traditionally when industrial workers, especially miners, would plant their potatoes and other crops - Good Friday being the only day in the year when they might not be working - but for us it was a non-gardening weekend with a visit from my eldest son and partner. The weather was reasonably good so we did get out for a leisurely walk from Beachy Head to Birling Gap, passing the Belle Tout Lighthouse on the way.
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| 19 April - the start from Beachy Head |
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| 19 April - Beachy Head Lighthouse |
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| 19 April - Belle Tout lighthouse in sight |
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| 19 April - arriving Birling Gap with view towards Seven Sisters |
21 April
I will wait until they have stopped flowering before removing some of the three cornered leek, but I dug up a few which we could use as leeks.
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| 21 April - Snow bells (3 cornered leek) |
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| 21 April - three cornered leek harvested |
22 April
At home more exotic tulips were in flower
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| 21 April - tulips "Eyelash" |
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| 21 April - tulips "Eyelash & Belicia" |
22 April
Up on the allotment, the wild garlic was now in flower.
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| 22 April - wild garlic in flower |
23 April
I planted out the rest of the dahlias which had sprouted in pots. Three of the twelve tubers bought from a reputable supplier have so far failed to produce any shoots - I feel a refund claim coming on.
24 April
I sowed some borlotti and cobra beans in trays indoors and as it was a warm sunny day put the tomatoes outside to harden off, bringing them in at night. This was a routine I would do daily with the tomatoes and peppers and other plants sown indoors until I feel it is warm enough, and not too windy, to leave them out overnight
25 - 27 April
More excuses to be away from gardening as it was the London Marathon weekend, where I met some surprising guests, including chef, Gordon Ramsey who is also a marathon runner and at 3h 30m twenty minutes faster than me at my best!
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| 26 April - with Gordon Ramsay |
28-30 April
The Serbian Quince tree in the garden is now in its third year and is beginning to blossom, so I am hopeful that we may get some fruit this year.
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| 28 April Quince, Serbian Gold |
The wild garlic, also known as Ramsons, is now in full flower under the apple tree on the plot.
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| 28 April - Ramsons (wild garlic) |
The broad beans (Aquadulce) planted in October and November are also in flower and fortunately there is no sign yet of blackfly.
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| 28 April - Broad beans in flower |
And in the garden the Ceanothus was delighting us with its rich blue flowers. I don't know what variety it is as the shrub came with the house.
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| 28 April - Ceanothus |
And the tulips continue to bring colour at the front of the house.
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| 28 April - Tulip "fireworks" |
I am now leaving the tomatoes and peppers out at night, hoping that the risk of frost has passed, although I'm still worried about the strong winds. We are still without a water supply on our plot. A 1000 litre water tank has been supplied on the North East quadrant where we are, and which can be re-filled with a very long hose from the next quadrant but it is still a very long way from our plot to be carrying watering cans or buckets and my water butts are now empty! Despite the occasional showers, the ground is still very dry, so not a good time to be planting out - just hoping that the water supply will be restored soon. Little was done in the last few days of the month and a further distraction was a community day out at the races at Brighton Racecourse on 30 April - great fun, but not a winner between us!
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