When we arrived at the plot today TWO blackbirds had managed to get into the netting protecting the redcurrants. I checked the entire netting yesterday and was sure it was bird-proof after I had repaired a hole that had mysteriously appeared but lo and behold today another hole had appeared just above the one repaired yesterday - a large hole too! So today that has been repared - this time using chicken wire. That should blunt their little scissors!!
We also picked another punnet of strawberries and emptied another bag of potatoes.
Everything is starting to look really good so I took loads ... and loads ... and loads of photographs. These can be viewd in my latest album by clicking here - that is if you have an hour or two to spare!
Here's a taster:
My latest diary entry for last week is here
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Yup, they expertly snip strawberries off by the stem too.
ReplyDeleteEverything looking Hunky Dory.
(Recently enjoyed reading your history entry too, S&M)
I don't know how they do it, they must have razer sharp beaks. I've emptied my second potato container too. I'm really pleased with the amount of the harvests, and the potatoes are so clean when grown in a container too. This sunshine is ripening the strawberries extra quickly, we're harvesting more than we can eat at the moment.
ReplyDeleteHi Mal - It's magpies that snip off our strawberries if they get half a chance - I once saw one flying away with a very large one in its beak. Glad you enjoyed the history post - more history is here
ReplyDeletehttp://glallotments.co.uk/history.aspx
Jo - That's the trouble with strawberries once they start ripening they go quickly - we make a sort of strawberry 'compote' (fruit cooked down in a little sugar) when we have too many, which we freeze - we then use it to make our own fruit yoghurts - well buy plain yoghurt and add the fruit to it! We use other fruit in the same way.
well it's all looking great....however I wouldn't bank on the chicken wire working on the birds....where there's a will there's a way...we have birds nest in our porch roof as do the other three houses near me....this isn't at all a problem as they can't get access into the house at all but one neighbour who moved in didn't like the wildlife ( I did ask why he bothered moving to the country!!) anyway he put heavy duty wire over the eaves of the porch...took a week or so but the sparrows soon got through it!!
ReplyDeleteSo far the chicken wire is working Tanya - probably famous last words though.
ReplyDeleteSparrows do have beaks like mini secateurs whereas the blackbird's isn't as strong and it is the blackbirds who have the passion for redcurrants. So maybe there will be some currants for us to pick today.
Your plot is looking great! Once weather warms up, everything is growing.
ReplyDeleteOur strawberries are growing second round of flowers. These ones should be much sweeter than ones we already picked.
We are lucky as birds don’t eat our strawberries or redcurrants, but they love our grapes.
Hi vrtlarica
ReplyDeleteOur grapes grow in the greenhouse but we have to net the door or the blackbird fly in and grab the grapes.
Yes, they do! :)
ReplyDeleteHi DGG - I sense another victim! The chicken wire continues to be effective!
ReplyDelete