March of the horse’nuts

Yes it’s that time of year again, when the horse-chestnuts are leafing, rising and growing with gusto and all still in the same pot.

This year a few extra layers of soil was added to keep them sufficiently bedded, and a good few litres of nutrients to compensate for the cramped conditions; but here’s the current progress in a few shots.

19th April 2011 – update

I decided to take some measurements to see how well they’ve come on (or not considering the sized pot they’re all in), and how long they’ll have to live before expiring, if not separated.

There are: 2 @ ~100cm, 2 at ~60cm, 2 at ~30cm and a straggler hovering around the 20cm mark; all measurements taken from the top of the soil.  The pot itself measures 34.5 cm inner diameter with a depth of 34.5cm, not exactly spacious for seven trees, but they haven’t died yet.   Now I just need to find a local group of ninja gardeners who’d know what do with at least five of them.

How big do your nuts grow?

Yes summers ongoing march is slowly fritzing the last few cells of responsibility and it's nearly time to get ready for those paunches over belts, wobbly knees and smelly public transport links that makes you wish for the return of nosegays.

But in the meantime the nuts i'd planted, that finally poked their heads above soil and looked like...

... at the start of april.

Now, nearing the end of may, all seven are still growing and are looking more like ...

... and I think six will soon be in need of new homes.

Prick that nutty bubble

As bubbles come and go, it's surely time for the fundamental bubble to be pricked before it pops and takes half the world with it. 

Did anyone really expect pres. mahmoud ahmadinejad to do or say anything else?  I'm sure he's one of the escaped spitting image puppets that's had some life breathed into it and and is running amok, wrecking revenge.  And then we have the unfolding debacle in pakistan, give us what we want and we'll think about giving up arms... ha, no we won't.  If they (fundis) believe those of their same delusional belief system who have no truck and wish to have no truck with their delusions should be eradicated, as well as those who believe in a different version of the same delusion should be eradicated; how did the authorities ever believe they could agree anything that didn't, at some stage, involve that time honoured tradition of having fingers crossed behind your backs.

Onto happier and more lighter moments.  The horse chestnuts are doing remarkably well.

Let's have a quick recap of the timeline so far...

2nd april 2009	12th april

... and now how they look today.

21st april 2009

Spring colours

Something natural, lighter and strangely hopeful.

Yes i'm growing horse chestnuts, but out of 12 planted only seven have poked heads above soil.

The first pic was taken on the 2nd of April, and the 2nd take a few moments before posting.  At this rate, barring a very bad frost, in a months time the horse chestnut seedlings will have to be given new homes.

Pic 1 2nd April 2009

Pic 2: 12th April 2009

And although the angle of capture's slightly different, in the 1st picture you can just see the second shoot popping up out of the soil on the right hand side, which in the second picture is the one just about to open its leaves, in the lower right hand side.

Ah yes before I forget and get totally carried away, here's the lovely spring climbing rose and yellow something which escapes me.

Pic 3: 2nd April 2009

Victoria wanderings

Wandered around victoria  for the last time with flatmate, who is heading back  to the northern lands to escape the clutches of the capitals maddening pace, coldness and  'treacherous people', a term which i find myself using more and more.

So it was a final pottering meander that we took in the facade of westminster cathedral, wonderful pigeon sized flats, lots of glass and a very-dead pigeon.

But before all of that, i must give an excellent mention to one of the better tasting chippies i've had the great fortune to visit and sample their goods, since the last one in dudley over 15 years ago.  But this one is located in strutton ground, sw1.  Tucked away right at the far end, off and out of sight of victoria street.  A chippie that can indeed boast, of the best in its title.

We entered the premises to find only one patron sitting down. At times like that second thoughts usually kick in as to the wiseness of continuing any farther. But after having no breakfast - and it was just approaching noon - my growling stomach wasn't taking no for an answer. 

As it transpired, within ten minutes of sitting down and placing our orders, the cafe was packed.  Filled with office workers.  Other workers, locals and a queue snaking out of the shop.

The chips had a wonderful crispy exterior and meltingly desirable interior.  The added bonus been generously filled plates - and not the size zero measures you seem to find plonked in front of you, at many other establishments nowadays.  You can always judge a decent chippie by its chips. So full marks to the laughing halibut.

With repast complete, it was time to meander out and have a potter, whilst taking a few snaps of the area in the process.

         

Almost at the start of this I did mention a dead pigeon. Now, not to be gratuitous, this is just the unlucky end of of one of our feathered city co-habitants!  Suppose it had a quick end and wasn't pecked to death by a murder of crows!

 

If you're squeamish, don't scroll any further!!!!!

 

I did warn you!!!

 

Changing planets

With the ever increasing noise about climate change and how it will affect the planet and all the species it contains, perhaps now is the correct time to think about what comes after. 

Imagine all that captured carbon solidified and compressed into a small space then been carted over to mars.   With the leaps and advances made in the arena of ameliorating the worst effects our own climate folly could embue upon us, the flip side could be the knowledge to change another worlds atmosphere to one of our own suiting.  Yes that wonderful science fiction staple that is known as terraforming.

Morning radio, sunny shine.

Waking up and listening to Radio Four's Today programme is one of the few pleasures I have remaining in life. Which, without much effort on the part of Messrs Humphrys, Naughtie, Stourton, and Mademoiselles Montague and Quinn, manages to bring me to the brink of over brimming.

It's strengths lay in its contented fuddy-duddy dusty old slippers role one minute, to whip-cracking firebrand-politician-beating-outrider, the next and I wouldn't want it any other way!

So where's the moan. Well, even I start to yawn when that favourite old chestnut of the home-counties, incorrect grammar - as opposed to that other chestnut of immigration – is brought into play due to the lack of anything else more news worthy. Even it it does bring a lighter air to proceedings. If I really want to know whether a diphthong's more classy than a pure thong, I'll consult the online or real life oracle and come to an appropriate decision. For those of us with diminished and diminishing memory sticks, its far better putting them to use remembering when that last pint was consumed or, even more importantly, when its time for that next meal!

For those who were up at the crack of lunch time, they'd have been greeted to the sights of hoary-frosted bearded clouds lazily meandering across clearing horizons, sadly this would be over powered by the increasing level of vehicle exhaust working in concert, with the growing levels of sunlight tethered smog! So why not move and stop moaning? That's all well and good, but the draw of a 24hr shop nearby, a tube station that is only five minutes walk, buses for every destination within three minutes walk, a cinema, bars, good restaurants, a fully functioning market, even a M&S (no don't work for, have anything to do, or receive any vouchers from them) on the doorstep, I can put up with the probable life-shortening experience I'm going through, for at least one or two more years. But then, there'll be that nice little cottage in the country - or some other country – miles away from anywhere or anyone... Maybe I'll just buy some sturdy earplugs!

But in the meantime, here's a few pictures of the glorious few odd days, of sunny bliss.

Birds in flight, a wee copse....

and a couple more, showing a glorious autumnal day!