Need I say more? Oh all right then…
As the Radio Times says the usual trio of presenters are back on our TV screens next week with a biannual yomp around the British countryside.
Autumnwatch is on BBC2 Monday through Thursday at 8.00pm.
As last year it comes from Martin Mere Wetland Centre near Southport, Lancs, where beavers will be one of the more unusual animals featured. Elsewhere Simon King will be searching for notoriously elusive wild boar.
Have a good weekend!
I’m still busy on Plot 124, having made the most of the generally fine weather.
Yesterday I did the paths, being wood chippings over trodden down earth. Today I added lots of wheelbarrow loads of compost to all the vegetable areas, and partly elsewhere, which I then raked over.
I’ll do a full progress report entry, with photos, within a couple of weeks when the shed is in situ and a few more features and plants have been added.
I really can’t believe that it’s just four months since I started work on the plot, and I’m well pleased with what I’ve achieved so far. The next four months will be spent just pottering in preparation for next Spring when the real fun begins!
On Saturday I received another birthday card which I knew was going to be late but which was well worth the wait.
It was from Nikki, my rosey friend in Southern California, who kindly did this Flighty’s day entry on my birthday. That was very much appreciated, and thanks also to everyone who commented there adding their birthday wishes.
As you can see the card is absolutely brilliant! The words say You’re really something else… 
Inside she says that this card reminded her of that adorable photo 
of Flighty sitting in a cardboard airplane grinning gleefully.
She thanks me for my thoughtful friendship. In return I thank her for the constant delight and enjoyment she has given me by sharing her wonderful garden, with its lovely roses, for the past two years. Long may it continue!
Rather disappointingly there are no new nature or wildlife programmes on terrestrial TV next week. Remember that A Passion for Plants continues on BBC2 Friday at 8.00pm, as does The Nature of Britain with 3/8 Urban on BBC2 Sunday at 6.10pm and 4/8 Freshwater on BBC1 next Wednesday at 9.00pm.
I’ll be taking particular interest in tomorrow’s Gardeners’ World on BBC2 at 8.30pm as Monty Don will be beginning to plant out a new soft fruit garden.
Fellow bloggers Louise and TJMum have both mentioned in entries this week that Saturday is Feed the Birds Day. If you already do so then good for you, but if not then please make the effort like I’m going to. I’ll be putting at least one feeder on Plot 124 on Sunday, with more to follow soon.
Don’t forget that here in the UK the clocks go back one hour on Saturday night.
Have a good weekend!
says the lovely card that I’ve received from Lil’Feather, Daffy’s daughter.
It’s a wonderful sentiment but I think that her mum’s card is nearer the mark –
60 years old! You ought to be in a museum! I can just see it now… TYRANNOSAURUS, STEGOSAURUS, BRONTOSAURUS, 60 YEAR OLD HUMAN. Happy birthday you old fossil!
Anyway this old fossil is having a nice, quiet, relaxing do nothing much sort of a day. I’m being wined and dined on Sunday which I’m looking forward to.
Thanks also to my Japanese friend for her lovely e-card.
It was yet another glorious day here today so you won’t be surprised to read that I’ve spent much of it at the allotment. Yesterday I was there all morning doing the last of the forking and weeding for the second time around. Today I just did some general tidying up, in between chatting and pondering, whilst enjoying the sunshine.
Last Thursday I met my Japanese friend and we spent several most enjoyable hours together. I showed her Plot 124 but wished that there had been more to see! At least she could still see flowers and vegetables on neighbouring plots which gave her an idea of what I hope to achieve next year.
Later on we strolled along the High Street 
Harrow-on-the-Hill looking at houses, shops and school buildings 
of note.
We ended up at St. Mary’s 
where, after wandering round the graveyard, we looked inside this wonderful church.
Sadly it was all too soon when we were saying our goodbyes. I hope that the rest of her few days in London were enjoyable, and that she has a good, and safe, flight home today.
As I’m sitting here doing this entry I can see a letter that I received on Friday from Daffy, who is, I’m sure, enjoying herself in Dubrovnik, Croatia. It will remain unopened until Wednesday as written across the front of it is *Do not open ’til 24.10.07 or there will be trouble!
Louise is a new lawn lounging friend whose blog This is my patch is her little piece of Eden which she’ll happily share with anyone who wishes to drop by from time to time.
Anyone interested in aviation will have been cheered to see this Vulcan take to the air on Thursday at long last. This magnificent aircraft type was always an impressive, and extremely noisy, aerial performer at air displays. It will be good to see this one at various shows next next year.
I must apologise for not doing the promised follow-up to the entry that I did on National Poetry Day. I’d written a draft out a couple of weeks ago but appear to have mislaid it! Sorry folks!
Lastly you’ll have hopefully noticed that I’ve changed this blog’s header picture. Nice as the old one was I think that this one is even better!
on terrestrial TV to interest lovers of nature and wildlife.
Friday sees the start of a new eight part series A Passion for Plants on BBC2 at 8.00pm. These programmes will take us behind the scenes over a year at the Royal Horticultural Society.
The Nature of Britain continues on BBC2 Sunday at 7.00pm with 2/8. Farmland and next Wednesday on BBC1 at 9.00pm with 3/8. Urban.
The weather forecast for London at least is looking good for the next few days so why not make the most of it by getting out and about. Here’s When to Watch Wildlife’s October Highlights as a guide to what you’re likely to see.
Have a good weekend !
If the weather had not been as it was today then I would have done the entry that I intended doing as a follow-up to National Poetry Day one.
That is still on the agenda but I must mention this wonderful poem For Flighty, for which my thanks indeed go to the author. The words definitely relate to me!
Since it was another lovely warm, sunny day then I spent most of it on the allotment. That was after I ordered my sentry box shed 
which should be delivered the week after next. My good friend Rich will come down one day the week after that to help assemble it.
Today was spent doing some light work, chatting and strolling round the site looking at the flowers and vegetables that are still abundant on other plots.
From time to time my thoughts turn to my rosey friend and her lovely cat Nikki. Everyone who has had cats, or dogs, as pets will know just what it’s like when this happens.
For the second year running my lovely friend Daffy will be away the week that I celebrate my birthday, which this year is a milestone! Previously I’ve celebrated it on my blog beforehand and on the day. This year I’m just going to quietly celebrate it here on the day.
Later on next week I should be meeting a friend for the first time. I’m looking forward to that as we’ve emailed each other almost daily for the past six months and chat on the phone regularly, and for free thanks to Skype. As she lives in Japan I find it all pretty amazing!
I’ve had an unintentional week off from working on Plot 124. I was there Sunday morning for a couple of hours, but spent most of it chatting! Tuesday morning it was pouring with rain and today, when I’m usually not working, I was at the bookshop until after lunch.
After a very misty start it brightened up into a warm, sunny day so I detoured to the site on the way to the shops earlier this afternoon.
Much to my delight the grass I sowed along the verge is now clearly visible, and elsewhere I can see plenty of other tiny seedlings, both flower and vegetable.
I shall be there again on Sunday, after an early lunch, as there is still plenty of digging and weeding to do.
Yesterday evening I missed the first part of The Nature of Britain, which I mentioned last week, but it is being repeated Sunday on BBC2 at 6.10pm, when I shall watch it. 2/8 Farmland Britain is on Wednesday BBC1 at 9.00pm.
Have a good weekend !
all day here in London today, which I don’t mind. That and the still mild temperatures have got to be good for the plot.
Following on from a week ago Sunday I did a couple of hours work last Tuesday and Thursday. The first thing I did was to plant the daffodil bulbs that I had been given in clumps around the flower half of the plot.
In the vegetable half I planted two short rows of onions, and sowed a short row each of Corn Salad Verte de Cambrai, Japanese Greens Mizuna, Kale Dwarf Green Curled and Lettuce Winter Density.
I broadcast some more flower seeds – Cornflower 
Tall Mixed , Eschscholzia Single Mixed, Larkspur Hyacinth Dwarf Mixed and Nigella Persian Jewels Mixed.
That’s about it apart from the planned roses and raspberries, and a couple of promised donations from my kind neighbours.
From now on I’ll finish forking and weeding the areas that I only turned over once a while back, sort out where the paths are going to be and just keep the plot ticking over.
On days when the weather is like today then I’ll be at home continuing to compile a flower seed list from the Chiltern Seeds Catalogue and a vegetable one from The Organic Gardening Catalogue. More about these another time!
Happy gardening!
Flighty's plot 