Down to earth... with Anne Morris (From Salisbury Journal)

Down to earth... with Anne Morris

2:32pm Thursday 11th December 2008 in Going Green

FEEDING feathered friends during the cold winter days at the allotment is pure joy, particularly as I have a perfect viewing station of the peanut and seed feeders festooned on the apple tree from my shed window.

Thankfully, squirrels are not too much of a problem due to the open nature of the allotment site, and the resident rabbits would far rather eat emerging crops. Leftover bread crumbs, apple cores and other bits of fruit are also carefully laid out on the makeshift bird table - a plank lying across a disused upturned incinerator – a haven for our resident robin redbreast.

Balls of softened fat mixed with finely chopped nuts, porridge oats, sunflower and pumpkin seeds hang from the climbing rose, a perfect foil for the odd visiting rat.

The days though are horribly short and grey leaving very little outside time, but it will soon be December 21, the shortest day, from then on the hours of daylight will get steadily longer.

To make up for the lack of daylight, this is the best time to pore over seed catalogues, check the condition of my saved seeds and make a couple of diary dates.

Salisbury Allotments Association has an excellent trading hut just off Coldharbour Lane and will reopen on January 31 stocked full of seed potatoes, onion sets and packets of seed. And a visit to one of the Whitchurch potato days on January 24 and January 25 is well worth the drive – a veritable Aladdin’s cave of seed potatoes, seed swaps, expert advice and, best of all, seeds from some of the smaller suppliers.

Last year I bought some heritage lettuce seeds intriguingly called Drunken Woman. Pale green crinkled leaves with pinky edges, the plants looked very attractive, not least to the onslaught of slugs. The survivors were yummy.