Thursday 23 April 2015

St George's Day and Growing Pains


photo from Google
Happy St George's Day!
I have fond memories of St George's Day. When I was about 13 I joined the Girl Guides and we used to join a huge parade in Dudley town centre.  We would meet at Top Church and a crowd of people would assemble to march through town to the beat of the drum, to be watched by a throng of bystanders.  I felt so proud in my uniform to be part of it all.  When I think about it now I remember that I was wearing a second hand leather belt and neckerchief which I bought from a school friend for 2 shillings and sixpence (bought with my pocket money)  and my school skirt and blouse!  But I will never forget the feeling of pride I felt at being part of something quite 'grown up'.
 
The remembrance got me thinking about how life has changed for youngsters today.  At the age of 12, when I went to secondary school, I had to travel by bus to get there and I travelled alone.  I went by bus to Girl Guides and to town on a Saturday where I would mooch around Woolworths for a while then walk to my Grandparent's for lunch; maternal GP's one week then paternal Nan the next.  The walk to each was around a mile from town, I guess, then I would get the bus back home around teatime and walk the half mile home from the bus stop.  I never worried about not being safe. In those days we didn't have a home phone let alone mobiles so I was out of contact with my parents all day. 
How life has changed and not for the better it seems.....
Growing Pains
This year I want to grow more things to eat but I don't find it easy :/  My potatoes are showing but where are the ones in the middle and to the left??  A load of tiny seedlings have appeared which must be weeds from the manure mixed in, I think....


The edible salad leaves are coming up too but I am not going to thin them out as I want to 'pick and come again'......


These should be carrots...but where are they?  I cover them at night with a sheet of Perspex but there is just no sign.....


The strawberry plants seem to be doing ok, though.  They look quite strong and have some flowers and signs of tiny berries forming so all is not lost :)

When I look at other blogs I feel a bit of a failure with regard to gardening but ....onwards and upwards....Rome wasn't built in a day :)
 
How are your crops doing?
 
Thanks everso for popping in x


8 comments:

  1. Hello,

    How well I remember the St.Geirges day parades, first with the guides, then later with the cub scouts when my husband and I ran a group for 17 years, then when my DGS was a cub and scout and a bit later when my DGD was a brownie and guide now it is my DD turns turn for she runs a guide unit. I remember having to sell my dolls pram to buy my guide unit form I cannot see the youngsters of today having dolls prams let alone selling them for a uniform.

    How I sympathies with your seedlings not showing mine are just the same a couple of zinnias sprout and that's all, I planted 6 different types of flowers and I pot of tomatoes.

    Let's hope we see some progress soon. We are having some lovely sunny days here in the south of England.

    Enjoy your day.
    Hazel c uk

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    1. I'm glad it's not just me, Hazel, hope your seeds show soon :)

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  2. Let your garden take it's time, and learn from any thing that does not go well, my carrots took forever to show, and my spring onions have come up, but they are no onions, I don't know what I have sown, oh well once they get bigger I should be able to recognise what it is. Your right in many ways we were very lucky with our childhood, the youngsters have so much today, but they have also lost so much.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, Marlene, somehow the children have lost their innocence of childhood and want more material things than we ever had.
      Good luck with your gardening :)

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  3. I did St Georges day parade lots of times as I was a Cub Scout Leader for nearly 20 years. It was brilliant when the weather was fine but blinkin' horrible when it was cold and wet!

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    1. and I forgot to say - just keep trying with the gardening, do you use multi purpose compost? We've been growing our own for 30+ years and still have failures

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    2. I will keep trying and, yes, I do use multipurpose compost. If I keep trying I WILL improve!...lol...It's comforting to know that other people don't always succeed either, so thank you :)

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  4. I did really well with some seeds i started of on my sunny bedroom windowsill last year , It gave them a good start . I really wanted to grow as much food as i cold like you bt for health reasons i am putting it on hold this yaer , I am so disappointed , good luck with your seedlings xxx

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It's OK.....

  Angie 💓 xx