Let me tell you 'bout the birds...

 ...and False Spring. 

Here, birdie birdie birdie...

In stark contrast to last week's beautiful, mild weather, we're now back to bloody cold and grim. At least it's not raining. Today. But whatever - I have a new bird feeder that Farmer Goth likes well enough that I can get another one (or two) and hang them all off of one another once he's put up the bracket. I like it, too, because it looks like art.

It's not huge, yet it arrived in a comically large box (like, a full-grown human could fit in it, comically large, but whatever works I guess), together with two bags of bird seed (2-for-1 for under £5!) and a terra cotta pot that was both affordable and in stock. An absolute rarity, in these parts.

Related to that, one of the grow bars is already sprouting! That took hardly any time, and is deeply pleasing since I had such a slow start, this year. Here's where I realise that I didn't actually properly mention which ones I picked up, so I shall describe them now (this episode is brought to you by the letter 'B'): 

• The Bird Bar: sunflower, echinops, and cornflower
• The Butterfly Bar: red valerian, thyme serpyllum, and scabious
• The Bee Bar: sweet rocket, catananche, and hyssop

I may yet get The Strawberry Bar, but that would be breaking with the theme. I'm unsure how much that matters, though. And, as it would likely involve tracking down a terra-cotta strawberry planter(s), I think you can see where this is going.

As my potting bench has yet to arrive, time's a wastin', and it's fucking cold outside, today, Farmer Goth cleverly suggested that I just put down newspaper on the kitchen table and put things in starter trays there. So that's what I did.

Clever me making use of the clothespins we don't otherwise use.

I've now got all 5 tomato types (Lemon tree, Cherokee Black, Russian Black, Liliputian, and Roma) on the go, as well as French Breakfast radishes, Parisian carrots, regular carrots, courgette, and Dahlias. They're all now happily ensconced on the hearth next to their growbar friends, on top of the wool padding that our Neil's Yard cheese deliveries came in, so the hearth and the floor don't suck the heat out. While I was doing this, Farmer Goth was repairing the greenhouse (an enterprising chupacabrae wanted in, which ripped the plastic off the door), so they'll be moved outside at some point.

Grow, my darlings, grow!

The only other garden-related news of note is I've picked up a couple of galvanised aluminum (or aluminium, for the Not Yanks) bins with lids so I can put the compost into them. Over the winter, an enterprising chupacabra managed to dig into the bag we had carefully wrapped in plastic, probably hoping it was rubbish, which allowed a great deal of water to get in. Also, 60 litre bags are heavy. I'm hoping that by putting it into small bins with lids it will remain safe from wildlife, fit nicely on the under-shelf of the potting bench, and also be more easily luggable around the place while I do all the things. They are very shiny, as you can see.

Shiny!

They've already proven their worth, though, as I was able to bring one into the kitchen for the seed tray ministrations, hoist it up on a chair while I scooped compost out, and then put it back outside without getting the place all mucked up or straining anything. I'm already winning! Of course, nearly all of one of these will go into the potato grow bag, which I probably could have done today, but we need to fabricate a chupacabra-deterrent for the top, first.

Accuweather tells me that things should warm up a bit, later this month, so soon I shall put some some things directly into the ground, and start sorting out the crates.

Meanwhile, in a testament to something, I guess, the things already outside continue to not die.

Edited to add:

While I was inside typing this post up, Farmer Goth was outside putting up the bracket, so now our wee bird feeder is filled and ready to go!

Just add birds