Monday, April 18, 2011

Six Butts

I've got six butts.

Well, not me personally. I may have put on a bit of weight since I was positively skinny but even so, six butts. Dear me, no; how rude.

I do, though have six water butts, strategically positioned up & down the length of the plot, watering for the use of. Two of them are courtesy of Duck Dinner Dash, and much appreciated they are too.


I know you can only see five in this picture but that's because one is behind me. Technically, one is in fact a bath. No lack of amenities on this allotment, I tell you. There'll be an en-suite soon. And, yeah, I know, the one lying down (look very closely) has a hole in it. That's a hole at the bottom; obviously it has a hole at the top otherwise it wouldn't be a butt, it would be a tin. Do try to keep up.

The one with the hole in it will soon have a concrete bottom, a condition I feel sure many of us have suffered at some stage. Then it will hold water and I'll be fully up to strength butt-wise.

Levity aside, this is important because we are being exhorted to save water, use butts, water from the butts with a can and avoid watering with a hose. All very worthy if sometimes a tad misplaced. The Council seem to have this idea that we all leave sprinklers going for hours on end. I've never seen anyone using a sprinkler; no-one would let them monopolise the tap for that long. Anyway, mi' butts are full to bursting and all's well with the world.

The onions & shallots, started off in the greenhouse, are in.

The wallflowers are still flowering well, albeit nowhere near a wall.

But I'm saving the best till last. I know, what a tease.

Look at this chap.


The first Asparagus of the year. Hopefully there'll be lots more. I didn't cut any last year, to let the bed establish. I cut this one as the very last job, raced home with it and had it with my tea. Sausage, egg & chips. And asparagus. A classic combination. Remember where you heard it first!

10 comments:

Unknown said...

v funny post Woody - loving the food combination :)

I'm up to 9 full butts and 2 half butts now !

Nutty Gnome said...

Asparagus! I just love asparagus....I've just got to work out where to plant my bed!

I'm jealous of your butts (...ooh er missis!) I've got 4 butts, but 2 are almost empty due to our unseasonal lack of rain and filling them with the hosepipe kind of defeats the object really!

Emma Kitteridge said...

Only 2 butts so far - I need to do some catching up! Our site has water troughs so not a hose in sight (or site!)

Sue Garrett said...

You'll need all of those butts if this dry weather hangs around but you need some rain now to fill them up!

danny said...

yes - amazingly early asparagus in Sheffield - here in Park Rifles site I had the first spear in March and since first week of April at least four spears a day - delish.
we also are a six butt plot and planning more - absolutely no sprinkling here, but many do use hoses and not just to fill butts (no, I forgot to read that part of the handbook).
Danny

Gerry Snape said...

What a feast! just had our 2nd lot of asparagus today...yum!

Gordon Mason said...

Glad to hear you're all butting up!! And enjoying Asparagus. Just need a bit of the R-word to bring it on a bit now.

Gordon Mason said...

Hi Danny; I think the handbook in general is quite good and they deserve credit for doing it but, like you, there are bits I somehow neglected to read!

RobD said...

One can never have too many butts. I have 6 also - kind of. Two have a leak so only ever get half full, but all of them so far have only ever been filled with rain water or water running down the 'stream' on site. May have to use the tap this year at this rate :>(

melsanford said...

Oh you do make me laugh! I must get a butt myself - the one I have currently is not fit for purpose! Love 'n' hugs, Mel xx