I know we aren’t officially there but we just had a huge flock of grues flying north overhead! Is it me or is this really early? Feels like such a short time they went north!
My dear little crocuses popped up about a week ago, they seem to have doubled since last year, should I srperate them at some point?
I’ll keep an ear open for the grue… truly magical sightings I reckon.
We’ve got daisies going mad in the grass verges… and suddenly there are white hyacinths in full bloom. They weren’t there a week ago… unless they were under their invisibility cloak… 
Oh lucky you. I planted dozens a few years back - all gone - shrews or birds I reckon.
Should I already have a patch of ground covered with folded flattened cardboard boxes to stop the grass growing if I’m thinking of trying out growing a couple of veg this year?
I’ve got vague ideas about pumpkins, parsnips, tomatoes, carrots, and potatoes in small.quantity just to try. Lettuces I’d love but tomatoes will be hard enough to protect from pests here. I doubt lettuces would have a chance of not being eaten in babyhood.
I’ve grown red oak leaf lettuce in the past, beasties seem to be less enamoured of the red variety.
Good tip, thanks
Now is good if you’ve not already! I recommend digging out the roots of any obvious big weeds and mow or strim. Wet the cardboard well and put rocks on top to hold down. Black plastic would be quicker if you have some.
Honestly just try, I’ve never had too many issues. I usually plant 12 and then just take leaves from.the outside, they last 3-4 months like that, much easier than killing the whole lettuce!
At the moment here,that just involves waiting 20 minutes 
Any questions just ask, I’m sure SF gardeners can help! & follow the Gardening Chat Tread Gardening questions and chat!
We had 100’s of grues flying north on 6th feb, and more since. This is south Vienne and a major corridor, they are a week earlier than last year.
Funny that … same word for the bird as the lifting machine in FR, ES and ENG.
In Spain la grua is, by default, thought of as the traffic dept take-away truck.
I once witnessed an extraordinary event in Valencia. A grua crew hoisted a car onto the flatbed. The guys were just strapping it down when the owner came running up. I could see, by her gesticulations and pointing, that she had been in a nearby bank trying to get change to feed the meter. Any business in a Spanish bank takes A Very Long Time.*
To my astonishment, having lived in London for 20 years where the wardens and traffic crews are, according to the g/f, “GLC-authorised gestapo” the grua guys unloaded the car back into the parking space!
How very Valenciano. 
I was appalled and embarrased and apologised, in my English way, to the people behind me in the queue, who had to wait so long. The Spanish just shrugged and went on waiting.
The time was wasted for everybody. The change of address never happened.
Masses of grues going over just now!
