Topic: Bottomless pockets?

[Heldi]

Hello folks!

What have you all been up to over the last weekend?

I had  decided that the house was getting a lick of paint over the weekend but we woke up to a thick covering of snow on Saturday so that put paid to that! I did manage to get His Nibs to paint the loft hatch. Only taken him about 3 YEARS! Since he enlarged it and put the ladder in that is. 

We went up to the allotment Sat morning to check on our hens,break their water and give them some rice.  Whilst there Dickie came along. He has been getting eggs from us for a while now. He gives me a pound for a dozen which is nice. I haven't asked for any money but he insists. We had over 80 eggs last week!  I wondered what Dickie did with all the eggs and he told me he gives them to his canaries. He keeps them on his allotment and he invited us all down to have a look.  He lifted the front off his shed at the far end of his lotty and there they were. Lots of canny little birds. They were gorgeous. His set up was really impressive and was all made by himself.  It was clean and tidy and the birds were bright and chirpy.  He then showed us his new resident...a little black and white rabbit.  "Three quid!"Dickie said,"Well I couldn't just leave it!"  Then he asked us if we'd noticed his other birds?  He has quail. They were lovely. He said they are really tame. Guess who wants some quail?!! Not just me either OH was very taken with them too. Have read an article recently about hatching them from shop bought eggs. Hmmm  ;D.

Dickie then took me on a tour of his greenhouses.  The stuff he has got growing is amazing!  Wish I had a greenhouse  :).  He told me to get myself down to Lidles and get some dahlias.  He has offered me some of his marigolds and also some of his geraniums...when I'm ready. (When will that be I wonder...will it be ever!).

Dickie had to go so we went back up to our lotty and OH did some stuff in the shed,still don't know what,whilst my daughter made her very first snowman.  She was as pleased as punch with it.

Off we then went to Lidles. I went into a mad fenzy I think. I saw some indoor azeleas for about £2 odd so I took two. They needed a home!  I saw small box hedging plants for £1:49. I'd been looking at those in the garden centre and a hen made out of chicken wire thinking I would like to have a go at topiary. I hadn't bought any because the price racked up. I bought five box plants from Lidl!

I bought three plants that were £1:99. they were in boxes. Lupins,mirabilis and incarvillea.  I then helped myself to three bags of dahlias. Decorative,pom poms and mignon. I've also got myself a box with 3 eryngium. I was on a roll and suggested to OH that we visit Aldi  ;D ! So we did!  I now have an apricot tree...for £4 !  Well...we were close to Poundstretchers by now. I couldn't not go and have a look could I?  I've been after some cloches.  I bought myself a 3 teir plastic greenhouse for £9:95,a little pot dangley thing for my daughter,some craft glue and some candy sticks...the things that used to be candy cigarettes.  I munched them on the way home. No cloches though.

Sunday. I needed a new sturdy pot for my new tree. "Oh no you don't!" "Oh yes I do!"So off to Ikea. Can't stand Ikea but I do love their pots,reasonable prices too.  So poor OH had to drag this very heavy square pot into the car. 

On the way home I decided we would go down to the beach and get some seaweed. Some for the hens and some for my pumpkin patch.  On the way we saw four Barn Owls! Unfortunately my camera was not at the ready and when it was the owl disappeared. Camera shy. 

The beach trip was a cold trip but we nabbed some seaweed then took it up to the lotty. I hung some up in the pen. The hens are allowed a little bit every now and then. Not too much because of the salt content. First time I've tried it so I'll see if they like it or not.  Checked on the chooks,they were all tucked up on their perch then off home for some tea and toast.

Oh and most important,my daughter spent her first nights in her new "proper" bed this weekend.   ;D

[Curryandchips]

What a wonderful post Heldi!

My weekend was less fruitful but full engaged nevertheless. Managed a few hours on my allotment on Saturday morning, planted a couple of jostaberry cuttings. Got a bit of a fire going, burning hedge cuttings, but the ground was frozen solid, so very little else I could do, other than lift leeks for Sunday tea.

Spent most of Sunday either visiting family in hospital or getting physical exercise to keep fit.

PS I have lots of lovely stuff growing at work, will have to be brought home soon to start to harden it all off.

[Heldi]

Thanks Curry.  I wrote a bit of an essay I think!

I think my favourite part of the weekend was visiting Dickie's garden.  Feel like I've finally made a friend and a very helpful one at that!

Hadn't heard of jostaberry until last night when I flicked through a gardening magazine. Haven't read the article...so what are they???!!!

I'm way behind with sowing. Haven't got the space at home but I'm getting there bit by bit.  Can't wait to get all those dahlias on the go. I'm going to put some up on the allotment for cutting and some in the garden at home.  I want a big clash of colours this year!

[Curryandchips]

The jostaberry is relatively new in the UK I gather, but popular in America. It is a cross between gooseberry and blackcurrant. I was given two plants, and hope both grow successfully, I can but hope!

http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/VegFruit/Fruits/josta.htm

New to my plot this year includes the jostaberry, tomatillo and cape gooseberry. I am also trying out salsify, jerusalem artichoke and asparagus. Also fennel and flat leaf parsley.

[Heldi]

The jostaberry sounds really nice.  Gooseberry with a hint of blackcurrent. Very interesting. Wonder how popular it will become? Would like to try some,I'll keep an eye out for josterberry jam!

Got a blinking headache now. Neighbour is having cavity wall insulation and the drone has got to me!

[Curryandchips]

You need some soothing music perhaps? Mozart, the marriage of Figaro ... ?

[busy_lizzie]

That was a really interesting post Heldi.  What a great weekend with a bit of everything in it.  Fascinating to read about Dickie,  - love to hear about those sort of characters, they are great people. Amazing productivity on the egg front and I thoroughly approve of the shopping frenzy, it is very satisfying to have got all of those at such knock down prices too.  Then to have seen barn owls and your walk on the beach and to top it all your daughter sleeping in a proper bed - what a milestone. Brilliant!!

What did I do?  walked up to the lottie and put our first earlies (which don't seem to be chitting at all), into our shed.  Had a look around but the ground is still very sticky.  Our new pond was frozen solid too. When we returned I made a veggie pasta dish and an apple pie, and continued spring cleaning our kitchen. I am going to look at all of my seeds today and come up with a strategy.  A bit restless, as I want to get cracking but the weather is stopping everything at the moment. busy_lizzie

[Heldi]

You spied it Curry...porgi amor. My favourite.  I've read today that the marriage of figaro is on at Newcastle Theatre Royal. I'd love to go. Never been to an opera before. Would feel out of place.

[Heldi]

Hi BL!

Apple pie...mmmmm that is my most favourite food.  I like it warm with some cream or ice cream. Lovely!

Dickie is really nice. He started to pop up to our allotment to see the hens a while ago. He enjoys seeing them running "aboot" .  He used to have bantams so I appreciate his input. He was the one who told me about cod liver oil for Dennis when he was sick whilst all the others said to kill him.  We are getting to know Dickie bit by bit. He was showing me the greenhouse his wife bought him before she died. She used to garden with him.  I met his great granddaughter on Saturday too  :) 

The egg count is mad.  We gave four dozen to OH's cousin the other week. They have five boys and can use them up. Looks like they'll be getting a regular supply!

I too want to get cracking!  The ground is solid though. I don't have much space in the house and I'm trying to keep off the windowsills as the cat knocks things down and my stress levels go up when he does !

The barn owls were fabulous.  One landed on the grass verge as we went past in the car,another was sat on a fence,the others were flying along the edge of a bit of woodland.  Amazing.

My daughter has slept all night and hasn't got out of bed...I think she is lulling us into a false sense of security!  ;D

[Curryandchips]

Don't put yourself down regarding music and opera Heldi. Treat yourself, I am sure you will adore the experience.

I have certainly found the same from ballet ...

[flowerofshona]

Used to have jostaberrys on the lottie but be warned they can get pretty big !! not a flavor to write home about but big juicy fruits with very few problems :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

Your barn owls could well have been close to starving; they can't hunt effectively in snow (if you've had it) and of course they need a lot fo extra food to keep warm in cold weather. If they're out in the day that's a danger sign.

[Heldi]

It was about 5:30 Robert. Is that about normal or still too early?  We have had snow but it was clear where the owls were spotted. Maybe that is why they were out,after the snow had melted? We sometimes see them at certain points along the same roads but never as many in one go. Two of them live next to an opencast mine in a few trees,another seems to live near a farm and the other is in a wooded area down by the sand dunes.  I hope they survive. I always keep an eye out for them.

[Carol]

I normally see the Barn Owls at that time of the day at this time of year.  They are starting early looking for their next meal.  I am sure they will be OK.

 ;) ;)

[Robert_Brenchley]

They should certainly be OK now it's getting milder. If you saw them at 5.30, that's nothing like so bad as seeing them at mid-day, which is a sign that they're in real trouble. I remember a pair that roosted in a ruined hut in Cornwall; the last time I saw one was mid-afternoon with snow everywhere; I think the freeze did for them that winter.