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What did you do in the garden today?
Though it would be a good idea to start a thread so people could put what they are doing on there plots?
Its amazing how much you actualy do when your pottering around.
cambourne7
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nothing today, been visiting
yesterday, beautiful day, took out the courgettes, cut back loads of sunflowers, picked toms, cuc, lettuce, leeks, cabbage, runners, barlotti, broccoli, beetroot
sowed some winter lettuce and chinese leaves, took cuttings from herbs
ray emptied one compost bin onto the beds and turned the other one into the empty one
we were there for 6 hours altogether
I had a sneak peek at a sweet potato, couldn't see anything but I was too scared to dig too deep, they're doing brilliantly leaf wise, will just have to wait and see ;D
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Didn't do anything today too damp and wet here. I did kill several caterpillars I discovered on my sprouts this morning :o.
Yesterday I planted out my baby brassicas under cloches in my *Nursary* bed.
Hubby made me a tall greenhouse staging so I can have 50 plus seed trays (or 100 half trays) next year. It cost us nothing as the wood was destined for the skip from his work.
Just made roast chicken dinner and feel full and a bit sleepy now. ::)
Lauren :)
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:( i did nothing in bed sick :'( missed being at the plot :P
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Planted wintering onions, had a tidy up, layed some old carpet on grassy area near shed and harvested some carrots. ;D ;D ;D
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Plimsoll get well soon. Stay in bed and keep warm.
Lauren :)
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Nowt. MAde the best of the weather and spent the morning pootling around N.Warcs on my bike, looking over hedges at other people's plots/gardens, as you do.
Then watched rugby and had a beer and a curry.
But yesterday I dug another bed, and was happy because the soil in this new part of the plot seems much better than that at the other end.
And harvested some more monster raddishes - never seen them so big: if I don't pull them all soon they are going to be bigger than my marrows! But despite the size, they still taste great.
BTW, get well soon plimsoll!
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get well soon plimsoll! we were only at the lottie for 2 hours today,did more clearing and de weeding,nearly got half of it clean and covered over now,cant believe the difference in it since we got it in july,can see from one end to the other now.found some great fox prints on the tarp,had a lovely cup of tea around 5,enjoyed a late blast of sun x
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Elvis are you really gardening IN the sea?... ;D...I had a look to see where you were as you said you had sunshine today, and saw that you are in the Iris sea? ;D ;D ;D
Lauren :o
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Elvis will be growing seaweed then. ;D ;D ;D
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Inspired by my visit to Harlow Carr, I called at the brewery in Knaresborough on the way home and picked up 8 bags of hops. Spread 5 of them thickly on the bed that had had my onions in, tipped all my manure into a big builder's bag and forked it over, picked a few beans, raspberries, sweetcorn and apples and went home stinking of hops and manure ;D
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I weeded a bed, covered it in carpet. Then I sowed green manure on another bed. Tried to get into my compost heap, but OH has built my compost heaps, and he builds big. I have to put a bucket near it, and climb the fence (told you he builds big). As a direct result of this, nothing rots down, because it is all shallow and cold, not deep and hot. Grr. He now knows the error of his ways, he has to re build them to my spec., which is a job he would not have to do, if he had taken notice of what I actually wanted, instead of what he thought I needed.
I then came home, and spent a nice hour deciding where he is to build the next beds for me. (He is the one who says he does construction).
Next, I have to weed another bed, like Cambourne, I specialise in weeds on clay. A fine art, if I do say so myself.
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Yesterday I got my 3 new chooks and installed them in their new home and pottered around on the plot.
Today I double dug 2 beds for my PSB and another broccolli (not sure what type it is now...) to the tuneless moan of a fellow (much older - has had his plot for 35 years.... "That's not the way we do it" type) gardener who challenged me that by doing it my way it wouldn't be dug in 5 years!!
Grrr!
The beds were double dug, limed, manured, planted and mulched all by 3 o clock!
He came to make peace with me by giving me a courgette! LOL! ;D
I then went on to clear out the metal shed and tidy it up and will make a start on the big shed later this week.
I'm pleased with this!
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Nothing today infacted nothing all weekend as I was in a feild with about 20 VW DUBs learning.
1 how to service them a VW Camper
2 how to stay up till 3:30 this morning drinking Sambuca, chilli vokda, skittles vokda plus some others then getting up this morning at 8:00 to finish of serving Ruby ready for the drive home.
Can't wait till April when we do it all over again ;D
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Dug in some green manure, some weeding, and put the world to rights over a coffee(and fence) with some of the chaps. ;D
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wow what a tidy plot!!
All i managed to do was to weed one bed, clear my salad bed of salads gone to seed, re-did guttering on shed as it was not moving water to water but and cut some wood to put some temp posts to hold to shed up over winter when wind gets worse :)
I also picked some veg its amazing whats growing, come home with another largeish corgette (small marrow) a couple of carrots, beetroot, turnip, runner beans, parsnip!!
And there is still more of the above along with pumpkins, onions, swede etc in the plot :) And broad beans have popped up in various places which are starting to flower.
Walking back to the car i noticed stawberrys in flower and fruiting a second time on a couple of the plots which is very weird.
With the poor weather forcast i am not sure i will get back to the plot monday so i have taken the steamer out of the garage and will get some deep cleaning done!
Cambourne7
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On Sunday we pulled down runner beans & french beans, tidied canes away for next year, totally sorted out our (rather ramshackle) cold frame, ready for our peas & broadies next month), harvested some raspberries, large courgettes and gorgeous sweet peas, tidied our shed and sowed the aforementioned peas ;D
Then home to listen to the footie on the radio, and down the pub for dinner with family ;)
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Hung the washing out.....
Watched it pour down with rain..........
shoved aforementioned washing in the tumble dryer!!!!!!!!!
Louise
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Today I washed (again) my seed trays. I washed them once and forgot I left them outside and they got a bit mucky. Lined the greenhouse with bubblewrap, so it's all cosy and ready for spring planting time ;D
Chopped two caterpillars in half, they were free loading on my cabbages grrrr >:(
Picked some more runner beans. (They seem to be endless this year)
Made a list of what I wanted from the King's seed catalog that arrived this morning (One of each item would be nice ::))
Then later this evening I'm sorting the seeds I have into boxes, so I know at a glance which month to plant what.
Lauren :)
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took down the runner beans and picked lots off..picked cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, barlottos, leeks, sunflower heads, calabrese..we loosened two beds with the big fork and piled compost on them, sowed phacelia on them and came home for a lay down ;D
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Nowt on plot, but I put a request in to Daughter ! to afirm that I can still help myself to rotted horse poo from the farmers pile. ;D Then I will go like the clappers to clear a space (beans down and so on) to pile it.
But I have had a lovely day sewing and now I will continue. ;D ;D ;D
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I did nothing either as i had to take the car into town for the MOT.
It was raining when i got home so i ended up making Potato and Marrow soup which is so yummmmmm
Marrow, Potato Soup
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 LB peled, diced marrow (APPROX)
12 OZ peeled, diced potatoes (APPROX)
2 TSP sugar
2 Pints Chicken stock
salt and black pepper
In a large pan, sweat the onions and garlic, over a gentle heat in a little
of the stock and a thingy of butter. When soft, add the marrow, potatoes, turn
them all to coat in stock, cover and sweat again over low heat for 10
minutes. Add the sugar, stock and seasonings, bring to a boil and simmer
for 20-30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender, cool, liquidize in the pan.
I did not have enough marrow so i added about 4oz of turnip to top it up.
This is an adapted recipie from one i found on here via the search function :).
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Now that sounds really yummy :)
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It was just come back from the shop to have the soup with crusty loaf - very yummy
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Checked me allotment and dropped of some scafolding poles for my blackberrys, before meeting up with Cambourne and Kea .
had tea at cams house, and wow had some mega cookies ,home made by cam, dinner plate size yummiee.
Got loads of advice from Cam and Kea was a great day meeting them, as im a rookiee gleened loads of tips, and seeds,
thanks Cam and Kea.
cheers
Steve
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not much,started rainging soon as we got there,so sat in the car with our cuppas lol x
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Ran around like a thing possessed for every other b*gger in my family and didn't get to plot as planned. >:(
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this week I have been thinning out the strawbs (I saw a lizard wow) so today OH and I dug where they and the sweetcorn was desspite the recent rain it was still very dry :-[ after I worked on a blog I am trying to put together and fiely managed to put some pics on it ;D link coming when it,s shareable
marg
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Look forward to it OMarg. :D
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Got down to the lottie before the rain started - counted the squash, cut down the comfrey, had tea in the canteen then cut some cavelo nero for tonights soup - puy lentil and cavlo nero soup topped with parmesan. Got home from work just in time to heat the soup up and watch Gardener's World!
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(This was yesterday). Harvested most of the sweetcorn as some beastie was starting to nibble at some- got over 20 cobs so pretty pleased after my disaster last year. Picked a few courgettes, raspberries, beans and toms, then dug over the main potato patch. Found a few pots I'd missed along the way. Extended the patch a bit by digging out some more grass. Sowed some mustard seed in this patch, though I think it may be a bit late.Then went home for a bath- and I'm still aching today!
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Yesterday i went to my plot with some of my new toys, a sheen flame gun and a new strimmer, things got out of hand a few months ago when my father in law had a stroke, i had to spend a load of time running my wife(his daughter) & his wife to and fro to hospital, now he's out and back on his feet i can spend more time on the plot and try to tackel the weeds, ohhhhh what joy to see the weeds toople when the strinner hit into the tall ones and when the flame gun hit the low weeds, they danced around, helplessly, i'll give it a couple of weeks and pop over again to burn off the died weeds and do it all again, in time for the new rotavator to hit into the soil,
windy ;D
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Did some more digging on a nasty patch of ground elder.
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dug in some green manure, starting cutting down the raspberries, planted out the spring cabbages and harvested a load of carrots, calabrese, red cabbage, mizuna, rocket and corn - all to be eaten over the weekend - I was the only person on our plots, folks must prefer shopping instead ::)
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steve i am glad you had a good day.
Today, i managed to top up my asparagus bed and my herb bed with more compost.
I found 2 mint plants that had found there way into my plot and managed to get them and pot them up so they dont go everywhere. Also surprised that some sage seedlings i had have managed to take and i have 2 good sized plants.
I managed to partial dig out one of my raised beds and partial fill it with compost and clear some paths either way i put 3 barrows of weeds in the compost bin and 3 barrows of compost into the bed.
I also took 1/2 a bag of rhubarb cut and thats home ready for crumble making :)
Only manged 3 hours as i was shopping earlier.
with anyluck i can have another couple of hours on the plot tomorrow while the soil we got delivered lasts.
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Today I went shopping in the morning to try and find some presentable, proper clothes to wear for my new job, but spent most of the time worrying as I got A WEED LETTER :( :( yesterday.
Am really ashamed of myself as I know that I really let things slide over the summer holidays. I went down for an hour or so later on and waged war on the weeds. Only stopped when I realised it was too dark to really see what I was doing.
Am getting up early tommorrow and blitzing the whole plot. My OH ha promised to help me make 2 or 3 more raised beds which will make things look a lot neater and less random
Tabby
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sorry to hear that tabbycat i will cross a couple of fingers for you that the weather stays good.
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I went to the allotment with the intention of digging up a whole raspberry bed but there are so many raspberries still coming that I couldn't do it. I ended up picking a punnet full. I picked a sweetcorn, there are about 15 ready but my freezer is full so thought it best to leave them on the plants. Collected a few courgettes, swede, green peppers, spring onions and the last of the beans. I checked the pumpkin and butternut squash and still nothing, don't know why!!
I cleared the sweet pea patch and pulled up the nasturtiums. I then decided to plant some seeds in the grrenhouse. Rocket, Lettice,Carrots,Peas and Cress. It might seem like a wild shot but I can try for nothing.
I have promised my pals that I will have a bonfire and find that I have now got so much to put on it, I am stuggling for space. It will be alright on the night, I guess. I then pondered a bit, as you do. I fancy getting another shed, just a little one so I can get a little table and a gas stove to make myself a pot of tea or some soup. Somewhere to sit inside and ponder a bit more. Am I sad????
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Thanks Cambourne,
It's entirely my own fault though. As penance for my laziness, I shall be down there weeding, even in the pouring rain
(although I'm hoping your crossed fingers work :))
Tabby
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Tabby dont beat yourself up we have all at some stage but the allotment on the back burner. And you have had to get that spangaly new job. So DONT put yourself under 2 much pressure.
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Thanks Cambourne,
It's entirely my own fault though. As penance for my laziness, I shall be down there weeding, even in the pouring rain
(although I'm hoping your crossed fingers work :))
Tabby
Tabby I'm in exactly the same situation. My weeds have almost taken over, what with the warm and wet summer and me not keeping on top of them. New job last week too so I can empathise with you. fortunately, I'm the association secretary so I'd just have to send a letter to myself!!
Today I harvested the last of the sweetcorn and ate them! YUM
cleaned out the hen coop
put in a perch which they took to straight away. I was MOST pleased!
hoed off some weeds and had a bonfire to get rid of them.
I also let the hens out of the run today so that they could peck around in the lottie and see what's what.
I've only had them for a week, so I figured they had spent long enough just in their pen and it was about time they saw what else there was to life!
Whilst I was hoeing off the weeds I found loads of chaffer grubs so fed them to the hens. They soon got the idea and came over to where I was clearing away and started helping themselves!
I love having a lottie! :-* ;D
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Yesterday, we had a Community PayBack team on the site. They helped us to clear out the remains of four burnt sheds, which filled up the skip. We also cleared the rubbish off of two plots that are about to be re-let and fixed the fence that the council said they couldn't afford to do ;D
They are also coming back for 3 more weeks to tackle the brambles ;D ;D ;D
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Hope they do it properly, SMP. A similar group was put to work on our site to clear a plot that was covered in brambles- it certainly looked better, but the poor couple who took it over said they'd left most of the bramble roots in!
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Cambourne, your crossed fingers really worked! ;D
Was down there from 8.30 until 1.30 and the weather was beautiful! :)
My DH and daughters turned up at 10 with bacon sandwiches and thermos tea - yum.
Got two more raised beds edged, harvested all the sweetcorn, planted tulips and dug up loads and loads of weeds.
Suzi - I went and grovelled to the lottie chairman and got him to come check that I'd edged my plot properly. Congrats on your new job. I'm very excited about mine as it's the first time i've worked in 7 years, since having daughter number 1.
Tabby
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I did some more digging on what was the sweetcorn and bean patch. suddenly
loads of mice(well at least six ) came running out from where my spade was in the ground and disappeared under the pile of dying foilage! when I looked I had killed one! I left the others despite others telling me to hack them all to death
marg
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Well done, tabbycat- hope you're not too exhausted to work!
I've done garden rather than allotment today- mowed front and back lawns (both small) and cut back loads of scraggy plants. OH was supposed to be cutting hedges but it didn't happen- he promised he'll do it tomorrow! >:(
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Hi
Well i managed to get to another allotment holders plot today (same one who gave me there greenhouse) they asked if i wanted anything from there rasberry bed. And i managed to get about 10 plants and a redcurrant plant as well. There all temp planted in a big boxs of compost for a couple of weeks.
I sorted my compost bin turned some of it and moved some of the compost from one bay to another, (hubbie cleared out all out paperwork yesterday) and i have interlaced these along with weeds and other stuff. And gave it a good water as its quite dry.
I also finished topping up the raised bed i was working on yesterday and covered this in cardboard and some wood to hold it down. I am going to pick up some spent hops and use this over the cardboard over winter.
I cant believe how hard the ground is its really slowing me down.
But i am glad the weather had stayed dry i locked the site up to the most glorious sunset.
Camborune7
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Today I just went out to add last nights vegetable peelings to the compost heap on No1 allotment. But the weekend was so glorious (afternoons were sunny anyway), that on Saturday I completed weeded and tidied up allotment No1 with much standing back/sitting in the sunshine. Also planted out my winter lettuce seedlings which I will cover with a cold frame later on.
I think the standing back/sitting is a vital part of allotmenting as it conserves energy, allowing you to sip on a cuppa and start a conversation with your neighbouring plot holders about your plans for the next years sowing season. I also like the bit where we all say what a dreadful year it's been, despite the fact we have just produced our best ever leek, pumpkin etc. The implied if I had tried harder this would have been magnificent is brilliant - a bit like taking exams at school when somebody asked you haow it went - never say well!!
On Sunday I went to lottie No2 which I took on in Feb this year. I have grown all my squashes and long season crops there. So howed all of the beds, harvested carrots, parsnip, leeks, some Nero di Toscana kale, and some more raspberries and blackberries. Incidentally the last plot holder loved raspberries (I have 4 rows at about 10 ft a row), I am going to take some out this year so if anyone wants some autumn fruiting raspberries (variety unknown) and lives or can collect from Rugby area let me know. I also checked my pumpkins and winter squash doing well but I am keeping an eye on the forecasts as I don't want to lose them to the frosts.
I'll take the camera down this week so I can show you.
Today I am at work - this is my lunch hour so the only lottie fix I am going to get I think :-\
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Had a wonderful full day on the allotment, only just crawled home.
I managed to move 10 wheelbarrows of compost to my beds and 5 wheelbarrows of woodchips to help put over weed membrane and cardbard on my new thinner paths. Very small dent in what needs to be done. But its a start :) I also got 2 wheelbarrows of stuff for the compost bin and gave my bins a water as there a little dry.
Pumpkin plant has actualy continued to fruit which is intresting and my runner beans have produced loads of red flowers which makes me thing that they might fruit!!! which would be great :)
One of our new allotment holders where there with her 2 kids and they were full of energy and not a lot for them to do so i put them to work and showed them how to use a hoe and they filled up 2 wheelbarrows of wood chips for me as well. And they want to come back tomorrow to help me :) i think there mum would rather they helped her but she has nothing for them to do at the moment and i have promised them some pumpkin seeds for there help which they were very pleased with.
I also planted up a strawberry planter for another allotment holder whos giving there plot up and has given me there red-currant plant. So when he comes to clear his plot in the next week he will get a nice surprise.
Tomorrow i am off apple picking and will spend the afternoon on the plot and with luck i can get some more weeding done while we still have some compost available on the site so i can get more beds topped up. Hubbies comming up saturday to help me make the last of my beds as i just cant get going on them and my backs a little stiff so all that bending down is not ideal. Opting for the pub for dinner and then a hot bath so i might feel better in the morning. The chicken i have defrosted for tonights dinner is going into the oven and be cooked to add to dinner tomorrow instead ;D
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Spot of weeding and got a couple of rows of winter onion sets in!
;D
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Wow Cambourne, I am soo jealous! I'm gutted that I don't have the time at the mo to spend on my plot, but it will come. Congrats for achieving so much, it sounds like you worked really hard. Roll on Sunday for me!
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I am just trying to make up of the good weather :) believe me my plots probably far worse then yours 8)
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Yesterday I had 3/4 of an hour, so I went to plot, picked yet another 20lbs toms for cooking,gazed at the jobs to be done and went home. ::)
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Picked the last of the sweetcorn and dug up all the plants, harvested runners, carrots, last cauli, courgette and savoy cabbage. ;D ;D ;D
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I went straight to the plot after rushing home from work at 12.00, did battle with the weeds and dug over two new beds.
I'd always known that you should plant potatoes to break up heavy soil, but having seen the results on the worst bit of my plot, I have to say they are little miracle workers. I planted 1/2 a bed up at Easter and the soil is lovely and crumbly, unlike the other half that is really lumpy and full of stones.
I then rushed back to school to collect the girls, still in all my lottie gear, with dirty nails. Some of the more groomed mummies must nearly faint with horror when they see me ;D
Tabby
Am supposed to be having an ironing day tommorrow :(, but if this weather keeps up, I'll be back down the plot!
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Beautiful day here today, so put in 3 hours at the allotment (and I'm feeling it now!). Dug over another section where the weeds had taken over and sowed some green manure in the hope it's not too late. Harvested carrots,rasps, runners and a few blackberries. think the courgettes are finished now :( but they've been great. Feeling quite positive about my chances of getting the plot properly ready for next spring- hope it lasts!
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Am supposed to be having an ironing day tommorrow :(, but if this weather keeps up, I'll be back down the plot!
It's amazing what a bit of body heat can do Tabby. ;D
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whats Ironing ;D
Nothing i buy needs ironing unless its stuff for special occasions, hubbie does his own ironing aka his shirts for work but as i wash and dry them its the least he can do!!
This weather is forcast for 4 days ;D (http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/today.asp?zipcode=CB4) so i am trying to get as much done as possible before the bad weather closes back in again.
All i know is that i need a hot soak, i know i want to do lots of stuff but i have to keep telling myself to slow down and pace myself. Maybe that should be the A4A motto ;)
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Think we need a thread on "best bath soak for allotment backs" ;D
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cleared up the strawberries and potted up 60 runners, they should've been sent out to allotmenteers so I hope the strike doesn't last long, they might get too big :o ;D
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Laid up with a humdinger of a cold feeling rotten! ache all over! just in time for the weekend eh!!
The cat's are happy though, they love ligging in bed with sick people!
Got loads to do in the garden too! Got to clear the tomatoes and put in 30 caulis, 60 leeks, lettuce, chard! dig beds......... :(
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Hi All,
Not made it to the allotment yet will head over in an hour or two if i can move.
Been out since 11 went apple picking al la freecycle and been to a garden with 5 massive apple trees wow !!! Had a nice cup of tea and a tour of there huge garden and came home with a massive bag of bramleys and another bag of eaters all blemish free :) The wife of the couple gave me some jams and chutneys to try and is willing to let me have some recipies!!!
Drove 20 min from apple trees into town to return something and decided rather than a coffee i wanted some hot food. Got back in car and drove to the golden arches for there newly re-instated veggie delux and a crafty milkshake (not been there in months yum ) then drove 10 min down the road to sainsburys to pick up composters managed to blag 2 for free and picked up 2 t-shirts for £1.50 each!! 8)
Got stuck in traffic on the way home for an hour but i was listening to an audio book so not so bad and have just sat down with a mug of tea :)
Cambourne7
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Am supposed to be having an ironing day tommorrow :(, but if this weather keeps up, I'll be back down the plot!
It's amazing what a bit of body heat can do Tabby. ;D
That's a fair point Emaggie, but if I wore all the clothes that needed ironing down to the plot, I'd look like a Weeble ;D
I was down at the plot again today, after re-folding my ironing pile to make it look smaller ;) ( I know in my heart this will not fool my OH)
Dug over half of a bed and was prevented from digging the other bit by Leo, the tabby cat who lives in one the houses at the side of our site. He kept laying down where I was trying to dig and every time I bent down to weed he tried to climb on my lap - I gave up in the end and sat in the sun for a while with him.
Tabby
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Groomed mummies ;D that did make me laugh. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Groomed mummies ;D that did make me laugh. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Sorry ;D - blame a horsey childhood.
Some of the mums look like Thoroughbred racehorses - all shiny hair, nice teeth and clothes from Boden or Monsoon. I on the other hand, when in my lottie clobber, look like an Exmoor pony that has been out on the hill all winter! ;D
Got two more beds edged and dug this morning and best of all, my OH and my girls came down too, and we all had a fantastic time.
Tabby
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Well, i have just come back from the lotty. Managed to get with hubbies help all my new beds in and the one i was working on friday i managed to get finished and planted up with a loganberry plant and the surrounding space in the rest of the bed has 4 rows of garlic (2 bulbs) and 6 rows (1/2 a bag) of overwintering onion sets. So if the weather does get nasty i have at least got my garlic in. Phew!! Going to take photos tomorrow as i was gettting cold when i stopped and decided to call it a day.
So i now have 13 beds to dig out and fill and to dig out and fill the base of my greenhouse :o
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Just sieved 6 wheelbarrow loads with my new tumbler. filled up 9ftx3ft of raisd beds.
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I have just spent the last 2 hours pealing apples, over 18lbs worth before i have given up.
I have 1/2 soaking in booze and i have part cooked the other 1/2 plain with some suger. Just getting started on dinner and then i will cook the boozy apples :) So far i have enough apples for 8 apple pies ;D
Still about 10lb plus of apples left to deal with :o
And i have the rhubarb crumble for tomorrow to make ::)
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What booze, Cam? Sounding tasty. :P
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HI
I am using Cognac, Calvados & Armagnac with golden caster suger and a blob of honey.
Cambourne7
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I feel intoxicated just reading this. ;D ;D ;D
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you should have seen me 'Tasting' for flavour last night. Might explain why i got up at 11.30am!!
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today managed 3 hours on the plot 2 more wheelbarrows of weeds into compost bin along with some comfry, and took home a large bag of beetroot, my last courgette and a couple of turnips as well as a bag with the last of my spuds.
Dug the last potato bed over added 2 bags of horse manure and then covered with cardboard so it will be ready for planting in febuary.
I think something has been sleeping on one of my bed as hes got an indentation, but the odd thing is that there is these white patches on the soil (looks like frost) not sure what it is but i am going to pick up some spent hops this week and add a dressing of hops to this bed which might deter whatever is doing this to the bed. I have my over wintering garlic and onions here and i dont think hops will affect them.
We have had more wood chips delivered so if its no raining tomorrow i am going to head back and move a couple more onto my plot :)
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Yesterday, I put in 55 cloves of elephant garlic, about 3 inches deep. Lost my dibber somewhere on the plot, so had to make the holes with an old stick, not quite the same !
Dug a bit more of the plot afterwards, and covered some already dug with composted weeds, to rot down over the winter.
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Built 2 more raised beds and filled with stuff from compost!
Got 12 now....
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Sowed garlic, Japanese onions and some very late carots (had to sieve the soil for the carrots, took ages!) Loads of tidying up to do still! :-\
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transplanted Chinese leaves, various types, into poly borders, transplanted 12 winter density lettuce next to them, ray sieved compost and mulched up the rest of the beds, I covered them with cardboard
we dug a bean trench to fill for next year
picked leeks for tea ;D
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Arrived at the allotment at 8am, little chilly but dry. Moved tons of earth and hubby made two raised beds. Not easy on sloping ground. Lit a fire to burn more of the rubbish, very slow burning as the stuff got a bit wet over night. It's nearly all gone now though.
Got three pallets (all different sizes unfortunately) all delivered by the chap who brought the wood. They will be next week ends compost bins project.
Left there about 5.30. First to arrive, last to leave. Glad to get home and shower off all that grime. Both smelling like smokey BBQ ;D
I very good day's work.
Off out later to watch our son perform with his band down town. The boys don't play *At Home* very often now so it will be a packed house.
*The Boys Are Back In Town* 8)
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as a trial planted out loads of leek seedlings - pushing the boundaries out and just an experiment to see what happens, cloched half and left the other half to fend for themselves - picked a load of chicory witloof to force at home, dug in green manure and continued making trenches for all the kitchen peelings (better than manure ;)) and picked masses of carrots for sunday lunch - good day in all before it started raining
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after my photoshoot got to the lottie at about 2, went thru all the top soil in the area for the new raised bed (8ftx4ft), put the new bed in. laid weed supressent on the path area and covered with bark chippings.
lit a fire to get rid of odd bits of wood, weeds etc. (middle brother likes a fire, it tempts him down there!) William dug out the raised area behind the shed ready to lay down slabs.
filled new bed with mixture of top soil- (after painstakingly removing all traces of grass root- grr), sharp sand, bagged compost and lime. covred our new 'high' bed with black plastic to keep the weeds out over winter.
plan to try planting a few red cabbages and maybe beetroots seedlings through it which we had sown a few months ago and forgotten about! oops!
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Got to plot at last, it looked very sad and unloved as I've been so busy all summer and paid it scant attention. Removed beans and marigolds (saved seed) picked last of toms and beetroot, some brussels, a cabbage and parsnips for tomorrows dinner. Cleared space for the manure BW and I are going to collect tomorrow. Drank a pint of tea and felt very happy to be back 'at it' again. ;D
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Emptied the contents of one compost bin into the other, the bell rang for coffee break, so sat down and had a chat with everyone and had a cup of tea.. Then cut the grass and spent the last half an hour sitting in the sun sorting out the french beans for next year's sowing.
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pushing the boundaries out and just an experiment to see what happens,
Hoi! That's my job.
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Yesterday had a general tidy up, pulled up the summer flowering annuals, beans etc and composted. Went up and down the street outside the lottie collecting leaves - 4 barrows and 4 garden tidy bags later and the 1000lt jumbo bag is full. I'll top it up again next weekend. Tidied up the strawberry bed and composted the runners that I don't need and can't give away ???
Picked the last of the calabrese - must do more successional planting next year.........but have left the plants in place just in case I get some side shoots, but maybe a bit too late in the year?
Read Eric's link to composting and digging last weekend - set up a jumbo bag for 3rd composting area (its already full - need to get a small child in there to jump up and down!) Using his digging technique, I was like a woman possessed and got masses dug - I suppose its easier since most of it has now been dug at least once if not twice. Two areas about 8x10' are dug over and weeded - had achey legs rather than back ;D
Also last weekend, set up two more beds at the shed end of the plot - V dry soil (tree roots) so plan to enrich one bed for flowers and the smaller bed will be for herbs.
Staying home today to do some chores :'( but might sneak out for an hour or so - well a girl needs fresh air. ;D
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Combined a queenless hive with another. I checked one which I combined last week, which had a drone layer, ie an unmated queen which only lays drone eggs. The hive I combined it with had an unrelated strain of bees, but I found two distinct broodnests, with both queens present. It's the first time I've come across a (more or less) natural two-queen hive with unrelated queens.
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Will 2 queens live in the same hive then?
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Tidied up the strawberry bed and composted the runners that I don't need and can't give away
Don't remember seeing them in swap shop.
What did I do today? As it was raining on and off and the soil was muddy it was declared a no dig day. Brought in another vanfull of manure and tidied up the shed a bit. Now I can sit inside it while I drink my coffee. ::)
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Sowed 3 Rows each of: Peas - Meteor
Broad Beans - Aquadulce
Broad Beans - The Sutton
Note - Netting is NOT a 1 person job!!
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Netting---a substance that needs about 8 people to get it neat like the neighbouring plots
Also an item you never ever see anyone else fighting with!!! :-\
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Don't remember seeing them in swap shop
True Eristic - just don't have time this week to get to the post office during opening hours and didn't have the will or pots to pot up I don't know how many.............still this years unwanted runners are next years compost.
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Will 2 queens live in the same hive then?
Yes and no. The classic stereotype, based on the Italian subspecies, is that they always fight to the death. it's a half-truth at bast. UK bees are known for tolerating multiple queens, but they're normally sisters, or mother and daughter. They raise new queens, and keep the old one going, or keep several sisters. I've never heard of unrelated queens living in harmony, but they are maintaining separate broodnests, so it may be a matter of bees from the two colonies maintaining some separation, and keeping the two queens apart. Whatever, it's a very interesting situation, which is unlikely to last long. The drone layer colony was already making futile attempts to raise a new queen. It doesn't work with male eggs, and it's far too late in the season for a queen to mate in any case.
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Thanks for that, sounds very interesting. Although if you knew me!!! I would never be the sort of person to keep bees wasp flies or any other annoying thing when I am having a BBQ! :D
Amazing how they make honey and pollinate our plots!
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I got rid of a conifer today. feel my age now though my legs, back and arms are aching think I'm going to suffer in the morning
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All I've got to do now is get rid a this lot. :(
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froglegs all i can say is WOW¬!!
with regard to getting rid of the tree you have a number of choices like shreading and using on paths and using the logs to make beds etc. But given the time of year i would also try contacting local groups having bonfires who would be glad of it and will collect :)
Personaly i have spent the morning plonked on the sofa watching tv, then spent the afternoon tracing family history. This evening i have been cooking batches of cookies for hubbie to take to work and typing up family history :) Tomorrow i am going to st neots (about 20 miles away) to lidl then back to the plot to move more wood chips if the weather stays nice.
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I've had my mower out for the last time this year - I hope, as I was just finishing the roller part you sit on became jammed, another job for the winter month,
Leaves galore in our area this time of the year.
Vony
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insulated the greenhouse all a bit patchy I,m afraid think I,ll have to buy some more next year
marg
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Haven't been down to the plot since Thurs - am getting withdrawal symptoms! We have guests staying from tommorrow evening and we have been trying to finish decorating and tidying etc. I am hoping to get down tomorrow and plant the last of my japanese onions and thin out the spring brassicas.
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we're having a big bbq, firework and bonfire do on saturday, everyone welcome..just bring food, fireworks and wellies,
been moving and storing up all the old wood all day, weeds and plant debris to burn, should be good ;D
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Haven't posted for weeks, I've been so busy. But every time I turn up at the plot someone seems to nab me for committee business, so the poor thing has been looking very neglected. And then last week I managed to develop 'tennis elbow', which went to my shoulder, and I've been in agony!!
But yesterday, I planted out the broad beans I'd sown in modules. And today I've pricked out a load of lettuce and spring cauliflower and sown sweet peas. This afternoon I went to the plot, got involved helping a friend glaze her greenhouse, then actually got round to doing a bit of tidying up on plot 2. Beautiful weather! I must get up there again tomorrow. (But I've also got to make phone-calls about Sunday's committee meeting and run off minutes & agendas & stuff.)
Hope this weather holds....
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Owwwwwww, every week I think 'this is catching up on plot and garden week and I'm going to do nothing else' and what happens?......I end up babysitting my lovely grandaughter because her Mother has yet another staffing crisis.........and I wouldn't change it for the world ;D ;D. Maybe next week............
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Hallo all! Did a pile of washing and got it dry on the line ! Sunny day in Cornwall!
put up those aluminium foil covered polystyrene windscreen covers I,d bought in a Woolies sale....up in the green house and checked the heater working still...then spent the rest of the day painting our old wagon...and thinking where can I buy a massive tarpulin (CHEAP )to cover it over the winter....then wondering how do I get black metal paint off my hands ! All,s well in the veg plot..I seem to be keeping on top of it ,with the incinerater smouldering away most of the time....I do love my incinerater !
I loved those pictures of the dissapearing firtree Froggy..I might tackle one of mine tomorrow ! :D Rohaise x
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Got to the allotment today, finished digging a bed (one more to do) and spread it with goat manure. Still need to source some black polythene, but thinking about black rubbish sacks!
I didn't thin kI would have any veg ready, but came home with perfect long parsnips, chard (a bit speckled), carrots (fly has had some of them), swede (had slugs and flea beetle), Turnip (had been a bit slugged) and Black winter radish.
Got home checked the egg port and had 2 eggs :)
This afternoon I cooked a winter veg soup :)
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Lovely sunny day here today. Didn't go to the allotment, feel a bit tired today. Decided to stay at home and do some garden tidying instead. Painted a second coat of paint on my new cold frames. Looking smart now.
Saved some rocket seeds for next season. Tied some of my toilet roll tubes into sevens. The greenhouse is all ready for *GO* for next season now. All pots and trays are in place and clean. I didn't like doing that in the spring when it was freezing cold. ;)
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I'll see you there Scousers, I'll bring the spuds. ;D ;D ;D :-*
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brilliant, ck..you'll need about 40 ;D
5 o'clock prompt , oh, by the way, you're in charge of the sparklers ;D
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loo rolls in sevens???????????
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I was thinking that Andy, Scousers can I borrow your gardening gloves in case I burn my fingers, H&S and all that. ;D ;D ;D
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;D ;D ;D
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Re:-*Loo Rolls In Sevens*....Just make a circle with them and of course one goes in the middle. Tie them together so they don't fall over in your seed tray. I will fill them with compost when it's time for planting. ;D
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Oh right! thought for a moment it was agreenhouse double glazing type thing.... ;)
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Yesterday got rid of what was left of my conifer,then in the evering went to watch Arsenal beat Sheffield 3-0,it cost for 2 adults 2 kids and a oap £80 to get into see the match which i thought was a bit over the top, to see 11 men with names i cannot pronounce kick a bag a wind about for 90 Min's, but the others seemed to(can ya tell I'm not a football fan)enjoy it. Today I'm going to saw up whats left of the conifer and make anther log pile for the garden as they are great for attracting wildlife into the garden.
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That's reminded me that I've still got the trunk from my Christmas tree on the patio!! Must chop it up and add to the wildlife habitat I'm building on my allotment.
I planted my garlic today. Some of it looked a bit soft- probably my own fault for leaving it in a plastic bag in a warm shed- hope it grows. :(
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Today I tidied my shed and fixed the staging for the greenhouse next year.
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Repaired fencing, cleaned the hen house, cleared most of the greenhouse and collected turnip, onions, sprouts and parsnips for sunday lunch.
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Have actually been able to spend much of the last two days at the plot, actually doing things!
Grass cut, edges strimmed, gooseberries pruned, early rhubarb split & replanted; OH has pruned grapes and replanted the strawberries; lots of clearing & general tidying done and a new compost bin built.
Phew!! Think we need a rest now.... (But off to a committee meeting this morning, so it won't be much of one!)
Oh, yes - I forgot. Picked globe artichokes! In November!!!! Two more coming on!!
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It makes me tired just reading all that!! I'm hoping to clear a couple of beds this morning and maybe lift some beetroot.
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composted the last of the courgettes, gave the strawberrys a hair cut, checked out allotment - field beans coming up and so are over wintering onions - but so are the weeds - again - looks like this is gona be a long fight
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yesterday and today i have been spending time in the garden rather then the lotty as i have some jobs that need to be finished before frosts linger.
Been cutting new borders in the front part of the garden and am planting stuff that i have been impuse buying and not planting - bad me :) I also need to move 2 stepping stones these are just outside the patio door and before the decking. There a bit low and its a big step so by sitting these in the new beds i can raise them and plant around them :)
The grounds quite compact and the grass is causing some problems had started to dig it out and realised that i dont have anywhere to put the soil with the grass on. So I will bag this up and take it to the compost bin so that the grass can break down.
Dailiahs taken to dry, honey bush cut down. One of my tree peonys has already rotted down to the base (as i think they do each year) the other 2 are still in leaf. Begonias taken out to dry as per another post. Cannas and Gingers potted for putting in garage going to hold off for till next weekend when i move the shelving in this will then be covered in fleese and left :)
When i am on the lotty i need to pick some parsnips - yum yum
Going to take back some wood from the allotment to help build up the levels once i have them all planted up i have daf bulbs to go in and then i am going to cover in bark.
Only another hour of work time before it gets 2 dark so best get on with it :)
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I've moved the rest of my ton of manure onto beds, prepared the onion bed and planted onion sets. Also dug up some more beetroot. I do have marshmello strawberry runners but ran out of time to cut them so I'll do that next time. Sweet peas are still gorgeous and the clematis is flowering again.
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Shovelled another 3 trailer loads of compost from heap to plot with a little help from my ol' man ;D, He gave lawn at home a good cut and I tidied up all the dead and dying stuff. I found one beautiful sweet pea which is now in the kitchen. ;D
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cleaned up after last night's bonfire/fireworks/bbq..all had a good time, good turn out , plenty of food and fireworks and we got rid of the biggest pile of rubbish you've seen
as it was only wood and weeds, we can now spread it on the ground ;D
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Had a good clear out in the greenhouse at home, picked the last of the peppers and harvested all the chillies. Laid out the squash on some wire shelves to store after drying out. Still have to do loads of tidying up and putting away of used pots etc, keep putting it off 'coz its so boring....... ::)
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Hi DebP... just sent you a pm... I'm supposed to be striking some Jostaberries etc but am confined to barracks this morning..
::)
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Harvested carrots and savoy cabbage, put broad beans in, transplanted some strawberry plants, dug up the last of my PFA's and had a general tidy up. ;D ;D ;D
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Put back all the things my husband took out of the shed and left in the middle of the garden yesterday, Back in the shed!
Mind you he did Plant the shed roof up with spring Bulbs. ;D
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ray hoovered up leaves in the garden with his leaf vaccuum, I did the ironing, that's that done for another month ;D
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Had a really thrilling time with my new chain saw this morning.
It came as a "free" attachment to my new strimmer (old one died) and I have not dared to use it for a couple of weeks. In fact husband tried to forbid me to use it. But there is a huge overgrown hazel hedge nearby alongside my allotment and today I cleared away some brambles and nettles (in case I tripped and sliced my foot off) and very gingerly started it up and held it against a low branch.
Magic! Slices through like butter! Only did 8 branches then had to go home, but I have great plans.
Eg: bender for sheltering in when it rains; rustic wattle fence all round the plot to keep dogs off; endless supply of hazel poles bigger than my loppers can cope with; bender village when grandsons come to stay for a few months from January, hoping they will build their own shelters, and cook their own suppers on bonfires at weekends!
Any suggestions?
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Nothing as no 1 son came back from school sick @10am... managed to get Sainsbo's for the week done before 11. Spent rest of day cleaning up vomit both no1 and no2 sons had left in strategic positions... like the Duvets!
:o
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Nothing! Went diving instead, Bl**** cold :(
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Spent the morning at the plot. Finished making two beds at the shed end, where the soil is very poor. Made a narrow bed for herbs and an 8x8 ish for flowers - spread the wood ash over that one. Raided the wood chip mountain for the paths. Was admiring my work when the school party arrived. Two teachers, three children. Two mouthy ones started the minute they spotted me, after about 45 mins I'd had enough and packed up to leave. One teacher then noticed (they had done nothing the whole time) and came to apologise and excuse - I wasn't very gracious and suggested that he needed to exercise better control or not bring them to the plot again.
Still grumpy when I got home, so phoned the school and had a rant at one of the deputy heads - feel better now ;D
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We went out for a pub lunch with friends! A day off!! (Well, some of the day.)
Yesterday morning was a Committee meeting. Retiring secretary couldn't make it, so I took over & did minutes; retiring chairman opened the meeting & passed it to OH who is now chairman! Did meeting, went home & typed up minutes.
After lunch went to plot to be met with news of hysterical neighbour who had complained about a plot-holder cutting down undergrowth & pruning trees near her fence; she'd called in the local councillor who had attempted to restore peace. Also spoke to several members about things like controlling children on site & looking after bonfires; investigated drainage ditches which needed clearing; gave advice on club root; looked at area being prepared as car park extension by water board contractors (in return for them using the site meantime to store materials); liaised with stables. Went home, got the cats in, e-mailed local councillor, cooked & ate meal, watched telly....
So this morning: wrote several letters on minor allotment matters; e-mailed contractor with our complaints; received e-mail from councillor, phoned him back & arranged a meeting; tried to contact irate neighbour, couldn't so wrote a letter instead; received & replied to e-mails from local authority allotment association.
Then we went out for a pub lunch....
Such are the joys of self-management. (But if you're in charge, at least you know it's well organised!)
(Some days I do gardening....)
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I did not go to the allotment today, instead i made roast parsnip soup with the 1.5 pounds of parsnips i picked on sunday.
Just eaten that with some fresh bread from the oven - MAGIC!
Off to the mother in laws tomorrow so lotty will have to wait another few days.
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Filled up the new leaf mold container, planted the broad beans and peas, hopefully ordered my seeds from the RHS seed catalogue but when I pressed confirm in order to pay the screen came up as error, cancelled the direct debit for the three free £1 Grow your Own magazine, made spinach, mushroom and squash lasagne for supper and finally youngest daughter used my lap top to find out that she had got an offer for uni next year!!!
Oh , yes - and ate the lasagne with garlic bread, and salad leaves collected from the lottie this morning.
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Only admired it (the garden) from inside while I prepared lunch for my pal.
I just need 4 more hours (sunny) in a day, then I could get out there and make some headway...... ;D
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Harvested leeks, curly kale, last of the tomatoes & cooking apples.
Trimmed back the herb garden, took the bean canes down, dug up all the calendula plants and saved the seed and then sat in Ahmed's shed in the lovely warmth listening to him and Jack blather on about nothing in particular :)
HEAVEN ;D
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Picked more tomatoes from the G'house... cut the Dahlias/Sunflowers and Chrysathemum's then wasted an hour trying to find the camera! Going back to strike some Jostaberries, protect the Echium's and possible pick a thousand quince!
;D
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A THOUSAND! ;D
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If I include the ones with Brown rot, that have split or just fallen as well... probably an understatement.. partly why I'm narked at not being able to find the camera! Meech's"Prolific"
;D
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Do you have medlars as well Saddad?
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No OH put her foot down... but Deb P has one across town!
;D
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Ah! Just a question really! I thought my quinces were ready at the same time as the medlars last year but the medlars are nowhere near?
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They'll need to be stored to soften(Blet) so should be picked about now... before any proper frosts!
:-\
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Oh Ta! I left them on the tree to blet last year. Will pick 'em!
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transplanted 36 bacopa, trying to overwinter as many cuttings as we can for the plant sale next year :o
picked some leeks and cabbage for tea and soup, staked the psb and a sprout that looked wobbly ;D
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No lottie today, just cooked a roast lamb with my own roasties, carrots, red/white onions and savoy cabbage. :P :P :P ;D ;D ;D :-*
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OK I'm prepared to look ignorant - Bacopa?
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sorry, saddad, them white, dangly flowers, called bacopa snowflake, quite expensive to buy, for hanging baskets..can't buy seed, only plug plants in spring...so..I rooted some cuttings and they're going great guns ;D
watch now, there'll be a frost and I'll lose the lot ;D
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It's certainly turning colder this week...
:-\
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right, fleece at the ready and heater being sorted on saturday ;D
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Harvested some carrots to go in my beef stew and dumplings. :P :P :P ;D ;D ;D
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I made a stew yesterday morning before I left for (lottie) work ;).
The carrots were from John and the potatoes were from Andre my lottie neighbours. I just added dumplings to the slow cooker when I got home. I love a nice stew when it's cold weather.. MMMmmm delish
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Today I had a delievry of well rotted manure (didn't smell). I then transport 20 barrow loads onto my plot.
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Storing the seeds in month order is a brilliant idea! :)
When we order "well rotted" manure it always has to be stored for up to four months before it is usable.
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I had a load of well rotted manure dropped off at my plot. Being a bit of a novice in the manure load arena I hadn't quite anticipated how much a load constituted. I seem to have a pile about 4.5 feet high and 8 feet in diameter! I think some of it may be around for the next few years - at least it doesn't smell, but it does have lots of those tiger worms (which I don't like as too wriggly).
My wheelbarrow looks inadequate for the job...as it were.
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Cleared the last of the toms out of the poly and G'houses.. restacked the shed.. dug up some Celeriac, Swede (the yellow stuff) carrots and used them for tea.. Mixed roots, Sweet Pots, Yellow carrots red and blue spuds.. Marrow with chilli and jalapenos as a top dressing..
;D
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been up to collect my sea buckthorn plant £4.99 which i thought was ok.
Its going into a pot and i am going to use this in front of my shed to stop anyone trying to get in as the spikes will make them think twice and when its got berrys i can make sea buckthorn juice for my vodka :)
Also picked up fresh parsnip seed for next year as a freebie :)
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Hubby put a padlock on the shed. Plus he also attached a door hook thingie to stop the door swinging and slamming shut in the wind. Put up poles around my raised bed and netted it. Planted radar onions and shallots \o/. Yeah I finally have something planted ;D
Dug my bean trench, about 12-15ft. Added shredded newspaper, layer of hay topped with some lovely well rotted manure.
Covered my entire plot (minus the bean trench) with some very heavy duty black polythene.
I now believe I'm ready for spring. Phew, what a marathon. I'm delighted 8)
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Went to the lottie today with good intent, chatted to my mate for 20 mins and it was absolutely brass monkeys so I collected some runner savers and some pumpkins and went home to the pub. ;D ;D ;D
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Hubby put a padlock on the shed. Plus he also attached a door hook thingie to stop the door swinging and slamming shut in the wind. Put up poles around my raised bed and netted it. Planted radar onions and shallots \o/. Yeah I finally have something planted ;D
Dug my bean trench, about 12-15ft. Added shredded newspaper, layer of hay topped with some lovely well rotted manure.
Covered my entire plot (minus the bean trench) with some very heavy duty black polythene.
I now believe I'm ready for spring. Phew, what a marathon. I'm delighted 8)
Wow lauren, you have done ace.
My green monster is visiting as i have had to sit in and watch the rain, temp has not gone above 5 degrees and i am fed up! I cant even be bothred to cook dinner :( so going to have cheese on toast and go to a friends house (house sitting) and play with there wii.
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Nothing. Yesterday I did some digging, and helped someone move some sacks of sand. We're a bit worried as someone very determined is sneaking around with a saw vandalising plots belonging to committee members. We're pretty sure we know who it is, but that doesn't help.
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Can you set a trap Robert ?
Just went for some veg-it was sooo cold.
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Sorry to hear that Robert..
>:(
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Planted some tulip bulbs, cut some flat leaf parsley and generally FROZE :(
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For the past week or so I've been nipping out nightly to collect the leaves gathered in 'pockets' up and down the street. Today I re-bagged them into some of those huge great wheely-bin sized bin bags - I had to sit on them and roll around a bit to get enough 'spare' to tie them closed (yes, I do have understanding neighbours) and I've got six full bags so far.
Slight downside to that - I read the label on the bin bags (after I'd used them, natch) and although they're biodegradable, the small print said NOT to use them for home composting or recycling as they'd been treated to make them biodegradable.
What's going on here? What kind of chemical are they using that could be so detrimental? And what's the point in making products like this which might damage any land they eventually rot down in? Another cynical effort to appear environmentally friendly.
Ahem! Right, rant over.
I also assembled three of the four plastic cold frames I got from Argos for £4.49 (with thanks to little-weed who alerted us on Bargains Galore) ready for sowing some beans, peas and flowers for overwintering - after all, why be on time and sensible when you can risk being very late and losing the lot, eh? D'oh!
Then it got really cold wet and windy - oh, and pitch dark as well, so I came in to defrost.
;D
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Went to a Garden center this morning,only to find it had changed into Santa's grotto :(. Rained all day :(so sit in front of goggle box and watched 3 documentaries called Escape from Colditz, on 4 on demand clever buggers them POW's.
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Same as E Maggie went to plot, chatted for 20 mins collected two pumkins and went home because it was brass monkeys. :o ;D ;D ;D
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Quite pleasant out this afternoon... sowed some Carrots and salad leaves under glass, Broad Beans and Peas direct outside. Brought in the Dahlias and Chrysants...
;D
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All I did today was dug over another bed, and did a bit of harvesting - then had a chat. There was a robin bouncing around as well, so that was nice.
Quite a nice afternoon once the wind dropped.
Oh yeah - emergency netting on the garlic - the hares have taken a liking to it.
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Did some clearing up mostly......... removed the last of the sunflower stems, picked off the late sown purple podded peas at last and will be drying them off to grow again next year, took out the supports and stored them away...didn't see a soul except a little robin who made a grab for the worms I unearthed! Cut two 'Shasta' cauli's for tea, yum! ;D
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dug over two beds, shifted a ton of mushroom compost to my plot, dug up forgotten tatties, dug up fennel and beetroot, planted 200 onions (still got 100 to go -I got carried away on Marshall's website :-[ :-[) and poured my muddy self a large dram... oh but I'm so sore and knackered now... :( :(
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We are in the middle of building work, so not been near the lottie for a couple of weeks. been thinking about it whilst painting though, does that count?
:-\ :-\
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I have done nothing its not stopped drizilling here! :'(
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Not much really! Dug up a new growth of Buddleia that had started sprouting under the kitchen window from when I threw all my cuttings in a pile! Cleared lots of dead away from the trees and stood the bird table back up (I've got no idea how it fell over, it's spiked deep in the ground ??? ) Came back in to defrost then went to Van Hages to buy some Christmas decorations ;D
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Built two raised beds on the new plot. Five done, two to go.
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Sucked up a huge black bag of oak tree leaves with the garden leaf machine. Dug over a flower bed and cleared that out. I have some new bulbs to plant tomorrow.
Hubby harvested some Charlotte potatoes which we ate tonight with our carrots, and home grown PSB; yorkshires, mushy peas and roast chicken. Delishhhhhhhhhh :P.
Hubby cleaned his car, inside and out then washed all the windows.
Tidied away some support canes. As I moved a pile of dead leaves....Ooops out popped an autumn coloured toad. Perfect camouflage. I hope he's eating all those horrid slugs.
Went out at 10am and came inside at 4pm slightly aching. All in all a good days work. All ship shape again. ;)
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Dug up the old marigold plants, dug half my bean trench and filled with veggie peelings and manure, greased the fence and have a general tidy up. ;D ;D ;D
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I've been a lucky bunny this week. Had Thursday and Friday unexpectedly free, so had to be spent at the plot. :D Cleared the last remaining 'fallow' area that hasn't been touched since I took over the plot last year. then put up a 7x12 polytunnel frame - took ages to square it off. ::) Today made the wooden U shaped bed for inside the poly. Filled that with soil from neighbours garden (they were going to skip it - I didn't sneak into their garden in the dead of night ;))
Emptied one of the compost bins and topped up half of the poly bed and then moved the bin in the hope that it will confuse the mice/rats that are using it as a fast food joint.
Now I'm looking for someone who is 'good with wood' (hint ;)) to build a coldframe the lenght of the poly to house the melons.
Then came home ironed 10 shirts for school next week and made some choc chip muffins for the lunchboxes.
I have loved digging in this cold weather. When I started the plot I was aiming for no-dig. but I have to confess , pauses, looks over shoulder and whispers.........I really enjoy digging :o
that's me done til next weekend.
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I planted 15 sweet chestnut trees. ;D
Only 75 to go in now. They are 15 each of beech, silverbirch, oak, wild cherry and field maple.
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First of all kicked the compost bin to warn any stray rat that might be luking inside , then filled it with the new zealand spinich that had keeled over with the frost. Harvested some leeks, cabbage and celeriac to have with supper. It wasn't quite as cold as yesterday thankfully!
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I planted 15 sweet chestnut trees. ;D
Only 75 to go in now. They are 15 each of beech, silverbirch, oak, wild cherry and field maple.
There's one way of wiping out your carbon footprint.
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Dug more and hoiked out yet more perennial weeds, planted four rows of garlic, came home just past lunchtime with plenty of time to clean bathroom :-[
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Nowt today - torrential rain saw to that!!
Busy tomorrow - so am going to be selfish and squeeze in a visit on tuesday!
( I say selfish - because I usually give in when people ask me to do things/help/visit etc etc and give up my precious time toooo easily)
Louise
XX
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I a cream crackered now.
Took delivery of 50 bags of mushroom compost in the week, its been too wet to move it to my plot, so it was left stacked and covered outside of one of Saddads plots at the top end of the site.
I really couldn't face humping it all up and down the hill so I cheated, and bribed the kids to help me.....they did it with really good humour, we all got completely filthy and they even helped me spread most of it on my raised beds and the front plot that didn't get any last year.....so they are happy as the have some Christmas money to buy friend pressies, and I'm happy 'coz it didn't break my back doing it all by myself! ;D
I really do need to have a little lie down now..... ::)
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Finally got out in the garden and did soe tidying up. Don't you hate getting leaves up off gravel! Still, it does look better and after the non-stop rain yesterday it was quite a pleasant afternoon with a lovely sunset.
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Potted leeks on into 4" pots and started onion seed off,moved peas and broad beans into cold greenhouse,hope it isn`t a long winter paraffin has gone up £1-50 a gall to £3-50 :o
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hiya, keith, welcome to the site..
we have had torrential rain for the last 3 days and today, been to take out the in laws, both 89 for lunch..still, tomorrow, forecast dry and cold so we're going..watch out, it'ss pour down now ;D
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Didn't realise I could still grow leeks at this time of year- are they going to be indoors or out?
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I delivered 3 fruit trees and 2 bags of "farmyard" manure to my daughter for her allotment in Greenwich, but she was so ill, the weather is so foul, her babies are so intensive, that we could only dump them in her small back garden. My own allotments are very neglected at the moment.
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hi all,been raining all day here managed to nip out and refill bird feeders,and that was it,I HATE DAYS LIKE THIS
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Nowt on my plot, but had a go with Big Bro's rotovator with a view to borrowing it to rotovate the manure in. He obviously thinks I'm not going to be able to control it, (it's ancient but it goes) so he has volunteered to come and do it for me. RESULT! ;D
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b*****r all: I'm still croaking like a geriatric frog so that I would play safe and stay in. Also helping number 2 son with his assignment for uni. Good that all these years of teaching experience count for something... ;)
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Managed to dodge the showers to get enough veg in for the week. Met a fellow plot holder who provided me with some garlic, as mine all rotted. He said it's called German Red, so I've got a few cloves going in the greenhouse to try it out.
Lazy weekend all round really, son had both rugby matches called off due to waterlogged pitches.
Actually drew up a sowing plan as well, and despite all the offers and orders STILL managed to miss a few things - cougettes, spring cauli, White Lady runners.
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Nowt here an all....
Snap SilverBirch... rained off Rugby...
Does that mean it's all gone Deb? Roy had a Strimmer/mower stolen any other signs of "borrowers?"
:-\
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Nowt here an all....
Snap SilverBirch... rained off Rugby...
Does that mean it's all gone Deb? Roy had a Strimmer/mower stolen any other signs of "borrowers?"
:-\
Didn't see a soul the whole time we were around, 12 midday to about 3.15pm, both gates were closed the whole time we were there too....There was a lot of tools lying around at the top though, we borrowed a broom to sweep up after ourselves! Left you a few bags of mushroom compost just inside your top plot gate. Am still knackered.... :-\
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Harvested 170 kilos of olives, which are off to the mill tomorrow, tilled a plot and sowed some rye grass fodder (green manure) real paid work is hectic & stressful but weekends are back breakng!! roll on crimbo holidays!!!!
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Harvested 170 kilos of olives
WOW! :o :o :o
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Mmmmm..... I've been snacking on them all afternoon. ;D ;D ;D
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hi guys,
Well i have not been on the plot now for almost a month and i feel crappy about it. I am worried that the onions and garlic i planted 6 weeks ago are ok. I have elephant garlic started in peat pots ready to move to the big site just waiting now.
I have not even emptyed my shed before the winter when it might blow over and scater everything all over the place :(
artichoke hope the family is feeling better :)
Biscome good harvest how many bottle of olive oil do you get?
Cambourne7
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:)went to plot for first time in 3 weeks,
fed the wild cats,
vandalism again, a few folks have had greenhouses smashed and chickens killed,getting fed up with this,/shades x
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I'd have to do a night stake out and catch the little beggers. SAS style, that would frighten the poop out of them :o
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I'd have to do a night stake out and catch the little beggers. SAS style, that would frighten the poop out of them :o
You would probaby freeze the poop as well :)
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went down today for the first time in nearly three weeks :( i'm so ashamed. it was so frosty as well so there was nothing i could do but it makde me feel really good, and my onions, garlic, peas and b'beans have come along great! so made me feel a bit better. what can i do that's helpful this time of year? anyone??? xxxxxxxxx
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what I did in the garden today was......find a New Zealand Flatworm ??? ???
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Nothing - but I did go past my garlic and think 'hmmm, about time I did something with those...'
:-[
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what I did in the garden today was......find a New Zealand Flatworm ??? ???
eak do you have to report them|?
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I think your right on that one Cam, there was a chat on hear a while back about them, I'm sure someone will come along with the right info. ;D ;D ;D
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Nothing - but I did go past my garlic and think 'hmmm, about time I did something with those...'
:-[
VP you've got me worried - is there something I should be doing with my garlic? I wasn't planning to do anything for them until a feed in February?
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ah i've just read cam and angle's posts prior to mine and feel a little better :)
anybody know any little jobs i can do in early morning?x
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You don't have to report New Zealand Flatworms to anyone.
HDRA has a good factsheet
http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/factsheets/pc21.php
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I know Ceratonia - now they just send you a leaflet "Have you been a victim of New Zealand Flatworm" ???
I caught one 3 weeks ago, and was going to do a Show and Tell at my Ecology class, but it escaped -what parts of "Flat" and "Worm" don't I understand?? I caught it again this am, being got at by a blackbird. At least I hope it's the same one ???
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I'm putting lots of effort into the paths between my raised beds , weed suppressant fabric intending to add gravel once all the paths are ready, trying to reduce the non productive weeding time to a minimum next year.
I've got peas growing merrily in guttering in the coldframes waiting to be planted out, bit undecided where to place, this rotation business always catches me out and I have to keep looking it up but I think I've sussed it, got one bed where butternut squash grown last that is presently covered with black polythene so might get away with planting them there - hoping the frost s not got at it so I can do later today - lets hope ???
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Nothing - but I did go past my garlic and think 'hmmm, about time I did something with those...'
:-[
VP you've got me worried - is there something I should be doing with my garlic? I wasn't planning to do anything for them until a feed in February?
As usual it depends. If your soil is clayey and you'll know you'll get frosts in February, then waiting 'til then's fine. The key thing is to ensure the planted cloves get frosted, otherwise you won't get a bulb of cloves next year. If your soil's sandy or a loam, then planting now is fine, otherwise plant them in pots. I have a belt and braces approach and plant some now and some in February. Some years the early sowing does best, other years the February ones!
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Thanks - thought you were talking about something other than planting :)
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Oops Barnowl, sorry for creating the confusion!
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Went down to the lottie which was totally frosted over, so sat in the sun with everyone at tea break and watched the frost slowly melt - then went home because the ground was still frozen.
Then went to do some more shopping!
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Got OH to strim the grass paths, which are STILL growing >:( Sawed down a few more trees along the boundary of my lottie, which is also the boundary of the whole lottie. Cleared the lower leaves from the sprouts. Hoed off the weeds which are growing well in the greenhouse soil. Realised that dream of spuds growing in pots in greenhouse for christmas are a complete waste of space!!!
cj :)
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Made it up to the lotty today and things were better than i though.
Because of the high winds there is some damage but nothing much on my plot and the sheds warmish. So i am going to try and pop up again on day next week.
Garlic has sprouted and its got growth of over 1 inch up to 3 inches which is great and i feel releived that they have not rotted.
There is still some spinach, onions, carrots to harvest. And my sprouts are ok and will be suitable for using at christmas the first time that i got them ready on time. I checked on my leaks and there all bigger than pencils now and some are ready for use.
When i left it was 6degrees when i got home 40min later it was 0.5degees!!
I cant wait to get back up there next week and if it stays dry i can get on with a few jobs and take a few things back to lock away in the garage just in case the shed decides to tumble over.
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Nothing very exciting today. Only spent six hours hoovering up leaves and tidying up my garden at home. Now all I need to do in Spring is powerwash all the paths and patio and it's shipshape again :D
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I am going to attempt something thats either really smart or increadably stupid.
Monday i am going to empty my shed and pack up the car with anything thats small enough to fit.
Then i am going to take all the big things out, sweep the walls and floor.
Then i am going to take a tin of expanding foam and use it to fill the gap between the edge of the floor and the walls of the shed. Then i am going to cover some of the larger holes. While this is curing i am going to (dependant on the weather) paint the ourside of the shed with preserver (one coat earlier in the year already on). Once the stuff has cured ( 30 min apparantly ) i am going to cut any excess and pack back in any items that are staying.
How insane am i :)
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Wow, Cam, that's an impressive list ;D
Cant say mine is anywhere near as big ::)
cj :)
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I just hope i dont freeze while i do it :)
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I just hope i dont freeze while i do it
Mmm, could be difficult to tell if the wood preservative has dried or frozen ???
Dont forget your thermals!!
cj :)
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Brrrrrrrrrrrr, visited the lottie today. Oh my my it was so cold my ears ached with the bitter wind blowing. I didn't stay long, I retreated to the village pub for lunch with my new lottie friend Rose. Wonderful log fire was burning. We were very cosy for three hours of garden chat and putting the World to rights ::)
Very enjoyable :)
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Found some great planks dumped on the field behind our house. Just right for raised beds. We put them in the car and took them to the lottie.
Unfortunately, I had forgotten the keys, so OH had to throw them over the fence onto the pile of trees I have piled up for a giant bonfire when I eventually get the rest down too. Quite a job that was. Fence about 6ft high. Planks about 7x2inchesx about 8 ft. Oooh, he looked real muscular as he launched them into the air ::) Only one bounced and hit the fence :-[
Just so you dont get the idea he is some sort of Superman, my lottie is directly on the other side of the fence. He didnt throw them that far, and his aim was more luck than judgement.
I will go over tomorrow to sort them out.
cj :)
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I have had a good day in the garden today I dug over lots of empty plost digging in the compost from my grow bags, i did some weeding and pulled up some old plants i also found on my desk hidden under piles of paper a bag of shallots o kill or cure i planted them, my winter cabbages, sprouts and purple sprouting are doing fab garlic and onions are on their way it wasnt tons of work but it really made a difference and made me feel much happier ;D
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I took some wood from work to the lottie, I also dug other half of my R bean trench and filled it with veggie peelings/ hamster bedding that I've been saving. ;D ;D ;D
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Honest - I set off with all good intentions of getting another bed turned - honest.
Sttod there for 5 minutes with my hands in my pockets, had a f*g, came home. That wind was like a knife.
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Nothing again. I was out on princes street - Edinburgh's main thoroughfare (for buses, taxis and shoppers)- collecting for Rotary and St Columba's Hospice
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well done you grawrc
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dug over about 4x5 far too wet boots were 4 foot wide in mud ..fed my robin so nice to get out after all the rain!!
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Yesterday, bashed in 4 metposts so that I can start to train the apple trees as espaliers. First wooden post and then the head snapped off the club hammer :'( So the trees are still not trained >:(
Didn't want to go home after only 45 mins, so did a bit more digging - only got a 4x3m area left to go on that side ;D
2008 will be my third year and I am just starting to feel as if I am bringing the plot under control. (famous last words)
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Hope you were well wrapped up, Anne!
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I was well wrapped up Caroline, although to be hones it wasn't particularly cold. Today of course when I planned to get the last of the garlic planted there are sub-zero temperatures and the ground is frozen solid. C'est la vie I guess!
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shifted plenty of manure onto the spud beds and then had fun trying to dig parsnips out of frozen ground but managed quite well in the end - the parsnips have been whoppers this year - beautiful sunny day, crisp, clear but frozen - I loved it :)
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I am going to dig up the Oca... and some Chicory to force, before it goes dark, Honest!
:-X
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Just spent about an hour in the garden, I'm sure it's colder there than at the allotment!
Tidied up after the builders who replaced a piece of guttering, that involved putting the mini greenhouses back and then there was an opportunity to sort out all the odds and ends that had accumulated.
Back inside thawing out now
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Pulled some leeks and picked all the resonable sized sprouts. They are all blanched and in the freezer, except for the ones I used for dinner ;D Too cold for anything else.
cj :)
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Brrrrrrrrrrrr, visited the lottie today. Oh my my it was so cold my ears ached with the bitter wind blowing. I didn't stay long, I retreated to the village pub for lunch with my new lottie friend Rose. Wonderful log fire was burning. We were very cosy for three hours of garden chat and putting the World to rights ::)
Very enjoyable :)
Don't you just days like that...what more could you ask for...Bliss. :)
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Sorry guys, not as productive as you. I went to collect onions and spuds that are stored there, then went back home to do yet more painting and house bashing, we are in the process of renovation. I miss my lottie so much though.
:(
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Nowt - too darn cold!
But visited the lottie on friday to put some peelings etc on the heap and it looked like a winter wonderland the frost was so heavy! So no leeks could be pulled up! The only other chap their was my old mate Wally - who has just moved plots and was having a potter about. He always seems to be there!
Louise
XX
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Got a few Wally's on my site. ::) ;)
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Went down today first time for three weeks just checked things over and dropped off three huge bags of shredded papaer from the office.
Worth going down as got invite to party in one of the sheds next Sat morning 10.30 a.m. - I volunteered to bring down mince pies and brandy butter.
Onions and garlic doing well !!! and managed to get a few leeks for the soup :)
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Got some Cabbage, parsnips, carrots and Leeks... dug out the Oca, disappointing but I know why..
Still not started the Chicons..
:-[
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Collected some onions, looked at the frozen soil, and came home. I'm told that a plotholder was nearly run over in the lane last week by a recently evicted tenant who we think is responsible for a wave of vandalism. It's not proof, but hopefully the police will now think there's enough to go and talk to him.
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Dug up a few leeks, put some supports around my bendy sprout stems ::).
Cut greenery from the garden to make two Christmas door wreaths.
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Put manure on next years potato bed then retired to the lottie canteen for the Christmas party - and actually won a prize in the raffle! Round to friends for drinks then home in time to cook for son returning from first term at uni.
Not sure yet what to do tomorow, but I'm sure that I will find something.......just remembered...to renet the brassicas.
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went to lottie yesterday and it was brill for digging and weeding,
put my jap onions in 4 months to late ::) some were sprouting in the bag ::) had to throw some away......
broad beans not up yet....
going there now to do a bit more before it rains
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I have had a good few hours on New Years Eve and New years dayon the allotment and feel absolutely brilliant for it - the best mood improving activity I know - especially when you achieve what you set out to do. For me this was to clear all the weeds and couch grass from my inherited fruit bed area on the newish lottie, cover with weed suppressing membrane and mulch. Just as I finished a robin set up song and the sun came out..........Heaven.
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I went down on the weekend, I must pop down one morning this week before work as there are a few sprouts need picking (almost finished now, but they were lovely), a few leeks need pulling, a few cabbages need cutting. But actually I just like to admire it. It is a mess, ok, the perennials have gently died off, the artichokes are slumbering, the few brassicas left are leaning over but it seems to be in such a peaceful state of repose, I love the atmosphere, so different from the summer craze where weeds drive you potty, where you fret over the bugs and leaf rot and whether things can be picked or not. Now the work is over, everything is resting, all the successes and failures are finished with and you can dream about what you will do with it next season.
Lovely....
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Went to the plot a little while ago, well ok got as far as the car then abandoned the idea as it was so cold. You can feel the snow in the air.
I am going to get the hubbies winter bag ready just in case he gets stuck when the weather turns.
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antipodes:
But actually I just like to admire it. It is a mess, ok
Thanks for that antipodes, I've done the same 2 times, this xmas break. Just gone to the lottie and just looked at it - nothing more. There is lots to dig over ( new for this year, only got the lottie in April, not all dug yet ), but there is still plenty of time for that !
Here's to 2008 !!!!
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Feeling pleased with myself because I went down on NY Eve and dug over a patch that's not been used since we took the plot, as it had a big dip in the middle. Got loads of bindweed out and had a good go with the azada to level it out. Plan to put the spuds in there to break it up more later.
Extra pleased I did it then because it poured down yesterday and now it's bloomin' freezing! :D Armchair gardening only for the next few days!
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I went down at the weekend and new years Day (first one down there). Digging in manure and removing bind weed on a plot taken over last February. Planning to put in potatoes so they will get extra manure then which is needed as obviously has not been dug that deep before (Iam going down a spades depth).
I also had a robin keeping me company
Happy New Year to everyone
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Today I sorted out my greenhouse, ready for the new growth. I also laid a path, hindered by my 10 year old son, who was actually a good help.
I also put down weed proof membrane stuff on my raspberries, a head start on the summer weeds hopefully.
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Dug around 4 ft by 1 ft of more or less solid couch roots, then abandoned it as a bad job as it was so muddy my shoes (the wrong ones, forgot to change them, bugger) were about six inches higher off the ground than when I started. Pulled loads of leeks and some spicy salad greens from my accidental salad green hedge (oriental salad packet off the front of a magazine, won't stop growing, flowering in January). Hacked a bit at the wildlife area (not deliberate) up by my shed. Decided I was hungry. Went home.
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Set up our new compost bin (one of those plastic eco things) and put the first load of waste in there. Dug out a load of blackberry/blackcurrant roots on the new plot and made a pile for burning tommorrow. My other half roughly dug over about 5ftx2ft of the new plot. I uncovered the pile of 'black gold' left by the previous owner. This is a large pile about 6ft high of compost that has been there for about the last 7 years. It had weeds growing on it, but I have glyphosphated it and now it is starting to actually look like a compost pile!
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I put some wire netting over the top of the chicken run to replace the cotton mesh that broke due to the weight of catching all the snow. I also clipped the a wing from each hen to stop them flying.
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it was our agm today so, after that, transplanted 14 lavender plants to pots, the early spud bed is nearly ready..dug up my Marie Curie daffodil bulb and planted it in a pot..Ray cleaned down the poly plastic, looks like new ;D
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Bought and assembled another wheelbarrow, to move all that muck... moved almost all of it. Cut the last of the "Summer" cabbage from the bottom plot. Now I am nipping into town for the last session of the Derby Winter Beer Festival!
;D
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Festered in my fluey pit and wished I felt well enough to go and dig in the muck that is awaiting me :(
Haven't done anything constructive for at least a month for one reason or another, and it's begining to bother me.
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I'm in the same boat emaggie. Flu then holiday in France then snow. Anyhow the sun is shining today so I'm going to have a wee look and see what I can do.
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I chitted my first earlies today, also dug over my spud patch to be and manured some of it, I also tidied the shed. ;D ;D ;D
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Dug a few square foot more of solid couch roots, then spent a really unpleasant twenty minutes pulling couch roots out of partially rotted manure (always cover your poo!), then used a spade and my neighbour's big french tool to clear a biggish patch of my accidental wildlife area (brambles and dry grass to waist height - still an improvement on when I took it over, when it was just brambles to head height). Also managed to put some cleanish soil on my asparagus bed, which is currently about a foot lower than it ought to be and in the shade (d'oh) of my leafmould container which I was very proud of at the time. :D
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built a hot bed,finished transplanting over wintering flowers, Ray and the lads put together the new cement mixer, fitted a new heater in the shed and measured out and marked out where the communal polytunnel's going ;D
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I went knowing that I still had 9 beds to clear of weeds/grass etc before I could continue planting.. But guess what!! A good fairy has been and cleared 6 of them for me!! ;D ;D ;D ;D I couldn't believe my eyes. The whole plot looks so much better. Same good fairy has moved another mound of mushroom compost onto my plot waiting for me to put on the asparagus bed.
So I whistled a happy tune, pruned the autumn rasps, did about a third of the summer rasps and dug over half of two of the three remaining beds. (The third one is the summer rasps so I won't weed it until I've finished pruning.) So it looks like next weekend I'll finish clearing and start covering up my onions and leeks, which are currently being decimated by the rabbits, with mesh.
Ain't it nice to have kind lottie neighbours?
Must find out where the rabbits are getting in though...
.. and of course there's a downside to everything: there's a rat family nesting under my shed. :o :o Anyone got any advice on getting rid of them?
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NOTHING >:( yesterday was blue sky's sunny but cold day,just right for a spot of digging. Today my day off it's like a pensioners bum wet and very windy, and have not go another day for 7 days. :'(
Sods law or what :(
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Managed to get to the lottie on both sat & sun.
Dug out the old inherited fruit bushes. Will now look back at threads to find the best things to do with them ( blackcurrents, blueberries, gooseberrys ), Broke my spade & fork doing it. Rough dug over that area.
All in all VERY happy to be able to get out !!!
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Fed up with feeling crappy, so mind over matter, boots and warm jacket on and went off to plot.
I HAD A BRILLIANT AFTERNOON!! Harvested last cabbages and a romanesco cauli, sprouts ,swede,parsnip-then I got going. ;D. Shifted manure and compost to new spud area after raking away old straw to footpath, then I found 2 heads of garlic by old compost heap. They are sprouting so I have planted them, so hopefully they'll grow ok.
That will do for today, just need to win at cards tonight and it will have been a REALLY good day ;D ;D
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Was going to go after work but it pisssssed down. ;D ;D ;D
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4 inches of snow here this morning and dark when i got back. I did the allotment committee meeting though. Does that count? ;)
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Harvested a Savoy for dinner Tommorow, barrowed two more lots of muck on the spud patch. ;D ;D ;D
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:) planted spinach out today, sowed lettuce in blackbucket in greenhouse, sowed leeks and onions in modules, did a bit of digging, bit of weeding,swapped a few seeds, planted a few tulips in tubs, sowed more carrots in blackbuckets in greenhouse, fed the lottie cats...... ;D
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lottie cats? Tell me more... please1
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:) we have 12 or more cats and kittens which live as a group on the lottie, some folk feed them beef,ham and smoked salmon... I feed them my cats left over Felix ;D
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Sounds like Six Dinner Sid and his mates to me...
;D
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Dug over and manured some more spud to be soil, chitted spuds. ;D ;D ;D
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yesterday, sowed peas in guttering, transplanted wong bok to poly border, sowed 3 packs of sweet peas..today, nothing, it was raining ;D
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Rigged up some netting in front of the greenhouse, hopefully to deter any little darlings who think it can be used for target practice.
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Went to the lottie this morning and opened our community shed as people were coming to collect their seed potato orders which we sorted out on Friday morning. Collected a barrowload of bark/tree chippings from the community area for my pathway. We had a trailer load delivered Friday (by a local tree surgeon) but its all gone now - its always very popular. Fed the birds and noticed that the male and female 'pied' Blackbirds were back - hadn't seen them for a week or so. Noticed that a lottie neighbour has a whole row of Daffodils out in full flower, that some of the Snowdrops are out and found one solitary Violet out.
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Helped myself to another four barrows of free compost - that's 14 in total, still a load left, and I've got a big wheelbarrow :o and piled it up over my asparagus bed, mulched the leeks and cabbages, and left the rest in a huge heap. Tried to dig over a bit of virgin ground but it was really hard going, nearly all couch grass mats. Will probably end up rough digging, sowing some turnip seed then covering the rest in black plastic to plant courgettes through later in the year. Started digging over my first spud bed. Pruned the apple tree and hoiked out loads of brambles. Showed someone round who might start on the community plot next door. Home in time for lunch!
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yesterday, loads of digging (still!) ;D it's slow work because I'm trying to pull out the couch grass roots as I go along... I don't think I've got the right technique though... I could hardly stand straight by the time I stopped!
checked Manics strawberry runners (thank you! :)) - they seem happy. As are Saddad jostaberry twigs (thanks too!) - I keep wanting to pull them to see if they have any roots but will resist! ;D
today, weather was too bad so stayed in and finally did a proper lottie plan. also order some seeds ;D ;D ;D whoo hoo!
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Tatiana, that sounds exactly like my technique! ::)
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I used to dig into a barrow so I didn't have to bend over so much when removing the couch from the soil, but that obviously takes a bit more heft to begin with.
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If you are digging in rows first dig a long trench one spit deep say and move all the soil taken out to the far end [to fill in your last trench]. Then dig the next row filling in the first trench with the arisings as you go.
The fact that the front edge of the row that you are digging always has a clear face makes for easier digging.
If this makes sense then the big secret is to always have you left foot in the trench [for right handed people] as you move along the trench. Your right foot is always at the top level. You will find the your left arm is so much nearer the ground for picking out the weeds and your back does not have to bend nearly as far. Just reverse for left handers.
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:) planted five pots of different sweet peas, then came home, gale force winds ,cold and raining,
plots under water again and rivers high >:( >:(
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and more rain forecast this week... sorry to hear about your plots shades :(
Bupster, glad it's not just me! ;D
Barnowl, I'll give the barrow thing a go but I have noooo upper body strength so will see how it goes... would make it easier to see the roots too I imagine. I'm getting a bit obsessive about leaving bits in - inevitable but still not looking forward to seeing them poke through in the Spring ::)
I haven't actually been digging a proper trench but I can see now it would make more sense ::) especially as I've now got manure to add in too. Now it just has to stop raining for a bit!
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Rhubarb is shooting so covered one of the crowns with a tub filled with straw for insulation to get some nice early forced sticks.
Also planted some sarpo mira and arran victory seed potatoes in pots. The seed were from a set of nine types given as free, courtesy of a lovely member from Lincoln called Knitter. Not tried them before.
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started to re position the raspberry canes that came with the plot,in june,dug up millions of bluebell bulbs,daffs and crocus.so re postitioned them too...got there at noon,and had to drag OH away as the light was failing,made new promise to each other to get there a lot earlier..in fact 8.30 am hahaha lets see..... still so much to do,came home and looked at our before photos,couldnt believe how far we have come x
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Harvested a few parsnips the biggest weighing in at just over 850 grams, also some carrots, but most of them have been eaten alive :'( also took some PFA's home for some chips. ;D ;D ;D
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Today I just dreamed about the lottie. Only Thurs & Fri to go and then I can spend some blissful time shifting manure. LOL
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Nothing to-day, but saturday left the wife shopping at morrisons and went round to see Cambourne, left with load of seeds,
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yesterday, sowed red mustard, mixed salad leaves, greyhound cabbage, idol cauli, little gem lettuce, and chinese leaves in jiffy 7's..also sowed, in the hot bed..early market and early nantes carrots, 2 types of radish and some crimson forest spring onions..also planted up some of our 'volunteer' spuds in the pop up bags we bought last year, they had long chits on so they're in the poly
just thought I'd try some early crops, it worked last year ;D
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Managed to make it up to site today it was very very very windy so i was not able to stay for long.
Came home with carrots, turnip, onion, parsnip, cabbage, swede & beetroot :)
Very annoyed as some IDIOT has abandoned a tame rabbit on the site (hutch and all) and hes eaten the tops off my last row of carrots and not just the tops but he top couple of inches :(
Hubbies washed and prepared all the veg while i have warmed up with a cup of tea.
The plots looking very weedy lots of grass popped up but its far to wet for me to do anything.
I am off to make pineapple upside down cake and wait for dinner to roast.
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i got in the rest of my onions and garlic (delayed by dark nights, flu and bad weather). Probably too late now but they certainly weren't going anywhere in the box. I also shifted a load of mushroom compost on to my asparagus bed which is looking really rather nice now. Hoed some weeds, chopped back more raspberry canes and felt quietly pleased with myself. Brought home some celeriac and leeks.
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I forgot, we planted up the blackcurrants from wilkies, that was a job and a half, Ray had to dig big holes to put muck in, mound up as they're going in raised beds on the waterlogged part, anyway, they got watered in last night ::) ;D
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You are all so industrious! All my plans plotwards have been scuppered by Daughter 1s errant staff-she has to cover and I babysit. I am secretly planning to go tomorrow. Not going to mention it here in case it doesn't happen yet again.
Frustrated Plotperson of Essex.
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Emagggie i understand your flustration there is so much i want to do up there but with the weather i just cant :(
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today i planted out 12 raspberry canes,replanted some Rhubarb that i dug up and separated into 5 smaller clumps so i now have 9 rhubarb plants(why i don't know then had a fire to get rid of some old plants and stuff that was in the greenhouse
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Got there at last!! Prepared new bean area- French & runner,dug up the last of my parsnips :( (note to self, plant more next time)pulled out a barrow load of couch grass, and cursed all the dormant black bits of horsetail. Looks like I could have a bumper crop this year. ::).
Shifted the comfrey to the side of the new compost area and tried to move the cardoons. Hahahaha. I'm going to have to bribe a young man (I have one in mind) with a Sunday roast to dig them out for me.
Manure heap going down rapidly. Next is the onion bed.......I bought some elephant garlic to put in too, never grown it before, very interested to see what it's like.
Knackered now, 2nd cuppa and a bath, I think.
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Harvested parsnips and leeks yesterday. ;D ;D ;D
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first time i have managed to get down for a week or two. its slow progress this time of year for me trying to time visits between bad weather and kiddy commitments. today i dug and manured a good area but still have alot to do in that department. my digging stamina is ok for about an hour and then i have to leave it and do something else so i cut back all the flowers i should have cut back in the autumn :P. harvested some leeks and black kale, mizuna and a couple of celeriacs the size of golf balls. ::)
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Thank goodness we have raised beds, the 'pond' next to them on the path is about 8" deep..it's been too wet to go today, hopefully tomorrow :)
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:) my carrots.,leeks and lettuce are up in the greenhouse, my rhubarb and chives and kale are growing nicely, but my plot has a lot of water on it :( >:(
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this
new floor on the fruit cage, care of our recycle centre ;D
also,put the elephant garlic in
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NICE CAGE manics...OH laughed at me today when i suggested putting a door on ours,when we make it! today we moved and split the rhubarb,took up the goose berry bushes from our garden,gave them a new home in the lottie..away from neighbours dogs.soon they will be wondering where all the good stuff has gone! also had nice chat with our guru next door,and popped our rent thru the door of our treasurer.or so we thought!thanks to the very nice lady who called to say we had put it thru the wrong door,then went and corrected our mistake...there are still honest people in the world!
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this, and this and this ;D
they managed to get the land cleared where the big poly's going and CAN YOU SEE THE CLAY..that's what's been causing the waterlogging by our plot, tomorrow's dig trenches to the pit, fill with ash and cover over..also carry on with scraping the rest of the land :)
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Now THAT'S impressive Mal, machine and men. ;D ;D
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yep, I stood to one side, medecine chest at the ready ;D
still managed to get the banana shallots in, lollo roso seeds sown, hoops on the hot bed, got peas, radish, mixed leaves and mustard and cress showing, the season's started , yaaaay ;D
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I raised the level of beds that, a mere 4-6 inches down, were at the water table. Scarey stuff, innit? Also collected some rent and chatted to folk.
The great advantage of being a committee member is that you have to be there when you say you will so you get lots done on the plot.
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Unfortunately shopping (food), housework and cooking took presendent today. Only managed to get down to lottie one to empty compost crock and pick some clabrese which is still holding well. But tomorrow....bliss.......I get to dig out half of the raspberry canes on lottie 2 which have run amock. Surprisingly i am really looking forward to the hard work. I'll take some piccy's.
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Well i have just got back from 4.5 hours on the plot and before i seize up i though i would post what i have been up to, well what steveuk has been up to. The little darling bless him and come up to help and has dug over 3 of my raised beds for me and has promised to pop up and and a go at the others if he gets a chance :)
I have been moving wood chips over and shock horror watering things as my grounds very dry.
Cam
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yes one worn out little plotter, cams a hard task master, had to work for me bacon sarnie lol
good morning though
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Really was in the garden today, did all the cutting back that I should have done in the autumn, then took the prunings to the compost bin on the lottie and filled it up. Noticed that the rats have taken up residence again. Mr Fox is looking very healthy, so I won't put down poison. I'll have to settle for kicking the bin!
Sayed for an hour to do some more digging.
Manics - I LOVE your fruit cage - do you rent Ray out by the hour ;D ;D
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moved yet more raspberry canes,drank lots tea,met 3 new folk that we hadnt before....were still there after dark...again!
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Someone told me that planting rosemary next to your bin stops rats taking up residence. I had some mine in my bin and added rosemary and they left so i have a big plant next to the bin now and no sign of anything living in there now. So fingers crossed.
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spent 5.5 hours making 7 raised beds5 8x4 and 2 9x4.put weed suppressing fabric in between and going to put wood chips down for paths next weekend.so far the beds have worked out at £5.14 each so it has been worth it.
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ive been shovelling poopy horse poopy to be truthful still its done now ;D ;D ;D
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Yesterday and Today... dug out some jostaberries and took out the couch for a new Strawberry bed. Took a couple of privets and brambles out of a neglected hedge and laid a bit of thorn down into the gap... have the thorns in my fingers still to prove it!
;D
Oh and dug some more carrots/parsnips got some red cabbage sprouts and leeks and some celery for soup, which was very nice!
;D
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to all hi just started a new plot on sat .sun put some beans in. the weather down in the south west was very good. :) so all the best to all
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hiya, michael, nice to meet you
Manics - I LOVE your fruit cage - do you rent Ray out by the hour ;D ;D
d'ya know, the part you can see only cost £120.00, compared to bought ones, it was amazing value..also, it'll never fall down, he builds things to last ;D
it's been nicknamed 'the conservatory'
rent him out, he'd do it for bacon butties if his back was okay ;D
they finished off the drainage ditch today, just needs filling over the rubble with ash :)
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to all hi just started a new plot on sat .sun put some beans in. the weather down in the south west was very good. :) so all the best to all
Hi Michael and welcome to A4A
Sounds like you have made a great start with your new lottie.
Don't forget to take lots of photos and also share them with us. We are all very nosey ;D
Happy Digging
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not been to the plot today but I've sowed, in jiffy's hot wax peppers, chillies cayenne, sweet peppers and, in a pot, long red florence onions..we did really well with the onions from seed last year so, doubling up this year :)
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Went up on Sunday afternoon to find the greenhouse roof on the path!
I think it's clear what I'll be doing today instead of building up the new greenhouse, which was the real plan.
These things are sent to try us, so they say. >:(
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yep, I stood to one side, medicine chest at the ready ;D
still managed to get the banana shallots in, lollo roso seeds sown, hoops on the hot bed, got peas, radish, mixed leaves and mustard and cress showing, the season's started , yaaaay ;D
great piccies ... tell me about hoops and hot beads :-X
Our plots were like a spring day on Sunday ... even the ground does not feel cold!
Put in a second set of broadies ... picked the usual big bag of assorted greens, AND, in the greenhouse got in cabbages, sprouts, leeks, cauli and aubs for the airing cupboard
... oriental greens, lettuce and chilies to follow asap
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hot bed, one of our square beds 4x3 foot, empty , 1st a layer of really smelly muck,or grass clippings, depending what we have, about 6"m covered with a layer of potting compost the same, hoops made of old double glazing strips or water pipe, covered with a sheet of plastic..planted up with early carrots, radish, lettuce and anything else we feel like trying..it will be a salad bed later, with a covering of old maure, once the level drops..just thought we'd try it ;D
the other ones are done for melons, cucumbers, squash and courgettes, dig a hole, fill with smelly stuff, cover and mound with soil, plant on top, keeps them warm and well fed ;D
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Harvested carrots and a leek yesterday, lightly turned some soil as well with my three year old, she harvested twelve wiggly worms. ;D ;D ;D
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Went to a committee meetine and fed a beehive which is getting perilously light. They're hybrids, not my own strain, which are probably producing too much brood for the time of year. Unfortunately I left my keys at church, and got well scratched up crawling through the thorn hedge.
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Measured it 25 X 10 m we sign for it tomorrow
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thank you all for the welcome i need to know the best place to buy a green house B Q or some where else and the best time to plant new potatoes
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Wishing and hoping and hoping and praying.......then the babysitting request comes in ::)
Poor Daughter 1, all she wants is time with her daughter, but more staff probs. So my plan for plotting tomorrow and Fri are scuppered. (I wouldn't ever say no, I'm so lucky) Roll on Saturday, rain or not I'm finishing the muck spreading.
Can't start any seeds off as I'm away at the begining of Feb, so I'm preparing to go like sh** off a shovel on my return.
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Maggie you get in there and do her job. You'll be twice as fast so you can dig and she and jess can bond....?
OK maybe not...
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Ooooh Grawc, I don't know one end of an'orse from another :o :o,. Anyhow she'd only pick holes in my mucking out and I'd still be there at midnight and all the young gels would larf at me......... I'll stick to the grandma bit and dream of my little plot.(They have a good bond I'm pleased to say. ;))
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The "bargain" fig tree purchased at a Florida flea market got a copper bath today due to leaf rust which I hope won't kill it. ::) Since we're away from home I'm reading all your Top Tips, learning some funny words you Brits say ("skip it" means something totally different here),
planning to enlarge rhubarb bed (but where?? Hubby worries about losing lawn) so I can try Adrian's rhubarb wine recipe. this year was my first attempt at crab apple wine and elderberry wine. Ate some mungbeans today I sprouted for a sandwich topping- that's what frustrated gardeners can grow can grow when far away from their "lottie".
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Turned over the last patch of soil, and was given some beetroots from my lottie mate. ;D ;D ;D
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Got down there and was nearly blown home! But bought some compost from the shop and can start sowing the chillis, peppers and aubergines in the propogater tomorrow.
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The new fence and gates are nearly finished, when that's done, we can have the communal poly delivered..the spare shed got put up after the meeting and I transplanted some mixed leaves that have just come through, also sorted the big communal greenhouse and we decided on the surfinias we're buying as plugs for the plant sale hanging baskets ;D
I'm soooo excited about the fence, just in case you couldn't tell ;D
also, someone wants to put bee hives on the allotments :)
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It's freezing, it's snowing and there's a gale blowing!! Youmust be joking. ;)
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it was snowing quite heavily first thing, grawc..then it dried up, still freezing and blowing a gale, generator on, 2 heaters and plenty of tea, bacon and eggs..also it was the monthly meeting and Graham, our fencer, will work in any weather ;D
will take some pics tomorrow ;D
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Looking forward to seeing the fence Mal.
It's been lovely here this afternoon. Went to plot at 2ish with flask & buns, didn't stop till 4.30,by which time the light was beginning to fade. Nobody there but me and my walkman. Heaven on earth. Muck now spread on cleared beds and the remainder in piles at the ready for areas still not cleared, bean bed finished and supports moved (hurdle style).
Found some spuds that look edible and cut a Romanesco. Deffo do them again, they were a great success. Also found some parsnips-thought I'd dug them all up. Very satisfying day. ;D
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I thinkI'm still tired, just read this as me and my milkman ;D
off up to the plot again after, just got to go to the allotment shop for spuds :)
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Yesterday did 12 until 5 moving poo,but as you can have too much of a good thing I'm not going to the plot today, instead I'm going to Potter around my garden at home.
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Finally espaliered the apple trees yesterday. The Cherry and Plum will be 'fanned' around May
Plan to be in the garden today, it's looking a bit dark at the mo, I hope it doesn't rain because I'll have no excuses to not do the IRONING :-X
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took lots of bacopa cuttings , we burned all the old wood in the new incinerator, the lads were trying to fix the generator which had a fit yesterday..took the cardboard off the potato bed in the poly, there were loads of worms..raked it ready for next week and covered with fleece.. ;D
knackered now ;D
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finally got the plastic down on a bit of uncleared plot - gona get tatties into it shortly - need time to go get wood for and to make raised beds - where does the time go lol
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Dug 9sq metres of rough ground, tomorrow I will finish the last 9sq metres off and thenI will have 125sq metres to play with, ;)
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too wet an windy for me today :(
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I put in three lines of shallots today, and I went out and bought some PFA'S as they were getting low in stock, also OH bought me an electric propergater for my birthday. ;D ;D ;D
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Cleaned the chickens out and took two large bags of chicken litter to the lottie for the heap. Pulled a few weed seedlings, had a walk round and surveyed all I've dug so far on the new plot and how much is left to do.
Not too much as it happens ;D
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We rough-dug over an area about 100 square feet of which we had previously removed loads of brambles and blackcurrant roots and removed 3 huge poles that had been set 3ft into the ground. I just have to clear the bindweed roots now ::) I also have sown 25 varieties of chilli (3 of each), 2 types of aubergine and 1 type of sweet pepper in propagators. Yesterday I pricked out about 60 giant onion seedlings into individual loo rolls. Am feeling quite pleased with myself!
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We spent 3 hours up ours in strong wind ;D
Hubby rotavated the manure into the potato/onion patch and i cleared an old compost/dumping area of couch, mares tail and other junk !! left by the last people ! why do people always think that plastic, glass and couch ect will make usable compost >:(
Have just sown loads of ornamental grass seed and pricked out some seedlings.
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got in the car, got as far as the gate but the wind was just so stong i could not get the car though the gate without being side swipped by the gate so locked up and went home.
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Nantled... while OH cleaned a greenhouse, then put Mushroom compost into the border.. dug some leeks, cut some purple cape cauli, parsnips, celery and celeriac..
;D
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Nantled - que?
No rain so no ironing ;D
Sorted one side of the garden, which I have neglected for the last two years trying to tame the allotment :-[
Divided perennials, mulched with manure, repotted the pots and planted bulbs.
Another two Weekends should see everything returned to normal.
Anyone want some Jasmine, I've got one that will be going ver soon.
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I'd love some if you can post it! Will PM you
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Went to the plot today and found my beloved greenhouse a mangled wreck blown to the far end of the site.Also an old tin bath I had filled with spring bulbs on its side and all the bulbs spilled out.We have had very strong winds lately.We are going to try and get it up again but the bars are bent so not sure if we will be successful.Not the best of days on the lottie. :'(
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Sowed some peas in paper pots indoors. ;D ;D ;D
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At last I can post in this bit again! ;D
Drove myself down the lottie today....(triumphant pause..!) and spent a happy couple of hours tidying up. Took the wire mesh off my overwintered garlic and onions and weeded the beds, all growing strongly now. The eleghant garlic (from saved last years cloves) is just peeping through too.
Harvested two heads of Black Kale (fab), a swede and three big leeks. I'm going to have to think of quite a few more leek based recipes in the coming month as I still have about 30 to harvest and I will need that bed for potatoes soon!
Met up with some of the regulars, nice to catch up....happy day! ;D Had to go home and have a little lie down afterwards, poor old thing! ;D ::)
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But nice to be out in the fresh air Deb?
Went to plot myself this pm, did loads, really feel I'm catching up now. It's taking shape gradually, but I confess to only having a vague plan :-[. I'm sure it'll all be ok so long as I move stuff round. Put onions in and elephant garlic. Removed thug type weeds. Found sweet pea pods I kept from last season, now preparing to sow seeds in pots when I've had a read about the best way to prune raspberries. ::) No sign of the rhubarb yet, hope it's ok.
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My rhubarb has just started to peep through.Are you supposed to cover it straight away to force it or wait till it grows a bit? :)
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Just got a very intresting phone call, were finaly getting some soil delivered to the site.
This means i can top up all my existing raised beds and top up the ones that steveuk kindly dug over for me a couple of weekends ago.
Once i have done i can top up the empty side of my compost bin so that i have some soil for later in the year.
Not only are we getting soil but were being told that the weather is going to be ok for the next 5 days!!
YIPPIE
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Cover you rhubarb now betula although with the pedicted warmer weather it will grow as well uncovered. You should look around the other plots for somebody with an earlier variety that is further on than yours and cadge some when they dig it up.
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Thanks morton,I will do that. :)
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Went to the lotty today managed an hour and its taken me 2 hours to warm up!!
I have come home picked up a flask and custard creams and off i go again
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I tried to dig over my patch (Still got LOADS of couch grass to get out) but the mud was too much and there was no way to separate out roots from earth. Given up and come back and potted up some leek seeds.
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Ray marked out the big polytunnel, in between helping him, I transplanted little gem lettuce, mixed leaves and red mustard..mixed up the leaf mould with sand, vermiculite and some chicken fertiliser, transplanted 3 rhubarb cuttings in to pots..moved some of the bonfire wood away from where the poly is going to be..worn out now, having a cuppa ;D
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You two are just sooo industrious! Tell me more about the leaf mould thingy Mal. I have 6 large bags awaiting my attentions and I'm not sure about how best to use them. (another 6 bags of this years leaves to take their place annoying BW as they are in full view ::) so I'd better do something quick.) Swapped for bags of horse poo. ;D
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We stuck them in a 'dalek', maggie, left them, apart from bucket and chuck it..for 12 months, we got two lovely compost bags 3/4 full of leaf mould..left the rest in in autumn and added to it for next year, I'm having a go at making my own potting on compost, I know it's too much for seeds but thought toms and stuff would appreciate it..you never know until you try ;D
we always put a layer of leaf mould into the bottom of the carrot bed, we had 2 bags to one side for that :)
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Had the day off today and had been looking forward to a lottie day and the weather was lovely. Finally got there at 11am only to find that the shed had been broken into and the content strewn everywhere.
Phoned the Police to report it and started to look at what if anything had been taken. As far as I can tell the only things missing are my new pink and tan leather gloves, pair of yellow pliers and an old (but really nice) claw hammer. So if you are in Iselworth or Hounslow and see a young man mincing down the street wearing pink gardening gloves and clutching a hammer and yellow pliers please phone the Police ::)
Soca came and dusted for prints but this could have happened anytime in the last two days so not much luck - general opinion is that the sheds are targetted for the tools which are then used in house and car robberies.
Cleared up, had a bit of a teary moment, dug a bit more and then it was time for the school run.
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I feel for you SMP1704, has happened to me more times than I care to mention, I've nothing left to pinch anymore, keep strong and carry on is my motto, take care/ shades x
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sorry to hear that, smp..car boot season coming up..I'm thinking of painting all my tools either bright pink or luminous...don't know about calling the police, clip around the ear might do more good ;D
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Sorry to hear that as well SMP... we've been OK this Winter fingers and everything else crossed!
:-X
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HI Gang,
I am sitting here with a hot waterbottle on my back and a mug of tea :)
Moved 8 wheelbarrows of soil which means that 2 of my new 3ftx10ft beds are now full and ready to plant (4 more to go), and i have weeded all the 4ftx4ft beds and topped them up with more soil.
I have built up from 6 wheelbarrows yesterday which means my back should recover after a while.
Tomorrow i plan weeding the 9 beds i had last year and topping these up with more soil and putting as much soil as i can into my compost bin as most of the other lotty holders will be up friday evening and saturday and i am otherwise engaged saturday :(
I also need to start watering my plants as the soils very dry.
Providing i dont have to fly anywhere next week i can try and get the other 4 small beds, the base of the greenhouse and the large fruiting beds dug over and filled providing there is soil left.
Cambourne7
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Show off ;D,
seriously, well done you :)
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Sorry to hear about the break in SMP they did one half of the lottie sheds last week, left our side alone, I thought, until I noticed the bolt had been bent, they didn't seem to take anything on the site though. Sowed some Derby day cabbage in my new electric propergator. ;D ;D ;D
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its not me showing off its more like grab the soil while i can and spend the time on the lotty while i can ;) and i would be much further behind without steveuks help a few weeks back.
I'am paying for it though i am a little sore, I think i am going to have an early night tonight.
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:) Cammy, have a vat of neat gin, believe me you will have a great nights sleep ;)
It's been very mild and sunny here today, so did lots of trimming and tidying, no coat weather :o
A very good friend of mine passed away a couple of weeks ago and her family have given me her greenhouse that I hope will end up on the lottie, just got to take it down and get it there,I have no transport, :P
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I got half a garden today.
I have been looking after my mates allotment on and off whilst he's been in hospital for the past 18 months and not only did I enjoy it, i've eaten for very little in that time so I thought it about time to make a start on my own.
He has a garden and a half, the half being his by default as it can only be accessed via his plot so I made a start on that today. I took some pictures, I'll get them on to Flickr or something as soon as I can.
:)
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i have dug and dug then dug a bit more today, OH put the roof on my greenhouse for me, just got to go down and do some more digging........ ;D
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:) Cammy, have a vat of neat gin, believe me you will have a great nights sleep ;)
It's been very mild and sunny here today, so did lots of trimming and tidying, no coat weather :o
A very good friend of mine passed away a couple of weeks ago and her family have given me her greenhouse that I hope will end up on the lottie, just got to take it down and get it there,I have no transport, :P
hehe a hot bath and i am ok :) sorry to hear about your friend but good news about the greenhouse.
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hiya, lee..nice to meet you ;D
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today, phew..
planted the rocket spuds in the poly, mixed sand into the sweet potato bed, moved all the bits of old cardboard onto the compost heap, uncovered the cabbage beds and limed them, transplanted 14 grannie's bonnets (acquilegia) in to pots, transplanted poppies into trays , watered everything in the heated greenhouse that needed it, covered the peach tree to protect it from peach leaf curl, busy busy :o ;D
ray moved all the wood for the bonfire away from the string marking the new poly out, filled the rest of the parsnip bed up, moved the rubbish behind the big greenhouse and put up the 'picket fence' ;D
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Hi Guys,
Managed 5 hours on the allotment, moved at least 15 wheelbarrow loads of compost (well stopped counting at 13 and i know i did more after that) onto new beds.
Cleared/Weeded 2 existing beds. Played with the incinerator and managed to burn a black sack of yucky non compostable weeds (it was still going when i lost the light so i have filled the incenerator with the other 2 bags of damp stuff to smother the fire although i suspect is will be going all night.
Only stopped once for a can of pepsi and a sit down so i am now very very sore (stuipd me)!! But it was such a wonderful day blue sky and warmish!!
Cambourne7 (contemplating not going to lotty tomorrow to recover)
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Hi :)its great hearing about your day, im going to pack the car up tonight for a full sunny day tomorrow. I would like to try sweet potaoes this year, could you tell me where you got the tubers and when to plant? thanks.
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Hello actiongran, can't help with the query but I just thought I'd say welcome, and enjoy your day tomorrow ;D
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manics, Louise, it makes me go weak at the knees just reading what you're doing. Welcome Actiongran!
Any photos you two if you've got time to stop to take any of course! ;D ;D
It's quite frustrating for me, cos it's still dark when i get home from work and last weekend was frozen or pouring and gales. So nothing done.
this weekend too I'm moving furniture and lifting carpets because I've got workmen coming to sand floors. Anyway I might get the house garden shipshape while they are here (once the roofers remove their scaffolding of course!) And since I'm on holiday next week I might just be able to slip to the lottie for a couple of hours when the workmen aren't here. I'll be starting planting some seeds too.
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Put the cover on the polytunnel and filled in the trench around the tunnel to hold down the cover - hope it works this time.
Decided it was too warm to dig ;D so set about sorting out the fruit cage - its not up to Ray's standard but its not bad and it will keep out the feathered and furry beasties.
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Thought I'd have a bash at the garden today. Dug out a 'Seagull' rose which I had decided was a waste of space (spiteful and only flowered once in a season) and broke my new s/steel fork ::) That took all afternoon, and now my back has started going into spasms again. I need a young man to assist. 8)
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After doing the housework (in record time with no skimping), I spent 3 glorious sunny hours sorting out lottie 1 - dug in manure that has stood on the surface on 4 beds. Harvested celeriac, pak choi - still going, as as a flower day sowed my sweet peas.
Also turned the compost heap ready to mulch a couple of beds and found an expired rat.....yuck! The council have baited the sewers nearby and I think this one found it's last refuge under the black plastic covering on the heap. Couldn't find anything else in the heap, luckily.
Tomorrow - lottie 2!
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I need a young man to assist. 8)
Don't we all!! ;D ;D
Sowed a row each of 6 types of Carrots, Planted 50 Freesia bulbs, moved some chives, dug in some manure, chatted, procrastinated and enjoyed the sunshine.
Weed-Digga
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not much done today as Ray's helping Mike fence off the pond so's the little 'un can't fall in when he's bigger :)
so, went for plug plants for the plant sale in May..4 different colours of surfinia, 26.00 for 84, plus 2 different geraniums, 19.20 for 40, 40 hanging baskets, 60p each, plus v.a.t, of course
then we had to clear out the big greenhouse, moved all the cornflowers and poppies outside, covered with fleece, changed the greenhouse gas for the heater.. :)
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Half emptied the big compost bin... (a section of Anderson Shelter) filled some tyres for planting...
;D
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i did some digging,finished weeding strawberry bed,planted more garlic,and planted some peas.wot a lovely day to.
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Fantastic warm day!! Makes you get up and do something.
I sowed carrots, flat leaved parsley, potatoes in tubs indoors till march for very early new spuds.
And went up t' organic growing site and did loads of clearing and tidying before any more seed sowing.
To those with a bad back from digging........dont dig man. Its cool to get the wormies to 'get down' and 'groove' and 'diggit' for you.....man ;D ;D ;D ;D :P
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manics, Louise, it makes me go weak at the knees just reading what you're doing. Welcome Actiongran!
Any photos you two if you've got time to stop to take any of course! ;D ;D
It's quite frustrating for me, cos it's still dark when i get home from work and last weekend was frozen or pouring and gales. So nothing done.
this weekend too I'm moving furniture and lifting carpets because I've got workmen coming to sand floors. Anyway I might get the house garden shipshape while they are here (once the roofers remove their scaffolding of course!) And since I'm on holiday next week I might just be able to slip to the lottie for a couple of hours when the workmen aren't here. I'll be starting planting some seeds too.
thanks garyrc, I paid for it today been so stiff well ok more than stiff as it took 5 min to get out of bed this morning.
So roped in hubbie to do some digging in exchange for sunday lunch at pub and a home made bread and butter pudding while i do more wheelbarrow loads to back fill what he digs. Anyone who knows or has met him will know he hate going to the allotment!!
Hes got the base for the greenhouse to dig out 10ftx10ft, 3 beds 4ftx10ft and my large fruit bed with is a weird shape consiting of 1 3ft x 20ft and 3 4ftx7ft. FUN!!
Dont put yourself under 2 much pressure to get things done all good things happen to those that wait :)
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we played builders today, makingsome concrete foundation for our new old greenhouse. spend in total 7hours there!!
About that I am outraged:
we bought it from another plot where the guy was leaving. he had another greenhouse which was sold to the new tenant. however, the old tenant came back and nicked one of the greenhouse and the door of the one we should have had.
I can't believe people can be so ruthless and selfish, he got the money from both greenhouses and then nicked one of them back!!!!
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well, some of the new parsnip seed has germinated, nowt from the old packs so, in the bed today, under fleece..then back to our daughters while ray helps mike :)
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I said hello to spring :)
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As I'm still not up to full strength yet, I am planning to mobilise the entire family today to help me muck and mushroom compost spread, which desperately needs doing.
I shall sit and offer helpful directions of course ;)....I will post later and see if I survive!
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well i took some pain killers last night as i was so sore i kept waking up, so had an easy day today only 3 hours down the plot.
Hubbie only managed to clear the base of the greenhouse for me but its the worse bit of the garden so i am not surprised thats all he managed.
I managed to get another bed filled and planted with a blackcurrant, blackberry and tayberry plant. These are planted at an angle to get them trained up the fence behing the bed. I will be planting anya potatoes in the rest of the space when they have chitted.
I weeded 2 more beds and topped up the soil level.
Harvested the leeks for chicken and leek pie tomorrow.
Also watered everything.
Home to warm up (wonderful day but once you stop you get cold quickly) with a mug of tea and a bowl of home made bread and butter pudding (made last night).
There is not much soil left so i really need to push through the stiffness tomorrow and clear the last fruit bed against the fence and move the last lot of climbling fruit plants. That will take 5 wheelbarrow loads to fill. And then try and remove the rest before someone else does :) Probably 10-12 wheelbarrows of good stuff left before you have to start picking weeds out.
If i am feeling energetic i can start moving soil into the greenhouse base or weed the last 5 beds which will also need topping up or dig out the last 2 3ftx10ft beds and my weird fruit bed at the back of the plot.
Later in the week i am going to spend some time up there just planting things rather than lugging soil about. Bliss :)
Cambourne7
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Deb P was still alive as she left the plot today... only managed to get her OH (Andy) to help though... her chair was broken, I tried to sit in it!
;D
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Mobilising my whole family ended up just with OH in the end...kids all had better offers apparently..... ::) We managed to get quite a bit done though, I was quite pleased with my muckspreading and barrowing capabilities, Andy did all the heavy shovelling!
Went to have a sit down, and someone had busted my comfy white plastic chair as Saddad said >:( It was one left behind by the previous plotholder and nothing special, other than I have rested my weary bones in it a lot over the past year and a bit....hopefully I will feel up to the last bit of barrowing left to do over the next few days as the sun is predicted to shine.. 8)
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wow Deb P, you sound like you did lots!!
I am ashamed to say i have only just got out of bed and had some food i think i am a little 2 sore to do much today on the lotty so i am going to wander down and do some planting and watering. Providing i can get my large back side in gear and up to the allotment. Might just put on a movie and stay put with a hot water bottle.
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Went down again today as felt not too bad, moved three barrow loads of manure and was knackered! So decided to sort out strawberry bed so I could muddle along on my hands and knees, nice job in the sunshine. Just come home and found a note from OH saying 'the cats are trying to get something in the hall'....very cryptic;.... until I walked into the dining room and found a deceased mouse awaiting my delectation! Two cats bombed down the stairs to take credit, well you have to praise them don't you.... :-\
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Dug over a raised bed. Sorted out bean poles from a load of trees I felled a few weeks ago. Cleared an area ready for the next raised bed. Pulled the last of my leeks .
While clearing away, 2 rather large mice ran between my feet and into the hedge. I was a bit worried they were baby rats, but when I lifted a piece of wood, there was a tiny nest where they had run from. So they must have been mice....phew! I covered it back over and left it alone. I know some other lottie owners would want me to 'get rid of them' but they dont pinch much out of my lottie, and I always grow plenty more than I need.
Apologies to all those plagued by mice ::)
Off to soak in nice hot bath now.....oooh, me back ;D
cj :)
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A lovely hot weekend, I harvested carrots, parsnips and leeks and took home some stored PFA's. I dug over the ground ready for my onions and put up my mesh for my peas and planted some that my neighbour had pregrown and I put some plastic down to warm the early spud area. ;D ;D ;D
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I power washed all my steps, walls and patio. As usual I got just and wet as I always do. It soon dried up in the sunshine. This weather is very welcome. More, more, more nice days and I can do the upper level this week. :)
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I did a little digging, and got the communal hedge trimmer out for some heavy hacking. There's a lot more of that to do during the week.
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You industrious lot you!! :D
I've just moved in to a house with a (presumably empty) lottie patch in the garden......I just stood next to it and wondered what to do next!!
Logged on here for some info as I've not done gardening before!!
I'll keep on surfing through for ideas!!
;D
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Welcome MiniTC, why not pop the dimentions into a post in 'the basics' and some ideas what you want to grow and i am sure you get get lots of tips!!
I will be watching with intrest as i am looking to move house and that means giving up the lotty so will be looking to grow veg in the new garden instead :)
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Thank You.......I'll get the measuring stick out and do just that!! ;D
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Well I can finally answer this post.
I plucked up the courage to go to the lottie a few days ago,just for a look, I am still having sadness from the devestation of the floods last year so haven't been for months. We were so close to chucking it, even after laying plastic on one lottie. I was almost sure I would give up even if John went.
I went back again today after a good long talking to by me.
I weeded the aparagus bed and found two spears about two inches long which I snacked on. I then pulled some beetroot, salsify, parsnips and celery that had somehow survived. I went into one geenhouse were the dead tomato plants were still in their pots and amazingly I ate 5 small tomatoes.Well done Sungold.
The sun was warm, no wind and I was relatively comfortable so I came back feeling much better with plans now buzzing in my head.
All's right with my world!!
XX Jeannine
PS Is celery supposed to overwinter!!
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wow, good news for your Jeannine and glad to see your new found entusiasm :)
Myself, i have been up to the lotty today as the stiffness has started to wear off and managed to plant one entire bed with a row of leeks, 4 rows of carrots and 2 rows of shallots these fit under 2 plastic closhes which is just as well as by the time i had finished i could see my breath with the temp drop. Between the 2 closhes i have planted some jumbo marigolds :)
Harvested some parsnips and came home to warm up.
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Planted out a row of first earlies. ;D ;D ;D
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Did two rows of 24 shallots, watered the frames and weeded out the first carrots.. then hung a side gate that I got cheap only to realise when I'd finished that it's the wrong way round... !
;D
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Hard to believe this is February .Had to sit under the parasol ,the sun was so bright.
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Couldn't move any more muck as the pile was a bit frozen, where the sun was everything else had thawed out so decided to harvest my last 3 black Tuscan kale and transplant some of my Gariguette strawberry runners in their row instead.
Still have an embarrassment of leeks left, so I'm digging up 4 every visit and thinking of creative recipes to help use them all up.....I need to clear the bed so I can manure it!
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I cant see out the windows here still very thick fog which has not lifted, so i cant see me making it up to the allotment today.
Going to stay at home and pop some stuff into sow on the windowledge and have a tidy up here.
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A final raking for the onion bed and put the string lines down ready for the weekend. ;D ;D ;D
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ummmmmmm ummmmmmmm digging yes more digging, am slowly getting sumwhere, if we have risk of frost still can i plant onions or not? or do u think its btr to leave another couple o wks?
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:)another beautiful day, Red Arrows practising over lottie, love hearts for valentines day, very scary, thought they were going to crash :o
Put in two David Austin roses in memory of two friends who have sadly passed away in the last few weeks
watered my carrots,lettuce,leeks, onions,sweet peas, in the greenhouse,
weeded my broad beans,
harvested,curly kale,romanesco and leeks/ shades x
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Well after going through my garden ruthlessly yesterday I made a trip to the local tip with the stuff I couldn't recycle. Then went up the lottie, marked out my beds, dug over two of them (again), dug holes for the edging of the paths, put down the weed supressant and jumped up and down on the planks that are my edgings to get them to go into the holes i'd dug, fell off and landed on my coccyx (apologies for spelling), laughed like a mad thing (think that was hysteria), drank coffee and went home! And have spent the last several hours mooching on here! ;D
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Planted a cherry and a self fertilsing Cox in my garden today........and I'm in BIG trouble when the Bearded Wonder looks out of the kitchen window in the morning and sees that I've dug two big holes and planted them in the middle(ish) of his lovely lawn......... ;D ;D ;D ;D
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.......well its been really nice knowing you Emaggie.....what did the Bearded Wonder say then..? :o :o ;D
Twinkletoes
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He hasn't noticed yet......so I live to see another day ;D ;D
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emaggie that is very funny about the trees in middle of oh lawn lol, did make me giggle, let us all know his reaction when he notices them. :)
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Nothing yet and we are at NEC until Tuesday evening, so I could actually stay alive until Wednesday ;)
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I did this
and the lads did this
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Such a nice sunny day, spent a happy 3 hours down the plot the longest I have managed since coming out of hospital! Spread some muck around my fruit bushes, put some more mushroom compost on one of the raised beds, went through my compost bins and turned the compost into the empty one......very productive day! I had a very friendly blackbird follow me around as well hoping for worms.... ;D
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Spent the whole day at the lottie - fantastic.
Dug the rest of the long bed
Took some photos - they are on my gallery
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Grrr... this is making me soooo jealous. I'm suffering from lottie deprivation. I've been stuck in the house all week while various workmen did various jobs and now that they've gone I'm painting.. :( :( :(
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I put my cloches up, tidied the shed, planted my horseradish and sowed a lot of seeds in propogators to go indoors 8)
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I put in two lines of onions today and some more peas. ;D ;D ;D
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Today I made raised beds ready for planting Onions and Shallots
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I put in my Shallots in ,spread some poo,dug in a bed of(not as easy as it looked i can tell you) Hungarion grazing rye, and planted a Merryweather Damson. :)
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Um......nothing up lottie today, still waiting for my blisters to heal from Fri! But I did clean my garden shed out - so not really been lazy! ;D
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Carried on with some digging then went down to the bottom lottie to weed the raised beds, but they were still frozen - and that was at 11.30 am in sunny Essex!
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...nothing, been to get paint for repainting the house. So far have undercoated 2 rooms and just taking a break to have a cup of tea then get dinner on were having Carbonnade of Beef with Wholegrain Mustard Croutons (http://www.ocado.com/content/html/recipes3/carbonnadeOfBeef.html) replacing the 2 onions with 10 shallots :)
and get a nice desert (bread and butter pudding) to help our aching bones melt into the sofa. These will all be in the oven while were painting the hall, stairs and landing with undercoat.
Tomorrow when the hubbie is at work (resting :)) i have to go pick up the rest of the paint in town then start moving packing boxes into the garage. If the weather is calm my big job tomorrow is to repaint the fence pannels in the back garden (only 18 of them) and fit the wooden boards for the boarders in the front part of the back garden :) Then i might get up to the allotment :)
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Blimey! Remember to breathe at some point Cam!!! :o
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Well went down me plot with neighbour who has the plot next to me,
I am suffering with cracked ribs, so just sat and watch world go by, oh and my m8 were he had good old burn up,
depressing really but least the weather was ace.
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weeded between the onions and garlic, laid out for raised beds and had a chat with one of the other plot holders
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Nothing apart from dig a few parsnips for tea... OH's Birthday, friends up and Andy had an away Rugby match... but he did score his first try... and we got to the National Memorial Arboretum...
;D
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we finished it yaaaaay ;D
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WOW Manicscousers very impressive. Well, we started digging our new plot today. You never know one day we might be as great at this allotment thing as you lol ;)
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Well done Manics... when are you coming down to do one for me?
8)
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Hey Manics - fantastic. Is that a community Polytunnel?
I fan trained the Cherry Tree and raked over the bed that I dug yesterday, pulling out the horsetail as I went ::)
Waited for a newbie plotholder, who didn't show >:(
Here is a piccie of my fruit cage - I think the wonkiness adds to its rustic appeal ;D ;D
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we're all knackered now, they're all going back to work for a rest ;D
yep, smp, communal, we'll use it for the plant sale, then everyone gets a share :)
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i am devastated went to lotty and found my first of prob many disaster's all my marigold seedlings had died.nothing else just those.... gutted. oh well just start all over. mpg
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Died or slugged MPG?
:-\
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i assume died through lack of water but ev thing else was fine, which don't make sense, only thing i can think of as im still missing some paines of glass is that a cat has gone in and sat on them or walked over, they were flat, so dunno, ho hum, dont wish the slugs just yet lol we had them in armaders coming across the garden last yr, dread t think what lotty will b like.
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Popped down lottie at 4pm with OH, so made the most of his brawn and got him to heave a few bags of mushroom compost onto various bits of the plot. Also eventually got around to tidying up my greenhouse at home and transported the used compost from my cucumbers to the plot to top up this years roots bed.
Now I just have to give the greenhouse a really good scrub......hope it's sunny again tomorrow! ;D
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Blimey! Remember to breathe at some point Cam!!! :o
Breathing whats that :)
If i can get the house sorted then i can get back on the lotty and by then it might be warm enough to do something. Just been out with the rubbish and its so cold !!
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Yep its horrid down here at the mo, went to wash hair this morning and discovered my shampoo had frozen! :o
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Sowed 3 trays of lettuce and remainder of broad beans. Put out two cold frames that had been stored in the shed. Dug in loads of shredded paper into the bottom of beans trenches. Drank loads of tea and had a good chat with people up there.
Looking forward to Spring.
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Beautiful day yesterday - very sunny but cold. Got some strawberries planted out and covered with cloches. Also rotavated the carrot bed and levelled over.
Twinkletoes
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Myself and Mrs Smith went down the lotty with the rotovator for the first time to have a go at the digging we did four weeks ago apart from other jobs we had to do, needless to say I'm mens bits and the rotovator is going to the workshops tomorrow because it started to splutter, but a I can now get mi spuds :)
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I decided to go and replant some of my strawberry's however when I went to take them out I found the soil frozen soiled. They are doing alright green shoot everywhere , any one else had this happen
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we both cleared out the hedge (100 foot)on my daughter in laws home she only moved in last summer and the garden hadn't been touched for years. cut it back hard and cleared all the debris that had collected and been dumped over time even a dirty nappy :o
we wanted to get the bind weed and ivy under control. we came across a slow worm he was very lively, beautiful !st one we've seen this year, with this fantastic warm sun in sheltered areas we thought we might have seen more.
By the way. The slow worm was moved to a cleared part of the hedge, left to bury himself in the roots then we gave him a generous covering of the old tree debris to keep him warm.
Now we're shattered but happy
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Nothing at all - couldn't see from one end of the site to the other due to fog!
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Did some more digging today. Ache all over. Boy am I going to have some muscles (I'll look like Fatima Whitbread by the end of the week I reckon!). Took a chair and a drink today so spent a bit longer on lottie. Took it in turns to take a 5 min break. Decided to have a rest tomorrow. Dont want to work the other OH too hard as he's so keen at the moment.
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the other OH wheelabo? You got two? ???
Blimey I have enough trouble with one 8) :D
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Oops! :-[ I definitely only have one although another one would be good if it was David Beckham ;)
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Cleared out the shed and moved some manure into an empty dalek. ;D ;D ;D
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I put the capillary matting down in the big greenhouse while Ray and Phil tried to fix the rips in the polytunnel :(
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did nothing on lotty weather 2 bad pea soup all day.
still spring cleaning 4 valuers all but one room in the house painted, carpet cleaner arrives tomorrow we have 30 hours to finish the house. oh and i have 2 re paing all the skirting boards & doors.
we have managed to fill 3 family sized green wheelie bins (2 were ours one is neighbours) with magazines and sheaded old bills some since 2002 wow but only half a black wheelie bin of rubish ;) 1 bag of clothes to sally army and a black sack of books to the local library ;-)
Got 3 trips of boxes in the car to go, and a desk, beer fridge, filing cabinet & coffee table all to be packed away.
Allotment would be more fun but at least the house is clean, tidy and dust free as my eyes are running non stop at the moment.
cam
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Hi
Well spent the day digging today and enjoying the sun, but god it was still cold. Hoping for a warmer day tomorrow
Barry :)
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Hiya, barry, welcome to the site..don't know where you are , we're expecting a bit milder but possibly rainy ;D
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Welcome Barry, yes we are meant to have a balmy 10 or 13 deg tomorrow, and a warm night as well. Then I guess it will snow next week :P :-\
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Welcome Barry... hope you like the site...
Confined to bed until midday... but OH started 240 Onions in cells and then I dug some bits of HorseRadish.... and posted them off.
:)
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welcome to the site Barry.
I'm hoping for an ok day on Friday - I've got the day off! As long as it doesn't rain all day, I'll be happy...
Managed to finish work early today and spent an hour on the lottie until it got dark. Even then I didn't want to leave! Only did a bit of digging for my potato bed - they're chitting in the hallway at the moment so that's extra incentive as soon as I get home!
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Cut down my Raspberries and give them a application of poo,then weeded my Comfrey patch put some poo there too. Dug up some("we will be looking like a leek soon if ya bring anymore home" ::) ) leeks,cut a cabbage,put the world to rights with pigeon Al on the plot next to me.went home to find that we are eating out tonight because someone >:( forgot to put the chicken on before he went to the allotment. :-[
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We went and got some horse poo. OH forgot the spade so we used our hands (we did have gloves on because that was MY job and I remembered). It was great fun :D :D
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Pricked out seedlings..................did shopping ugh..............then had little energy for much else as I was up till silly o'clock waiting for the eclipse, which didnt want to be seen :(
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went to inspect the rest of the capillary matting that ray and phil had sorted, looks really good and it works ;D
spent the rest of the day sowing seeds, brilliant ;D
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Mal, so sad to read of your poly tunnel news. I hope something really nasty happens to the blighters responsible for the damage i.e. all their digits drop off one by one, they get the green apple quickstep every weekend for the forseeable future, and the only cure is to eat their bodyweight of the veg they hate most every day. >:(
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BW noticed the trees this morning :o.....and I was saved by the door bell.
Hopefully nothing more will be said until he mows the lawn. ;D
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Sowed tommies, celery and celeriac yesterday, dug over the soil and de-stoned ready for the carrots and harvested leeks, cabbage, carrots and PFA spuds today. ;D ;D ;D
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well I had planned on going to the lotty today after i brought the carpet cleaner back and picked up my currency. Instead i had to come home and call the car insurance so some idiot decided to back into my parked up stationary car. The MAN was driving a 3 week old merc and his insurance will cover it so no harm done just a little inconveniance. But when i finished with the insurance people it was 2 late to go to the lotty.
My tomatos, courgettes and pumpkins are just starting to pop there heads though and might be ready in about 3 weeks to go out hopefuly when the weather is better.
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Stayed at home and sorted out the greenhouse at last! Moved out the last of the used growbags, swept up and hosed everything down, just got to assemble my two new mini greenhouses ready to go inside (I use them for hardening off as the greenhouse isn't heated) and sort out my growing arrangements for this year.
I'm thinking of swapping the staging in my home greenhouse with the lottie one, as the one at home isn't as tall or long, and the bigger one is in the smaller greenhouse which is not very sensible! That will have to wait until tommorrow when OH with van is available...... ;)
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Just back from two hour stint put in another raised bed and started to break down the winter digging I have done, it is now just right for the rotovator to run over which I will do on Monday, to morrow will be putting some muck and compost in the raised bed, I don't believe it but I seem to be spending more time on the lotty than I do at work(only work part time now) :)
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we moved all the plants that are okay in cold into the poly, I planted up 24 lots of sweet peas into black buckets, transplanted some bacopa that's bursting out of the pots, Ray put down weed control on to the paths and put boards up where the beds will be in the poly :)
I also transplanted some little gem lettuce, red mustard and sowed some radish into a polystyrene fish box, I always do this for an extra early salad crop ;D
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Sowed some seeds at long last (at home), then went plotwards and planted the earlies. Had a chat with my plottie neighbour who I haven't seen for ages and sadly, he told me he has cancer :( :'(. He is having chemo and I'll keep everything crossed for him.
Made some wonderful support arrangement around my raspberries :o and also the blackberry. The result seems to have amused plottie on the other side. ;D Thought it was quite artistic meself 8).
Got cold, felt sad, went home.
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Chopped hedges. 30 strawberry runners arrived from Blackmoor Nurseries, so I left them in a bucket of water overnight. I'm going to pot them up and grow them on in a cold frame till I lift the onions, then plant them out and let them get really well established for next year.
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Dug over my tattie area, working in some of the manure and de-stoned the carrot to be bed again ??? I'm sure the stone fairy has been back and poured more on the bed. ;D ;D ;D.
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Sowed some seeds at long last (at home), then went plotwards and planted the earlies. Had a chat with my plottie neighbour who I haven't seen for ages and sadly, he told me he has cancer :( :'(. He is having chemo and I'll keep everything crossed for him.
Made some wonderful support arrangement around my raspberries :o and also the blackberry. The result seems to have amused plottie on the other side. ;D Thought it was quite artistic meself 8).
Got cold, felt sad, went home.
Sorry about your neighbour Emaggie.My neighbour had done nothing on her plot for months and then I discovered she has managed to get a plot that was left in really good condition.That did not please me to much.I have taken over her old plot and when I did so I called round to ask if she wants anything she left on the plot.No,apart from slabs,slabs duly collected.Big pain of broken glass left behind.
I rang her today and asked when she was going to collect that.She was very offhand and said she will try to get down next weekend.Such an arrogant attitude.Anyway on the positive side I started digging out yet another bed and cleared the plot of loads of bits she has left behind.But I am so slow.Cant keep pace with the ideas in my head.Oh planted my Jerusalem artichoke.First time I have tried these.
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Oh planted my Jerusalem artichoke.
Only one! Between two of you! You are so brave. :P
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Oh planted my Jerusalem artichoke.
Only one! Between two of you! You are so brave. :P
I know darling but someone has to do it ;D
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Sowed some seeds (indoors):
Carrot, Rosemary, Basil, Dill, Onion, Broccoli, Celery and Garlic Chives.
Potatoes are chitting in Greenhouse. Will plant the earlies w'end of 15/16th march.
(Have given up my allotment, so will be planting in garden )
Q: Have got conifer hedging which needs to be trimmed down before birds begin nesting.
Can I use the large cuttings for hedging?
If so, how is it done?
Debs
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I must confess cue to my husbands work commitments we have not been down to the lottie in two weeks ( smack on the wrist) but we will be spending the next three days there catching up. I have been planting at home, and am going to do my chilllies today, and tomorrow start measuring my no dig beds on the second half of my lottie, ready for my winter veg. One side is going to be for summer growth and the other winter growth, so I know what I am planting and then rotate. sounds good in theory lets see if I can do it in real life lol
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Just back from the lotti once more and I'm ready for a pint :), I finished our second raised bed off and filled it with muck and compost. This morning two fellow allotmentiers turned up with their rotovators I will rotovate mine tomorrow just hope it does not rain in the meantime, one of the old boys certainly knew how to use a rotovator he just walked alongside of it with one hand on the handle (show off) :) byeeeee
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I couldn't sleep last night so only got up at 8.30 this morning. After a leisurely breakfast with the papers and A4A (I am on my 4th cup of tea now) I shall head off to plant some shallots/garlic bulbs. Its a root day today so they should go well - I may even sow some beetroot in modules for the cold frame - not sure yet. ??? I'll also harvest this weeks veg as still dark by the time I get home from work. ;D
Unfortunately I have finished all the digging and clearing I need to do for now - so waiting for the proper sowing season to really get going. It will have to come soon otherwise I'll bankrupt myself buying seeds - have to feed the addiction some way. ::)
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i helped the step children plant planters for their mum and nans and built my wonderful new compost bin which is now well under way, i planted a lavender bush for the patio and generally tidied around, this morning was spent watching my step son and then my nephew play rugby very enjoyable, not sure what im gonna do today but need to practice my drumming for my lesson tomorrow night, so much to do so little time lol :D
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Dug out the last of my carrots. Some are only little, but very sweet. While digging over my veg patch at home I found 18 more Charlottes I missed ::). (planted them in August for Christmas last year). Emptied the compost from all last years tubs and pots and that went on the veg patch.
Hid three huge bags of wetted leaves behind the conifers. They can rot away nicely out of site.
Yesterday we managed to get the greenhouse frame up, what a performance. Can smile now that it's up....As the patio it's on is high up the greenhouse looks massive. I have nicknamed it Crystal....as in Crystal Palace ;D
Afterwards I went to Wyvale to spend my vouchers I got from that compost company (Found glass in compost). I bought a new border fork and one of those potting tray thingies and paid the small difference ;D.
So it's been a great week end so far :)
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We had a work party day up the lottie site so hubby repaired a fence and helped clean up the place and i worked on our plots as i do loads as secretary i bow out of the work party's.
Planted some Joan J rasps given to me by a fellow plot holder (yes you ;D)
dug more of plot 1 clearing bindweed roots and masses of marestail :(
Put in the shallots and sowed carrots. We cleared a load of rubbish we inherited on the plots.
Came home and pricked out loads of onions and Pansy's sown last autumn, in between i did a pile of ironing, changed beds, cleaned the house and cooked a roast dinner, like you do ;D
We also went to see a free greenhouse we will collect next weekend ! phew someone make Sundays longer ;D
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Iwas away all weekend so didn't get anything done either Caseylee...
Dawn you are just showing off!!
;D
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Dawn you are just showing off!!
No Dave showing off would be if i had managed to finish the list of jobs i had planned ;D ;D
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Well I manage to do my rotovating this morning very pleased with the finish to the digging I did last month the rotovator finished it off, we also managed to dig another thirty sq metre with the fork and then I made several passes over it with the rotovator which really broke it down, if all goe's to plan with work I will be off Thursday so it will be another digging session followed by the rotovator, :)
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I managed to replant my strawberries today, I got a beautiful black currant bush from a fellow freecycler which I have replanted, my husband finished off the glass in my greenhouse, and set up my new water butt, I replanted my sunflowers, and added supports to my peas. I am off to pick up my tyres at 1pm to get my potatoes on the go, and then this afternoon my husband is going to go and fetch a my other greenhouse I got off freecycle togo on my allotment, and then I can move my seeds over. Today has been a good day
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Planted out some red onion sets and my Jermor shallots yesterday. Just hope they will be okay and we don't go into a period of frosty weather, but I didn't want to leave it too late. I can always nip over and put some fleece on the shallots if need be I suppose, but it was good to get them in. OH has sown some tomatoes seeds in the house, and I am going to review my seed bucket to see what I can be starting. Just good to be doing something productive. Wonder of wonders most of my beds at the lottie are now dug over. busy_lizzie
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At long last we have finally dug the last of our lotty which is 250sq meter, I will run the rotovator over the last of it on Monday morning depending on the weather, then go back to the start and attach mi plough implement which I have knocked up from some scrap I had laying about and run it through to make the furrows for our spud's :), happy planting folks
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I put my blackout sheets down for my no dig beds, planted parsnips, and some lettuce, cleaned the greenhouse, and sorted home garden ad lottie was too muddy
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My God! It's freezing cold, it's dark and a lacewing has just flown in the open door and landed on my laptop. :o :o What do I do??
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My God! It's freezing cold, it's dark and a lacewing has just flown in the open door and landed on my laptop. :o :o What do I do??
I'd close the door! ;) ;D
G x
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;D ;D ;D
Seriously Grawc, if you have a shed, put the lacewing in there..........?
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Point taken you two!! ::) ::) Anyway it's somewhere in the utility room now and the door is not only closed but locked...
And I did nothing in the garden today apart from that because I spend ages doing my lottie committee minutes, still moving furniture and (no I'm not shouting) PICKED UP MY BRAND NEW CAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Yay......fantastic, hope it runs really well for you! ;)
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Harvested some carrots, string lined and dug a small trench and lined with leaf mould ready for the carrots, but it was far too windy to sow them today but was nice and warm in the sun 8) when the wind dropped a bit. ;D ;D ;D
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humph :(
you really want to try Edinburgh ::)
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I planted the rest of the early spuds,and silver moon onions..transplanted some yucca and poppies..took the rest of the toms, chilies and peppers to the poly..went to my daughter's for lunch and spent half an hour transplanting tomato, melon and pepper seedlings at home..lovely day
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which melon seeds have you planted, I have a few I am dying plant but didden't know if it was too early
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i havent done anything, still suffering from cracked ribs, why cant i ever injure myself in the quiet times. :-\
especially soon its all going on
have fun
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I repotted an azalea and a jasmine that I got very very cheap in Homebase today.
Sowed Red baron sets, and golden delight sets.
Gave growmore to the garlic.
Set some of my chilli leggy seedlings in toilet rolls to support them.(as seen somewhere on the forum)
:D :D
Cemented in a brick edging to my lawn too.
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Gave all my beds a good going over, planted a pear at the back of one of my sheds the idea being to use the back of the shed as a wall. The batteries on my camera run down before i could take one of the back of the shed but there is one there.... honest. ;D
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[attachment=1] Sorry posted the same picture twice???is this a new way of posting pictures,if so how do ya do it. ???
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Pea structure up (ta Hubby xxx)
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/MothersDayatthePlot001.jpg
Garlic and over wintering onions weeded
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/MothersDayatthePlot018.jpg
Radox bath running ;D
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At long last we have finished the last of the rotovating this morning, I must say so myself that the lotty looks a treat compared to what it was five weeks ago Mrs Smith painted the our new shed and we also had our first brew this morning on the on the lotty another two weeks and for us it will be all systems go with getting ourstuff in, :)
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I spent a happy couple of hours being followed around by a very fearless Blackbird as I tided up a plot opposite mine. I was hacking out bits of old air raid shelter and clearing the path so you could see it, the Blackbird helping by eating some chafer bugs I uncovered as I cut the turf back. Cut out a load of brambles, pruned some fruit bushes so you can walk down the path without being spiked, dug up some buried plastic bags and a bit of semi rotted carpet...all in all a very pleasant morning! ;D
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I planted some carrots and beetroot in the cold greenhouse, and some earlu spring onions, and some summer bulbs
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cleaned out the bunnies, swept out the shed, raked the path, brought some pots in to clean, lit the incinerator, lit a bonfire.
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Managed to sneak out after work and put in a couple of supports... roll on BST
;D
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Nearly finished hedge hacking over the weekend. A few more yards, and I'll have neat hedges again, and won't be picking thorns out of my hands every week. Just in time before nesting season as well.
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my work was much more genteel - sowed scorzonera, burdock, lemon grass and salsify and debated whether to fix the broken glass in the greenhouse or wait until the march winds have been and gone :-\
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nothing yet, had a sore throat so went back to sleep for a couple of hours!!
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ray and phil put the cover on phil's polytunnel, I transplanted poppies, flower seedlings, basil and celeriac seedlings and uncovered the bed for peas, raked it so's the early ones can go out under plastic at the weekend ;D
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Finished hedge chopping at last, with much relief, moved the cardoon, which is now three cardoons, and planted a Victoria plum to replace the one I lost two years ago. I've had a cold all week, and didn't have the energy to do any more than that.
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transplanted melons, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, sowed lettuce, cabbage, red and greyhound, planted up some of deb's peanuts in pots, can't wait to see what happens ;D
on the plot, planted out the sturon onions at last, will wait another week to plant the red ones, transplanted a gutterfull of early peas into a trench :)
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sowed 12 rows of broad beans, prepared the first bed for peas that are waiting to go in, sowed some beetroot, picked some girl thingy willows to bring home and muttered a humble wish for the gales to go away :(
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In the middle of the week I had a delivery of my soft fruit order (T&M) - and today was the first opportunity to plant out 12 'Autumn Bliss' raspberry canes and 3 Invicta goosebrry bushes. You can see I'm trying soft fruit in a big way this year!
The rasps went into a manured bed, the gooses (geese?) into holes dug into a grassed area - with the soil replaced by a blend of rotted manure and compost sieved from my 'ready to be used' heap. if the d**n things fail I will be gutted!
A.
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mulched the raspberries and tied in the summer fruiting ones. Dug a trench for the spuds and added manure at the bottom, spuds in tomorrow.
Worried about the polytunnel - will it still be standing on Monday but not sure what I can do to secure it even more. :-\
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nothing today! very windy and rainy here too so no point in trying to go digging :(
sowed some flower seeds indoors instead and contemplated transplanting my chillis - the compost is outside though so I didn't ::)
then spent the rest of the day sanding my bedroom floor ready for some varnish. I also sanded my fingers in the process; I have no fingerprints left! ;D ah well I'm sure it'll be worth it!
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Took some compost to the lottie and mixed the bins, filled two daleks with manure, was going to sow some carrot seeds but it was far to windy. The wind was getting worse and could feel the rain in the air so called it a day. ;D ;D ;D
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Did a load more seed sowing in modules....first lot of brassicas are in... ;D
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Yesterday hubby joined me about 3pm at the lottie to make a start on the first of five raised beds. I had stained the boards during the week to save some time. We managed to complete one raised bed yesterday (Friday).
Got up early today and made a great start on the remaining four raised beds. Had to stop for a short while as it rained quite heavily. We managed to excavate for four more raised beds and now that project is complete. \0/.
All I have to do now is remove way too much soil out of each bed and find some place for it in other areas. Will deffo wait now to start on the paths. Weed suppressant fabric topped with chippings.
Lauren :)
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Been hastily putting the finishing touches to the chicken coup before the OH arrived home with 15 ex-battery hens we are re-homing. Spent the rest of the afternoon just watching them finding their way around.
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Weent to th eoffice >:(
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Cleared out three of my beds, cultivated them again ready for my spuds. I was going to put spuds in tomorrow but it is forecast gales so will have to wait 2 weeks. (away next weekend)
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Cleared out perpetual spinach bed yesterday and loaded in the cattle manure ready for the beans - sowed my sunflower and marigolds today in the greenhouse.
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just wished I was outside sowing rather than inside sewing ::) ;D
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Sowed Little Gem lettuce, Marketmore cucumber, Ziena F1 cucumber, Gypsy F1 pepper.
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Mended the compost bin, then filled it up with horse manure ready to rot down for the autumn or next year. Then weeded the asparagus bed - some shoots coming up already, so mulched it again!
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went for a couple of hours as we were going for lunch..fed the fruit, watered everything in the poly that needed it, uncovered another bed in there to rake..tidied up a bit and planted another 4 buckets of sweet peas, :)
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We removed the old wooden 20 foot greenhouse before the wind blew it down. It was held together by silicone I think, the wood was totally rotten, we were surprised it was still standing, anyway it is down. practically no glass saved sadly as it was almost impossible to remove, but we got a bit..tomprrow the old shed!!
XX Jeannine
Oh and I forgot, we dug up the 30 year old grape vine and replanted it inanother greenhouse.................you never know it might make it.
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Planted some black bamboo I was given 3 weeks ago, it looked a bit sad but there were new shoots at the bottom, and transferred more seedlings to greenhouse from sewing room. This has to be the best germinating place ever for me. BW dripping like an old tap 'cos we had romanesco for dinner and he HATES it. :o :( (I grew it) also he now has to eat home made marmalade, what a life! ::)
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Spent 5 hours on the back ornamental garden - pruning etc. This always seems so pointless to me, but i suppose the shredded prunings add to the compost heap. And barbeques in the summer are good in a nice setting. What really needed was a good dig rather than prettying the shrubs.......oh well. At least I can't be hauled back when the sowing and planting season truly hits the lotties.
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Got in the onion 50 each of Centurion and Red Baron. Also 3 rows (or 39 seeds) of Lady Christl - hopefully I will have enough mint to keep up with all those spuds. As a bit of an experiments and also because I didn't want to dig a fourth trench, I used 10 of the famed black buckets, one spud in each.
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Still waiting for my Red Baron to arrive....... >:(
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Yesterday.. repaired a small section of fence. Tidied the 3 small raised beds, cut water pipe to lengths and inserted them as hoops over the strawberry bed and the bed that is going to be for peas. Emptied some bags of rotted horse manure. Considering today's weather glad I didn't get round to putting the covers over raised beds :) Potted up some sweet peas.
Today no gardening... ironing, hoovering and reading!!!!!
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The weather is Swindon is horrible so nothing done today, and it looks like this weather is in for the whole week
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It was very windy down here but it stopped raining for a bit so I managed to spend an hour in the lottie after work before the sun set - the days are getting longer hurrah! :D
still digging and pulling couchgrass out - that stuff could take over the world! Now enjoying a lovely cuppa out of the wind, feeling rather pleased with myself :)
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Good for you Tatiana..
:)
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hi saddad :)
by the way thanks again for the jostaberry twigs - they're all sprouting now apart from one. Very impressed, that's one tough plant!
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I sowed some lettuce (just a few :D), put in some Kestrel spuds. Potted on chillis and a lone sweet pepper that had germinated late.
My carrots I sowed on the 8th Feb under a cloche.....have germinated ;D ;D ;D!!!! Weeeeee
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A bit of a story.
Last year, I found some aluninium frame pieces which I was going to use to make a cold frame or greenhouse staging. When I put the bits together I found they made an almost complete grennhouse apart from the base and glass. So I made a base, bought new glass and put up the greenhouse.
Anyway, yesterday someone asked me if I wanted some glass as they had a lot left on the plot they'd taken over; oh and they also had the base to a greenhouse - can you see where this is going?
I took base and spare glass and today went to look how I'm going to fit this onto existing greenhouse - all the bolts etc are there so should be quite straightforward tomorrow..............
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........and jolly good luck Davee. Hope it does the trick.
Fiddled about in my garden all afternoon... even in the rain. All things pruned and most of the bits moved that needed moving. Very satisfying. I feel I'm getting somewhere at last. Got to hang around for the carpet fitter tomorrow so I have just sorted seeds for sowing this month, and lots of potting on to do. It's going to be a lovely day so long as I don't get the d&v bug from BW. :-\
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Harvested carrots and savoy cabbage in the rain yesterday, had them with PFA's and chicken today. ;D ;D ;D
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Thought I would beat the rain predicted for the weekend, and cleared the last of my leeks away then planted four raised beds with early potatoes! Put a double layer of poundland fleece over the top of them, they look well snug. ;D
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Last summer I drop layered a straggly thyme, today I had a look and potted several nicely rooted stems. Sowed french marigolds, then sat with a coffee in the sunshine :D
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planted up the rest of the spuds and onions, sowed some more carrots , radish and parsnips, under cover..raked some of the poly beds and cleaned all the paths ;D
earthed up the spuds in the poly, sowed marigolds..potted up free gladioli corms
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Went and got two trailer loads of manure from the stables round the corner. Two 12m rows of potatoes planted. Back sore - so watching some rugby while cooking dinner!
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Harvested carrots, leeks and parsnips. Also I acquired two pallet build ups, thats what I call them anyway, they are four pieces of wood that can be connected to a pallet, I'm using them for a small raised bed. ;D ;D ;D
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Not been able to get up to the lottie today, so bought myself a mini greenhouse (3 tier from Instore £9.99) and have sown Pansy Black Beauty, Marigold French Bonita, Cosmos and Lobelia Saphire. Also done a few parsnips, onions and Little Gem Lettuce after following the guide from the lovely person who did the Gardener's Almanac post. So now I'm off to battle with greenhouse and the lousy instructions.....how hard can it be?! lol ;D
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Got to the lottie at last hooray!!! First time this week due to weather :( Planted some onions and carrots in between. First things I've planted there so fingers crossed :)
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Not a lot. I had to go shopping with the wife, and by the time I got to the plot it was throwing it down. So all I did was pot up Carolinej's strawberries. I've got 3kg of onion sets to go in, and haven't started yet.
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Still chucking it down so this morning I've repotted my alpine strawberry seedlings, the sugarbaby melon seedlings, basil, coriander, parsley curled and chives. All before 9am! lol ;D
Also sown some Sub Arctic Tomatoes and some Gardener's Delight. Just the peppers and the hanging basket plants to go and then it's off to hit the books :(
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planted some purple asparagus as best I could as the ground is very sticky with all the rain - first peas are planted out and looking good, still harvesting kale, sprout tops, oriental salads and parsnips as the old year closes and a new one begins :)
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Yesterday I put some early spuds in and I was going to do allkinds of things today but it is is peeing down :)
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sowed 2 types of turnip, spring onions and more peas in a gutter..still planting up gladioli bulbs ;D
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pulled up my new raised beds, wasnt happy with underlying soil level, sorted out the levels and laid again, put down some manuar
sweetcorn has started to come up so have my second sowing of tomatoes and tomatillos
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Sweetcorn already? In Edinburgh? :o
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the are in fibre pots in a propagator on the bathroom window - no chance of them germinating out side, hopefully the weather will be better by the time they are due to be planted out.
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Day off today, and have completed the household chores this morning. So taking a sandwich, a flask and off to the lottie for the rest of the day. Bliss. :)
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Lovely warm day so took advantage and planted 6 rows of Shallots and 4 double rows of broad beans
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Potted up 26 varietes of chillis go the same amount ready to be planted out, all the rest I'll sell!
Phew took all day! Strimming and planting out tomorrow! It's all go here!
Spring is here!
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Biscombe can you tell spring to hurry up north ;D
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Bloody cold here today, nothing doing. :( :'( ;D ;D ;D
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Popped in the greenhouse and covered EVERYTHING :o
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Very pleased that I haven't got too much to babysit at the mo. I have nothing in the propagator from this morning so I have turned it off and put the toms in there overnight and more than likely tomorrow too.
Hopefully next week will be able to sow much more as the greenhouse will be ready for use as well :D
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Another day off today so can spend more time on the lottie. I dug over three beds yesterday (20ft by 4 ft each) so glad the soil on the lottie is easy to work - nice and light. Today I will clear the brussel sprouts stalks away, and as the wind has dropped I will have a bonfire of the raspberry cane prunings. Defintely a sandwich and flask of soup afternoon.
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I've now put in all of my paths and 4 of the 6 beds are good to go, 2 have been covered in fleece for the next few days, ready for the early spuds and early nante carrots and now I'm off for a long hot bath and to psych myself up for my hypnotherapy, in 2 days time I will be a non-smoker! Yay! ;D ;D ;D
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nowt at the plot today,
in the propagator sowed various chinese leaves, lolo rosso and parella red lettuce, chinese gooseberies, san marzano toms, kohl rabi (spelling),
beetroot in jiffys, transplanted a melon, one of Tora's, a pepper or tomato that grew after I'd transplanted all the rest and had no label ;D
ordered 4 ton of flagging ash and 60 flags to go around the big poly :)
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not managed to get to the site today just 2 wet, so tomorrow i am going to have a cleanout of my mini greenhouse and getting it ready for planting up next week. As i want to get my peas and beans started.
Going to try my old trick of putting newspaper down on the shelves selotaping the sides so it makes a lip and scatter slug pellets around the edge in the hope it kills any slugs off before i start getting things to germinate.
I also have a tealight holder & mini teelights which i use to warm the area ( yes i know risky with a plastic greenhouse but these are teelights which i have already used and only have a small amout of burn left in them and the top of the flame is a good 1.5ft from anything that will burn. It just gets the temp back up after i have had the sides up.) I usualy replace this with a bowl of boiling water in the summer to help with moisture retention and the sudden cooling in the evening.
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Set up my mini poly tunnels to warm the soil as advised here :D
Put manure and compost into my HUGE potato bags ready for when planting happens.
Dug two raised beds over with manure.
Cleaned things up in the greenhouse, and brought all the tomato's into the house.
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I finally got my second greenhouse which came with all the shelving, parrifin heater and tons of pots so am so happy. All the stuff like tomatoes and cucumbers have died do lots of work to do this week to start planting again. I am slacking. I did mange to get a delivery of manure to the lottie on monday for 10.00 for 60 bags well rotted stuff to so am very please. Will be doing ym raised beds then
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went to the plot sunday afternoon before the rugby started to finish off the clearing i'd started on friday and couldn't finish on saturday 'cos of the rain. stepped on the plank on the bed and promptly sank. stepped on another part of the plot and the boot sank by 8"...need to let it dry out a bit now before i can do anything else..
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dont worry gtm41658 the snow will fix that and freeze everything solid
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sowed the last of the broad beans, Witkiem Manita, planted the first of the second earlies, Osprey - all in the rain so everything watered in nicely ;D sowed yet more peas, Misty, forced the last of the chicory - got soaked but enjoyed it
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filled up my raised bed with mixture of home compost, bought compost/soil improver from local council and well roted manure. that was the good part, bad part was coming home to plastic grow bag green house in bits at home and all my seeds in my plastic covered greenhouse in a pile in the middle of the floor, can only asume that it was getting battered by winds and it knocked them of the staging - all that hard work for nothing - will have to start planting all over again tomorrow :(
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Covered my early potatoes with manure and plastic bottles, as they are just popping their heads through the soil. ;D ;D ;D
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I had a temp car (volvo v50) while my focus was being repaired as someone hit it ( in there 3 week old merc i was stationary they reveresed into me FUN ) so before i brought it back i used to to lug stuff from the garage and bring them up to the shed on the allotment made a mess of the car but its something that i did manage to do. YIPPIE ;D Finaly made it up.
And in the rain i checked on my rhubarb (not ready yet :'() and my cabbages which i think might have gone funny as there gowing up not out.
Noticed we have had about 4 ton of wood chips dropped off so i can finish putting my paths in when th weather settles down.
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Sowed some chives, oregano, thyme (orange shining), hysopp tricolour, primo cabbage.
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yesterday dug over my empty veg patches and starting preparing for the spuds to go out and generally tidied up, repotted tomatoes and chillis that were getting too big for pots
today sowed a mahoosive amount of seeds and only just managed to get enough room on the windowsill for them all, havent put mini greenhouse up yet cos still windy here on and off
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Yesterday I managed to plant a couple of rows of broad beans under cloches and a couple of rows of spuds my lotty was dry enough, I have been down there this morning thirty minutes ago just to see if all is still intact after the bad weather we had last night and I'm happy to report all is, but the lotty is well out of bounds this easter with the looks of it after lasts nights rain :)
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I dug out a patch yesterday where a couple of big clumps of rhubarb had drowned in the waterlogging last year. Fortunately I have plenty left. The patch of ground elder under one of them had gone wild since the rhubarb died back last June. I rescued a few bits that are still alive, and will replant with that. Hopefully there won't be a repeat.
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transplanted red cap and kalibos cabbage, tomatoes and peppers..covered the parsnips with a new bit of fleece, the other one had been shreded, old and thin ..lovely in the poly, scent of hyacinths and warm..outside, blustery wind, freezing rain and hail :o
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I planted my early potatoes and oca. Both set about 6" deep, with plenty of soil available to earth up as the foliage grows.
I also sowed my parsnips and early carrots.
Apart from the wind it was a really good morning. The soil is light and workable so winter and the worms have incorporated last autumns manure well into the potato bed this year. As the soil is so light I had to put a very light sprinkling of chicken manure pellets into the parsnip/carrot bed last week in prep for sowing, as the soil readily leaches. The cover crop of grazing rye didn't cover very well and hadn't amounted to much when I dug it through the bare beds a couple of weeks ago.
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Dug. Hid in the shed for a bit to avoid a hailstorm. Rescued part of the roof from the stream. Where I was digging yesterday, the soil was lovely and light. Where I was today, it was much heavier and quite soggy. Amazing how it varies round the plot. That's two weedy patches dealt with so far this Easter.
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Bought yet more flower seeds - I'm sure there should be a self help group for addiction buying seeds everytime I go in a garden centre! Now have choca mocha gladioli, dahlia and cosmos, all I need to do now is find space to put them somewhere!
Made some seed tape with the kids from newspaper, flour and water and tweezered the early nante carrot seeds onto it. They can go in today along with my 1st earlies of Pentland Javelin, which I think I've managed to identify despite not labelling them!! I could be wrong tho lol. ;D
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Planted more earlies and red onions yesterday, rhubarb only just showing through the manure. ;D ;D ;D
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Managed to dig/fork over the garden borders
Fed my roses with some fish blood and bone,and also the gooseberry plants :P
Put some early potatoes in growing sacks (with the help of my 9 yr daughter).
Pruned back the hardy fuchsia and buddleias and moved the climbing rose.
Now to get to grips with the new lottie ;D
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Not on the lottie cos I can't stand BUT I did finally start sowing seed..on a rocking chair in my sewing room!!
Tomatoes, cukes, Okra, aubs,peppers,peas in guttering,try doing that ina rocking chair LOL, broadies in 3 in pots.
Running late this year and don't want to be any later so needs must.
John at the lottie is still knocking down the foundations of the old shed and greenhouse on the second plot, it was a bigger job than anticipated, the concrete floor from the shed was 8 inches thick, but nearly done.
We will get there, maybe not in the usual fashion but better than last year I hope.
You all sound as though you are doing fab, well done to you all.
XX Jeannine
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finally finished potting up the 200 free gladioli bulbs, phew ;D
transplanted red cap cabbage and verbena seedlings ..moved some tomato plants under cut off bottles on the ground, ran out of room in the poly tray..
the surfinia 'bits' I pinched out have started rooting, it was an experiment that worked ;D
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Dug over half of last year's potato bed. They did so badly I never bothered lifting the crop, and so far I've found three potatoes which survived the blight. All of them off one plant.
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I've just been to the lottie and hoe-ed out a small trench for my earlies but its too wet to plant so I covered the trench with plastic. ??? ;D ;D ;D
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never went to lottie today as we are having freak weather like snow then sun then rain, but I did manage to plant some more chillies in the greenhouse, and also replant my lettuce leaves into bigger pots. Also planted some flower bulbs and replanted some marigolds and nasturiums. I wish the ground would just dry out so that I can do some work in my home garden, its looks like slush at the mo
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Watched the snow fall on it this mornng.......and now it has all gone, but its too freezing cold to do anything.
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Went to the lottie to check greenhouse babies and made a SNOWMAN ;D
Felt like a big kid but really enjoyed it ;D
Debbie
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only using half the plot this year so have just been down to strim the rest of it.
been to look at seed in greenhouse, tomatoes, cabbage, sweetcorn, peppers and cauli's all growing nicely.
Built growing area for climbing french beans and runner beans ready for planting.
Measured up area ready to build shed from 5 garage doors that I got from freecycle, just need to build the frame to attach them to.
First year on the lottie so can't wait to see what manages to grow.
Sun still shining only had to retreat to car once.
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Build a big snowman with the kids :D
No gardening though :)
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I'm sitting here with my feet in cosy slippers, trying to fend off chilblains and/or frostbite.
OH was told by his friend in the pub last night that the door of our lottie was open. According to OH said friend was more bothered about the fact that his lottie backs on to ours, and people could get into his via ours than anything else, but who can blame him? He's got a lot more to lose than we have. We've got one shed full of goodness knows what tat, and one roofless greenhouse. He's got two sheds, a greenhouse, polytunnels full of plants, and a solar power generator for his radio. I'd feel the same in his shoes. ;)
Went round today (in hail, snow and freezing cold) to find that the hasp had fallen off the lottie door. Combination of rotten wood and very bad winds meant the screws weren't holding it on. So we've spent half an hour adding some sound timber and screwing it all back together. And I forgot to change my shoes - I was wearing canvas flatties, which got very wet and very cold very fast. Brrrrrrrr!!!
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transplanted pinks, cucumbers, peppers and beetroot..picked chinese leaves, various types and radish for salad..covered spuds in the poly with paper as it's going to be very frosty tonight..came home when it started snowing :o ;D
now, looking out of the window at beautiful, sunny blue sky ;D
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Planted my third and last line of earlies, also sowed some more carrots and mixed some manure into two of my daleks. ;D ;D ;D
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It's too cold .. and I've got a streaming cold ...boohoo :'( :'( :'(
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Discovered half of roof of shed missing. Wandered about, found roof, spent twenty minutes hacking through brambles, rescued roof, realised no nails or hammer. Balanced roof back on shed, weighed down with timber and bricks, came home to see weather forecast predicting gales. Bugger.
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Sowed a whole heap of seeds. Must pot on tomatos and peppers!
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Dug over a bed for my first early spuds - whilst wearing a t-shirt - in a snowstorm!...
(it was warm and sunny - and snowing at the same time I hasten to add - only in England eh?..)
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:-\ Spent a lot of time in greenhouse potting and tidying up.....
(http://www.clipartguide.com/_thumbs/0060-0507-0613-5300.jpg)
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Planted my 120th potato on second plot and started digging a new bed out of the meadow. Yesterday, on first plot - yes, it snowed, but was surprisingly warm, and I got a lot done, weeding and feeding asparagus and raspberries, and a bit of emergency digging among neglected weeds.
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I went to the plot with good intention to plant spuds but the ground was too hard, and it started snowing again.
Potting work only today. Sowed more Webbs Wonderful and Little Gem Lettuce. Sowed Fill-Basket sprouts. Transplanted cucumbers & cherry tomato plants.
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Sat in the ploytunnel and potted on the majority of the tomato plants. I'm now risking them in a mini greenhouse inside my home greenhouse, I've run out of room on the kitchen windowsill!
Didn't do much at the plot, spread the last few bags of mushroom compost, did a bit of weeding and that was it..... :-\
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my new greenhouse goes up today yeah, and my shed gets picked up for the lottie so I am so happy.
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been to see ray's mum and dad this morning so not worth going today..instead, started some beans in rootrainers, transplanted some mibuna greens (from Jeannine last year, thank you) and some pak choi, possibly from the same place ..got to take 2 trays to the plot of toms and peppers, will put in cold poly..no more orrm at home ;D
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Planted my early spuds. Vales Emerald and Nadine. I also put in 50 red onions and 100 Century onions.
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Found some loose onions in the shed so I planted them. Harvested PSB, carrots, cabbage and PFA, took them home steamed them and had them for dinner with slowly cooked lamb in foil and a few yorkshires of course. :P :P :P ;D ;D ;D :-*
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Planted a Winter Banana apple - it's a late keeping dessert variety, which is supposed to taste of bananas. It was bred in Indiana in 1876, when they were still a luxury item. I went through the beeghives, and found that one is broodless and queenless; I don't usually have queens fail as late as March. That leaves two colonies, one of my strain, the other strangers. I'll raise queens off the former later in the year, and use the other to provide the bees for new colonies.
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Not strictly garden or plot, but I had a lovely day 'potting on' in the kitchen! It was nice and warm and no-one to moan about the mess till 5.30. Erected yet another plastic greenhouse to accommodate plants but I seem to have run out of room yet again ::) Will sow some more seeds tomorrow, and look for more staging for glass house.
Hope your bees will be ok Robert.
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we took out 3 barrow of couch root and planted 30 shallots and 50 red onions insead.
anyone got a recipe for couch root lol
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I soooooo wanted to go to the lottie yesterday, but had to pick my mum up from airport so couldn't. Woke up this morning to discover rain, rain and more flaming rain!!! So I've potted on some Alicante, Gardener's Delight, San Marzano tomatoes. Also some cosmos, nasturtium and marigolds and just planted up 2 seed trays full of goodies for my mum and grandma. Also put some of the free bulbs into pots. And.........drum roll please..........I've managed to germinate 3 parsnip seeds in the airing cupboard - thanks for the tip Jeannine!
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Here in the East mids this morning it is bright and a slight wind ideal to go onto the lotty but in my case it is still to wet to set foot onto it but if this weather holds I might have a go tomorrow if not Monday :)
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planted two lots of second earlies - pixie and charlotte, transplanted another load of peas, misty, saw that the Lidl pear trees from last year have blossom buds on them ;D, checked the forced rhubarb, will be ready through the week methinks, everything on target, had a lovely morning so sunny
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repotted my tomatoes going to plant some more soon, replanted my peas and some more rhubards
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In garden @ home...
I dug over part of a border, to transfer some perennials from another part of garden - which will be my new veg area.
9 year old son volunteered to cut grass for me (petrol mower- boys& toys )
Went indoors briefly to make a cuppa and the heavens opened.
Will go and sow more seeds in warm greenhouse.
I WON'T be beaten by the weather!! ;D
Debs
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I managed to get some sowing done earlier today. Since I don't have any glazing in my greenhouses at the moment I'm using a garden wall as a potting bench, and can only do it when it's not raining.
But it's been absolutely chucking it down here ever since lunchtime. Think it might just have stopped. We have to fix the shed roof in the lottie - it's shifted, and the felt's come off - but so far in the last few days howling winds and nasty rain have conspired against us.
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Repotted yet more tomatoes, sorted out my mini greenhouses and bought a pot for my new pet......... Stavros the Venus Fly Trap. ;D ;D
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>:(
l have not been in my garden or my lottie it is pouring it down here in Conwy l am fed up with this rain :(
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when I woke up at 6 this morning, the sun was cracking the flags..wonderful day for the plot..luckily, even after walking the dog, it was only 9.30 when we got there..managed to get the bean poles up, feed the garlic and tidy bits up before the heavens opened..
so, into the poly, transplanted toms and peppers, re-organised the space and transplanted some flowers in the big greenhouse..between all this, lots of tea and chats in the communal shed..
finally waded to the car, hopefully nicer tomorrow ;D
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I dug up a bush and an old stump in my back garden, the sun was out and aI was in my T shirt, by the time I got to the lottie it was cold and windy, so I planted my last few onions and harvested some parsnips and then the heavens opened so it was back home the warm. ;D ;D ;D
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Rain and wind stopped me from working in the garden.. but took a flask of coffee and went and cleaned and sort out the greenhouse... never forgetting my MP3 player too :D .......Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh the bliss, a good hour away from the kids!!!. ;D ;D ;D
Oops.. sorry Kids is a bad word from another thread LOL.. I meant the CHILDREN!!! :D :D :D
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Received my first lot of plug plants and I spent rainy afternoon potting them up...hundreds and hundreds. Pricked out herb seedlings, potted up cuttings, organized greenhouse as there start to be serious space shortage..and I haven't even started with veg yet!!!
Bees had some extra feed and picked some sprouting Broccoli...
Oh how I miss warm sunny weather...
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Planted 16 tomato varieties, and found a Williams pear in Tesco's.
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It rained most of the day here so we decided to clear out the garage and put loads of stuff on freecycle, plus two trips to the dump. I now have lots of pieces of treated timber I can use as plant supports.
On my second trip to the dump I came across one of those Victorian line marker tools. I was thrilled as it only cost me £1.00 ;D
(http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa42/ElleEss_photos/LineMarker.jpg)
Lauren :)
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Struggled to put fifty onion sets but I did it, ovrall the lotty was crap to work on so I went to the Pub :)
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Ground very wet after yesterdays downpour so gave that a miss.
Completely gutted my shed then rearranged it again.Looks lovely now,wont last long though ;D
Tended my plants in the greenhouse.
Loaded my car boot with rubbish and stopped at the local refuse site on the way home.
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Put some blueberrie bushes into pots, got the first earlies in (2 weeks after the 2nd earlies - oops), sowed a few seeds in trays, mowed the front lawn (for the first time this year), and dug a bit more ground to try and clear space for the onions.
Not enough energy to mow the back garden but a very productive day after a shocking week of rain.
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I completed my strawberry bed at home, and positioned two more raised beds for my onions, some for home some for the lottie, planted some mangetout peas, and I know very late sweet peas, my sons also planted some sunflowers all in our new greenhouse yeah
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Lovely day at the allotment and the ground had actually dried out quite nicely by this pm. Managed to put in 1st and 2nd earlies (why did I buy so many?), shallots, onions and garlic. Took me ages and ages .......
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I woke up nursing the WORST hangover ever......opened up the zip on my greenhouse, thought "oh what a lovely sunny day", then promptly passed out again until 2pm when i woke up feeling slightly less green and ate a v large cooked breakfast. I am ashamed of myself that with all this lovely sunshine I managed to sleep away the majority of the day! :-[
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I have taken a risk.
Planted from seed Brassicas, Peas, Lettuce, radishes (all under fleece or poly tunnels)
Built a cage from blown over plastic greenhouses (good idea from somewhere on the forum)
Cleaned the greenhouse, cleaned out both sheds :D :D
Good day all round :D :D :D.
Oh nearly forgot, rescued a huge bumble bee that fell in the birdbath... put him in the sun to dry, and he finally recovered and buzzed all around the garden.
Also saw a yellow butterfly in the garden too today :D
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Oh dear, at least you're ok now Posie ;)
I moved bulbs.......Didnt want to but need to put spuds there tomorrow. I didnt get much else done really :(
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Had a lovely day down the lottie today. Glorious sunshine, first time that Dad has been down since his heart attack (at the lottie, 6 weeks ago.) Planted 40 Gladioli, 40 Iris, felted the roof of the shed porch, put in sticks for the peas, saw the first pea pod starting to form on the Autumn sown peas, planted up another bag of Orla spuds, had a bonfire, tidied the shed, put all the garden ornaments back out after the bad winds, got the boys to start making the frame for a deep raised bed - 2.4m x 1.2m x 50cm deep, got hubby to move the slabs to the back of the plot as I think someone has been helping themselves to them!! Saw a couple of Red Admirals and a few bees.
Weed-Digga
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The greenhouse got a thorough clear out. I sowed 5 different types of flowers, some marigolds & leeks.
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And what a glorious day it was! I checked my bees, prepared carrot bed, did lots of weeding, rotavating, sowed some peas, had plenty of tea breaks and enjoyment from the sun shine...tan is coming on..
I dug last of the cabbages and brussels up, mowed the lawns , watered all plants in greenhouses and pricked out lettuce seedlings...and ..and
And pulled the mussle on my leg..ouch...too much work for the one day.. just couldn't help myself. Idea of staying indoors today didn't appeal.
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Best day of the year for Mr&Mrs Smith, did loads on the lotty this morning to much to mention, but I hope to have another good day tomorrow :) :)
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Sowed some beetroot and more peas, dug some manure in and weeded the french bean area, and covered the potato tops that are showing inside the bottle cloches with dried manure. ;D ;D ;D
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The lotty was still dry this morning after last nights rain so I went into town to the weekly cattle market and bought some colly and cabbage plants, back to the lotty and planted them out along with two rows of pea's two row of beetroot and ten garlic bulbs in one of the raised beds, hope the weather holds out :)
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Harvested carrots and parsnips and sowed some parsnips in the last few days. ;D ;D ;D
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sowed pre chitted parsnips, transplanted peppers and tomatoes, calabrese, red cabbage and romanesco..beans are all showing on the windowsill at home..took the chinese leaves to the polytunnel :)
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Planted second earlies and shallots. I need to attack the asparagus bed tomorrow as some nettles are showing their ugly heads. :o :o :o
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potted on some plug plants and decided to sod the lawn and plant veg there instead - ordered some raised beds!
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Put out 60 onion sets that hjad been growing in cells, stooled a couple of Germander hedges, filled up the gaps in the Broad bean rows, potted up some Oca, general weeding along the avenues...
:)
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Today I planted up some mixed and some chocolate gladioli and some dutch iris. Also potted up some dwarf sutton broad beans for my grandmother (ick ick ick) and generally pottered about. What I didn't do, is what I should have been doing, i.e. writing essays!
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Finally had a good session at the allotment this morning.Got all my onion and shallot sets in, plus my early spuds. Aching but satisfied!
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bet you're feeling great,caroline :)
really upset, haven't been since monday, due to family commitments and doctors appointments, I'll have to go tomorrow to water everything..luckily nothing's too big yet in pots ;D
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Decided to start sorting my garden raised beds, as they are in a very weedy state after a winter left uncovered. Loads of flower seedlings! Dug over half of one bed, nice soft earth underneath, will be great with a top up of home made compost.....turned my back to go to the polytunnel, and found one of my cats sitting happily in the newly dug bit doing a poo! I had to laugh, he must have been watching and waiting......cleared that up, and now covered the whole lot with a tarp......that will do the trick! ;D
Also potted on my brassicas, cucumbers and melons...all now out in the cold greenhouse. Time for a cuppa.... ;D
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I had a very sucessful day at the lottie today.
First thing I did was spray black a little pot bellie stove I inherited. I'm going to plant it up with some flowers.
Managed to sieve yet another of my raised beds (that's three done, three to go) before the rain came.
I sowed boltardy beets, mini finger carrots and tender & true parsnips and red baron onion sets.
I'm very pleased with my progress so far.
Lauren 8)
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My oh managed to redig first lottie over again, we have decided to mulch it with fresh horse manure till winter planting so that it will condition the soil, I then completed another 4 raised beds on our second dite ( right next to first one), filled them with soil and fresh manure and covered them up so that the worms do all the work. At home I managed to plant some white cucumber, beans and some watermelon and melons for the kitchen windowsill and some more toms. So good day overall
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Finished planting out Red Baron Onion plants which I had in my cold frame
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Finally received comfirmation of what the exact position of my plot is by the council(very helpful young lady) so had a good dig this morning :) :)
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really pleased managed to get all my spuds planted before the hale hit.
Disapointed my onions have disapeared and my april cabbage looks like its bolted but the plots not looking 2 bad. My leeks have even bulked up thanks to some late trenching. And the bed i planted up in late feb of carrots and leek seed tape which i had though had not germinated because of the weather looks like its actualy worked ;)
Checked my mini greenhouse and my tomatos, courgettes and pumpkins look like they have survived tranplantation. And my peas & beans have all popped there heads though the ground. So i have given them all a nice drink and will check on them again tomorrow when i plant up the next lot of seeds.
I have brought back some more trays from the plot to plant up another layer of the mini greenhouse just have to work out what else i need to sow other than more seed onion and chillis what are other people planting?
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Just come in from planting sweetcorn!
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As well as running in and out of the shed dodging the rain, hail and sleet I have finally finished erecting my "freecycle" greenhouse.
Also been pottering about in my smaller greenhouse planting up cauli's and sprouts into individual pots so they go some more before they go out.
Now Im hoping for some dryer weather so I can get something other than onions and shallots in the ground!
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Just come in from planting sweetcorn!
Show off! ;D
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Back from the lotty after completing the extra digging because of the council blasl up and with a bit of luck I will have the rotovator on it this week and by the weekend I should be planting in it, by the way called at Focus for a 'Chillington'wheelbarrow for £24.99 :)
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how do you all find the time to do you littie l am finding it hard to find the time to get there oh well will get there in the end
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We got quite a bit done today. Finished the levelling and laying the slab path. Dug 3 more potato trenches and lined with manure and straw and turned over a large area we had weeded pre-winter. The plan is to finish this main planting area and get the raised beds in over the next week or so.
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sparky l envy you getting all that work done
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I cleared out the greenhouse, planted sweet peas, cauliflower, swedes, pak choi and spinach. (last two in the greenhouse.) I also sowed the last of my broad bean seeds. Peas and mangetout are chitting in trays.
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Dug 5 rods
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Planted a bed of onions, shifted fifteen barrowloads of grass cuttings and mulched three besd. Planted three varieties of pea. Put the parsnip seeds to pre-germinate, at home.
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Went to the stables and collected lots of well rotted manure 50p a bag.
Will be making lots more visits as hopefully my raised beds will be completed soon.
Hoed the beds as annual weeds beginning to show.
Sheared the grass.
Admired my garlic.
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Am cream crackered.
Did a load of seed sowing all morning, then down to lottie. Dug over 3 raised beds, uncovered small compacted bit of soil by 'new' shed that was very couch grass ridden but has been covered with tarp overwinter, dug that over, hardly any nasties left now.
Made two peas wigwams and wound one around with jute string. Then OH came down to work on the 'new' shed (which has been under construction since last May!) and finished the doors, so I can lock and actually use it! So, madcap emptying of contents of old (cut in half) shed into new one, OH then demolishes old shed (very rotten) and we have a massive bonfire to clear the lot. Plot looks odd with the new space, now I just have to work out what I'm going to plant there...... ;D
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put in second lot of spuds,more weeding,put scaff boards in for borders,need about 8 more though.its looking brill now,loving our first year,love our lottie so very much.
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I'm knackered looking at what you did, deb..
I planted the first 3 toms in the poly border, dug another 2 pits for the melons, filled with fresh horse muck and straw , phew, covered them over to settle, transplanted some pre-chitted squash and pumpkin seed into pots, sunflowers and then planted my onions from seed, good day, lots done..need a day sitting down
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I ache all over this morning! ;D
Think I'll spend a day doing more genteel things...!
I like the sound of your melon pit Manics! 8)
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3 done, 5 to go ;D we do the cucumbers in them as well, loads last year
need more horse poo ;D
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Layed some paving stones in the back garden, then went to the lottie this evening with the access top soil and garden/peelings waste and watered some sowings as the soil was crusty dry. ;D ;D ;D
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I put my new table and chairs up out the back garden, cursed Hamish the strawberry plant pinching springer and then covered what little earth I do have in extra strength "Get Off" and used the poles from dead greenhouse to make a frame for the small bits of earth and draped it with net, whilst simultaneously poking my tongue out at said springer spaniel and muttering, get through that you little swine! ;D
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Moved a raised bed four metres so it is back on my lotty and also had a good session with the Rotovator breaking up the rough digging I have just done and it looks a treat :)
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Nothing so energetic! Cut the grass(only a small patch) and swept the patio then potted up toms, aubergines and cosmos.
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Emptied bags of soil from the garden on the lottie, stacked grass turfs on my nettle patch, mixed compost bins and watered sowings. ;D ;D ;D
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mowed the min back garden (boggy still) clipped the edges and watched the kids trample my efforts, i did loads of tomato plants yesterday and have run out of room to pot up the peppers... bum..but ive also planted some sweet peas under a sheet of glass leaning up some trellis i found, and 2 dwarf sunflowers with them, naturally im waiting to see if slugs or frost gets them 1st... but they have been sheltering in a pop up greenhouse so they shouldnt be too shocked by it all, hopefully! oh and the guinea pig mowd his patch, tho i think he needs to give it another going over tomorrow...
the allotment will have to wait until the weekend, or if the weathers nice 2morrow may pop down in the afternoon and get started, im sure the couch must be thinking of growing again after that rain...just hope the winds blowing the cold wet weather away and bringing some warm dry stuff so that me n the kids can get down the lotty and get some stuff done! must remember to take theyre ornaments down.. the plot label...and anything else i keep forgetting!!!!
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I went around doing the plot assessments for our site.........had to have a lie down afterwards! ::)
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I can sympathise /empathise with that. Although to be frank it's the conversations you have after the first batch of letteres has gone out that are really shattering! :o :o
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Managed to make it to the lotty today only lasted a couple of hours because of the winds.
The bed with my garlic has had some chicken poo and a good water.
My leak and carrot bed are doing ok have a good germination rate for a change.
Cleaned out my shed, had intended on using the expanding foam but its nowhere to be found so need to get more ;( Found a massive spider in there must have been 2 inches long and an inch wide. Had a strange stripy body like a wasp but definatly a spider.
Weeded a bed and planted with
- Spring Onion - Red Florence
- Chard
- Celery
- Lettuce -Lollo Rossa
- Lettuce - Endive
- Lettuce - Little Gem
- Rocket
- Radish - White Italian type
Moved 4 wheelbarrows of wood chips on to paths and distrubuted some roundup onto some early dock.
Picked some spring onions for a cheese sandwich to go with my hot cup of tea.
Also have my first crop of rhubarb yippie
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More digging today.
Robin kept me company.
Smeared vaseline all round my Hosta pots.This has worked now for quite a while.The snails do not like it. ;D
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more digging but goodness the wind is freezing! may go back in a bit but needed a hot drink first!
I also bought and put a bit of fleece over my first earlies - I didn't realise potatoes didn't like frost until I read one of the threads on here and am now paranoid that they're all going to keel over! ::)
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glad its not just me thats still digging. too cold for it today though. :D
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no not only you sarah i sat in my shed looking at what needed to be done while i nursed my back with a hot waterbottle.
Just remember little and often and dont beat your self up if it does not look perfect!!
(must remeber to take own advice)
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Nowt because it has been a crap day in the east mids and after yesterdays stint with the rotovator mi bloody backs playing me up :)
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Only pottered about in the greenhouse.
Has Mr Smith said "its been a crap day in the east Midlands"
Not seen any sunshine at all and we have a bitterley cold wind.
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Fork,
I saw on the news that it was snow for Derbyshire today, here in the east Mids it was a crap wet day today first thing and also bitterly cold :)
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Just back from the lotty after another session with the rotovator :)
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Nothing! Peeing it down!
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Using this years bad weather here to completely redesign the lotties, greenhouses, sheds, raised beds being moved , fences scrapped. everything else covered. No growing planned this year apart from stuff in pots. So John is working on that goal... I am the foreman/ cheerleader when I am able to go there.
Sad, but in the long run I think it will be good.
XX Jeannine
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had a nice time in the greenhouse this week, always with my little friend the Robin to keep me company and talk to so as to make it look like I am not talking to myself ;D
have been potting on numerous caulis and lettuces, sowing seeds etc so imagine my surprise when I realised that the robin was bringing in so many worms and coming into the back of the greenhouse and then I started to hear squeaking and found a lovely little nest with 4 baby robins in it :o
with this feeding frenzy me and the robin did a deal - it would land on my apricot, tweet for me to leave - feed the young ones and then fly off for more and meanwhile I could go back into the greenhouse to carry on working
taken me about 2 hours just to pot on lettuces ;D
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Had a new garden shed delivered yesterday am ;Dmanaged to dodge the showers to paint it and was going to put it up today :-\ BUT it hasn,t stopped raining and the wind is so strong it blows me sideways without me holding a
shedside :'( so here I am just talking about it
marg
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hoed the long poly border, planted tomatoes in it, transplanted some squash that were in loo rolls into pots, checked the melons and moved the sweetcorn that the mice have been at ;D
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.... been to the lotty today and picked some red kale and leeks for dinner.
Bit to cold to stay up there so i have come home to do more seed planting for the mini greenhouse ;)
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I got loads done today on my new lottie....made a wooden raised bed & a brick stand for the wormery I've ordered ;D
Also started a rhubarb patch & 2 compost bins, sowed a bed of beetroots & also a bed of spring onions, radishes & lettuces :D
Tackeled 4 beds, weeding, hoeing & raking ready for planting (just one bed left to do now yippee!)
Was having a really great day until some local yobs started throwing water bombs at me >:(
I couldnt see where they were hiding because the site has a high metal fence around it.
My lottie is near a gate though so it can be clearly seen/reached from a public footpath. The water bombs caused alot of damage to my fleece tunnel :(
If young plants had been hit they would have been damaged beyond repair but luckily they werent.........that is they hadnt been damaged by the time I left......Im hoping that as their target (ME) is no-longer there they will stop bombarding my lottie :-\
Im gutted & reckon this may become an ongoing problem :'(
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OH has been pricking out for Britain, and the rest of the EU as well... I have been fetch me carry me. Weeded in the schools greenhouse, checked the toilet block and gave it a once over. Moved some wood. Had a jolly but cold time!
;D
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shame about that, crystalmoon, hopefully the stupid idiots will have tired of it and off to the next victim >:(
take your camera and try to get photos if they start again
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Or a shot gun and some "blank " cartridges...
;D
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Cleared the hen house.
Turned over all the ground in the chicken run.
Big bonfire whilst it was dry.
Transplanted out some little gem lettuce.
Potted on some brassicas.
Potted my dwarf cherry tree and pear tree that arrived 2 days ago.
Potted on my Gypsy peppers
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I got loads done today on my new lottie....made a wooden raised bed & a brick stand for the wormery I've ordered ;D
Also started a rhubarb patch & 2 compost bins, sowed a bed of beetroots & also a bed of spring onions, radishes & lettuces :D
Tackeled 4 beds, weeding, hoeing & raking ready for planting (just one bed left to do now yippee!)
Was having a really great day until some local yobs started throwing water bombs at me >:(
I couldnt see where they were hiding because the site has a high metal fence around it.
My lottie is near a gate though so it can be clearly seen/reached from a public footpath. The water bombs caused alot of damage to my fleece tunnel :(
If young plants had been hit they would have been damaged beyond repair but luckily they werent.........that is they hadnt been damaged by the time I left......Im hoping that as their target (ME) is no-longer there they will stop bombarding my lottie :-\
Im gutted & reckon this may become an ongoing problem :'(
Photos are a good idea the police cant do anything unless you have proof but i would go with a back up plan.
Arm yourself with waterbombs and food colouring (something bright like red or green) and aim back. How are they going to explain to there parents why they hare all green hehe
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Been busy bee's today. Managed to transplant a tayberry, a (yellow?) raspberry and plant six asparagus crowns, aswell as putting some bark paths around the 4 beds at the end of the lottie. OH still excavating the old path. Now have a load of stone & bricks to use around the lottie. Wonder if he'll find a roman villa? ;D
Had a major trauma yesterday. Whilst working at the side fence one of the next door hens was picking at the worms I was disturbing when it stuck its head under the fence then lifted it between two fence boards. The poor thing was stuck fast. No matter how many worms we threw under it the stupid thing would quickly peck it up and lift it's head back into the gap again! ??? Managed to finally get it clear after half an hour of worm flinging. Can laugh about it now. Wish I'd taken a pic but was too taumatised as the poor thing was trying to pull it's head off. :'(
Mushy Pea
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Was having a really great day until some local yobs started throwing water bombs at me >:(
I couldnt see where they were hiding because the site has a high metal fence around it.
My lottie is near a gate though so it can be clearly seen/reached from a public footpath.
Im gutted & reckon this may become an ongoing problem :'(
I had a similar problem a couple of years back. On my own late evening in summer weeding, when I realised someone was throwing stones at me from the railway line. luckily none of them connected!!
I didn't know what to do as there was nobody else about so I took out my mobile, pretended to dial and said "Hi is that Wester Hailes police station? Could you pop down to the Westburn allotments cos there's some yobbos throwing stones at me from the railway line?"
Suddenly the stone throwing stopped.
Now I have the police station number in my mobile address book so I'm ready for them!!
On topic:P I've weeded and "growmored" all the fruit bushes, cleared the paths at that end of the plot, cleared the last of the beds for the brassica and covered with mushroom compost, watered the stuff in the greenhouse, weeded the asparagus bed, picked the first of my rhubarb and pinched out the growing shoot on my sweet peas. Also gave neighbour Sheena some weed suppressing fabric for outside her hut and the rhubarb leaves for her liquid fertiliser.
It was unbelievably cold today (mainly the biting wind) so I chose things that kept me active. Tomorrow is an Edinburgh holiday so I'm really hoping it will be a bit milder so I can sow some seeds and stuff like that.
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Went to pick some psb, trouble is I always want to stay and do a bit and there is never time, but I checked on the beetroot which is ok and the spuds which were got at by the frost seem to have picked up again with new greenery just poking through. Onions galloping along at last and the currant bushes have teeny fruits on. I shall dedicate every spare minute to my plot this week.
Have been pricking out in the greenhouse by torchlight this evening, BW says now he's seen everything ::) ;D
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Yes, I always find that if you're in vision of the silly sods, taking out a mobile phone often works wonders. Mind you, so does lifting a fork above your head and roaring towards them. Best bet however is the water bombs with food colouring, best defence being attack and all that.
Cleared and dug over an entire bed on Sat morning, then planted last of onion sets and some greens - chard, leaf beet and lettuce. Yay!
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Today its dry but very windy here so i have decided to get some work done ( i am supposed to be working from home so i suppose doing so it a must :) )
Rest of the week is supposed to be nice so perhapse the plot will dry out a little today, i have fleese on my salad crops i sowed on friday which sould help start them off.
Planning on a good day on the plot tomorrow ;D
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Sowed tomatoes, chillies, aubergines, sweetcorn, celeriac and globe artichokes. Funny, I'm sure I've mised something.... :-\
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just started runners, barlotti, french climbers. sunflowers and transplanted squash in their loo rolls to bigger pots, the roots were hanging out ;D
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Off to do that too! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Right now! ;)
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Thanks everyone for some great ideas to deal with yobs ;)
Didnt get to do anything at my lottie today as very very wet all day.
Hoping its dry tomorrow
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Also had a sowing day, pumpkins, courgettes, dwarf french beans, marrows......Then had to have another shift around of stuff in the cold greenhouse, sweet peas and peas hardening off, some brassicas out too. I just need another shelf or ten... ;D
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hi all, i potted up some shallots and onions in modules, old shuttle trays, because my plot is so wet and sticky at this moment in time, they can grow untill the soil dry's out then i can replant,
(http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/9718/onions1aio3.th.jpg) (http://img147.imageshack.us/my.php?image=onions1aio3.jpg)(http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/8110/onions2xn3.th.jpg) (http://img147.imageshack.us/my.php?image=onions2xn3.jpg)(http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/5554/shallots1zq5.th.jpg) (http://img147.imageshack.us/my.php?image=shallots1zq5.jpg)(http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/8376/shallots2te6.th.jpg) (http://img147.imageshack.us/my.php?image=shallots2te6.jpg)
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Built a shelf for my greenhouse, so I can plant aubergines under it and in pots on top. Saying that, I am not very good at that sort of thing, so it may all collapse when pots of wet compost are on it ;D Thats one of the things I love about the lottie. I am a very clumsy person, but I can do carpentry to my hearts content and no one sees it to say it is wonky, unsafe or ridiculous ;D ;D ;D
Alos put some tomato plants in the green house border. I had one Tomato 'latah' plant left, so I put it outdoors today. It was fine last year, so I hope it survives this year. It is supposed to be very hardy, and it is in a sheltered spot. I was the first with a tomato, either indoors or out on our lottie last year.
Also fed my garlic with some growmore. It's looking strong, but yellowing a bit. Hopefully it will pick up a bit now.
cj :)
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Been on the lotty this morning prepared ground for Runners moved some good soil into a raised bed, did a bit more rotovating and put up some CD's :)
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weeded the cabbage bed, put the beans out to harden off, planted up hanging baskets and bedding plants, uncovered the forced strawberries to let the insects in, earthed up the spuds, beautiful day, so hot in the poly, down to a t shirt ;D
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Does anyone else find this thread frustarting when they've been stuck in an ofice all day while the sun is shining outside? ;D
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..... done nothing woke up at 10am having slept though alarm clock, got up did a bit of work. Decided to go to the lotty around 12.30 went upstairts to get dressed and woke up at 4pm ???
New antihistimines are just wipping me out at the moment.
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considered sun screen first lol.
weeded and cleaned all the paths and edges, put up my plastic greenhouse, cleaned loads of pots, planned whats going where and picked up all the cat poo
>:(
now aching all over and ready for some more of the same tomorrow lol
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Caroline7758
Totally agree. Many an hour is spent considering alternatives to full time work!!
Managed a couple of hours building /digging before ir got a bit nippy this evening.
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I did this
(http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee96/mrf94/Photo_042308_007.jpg)
(http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee96/mrf94/Photo_042308_004.jpg)
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Does anyone else find this thread frustarting when they've been stuck in an ofice all day while the sun is shining outside?
Yes ;D
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Pricking out my tomato plants.Sun is out.A little sunshine . ;D
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yesterday We put a shed up, today I had a strong feeling that I had to sow carrots as I think it is perfect conditions :D also ordered a ton of gravel to put around the shed coming friday and we will have to barrow them down a lane
well I suppose it,s good exercise
marg
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Does anyone else find this thread frustarting when they've been stuck in an ofice all day while the sun is shining outside? ;D
Yes yes yes - screech! Still nearly over and I can go home in a bit!
Old Bird
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planted a melon and cucumber in the poly border, took the cover off the squash bed, transplanted squash and pumpkins into pots and put the beans outside to start hardening off, :)
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Gazed upon my empty plastic greenhouses, all those plants hardening off now, and tomorrow I will move the next lot from the glasshouse to the plastic jobbies at night and out in the day to start hardening off.
Hoping to plant out brassicas this weekend. Going to try making a hotbed if I get time.
What to do with the spares though...I've forced them on all my pals that grow stuff. I might put them on the drive for freebees. ;D
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yep more of the same from yesterday
;D
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Put newspaper in bottom of bean trench ready for planting time. Put some marigolds (not gloves ::)) around the edge of the greenhouse path to ward off whitefly and to look pretty ;D Dug another of my raised beds. Only 2 to go and the lottie will be all bedded out ;D
Realised that bindweed has one good attribute......the roots are white. As I was pulling them out as I dug, I realised how much harder it would be if the roots were brown :o
cj :)
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just like the dreaded horse tail, black as your hat and easily missed. ::)
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I had the day off work but the rain put paid to most of my plans so I moved some manure on to my sweetcorn to be beds and some of my sweetcorn are just showing their heads in their pots. ;D ;D ;D
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OH has nearly finished the spuds... only four rows to go... I weded the onions this evening.
;D
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Nothing been to the hairdresser and had a lot of pampering which is just as well as the weather has been really really bad!
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im still digging :'( in between the rain lol, guess what i will be doing tommorow? ha ha, might get something else planted soon apart from onions and few carrots onions are growing well i think..... carrots not showing as of yet prob too early but i didn't care i needed to sow summit. mpg
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Actually got some brassicas in, but as I rubbed the muck off a label I managed to rub off the writing too ::), so I have a row of mystery greens!
I promised myself I would make notes of what I sowed this time, but I sowed different stuff, some from swaps so no packet. I'm sure all will be obvious sooner or later ;D
Also cleaned out my shed whilst weather was bad, so happy with that.
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lovely day - it is now a sowing seed and potting on frenzy and some sowing in situ
still find working in the greenhouse a problem with the robin chicks but I reckon they'll have fledged by the end of the coming week - greenhouse is nearly full anyway
broad beans poking through, fruit blossom about to burst - the excitement gets me every time ;D
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still digging ;D hoping to start planting things by end of next wk fingers crossed
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Planted out various types of lettuce under plastic bottles for a bit of protection, made another wigwam, strung it and planted out 'Show Perfection' peas, earthed up some more potatoes, then sat out in the sun for a bit! 8)
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Watered everything in my greenhouse,put up the post for my second bean row,bagged some rubbish and mowed the grass at the end of my plot with a nice little push mower I got from "freecycle"
Rain forecast for tomorrow so not sure if anything will be done on the plot.
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was going really well
-sorted 3 paths
-weeded on bed which was dence with weeds and grass and found onions i though were dead gowing --fine which made weeding fun NOT
-Used the expanding foam and filled all the hoes and gaps in my shed
but was i was moving the wheelbarrow (walking backwards to navigate though some beds) i fell back right on my bum and hit my head on the ground not knocked our or anything just have a very sore back Given i missed one of the corners of my raised bed by about 2 inches i got off lucky.
Going for a shower now if i can make it up the stairs definatly cant get into the bath i will not get back out again!!!
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Planted out two more rows of spuds, put up my runner net, netted the brassica cage and spread some more manure. ;D ;D ;D
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Cam, you were lucky !!!
Today, I realised that it is "hoeing" that makes the difference.
And the insides of my right hand has blisters.....
hmmm.
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thanks riffster
I had a hot shower, some nice strong pain killers and a hot water bottle.
Managed to bring home some rhubarb, leeks and spring onions though.
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Sorry you has a fall Cambourne hope you feel as good as new in the morning.
My back is aching like mad too from a really busy day at my lottie, planted out 2 1/2 large beds, got my final undug bed ready for planting, made my own poly & fleece tunnels, transplanted nasturtiums. Moved a rose bush. Phew! Got badly sunburnt on my shoulders & upper arms too :o The wind kept me quite cool so didnt realise I was burning ::)
Then I came home & cut my garden grass for the first time this year :o
I know Ive well & truly over done it but as bad weather is forecast for the next few days Ive got time to recover ;)
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Dug and weeded, yet again! Then, spurred on by a freecycler wanting plants for his garden, finally dug up a Euonymus that had outgrown its space and some perennial sweet peas that have gone rampant!
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planted a squash, some beans and weeded the dam*ed sycamore seedlings out of the cabbage bed ;D
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Dug, weeded, planted various squashes. I meant to take a tray of toms,which are now growing like mad, with me, but forgot.
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Digging, put some toms in the greenhouse, more digging...and then a bit more digging before I went home... ;D
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I spent the day in the greenhouse potting up plants and sowing seeds that had sprouted in the airing cupboard. I soon got out of there when the biggest bee I have ever seen flew in. I went indoors to have a bite to eat and when I came out it had gone. I did help a couple of other bees find their way out though.
My day was made though when a thrush perched high on the nearby apple tree and serenaded me. ;D ;D
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Dug, planted beans, then the heavens opened.
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Dug out the roots of the perennial sweet peas that had taken over the bed I want to use for herbs- bet I didn't get all of them though! Replanted some in a bucket to try to contain them. Sent OH to the allotment with the strimmer- amazingly he came back in a good mood as it had started easily!
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Took dog out round golf course and found a wheel on an axle from a dumped trolley (been looking for suitable wheel for a few weeks) which is the only piece missing from my rotating scarecrow creation so now I can get started ! Crept up to plot at 9am to find another early bird lady plotter at it all ready :o ;D. Sowed 2 rows of peas and planted some lupins, mulched spuds with straw and prepared sweetcorn and squash bed. So with all the other planting done this week I think I've nearly caught up. All looking quite passable now.
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Nowt...was taken to Harrowgate Spring Show as a b'day treat! A bit moist but good to look around, I haven't been to that show before. Didn't spend too much! ;D
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we were there at 8.30 :o
planted out the rest of one squash bed, covered with demijohn cloches, planted sweetcorn in the poly, well, 1 bed, anyway..we're trying to get everywhere clean and tidy for next weekend, feel like we're doing too much and we're going to resign off the fundraising committee after this one :(
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:-\ Transplanted some strawberry plants, sowed various herb seeds in greenhouse and attempted to prepare a raised bed... then down came the rain.... and eventually the thunder and lightening!! Also got absolutely drenched later on in the afternoon whilst walking my dog, Basil (my border collie). Basil and I came back home exhilarated but dripping wet....... Basil enjoyed a nice rub down with the towel and scoffed a bowl of chicken and I am now sitting enjoying a hot steaming cup of tea!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....
(http://www.animated-gifs.eu/kitchen-cups/0067.gif)
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Transplanted my Bedford Fillbasket sprouts and Calabrese broccoli. 27 plants in total.
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struggled with a second hand greenhouse, with no instructions and a few distorted spars... didn't get very far, then the heavens opened!
;D
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Weeded the onion and garlic beds. Put down seaweed fertiliser. Organised replacement of my shed door so that it locks. Chatted to lots of folk. Was told that they are really happy this year because people are talking, people are helping and the plots are looking better. Woohoo!! Could we be getting it right on the committee???
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Headed up to plant spuds knowing that it was probably going to rain - came back head to foot covered in mud, had to get undressed at the bottom of the stairs to our flat and carry up my clothes straight into the washing machine! Got the job done though :)
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I did not get out of bed till 2pm thanks to some stong pain killers spent the rest of the day siting on hot water bottle and lots of cushions. I did manage to sow my peppers and chillis then went to the pub (won the pub quiz yippie).
Back from the doc with some anti-inflamitorys for my broken bum(bruised coccyx) but no lotty work for 2 weeks on his orders :'( so i am going to make a cup of tea take my drugs and go back to bed ;D
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we were there at 8.30 :o
planted out the rest of one squash bed, covered with demijohn cloches, planted sweetcorn in the poly, well, 1 bed, anyway..we're trying to get everywhere clean and tidy for next weekend, feel like we're doing too much and we're going to resign off the fundraising committee after this one :(
I though I would have to wait more before putting my squash in??? They are in pots on my balcony. I was surprised to see you had planted them, and the corn.
What other things are people planting just now? I had assumed all these summer fruiters like squash, corn, tomatoes couldn't go out until after mid-May.
FYI our temperatures predicted this week are 15-18 in teh day and 6-9 C at night. that's not really frost weather is it??
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luckily, the soil temp in the poly hasn't dropped below 10 degrees for the last few weeks so we've planted up some of the borders, the ground outside has been covered with weed suppressant, the squash are over hot mounds of fresh horse muck, and covered with a glass demi john cloche so should do very well,
I'll take some pics tomorrow..we're just overcome with seedlings everywhere ;D
don't rush if you can delay until you feel right and have the room :)
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Mal I'm looking forward to your pics. Do you bung a load of soil on the top to plant into?
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yep, dig a big hole, maybe 2 spades deep, well, ray does, fill just under level with fresh stuff and straw, mound the soil dug out over the top and plant the squash into it, bottle or pipe next to it to water into and cover with the cloche, worth a try, they're our self saved seed from the butternuts last year, they've grown very quickly ;D
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Nowt, we were both back ay work..
;D
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Cambourne, you have to try Hypericum for your coccyx, I too bruised my coccyx and doctor said it could take up to 6 weeks to heal. A few years ago my sun lounger collapsed with me on it and I landed flat out on concrete, could hardly move, sitting was so painful, got a rubber ring to sit on and pain killers from docotor then had bright idea to phone Ainsworth in London who prescribed Hypericum as nothing from docotor worked. Not being a person into homeopathy I was amazed and delighted that within two days I was fine, so do give it a go, it does work.
Sinbad
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I got my rotovater today so I am over the moon. But weather is horrible here so have not had time to use it. OH will be using rotavator as does not trust me to work it lol
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Took grandaughter to the plot in her pushchair and got a bit of weeding done while she slept in the sunshine. Going to do it again tomorrow. ;D Planted dahlias at home, hope they come up this year, I seem to have lost my touch lately. :(
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Got hubby up to the plot for the second time this year, on hands and knees both of us edging the plots with shears and he knew which compost bin to put the grass cuttings in ;D
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Weather horrible here today so I'll be putting my tomato seedlings into individual pots as soon as I finish my cup of tea! ;D What a contrast to Saturday when I spent all afternoon on the lottie in a T-shirt!
I've also been reading my bible (Grow your own vegs by Joy Larkcom) and she mentions an alternative to putting seedlings outside for hardening off: brushing... :D
"an alternative method of hardening off, which saves moving the plants outdoors. Seedlings are brushed or stroked backwards and forwards for up to a minute a day to produce the toughening effects of exposure to lower temperatures and wind."
I'm intrigued! Has anyone tried this? I might give it a go. My OH is already convinced I'm a bit mad when it comes to plants so it'll be funny to see his reaction if nothing else ;D
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planted the kiwi in the fruit cage, rest of the time was taken up with plant sale stuff, labelling etc ;D
for emaggie
the bottle's not in yet ;D
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"an alternative method of hardening off, which saves moving the plants outdoors. Seedlings are brushed or stroked backwards and forwards for up to a minute a day to produce the toughening effects of exposure to lower temperatures and wind."
does several hefty swipes from my cat's tail count do you think?? if so I'm going to have really healthy plants this year ::)
I was reading the very same book last night ;D
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LOL ;D
cats are fantastic aren't they! Apart from my neighbour's cat, who uses my freshly dug flower bed as a litter tray so I can find his 'contribution' when I'm planting >:(- but that's another story...
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I'm dreading going down to the lotty, I only managed a couple of hours on Monday and I had a million weeds then, they have just appeared :o
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hoed 2 of the raised beds, planted cabbages, the melon pear and passionflower, hoed a poly bed and dug another hot pit for a melon, planted the rest of the sweetcorn in it..then labelling plants for the sale ;D
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re potted my toms and put my squashes in the cold green house repotted my alloe andsowed some peas today hope the mice stay away
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picked up 100s and 100s of dead snails in-between the rain stopping.
I should be nick named the "Snail Hunter".
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Somebody at work today told me they had bought some kind of "snail gel" face cream- do you think we are missing a chance here??
Just googled and found this:
http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=869 (http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=869)
(Sorry to go off-thread)
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Managed to do the roof Ridge and Spars for the "new" greenhouse this evening......
;D
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Somebody at work today told me they had bought some kind of "snail gel" face cream- do you think we are missing a chance here??
Just googled and found this:
http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=869 (http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=869)
(Sorry to go off-thread)
Bugger I should of fed the snails chillies to make them CHILLIEAN lol... instead of pellets.
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just looked at the link..it's SOLD OUT :o ;D ;D ;D
silly sods
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moved a ton of gravel from the front drive to the back garden, or I will have done, when I find a way of getting the wheel-barrow round the conservatory ???
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Hello
Planted my 8 david austin roses and some iris's also some milk chocolate foxgloves apart from that not a lot trying to rest my shoulder but needs must, sat and ordered more roses and plants and ordered the tickets for gardeners live i am just deciding where to plant my japanese wineberry while i am eating my lunch and then back outside to tidy up, a parcel has just arrived it's my outdoor sink i will have a look later.
Cheers
Brogusblue
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took the sideshoots off the tomatoes, sorted out what we were selling from the squash and pumpkins..nice size yellow neck squash and jack be little pumpkins so, if anyone's around our neck of the woods this weekend, plant sale starts sat 11 a.m ;D
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fixed the allotment shed door, after it being broken into last night!, nothing stolen, a few hand tools obviously not exchangeable for heroin!!
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Going to try and level and bolt the greenhouse ready to glaze it!
;D
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now that the robins have fledged I prepared the big tub for patty pans and courgettes in the greenhouse and had to re sow a lot of squashes 'cos the mice have been at them >:(
ground is lovely to work now as it is warm and damp, raked over all empty beds - loads more blossom arriving
wondering where everything is going to go ;D
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Planted my maincrop spuds, Desiree and Roosters.
Started digging out the Couch from bed number 3 (Deep Joy)
Put a load of Horse Muck and straw on the heap, steaming quite nicely now in the centre.
Tidied up and pulled half a ton of clay from my boots.
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repotted all of my runner beans today that had outgrown the seed trays, replant aubergines that were looking abit lanky. Very proud of myself as I made a wigwam for my peas, just need to put the netting around it tomorrow for it to gro through
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Sowed my Sweetcorn and repotted a few things.....down to the plot, planted two thirds of my brassicas, constructed the poles that form the net covers only to discover I could only find one net! So I did one cover and had to leave the other one... ::)
Did a bit of digging to get the couch out of the patch where the old shed had been, the ground is still rock hard after loads of rain! ;D
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Got the rest of my spuds in this morning, so feeling better despite the advance of the couch! Spread some hops round my garlic and onions and planted some poached egg plants that were sown in the autumn & very pot-bound. Tackled a small patch of couch before lunch.
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Had a good weeding session and going back for more tomorrow, :)
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Nothing Yet but I'll be off home soon!
;D
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got another week of resting so no gardening :'(
Going to see if i can get the hubbie to go up to the lotty and harvest more leeks for some leek and potato soup and move more wood chips for me this weekend. Might have to bribe him with beer ;D
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Went down the plot early today, and ended up staying until 3.30....nice and sunny all day, made it a pleasure. 8)
Got loads done, forked over what I have now decided at the last minute will be my dwarf bean bed, made another wigwam and strung it , planted some of the HSL peas that were ready to go out. Planted up my third brassica bed, netted them, then put a few more pre-sprouted parsnips in the roots bed to fill a few gaps. Moved two barrowloads of manure to one of the strawberry beds as it has a lot of straw in it, so though it would make a nice nutritious mulch for them. Sat and watched two sparrows go mad when I moved a paving slab and found a red ants nest underneath, they were more interested in them than the worms in the manure! Work tomorrow...shame!
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wore short sleeves for only the second time this year 8) but had a lovely time putting the aubergines in their final pots, sowing some more burdock, harvested the last of the parsnips and sowed more - just enjoyed the calm of it all
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I got writers block so went up the lottie on a mission! Pulled out two beds worth of couch grass, mainly by hand, discovered my spuds are growing, my carrots however are non existent (anyone else have a problem with early nante??) and planted up the 5 dwarf broad bean plants that I'd been lovingly nurturing on my bedroom windowsill. Yuck I cannot stand the things! Only planting them for my grandmother!
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it depends where you are located but the carrots will only just get going if outside as it is now finally warming up, bet they take off within the next week ;)
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I sowed a row of parsnips and purple carrots.
Digging over the ground first though.
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I saw this,[attachment=1]
and we've got this for tea![attachment=2]
;D ;D ;D
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well i went to get more roundup and ended up with 4 ltr of ready made stuff with a spray for 9 quid which is cool ;)
So dependant on the weather this is going to be my job this week as its something i can managed myself.
I need to find my garden knife to get the hubbie to cut more weed membrane out of new beds as were getting more soil delivered this week which means i can try and move some soil into place providing i get to the soil when the pile is still quite large i should be able to manage this myself as i will not have to bend ;D
This means that in 2 weeks i can finaly move the greenhouse into place and move my later summer raspberrys into place. I dont think i can move any of my other fruiting plants as some have started to fuit and i dont want to disturb them and risk the crops. Am i right in my thinking ??
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Got the greenhouse levelled yesterday, going to start glazing it today ;D
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Had a splitting headache all day yesterday, barrowed some grass mulch, watered everything in pots, potted up the last of the tomatoes, went home feeling awful.
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discovered 3 things on my plot
mares tail :(
bindweed :( these join the couch grass
and asparagus at least 3 plants ;D
lbb
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I've decided this year that couch is more of a pain than bindweed (see my other threads this morning!)- at least bindweed has thick enough stems that it comes out quite easily, or you can train it up sticks. Guess I should be grateful I haven't got marestail as well!
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We are just back from a 0830 start on the lotty this morning, cleaned the rest of the weeds off mi onions planted some Tomato plants and dug a french trench on the top side of the lotty, the raised beds with the salads in looks a treat and sitting down having a brew our efforts are starting to pay off :)
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Had a good long day yesterday, planted strawberries, onions, cucumbers, weeded everything! today it's quite the opposite today! just got up, mega lie in! Later on I'm planting a flower bed around a tree swing that i had made for my partners birthday! will post pics later! Have a good day everyone :)
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Had the weekend off (back at work 2moz :'() but have not been down the plot as my own garden was in need of some TLC but rain as stopped play, hope it is only a shower. :)
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A nice hot weekend had me finishing off my brassica cage with scaffold netting, sowed some dwarf beans, beetroot, and radish, planted more late spuds, hoe- ed in between my onions ( I hate that, note- to myself space the onions so the hoe fits in between them ). Started off a new compost dalek bin that's number 5 on the go, one thick asparagus is about 5 inches high, yes that's one Tonybloke not handfulls of the stuff and the marestails coming on a treat. ;D ;D ;D
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I spent about 4 hours weeding today and reached the end of the plot, plus cut all the grass paths thanks to my next but one neighbour Heather who not only offered her Qualcast but cut most of the paths. :-* :-*
Now I have to get back to the beginning and also sow some seeds..... :o :o
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Put brick edging along one border, mowed the back lawn, did some more weeding, pricked out some stocks, pansies, pertunias. Part made up 4 hanging baskets (waiting for bought plants to arrive) earthed up the few pots I am growing. Went next door several times to see to Lorna's dog and cats!!! Lorna and Joshua went off to Suffolk Wild life park for the day.
Josh bought me some fudge, I made short work of that ;D
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used our new rotovatar yesterday and today what a godsend it really did the job well and I will be able to start planting within the next 2 weeks yeah
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in between selling things, giving advice and dodging the torrential downpours, I planted out some celeriac and cabbage, planted some melons in the poly, phew ;D
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weather here has been awesome! moved my fruit bushes to their final destination and put my first tomatoes out, sub arctics, been hardening them off for a while, put my smaller ones in the greenhouse too made loads of space on my windowsill no doubt will fill that with beans etc
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reconstucted runner bean support (hardwood legs this time) put out 10 early runner bean plants.(scarlet emporer). planted up 2 window boxes with toms.
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Weeding, cup of tea, more weeding, cup of tea whist raining, more weeding..... ::)
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Am now begging forgivness from the gardening god....
Popped up after work to spray weed killer (roundup) on 4 of my raised beds from last year which are full of grass i cant dig out with my back. Also sprayed my paths.... well it was only a little bottle of weed killer :D
Not going to be able to make the lotty tomorrow which means wednesday i can put my paths in as the weed killer would have done its job and i can cover them with cardboard, membrane and wood chips knowing the roots are going to be dead. The 4 beds i am hoping the roots would have relaxed enough for me to get a spade into them and turn the ground over then cover with layers of wet news paper so i can add more compost which i can plant into whilst the newspaper and roundup will kill any weeds that were still in there.
Planted out 2 pumpkin plants and a courgette plant watered my salad bed, carrots and potatoes which are all growing well ;)
Also picked literaly an armful of leeks, red onions and rhubarb so now i need to make some room in the freezer :D
Also watered the mini greenhouse which is full of lots of germinating plants such as tomatoes, onions, shallots, marigolds, peas, beans, stir fry veg, sprouts, cabbage, peppers, chillis etc
I have 3 new trays to plant up with more stuff tomorrow just have to decide what ;)
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finished off planting the squash and pumpkins under glass, planted the melons in the poly, planted out lollo rosso lettuce, picked salad for tea, all between selling plants ;D
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Mr& Mrs Smith went down to the lotty for 0800 this morning, I finally dug the rest of the drain what I started yesterday, watered the tom plants put in some runner bean seeds and had another weed clean up, why don't plants grow like weeds :)
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Only had an hour at the plot. Continued digging out grass, Oh strimmed and dug up dandelions. Tried out the hand mower I got from freecycle yesterday- pretty good. Spent most of the day in the garden at home- sowing flowers and weeding.Oh strimmed there too, so he thinks he's done his bit for a while now. ::)
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Finally took the grapevine I purchased 7 weeks ago out of the greenhouse and planted it,watered the plants put out to hopefully insure they thrive............read the paper and enjoyed some cheese n bread in the open air
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Cultivated between my spud rows, which have just started to show. Planted a row of dwarf peas. Hoe'd around my onions and shallots - only an hours worth but i think i'm still on top of things at the moment....
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Spent all day in the garden at home and cut grass and weeded mainly. I just feel I haven't actually made any difference!! ::) ::)
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Nearly killed myself! :D
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bottled up 14 x 4pints of comfrey juice, fed asparagus with comfrey, and my early spuds. then refilled barrel with comfrey leaves and water to rot down.(airtight cover) Sowed Sweetcorn in tubes, 2 types, Extra early sweet, and Double Standard. Harvested another meal of asparagus. yummy!!
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Nearly killed myself! :D
Is this becoming a trend i nearly did that last week, what happened bupster?
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Glorious day, spent a lot of time in the garden and the greenhouse, carried out the boring weeding job, dug an area in the veg patch which had only been used as a very wide path before. This runs along the wrought iron fence looking on to the side road. So today I have just left a narrow path and made small fence round new border area.
The dog does like to sit against the fence and bark at all and sundry ::)
Flowers on the strawberry plants at last, peas are all peeping through. They are the 2 raised beds I covered with Lidl's mosquito net.
Just great to spend so much time in the fresh air.
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Failed to finish glazing the greenhouse... something not square...
:(
Moved a lot of stuff around for the sale..
Spotted the first Asparagus !! ;D
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did some weeding, and cursed as kids had broken loads of new plants ;)
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Planted half a dozen raspberry canes that someone kinldy gave me and put some roundup down - again..3rd time - and the nettles are just laughing at me >:(
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Attacked the couch grass once more.......
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Dug out last of old carrots. ;D ;D ;D
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put up canes by the toms, sank the plastic bottles next to them, planted out some sunflowers with plastic bottle collars around, weeded the bl**dy sycamore seedlings out of the cabbage bed ;D
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Too tired to type so just going to say LOTS ;D
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hi all, this morning my son and i made a raised bed for Father in Law, planted some peas, runner beans, broad beans & lettuce, sweetpeas for him, that i had in modules, as he had a stroke 6 months ago, then this after noon we went to my plot and rotavated it again so i can start to transplant all my growing veg that i have growing in modules tomorrow, and we got sunburnt ::) ::) :'( ;D
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Hello
Now my nephew (Mr Fuchsia Nut) has gone home i still have a few roses to plant and some beans also a little piece of trellis work up to do i can't do a lot as my shoulder is paining me badly so slowly does it.
Cheers
Brogusblue
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Take it easy Brogusblue. Hope you can at least enjoy the sunshine.
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Did loads of bits and pieces, weeding, watered in the nematodes....and every time I sat down for a drink in the hot sun, someone would come past and say "just admiring it today then?" ::) ;D
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Layed a brick path between bed 3 and 4, watered the compost heap, Ho Ho Hoed the spud beds (I love hoeing when its as dry as this).
Removed a few handfulls of couch grass. Forgot my water and overdid it a bit really but i made some good progress.
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uncovered the early spuds, doing really well, hosed the poly down, went for more plants for the second plant sale at the weekend, weeded in the fruit cage ;D
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I'll have to go and admire it too Deb.............. ;D
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went up to the lotty today and had a nice time just watering knowing i could not do anything about the state of it was very freing :)
12 watering cans later i have watered everything that needed it and having not been to the plot in 2 days i am amazed at how much things have grown. It also amazes me that the roundup does not seam to have made a difference ;(
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Attacked the couch grass again.....and look what I found! My jap onions, the very first things I planted up the lottie
(http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l274/posiepain/lottiemay002.jpg)
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When you harvest them, dig the couch out again. Hammer it every chance you get, use black plastic on fallow ground, you do get there in the end. Fortuntely the roots are strong enough not to break apart as you dig them out, so with patience you can get the whole thing, as long as there isn't too much left after you dig it.
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Planted peas. sweet peas .spinach. put grass cuttings around potatoes.
Tried to get the edges of the allotment under control [failed] worked solid for four hours, went home had a bath, and collapsed in the chair .
Same again tomorrow.
Bridgehouse[June]
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Hello
Just been out in the garden what a lovely morning just watered the garden and the veg and took some photo's of what's in flower
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/100_0074.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/100_0072.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/100_0071.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/100_0070.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/100_0069.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/100_0068.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/100_0067.jpg)
Cheers
Brogusblue
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lovely photos, broguesblue..gives me a kick after all the manky weather..
planted out celeriac and tied in the tomatoes in the poly, 1st set of flowers starting ;D
put the beans that need re-potting to one side for tomorrow
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Yes, Super pics indeed thanks ;D ;D :) :)
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well today i managed to do a little digging and cleared a 1/3 of one bed not great but its a start. Did a bit of watering and finaly I can see the round up is starting to weeken some of the weeds.
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I picked vast quantities of asparagus and then had the pleasure of sorting them into piles according to length and thickness.
Tomorrow all my colleagues in Sandbach School Maths dept will get a nice surprise in their in-trays!
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How lovely,I am sure your colleagues will be delighted. :)
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Sowed all the french and runner beans for the plant sale...
;D
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Nice pics, thanks for sharing. I have to wait a little longer for any real colours to appear in my garden.
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only had my allotment 2 weeks and finally finished the greenhouse, shed will be here this next week so its all go :)
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Brogs is that white flower the Bride???
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Planted sweetcorn, cabbages, pak choi, corriander, parsley in beds.
Planted more peas, beans as my lot are looking a little frazzeled.
Managed to put 2 wheelbarrow loads of weeds and grass into the compost bin.
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Weeded and prepared a bed ready for some carrots to go into tomorrow.
Leveled, rollered and then laid slabs for the shed base.
Sparkly planted some sweetcorn,
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Finally finished the greenhouse... scabbed a pane from DebP... burnt rubbish on two plots we had cleared last week... Sowing etc tomorrow!
;D
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Only managed an hour today after I dropped kids to school, but managed to clear half of the area planned for the beans/peas of the dreaded couch grass and ouch my blisters on blisters are killing me! :)
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planted the last of the celeriac, sowed some fennel, turnips. planted out 2 more melons in the poly, carried on sinking pop bottles next to the tomatoes and cucs, transplanted beans to next sized pots ;D
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Brogs is that white flower the Bride???
Hello
It's Spiraea - 'Arguta' (Bridal Wreath) i have another one which flowers about 3 weeks ealier and that's called Spiraea Japonica 'Baby's Breath White'.
I hope this helps
Brogusblue
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Got my sprouts and calabrese in, mulched with hops and netted. Didn't have time to get my onions and leeks in so left them down there- just hope they've not been eaten overnight! Also got sunburnt- hence why I'm up at this unearthly hour- couldn't get comfy!
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prepared beds and boxes for carrots, prepared a large bed for for the first brassicas to go in which will be caulis, potted on some squash, had to water it's been so hot and almost impossible to work in the greenhouse but loved it :)
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Not going to the lotty till its cooler much cooler ;D
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Just come in to make a drink.... advantage of living on site!
;D
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Just harvested the last of our broad beans! we have just frozen 9 freezer bags! (was getting a bit fed up of eating them!) Oh and weeded the tomatoes, off out now to weed the sweetcorn
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planted out some more sunflowers, ran around like mad helping customers so, no more plotting today :)
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nothing to do with veg today but cleared back garden at home as swimming pool going up today yeah
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not as much as i'd hoped as i sliced my hand badly on a tin of tomatoes last night and have those fancy butterfly stitches holding me together. But i did do a bit of weeding, sowed some salad leaves, parsley, coriander, thai basil, radishes, spring onions and carrots. oh and some optimistic watermelons.
Set out my bean poles - if the front garden in the best place for beans then the front garden is where they will go! (along with the chard and red cabbages - my husband despairs of me)
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built 3 more raised beds and filled from compo heap(6ft x 6ft x 5ft high), turned rest of heap.
Put plenty of SEERS Rockdust on top and spread some blood fish bone meal.
emptied another heap and took it apart to use the wood for raised beds.
wife planted some stuff out and we built a frame round cherry tree to net later.
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Had good intentions of going down the plot, but ended up doing major sorting out in the garden at home...one bonus, I found a big pot that I grew potatoes in the year before last, and there were a large panful of baby new potatoes hiding in there! That was lunch sorted!
Also dug out and emptied one compost bin of lovely compost and put it over one of my raised beds, planted the last of my potatoes and netted them to keep the cats off!
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we got to the plot for 9.20 and managed to get some weeding done and planted some seeds, hopefully this time the carrots will grow!!! have planted parsnip raddish and cabbage too, oh and some onion sets we were given, tomorrow im aiming to be there a bit earlier so i can clear some more land and might bimble about with the sprouted sweetcorn ive got and see if theyd be happy under a bottle but planted out, who knows, lol! but i do know ive got to get digging or there wont be any space to plant all the beans and peas im optimistically starting off...
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Watered. 8) 8) 8) ;D ;D ;D
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A load more digging, got sunburnt and a friendly neighbour gave me one of his wheelbarrows! - I'm over the moon as have been trying to shift weeds in a cheap garden bag full of holes - I'll be twice as fast now! ;D
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Yesterday evening we went to the allotment for 2 hours and whilst hubbie moved wood chips over to my plot i managed to prepare the paths for him.
Today i have been working on the back garden as its developed pretty bad couch grass so i have pulled as much as i can and sprayed the rest with roundup. Filled 2/3 of a wheelie bin.
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Blimey, that's a lot of couch!
Took a chance and planted out my dwarf French Beans under cloches at the lottie yesterday evening after work....also had a massive move in the greenhouse at home, as growing a load of plants to sell for our Allotment Association at the upcoming Derby Garden Show next Fri/Sat/Sun....no room for my stuff! So, now hardening off climbing French Beans, outdoor toms....watering +++++++++++++ ;D
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Hello
Another great day, was out early watering everything, and hanging washing out 3 loads dry.
Everything is growing at a rate of knots lots of flowers on my fruit bushes and signs of fruit yummy my potatoes are all up i sowed some carrots on Friday and they are springing up roses are budding up so are my Lillie's just notice that my Rosa rugosa hedge is flowering such a lovely flower and the scent i wish we had scratch and stiff...
Just nipped to town for shopping came out of Wilkinson's with 5 more David Austin roses :P i complained they where dying and got 75% off ...... I must stop this my wallet is having a heart attack with amount of money i have spent on roses :o ......Problem is that i see all these nice roses in Wilkinson's i avoid the £1-£2 roses and i know in a week or too they will be dead or dying due to neglect so which sounds silly but it breaks my heart :'( :'( these shops must throw thousands away shame really the only Wilkinson's that i see that cares is my sisters one in wales they have a person who is charge for the plant section always dead heading and watering then and the plants are amazing the worst one is my local poundstrechers in houghton regis total neglect and huge green & white problems yuk yuk!!! and 99% dead and now some have 50% off ???
Sorry my rant over will nip out in the garden later when cooler and dose myself with painkillers with my shoulder
Cheers
Brogusblue
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Nothing today, finished off the plant sale, sold over 2,000 worth of plants and hanging baskets, over 1300 profit so absolutely kn*ckered, went to water in the poly and went home to do the washing, we've ran out of clothes ;D
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Went to the plot about 8.30 this morning, Planted 3 rows of parsnips (in t Rolls), cleared weed off the brassica patch ready to transplant them
tomorrow. Sow some salad stuff different types of lettuce and rocket also transplanted 8 Comfery plants ( I now have 2 rows of the rocket fuel plant). Weeded the path and collected all the rubbish and put onto the compost heap. Finished off the flask of tea and them called it a day.How is it that when ever I plan to just pop down the plot for 2 hours I always forget the time? came back home 5.30 this evening shattered but happy.
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Planted over 150 azaleas, and the same to do tomorrow, hope it is a bit cooler then.
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Nothing today, finished off the plant sale, sold over 2,000 worth of plants and hanging baskets, over 1300 profit so absolutely kn*ckered, went to water in the poly and went home to do the washing, we've ran out of clothes ;D
Well done Manics All!! What a great result for all your hard work.Shame you now have to go naked, but you will have a lovely all over tan ;D.
Frantically catching up now, beans in,(despite Mr."you don't want to do it like that") and cougettes too. Still loads to do before I can come up for air. More planting out tomorrow. Happy days. ;D
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Well done Manics.. hope we do half as well at the Derby show eh, Deb!
I got nothing done... work all morning, funeral all afternoon, drove back did shopping for week it had gone dark... OH did all the watering for me..
;D
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keeping everything crossed for you, saddad and debp, hope the sun shines for you all and you make loads, there didn't seem to be any sign of a recession, people spending in excess of 30.00 each, apart from someone giving us a dud 20.00, just hope they didn't know it was fake
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I planted out my runner beans, french beans, feltham first peas, sutton broad beans and some onion sets. All beans had been grown on in my gh in paper pots
Got a headache and stingy eyes from sweat in them and raised a lovely crop of blisters in the paml of my hands despite gloves.
Came home went in the pool to cool down then cooked dinner and went back to my plots to 'tie in' peas and beans.
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over the weekend, it added up to a lot of stuff! Planted out the toms! yey! My kids reckoned they counted nearly 40! surely not? well they are with the peppers, maybe they counted them too...
Helped the kids sow the first french beans, weeded the onion and garlic, pulled out some useless winter salads and put chard in its place, watered a few things as it was pretty hot.
then at home I pricked out some brassicas, transplanted some leeks into a bigger container, sowed some basil and sweet williams as I killed the first batch oops
I am a bit sore today though! especially the legs!!
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weeded the onion beds, pinched out the side shoots on the toms, just getting the first flowers on, planted out the rest of the beans and a squash..picked lettuce, radish and firkled some new spuds for with the lamb chops for tea :P ;D
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Had another weeding session banked up mi spuds prepared a bed for my sweet corn plants that arrived today had a brew and came home :)
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put canes up fore my toms in the greenhouse so there ready for the fruit to suport them also repotted some more toms to bigger pots now in flower pots from the local veg store
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Sowed Savoy cabbage and some runners and watered. ;D ;D ;D
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planted another melon on a hot heap, weeded the poly border, tied in a cucumber,cut back the vines, generally tidied up and enjoyed the sunshine ;D
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Hi
you mentioned melon on hot stuff, can u explain, bit thick here and i am trying melon this year]
cheers
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Today I had alot of repairing to do, really strong winds shreaded my fleece tunnels ::) but they at least held up long enough to keep my crops protected ;D
Also found a big toad in my lottie greenhouse keeping out of the wind & rain....he made me jump nearly as high as he did when I moved the plastic he was under :D
Had the joyous experience of eating ripe strawberries from my first ever strawberry plants... how bizarre the British weather is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Hi
you mentioned melon on hot stuff, can u explain, bit thick here and i am trying melon this year]
cheers
not thick at all :)
dig a hole a spade deep, fill with fresh horse muck and straw, cover with the soil you took out, making a mound, plant the melon in the top of the heap with a cut off 2 litre pop bottle next to it to water into..we grow them inside on these, apart from last year, we usually do well ;D
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what did i do in the garden today zip cos it bucketed down all day :( and im cross cos they changed my day off bet its lovely on sunday >:(
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Tied up my 2 cucumber plants, put some of the runner beans out, earthed up the few spuds I have (can't earth up any more as the soil has reached the top of the raised bed) Lesson to be learnt, plant deeper next time. Added more plants to 4 of the hanging baskets. Pricked out some (late) Lobelia, Stocks, Pertunias, Marigolds.
I escaped from house to do the above, I was supposed to spend the day clearing cupboards, removing shelves etc etc in the kitchen ready for builders coming on Monday. (Have you ever thought how much "stuff" we have in our kitchens??).
From Monday I will not have a cooker for approx 2 weeks so it is either microwave meals or go next door and use daughters kitchen. Dining room is full of boxes I have packed. Good thing is I won't be able to do much housework so can spend MORE time in the garden ;D ;D
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Built a wooden cage with netting round to put my swetcorn plants in when they are ready also put netting up for the peas and one of my lotty neighbours came by a gave me a beautiful colly :)
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I picked up something on my flight to denmark on tuesday and been in bed ill all day.
Its 2 wet to do anything anyway so i am spending today and tomorrow resting in the hope that i might make it up to the lotty sunday when the weather is supposed to be better.
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Got man flu
Taken loads of tablets and worked 13hrs
tablets not working so a large scotch mat work
it didnt
another 10 scotches for healing
if not better in morning then I will sweat it out digging to australia for the sake of it
women dont understand man flu, it is terrible, I am so ill
>:( :( :-[ :-X :-\ :'(
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Sorry you've got man flu Andy hope you recover quickly ;)
Today I hoed & weeded my lottie as the rain has finally made the concrete clay soil workable again.
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Well nothing in my garden, but this is what I've done in my Grandmother's garden. What was once a scrappy patch of grass....
(http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l274/posiepain/grandmasgarden007.jpg)
Is now a lovely raised bed, we had to use some plug plants, but a lot of the stuff were things I'd planted from seed for the first time this year. It was hellish to build but we got there eventually!
(http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l274/posiepain/lottiemay007.jpg)
There's more to do up there, but I'm very pleased with this.
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That's lovely- bet she's really pleased with it.
I sowed my parsnips and planted out my leeks. And OH made a start on repairing the greenhouse which wasdamaged by the wind a few weeks back. He was down there yesterday too, strimming- something of a record for him to go two days running, though both were under duress!
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Few more raised beds filled from compo heap. Few parsnips popping up but no carrots, bec planted beans and a few other things. Pumpkin is planted out. dug and weeded other plot, knackered now, legs ache.
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Eyed up the weather and decided to take the plunge and plant out my bush tomatoes at the plot. OH continued to make steady progress on the shed roof, I'm now really hoping it gets finished before the Open Day on the 1st June..... :-\
Realised my experiment with not netting a bed of cabbage has not worked.....both the netted beds plants are a good size and growing away well, but the half planted bed I couldn't be ar**d to net has had the undivided attention of the local pigeons by the looks of things, (despite me leaving them my last PSB which had started flowering to play with!) and are sporting attractive frilly edges....! Will have to purchase some more netting now.... ::)
Sorted out the little lottie greenhouse and planted a growbag with three HSL toms...bit of an experiment as I didn't try growing tomatoes in there last year as I couldn't get down to water every day. This time I'm planting in pots on top of growbag with water saving granules mixed in...we shall see how they do! ;D
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Sowed carrots,beetroot,spring onions parsnips and swede.Planted my runner beans "enorma",put in two rows of pea "onward and two rows of mange- tout,and pumpkins.
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Went and harvested lettuces and chives, weeded onions as I walked past, had a long boozy lunch (to which I took the lettuces and chives),got home at 8.30pm. I think I shall have a lightly boiled aspirin for supper. ;D
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Posie thats a very pretty raised bed!!
Having spent 2 days indoors I felt that I needed to get out so went to the lotty my leeks have started to go to seed so i have pulled a load (when cored and cleaned up its about a 1lb in weight) and made a batch of leek and potato soup.
Also pulled last of the beetroot from last year for pickeling, some red onions for onion sandwich tomorrow.
I Pulled a carrot from the load a sowed a few weeks back and its so cute wiped and ate on the spot very tiny but so cute. But means i need to get the next crop into the groud.
I notice that the weed killer has started to work and i should be able to spend some time digging this week as i feel better and finaly get my peas and beans into the ground.
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Just watered round all the stuff we hadn't sold and were reserving for the open day!
::)
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How did it go Saddad?
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Love that raised bed Posie.
I still had to clear remaining things from my kitchen ready for the builders in the morning but glad to say spent about 3 hours in the garden/greenhouse. With Grandson Joshua's help we potted on 160 plug busy lizzies. I weeded the gravel in the front garden, planted the bigger BL's in the water butt. Also planted out some runner beans, petunias and marigolds.
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Yesterday now of course! ??? I removed the bits of the old rotten rose arch and mountains of bits of rose to the dump. Then, with my niece's help, erected the new arch. Quite hard work getting it all leveled. I started tieing in the two roses but found that my garden twine isn't strong enough and kept breaking, so off to B&Q for more sturdy stuff. By the time I got back it was getting too cold to do any more so I'll leave it off till tomorrow. Picked up some leeks and pak choi from the allotment and ate them ith pasta.
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Planted out some sweetcorn. ;D ;D ;D
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Today I have planted yet more carrots up the lottie - 3rd time lucky! Dug half the fruit bed out. Planted out my beetroot and shifted 2 carloads of carpet from lottie to tip and boy was that disgusting! Spiders everywhere and it smelt! I promise I will listen in future, cos that's the one bit of advice I did ignore from here, NOT to use carpet as a weed supressant as it then gets too heavy and yuck to move ;D
Following that, went to Grandmother's put together the other feature in her garden, drilled lots of holes, put in troughs and baskets and planted it all up. Just a few more bits to do and she should have her clutter and hassle free garden finished, thank the lord. If I ever see another Busy flippin Lizzie it'll be too soon - the woman is obsessed! ;D
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shed had been broken into police came, have crime number . rotten day, hope the thieves get tetanus from handing a fork without gloves used to spread manure.
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Sorry to hear that Cliffe Kent...
We carried on, potting on for the sale, this evening until it got too dark, and keeping it all watered. ;D
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Got rid of last of weeds, planted swede and parsnips, dug and manured trench and planted celery, planted last of caulis and the psb. Bed now ready for sweetcorn, had a word with resident rat, he ambled off to the next plot - hope he stays there. My half plot is full to busting. I have made enquiries about another half but nothing till waiting list goes down. Funny how there are always 12 people waiting ::)
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Done nothing as i still feel like death :'(
Going up to the site tomorrow to cover more paths with cardboard and cut more grass but only got an hour i can spend on the site and no more wood chips at the moment so going to use bits of wood to weigh down the cardboard to stop the grass growing back. Dont think anything needs watering but might check stull i planted last week.
Picked up spuds for a friend on freecycle as they have just taken on a plot on my site. And did a mini seed swap with the freecycler ;D
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Done nothing as i still feel like death :'(
Going up to the site tomorrow to cover more paths with cardboard and cut more grass but only got an hour i can spend on the site and no more wood chips at the moment so going to use bits of wood to weigh down the cardboard to stop the grass growing back. Dont think anything needs watering but might check stull i planted last week.
Picked up spuds for a friend on freecycle as they have just taken on a plot on my site. And did a mini seed swap with the freecycler ;D
Why dont you just let the grass grow on the paths and mow them ? It takes me 15 mins to wizz round my paths with my push mower..
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cliff kent im so sorry to hear this,did they take anything?
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Yes tools not worth anything but some from parents so have a sentimental value, still will need replacing. I wonder where the boot fair people get their used ones from? on another part of site second hand tools are mentioned please ask where did they come from. They might be from a shed near you.
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Its fantastic being on holiday, but not going anywhere. So far this week :
Monday finished digging out the old raspberry bed which was tough going as completely encroached with couch and mares tail. But ready for a cover crop now - found some left over spuds that have chitted so will out these in as any crop will be a bonus I just really want to get the soil broken up again and redug before covering for the winter. Also sowed several trays of annual flowers.
Tuesday : cut back the hedge at the house (all 120 ft of it), planted a conifer, a donated aquilegia (nice double blue flowers) and a hardy fuschia. Then off to the lottie and built my brassica tunnel, planted out my brassica's and then covered it with enviromesh. Also sowed 4 trays of lettuces. (I seem to be supplying friends and family with seedlings now as well as produce!)
Today we put up a new trellis, repaired the front fence where a delivery van backed into it, and painted fences with fencelife. Then off to the lottie and built this years tomato house.
My OH lets me escape to the lottie as long as I put in a few hours at the house or garden.
Tomorrow apparently we are having a day off and going out for lunch - so if i get up really early i can get the last of my bean frames built, sow beans, some more summer squash as I have given quite a few away, and then home, showered and out to lunch.
It must be brilliant to be retired and be able to fit all these things in - which are all much better than being in an office all day playing politics!
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Well today's been a busy one in my own garden for a change! Put up 3 hanging baskets after much swearing about how that particular wall is the only one in my house that's solid! Also planted up my wall trough - again after much swearing! Put some tumbling toms through the sides of one of them, but they're not looking v healthy right now so fingers crossed. Planted out some of the flowers I've grown from seed (first time I haven't filled my garden with plug plants!), cleaned it all up, put out my new solar lights, swore at the dog after he tried to climb the ladder with me. Oh and sorted out my greenhouses, so now one of them is currently full with 51 tomato plants (last time I sow double in case of failures!), the other is full of flowers and I have one empty ready for the next lot of sowing! And I'm now knackered and off for a bath! ;D
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transplanted some winter cabbage seedlings into the next sized pot, transplanted leeks into rootrainers,
pinched out the sideshoots on some toms and tied them in, planted 2 more melons inside,only 1 to go
planted celery and celeriac
..picked new potatoes and salad for tea ;D
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you guessed it watering for the sale!! ;D
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Planted out some cabbages. ;D ;D ;D
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got everything watered and fed, asked a mate to look after the poly while we're in chester..warned everyone I'll chop their hands off if they eat my strawberries ;D
had one each, nothing like the first warm strawberry to make me threaten people ;D
dug up potatoes for my daughter and son in law, swap for looking after the dog for the weekend, bargain :)
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Did some watering and weeding and sorted out the greenhouse that my OH had fixed at the weekend. Decided I'm not even going to try to dig until we've had some rain, not that there's much forecast up here.
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first chance to do anything this week, been on college trips, tues, Sheringham park. wed, Chelsea Flower show. Today planted out 75 sweetcorn, pinched side shoots on tomatoes,and 4 hours in front of computer working on assignments!
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weeded potatoes, onions, peas, corn, asparagus and rhubarb
watered
lbb
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This morning we planted fifty sweetcorn seeds cpmpletely covered by netting and also prepared another site for thirty sweetcorn plants also put another batch of runner beans in, :)
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Spent the day planting up my last available raised bed, three wigwams, one big, two small. Planted CFB on big one, 'Lil pumpkin on one small one and outdoor cucumber on the third. Put some Rhubarb Chard in the corners to make use of all the space.
Then OH arrived to put the final cladding on the shed to find the timberyard had sent really thick chunks, almost quarter trees of some bits! Took us some manouvering with supporting the 'logs' to get them into position, but it is starting to look less like a wendy house and more like a bothy at last! Hope we get it finished in time for the Open Day.... :-\
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Planted out loads of home grown bedding plants at last. Hoping it will rain here as promised, but often it doesn't. On watering duties for holidaying friends, so the rain would be doubly welcome ;D
Absolutely cream crackered, now off to dive into a hot bath.....oh joy ;D
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We had a good clean up and it was a good job we went down because the wind is blowing and my Runner bean sticks had started to go with the wind so it was a reinforcing job also put in my last lot broad beans and half a dozen tomato plants, I also found some onion sets and put them in, will these come up ok? :)
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Looked out the window at the rain. :'( ;D ;D ;D
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i have done no gardening since thursday instead took myself off to Paris with hubbie for a long weekend and had a blast, and it looks like i had the weather ;D
Cam
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Looked out the window at the rain. :'( ;D ;D ;D
must be the same window typical bank holiday washout!!
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Just been up the lotty to see if all is ok after yesterdays wind and rain, looking at the weather forecast thats it untill the weekend :)
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Back at work today :'(
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3 days of dry weather forcast, so it looks like i might be able to get some digging done in the afternoon after work while the grounds wet which means i might be able to get my spade in the heavy clay.
And as i have found my camera i can take some photos as well ;D
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just looke at metcheck looks like i got rain , rain , and more bxxxxy rain to look forward too besides im in work till 7 this week
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Came home from work to find the squirrels had been digging for victory in most of my veg plants that were being hardened off ready for the plot, spent most of the evening replanting >:(
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Deb P
where are the pictures of your Bothy then ;D
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Mostly cleared up the devastation from the weekend. Lost half my flowers in the greenhouse which I'd not long potted up. Went up the lottie, put the bean canes back up from the 45 degree angle they'd ended up at and swore a lot at the amount of horsetail that seems to have sprung up over the weekend! :)
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Hello
I have so much to do but the weather is cr*p, I have all my new roses in my lean-to as the poor wind and rain was hammering them also i have other plants and tom's to plant. All i want is a nice warm day so i can get out and plant them..... I am so fed up with this rain and wind where's the summer >:( >:( >:(
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/100_0159.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/100_0158.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/100_0157.jpg)
Cheers
Brogusblue
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Well I actually managed to do something. Still not able to go lottying so John has been buliding me raised beds at home. I have three so far 16 inches high and about 10 feet long so am able to play.Three more coming this week. It is very hard to decide what to plant though with so little space, but I have one turned into a salad bed, one has spuds in and tomorrow weather permitting I am going to plant the 3rd with carrots etc. I have a fence area to grow beans up as well now and toms are now all planted into big pots, some in the wee house greenhouse and some outside in pots.
All is not lost.. it is amazing what a tub or two of muck can do for the emotions LOL.
Lots of pots to grow stuff in too, but a bit late planting some things.
Mind you the dogs are sulking as they have lost the grass.
XX Jeannine
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Deb P
where are the pictures of your Bothy then ;D
Patience....... ;D ;D ;D
OH is frantically working to try and get it finished for the Open Day on Sunday...it's looking more like a log cabin now! I will post pics of it then, musn't spoil the suprise for those coming to see it in the flesh.. ;D ;D
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Sowed runners yesterday and weeded the spring onions which are very patchy and have took ages to come up. ;D ;D ;D
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pinched out the toms, tied them in, and the melons, we weeded one of the onion beds, dug up new spuds, cut some chinese leaves and strawberries ;D
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Breast stroke... ::)
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;D ;D @Saddad I do hope you are still able to have your day.
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The day will come and go, it is advertised nationally through the Yellow Book scheme, I would have to drown to "cancel" it... Question is how many gardeners ahve Scuba gear and Neoprene!! :-[
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I have today reached the nice point in my gardening year, I have finshed planting my two plots this morning. All I need to do now is to keep the weeds down and enjoy the fruits of my labours. yippie
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Got very hot! But the soil was lovely for digging, not too wet & not too dry. Did lots of strimming (pleased to say my strimmer is behaving this year and starts every time!)and weeding and sowed some carrots (more in hope than in expectation, as they say!) and PSB and some nasturtiums.
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weeded !! ;D
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Raked over my sweetcorn bed, after the great downpour all those huge lumps of concrete just disintegrated into a lovely fine tilth with just a few sweeps of the rake ;D ;D :) ;D :D.
Applied Growmore, raked that in and then planted up 28 sweetcorn seedlings in peat pots that have been sitting in the coldframe for a week or so.
I then watered them in, admired my work for a few moments and then took my daughter fishing for the afternoon on the local canal.
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Weeded! Planted up some beans that a very kind neighbour on the lottie gave me. Oh and weeded!
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rain, more rain, and more rain!!!
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Morning started off ok then the sun came out midday, walked home from work at 2.30 and it started raining and hasn't stopped since. :'( ;D ;D ;D
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Took this photo!A view of my little bit of heaven![attachment=1]
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Looks great, tony- very tidy!
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wow tony lovley!!
I have managed to get to my plot and its not 2 bad, quite surprised to be harvesting a load of broad beans ;) And there is a bush full of gooseberrys ready ;)
Finaly the weeds have started to die back so i am going to spend an hour tomorrow if its dry doing a little digging and weeding.
Broad bean recipie links
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,22708.0.html
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,39203.0.html
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,31208.0.html
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Tony,don't panic but I am sure I can see a weed in that photo ;D
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Hi everyone, I have been away since Sunday & just took a quick look at my allotment
:o am amazed at how massive everthing seems to have become. Some radishes bigger than golf balls!
Slugs have been having a good old munch though :'(
Am hoping it stops raining tomorrow so I can get down to the much needed work, weeding etc.
The storms here demolished the door to my greenhouse too ::) guess it will now be a cold frame ;)
Tony your plot does look heavenly
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Strimmed my new plot till I dropped (third half plot). Previous owner draped it in Mypex through which couch grass has pushed up to the skies. Dug holes in Mypex and planted squashes and a rather droopy artichoke.
VERY satisfying.
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planted the last 6 spuds and about 12 tommys, 2 butternut squash and then realised when i came home i forgot to plant the courgette! did try weeding a bit but its futile! noticed the slugs have eaten some of my baby leeks, grrr!!! will go back tomorrow ans plant some more tomatoes and start planting beans and sweetcorn, and may start lines of peas off too, ok i know im late but hey better late than never? if wed had a better half term week im convinced idve dug the whole plot over and planted everything up and be at the never ending weeding stage by now, grr, am soooo fed up of the rain!! while im glad im not having to rush down and water things i reeeeeeeelly want to get digging!!! if i can get the main section dug over i can start to rearrange everything else...
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Planted out our Sweetcorn plants but what a struggle with the ground condictions on the lotty then came home to wet to do anything, :)
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planted out 200 leeks and another 200 waiting 8) - also planted out cabbages, sowed carrots, planted out the salsify and scorzonera and first batch of beetroot - bit by bit the greenhouse is gaining space but already I'm wondering where it all will go, happens every year though ;D
had a great day, pooped now
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Planted out cape goosebury, weeded everything, nice weather brought out the world and his wife so nattered to peeps not seen for a while....lovely day. ;D
Best news is Tom-next-plot who has cancer is looking and feeling good, I'm so, so glad ;D ;D
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Loads... just got in. ;D
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Do you have arc lights?
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No I eat lots of homegrown carrots!! ::)
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went up to check on things was a bit hot so did not stay long.
Steetcorn has germinated well and all my pumpkins and courgettes are officialy dead darn frost!!
Came home and instead cleaned out garage and did some work in the back garden nipping back into the house for tea and 5 min with feet up by air con unit :) when i had worked up enough of a sweat.
Weather next week does not look the best but i need to get the back garden into some type of state as we have a bbq out there next weekend.
If i can get an hour on the plot tomorrow i want to dig over my 3 been beds and mulch my potatoes as a matter of urgency as well as netting my sweetcorn plants to stop the crows pecking them to death.
Cam
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No I eat lots of homegrown carrots!! ::)
;D ;D ;D ;D
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darn the rain is back!!
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My lotty is like a bog, not a happy bunny ;)
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rain here too but quite welcome as the ground was very dry. Stopped play for me though.
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still havent been able to do anything at my plot as still raining & the ground is like a bog :'(
Its been over a week & im in withdrawal :o
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Wandered down to the plot this am, by the time i got there rain had set in. Not much one can do, so, picked some rhubarb, called at the supermarket on way home bought a bottle of vodka and some granulated sugar, and two kilner jars. Got home and set about preparing some Rhubarb Shnapps!!!
Hilary
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I organised my ‘edibles’ pots. From back to front I have:
Two half barrels of French climbing Beans (Basil to be added)
One half barrel with three Cucumbers and Calendula
Two pots of Garlic Chives and one of Chives
Three pots of Tomato Tiny Tim
Five pots of Parsley
Two pots of Chilli Sicily
Three pots of Physallis Pineapple
Six pots of Strawberries
Here are a couple of pics. :) G x
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/georgie_girl15/Veg%20plot%20in%20pots/VegPlot2June08.jpg)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/georgie_girl15/Veg%20plot%20in%20pots/VegPlot3June08.jpg)
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Sounds good to me Hilary ;D
Went to plot ,still very damp but was able to strim and trim.Potted on some Toms.Hey,two flowers on my cucumbers,very exciting.Aubergine thriving,miracle .I normally kill them :)
Planted another clematis,I do love them,lots of buds on my roses.
Potatoes ,onions and garlic looking good,not so the beans.
Tiny abandoned wasps nest in my shed ,just a bit bigger than a golf ball.The last one I had was the size of a football.
Everything so green and fresh after all the rain.
Happy day.
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as the weather was a bit iffy decided not to go to the allotment so ended up stimming back garden and weeding the boarders in my garden and adding more soil. Planted the begonia bulbs that i got from tompson and morgan and watered all the plants in my mini greenhouse got a whole shelf now that need to be hardened off inc 5 diffreent onions i grew from seed, b.sprouts beans, peas and sunflowers (those that have survived the slug attack >:(
Weather tomorrow looks ok for a day at the lotty and tuesday looks like a wash out so going to try and get up there tomorrow instead.
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Dug out Acanthus Mollis yet again! What a thug. I imagine my whole garden taken over by it if I don't watch out ::)
Planted pots and baskets with geraniums mostly, and planted out the rest of the bedding plants.
Front garden tomorrow, weather permitting.
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You didn't make it then Betula!!! I was too busy on the plant stall to notice..
;D
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No we had some visitors this morning and we would have started off to late.Shame I was looking forward to meeting you all and looking at your plant stall.Glad you had a great day.
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I've just posted some pics taken yesterday of my plot and the new shed in my gallery (under the 2008 sub heading Open Day), and the Derby Open Day thread if anyone would like to see them? ;D
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Harvested broad beans, winter onions and radishes yesterday, I also did some weeding again, Jesus the weeds are coming up with a vengeance especially the bloody marestail. :'( ;D ;D ;D
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re dug my one front garden flower bed took out all my daff bulbs and transplanted them to another bed in a clump for next year moved all my exotic plants to enjoy the sun more as they were partly shaded
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Can't start on the plot until I have got some tools that I have left at my mums.
So going to just clear the shed out later.
Then make a start on the plot its self on Thursday
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Hello
This what me,mr fuchsia nut & big sis have been up to in my garden over the last few days, We have nearly filled a green bin with bindweed >:( >:( >:(... Good home wanted if anyone wants it :o ::), I have enlarged one of my rose beds to cope with my impulse purchases at the garden centre ::) ::), My big sis was getting attacked by ants i think secretly she enjoyed it!!! while mr fuchsia nut sat and enjoyed his cuppa i was being lazy i was off colour but did help in the end, Only another 5 roses to plant and a shopping list ready for gardeners world live only another 16 roses???.... :D :D i will have no space leave i was thinking of losing the lawn but my dogs protested so that idea was scrubbed ... well for now at least.
Here's the photo's for our work.
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/th_100_0180.jpg) (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/100_0180.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/th_100_0191.jpg) (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/100_0191.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/th_100_0190.jpg) (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/100_0190.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/th_100_0189.jpg) (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/100_0189.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/th_100_0188.jpg) (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/100_0188.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/th_100_0185.jpg) (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/100_0185.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/th_100_0184.jpg) (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/100_0184.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/th_100_0181.jpg) (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/100_0181.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/th_100_0179.jpg) (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/100_0179.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/th_100_0177.jpg) (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/100_0177.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/th_100_0178.jpg) (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/100_0178.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/th_100_0175.jpg) (http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c320/srs101/Garden08/100_0175.jpg)
Cheers
Brogusblue
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replace the words singing in the rain with digging in the rain and you get the idea.
Raining on and off so i did not bother stopping and did about 2 hours of weeding and digging over my 3 pea and bean beds which are just about ready now for planting they all need about 2 barrow loads of compost in so i am going to put down some newspaper on he top before i add the soil and plant them up as this will help hold moisture for the peas and beans.
Pulled some parsnips and carrots but left them behind DOH!!
Added more soil to the spuds in buckets but the rest dont look like they need mounding up yet.
a bit 2 tired now to cook so i think fish and chips are on the menu
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Noticed that this might be the 1000th post on this thread - well done Cam by starting such a popular topic.
Today I tidied the ornamental garden (had a day off work), repotted the flower pots on the patio, and also managed an hour on the lottie planting out the almost spent polyanths so they recover for next winter. Then sat back and the heavens opened. Wish I knew that was going to happen before I watered everything in. ;D
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Went the lottie after work for 1hour digging come home found slug and snails had decimated my petunias that I put out yesterday so went out snail hunting the war is on >:(
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Planted out the indeterminate tomatoes in the greenhouse. Then had our committee meeting. Now watching House.
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tied in the melons, toms and cucumbers, cucs have flowers coming, fed the squash, all have flowers starting, just need some heat now ;D
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Thanks suzanne, wow 1000th post.
Well today i got up at 8.30am to find the weather wet and horrible so went back to bed. Got up just after midday and the weathers not really shifted. Had some home made bread toasted with some philadelphia (garlic and herb one) a nice mug of tea.
Its unlikly that i am going to get anything done today so looks like i will be powering up the wii :)
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Hope to get down there later if the rain holds off. ??? :-\ ;D ;D ;D
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Baskets up back and front, just the auto watering system to test now. (best buy ever ;D)
Was given 6 of those huge water bottles yesterday and BW sawed the bottoms off for me, they will make good dishes for the bigger pots so nothing is wasted. Can't go plotting or in my garden as today is babysitting day and she is having a big sleep at the mo :) Tomorrow is mine....all mine ;D
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Went straight after work for an hour before the kids got home, managed to weed the parsnips and carrots. ;D ;D ;D
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Went to the Erdington plot and planted the cherokee beans. Took the net off the mange tout (hope the magpies and pidgeons don't eat them) Second lot of parsnips have come up thank goodness. Tied up sweet peas and took of the twiddly tendrils. Worked on the project for a couple of hours. Came home knackered as usual.
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Mowed the back lawn, tied up quite a few plants, weeded an area that is going to be a path. (then going to put black plastic down) Young Lorna usually mows the big grass area at the side but it seems every time she has a day off it has rained so as it is looking like a jungle I mowed some of it (can never manage it all as I get out of breath) will have another go tomorrow. Weeded 2 borders, tied up tomato and cucumber plants. Just had tea and now going out again, beautiful evening.
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had to get to the plot early, 2 sheds being delivered for new people, planted up 4 baskets as a thank you to someone for donating a greenhouse, had to babysit this afternoon, lovely ;D
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Went to the Lottie after work for a couple of hours and made a start on clearing the grass and weeds.
Had a coffee and a talk with one of my Lottie's neighbours, who seams a decent enough bloke.
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...everythings waterlogged so i took a cup of tea up to the shed and drew up a list of jobs for tomorrow came home and got my car packed with everything i need to take with me.
In the morning i test drove a new car and now need to get a lottery win this weekend so i can order one :'(
(VW Eos is anyone wonders)
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You'll need to win the lottery to fill it up with fuel, i paid 69 quid to fill up my works mondeno with deisel today - £1.33 per ltr!!
Weeded, earthed up spuds, planted out sweetcorn and lettuces - very productive.
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Just got a call from our supplier and there on there way with soil GREAT
I am heading out in a while as its 31.5 at the moment outside and going to barrow over as much of the soil as i can ;) if i can get my greenhouse base topped up i might be able to move the greenhouse in the next couple of days. YIPPIE
That means tomorrow i can get the bean beds sorted if the weather remains dry and finaly plant out my beans and peas.
YIPPIE YIPPIE YIPPIE YIPPIE
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Planted out pumpkins, courgettes and squashes. Maybe a bit early, and it's turned breezy now, so fingers crossed!
Put some peppers into growbags in lottie greenhouse to give me more room at home. Hoed some weeds. Too hot for strimming but it does need it!First spuds flowering. Picked some buds off red onions. >:(
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Planted out Scotch Bonnets and Hot Wax Chillies today, moved some muck from one plot to another "rolled it" also inherited some leeks and pinched side shoots on the Toms...Not a great deal done seeing I was on the lotties for 7 hours, had one of them wandering and chatting days...Good fun , oh yes I had to shoot off and buy an ice cold can of Fosters as a fellow lottie holder said " wouldn't it be nice to have a cold beer now" and I could not get that thirst quenching idea out of my head, only one though but it was nice :P.
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Took Mom to the plot today got there at 9.30am and have only just got back at 7pm. thats what I call a good day. Mom sat and watched while we sowed some more carrots did some weeding. then we had a fish and chip dinner(naughty but nice).After that we barrowed some of the free pea gravel we had from a gardening suppliers onto the med garden. It looks great now. Then we dug out a couple more beds for the school kids when they come. the fencing has been put up now and it's looking great.Just had a nice shower and a glass of wine. felt that I deserved it.
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First visit to the lotty tomorrow since last Friday because of the rain dreading to see what we will find and what state the plot is in :o
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managed 7 wheelbarrows of soil before the heat took took its toll.
I have managed to get 2 beds ready for planting and i i have weeded 1/3 of my big fruit bed at the bottom of the plot. Tomorrow i am going to concentrate on the greenhouse base.
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Finally a dry day so potted on alot of plants I havent been able to transfer to my allotment (will be too wet for some time yet) butternut squash, summer squash, kohl rabi, yellow courgettes.
hoping to get to my lottie tomorrow to have my very first 'furtle' for spuds ;D
shirlton I've loved that poem since I was very young...still looking forward to being able to rattle the railings etc ;)
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Best thing about being over the hill.
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I sorted put the inside of my new shed, it's all organised now! I've even got a little sofa from Freecycle in there...bliss! I was just sitting down on it for the first time having spend a few hours putting stuff away when a large fox wandered in bold as brass and just stood looking at me! I've never been that close to a fox before, I was suprised it was slightly scary, very cold feral eyes...but as soon as I spoke to it , it wandered off as if it owned the place.....which of course it does! ;D
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Back from the lotty and overall it is not to bad after all the rain but still even to wet to weed properly, first signs of sweetcorn seeds coming through but we are really pedssi off by the fact that every cabbage and collie is now ruined by the local bird population how much netting do you have to put over your crops?, I'm going to take some proper direct action when I find out that I'm allowed to do it, ;)
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Been down the garden to speak to the frogs, and to let the beans know they will be being planted out this evening after work, or tomorrow. Told the leeks they will be moving out of pot sand into the ground on Sunday when we've prepared the new bed.
Talking to the veg is more satisfying than talking to some of my work colleagues on conference calls ;D
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I have had meetings this morning which means wearing a suit YUCK!
Home now and heading for pub lunch in a mo (its only 50m away) then going to get changed at home and back to the lotty and move more compost before the weather turns.
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took the seed heads off some more red onions ::) ..tied in toms and the watermelon, one plant's going great guns at the moment, picked some onions , new peas and strawberries, also, early nantes carrots for tea, only have to add the lamb chops :P
moved a tomato that was growing next to a pepper, self seeded and doing really well ;D
checked the grapes, about 7 bunches this year ;D
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We picked our first broad beans today. They seem to have come right in the last few days. Probably the rain we had last week. Have left me mom shelling them. Just hope she remembers where the beans go and where the pods go.lol.Brought home 2 onions and two cabbage hearts that the slugs didn't get into. Gonna have liver and onions tonite.
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In a word NOTHING (oh I did water the toms and cucumbers) 3 of my 4 children came visiting, all at different times. Not complaining but I have to get my finger out as I am away all next week with young Lorna and Joshua.
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??? What do you suggest we start in the plots ( 12' X 4') we are having approx 12 plots, and wish it was not left until now, should have started months ago - but red tape? we have started in a green house runner beans and know that we can still get in some peas and reading your posts know we can still get in some carrots. We also have a very large plot which we intend to use as a flower and fruit trees plot so should be ok! Oh! forgot to mention the 40+ foot high fir trees having a fight with the owners, but the trees grow to the back of the plot and will not effect the first 6 plots - help.
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don't know if it's any use, some of the on line catalogues,e.g, fothergills, are selling veggie plants, gives you a head start, we're still sowing salady stuff, french beans, peas, and squash plants we've grown, still time for lots of stuff :)
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I have had meetings this morning which means wearing a suit YUCK!
Home now and heading for pub lunch in a mo (its only 50m away) then going to get changed at home and back to the lotty and move more compost before the weather turns.
Did not end up getting back to the lotty as i managed to get another contract :) but it means me starting back at work wednesday :( which means i have only got a couple of days to move a lot of soil and get a lot down while i have time.
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Took advantage of BW's day off to bag up more straw for mulch (now the ground's wet) and deliver it to the plot. Was going up again this pm but it was raining and I've got a cold so I stayed at home and did DIY with himself, I passed screws, made tea etc. and said things like 'nice neat job dear' and the like. ::)
Sweetcorn ready to go in along with peppers so I will endeavour to get there tomorrow.
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.... went to the allotment 11am when it had warmed up (but not much its fairly grim out there) and moved over 8 barrow loads of compost to the base of my greenhouse. Took out 3 barrow loads of weeds. Sowed some beetroot, picked some baby carrots and parsnips.
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picked the first of the 'freebie' vale's emerald potatoes for tea, plus lettuce, onions and carrots for a salad , had our monthly meeting, lots to discuss this time, picked all the leaves off the peach that have leaf curl on, fed it..weeded the sweet potato bed ready for planting up, next week..tied in some more melons , worn out ;D
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Did far too much and not enough!! Weeded lots and planted tomatoes and Chinese cabbage. Sowed kohl rabi and kale and courgettes. Hoed paths. And I still have to go back to water so I've ordered pizza for dinner.
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I didn't do too much on my plot today but the woman a few plots down is I'll so while nobody was around I went down and did a few hours on hers.
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Nearly finished planting up the big School's greenhouse..
:)
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Not much today as I visit my mother on a Saturday.
But went up to the plot on the first bus and spent an hour running over the long grass with a strimmer
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Down on the lotty this morning at 0745 but it seems the rain what we had yesterday made my lotty very wet in places, I cleared all my colies and cabbages that the birds had feasted on(my fault I should of covered them) and put them in the compost and went over to Barkby and bought another two dozen each, these will be covered with netting ;)
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Out at 6am - feeling a bit stronger - watered & pinched out 60 Toms - sought e-mail help on one variety going yellowy/brown - levelled a 20'x12' patch & planted 64 Sweet corn - 12 French Beans - cut spring Cabbage for lunch - dug 2 helpings of Pentland Javelin Potatoes.
Not much else.
And did lunch!!
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Planted out french beans and sunflowers in the midday sun- probably a bad idea but not sure when I'll get down there next. Tried not to look at the grass which I swear has grown at least a foot since Friday! Picked the first artichoke of the year :D, and probably the last asparagus :'(
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so far i have done nothing today our new sofa is being delivered this week and i ordered the hubbie to repaint the front room before it arrives which means the room will look nice and fresh. Going to try and get up to the allotment later this afternoon so that i can finish earthing up my spuds and do more weeding. Looks like I also need to do a little watering as its such a warm day.
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Tried to haul out a dead Lavetera. Shame it died, we lost a few shrubs this winter and gradually replacing them. Its warm out there but dull and it could rain. Going to a garden centre soon once OH wakens up.
:)
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well over the last couple of days ive planted out my cabbages, brussell sprouts, climbing beans, lifted my 1st overwintering onions, planted pickling onions, tided up some weeds/long grass, planted bunching onions, sunflowers, more beetroot and filled up the 2nd water butt as im away this weekend and fiance has the job of watering the garden - on the subject of watering mentioned to one of the guys on the allotments the other day i would be away for a couple of weeks in august and was gona set up a drip irrigation system - he said dont worry about that - i will keep it watered for you - who says theres no community spirit any more ;D
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sounds like you're feeling stronger Tim! well done.
I've planted out my leeks, harvested the last of this batch of spinach, planted out my 'spare' runners in the front garden and done a bit of weeding. It's a bit sunny out there for a ginger so i'll go out again early evening and plant out some more chard and nasturtiums in the front garden, sow some pak choi and radishes and a few other bits and weed down by the pond.
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planted celeriac, cauli all year,8 out door toms,2 cues burpless,weeded asparagus, cut some comfrey to make liquid feed, harvested strawbs and rhubarb, cut and come again lett, radish and spinach, and earthed up the spuds a bit more, all without a t shirt on so now I'm lobster red. But a good morning on the lottie. oh and a lot of chatting to other plot holders. ;D
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Trimmed the vine, so Summer is definitely here... Sun on and off but T-shirt firmly on so no Lobster impressions here!
;D
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Finished off neccesary jobs in the garden and it looks a treat BUT...I have discovered the dreaded horse tail growing along the back fence on the other side. This land belongs to the local council plant nurseries so I will be there tomorrow to persuade them to do something positive. They aren't very good at weed control, they have knotweed along another border and all they do is chop it down now and again ::)
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Had a bit of a waisted day today.
A mate who was going to help me bring some tools from my mums in his car let me down at the last minute and I had no time to make other arrangements.
By the time I had waited around for him and him calling to let me know.
I had lost to much time to make it worth while starting
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Cream crackered........moved 19 big paving slabs onto my new half plot in order to make a path, OH helping...glad I don't have to do that too often!
Pulled up about 20 rusted metal stakes up on the new plot, we think they were used to support some long rotted raised bed edgings.........they were acting like blooming hidden punji stakes, I had nearly turned my ankle on them several times!
OH also dug up an old silver teaspoon....either we had posh previous tenants, or it is an ex army one from when their horses were exercised on the site before it became allotments?
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planted up brussel,broccoli,cukes,dug over un used bit behind the shed and put a load of comfrey in.
OOH and sat in chair a lot.
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i put 20 square feet of decking in over the weekend from one side of the garden to the other looking good new patio set so now i can sit like steve a little more when needed lol bought some stuff hanging baskets ,brackets ext need compost for them now .
going to see my railway sleepers today from the timber mills there cutting them for me new ones as i needed them to hold back some soil as i have a tiered garden well will have when im done
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fried ourselves yesterday on the plot, but planted out 22 beans of various varieties thanks to the A4A Bean swap - thanks to everyone who played - I look like a right old bean geek with so many varieties. Showed OH how to dibble & plant leeks & after the first pot full, left him to it. We now have 102 planted up leeks :o He doesn't weed out the runts like I do..........
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Just spent a few hours gently sizzling in the sun, digging out a path for the slabs! Didn't do too much, felt very lethargic in the heat.... any excuse for a sit down in the shade! 8)
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Perspired profusely 8)
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Sat in it! ;D ;D
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Played in my garden with g'daughter this morning, then went to plot p.m.
Planted sweetcorn and peppers, swapped a round cu plant for some brussels, planted leeks and gave overs away.Fed,watered,weeded and straw mulched the courgettes and fruit and ate my first strawberry ;D
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Tried to dig over the spinach bed that has gone to seed & is full of thistles & mare's tail.
TOO HOT ???
Watered EVERYTHING & came home to fill up the large paddling-pool in the back garden. Two little people have been splashing & swimming in it - and now I am going to have myself a lovely barbecue!
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done nothing work up with a migrane and have been sitting in the front room in front of the air con unit with it all day. Never had such a bad migrane cant focus and feel slightly dizzy.
hoping its going to be gone tomorrow as i really need to spend the day on the plot.
:'(
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Had a very productive day today.
Went to the plot straight from work and got stuck into the digging.
The plot is coming on great now, really starting to look like I am getting somewhere
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been to lottie and got really sun burnt cutting grass lol x :-\
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been to lottie and got really sun burnt cutting grass lol x :-\
Well you do have a large choice of mowers i believe ;D ;D ;D
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psml xx yeah got one or two xxxxx ;D
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On the lotty at 0745 and got stuck in planting another batch of collies and cabbages this time UNDER NETTING, the toms did not need watering because by accident I left my drip feed system on from Sunday, ha, ha ;D and finished by having a good weeding session :)
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put in 15 railway sleepers to create a back fill for the soil need about 6 ton of soil so i can finish the back fill to make the next level flat
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can't remember, too tired ;D
think I did some watering :)
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well today i have been mainly seing double.
Doc had to come and visit today as i still had a very bad migrane so to make sure it was not meningitis she popped over and checked on me and gave me some drugs to fix things. Only got the double vision left. Going back to bed now!
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Oh dear, Cam- hope you're soon feeling better.
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planted out tomatoes, peppers, chillies and courgettes, carried on harvesting spuds and asparagus. ;D
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Tidy up on the veg patch,cleaned the path (70ft) and did some weeding, dandelion roots going down to Aussie.
Every joint now just aches.
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Pulled my first* few potatoes out. I was amazed by the taste of them...I've been eatinf shop bought ones too long, these were amazing. Don't normally like boiled potatoes but I just sat there stuffing them down my throat, straight out of the pan!
*as in first ever...never grown them before.
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picked my remaining cabbages, dug the veg patch over and dug in some of my lovely home made compost, planted out the remaining sweet potatoes i grew from slips, some more beans, courgettes etc and repotted aubergines
i too now ache all over and i now have a date with a mahoosive ironing pile :o :(
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Wrecked the Greenhouse
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r111/stumpinsci/Picture008-1.jpg)
And cleaned up
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r111/stumpinsci/Picture009-1.jpg)
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sowed a few rows of Autumn King and Resistafly carrots, some under fleece, some between rows of onions, and started to lower my tomatoes as they had reached the eaves of the greenhouse.
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Got v. wet, then dry, then wet, then dry, then v. wet again..pulled all my autumn planted garlic, 20 fat sticks of rhubarb & cut a couple of trugs of mint for bottling, planted out my companion marigolds...finally gave up, came indoors with a couple of v. large Ostergruss radishes & a Red Baron to have with some cheese, necked 1/2 a bottle of red with them - and zzzzzzzzzzz'd the afternoon away. Still got the mint to bottle and hey ho! work tomorrow.... :-\
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hi people
You have all been productive, good.
Unfortunatly i still have double vision and all i have been doing is sleeping and having doctors visit me and waiting in hospital.
Had head CT scan so far and a mri scan to work out why my left eye is not moving as much as its suppose to and why i have a a facial twich down the right side.
Still after 4 days i can now see about 3 or 4 foot in front of myself if i concentrate without the double vision and i can us a pc for a short period of time with one eye :)
I miss my allotment, the sunshine and i know my plants in my greenhouse outside are probable frazzed to a burnt stup as i forgot to water them woops.
CAM CAM 8)
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Oh dear, Cam, sorry to hear you're having such a miserable time. Hope they get to the bottom of it very soon.
I planted out cucumbers, toms and sweetcorn today, plus some aubergines into growbags in the greenhouse. And strimmed yet again. Also dug up the first garlic of the year. :D
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You poor thing Louise. I do hope you feel better very soon.
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Oh cam, sorry to hear you are ill :'( I hope you get better very soon. Dont look at the weeds on your lottie while you have the double vision :o ;D
Best wishes
cj :)
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Look after yourself Cam XX
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thanks for the support guys i have actualy been able to see almost straight today which is a releif and i am seing an eye specalist on tuesday and i have made arrangements to get into the office monday phew and friday i need to go to copenhagen for the day to finish up my work there.
And i have even managed to start off some more pumpkin seeds in the kitchen and taken all the seeds out of the greenhouse and got them watered which is something.
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What did you do to yourself? I planted some toms out and picked the first broad beans.
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Hope you feel better soon Cam. :)
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thanks guys, robert i dont know what happened i woke up monday morning with a bad migrane, double vision and could not stand light. Docs came over thinking it was menengitis but thankfully it was not she treated it like a migrage but this still left the double vision.
Looks like trapped nerve in my left eye socket triggered it. And what triggered the trapped nerve well i think it might have been some new anti histimines which i have been taking for a few days before all this stopped and since i have stopped taking them my eyes are getting better far 2 much of a coinstance for my liking. It says rare side effect is visual disturbance bit of an understatement.
As it stands now my eyes are just about back to normal, bright lights take getting used to and i have to refocus or rest them when i over do it or things move in front of me quickly. So not going to attempt driving till i get the all clear tuesday. Watching tv with sunglasses may look funny indoors but it does help.
I made it out to my greenhouse (plastic 4 tier one in garden) last night and found that every single bean, pea, flower, tomato, brassica has been eaten by 6 massive slugs in just a few short days. I was very disapointed luckly they spared my onion seed which i started 8 weeks ago and will be planted out with luck tomorrow and they left some of my brussel sprouts. So i am going to get my hubbie to drive me to the allotment tomorrow with my seeds and get him to help me plant up some new pea and bean seeds in place and cover with netting. I started some more pumpkin seeds off last night as my last lot died in the frost of may and they can go into my bean beds in a few weeks. Going to start of more tomatos today in the kitchen. And going to start some in a bed tomorrow and cover them in some plastic sheating like a mini greenhouse on the plot.
Thanks again guys
Cam
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Finished planting out bedding in daughters tiny garden and mowed the postage stamp ;D Next stop the plot,weeded and mulched toms, and weeded onions. Ate 2 raspberries, firtled for a few spuds and picked a lettuce for supper. Got broccoli to pick very soon and beetroot ready now. Courgettes -green and yellow- making an appearance, and noticed the long awaited parsnips are popping through. :)
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what did i do in the garden today? I watered and fed it thats all! ;D
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tied everything in again, planted up the sweet potatoes, planted the biggest leeks where the new potatoes have come out, planted up mizuna and red mustard into containers, in the shade, experimenting to see if they'll grow there without bolting ;D
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hi guys,
hubbie and i went to the plot today to take stock, and its not 2 bad. Garlic is now 3 ft high and nice and green still so i hope its all bulking up added more chicken poo and a good water. Shallots have started to go to seed so will go up and pull some of these to dry ( i guess now they have started to go to seed they will not keep).
I noticed a couple of brown leaves on one of my potato plants like there burnt so need to keep an eye on that. Some of the others just look like somethings been eating them.
Planted 3 rows of onions (grown from seed started 6 to 8 weeks ago) and 2 rows of carrots seed in a bed its only 1/3 full but all i could manage.
Picked board beans as something was eating them, picked rhubarb and some strawberrys for after dinner.
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Good day ;D Planted out squash and rhubarb (found it in the garden!) and pulled over wintering onions, only 3 with white rot :) garlic is looking fab - never grown it before so V excited, beans and mangetout covered in flowers and summer squash looking fab, I love this time of year ;D
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Dug up my first potatoes! Just a few Vales Emerald but they look yummy!Made up some more nettle fertiliser as everything seems to belooking a bit yellow.
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Did loads today, also very excited to dig up my first earlies! Dug up two plants each of 'Salad Blue'...got about 20 potatoes, mostly small ones, a bit disappointed as these have been flowering for the past 3 weeks. I'm steaming these as I write for an unusual blue potato salad! My son has already turned his nose up...all the more for the rest of us! ;)
More impressed with 'Witchhill', 20 plants yielded 70 potatoes, some as big as a small baker, most a large egg size. Also cut two calabrese, a fistful of 'Jermor' shallots, two huge lettuces and ate a lot of strawberries as I worked (working lunch!).
Day off again tomorrow, so plan to put up some more bean wigwams where the earlies were, and hopefully lay some paving on the new half plot...all go innit! ;D
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Watered all that took an hour then got readdy for work ,stupid late shift this week !!
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tied pumpkins to their upright frames, watered everything outside in pots, ray fed everything with comfrey feed, I scouted around for ladybirds, found 4 and kidnapped them into the poly for the peppers ;D
picked shallots, beetroot, carrot thinnings and radish,lolo rosso lettuce, great big one today, can't eat them quickly enough.. plus enough strawberries to feed 6 people, again, lovely grub ;D
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Great it now seems all the hard graft is now paying off since I we started to winter dig last year, grand total of 75 sweetcorn plants all covered with netting the last lot that went in have all come up, had a look at the spuds and they are the size of a golf ball, broad beans, beetroot are a nice size and everything else coming along plus did a bit of weeding :)
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Ate strawberries ;D ;D ;D
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Planted some celeriac plants one of the lotties gave me, hoe ed and watered, picked a handfull of peas to eat on the way home. :P ;D ;D ;D
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Walked around it holding a tiny hand. ;) :D
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planted a new strawberry bed. grown from seed, that's a first for me!
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Naff all the dentist saw to that
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Could not do much today, to wet.
But did manage to cut more of the long grass down while the rain had gone off for a bit.
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;D harvested a big bag of peas for tea but have eaten most of them :-[ so will have to pick some more ;D I am always amazed how much I can grow in pots. cannot wait to get a Lotty to grow more
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I picked the first peas today as well but managed to get them home ;D also harvested the last of the spring cabbages, planted out the celery at last, some chicories and the last of the dwarf beans - still so much to plant out but beginning to run out of space - all that rain served its purpose though and saved me a lot of time not having to water
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picked some pots broad beans, mange tout and strawbs and even after all the rain had to water plants ???
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Tidied garden ready for onslaught of people on Sunday (I wont be here, going on hols. :'() to celebrate grandaughters 1st Birthday.It looks beautiful, now we are praying for a reasonable day. Soooo much to do, HE has packed and now gone to play cards and I think I'll be up all night doing neccesary jobs if I want to get to the plot tomorrow for an hour to feed etc. This is totally un-neccesary in his eyes, but I wont be happy till it's done. >:(
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What a beautiful day. Mowed the back lawn, then cut the large area of grass at the side of the bungalow (left grass box off for that) Planted some cleome,morning glory,
and cosmos. Removed side shoots from toms, cut 2 more cucumbers. Watered all the baskets and tubs. Had a general tidy up. Doesn't sound a lot but I am knocking on a bit ;D Now I am going to enjoy my first bowl of home grown strawberries :)
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Yippee - I have a day off today, it's dry and my OH is at work so I can spend as much time pottering as I want to. :D
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ray emptied some of the compost heap onto half of the early potato bed, I planted up the leeks ;D
picked strawberries, pickling onions, peas, carrots, courgettes, and cut a greyhound cabbage , I love this time of year ;D
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I pottered and took a piccy of the lottie.
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looks very good suzanne :)
Been at work this week so not had a chance to do very much and today i have been helpin a friend out so nothing on the allotment.
I have to check my potatoes they never flowered but have been in 12 weeks now so do you think i might be able to get a crop ?
Planted are
King Edwards (main)
Rooster (early main)
Wilja (2nd early)
Annabell (2nd early)
Vales Emerald (1st Early)
Annya (2nd early)
popped to wollies today and picked up 2 plants for the back garden and some plant trays so tomorrow i want to pot on my aubergine and chillis and start another lot of tomatoes.
My nana has popped over from Ireland (shes 80 this year) and i am going to see her tomorrow so i cant see me getting much time on the allotment. Unless i can get my back side out of the bed early. Weather is forcast to be pretty poor this tomorrow so with luck sunday i can get lots done.
cam
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Came off the lotty early this morning it started to rain but had a brew first, we came back with some Strawberries and I'm going to eat them in front of my mate in the club at lunch time ;D I luv it, he won't :)
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tied in the toms, melons and tied up the sweet potatoes, picked some lettuce and radish for lunch, listened to the rain ;D
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Went up the lottie with our packed lunch prepared for a days work. It started to rain :'( so we made a brew and watched the rain. Then we ate our lunch & watched the rain. Finally we picked some corgies radish & spinach for tea & came home.
P.S great lottie Suzanne. We just love seeing what everyone else is doing. ;D
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I went to the plot with plans but the rain put paid to most of them.
Tied up my toms some more and pulled some side shoots off...then came home.
Cant really complain about the rain because we havent had much lately and what did come was fairly light.Its just drizzle at the moment.
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Nowt! as we say in Yorkshire.
I was going to sow all sorts of things (lettuce, carrots, pak choy. etc) but no joy with continuous rain :(
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NUTTIN!!!
its pis-sisting down :(
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Had a good laugh with mi mate about the Strawbertries his wife was on about my veg that I have grown but not enough for them but when it does start to produce they can have what they want, I'm a soft sod ;)
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Had planned to put some carrots and beetroot in.
But rain put a stop to those plans
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We had our allotments' summer solstice bbq and it p***ed down. Nevertheless there was a good turnout. We had erected a gazebo so were able to remain fairly dry. Great chat, great food and great company.
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Nothing done in the garden today, raining so decided to do my ironing (UGH) then no 2 daughter came then no 3 came then no 1 came so had a good old natter but as it has rained more or less all day didn't feel it was wasted time ;D
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Nothing, I've been marking GCSE's all day apart from doing a bit of shopping.
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stupidly shut the greenhouse door and now we have gales blowing - it always falls out >:(
but.... planted yet more brassicas, squashes, outdoor toms, flowers here and there, doing mental gymnastics about where everything else is going to go, happens every year ;D
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planted out winter cabbage, sowed spring onions, ostergrusse radish and bcylindra beetroot,
ray mulched up all the peppers and tomatoes with our compost,
picked strawberries, carrots, beetroot, pickling onions for drying, some of the bolted red onions to cook with tonight :)
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90 Higher German papers down, 74 to go .... :( :'(
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I had the family round to lunch today - so got up really early so i could sow some more beetroot (Chioggia from a seed swap and my fave Boltardy), turnip (snowball), Swede (invitation) and at the top ;lottie a few rows of carrots for the winter. The ones I did in June and July last year were really good and lasted through to March.
Also weighted the plastic covering on the tomato house again - I thought we weren't supposed to have gales in mid summer ;D
Oh and the lunch went well :) I even managed to do pudding this time (Tiramisu and a Pear and Almond Tart) rather than buy from the shop.
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Picked loads of strawberries. Dug up loads of bindweed (again!)
Took up all of the overwintering onions. They've done so well, does anyone have any tips on the best way of storing them?
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Went down to the lotty this morning and picked a few beetroot and had a weeding session which will be the last visit for two and a half week off to the Isle of wight on Wednesday, Byeeeeeeeeeeeeee :)
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Been in bed ill for three days, hoping to go to the allotment tomorrow don't know what I will find after all the strong winds over the last few days, hope my bean sticks are still standing. I am on the edge of Warwickshire in the midlands any one else suffered here in the high winds.
Bridgehouse
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Hello
I am trying not to do a lot because of my shoulder, But my neighbours cats are giving me grief see post in pets corner i did a bit of light weeding but the bindweed is giving me hell this year i have never known it so bad i have several neighbours clearing there gardens and the weeds are bad i have fabric and woodchip on my borders but it still bad.
Cheers
Brogusblue
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bridgehouse hope you are soon feeling better and Brogusblue take care.
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bridgehouse and Brogusblue hugs to you both.
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90 Higher German papers down, 74 to go .... :( :'(
I see I'm not the only examiner round here!
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90 Higher German papers down, 74 to go .... :( :'(
I see I'm not the only examiner round here!
No, plenty of insane people on here just not ones that are insane that way :)
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At least we move the young folk on to university entrance Louise. Anyway I only have 33 left to mark which i will hopefully complete tomorrow when i can get back to the real world of weeding on the lottie! :P
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At least we move the young folk on to university entrance Louise. Anyway I only have 33 left to mark which i will hopefully complete tomorrow when i can get back to the real world of weeding on the lottie! :P
I know you work hard :) i will leave you to your weeds and then you can come and do mine :)
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I hand pollinated my first pumpkin (jack oh lantern) of the year ;D
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Scripts, don't talk to me about scripts.... :-X
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Watered, then harvested onions, peas, spuds, cherrys, raspberrys, strawberrys, radishes and broad beans. :P :P :P ;D ;D ;D
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Wish i could say i have done some gardening over the weekend but this had to come first
[attachment=1]
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emptied the compost bin so's we could finish planting leeks, planted out lettuce, pinched out the runner beans, tied the pumpkins up to their frames, weeded, again, and picked lots of lovely stuff ;D
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dug up my spuds yum yum
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sowed carrots in the rain, planted brassicas in the rain, planted chicories in the rain, planted tomatoes in the rain, harvested peas in the rain, singing in the rain ;D
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All my plans for today have gone out of the window.
Really raining heavy here now and have been out in it at work all day
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Just had a look which part of the country you both are....... nice day here although a little overcast at the moment. Better go and pick the strawberries in case the rain is on its way :)
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took pictures in between the rain, tied in tomatoes and pinched out sideshoots, we all worked out where the chicken shed is going to go if we get permisson, generally got wet ;D
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Nothing but the weekend starts soon... :)
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i have so much to do in my front garden have set all the railway sleepers in place as to have threetiers because there is a nasty slope and cutting the grass wasnt very clever
i have about ten ton of top soil comming to put in then the good bit planting :D :D :D :D
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Tied up sweetcorn and watered. ;D ;D ;D
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picked the first of the runner beans!
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Felt a bit better about my strawberries as I found five hiding under some leaves, including one really big one! But worried about my french beans and sweetcoen which are very yellow and very small, despite feeding.
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i have fettled my earlies and second have pots on both but no flowers have flowers on my peas and flowers on my squash its all comming together
wont be long and i can have a whole dinner from the garden without from the shops aprt for the meat that is
cant wait
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Picked a bag full of peas for the roast dinner today.
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sowed carrots in the rain, planted brassicas in the rain, planted chicories in the rain, planted tomatoes in the rain, harvested peas in the rain, singing in the rain ;D
What a happy person you are!!! The sort of person we need here :D Keep on the good work ;D
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dug up some kestrel spuds, 10lb from 4 plants, some whoppers, too ;D
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Picked some cherry tomatoes - Sungold and Supersweet.
Picked all the 'Mangetout' - sorted into what could be cooked and what needed podding and frozen as 'petit pois'.
Composted all the lettuce - bolted in the heat.
Too many 'mangetout' to pick the green beans - do that tomorrow for the freezer - some are nearly 8" (20cm) long. Not quite 'yard long beans' but I'm impressed !
Then home for a long cool drink (or two) - 30°C here today !
Rain promised for Wednesday.
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Cleared more of the brambles and harvested some rhubarb.
Had a coffee and sandwich in the shed
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planted the sweetpeas my mum gave me in a pot out front, just got to hope the slugs dont dine on em, lil grrrrr.... oh and dreampt about the lotty...what id be doing if it wasnt too hot to take the kids....got quite a lot done in imagination land ;D
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we had a bit of room in a bed, Tony had some spare gardener's delight tomatoes,a bit tatty and pot bound, took off the side-shoots and buried them deep, may as well try ;D
trying hard not to have any empty ground this year, either green manure or crops in :)
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stopped my kids my kids eating every thing that is remotely ready :) my five year old was eating raw broccoli and cauliflower :o and keeps complaning that we don't have enough sprout plants ::)
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Harvested spuds, raspberrys, peas, broadies, lettuces and radishes. Dug out most of the broadies and thinned and transplanted cabbages. ;D ;D ;D
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took the manky bottom leaves off the cabbages and tomatoes, weeded the polytunnel beds (doesn't half play gyp with my knees ;D )
cut a cabbage for tea, pulled carrots, parsnips and picked peas..ate some strawberries, rocket and celeriac leaves, mange tout, just grazed generally ;D
watched the 'lads' getting on with the chicken run, took photos of it, cooked them bacon and eggs and stayed far enough away so they could swear ;D
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Lifted the walking onions, and then rain stopped play.
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Inbetween showers we managed to get quite a bit done this weekend. Weeded the flowerbed - it was looking terrible. Had a general weed and tidy up around the raised beds, harvest potatoes, turnips, parsnips and lettuce.
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Plot yesterday, so garden today. Bearded Wonder has borrowed a hedge trimmer and has waged war on the ivy growing over our 8ft wall from pub car park next door. He has decapitated 2 of my 3 remaining sunflowers, broken a lavender bush, crushed an ice plant and thrown his shears down on my calendulas. It's no good, I'm going to have to marry someone else. ::)
Came indoors to cook dinner, had a glass of wine and a very loud sing to Songs of Praise. Feel better now. ;D
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Emaggie I know I shouldn't laugh......BUT.... :) ;D
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Nothing.... it poured with rain most of the day. :(
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Hi Folks just back from mi hols on the isle of wight after two weeks but leaving the lotty for Friday dreading on what it will look like but most of my veg should be ready for picking :).
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I am building a frame out of wood which will be covered with netting to put over brassicas. Will post a pic when I have finished!
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Picked the last rhubarb and the first courgettes, raspberries and calabrese of the year! :D
Wondered whether I'll get any French beans or sweetcorn this year- both have hardly grown since I planted them out weeks ago. :(
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Nothing so far!!!! The workmen are next door in Lorna's bungalow and my pesky dog just keeps yapping at the fence GRRRRR! The workmen will be going home shortly so at least I can have a couple of hours out there, potatoes to dig, strawberries to pick and hopefully some more peas ready.
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took up onions that had fallen over, pulled the garlic, picked peas, our first purple podded beand, some carrots and parsnips, cut a red cabbage, greyhound cabbage and found some little rodent has been eating the necks of my calabrese ???
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Harvest all my garlic, picked raspberries, cleared out broad beans, weeded and cut back grass. Didn't need to water anything!
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I made a new raised bed and planted out my remaining b/nut squashes and under planted them with raddish and spicy salad leaves.
I planted out my curry plant, some parsley, thyme, lavender and rosemary. Decided to move some very poor currant bushes that were here when I took the plot. Laid some carpet down to fifferentiate the paths
I weeded the extra large weeds, picked peas, strawberrys, some sweet peas and made a lovely bunch for my mum.
I sat and looked at the plots and felt sad because most of my planting is done this year ( I dont count salad crops).
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Do not be sad,plan for next year ;D
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I have weeded my onion beds and found unfortunately that some of them have what I think is white rot. Ah well I've got three years of the rotation before I need to confront the problem.
I've decided I need to charge my camera cos the plot's looking not half bad at the mo...... Well the parts I'll let you see anyway!! :P ;D ;D
We're eating nothing but allotment produce now and giving it away too. That is so cool!!
Weather permitting I'll do the last onion bed tomorrow and start on the brassica.
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lol Good idea Beltula, and next year my plot wll be 'perfect'. ;D
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After two weeks away I was surprised that the lotty was not to bad apart from more bind weed, but I came away with a good mixed bag of veg(hard work paying off), tomorrow I will remove all the frames that I had over my sweetcorn and cabbage and have a weeding session :)
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after 6 weeks away,working,i stood in awe,close to tears im not ashamed to admit...everything is looking so wonderful,OH has been keeping it up,saying that he has been away for 3 weeks,im so grateful to our neighbour for watering our greenhouse. can any one suggest a suitable gift to say thanks,he is an elderly chap,doesnt smoke,not sure what tipple he likes,if any? i thought about maybe doing some baking for him and his missus?
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If your kindly neighbour is elderly, would you have time to give him a days-worth of digging? He might appreciate that. If not, what about a voucher to buy seeds?
twinkletoes
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jams, pickles and chutneys are always appreciated by our elderly rellies ;D
specially if you've made it with your own produce
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I went to the lottie for first time since Saturday and everything seems to have really grown, I harvested two bags of suds and took home some lettuce, shallots and wintering onions. ;D ;D ;D
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I went to the lottie for first time since Saturday and everything seems to have really grown, I harvested two bags of suds and took home some lettuce, shallots and wintering onions. ;D ;D ;D
soap suds ? , ck ;D ;D
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I've just seen this and went to correct it, trust you to find it first Scousers. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Hurray - we have had sunshine
Finally I could go down to the allotment. Sorry to get over excited but I work full time with a plus 2.5 hours commute every day leaves me very little time during the week.
Today I have collected some broad beans and beatroot. Planted some sprouts that I had started off in pots earlier this year.
Then finshed off with weeding, weeding and more weeding - I have only had the site since April. Cleared a patch straight away to grow a few veggies this year, so at least I get something for all my efforts and now i am just taking my time to clear the rest and enjoying every moment.
Forecast more sun tomorrow - so i guess it will be back to the weeding.
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I've weeded the first of my brassica beds and found fab calabrese, swedes and yes!!!!! cauliflower. They're pathetic little yellow turds of curds but they're cauliflower. First time I've ever managed to get any so I'm well pleased. 8) 8)
I only have 2 more beds to weed then I can start at the beginning again. ;D ;D ;D
I also started painting one of my sheds pale green. I think it's going to look super. Then the greenhouse. Then the other shed I'm going to paint in blue stripes like a beach hut.
Bill who builds all the fabulous sheds on our site is going to put in a gate in the fence at the north end of my plot. Handy for getting out o socialise.
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went for just a walk to see how things are doing...3 hours later ive weeded for england
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Had a weeding and a picking session this morning :)
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picked my first out door tom (toga) it was about the size of a pea ;D but don't ask me what it tasted like my one year old ate it :-\ had some about a month ago from a plant I kept in doors but never got to eat any of those (home grown food disappears quicker than sweets in my house ;D) then my three year old watered it with shampoo an sadly it went to plant heaven ::)
I ate some peas in the rain (kids don't like the rain so i actually got some :o) and picked my first courgette which they don't like so i thought i would get it to myself :D but my mom came round and nicked it for ratatouille ::)
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Raided my neighbour Ahmed's blackcurrant bushes. Took me 2 hours 8) But I've just made a HUGE amount of blackcurrant ice-cream ;D
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weeded the bean beds, dug up some kestrel spuds, they're huge, cut the early strawberries down and composted them, had the squash admired by lots of people, ;D
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Picked loads of tomatoes and runner beans... ;D ;D
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Yesterday i was house hunting
Today we managed to make it to the allotment, picked some herbs for dinner.
Picked some gooseberrys (9 oz) and no idea what to do with them.
Picked some Red Currants (3oz) making Redcurrant souffle for tonight
Picked some rashberrys which i will have tomorrow with some mullier light :)
Having not been up in a week i am amazed at how well everything has done. Beans, Peas & Cabbage have germinated, pak choi has slightly gone to seed so broke the stems off, onion seed i planted is doing well. If the weather holds off tomorrow after work i will try and make it up to the plot to sow more corgettes (all eaten) and plat up the chillis and pumpkins i have on my windowstill.
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Weeded, drove away leaving my keys in the wide open gates and then went back and got laughed at!! Had a barbeque with the others. Great day! My rhubarb and plum wines were much admired.
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Emaggie I know I shouldn't laugh......BUT.... :) ;D
Lorna , if I didn't laugh I'd go mad...he's fast turning into Victor Meldrew. ::) ;D
Yesterday my jam making pal came to my plot to pick more blackcurrants and helped weed for an hour or so. I only meant to be 2 hours at most, but 5 hours later I had a weed free plot, much harvest and felt very satisfied.
Today was the continuation of the ivy massacre trimming and guess who sliced through the extension lead ::) Honestly, I worry about him and my sanity. Anyhow, job done and all family to dinner with my lovely veg to eat. :)
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I went to the allotment, in the firm belief that I would only spend an hour there, doing some light weeding, like you do. I ended up, 4 hours later having dug up the most gigantic bramble roots from the bit I havnt cleared yet. The are ENORMOUS. One has underground runners, [I cant think they are roots], about 6 feet long. They look like alien giant octopuses, [or is it octopi?]. Ive left them on the surface to dry out, and then throw them away. I have this fear that they will rise up at night and dance round in the moonlight, in a ghastly demonic ritual. Maybe I got a bit too much sun today. Zeed
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hiya, zeed, nice to meet you, you sound like you'll fit right in here, ;D
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wow zeed day of the triffids comes to mind :)
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Triffids wouldnt last 5 minutes with these brambles. Maybe they'll keep the birds off the peas. Zeed
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Managed to get down the plot this afternoon, ended up staying four hours! Did a lot of harvesting, calabrese, cauliflowers, one row of Epicure potatoes (I'm very impressed with the yield and size, hope the taste is as good!), first outdoor cucumbers, two little tomatoes form the tumbling tom pots outside, first French Beans, some very sexy purple flecked pods 'Triomphe de Farcy' that I got from one of the seeds swaps, ? Dad n'Lads if I remember correctly....will definitely be saving some of those to grow again! Lots to cook for tea tonight.... ;D
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Sunday in Nice.
I can hardly wait to get back on Wednesday night and go to my allotment on Thursday before work.
Unfortunately the forecast for Liverpool is heavy rain all day Thursday.
Fed the plants on the balcony including the basil plant I think I might grow runner beans here next year (there is an automatic watering system)
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Well had a good couple of hours clearing the brambles.
Got a visit from the secretary of our site who seams pleased with how much I have cleared since taking the lottie on.
He is not so pleased with the plot next door though, they took theirs on a week before I got mine.
Next doors was in better condition than mine when they took theirs on, it is now the worst of the 2.
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Fourth day on the trot down the lotty just to get it back into shape, watered toms and picked more broad beans and a few onions ;)
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I have picked the gooseberry's today - 2.5 Kilo's !! Best I have ever had.
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one of the plot holders told me I could HAVE his blackcurrants, he has no use for them :o
I've picked, cleaned and frozen 6 pounds today, picked a couple of pounds for someone else and there's at least the same left for other people ;D
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Nothing apart from stroll down for a couple of onions, as we have used up the last of the stored, but roll on Thursday when we break for Summer... which has been cancelled as I understand it!! ;D
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Cancelled... oh no and school out in a few days!!!
My mini lottie(in the backgarden )is nicely starting to produce, it is so funny just having eight raised beds when we have 2 lotties having a year off, but needs must!!
It was late getting built so we are quite pleased with what we are getting.
Trouble is the cats!! All of the raised beds have hoops covered in netting, a real pain when you have to pick or weed.
So today I just had a walk around, eyed up what was there and decided turnips are on the menu for the weekend.
I am very envious of you all but still managing to grow some stuff.
XX Jeannine
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Just back from an eight hour stint that was going to have been 2 hours max!!!! ??? ???
Weeded more and as ever, lifted some onions and all the garlic, confirmed that there are mini patches of white rot in 2 of the beds and eyeballed a rabbit that was nibbling on my carrots and not keen to leave. "I may not be Mr Macgregor," I warned it, "but if I catch you you'll need more than camomile tea!!."
It took the hint and b***ed off into the second earlies.
Planted out savoys, winter cauliflower, PSB. WSB, calabrese, red kale, green kale. Watered - causing the sun to disappear and ominous black rain clouds to appear - put down slug pellets of the organic variety and covered it all with netting for the rabbits and pigeons.
Home now, cork pulled and aches setting in.
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Not managed to get to the plot, this job is making me very tired so not managing to get up there at the moment.
The rest of this week and the weekend are tied up so hopefully next week i can get some work done.
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Had a day off today so had a really good weed and clear up. I'll take pictures tomorrow if i have time and post them. :)
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re-filled this[attachment=1]
and picked some more tomatoes[attachment=2] ;)
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Grazed on goosegogs, baby beans & peas!
Did a miniature harvest festival for tea tonight and gave the tomatoes a good talking to!
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i lifted my over wintered garlic and onions, picked some pea's and watered the allotment.
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Dug some potatoes, stamped the ground down ready for leeks. Picked some Tendergreen beans and last of the peas for drying. Watered, watered and watered (biceps like Arnie now ;D)
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dug up more spuds with my friends 4 yr old,who loved it...fed the toms,weeded,weeded and then weeded some more,transplanted some herbs,aubergine and picked some sweet peas.came home to enjoy said spuds,our first.bliss.spent 8 hours there,again,pulled a cork and now going for well deserved soak x
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Piccys as promised - this is lottie 1 which was tidied on Monday
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some more - I haven't got the hang of condensing photos to a small enough file size yet. ???
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And lottie no 2 which hasn't been tidied properly yet, but does show the top of the plot with squash starting to rampage in the beds at the back (bean teepees just getting going) and parsnips at the front. Behind me and outof shot are the raspberries, potoato bed and flower bed, artichokes and leeks
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They are both looking really good Suzanne. Aint it a lovely feeling when you march past the veg aisle in the supermarket. ;D
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Absolutely fabulous ;D
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Beautiful morning at 0700 down the lottly for 0830 and it pee-ed down, came home after watering mi toms :(
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Not been to the plot yet but have been very busy mowing the lawn and cutting the edge at the front of the house...............only the rear to do now.
Having a beer first though......one of my favourites ;D
(http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n2/neil_1_1956/DSCF5936.jpg)
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I pulled up a lettuce only it didnt come out and ended up with a handfull of leaves.
What did i learn from this??
mmm
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You learned not to pull the lettuce up but to cut at the base first ;D
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here in cambridshire we had sun, sun, sun and managed to get some more leeks set. 2morrow I will mostly be planting out more leeks again, didnt realise you could freeze them.
got any leek tips for me?
Mick
www.mickcox.co.uk
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Had a WHOLE DAY down the lottie yesterday, got there early and actually got loads done, and it was sunny all the time too....I'm a bit sunburnt now!
Dug up the rest of the potatoes in the raised beds....what a difference a few weeks have made! Much bigger spuds, Salad Blues, Witchill (a.k.a. Snowdrop) and Epicure all slug free, but Yukon Gold were truly massive (some were like three big bakers stuck together) but the slug damage.....oh dear. Strange, I've had very little slug damage to anything this year, used a combo of nematodes and ferramol based pellets, so they must really love Yukon Gold! Shan't be growing those again methinks....
Elephant garlic was harvested next....not bad, some a bit small but they were in the very end of a bed that was pure clay last year, more manure this autumn should sort it out a bit more. I'll save the biggest cloves for planting in the Autumn again. Last of the overwintering white onions were pulled too, so the rest of the squashes (Red Kuri, Jumbo Pink Banana, 'Lil Pumpkin and Jack O'Lantern) have been planted out to follow on there.
Clearing the second row of Epicure in my 'long rows' bed left a lovely deeply manured bed for my runner beans. They have been sitting reproaching me for not planting them out the past two weeks, but I'm hopeful they will do a bit better than the CFB....which still haven't put much growth on and refuse to climb. I think the windy days are not to their liking. Leeks (I know, also late going out...) went in the raised beds where the other early potatoes were harvested, so at last I'm up to date!
Went back in the early evening to help show some members of another Allotment Association around the site with Saddad and his OH, lovely group and the weather was just right too.
And now I'm back on night shifts again from tonight.... :-\ Just as well I caught up with lottie stuff yesterday....
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Learnt an important lesson.
Don't cut down brambles in a short sleeved shirt
LOL
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Gave everything a good drenching..........it's so dry.
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cut back all the strawberry plants and composted them with the straw. picked purple podded beans, runners, french beans, well, a couple, tayberries, and tomatoes, went home and made 5 jars of piccalilli ;D
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nowt went shopping for my holiday instead ;D
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what did I do in someone elses garden today? A big posh house in Wales with a helicopter in the garage. I planted about 45 camelias. I'd have had a lot more to do except that their regular gardener sprayed the new Woodland Walk area with Sodium Chlorate on Monday instead of Roundup :D, so that's 4 grands worth of Rhododendrons to be found a home for several months. The lady of the house was a lovely 30 something Russian. Not just a pretty face either, she's the one who pilots the helicopter apparently :D
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that sounds very impressive rhubarb,bet you were tempting to ask for a ride! we keep getting a helicopter over our (aigburth) lottie,dont think its the police one? i went up just to water and say goodbye,wont see it for 9 days now,d**n work,was nearly crying as i left!
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I felt like I was in an episode of Midsummer Murder, and knowing what a dodgy person I am, it could only be me what done it, once you'd weeded out the red herrings (if you know what i mean)
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Strimmed and weeded..strimmed and weeded... and it was bloomin'hot! Away most of the next two weeks, so guess what I'll be doing when I get back!
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Me too Caroline!! Just back home for much needed cup of tea and some lunch.
hope you have a good break. Going anywhere special?
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picked stuff, tied stuff in,
it was our anniversary yesterday so we bought some fruit bushes, a red thornless gooseberry and 2 ::) raspberries.
the gooseberry has thorns on it and 2 green fruit and ray picked up tayberries instead of the raspberries, never mind, I've taken 8 cuttings from the gooseberry, it was so large and I've given a tayberry away, we can find room for one more ;D
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Went down the lotty for 0830 had a watering session picked some potatoes and peas repaired the shed door after the breakin abd came getting to ht own there :)
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Gave the plot a good going over with the hoe....this baking sun will soon kill the weeds off.
Picked the last of the broad beans and also picked some more cabbage,lettuce,peas and french beans.Got a nice big marrow too which will get stuffed sometime this week ;D
Will be going back later when its cooler to water
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bottled up 150 pints of comfrey liquid, put another load in to soak, fed everything that needed it!! Oh, and picked a load of toms ;D
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watered everything with my new water butt gizmo from hozelock.
picked a handful of strawberries.
picked 1st lot of peas
harvested another cucumber
harvested marrow
measured up lawn to see how much space I will have for growing stuff when I split lawn in two.
CC
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Went up to pick stuff to find someone has been rootling about in my shed!Nothing taken that I can see, but stuff moved about. Very odd as the can of Sprite and the crisps were still intact,and whoever it was has bothered to replace the stones carefully in front of the door. :o Glad to see some rain anyhow.
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OOPS! Nothing, went to Sandringham and had a nice meal on the way home.
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Harvested small colly, Derby day cabbage, spuds and carrots on Sunday. ;D ;D ;D
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Still harvesting off my minnie lottie at home for this year.. harvest a good haul of cherries, spuds, salad greens, carrotts and beets, toms of course, radishes and a couple of cukes. very little mainenance here.. oh boy do I miss the lottie..roll on next year XX Jeannine
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weeded weeded weeded,my back now killing and nails black,lol wouldnt have it any other way,made bigger(taller)net frame for the brassicas,brought home turnip and courgettes for tea,enjoyed,had soak in bath,well deserved lol rach x
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the weeds are shocking on our plots this year, don't know why but I weeded today, planted out late savoys (will they make it) and some late beetroot (will they make it) and the first of the chinese cabbages (well fleeced against flea beetle) then did a big harvest of spuds, caulis, peas and yoo hoo the blueberries are ready, loads - pudding tonight is blueberries with creme fraiche - the only good thing about a wet summer is the blues love it ;D
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Whole week has been at work and today downpours forecast - so went up at the break of dawn (well virtually!) and harvested what was ready.
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i built 9 raised beds :)
and weeded lots
lbb
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Looked at the rain and shook my head. I need to dig at least 5 beds in order top plant potatoes, kale and brocolli. Had to put it off due to rain for so long.....
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errrrrrrrrr.............nothing cos' it's throwing it down over here at Coalville. I did encourage the cat to go out though.
CC
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Went up first thing to harvest stuff. Ended up weeding carrots (managed to get 2 rows to germinate ;D), spring onions and raddishes, had a good old pick at the beans,cougettes, lettuce, toms,raddishes etc. ran out of time and had to leave reluctantly. :(
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Well nothing this evening 'cos 31st Wedding Aniversary ;D
Over the last two evenings bagged up all the tom plants cos of blight up at the plot :'(
Planted lettuce seedlings in their wake and picked loads of raspberries for daughter (who eats them with meringue and cream for breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea and supper) - always a plus side with an allotment ;D
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I picked a bucket full of peas, a bag full of runner beans, a bag full of tomatoes and 10 cucumbers. Theres always plenty to do this time of year.
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Ok, patial because of the weather and partialy because of apathy i made my way to the allotment today for a bit of weeding. I am not 2 dishartened its not as bad as i feared.
Onion seed i brought up to plant 6 weeks ago and left when i had to make a run for it as still ok just a little cramped in there tray so they got planted. THe 2 rows i had managed to plant are massive so i am hoping the 4 days or rain on its way will help these little babys on there way.
Noticed all the greenary on the garlic has died back so i carefully pulled one and its a beauty looks like a big shop bought one. Only 40 more to pull :) will have to wait till it dryer i though they would be safe underground for the next few days.
My cabbage has actualy started to grow there not massive but they are hartening up so i am chuffed and i have one brussel sprout plant left after the poisened watering can incident so that made me smile.
Planted more beetroot as the last lot i planted have done nothing neither has the carrots i planted 6 weeks ago :( oh well thats life!
I managed to completly fill one side of my compost bin and water and cover it up so 3 hours of good work!!
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Dug up all my tomatoes as tehy have blight. :( That's the first and last time I try outdoor toms!
Picked raspberries and blackberries, courgettes, carrots , a few bits of broccoli and dug some spuds.
Made a half-hearted attempt to get the strimmer goig n as the plot is very overgrown with grass and weeds, but I was already cream-crackered so didn't try too hard!
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Picked blackcurrants, peas, broad beans, dwarf french, weeded the asparagus bed, watered the toms, took 10 bags of stuff to recycling because all 5 daleks are overflowing - oh and more glob artichokes picked.
Dined in style from lottie produce!
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I put up my plastic green house and prayed to the Lotty GODS that it wont have blown away by tomorrow ;D
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Trinity - so good that you can actually post on this thread now!
I picked my first sweetcorn- fantastic! And yet more raspberries.
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Nothing, as my slipped disc did not slip back in place.
The last 16 weeks I have been to the lottie three times and all I could do was lie on a bed and tell dear OH where to plant all the seedlings. :'(
He is not a gardening man and is too busy to keep up with the weeds. So the weeds took over, then came blight and too much rain. I feel very frustrated.
But today OH went to the lottie and returned with potatoes, leeks, carrots, tomatoes (more then I expected), runner beans and lots of other goodies. And they taste great!
So all in all: frustrated, but proud :)
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I dug up spuds, harvested tomatoes, and moved compost etc around.
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Nowt went to pub and got legless for a change ;D
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The last of my spuds came up yesterday. I also ate my first red tomato and picked the last of the broadies. Also lovely purple French beans, courgettes, raspberries and artichokes. I have found at least one of the places the bunnies are getting in and will block it next time I go.
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Dug halfway through one compost heap, annoyed a HUGE red ants nest in the process, stuck my leg with thorns (note to self, gooseberry bush branches do not rot down quickly, so next time burn them), spread some lovely compost over a couple of beds, then in my own unique way, planted some little gem lettuce, rocket, spinach and carrot seeds (it was windy and the straight rows thing wasn't working - so let the wind do the job for me - now looking forward to finding it growing out of shed roof lol ;D). Then limped home (literally) for a bag of chips and a nice hot bath! ;D ;D
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We picked bucket of beans and some gherkins and cucumbers and marrow and flowers and a bucket of beetroot and khol rabi. weeded a few raised beds. bucket of toms too.
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Harvested runners, dwarf beans, beetroot, radishes, carrots and parsnips, that was after clearing two weeks of weeds and bolted cabbages. ;D ;D ;D
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Not too much as I have a snotty/chest/throat bug. It was good to be in the fresh air and I picked beans, toms,squash,cauli and lettuce after fighting my way through other peoples weeds! Next plot neighbour very poorly so I will weed for him next week, next to him is Mr.Occasionally Enthusiastic. He appears every now and again, full of what he is going to do but doesn't. This time he tells us he has taken on 2 more plots nearer to where he now lives but is keeping this plot as well :o Wouldn't mind if he worked it. moan, moan, moan, >:(
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Mr Occasionally Enthusiastic, what a wonderful name, I love it. Perhaps I am Mrs Walkabout and Chat.
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been up to the plot today nice to see purple podded peas are doing well but not yet ready to pick and the runner beens are all in flower so should have a nice crop yippie
Picked all my garlic and there is some nice big bulbs weighted over 2lb on the scales :) going to put it on a tray outside to dry off and pop a umbrella over them in case it rains (should be ok i think).
When i was clearing the garlic bed i found couch grass white thick roots under the soil pulled as much as i can any tips on trying to clear it?
not picked much of my spuds as its been 2 wet but i suppose i had best start digging some up!
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Weeded and................
Sowed Corn Salad, chicory, Komatsuna, Mizuna and Pak Choi.
Picked raspberries, tondo courgettes (huge enough to stuff for a family of 4 ;D), runners (but left the long ones one for the late summer show), french beans and put straw under the spaghetti, Queensland Blue and butternut squashes and dibbed the last of the leeks in the spare potato beds.
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Not a great deal really, but roll on getting home from work today (Monday) ;D
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Probably a bit like everyone else. WEEDING! Have just come back from hols so I was scared of going down to the lottie....if only veg grew as fast as the dreaded weeds. However,a bit of concerted hoeing and grabbing and lo and behold a hundred leeks appeared! Some serious digging in the evening and some bits and bobs will be sown.
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Cut down 12 tomato plants as because they have blight only have 3 left now as the other 5 went last week :'( :'( :'( :'(
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Is it too late to spray Trinity?
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they have been sprayed :o but as most of the people in the area I know that have out door toms and have not sprayed lost theres about a month back so it has helped a bit just not enough ::)
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Dug up some spuds. ;D ;D ;D
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Today I killed more caterpillars, pulled up the nasturtian stalks that were left. Dug up all my late potatoes that had blight and burnt them also the tomatoes plants that had got something. Picked runner and french beans, pulled beetroot picked some courgettes. Had a cuppa tea and a cream cake, talked to everyone that passed by. Cut some dahlias then came home.
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We picked green toms, I know it is early, but I go back to work on Tuesday and we have so many..anyway I made 24 pint jars of chutney, still loads ripening.
Cleaned out 4 beds in my back garden lottie.
Started making plans for using the real lotties again for next year. I have really missed them.
Dug spuds and picked beans, beets and spinach.
XX Jeannine
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Started digging up my strawberry bed - more weeds than strawberry plants - how embarrassing :-[ ::)
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/DSCF1240.jpg
Ninnyscrops
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Picked a bag full of runners, carrots, a dozen toms, and sixteen sweetcorn then started on my spud bed with mi Matis :)
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Weeeding and transplanting brassica bed yesterday, too hot 8) by 2.30pm so I went down the pub. ;D ;D ;D
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I was too hot yesterday in sunny Enfield. Ate a sandwich under a willow tree, talked to a few people, looked at the weeds, then though tomorrow is another day, then went home. Should have joined you in the pub.
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Took 4 hanging baskets down tidied them up, gave them another feed. Picked runner beans, and picked all the ripe tomatoes in the greenhouse. Had a meal supplied by next door and was then too full to do any more work!!
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Walked to the allotment, started cutting the grass, then a tremendous clap of thunder and lightning, didn't want to get struck by lightning, so walked/run home and just about got home before the rain started.
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Tidied up for the Open Day and dodged the rain! ;D
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After this morning's storm passed I was on the allotment just long enough to pick some raspberries but it started to rain again so I made the dash back home. What a miserable day! And now I wont be able to get there til next weekend so I guess it wll be another weeding session to look forward to!
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Picked the last of the runner beans for the freezer (I can't freeze any more ::) the rest will go to neighbours and family.
Picked raspberries and made raspberry icecream.
Strawberry bed weeded and replanted. 7 seed trays full of plants ready for a 2nd bed!
Ninnyscrops
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Picked beetroot and pickled it.
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picked the last of my radishes, picked some pakchoi for dinner, composted spent peas and sweetcorn plants, generally tidied a bit then went inside for lunch and forgot to go back out :P ;)
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Yesterday I weeded, harvested carrots, spuds and a small cabbage, went down the pub to watch the footie, went home for my dinner and watched the rain, thunder and lighting show from my back door. ;D ;D ;D
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Nipped over to plot and picked beans, corn, toms, spuds and a red cabbage. Called in at daughters on the way home and parted with most of it. :o ::)
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Harvested runners and sweetcorn earlier, only bought one cob home, and you wouldn't think any of us had eaten the way all four of us fought over one juicy, buttery cob, :P and how come the three year old seemed to have won. ??? ;D ;D ;D
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Dug up potatoes for the show on Saturday - do you think I can find 5 the same size and shape ???
I've got a Donald Duck and a Mickey Mouse tho' ;D
Ninnyscrops
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Managed to finish laying a path and cut the hedges before the big open day on Sunday.... hope the weather improves! Oh and nipped down to cut the cutting sunflowers just before it went dark!
;D
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Tony and I were at the plot at just after 9 am. We were back at 11.30 after picking beans raspberries, blackberries and some chrysanths. Spent the afternoon processing it ready for the freezer. Even managed to get some washing done. Its great to be able to do exactly what I want to do without the responsibility of me mom. BTW the home phoned last night and she is settling in very well. Going shopping tomorrow cos its gonna pee down.
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Picking beans and raspberries, a few toms. Loads of stilt grass going to seed ::)
Harvesting flower seeds for next year.
Began a jug of Basil Wine, first attempt. If it tastes terrible can use for cooking.
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Harvested spuds, carrots, sweetcorn :P and beetroot, covered 25 cobs with plastic bottles and cleared some weeds. ;D ;D ;D
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It rained almost continuously until 4 pm, then cleared a bit. At the lottie, said hallo to a frog in the water tank then harvested some Pink Fir Apple spuds (good crop; interesting shapes; minor slug damage), beans and more beans, Ferline tomatoes (still blight free, unlike Gardeners Delight and Alicante), autumn fruiting raspberries and some good sized Nantes and Chantenay carrots. The slugs are having a field day and have eaten the tops off some of the carrots, but there is still plenty of juicy flesh left. Also harvested the last of the pot grown Charlotte potatoes. Cabbages, kale, sprouts, spinach, beetroot, parsnips and leeks are doing well. There were a surprising number of people down there this evening, even in this weather.
In the garden this morning, finished off a waterfall into the pond, loosely modelled on High Force but not on quite the same scale! - i.e. it has a drop of about 18 inches but makes a good splashing sound and should help to keep the water clear. This gardening lark is fun, even in the rain, isn't it?
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Absolutely nothing 'cos it poured down. Am also having to rest with legs up as got badly burned on the ankles and feet last week whilst on holiday on the Isle of Wight.
CC
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Dug up hundredweights of Potatoes, Desiree, King Eddies and Picasso... huge spuds as the tide was coming in and another day of rain and they would have been standing in water... ::)
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Very wet down the lotty but round the shed and my raised beds I have put down bark so it is ok to walk on, Mrs Smith painted the shed door I watered and picked some Toms, cabbage, sweetcorn and a colly and moved a water butt :)
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After hurricane, propped up flattened twig arbor.
Am hopeful its blue morning glory and moonflower vines will continue to bloom since they only commenced in Sept.!
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After hurricane, propped up flattened twig arbor.
Am hopeful its blue morning glory and moonflower vines will continue to bloom since they only commenced in Sept.!
Never mind the morning glory,as long as you are ok.
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Got stung all over both arms from the elbow down weeding.....the nettles grown back!
Picked raspberries and dug up the rest of my potatoes!
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Dug up last few earlies, then dug some kestrels and stored them in the lottie shed. ;D ;D ;D
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Dug up the rest of mine too and made space for and planted cauli and cabbage plants.
Dismantled the collapsed arch ::), had a bit of a tidy up, forced red cabbage on plottie neigbours and was given blackberries and sweetcorn :)Picked tomatoes (now skinned, squished and in the freezer), more blackberries, a few raspberries and dug up celery. Tough as old boots-wont be wasting precious space on that again.
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My late sown radishes had germinated beautifully,went to lottie last night and most of the tops had been bitten off.Big swear.
Pulled some carrots and beetroot,various sizes due to me not thinning out properly,very tasty.
Sweet peas still lovely although bedraggled with all this rain.
Turks Turban just beginning to turn orange.
Please stop raining.
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dug dug dug....... had a cupper and the dug some more ;D ;D ;D
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Tidied out my shed. Hung up most of my nets and hammered in lots of nails to hang up my tools. Quite enjoyed doing that ;D.
Had our first EVER grown sweetcorn. Once you've tasted it you will never buy it from the shops again. Mmmmm :P
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Tidied out my shed. Hung up most of my nets and hammered in lots of nails to hang up my tools. Quite enjoyed doing that ;D.
Had our first EVER grown sweetcorn. Once you've tasted it you will never buy it from the shops again. Mmmmm :P
Amazing you can grow corn in all that rain! A major accomplishment I'd say.
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Harvested sweetcorn, carrots, spring onions, runners, beetroot and dug up and stored some kestrels. ;D ;D ;D
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Lovely day until the torrential rain came down at about 5 pm. Cleared space for planting all the spring bulbs, free from "The Guardian" which will be arriving soon. Bagged up lots of leaves from the Sorbus tree (yes, autumn has definitely arrived), cleared leaves from around the cyclamen so that they can be seen in all their glory, gave the bay bush a last prune, pulled up the last of the blight-ridden tomato plants and harvested a goodly crop of Charlotte potatoes grown in a tub. Also looked for Desiree potatoes grown in the compost heap but only found a few feeble specimens - won't try that again.
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hoping now that the weather is dry i can get up and dig out some spuds before there eaten :) and check in my corn and my peas/beans.
Got my brown bags ready to pop them into once they dry out in the sun for an hour or two.
Carrots were a bit of a loss as when you cut into them the core was green so husband will not use them :(
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cleaned the white shade paint from the greenhouse, it's that time of year again! ;)
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Picked loads more beans and tomatos, more blackberries and a few raspberries, weeded and found one pea :o, ate it, surveyed the paths and sent up a prayer that someone gives me a strimmer for my birthday ;D
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built the majority of a greenhouse for my mum from kit - my arms, legs and hands are killing me aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
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Picking beans and toms and froze some Concord grape pie filling from our grapes. Next year I vow to spray them so we get more of a crop.
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Yesterday I picked all the mouldy rasps off the canes to give the new fruit a chance... and same with the brambles... got some spuds dried and bagged up! ;D
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Dug up the rest of my kestrels and dried in the sun, bagged and stored in the shed. ;D ;D ;D
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Improved my French drain at one end to take the extra water off my neighbours allotment this winter, picked another bag full of sweetcorn, forked half of the allotment that was not used this year in preperation for my muck that comes next weekend.
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Dug up a row of Maris poopers. :'( :'( :'(
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Arrived at 10.30 am. to find a swarm of people on the next plot :o. My plottie neighbour has very recently passed away and so his family had come to harvest his crops. Very sad. Offered my condolences and set to with weeding and removing horrid celery,a no-no for next year. Picked tomatoes, beans,carrots,raspberries and blackberries and swapped a red cabbage for some cooking apples.Got to go back to spray sprouts as they are heaving with white fly. ::)
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it's that time of year so much to do in the clear up of beds that need it but it was great with this wonderful september we are having, harvested 3 figs which was the best thing though, scrumptious :)
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cleaned the greenhouse and built a beautiful (if i say so myself ;)) container for my cranberry plant which has 2 berries :) and is sufferring in a 15cm pot. so i just need to line it and fill with ericaceous soil and maybe next year i will get enough berries to make cranberry jelly for Christmas.
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Forgot to mention the picking of 1/2 doz cape gooseberries....that made my day. ;D
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OH has me on a low residue diet, so she ate the fig!! Cropped some minipop corn, tomatoes and mangetout. Massacred more cabbage white caterpillars. Set the overwintering onions. Cropped some Aubergines from the big greenhouse.... deleafed some tomatoes in the big greenhouse and cropped the ripe ones ( and couldn't sneak any!) :-X
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Dug up some more Maris poopers, weeded and tidied squash and brassica beds.
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I dug up my used sweet corn ,turned over the bed . Had a good go at getting the bed ready for onions and garlic and sat down to a cup of tea .The sun is shining (for a change) so its too nice to work.
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planted garlic this afternoon
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:) filled the compost bins with kitchen waste and planted my Jap onions/ shades x
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started a digging a bog garden habitat yesterday completed and planted it up today :D. downside for completing a simply project in two days :).... oh! my aching back, legs, arms, sides, etc :-\.
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finished planting garlic and onion sets..planted the oriental veggies in the poly..always know autumns on it's way when I do that..pulled up and composted the melon plants..did quite well, 15 melons from 6 plants ;D
picked calabrese, cabbage, parsnips, carrots, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers :)
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I usually do garlic end of October/November. Is it OK to plant it out now? What about shallots?
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our guru, Eric, told us it's ok to plant onions and garlic if the ground is ready, he says it gived them a good start..shallots he says on shortest day, anyway, december ;D
what's good enough for eric is good enough for us and we have someone to blame ;D
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Thanks Manics, I'll pop the garlic in tomorrow. Today -weeded onions nd leeks, lifted blighted toms and put to burn (removing healthy green toms first). Hung one unblighted plant to ripen. Watered in slug nematodes, watered toms in greenhouse and came home with a bag of tomatoes and courgettes.
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Went to plot yesterday and picked beans and tomatoes and my only succesful romanesco cauli. Negotiated to share another 1/2 plot for fruit with another plottie who actually lives in the Parish, she doesn't really want it but I do and can't have one as I don't! The deal is that I work it and she can pick. As there is always more than I need this seems ok.Fingers crossed it comes up soon.
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picked another bag of tomatoes, courgettes, squash ,beans,king edwards
was given more squash and apples by Betty and Martin ;D Hello Claire ;)
tided the greenhouses up a bit and weeded and dug/ shades x
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Teenage daughter earned some money by helping me peg out my new bit of allotment next door to my present plot....a lot easier than doing it by myself, but I think it will need a bit of tweaking, it looks a bit thingy-eyed!
Nevermind, it has helped me see where the paths will go and where we need to dig, dig dig, lots of dandelions though..... :-\
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borrowed an apple picking contraption from a friend and picked all the apples over the fence in next door's garden :D It's to let and empty, but there was someone round last week so I thought we'd better get in sharpish
cleared the patio for when the builders come round on tuesday. That'll be fun
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Collected10 bags of spent hops from York brewery and dumped them at the allotment. Picked a couple of sweetcorn which looked just about ok (fingers crossed) and one aubergine.
At home, did some strimming and generally tidied up while OH cut the hedge.
You can get a lot done when the electricity is off all day!
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Picked some mushrooms today. ;D ;D ;D
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I picked my first crop ;D around 30 cherry bell radishes ;D
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Nothing, was ill most of the day, but now it has rained I must get the sluggit in tomorrow evening... :-[
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Turned over my squash bed and started to pick the dry runner bean pods.
Ninnyscrops
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Nuffink today, but collected my prize-3rd for 5rod- of ......£4 :o ;D,
Better than a smack in the belly with a wet fish and it will buy me 2 packets of seeds at least. (the coffee and cakes were worth £4 anyway ;D)
Get well soon Saddad.
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Planted about 100 onion sets for overwintering. Prepared a bed for garlic. Harvested some leeks. Picked some autumn raspberries. Covered the sweet potatoes with a polytunnel to try and prolong their growing period. Soaked some comfrey in water. Tidied up the shed. Had a very smoky bonfire (now allowed every day after 4 pm) - lovely!
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Got the sluggit in, it has been sitting in the fridge waiting for rain... best way of ensuring dry weather I know!! ;D
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Hey Hopalong, we're allowed bonfires now from 4pm as well - I wonder if it's a Council rule? I see your site's just north east of mine, I take it you're in LB Barnet as well?
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At long last I have had my manure orgasam and had a good spreading session this morning so not much more to do for me this year :)
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picked calabrese, tomatoes, found some left in potatoes so dug them up for tea,
dug up the first of the sweet potatoes, thick-ish finger size so will leave the rest for a couple of weeks, thinking maybe too much top growth and flowers ..
planted out some franchi seed overwintering onions I've been growing..
gave the swede a feed as the ground they're in has been waterlogged
pulled lots of weeds for the chickens, fed them snails and slugs ;D
put frost sensitive cuttings and plants in the big greenhouse, phew, no wonder i'm tired ;D
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Well i finally got to do some work in the back garden and the huge left boarder has been cleared, cut back and loads of bulbs planted, and the lawn given a trim.
Need to get the right hand side done and de thatch the flippin lawn and give it an autumn weed and feed.
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Hey Hopalong, we're allowed bonfires now from 4pm as well - I wonder if it's a Council rule? I see your site's just north east of mine, I take it you're in LB Barnet as well?
Yes Amazin, I'm in LB Barnet - East Finchley Allotment Society, off the High Road, with Coldfall Woods behind and the Fuel Lands and Marylebone Cemetery next door. Where exactly are you? The bonfire rules are borough-wide I think.
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Had another go at my muck spreading,Ollie photos are there just for you :)
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Collected enough windfall apples to make 4 big apple cakes. Yummy
J.P.
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Did a load of clearing up on the plot after a week in bed ill! Picked the rest of the beans I want to save for seed, pulled the remaining carrots, some celery and a swede for tea.
Quite a few of the outdoor toms that were decimated by blight have actually ripened in the shed, I didn't think I'd get any at all so that was a nice suprise.
Put all of my pathetic melons on the compost heap, never got any to a fruiting size again, think I'll give them a miss next year... :-\ Most of the few toms i tried in the little lottie greenhouse have finished now, so they went on the compost heap too.
The allium beds are nearly all cleared ready for the autumn planting to start, just the sweetcorn stalks to clear now, so will tackle that tomorrow....
Just made a lovely fish pie for tea, from lottie courgettes, leeks, potatoes, swede, parsley and garlic all used so a good days harvest! ;D
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Nuffink! Wind and rain. Then I went to the supermarket. When I came back the wind had dropped, the rain had stopped and it was getting dark. :'( :'(
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Just made a lovely fish pie for tea, from lottie courgettes, leeks, potatoes, swede, parsley and garlic all used so a good days harvest! ;D
I'm sorry but I've just got to ask. Which one of those ingredients is the 'fish'? ;) ;D
G x
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Nuffink! Wind and rain. Then I went to the supermarket. When I came back the wind had dropped, the rain had stopped and it was getting dark. :'( :'(
me too :'(
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It didn't start raining here until after dark. I spent most of the day cutting and carting firewood. The first barrow load I was wheeling down the roadway in my neighbours land when he met me and said "Don't barrow that, I'll put a trailer up there and you can fill it. I'll pull it down to yours next weekend, with the Landrover". He's a very good neighbour, not only gives me the firewood but delivers it as well.
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Tidied up at allotment on plot 2 where the fennel and sunflowers had been growing. His lordship did some digging with his terex or turning over as its not exactly digging! Got very windy at lunch time so went home. Had a good crop of apples this year so plenty of cakes, pies and crumbles!
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Doesnt look like anything will be done on the plot this morning,its pouring with rain :(
I was there at 8:15 yesterday armed with my lunch and a nice flask of tea.
I unlocked the gate and tied it back so the farmer could get his tractor and trailer through when he came to deliver the "muck"........he never arrived >:(
The day was not totally lost though.I dug over an area not being manured and started to clear a new bed for my strawberries.They grew in pots this time but I want them in the ground for next season.I picked a nice big Savoy cabbage for dinner too.Sorted through my stored Desiree potatoes,threw away a couple of dodgy looking ones and bagged a few to go with the cabbage.
I had the radio on and listening to the football (wish I hadnt bothered!)and just pottered about until 5pm.....decided the farmer was definately not coming,and then went home.........at least the rain kept of until about 6pm!
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Harvested spuds and fennel. ;D ;D ;D
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Harvested last of sweetcorn and first of jerusalem artichokes.
Cleared greenhouse toms and sowed some lambs lettuce, lettuce, leeks and carrots as experiment to see if anything grows.
cj :)
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Do any of you lucky people actually go to work? Wish I could have been down on the lottie, unfortunately i have 4 jobs - part time of course but I have to turn up to them otherwise I will have to live on the stuff I grow and I would be a lot thinner.
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Lottie Lou - am a 9 - 5 working gal here and almost live off the stuff that's grown (providing I freeze some) - as for being thinner ::) ;D
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I wanted to be down the lottie today, pulling up more weeds and having a hot coffee in the peace and quiet. Instead we have high winds and rain! I refuse to be beaten though and I have orderd a few more seeds for next year, put a new Audio book on my MP3 player for while I'm down there, found a tin to keep my biscuits dry in the shed and put a few current bushes in pots ready to take down with me next time. Now if only my chicken coop would arrive...
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Do any of you lucky people actually go to work? Wish I could have been down on the lottie, unfortunately i have 4 jobs - part time of course but I have to turn up to them otherwise I will have to live on the stuff I grow and I would be a lot thinner.
Yes I work(although some would beg to differ ;D)
I work 2 shifts,days and afters......this week Im on afters but Im stuck here on the PC because the weather is foul outside.Nothing much to do up there now excet keep on eye on the cabbage i have left in and start to harvest the sprouts soon.Other than that its winter digging time.The older ones will tell you its too early yet but they are retired,ihave to dig when Im not working.
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had a great day - the sun was shining, lovely and warm, emptied bins of 2 year old compost (amazing stuff), cleared a finished bean patch but best off all harvested the apples from one plot (20 pounds) and the grapes from the greenhouse (15 pounds at least) - well pleased :D
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I put down a few barrows of wood chip on the path, had a general tidy up, emptied a year old bin of compost on the soil and lined out ready for the winter onions going in at the weekend,and a lovely warm day it was 8) ;D ;D ;D
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Gathered more bean seeds, and dug over my old raised beds and the paths on plot 2, going partially back to basics. I'll leave two raised beds for strawberries, keep paving slab paths around the raspberries and that will be about it :)
Ninnyscrops
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Planted some garlic: a short dormancy variety called Germidour which should be ready for harvesting in June, and a long dormancy variety called Moraluz (Panish type) which should be ready in July/August. I have not grown either of these varieties before, so will be interested to see how they get on. Also collected up lots of leaves for the leaf mould cage. The weather's been beautiful for the last few days.
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Just back from the lotty after a good rotovating session getting my muck rotovated in for the coming winter, its just twelve month since I've had mi allotment and well pleased with the look of my allotment now saying it was like a jungle when we took it on :)
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Put in two and a bit lines of Jap onions, emptied a dalek and starting filling it with the bags of peelings and weeds from home and the lottie. ;D ;D ;D
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Absolutely b****r all................but Im off up to the plot now :)
Got some garlic for people who dont like garlic to plant and we need some more potatoes at home for Sunday dinner.
Put my marker down and winter dig a few rows where Im not putting manure this time.
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First lot of Overwintering onions put in, dug/pulled up half the tomato plants... smoked a coupla ciggies, picked a pumpkin, came home.
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Harvested runners, s.onions, swedes and carrots. :P ;D ;D ;D
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Went to the allotment and we had a group photograph taken in front of the manure that the Council deliver free. Lovely sunny day here in Enfield. Came home as still upset about having to have my cat put to sleep, even the allotment didn't work its usual magic.
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Went for my first weeding mission. Didn't do anything for half a year due to a slipped disc, so the weeds were waist high.
Filled my three compost bins to the brim, then started making little heaps in the garden itself. Still cleared only a fifth of the plot.
But enjoyed being back. :) :)
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For manure read compost. I am losing the plot.
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Cut privet hedges ... miles ... and ... miles ... and .... miles ... and ....miles of privet hedges ::)
Snip ... snip ... Snip ... snip ... Snip ... snip ... Snip ... snip ... Snip ... snip ... Snip ... snip ...
I almost lost the will to live ::)
But then I stoked up the oven, had fresh boiled eggs, spinach, salad leaves, boiled potatoes & fresh sliced tomatoes and got my second wind ;D
I looked at the rest of the hedges and thought "NAH! I'M GOING HOME"
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Well I went from this....
(http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l274/posiepain/P121008_1241.jpg)
to this....
(http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l274/posiepain/P121008_1419.jpg)
(http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l274/posiepain/P121008_1457.jpg)
(http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l274/posiepain/P121008_1459.jpg)
Hopefully that will keep the pigeons off the sprouts!
*Note to self, 7 sprout plants may be a little excessive! lol ;D
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Me and oh built a new bed, did a support for the raspberries, and planted some strawbs.
Not bad.
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Planted three rows of walking onions and one of early garlic.
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Planted 2 rows of red electric, and watched the wife pot a blueberry bush to celebrate her 40th.
Some women like diamonds and pearls,
give mine a set of onions and a fruit bush and she's well chuffed. ;D
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Dug an asparagus trench - oh my poor back!
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Well, over the last 3 days... Dug more grass out at the allotment (aching backs again!), OH dug two trees out in the garden and I tidied up after him and moved some plants around and divided some. lovely weather this afternoon.
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Dug up some PFA's, took home some parsnips, spuds, beetroot and one small sweetcorn. ;D ;D ;D
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Put our two goldfish in a large muck bucket full of pond water - had a good dredge of the pond and pulled out loads of reeds and iris - topped it up and they'll be back in situ in the morning :)
Ninnyscrops
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enjoyed the sun again and finally got the garlic and winter onions in, planted out a new strawberry bed and had a good clear up, still lots to do but the list gets shorter :)
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Similar here, got my first batch of overwintering onions, shallots and garlic in and covered with wire mesh to stop the foxes playing with them! ;D
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Prepared bed for alliums. Planted up space left from removing Tayberry with raspberry canes that had wandered out of their row, so now have row of 10 Glen Clova instead of 6 GC and a Tayberry (I gave the Tayberry away...prefer boysenberry's so I'll get one of those instead). Picked more Autumn Bliss Raspberries then found my summer raspberry Glen Moy had triple what I picked on the AB ripe so now have nearly full 2 L container! Would you believe that took 3 1/2 hours! But lovely day here.
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Did all my housework today and so tomorrow NOTHING is going to stop me taking some sarnies and a flask and going to the lottie ALL day.So much to do. ;)
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Just back from my allotment to rake the ground that I rotovated last week and I was informed that three of the old boys on our allotments are not to well two are in hospital and the other one had a slight heart attack, I doubt if these allotments will be worked next year also another two folk are also giving up their lotties this will be a total of five twenty % of the allotment site, I hope the council hasve a waiting list :o
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put another 1ft layer on my large compost heap, and harvested loads of sweet peppers from a cold frame, and chillies from outdoors. home for a cuppa! ;)
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Tidied up the shed, felt a bit rough so didn't feel up to much today. ;D ;D ;D
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Dug up some parsnips for my daughter to take back with her to university. She seemed very appreciative!
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Only went for a quick looksee as I had to babysit Grandaughter.Such a hardship ;D
Picked more toms, decided to give the cape gooseberries the go-by next year as I'm sure they are responsible for my guts ache. ::)
So much to do and I wanted to stay. Next week is the week.......
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got 10 rows of onions in,different varieties,dug in some manure for next year,finally nagged oh into making a new compost bin,yay!
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finished my dad's new borehole! connected pump and pipes, it maintains 80 gals/hour. will be used for the garden, not drinking (although it tastes better than tapwater) ;)
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Today I sat in the shed for two hours collecting rents. I did shell out some more beans that I picked yesterday! ;D
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Oversaw the final 4 loads of cow manure delivered to the site this morning.That makes a total of 16 loads over the weekend.
At £18 a load that makes the farmer a cool £288 for about 6 hours work.
Dug a trench this morning too and filled it will anything I could find to make it nice for the runner beans next season.
Winter dug a fairly large area and incorporated lots of manure.I actually dug it in and did not spread it over the top.
Had lots of breaks for cups of tea too ;D
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Called it a day after i dug in a bed of Buckwheat as the cold wind was blowing through me. :(
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put in my winter onions and garlic. do we put our shallots in now or in spring?
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Dug over the bean bed, plucked some leeks, a savoy cabbage, a couple of parsnips. All going in the soup for tomorrow evening once we've demolished the roast chicken and boiled up the carcass. ;)
Ninnyscrops
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Gave an overgrown and very dense laurel bush/tree a long overdue heavy prune to let some more light into the garden. It looks like making a huge difference and I'm looking forward to growing a wider variety of plants.
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Nothing :'( Raining nearly all day.
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I finished digging over my plot - ;D
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I am going up to my plot for the first time in about 6 weeks this week when it stops raining.
I have some onions to harvest and loads of beds to start digging over and preparing for next year. Got a list a mile long of jobs that need doing we have pulled out of the house move so the allotments mine for another year at least till we find another house we like :(
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Cleaned out the allotment shed and cleaned all the muck of the tools with a wire brush and brought the tools home, so if before I forget 'Happy Christmas' everyone ;D
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Looks like winter has come early, has some very cold nights here in cambridge and looking at next weeks weather there is some sleet on the way :(
Its still far 2 windy 23 mph to go onto the allotments so picked up my over wintering onion sets and garlic today and plan to take advantage of a promised lull on friday.
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Harvested carrots and a small cucumber, dug up some more PFA's and took home some Kestrels. ;D ;D ;D
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I did my rent collecting bit at the weekend. I didn't get down today, but yesterday I put in ten rows of overwintering onions. Next job is the rest of the garlic.
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Harvested carrots, sweetcorn and parsnips. ;D ;D ;D
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We had an Open Day in conjunction with the Apple Day at the Botanical Gardens next door, so I spent an hour welcoming visitors, had a wander round, then looked round the Botanicals. The Tennis Club is relaying one of its grass courts, so I acquired some turf at the same time.
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Well today I managed to dig a patch clear of couch to put my fruit bushes in. So I've now planted 2 raspberry, 1 blackberry, 1 tayberry and 2 blueberry bushes. Tried digging the onion bed so I could get those in, but the soil is so wet and sticky I gave up half way through! Going to wait for frost over next couple of days to dry it out a bit. That's about it really. Hopefully will get another couple of days up there over the next week to really work on it. Fingers crossed! :)
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Dug up some more PFA's, harvested four butternut squash and took home some Kestrels. ;D ;D ;D
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put a fleese closh over my spring cabbage, cauliflowers and curly kale - not bad in the pitch black lol
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Collected 20 bags of cow manure, with a fellow allotmenteer (we are sharing a plot). Will be doing the same again on Saturday before the farmer moves the pile into an open field. Too far to walk with the bags as I might get my car stuck in the field if I drive in. ::)
We were going to do a second run for more, but rain stopped play :-[
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just went and tided up and marked out the rest of the beds. still not feellind 100% but it was nice to get out of the house (kids are on school hol's) and the kids had a bit of a run round (up and down the path on the side of the plot for some strange reason ???) and it tired them out a bit
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Didn't go to the lottie today but spent a lovely day in the garden tidying up the borders, planting lots of bulbs, mulching and having a bonfire. I seem to have bought a lot of dark purple (nearly black) and white tulips without realising it - the Magpies supporter in me coming out, I suppose.
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Dug up more PFA's, harvested carrots, celeriac and spring onions, filled up two big black bags of leaves from the park. ;D ;D ;D
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Still harvesting Corn Kev... I am impressed... ;D
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Nothing. It snowed. Over the weekend I got a load of turf, which had been stripped from a tennis court they're relaying just up the lane. That'll solve a problem. I've got half of it layed already, and by spring it'll be providing competition for the ground elder in that patch, which I've been meaning to grass over. Then I'll just need to keep cutting it.
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dug up, out of the frozen ground..carrots (for storing) and leeks for stew..fed the chooks with any cabbage etc leaf that had whitefly..hunted up some slugs for them, collected a dozen eggs and went home ;D
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managed to dig over a 6ft square next to my compost bin. Its where the old tenant had their bin and the soil is perfect for some rhubarb crowns I've been given. Also started the edging at the far end and raked up even more dead grass! Threw away a house worth of old carpets from teh last tenant too.
Came home after an hour as my ears were red and icicles had started to form. Virgin ground is so much to break, pity my back thinks it's torture.
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Moved some poo.
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Horrible dark evenings mean I don't get there in the week normally - but ran out of lettuce and carrots so up at 6.45 this morning to restock. Its was a bit raw. :)
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Didn't get to my plot, but had a wander around someone else's very big garden in the drizzle....Chatsworth House! Went looking at the sculptures in the grounds, shame you couldn't get into the massive greenhouses though.
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Nothing. It's too wet for digging. Went for a swim instead.
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Last visit to the lotty I think for quite a while managed to get the rest of the lotty waste in to the compost bins, disconnected the drain pipes to the water butts put away into the shed anything that is nickable so roll on the spring :)
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Harvested carrots and parsnips and had a tidy up around the celeriac and parsnips. ;D ;D ;D
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Cleaned it! Took several ton of rubbish to tip, gathered up all the plant pots that the dogs had pinches, ditto the bamboo canes, dug up all the weeds, finally collapsed in a heap about 3 hours ago!
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Got rid of more leaves off the lawn. Mowed the lawn, tidied the edges. Dug over the borders and cleared away even more leaves and twigs. Planted more daffs. Ran out of time and daylight to do everything I wanted to do ::). C'est La Vie ;)
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Braved the wind n rain popped down this morning to get some veg,leeks cab,sprouts and parsnip cut some spinach but silly me left it in me shed :P.noticed that the badgers have been at my JA's last night again, all i can say is i hope there set as plenty a ventilation :-X :-X :-[ ;)
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fed the chickens with weeds and old cabbage, calabrese, etc..
took up some celeriac and beetroot to store, cut cabbage for tea and salad leaves for lunch ;D
took the compost from the raised carrot bed, put it into the old cabbage bed, ready for the shallots tomorrow, if it's dry ;D
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Did a path out of chippings. Weeded raspberries. Tried to do another clearing session, but there was glass and big timbers everywhere, so saved that for next weekend! ;D
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Cleared more glass, every spade full has a piece of glass in it! :-\
Dug a potato bed, ordered some potatoes. Decided I am going to put four rows of spuds in.
Finally met and joined the committee and met some of the other plot holders.
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Knocked on the neighbours to ask about the leaves she usually saves for me - she's cut down the bloody tree. No other neighbours out to ask but since council gave us big wheelie bins to put garden waste in, don't get much. Went down to put some more japanese onions in but ground far too wet so gave away one pot of them to a neighbour who was there. Shifted some manure. Pity it was nice dry weather during week when I was at work.
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Only one piece of glass Mandrill, somebody is looking after you.... have you found the glass mine yet? That bit where the previous tenants stacked up all the glass for a greenhouse and then it got broke over the decades.... :-X
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Oh yes, I think i am on an old pilks site.
Why do they leave it? Driving me mental. The whole plot has glass, i expect to find bits but not huge great shards, everywhere from top to bottom. No area is free of it.
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Harvested last of the runners, spring onions and celeriac and had a general tidy up with the three year old in tow. :-\ ;D ;D ;D
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Harvested some curly kale (delicious). Picked some more apples. Checked on the butterhead lettuce under a mini polytunnel - it's doing quite well but has slight slug damage so thought I'd try some of those environmentally friendly pellets. Hoed between onions, which seem to be growing strongly. Got very muddy.
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First time up the plot for a couple of weeks. Some swine's been helping themselves to my leeks. >:(
I put a net frame over them (the leeks, not the thieves, I'll put a bucket of comfrey juice over them). Harvested some of the leeks, carrots, spring onions, kohl rabi, beetroot and broccoli. The beans got frosted in my absence so they're finished. Prepared a bed for the onion sets.
AND - collected seventeen mozzie bites. Ten on my forehead and around my eyes and seven on my wrists. They were the only exposed parts (the rest of me being dressed like Nanouk of the North of course). Pity Halloween's passed, I now have a browline like Frankenstein's monster. Anyone else having this trouble? They're absolutely swarming on our site.
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Took the dog up just before dark last night. Picked carrots, last of the borlotti beans that just won't dry, leeks, chard, cavalo nero, broccoli, chillis, and globe artichokes (in November??!). Just a shame the weather's been so bad all weekend, there's just so much to do.
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Got up to the plot at around 10am. Got the overwintering onions in. (I know that I'm late with planting but better late than never.) Anyway the snow would have got them :D. Planted the broad beans . Then had top cover the lot with wire netting to stop the darling little birds and foxes from playing games with them. Last year was the first time I have ever had to cover the beans cos of the birds. Had a sandwich up there and then got the gladiolup. Only have to get the garlic and shallots in now and plant some spring bulbs and its just a case of tidying up everywhere. That will probably take us into spring.lol. Our back don't ache quite so much tonight thank goodness
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planted the shallots, cleared away all the old tomato and pepper plants, went slug hunting and fed them to the chickens, keep them away from the brassicas ;D
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Spread some more hops, then started to tackle a patch I've been putting off- brambles and couch growing through old black plastic which is disintegrating! Horrible job, but I'm determined I'm going to grow something there next year!
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Went up yesterday afternoon after the rain had stopped and dug up the dahlias. Good job I labelled then before I went on holiday. I do label the cuttings when I take them but I'm sure theres a little fairy somewhere that swaps them over when I'm not looking,lol. Same with the chrysanths. I always get some that are not what I've put on the label. Did manage to get a few chrysanths up. Will have to do the rest another day. Took home some small cabbage heads to have with the liver and onions.(bluddy lovely it was too) BTW I got me long johns out yesterday.Hope I dont have any accidents and have to go to hospital.
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Went to the local riding stables and got some manure. ;D ;D ;D
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Been to the lotte for a couple of hours.
Dug up some more potato's missed first time round and had a little tidy round.
Can't wait for spring, I am dying to get my seeds started and get things in. ;D
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Did you dig up any gold in them there mines Skintnbitter. ;D ;D ;D
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Falling of a ladder not to worry tho the falling part was ok, it was the sudden stop at the bottom that hurt.
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Oh dear,nasty.Hope you are OK :)
I hope it did not affect the makeover you had on holiday recently ::)
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I am fine but it did stop me from enjoying the view
[attachment=1]
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Lovely,er..................I think ::)
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Went down to the lottie in steady drizzle. Big mistake. Got covered in mud. Harvested some spinach and noted how well the brussels sprouts, cabbage and onions seem to be doing, then headed for home. More bad weather forecast for the next few days.
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Heavy day. Instructed 'my man' to coppice the Willow for firewood & agreed which branches to take out of the 25' Walnut next Summer.
Collapsed into my rocker with a Scotch!!
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Heavy day. Instructed 'my man' to coppice the Willow for firewood & agreed which branches to take out of the 25' Walnut next Summer.
Collapsed into my rocker with a Scotch!!
;D
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nothing it was raining again :'(
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Nice day in Notts but ya know what i just cannot be bothered today.
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the day started grey but its now pretty sunny so although like froglegs i can't be bothered i really have to get out there as the wind blew down the borlotto beans (thank goodness i picked the last of it a few days ago) and i need to get some tidying done today as the rains are suppose to return tomorrow.
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Think we must all be getting a touch of S.A.D. It took me until 1:00 to get out even though it was sunny, and then I finally sowed the oriental leaves I've had for a few weeks. Just looked at the forecst for the weekend (rain, rain rain) and wished i'd had more get-up-and go today!
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Went up today cos it's supposed to be raining all weekend here in Brum and anyway my house rabbit Bert is having a lady friend coming tommorow. A white lionhead named Alexis.pmsl. Of course she is a rescue bunnie.I wasn't gonn have anymore but he has been so down since Belle died. Did manage to dig some more chrysanths up. Tone got the autumn raspberries up that are having to be replaced cos they are not as good as the others. Still we have enough to transplant. Dug a couple of leeks up and saw that they had been attacked by the leek moth. (not gonna bother with leeks again.)Did get some lovely parsnips though. Put the garlic in as well. In fact got more done than we expected
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Went out and measured all the broken/missing/cracked panes on the five greenhouses, my three, the Rycote and the School's... went out to get the glass and take the car in to the garage... just got back and it's going dark!! :-X
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Swept up more oak leaves for my dalek to process. Once the sun goes, so do I, back inside to keep warm ::)
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Nothing, played tennis. Loads of leaves outside to sweep up. Does anyone know if all leaves are good, or do I have to sort my trees if you see what I mean. Hoping the Council will come and do it for me and I can nick or ask them for a few bags. I could be the first lady to go to court for stealing Council leaves. Also my parsnip leaves seem to be growing well, is it too early to dig them up??
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Dig a few up Borlotti should be fine, I thought you've already been to court Borlotti, didn't you say you had played tennis. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Think we must all be getting a touch of S.A.D. It took me until 1:00 to get out even though it was sunny,
i know exactly what you mean..... :(
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nothing it is still RAINING :'(
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helped get everything ready for our big bbq/firework 'do' tonight..should be a laugh, especially if it rains ;D
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Raked up even more oak leaves. I've got about another 4 or 5 weeks doing that. They have only just started to fall. Before my plot, I use to curse them ::), but now I have a huge dalek to save them in, a garden and lottie to use them on, I'm sweeping and raking them up daily. Bootiful for the soil next year. ;D
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Lots of cutting back- I can see out of the kitchen window now! Just looked out and saw a robim inspecting my work!Probably not happy that I've cleared some seedheads away.
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Nothing today, pouring with rain.
But yesterday I attacked my eyesore lasagna bed in the most satisfying way. For over a year it has been a 7m x 1m compost heap with hideous plastic bags of old weeds from my dug beds on it, covered by a huge ugly tarpaulin, weighed down by more bags of dead weeds plus any old bits of wood or rubbish that got in my way on the rest of the plot.
Hurray! Have dragged everything off, folded the tarpaulin away, dragged out some ever hopeful bindweed and couchgrass roots snaking about, tipped out the bags of weeds (now ordinary looking earth heaving with happy worms), raked it over and hammered boards into the soft ground to define the edges.
It's not perfect, but now, instead of coarse meadow grass and weeds, I have a 7m x 1m bed of weedless soil waiting for planting. Pity it's November.
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I have a confession to make. Today........I cheated......and had the lottie rotavated. Not because I'm lazy and not because I don't like digging (I do my best thinking whilst digging). Unfortunately due to some family issues, I just won't have as much time as I'd like to get it sorted over winter. So it's been rotavated and covered over with plastic so I can uncover it as I plant. It's not ideal, I didn't really want to get it done but better that than end up with a jungle I guess. On the plus side, it means I can just do the fiddly bits and pieces that I never seem to have time to do. :)
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Bagged up another 5 bags of leaves from the park in the rain and got some funny looks, put some pallet size pieces of carboard down on some of the ground already dug over, mixed a compost bin. ;D ;D ;D
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Too wet to do anything on the land so cleaned me shed out.
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Squelched.
;D
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After all the rain yesterday I thought it would be like a bog today but it wasn't, in fact, the ground was perfect for digging. So guess what I did???? I've now cleared a huge space for the broad beans go out into next week and the rest of it is well prepared for the spring. It was so lovely to be out there for the morning in the sunshine after the miserable weather we have had so I really made the most of it.
Also attempted the annual "try to dig out the horseradish" farce that I go through. The stuff is a real nuisance and no matter how deep I dig it comes back every year. Still, better than a workout at the gym!
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Far too soggy so topped the bird feeders up and took a few photos.
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took down my outdoor tomato cover and but the tomato plants on the burn heap. cleared the remainder of the borlotto bean plants to the compost bin. cut off the heads of the radicchio to force under terracotta pots (hopefully then it will be more palatable for me and the family :-X :-\. cleaned and netted ponds, raked up apple tree leaves off of the lawn. oh yeah put down more rat poison >:(.
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Nothing- too wet and windy. Hope to get out there tomorrow. :(
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Far to wet and windy to go out so I decided to dig out my greenhouse borders as it would be dry (or so I thought). Ended up chucking the soil out of the door and got totally soaked trying to get the manure I had humped from the lottie in my shopping trolley in.
Wish I had a few days dry weather so I can actually get something done!! Also wish I had more time.
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Lifted and stored the Dahlias, replaced some glass in the greenhouse, and cut my hand... one new piece broke!! finished clearing the big greenhouse.
:)
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I did some weedding and notest some of the the weedy plots near mine have been taken on (or maby the council strimed them :-\ ) then my 2 year old fell in the mud and we had to go home :'(
He sat in his buggy screaming nasty mammy nasty garden all the 20 min walk home :-[
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When he gets older he will probably be on the phone/mobile to report you to social services (joke). I don't believe in smacking my grandchild, but if she is naughty I tell her I will take her to the allotment, and she runs about screaming 'oh no not the allotment' I will behave. Whenever we go shopping and go past the allotment she grabs my hand and leads me away. I try to say it will only be a quick look and you will enjoy it, but apparently it is so boring, no swings, no playing football. We did have one breakthrough as she just loves shelling peas, although she won't eat them. Also a great help sweeping/kicking up leaves for compost, so perhaps in a few years I will get her helping Nanny.
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My 3 year old loves it, sometimes I sneak out because I just can't get things done with her there. ;D ;D ;D
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I had a lovly 4 hours today on the lotty managed to turn half the compost in the compost bin layering in new green stuff and sawing up any big bits. Its all very dry so had to water and left the bins open to allow any rain to soak in tonight :)
However i managed to impale my thumb in a 2 inch bramble so i had to stop doing anything that would be a problem to my wound. So managed to put fleese on the beds for me to plant tomorrow :)
Still have 8 fence pannels to clear where the brambles and hedges have grown though from outside the site :(
I will be spraying my paths with a mild dose of roundup while there is nothing in the beds at the moment.
Still very wet up there but it was wonderful today no wind and warm :)
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Dug over and weeded the ground where my squash were growing, the soil is a lovely dark colour and crumbly, lovely jubley. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Too wet to dig on my plot as I had planned, so went to my OH and sons new plot which is a bramble covered wilderness and hacked back the brambles for 4 hours! Managed to find a water tank that I didn't know existed, and also cleared out the little shed now I can get into it. Found some papers dating back to 1956!
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Went to help an elderly Indian lady with her garden (for a small fee). Lovely garden but in serious need of TLC. Magnificent monkey puzzle tree. Did a couple of hours of weeding, pruning and forking over of borders. She gave me a bag of goodies to take home - hula hoops, penguin, apple juice - just like a party bag. Lovely.
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It's another wet day here, and I have a horrid cold (AGAIN!!) so no gardening at the moment, which is very frustrating. But I did pot up some bulbs last night to get them started - daffodils and chionodoxa. And started making a list of all the seeds I've got, so I can see what I have for swaps, and where I got them all from. What an anorak... :D
Oh, and made a diagram of my garden (from a photo on GoogleEarth!) so I can start planning and plotting. At least I can garden on paper, if nothing else...
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It started raining just as I got to the plot so I refilled the bird feeders, had a look round admiring the fungi growing everywhere then came home!
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Planted the autumn broad beans at last!
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Had a look down the lotty to see if all is ok, the chap on the next allotment lower down whats he done but dog a trench right next to my allotment taking away the path that should run between each allotment, not happy going back down in an hour to see if he is there >:(
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pottered around, cleared a spent brassica bed, sowed the sweet peas, harvested some salads, back home early
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Got loads done over 2 days. Re-organised fruit bed as it doesn't seem likely that I will get another 1/2 plot. Planted garlic, onions, spring cabbage and winter lettuce, tidied up compost area and cleaned out my shed at last. 8)
All very satisfying.
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Lovely day. Soil nice and crumbly and not too cold after a couple of rain-free days. Did a lot of weeding, hoeing and clearing dead foliage. Planted two rows of aquadulce broad beans. Harvested some leeks and raspberries. Dug in some green manure (fenugreek). Turned one of the compost heaps. Noticed that some of my garlic, planted on 10 October, is coming through.
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found green, almost luminous, caterpillars on my pak choi in the poly, here was me blaming the slugs ???
anyway, they've gone to caterpillar heaven, via the chickens ;D
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Met a new plotholder and had a chat, nosed around other peoples plots. Dug a bean trench. Found some of the onions I planted had been pulled up.
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Found what I suspect might be a rat run going into my Dalek composter >:(
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I put up my shed ;) ...... well my dad put up my shed an I helped ad did what he told me to ;D ;D ;D
only have to put the roofing felt on now as the nails provided where no good :-\ or so my dad says ;D
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Harvested celeriac,parsnips, spuds and carrots for my din dins today. :P ;D ;D ;D
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Spent two hours clearing more weeds and then dug over another section
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put in the last of the garlic and did some more digging ;D
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found a pot of self saved sweet pea seeds so I've sowed them, may as well take a chance ;D
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It's raining here so I just refilled the bird feeders after taking a not very good photo of a ring-necked Parakeet, watched some fly round and saw them in some nearby trees as you see here
http://flightplot.wordpress.com/2008/11/16/a-bit-like-the-weather/
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It's been a really beautiful, sunny autumn day so I took the opportunity while OH is away to have an allotment day. Having collected a load of leaves I took them down to the plot. Harvested parsnips (very forked), leeks, Jerusalem artichokes, a few carrots, first few sprouts, and some bits of broccoli, which I can't believe is still producing florets depite the flies and birds.
Cut back some more stuff, dug over a couple of patches (lots of creeping buttercup >:( ) and generally enjoyed being outside.
Unearthed another dustbin lid to make a frog pond with.
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Too busy doing RHS course homework to get out in the garden today. Ironic that!
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Swept up loads of leaves to do leaf mould with, and did some weeding.
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Woke up my digging muscles :D and had a general tidy up
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Georgie, if you read this get down to Capel Manor as soon as you can. I went there today for my weekly dose of RHS coursework and we took a woodland walk at the far end. Although lots of trees have dropped their leaves, the autumn colours are still fantastic - especially the Cotinus coggyria "Royal Purple" (Smoke Tree), dark red turning orange, and the Parrotia Persica (Persian Ironwood), brilliant yellow. Callicarpa bodinieri (Beauty Berry) has purple berries in in abundance. The bark on some of the trees is also lovely - e.g. an avenue of Prunus serrula (Paper bark cherry) and a Euculyptus coccifera (Tasmanian snow gum) in one of the show gardens. I'll try and remember to take the camera next time I go there.
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It felt so grey and dreary indoors so I decided despite the drizzle to get myself off to the Lotti, not a bad hours work really managed to get some winter onions planted (already shooting as planted some weeks ago in trays) have to say the ground did feel heavy but will cover tomorrow with fleece and keep fingers crossed. Got a bit wet but worth it oh forgot to mention had a good chinwag with neighbour - lifted the spirits no end
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Did some more diging ;D
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took all my sunflowers down now the greenfinches and goldfinches have stripped them of the seeds,
weeded and dug over the bed for my broad beans / shades x
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Yesterday I took the afternoon off and spent three hours clearing the plot and forking over the beds. I got home and spent two hours soaking in a hot bath with the newspaper!
Taking the bags of weeds to the dump today there were two skips full to overflowing with leaves! I asked one chap who was to-ing and fro-ing with me if his bags had leaves, and he said yes, he had tons of them. I told him about storing them and making leaf mould compost for next year and he hadn't a clue, never heard of it. Said he'd do that next time.
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More winter diggin and made our 3rd visit to the tip. Used to burn the raspberry and blackberry rubbish but the smoke gets on me chest. poor old buggar that I am. We found that lying the branches on a plastic sheet and rolling them up is the best way of transporting them. So difficult trying to get them into bags. Probably won't be going up for a few days now cos it's gonna be cold. Got plenty to do in the garden at home.
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added more bricks to the footpath.
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Winter waashed and glue banded all of my trees. Three raised beds to build tomorrow!
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weeded the onion bed, sowed some feltham first peas in a gutter, inside :)
picked pak choi, mizuna and red mustard for stir fry tea ;D
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Finaly got round to getting rid of the awful pallet fence i inherited with my plot, had planted a hedge of blackthorn, hawthorn, cornelian cherry, hazel, amalanchier, rugrosa rose and wild plum; only chose these as it keeps the council off my back, they all produce something edible!
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layed more pricks to my footpaths(http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk187/thifasmom/bored.gif)
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layed more pricks to my footpaths(http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk187/thifasmom/bored.gif)
d'ya want to re-phrase that, if not, there are a couple on our site you can have ;D
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layed more pricks to my footpaths(http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk187/thifasmom/bored.gif)
d'ya want to re-phrase that, if not, there are a couple on our site you can have ;D
OMG :-[ JUST SAW THAT!!!! sorry it was to read as bricks :-\ ;D.
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Lovely day and a fantastic sunset. Pruned the blackcurrants and stuck the cuttings in a spare bit of ground to see if they root. Single dug and weeded a large area ready for next year. Dug over the bean trench. Hoed the onion bed. Sowed two more rows of aquadalce - next year will be The Year of the Broad Bean. Picked a sackload of apples. Swept up and burned the dead leaves from my sad, diseased pear tree. Harvested a cabbage. Chatted to some allotment neighbours. Watched the birds. Great way to spend a day.
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Surprisingly I did some more digging :o :o :o ::) ::) ::)
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What you doing tomorrow Trin. ??? :-\ ;D ;D ;D
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Finished my digging this afternoon so now the two plots are bedded down for the winter. All that's left now is to prune my soft fruit bushes and a general tidy up.
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Almost nothing, except plant a few tulip bulbs, but there are compensations. Too busy rehearsing for Brahms German Requiem in Highgate tonight. Absolutely thrilling to sing! The concert is a complete sell out.
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planted more garlic and collected the fallen leaves in my garden
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I have got one at home (. rick), he has just got up. Late night last night so he will probably be moaning, take control of the remote whilst I go shopping in the cold. Was going to the allotment but too cold, planted some sweet peas seeds in our lean to.
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its so cold (http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk187/thifasmom/freez.gif) I'm having to lay about twelve bricks then run inside to warm up fingers and i have on gloves :-\. at least its bright and sunny.
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Went to the allotment, with woolly hat, gloves etc. still felt cold. Dug up parsnips and then rushed home. OH still holding on tight to remote control, think he is tired as he keeps switching channels.
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We have been at the lottie for about 5 hours. Was freezing, but productive. We have moved about a tonne of compost. The compost heap left from the previous owner did stand at 8ft high and we have been whittling this down to the current 3ft! We put in another raised bed and put wood chippings around other raised beds.
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This week I've put up my brassica netting cage, yesterday I moved and covered my manure, layed out my spuds in the sun 8) and threw out a couple of bad uns and finnished off my runnerbean trench. ;D ;D ;D
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Not much in the allotment this weekend as OH is away on a boy's weekend. Took Billy out this am after the snow had melted, got absolutely drenched and frozen.
Last weekend, finally got around the putting in a new zip in the poly greenhouse that was vandalised earlier in the year.
I have two weeks leave over Christmas - guess where I will be most of the time??? ;D
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dug up the witloof to force, that's all, too cold
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wonderful morning on the lotty managed to
Finish planting my onion sets/seeds, carrot seeds.
Pushed soil up against my leekspacked away a load of stuff that i have been meaning to do for a while inc closhes for sowing stuff in early 2009.
The plot is just far 2 wet to do anything else really i am hoping to get up to the plot tomorrow but realisticaly i cant see it happening.
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Felt a little bit like McAlpines today dug a eighteen foot long trench and installed a two inch pipe to take the water away from my top trench that catches my neighbours run off water, hopefully a dryer lotty for spring.
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we're in the middle of doing that but we're running the trench to the neighbouring leylandii trees, it seems to be working so far :)
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Manic, My intention was to run the pipe to my raised beds but I could not get enough fall on the pipe run but I will have another look at it when the weather is more clement and see what I can do,
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ah, we have the problem the other way, water has been under the raised beds, pot a post hole in and it's full of water before it's finished being dug and remains like that for quite some days, also, at the moment, lots of water over the paths..the subsoil is very dense clay and before we took the plot on, it was never cultivated as too wet .
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Put a bowl of food out tonight for the fox I saw last night when I went to check on my sweetpeas in the greenhouse.
Don't know who was scared the most - him/her or me :o
It made off with one of the fatballs from the birdfeeder a squirrel had dislodged by chewing the net.
Petless house now, so welcome all and sundry. :)
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Mixed my compost bins and put winter coats on two of them, covered my palleted bin, had a general tidy up, harvested some carrots and took them home with some stored spuds, give up after a couple of hours with the constant drizzle. ;D ;D ;D
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Absolutely diddly squat!
Only just home from work.Its thick(ish) with fog still but the sun is going to appear....or so the chap in the radio just said!
If the sun does appear I may venture up to the plot and dig a few "spits" and throw some manure in along the way.
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Dan/Guys
I am going to suggest that we start a ne thread for 2009 as this is getting quite big now :)
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Did nowt, Nursing a bad back. We've only got one kneeler so Tony being the elder gets that and I have to bend. The important jobs are done at the plot so am not worrying. Mind you if we go up there we are sure to find something to do.
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Dan/Guys
I am going to suggest that we start a ne thread for 2009 as this is getting quite big now :)
Good idea Cam 8)....1st Jan, you thinking?
Lovely clearing-up day in a client's garden today in sun and no wind....praying that our good weather continues tomorrow....my own garden needs it :-[
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Did nowt, Nursing a bad back. We've only got one kneeler so Tony being the elder gets that and I have to bend.
try using a newspaper folded that what i do when i forget where i've put my kneeler :-\.
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I was down the lotty this morning and having a chat to a bloke who sticks his head over his back garden-wall most times I'm down there, the conversation was about the old boy two up from me it was only about four weeks ago he was taken into hospital and unfortunately he died last week, his allotment is a cracker I have never seen onions like he had this year, sorry to sound morbid but because of ill health and people packing in I should imagine that there are four allotments going on our allotments for next year,
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Just got back after only an hour down (feeling poorly with a bad cold)the plot,thought the walk in the fresh air would make me feel better...i don't :'(. But came back with Parsnips, Leeks,Cabbage,Sprouts,Sherlots and Butternut squash.
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Spent 3 hours at the plot with the kids. Got the shed tidied up, the lottie tidied up, 2 rows of red onions and 2 rows of snowball onions in, burnt some of the pile of gooseberry prunings, did some weeding and covered some more of plot and dismantled the net cage over the brussells, they've blown so seemed pointless protecting them! Hurt now....time for a hot bath and some painkillers I think. :)
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Harvested some parsnips and used my cultivater on a small area but it was too wet to do much else and it was too bloody cold, :'( so I went home instead for a bacon sarnie with daddies brown of course. :P ;D ;D ;D
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Wet this morning but dry and cold this afternoon, so went down to the lottie. Harvested some red cabbage for dinner. Ate the last few autumn raspberries. The garlic, winter onions and butterhead lettuce seem to be progressing well. The sprouts, leeks, parsnips and kale are waiting to be eaten. Noticed some field beans (green manure) coming through, but the broad beans aren't showing yet. Phacelia (another green manure) is flowering so I suppose I should dig it in. Made a bonfire and admired the sunset. Lovely!
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yesterday harvested the last of my beet roots, some carrots and calabrese.
today filled the bird feeders and broke the ice in the ponds and bird watering holes.
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Nothing yet, but if the ground thaws out in an hour or so I might... ;D
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Just went to check things was ok and slipped on the ice and fell in the mud ::) ::) ::)
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Just went to check things was ok and slipped on the ice and fell in the mud ::) ::) ::)
Gosh are you ok??
I have put the site to bed for the year spent the last 2 days deep cleaning the house :( not as much fun!
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At 9am on a bitterly cold frosty morning I'd wheeled 20 barrow loads of manure onto the plot. Am so glad it's over and done with.
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Dug over another large area and incorporated lots of manure. It was a great day for digging. The soil was very easy to work, after a hard frost. Also harvested the last of the beetroot, plus some spinach.
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I am fine ;D I have fell over 14 times today :o :o :o my 4 year old must have fell over 50 or so times :o :o :o nobody seems to salt there path anymore :-\ so the paths where thick with ice supposed to snow tomorrow and the ice is still there so I can see me falling over even more ::) ::) ::) good thing i have so many clothes on and already have some extra padding (tho not that much my bum is just a bit to big ;D ) or I think I would have broken something :o
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Dan/Guys
I am going to suggest that we start a ne thread for 2009 as this is getting quite big now :)
I agree with this and think it may be more use long term if it was also done on a month by month basis
eg What we did today Jan 09 etc. This would make it easier later on to compare with years gone by.
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Been to the lotty to see if the overflow pipe I put in from my trench is working and it is, so if I get your run off someone else will get mine ;D,
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Good idea Eristic......actually clicked on this thread today because my son was reading over my shoulder and said that's a big thread what's it about?
It's like a diary for everyone so month by month is a good idea.
Today I was home with my really horrible cold virus haven't been to the lotty for over a week because of it, my boys had it first one by one avoid it if you can it's really nasty.
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A very sound idea Eristic, and if more people put their location under their tag we would be able to see "local" times too. Had a wander round the site, cleaned out the Rycote Greenhouse, watered in the Schools, helped OH with a new border. Brought the Pumpkins in... ;D
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Picked the last of my spring onions and beetroot and took home with some stored PFA and Kestrels, and yes its a good idea Eristic and Saddads right if everyone put their area under their tag people would have a better understanding of times, weather etc. ;D ;D ;D
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Had a quick look at the bees I moved in yesterday, and lugged a dozen scaffolding planks onto my plot before they all disappear. I've got a bad cold and the latter's finished me for the day. The soil's frozen solid so I wouldn't have been able to do more anyway.
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For once I didn't do any digging :o :o :o I cut down the last of the awful black Berry bushes that grow over my gate so that I can dig them out when it is a little bit drier :-\ and then lay some paving down and build a shelter to park my buggy in when I come on to the plot (its a pain pushing it all the way to the shed which is at the back of the two plots) then one of the plot holders ( well I say plot holders his plot has not been touched for 2 years >:() asked me if I wanted any thing off his plot as he was handing back the keys tomorrow ;D so I lifted 16 paving stones and took the two extra large darlek compost bins that he had left behind (in the rain ::)) one has a lid missing but I am sure I can make some thing to fit
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just tidied up a bit and did a bit of weeding it was a very warm afternoon I even took off my coat an hat ;D
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work party weekend so I'm cooking the big breakfast at 1 ;D
any takers?
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Redid the woodchip paths, thats it. Not a lot for me to do out there at the mo. :D
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We all sat in the communal hut, drank mulled wine and ate mince pies - and that's about it! Too wet for anything else although I did come home with a few leeks and a cabbage just to prove that I really had ben to the allotment!
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Picked some sprouts and lifted some carrots, which are now on the cooker. Managed to save a couple of heads of Chnese leaves, they weren't netted so the pigeons have been trimming them! :-[
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My order of plantlets arrived, finally! Albeit, sent to the wrong address, so spent two days sitting in the neighbor's sitting room, which won't have helped. I was rather underwhelmed; I was expecting plug plants, not trays of un-thinned seedlings. It took a lot of work to delicately tease apart the seedlings into smaller clumps - I still wonder if some of them are going to be overcrowded.
Got some of them outdoors in planters with polythene over the top for protection; some in pots and trays in my (glass) lean-to for the time being. I'm particularly curious to see if the bare-rooted calabrese comes back to life, it doesn't look very lively at all.
Freecycling is doing me very well. I got four large planters yesterday - 3 wooden ones, & one that is actually a large 'toy bucket' with rope handles. Today I scavenged large amounts of polythene from the bins at Topps Tiles - with their permission - so have plenty to cover up my plants with. I'm glad it looks like it will stay mild all week; otherwise my 'plantlets' would be looking a bit ropey. I think most of them will make it if I can keep the slugs and birds off them. Definitely going to keep some of them indoors till they beef up some more.
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Harvested carrots, parsnips, swede and took them home with some stored Kestrels and PFA's. ;D ;D ;D
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sowed the giant onion seeds ;D
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Put a cloche over some ground ready to plant some early spuds
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How early RK. ? :o :-\ ;D ;D ;D
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ray moved 8 barrowloads of manure into the poly, some ready for our earlies to go in, made a hot bed ready for mid january :)
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decided to use chicken poop in the hot bed instead of fresh horse, due to the problems with it, covered with lots of soil so, roll on mid jan, I can't wait ;D
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Once Christmas has come and gone, I'm sure we'll be all chomping at the bit to get out and get started again.
I wonder what it would be like to live in a region where it's warm/sunny all year long. Would you get bored of sowing and growing without a break?
I don't think so ;D
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Imagine all that watering Lauren. 8) 8) 8) ;D ;D ;D
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I actually got to work in my own garden today, A truck load of rubbish and empty beer cans to the tip, cleaned the pond, pruned shrubs, orchard and climbers. Dug out and poisoned a golden hop that had started to take over. It was originally planted as a quick fix but it really needs a lot more room. Noticed a lot of the fruit trees have huge buds coming this season so it could be a good year for fruit next year. Daffs are starting to break the surface.
Now it's time to get ready for a few drinkies tonight.
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Had a bit of a tidy up in the front garden.
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Had a quick visit to the plot to check on sprouts for hubby ;)
Local wildlife surviving on my spinach :(
Rats all tucked up nicely in my composters :(
.....................tis after all, the season of good will ::) ;D
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Harvested sprouts, carrots, parsnips, broccoli & Jerusalem artichokes manured & covered one bed and moved 4 barrow loads of muck to a compost bin for it's second year, and I felt real good :) :) :)
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Did some more tidying up like getting all the dead leaves from the bottom of the sprouts and PSB. Picked some sprouts for the freezer. I like them when they are about as big as a marble so have to be diligent with the picking to catch them before they get bigger. Decided that we will have to plant more next year. Tony spent his time dock hunting. He's got a thing about docks. Had a nice bottle of wine from the Steve and Carol who took on their plot earlier this year. They said it was for the help we gave them. Was really chuffed. We are going again today while the weather stays fine to do a bit more
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Harvested parsnips, carrots, celeriac and took home with stored Kestrels and PFA's, spuds and parsnips are going round my sisters for Christmas day. ;D ;D ;D
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Lovely day today. Dug up some parsnips. Tone went on his dock hunt again today. Probably won't get up there again until after 25th
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thinned out and weeded a 30ft row of raspberries, mulched 'em with straw, sorted out another no-dig bed (layers of cardboard/manure/straw) inspected thursdays veg (sprouts, parsnips, carrots, leeks) ;)
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raked up loads of leaves,was easy on the frozen ground,talked about where we putting some new shrubs,and had a general tidy up of the junk area.was so cold but were still there till darkness fell!
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Weeded and mulched the fruit beds, put a few barrows of manure on next year's potato plot, dug out brambles, pruned gooseberries and an apple tree and had a bonfire, put up some bird boxes, shored up the dilapidated greenhouse and tidied up the shed. It's great that the sun is setting perceptibly later - about 4.30 pm this evening.
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Picked some more sprouts for tea... ;D
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Picked some more sprouts for tea... ;D
Wise move! Brass monkey weather today. ;)
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FED THE BIRDS!! to cold for anything else.
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nipped up the lottie and picked up the bags of rubbish to go to the tip, filled the bean trench with guinea pig poo, then sat down and did loads of digging in my dreams ;D
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Sunny and cold here ...7.30 am remove covers and the large umberella cloche from over my Agaves..........3pm cover them up again . Check greenhouse heater is working and the radio still set to Classic FM to keep all the my plants happy . :) Debs
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Tucked some more shallots in cells in the greenhouse, should the ones I popped in up at the plot fail to a nasty something or other ;)
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Completed the new wood chip path along the fence, weeded, planted the rest of my garlic and my shallots. Not another soul in sight!
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Finally had a bonfire, but everything was rather damp (Metcheck telling porkies again, it was supposed to be bright sunshine!). Cut down asparagus and tried to get some of the couch out from between them before surrounding with cardboard in hope of getting a few less weeds next year. Think I may need a plan B of starting a new asaparagus bed :(
Got a bit p****d off by the neighbours who were complaining that they hadn't managed to get on top of things, when all they had left to do was cut back a hedge while the rest of their plot is immaculate!
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Dug up another load of strawberry plants. I seem to be doing this every other week as the things wont stop spreading! The soil was good for it though and I even warmed up a fraction after a while!
Then I cut down the raspberry canes. That's one of those jobs I always think l'll do in a few minutes but after what seemed like ages and a lot of hard work, I'd only done half the row. Still can't explain how that one works.....
But at least I went home with some leeks and a cabbage. Taking something always makes any effort worthwhile.
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Helped 12 yr old son clear his plot of brambles, I swear they are still growing! We had a good 3 hour slash and burn session, and then cleared a bit more of the path so we could actually see it... :-\
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Frosty all day - very bracing. Apart from spreading manure about the place, continued pruning gooseberries and attempting to get couch grass roots out from underneath them. Is there a simple, pain-free way of doing this?
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Nothing - its completely frozen !
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I did a nice border round my plum tree, it now looks like it's growing out of a well, the border is made from old bricks.
I then started a new bed with, yes, old bricks. ;)
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Not really....I spent a whole day the other year on my knees digging out couch from around the raspberries I inhertited on my plot.......a good mulch after that has kept them pretty free of weeds since.
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my allotment is fairly new so a lot of work still to do, just done 3 hours of digging not a bad day for it once you warm up :)
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whent up garden this morning.
fed hens & next doors ferret,hes away for newyear.
got the bowsaw out cut a load of wood and lit the stove.
sat there sweating and listening to dearne fm for 6hrs
till it was time to feed the hens again.another
wasted day . ;D ;D ;D
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Just unloaded some hops- too cold for anyhting else!
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Picked some frozen spinach, frozen kale and frozen sprouts.
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Picked frozen kale and Brussel sprouts, did some tidying up and took great pleasure in breaking the inch thick ice that had formed on the water butts! :)
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Nothing as it is frozen. Instead we watched The Victorian Kitchen Garden on DVD & Carol Kleins Grow Yor Own. It was lovely.
Janet.
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Been tidying up the leylandii hedge. Have got about half of it tidied down to waist height now, so a quarter of the way there ;D
Sally
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Nothing until I got back from a walk at Carsington when OH decided she wanted sprouts for tea... so off I went into the twilight to pick frozen sprouts. The netting was frozen into the soil and the bricks holding it down... but we managed and very nice they were too! :)
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I started moving bricks to make a new bed. They were frozen together, so I had to kick most of them to set them free. Good job I had my trusty boots on. ;D
Not much else really, it was frozen solid.
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The BW re-felted the shed roof and as the passer upper I wandered off to pull out the Definately Deadious bedding from last year. Made many mental notes to alter this and that and look up recommended pruning practise for certain shrubs which I strarted then got side tracked as usual ::)
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done my gardening for today and it's only lunchtime.brrrr. Filled up the bird feeders, broke the ice on the water containers, pulled some leeks, cut down what's the last of the chard til the Spring, cut some parsley, picked some rosemary and sage, came indoors - coffee with brandy time. 8)
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A.G.M today so afterwards, put up a trestle in the poly and moved all the sweet peas from the heated greenhouse onto it, plus all the herb and pink, carnation and verbena bonsariaris cuttings in there, they're all for the plant sale but don't need heat :)
carried on covering the beds with cardboard, picked some leeks, first half day there for a fortnight and it was brill ;D
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Spent a couple of hours working on a patch which was covered in black plastic with brambles grwoing through it! Got most of the plastic out but still need to dig up the bramble roots. Hard work, but it looks better and it kept me warm!
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I weeded one bed, dug up some leeks and cut back the asparagus and globe artichokes. Now I'm home and I've got out the root trainers and the seed box. ;D
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Went out and picked and trimmed a couple of frozen cabbage, then dug half a dozen leeks, both for tea in a few minutes.. Deb P was out doing some basic clearance of brambles etc ready for burning... :)
and very nice they were too! :)
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I went, I felt lousy, I came home ;D
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We filled one bed that we had made, and built a new one from roof timbers. This has carpet in it now to kill the weeds. etc.
I tidied the shed, as I could not find the brush to paint it!
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We had a bit of a tidy up and attempted to turn some soil (very frozen). We then spent ages having a chatter with our lottie neighbours as it is the first time we have seen them since new year. Managed to get a bit done this weekend despite the weather. The shed is looking very tidy!
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Planted out some discount tulips as the garden centre was flogging them off at less than half price.
Slightly unrewarding task as it didn't look any different once I'd finished...ah, ha, but I know spring is just around the corner!!
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Wow no-one has been posting on this thread for a few days. We went to the plot today to do some more tidying and dig some more parsnips up to store at home just in case we get another cold spate of weather and the ground freezes. We were quite surprised at how easy it was to dig the roots up,cos it was solid a few days ago.We are lucky to have sandy soil though. It was quite like Spring when the sun came out. Remembered just why we loved being up there. Hope it stays fine for tomorrow cos we want to go again.
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Its too blooooody cold, may try tomorrow. ;D ;D ;D
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Planted out some discount tulips as the garden centre was flogging them off at less than half price.
Slightly unrewarding task as it didn't look any different once I'd finished...ah, ha, but I know spring is just around the corner!
OOO I might try and get the bulbs that i discovered the other day into the ground this weekend. Thought i might be a little late now it's sooo cold
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Went up to the plot today to dig up some spuds.... should have taken a pickaxe.
Had to go Morrisons tonight and buy some :(
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Nowt because I was at work.... off in the dark, back in the dark... not long til the clocks go forward though!! :)
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Continued clearing out my greenhouse at home. All pots, propagators, trays and containers are now sparkling clean. I'm ready for the season ;D
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Spent the day putting paving down for new shed and undercover area- collecting new shed and taking a delivery for our allotment shop - 6 layers on top half and 2 on bottom half kept me warm in the freezing weather.
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Colder today but still went up to spread some muck on the potato patch ready for Tone to rotovate in. The muck was frozen on the top but was ok underneath. Wasn't cold for long when we started working. It's supposed to be warmer tomorrow so who knows may just be up there again.
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Tooo cold and frozen to go to the lottie :( so I've washed some pots and put up my 6x4 greenhouse would u believe in the play room downstairs, :o kids ain't to happy but at least the kitchen won't be over run with trays and pots. ;D ;D ;D
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Went to plot yesterday for some veg only to find my parsnips under a pile of earth and a man in a big hole next to my plot :o
It seems there has been a pipe broken to our water cystern. The poor chap was frozen to the marrow, sloshing about in his deep hole of freezing water.
A fellow plottee was doing his best to assist him and very kindly gave me some of his parsnips. I sincerely hope he is out of there now, as his boss was less than symathetic to his plight as was our Parish clerk to allotments when I asked him to make the chap a coffee.( I hope the old sodbox did, I have a sneaky feeling he's not as black as he paints himself. ;) )
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Nothing again, as we were in York taking eldest back to Uni... it was dark when we got back. We did got to Wilkinsons and got a cloche so tomorrow after Rugby for the younger lad........... ;D
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Nothing. :( Went see Jimmy Osmond in panto. :D Hopefully get up to pick some veg tomorrow :)
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im dying to get out in the garden but everything is frozen still next chance i get will sort my pots etc ready for the season
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It was snowing here yesterday, but today was a wonderful sunny day and quite warm (comparatively) until about 3pm.
Finally have had enough frost to learn that it is true - frost does break up the clods :D raked the beds over - have that lovely crumbly soil - but just below the surface, it is still frozen solid :o
Put some spuds and carrots in the polytunnel, so hopefully will get an earlier crop - and some strawberries.
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managed to actually get a spade in the ground for the first time in weeks! repotted 3 flat leaved parsley,put out a few cabbage and cauli,under cloches,bit of weeding and a bit of sec business.was pleased to see quite a few others up there,made me even more excited to start the growing season!
rach
x
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Had chainsaw man round to take down a damaged Gage... cut some cabbage, dug some leeks, had a quick natter to DebP... :)
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Tried to dig up some leeks but the ground was solid so I went home again.
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Wandered outside - decided it was too cold!
Wandered back inside and sorted some Quince and Apple seeds.
I Don't know the apple variety - very large fruit but the sweetest I have ever had. Tree was quite old and on last legs!) Weren't many seeds either, one of the fruits had no seeds at all!
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Welcome to the site Penske, Apples don't come true from seed, if it is on it's last legs take a cutting next Autumn and that will come true, although unless grafted onto a rootstock the tree may look very different. ???
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Dug a couple of leeks and picked some sprouts. Wished I'd worn my wellies- forgot the ground wasn't frozen and came back with claggy trainers!
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Hiya, penske..welcome to the site ;D
nothing today, glad we got there yesterday when it was dry, just -3 ..doesn't take long to warm up, turned one of the 'daleks' full of last year's leaves over, took off the unrotted top 12", in one piece as they were frozen..moved the rest onto a bed in the poly :)
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Mainly burning and pottering here. The ground is still too solid to dig so we cleared the surface of the next area we're going to tackle when it defrosts. Then cleared the hardstanding so we can to see how big it is - sheds are calling me! & then took lots of photos of the rubbish that is being dumped at the end of our plot by the house that backs onto us ::)
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Did some work in the garden instead of the allotment today. Decided to transplant several sedum spectabile plants, which were scattered about in different parts of the garden, to make a sedum hedge. I saw one of these at Wisley last year and it looked terrific. Also great for attracting bees. Only slight worry is that the soil might be a bit too good for them - they prefer poor soil and I don't want them to be leggy.
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managed to finish planting the last of my spring bulbs and sorted out my shed and pots etc, all ready to go now just need the spring to come. no sign of my garlic yet either
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When did the garlic go in? The last of mine was planted in early November, and the first shoots are just showing. It should be OK, it's pretty ndestructible.
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it was end of november begining of december if i remember rightly certainly no later then that
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Don't expect to see it till spring then. I've planted that late before, and it's been fine.
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ok thanks i will wait patiently
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Set out my spuds in egg boxes, tidied up and harvested last of my carrots and celeriac and also harvested some parsnips and swede and took them home with some stored PFA's. ;D ;D ;D
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Not been let out yet, and it is getting dark!! Been dragged round garden centres to buy some dogwoods... ::)
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Managed to water the Wallflower tubs in the big greenhouse, dig some Oca and some Jerusalem Artichokes... ;D
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Went to a workshop we'd organised on apple pruning. It was really interesting, but it got a bit chilly standing about discussing the trees this afternoon.
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Moved a goosberry bush and blackcurrant bush to fruit cage and planted a new goosberry and one blueberry so fruit cage is looking good ;D
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hiya, becky,welcome to the site,bet you're looking forward to a good fruit harvest ;D
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Yes we got a free fruit cage last year when we was over the allotment somebody came in said she was moving house would we like it 24foot long so will have it filled soon had brassics under there last year. I am always on this site but never post anything ha had allotments for five years but bored at the moment cant wait to spend time in greenhouses
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I think we're all the same :)
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Well it was supposed to be tipping it down today according to the weather forecast so I had already planned to catch up with me household duties. Was quite dissapointed when it stayed sunny all day but its nice to think that my chores are done for a few days.
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not much, just went down there to take some piccys of some of my plot to illustrate some answers on here!! ;)
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Bought some shallots and the last of my spuds Lady Christl. ;D ;D ;D
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Got the leeks and the sweet peas sown at last!! :-X
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Got the leeks and the sweet peas sown at last!! :-X
Gosh, early for leeks? I haven't even looked at sowing my banana shallots or onions yet! :-[
I was at work the whole weekend, but am reliably informed OH and son went and did some digging for me, bless them..... ;)
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I have been busy recently and not managed to get to the lotti to do much due to the weather.
Spend Saturday erecting a greenhouse at my in-laws as their original one is not big uncouth for us, as our lotti is used by three separate families (our selves, in-laws and grandparent on my wife side), so we end up planting a lot of seeds. We managed to finish off the greenhouse just before it started to rain on Saturday. Good job we got it finished due the winds the came on Saturday night.
At the moment I have started of some onions, peppers, leeks, sweet peas, tomatoes, Salvia and Antirrhinum.
My farther-in-law has started off some other leeks, some carrots, spring onions and beetroot.
We have got the runner beans, peas and seed potatoes, just need to start the off at the correct times.
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I have 2 beds of garlic, 3 beds planted with onions (sets and seed) along with rows of carrots and leeks which are not quite ready as part of my companion planting.
But after tomorrow i cant go outside for 2 weeks so its unlikly i am going to get a chance to check on them, the plants were all planted Oct/Nov (except for the leeks) so i am hoping i might get a nice surprise when i do get up there.
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don't know if it's classed as garden work, transplanted 9 golden sunrise toms, 12 parsley, 8 all yr round cauli, still got onions to do and sowing today, spicy salad leaves, purplette spring onions and ishikura onions that look like leeks ;D
found I've no tigerella toms or leeks, off to swap shop ;D
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Sowed some leeks. ;D ;D ;D
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Spreading muck again. Had a good 4hours up there today. Was cold when we first got there but warmed up after a bit.
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Not so much garden but started off a tray of leeks, onions, cauliflower, brocolli, strawberries, tomatoes and peas. Hopefully will sort my so called garden out tomorrow and then off to the lottie on thurs to see if my manure has rotted enough to spread it (been in composter since late September?). Also have to go through my flower seeds and see what needs doing there as well.
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Went to the plot and picked some brussels and a parsnip. Made sure that everything was as tidy as an allottment plot can be and advised some of my plot holder mates that i would appreciate if the could keep an eye on it and to help themselves to some stuff.I dont like to waste it so its best to give it away. I'm only doing so as i wont be anywhere near my plots for 5 weeks. Unfortunately i have to go on vacation as i havent had one for near 17 months.I know i will miss going down there but i do need a break.I will have to work quite hard maybe to keep up with the jones,as it were.
I'm annoyed with Thomson & Morgan tho as they said i'd have my seed spuds and some onions from Dec but still not recieved them.They were ordered last Oct i remember.Any one else had probs with deliveries?
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I ordered fruit bushes 2 years ago and they didn't come. Never bothered with em since
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finished off manuring and covering the poly beds, got a square ready to sow mustard and cress in, weeded, yes we have grass etc growing :o
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braved the cold and went to lotty today. every thing looking grim,picked a few pathetic sprouts which I had fed and protected with nets etc then on the way back to the car I noticed someones bird pecked sprouts they were standing proud and although the tops were nearly stripped all down the stem were beautiful large sprouts perfectly formed
IT'S NOT FAIR
marg
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Making some compost bins from pallets i got from work.
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Did some of the digging I abandoned when I got flu back in October! About an hour and a half digging, then planted garlic Cristo (I know - VERY late).
Then had to go to get sprog 2 from playgroup.
Raining now and the forcast for next week looks pretty abysmal so glad I got something done!
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I got the wood for my new fruit cage and took it down to the lottie. I hope to build it at the weekend but not sure about the weather......
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Sowed 10 seeds of runner bean 'white lady', (at college) placed on heated bench, to be grown on in heated greenhouse, to see if I can have fresh runner beans for my birthday !! (early june) ;)
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Raining today...but yesterday got my first proper session at the allotment this year. The mountain of wood chips that was there last week is now foothills but only about 20 ft from my allotment. So lots of wheel barrow loads later I have mulched around gooseberries, blackcurrants and fruit trees, between strawberry mounds and laid some in front of my cold frame.
I was tempted to put some on the asparagus bed but might be too acid for that.
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Chitting Pentland Javelin, Charlotte and Romano potatoes which have just arrived in the allotment shed. Hooray! ;D
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... not been on the allotment since october since i planted garlic, onion (seeds/sets), carrots etc
On 2 weeks bed rest so its unlikly that i am going to get onto the allotment for a while :(
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pruned my wisteria before breakfast (got to keep busy now I've stopped smoking) ;D
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Bought some onions and sowed some cauli AYR. ;D ;D ;D
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Nowt today, but yesterday I managed to find my parsnips under the heap of clay type mud the mender of the water cystern thingy left on my plot. Dug up some carrots too and picked sprouts. It was so lovely and peaceful there I wanted to stay but couldn't. Next week I'll stay all day come hell or high water, plenty to do. ;D
Pleased to see the garlic up. ;D
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Planted asparagus crowns, dug up parsnips and carrots and picked sprouts and sprouting brocolli. Very muddy and not my fav time of year but good to have plenty of veg to pic. Big container of carrot soup now ready for freezer.
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moved 3 gooseberry bushes and gave another three away,now wondering what to put in their (very shaded) place...weeded weeded weeded and did a lot of nattering,a few bits of sec work, and ate the sandwiches i pilfered from the NSALG i had just been to.a lovely sunny dry day,lots of folk out on their plots,all excited with whats around the corner!
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Dug some leeks and picked some sprouts (best season ever) gave away some cabbage sprouts and leeks to some keen newbies. Did some rough digging, to get couch out.. Put all the spuds to chit. Garlic and Broad Beans through but no sign of any PSB yet Womble!! :)
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found some garlic segments, that seemed to have got scat in a corner.
they had sprouted so I poked them in amongst my others, who knows whether they'll be any good or not. Looked like it was maybe a bulb from last summer that got dropped maybe?? segs were small.
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Dug some leeks and picked some sprouts (best season ever) gave away some cabbage sprouts and leeks to some keen newbies. Did some rough digging, to get couch out.. Put all the spuds to chit. Garlic and Broad Beans through but no sign of any PSB yet Womble!! :)
I think my sprouting brocolli is summer one that never stopped and seems to be going on and on. I don't think it's PSB but I've lost track though!!! ::) ;D
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Spent three hours hacking back the rose 'Francis Lester' then cutting the resultant thorny mound into small bits for my green bin.
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Spent the day at my RHS course at Capel Manor College. The "practical" on this pleasantly sunny afternoon involved preparing a seed bed, marking it out with sand and sowing "hardy Annuals", then doing similar with sowing a lawn. Not only is it the wrong time of year to do this; the ground was sodden so we could have damaged the soil and the "hardy annuals" were old grass seeds. Last week we watched a tutor prune shrub roses at the wrong time of year (rather badly)! It's all because the course is geared towards what's in the exam, not what makes sense in horticultural terms. Ridiculous!
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sowed leeks, lettuce, sweet peas and lots of different flower seeds for the plant sale ;D
transplanted tomatoes and parsley :)
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Spent the day at my RHS course at Capel Manor College. The "practical" on this pleasantly sunny afternoon involved preparing a seed bed, marking it out with sand and sowing "hardy Annuals", then doing similar with sowing a lawn. Not only is it the wrong time of year to do this; the ground was sodden so we could have damaged the soil and the "hardy annuals" were old grass seeds. Last week we watched a tutor prune shrub roses at the wrong time of year (rather badly)! It's all because the course is geared towards what's in the exam, not what makes sense in horticultural terms. Ridiculous!
what level are you on? (rhs that is) the gardening year and the academic one do not 'line up' naturally, do they?? Tony, (mature hortic student) ;)
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Spent the day at my RHS course at Capel Manor College. The "practical" on this pleasantly sunny afternoon involved preparing a seed bed, marking it out with sand and sowing "hardy Annuals", then doing similar with sowing a lawn. Not only is it the wrong time of year to do this; the ground was sodden so we could have damaged the soil and the "hardy annuals" were old grass seeds. Last week we watched a tutor prune shrub roses at the wrong time of year (rather badly)! It's all because the course is geared towards what's in the exam, not what makes sense in horticultural terms. Ridiculous!
what level are you on? (rhs that is) the gardening year and the academic one do not 'line up' naturally, do they?? Tony, (mature hortic student) ;)
I'm just doing the Level 2, Tony. It's true that the academic year and horticultural year don't line up naturally, but trampling all over wet soil and pruning roses in a way that could cause frost damage does not make much sense, does it? This afternoon would have been a great day to learn about fruit tree pruning, but that does not fit the course timetable.
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I think all colleges have this problem with timing of horticultural operations vs timing of exams!
I think it's even worse if you are taking evening classes ;D ;D ;D
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I think all colleges have this problem with timing of horticultural operations vs timing of exams!
I think it's even worse if you are taking evening classes ;D ;D ;D
Yes, I am being terribly unfair. It's just that there is so much that I would have much preferred to have been doing on the allotment or in the garden this afternoon. ;D ;D ;D
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planted lots of daffodil/narcissi around the bath pond, then some primulas, gladioli and a yucca..not in the boggy bit, in the drier soil behind...took 164 carnation cuttings and cleared out the big, communal greenhouse, all worn out now ;D
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Didn't sow or plant, just ' levered ' the weeds out from last year --- shame ! :-\
Ooh,and cleared out next doors cat's ' latrine ' -- she is giving me heartache !
Very old and deaf, she has used this garden for her ' toilet ' many years before we arrived.
Have tolerated her ' visits' till now and now I need to have our garden back.
She is quite sweet, looks you in the eye and says hello - Put a roll of chick wire over the gap,
no problem - shoved it aside and ' presented ' in my newly dug patch !
That is what I have done in the garden today ! Tomrrow -- who knows , :D
floss x
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Done my good deed for the day. The previous owner of my new plot lives directly behind. Her sons and grandson have removed 2 very old hacked about trees, old concrete posts and a very wobbly post and rail fence. Replaced it with a new 6 ft fence. Shame its so high as she's a really nice lady and I enjoyed our chats. To be fair she did ask if they could leave it on my side to be burnt. They still have to put a half panel in. She poked her round to see if I would like a coffee. Said grandson was staying, so he came and help to take it all to the tip.
Pruned the apple tree that's not been touched for years. Still trying to pluck up courage to tackle 3 very scruffy goo's Gog bushes. If the weathers OK tomorrow hoping to clean out the green house I've inherited. Might have a go at bushes :P :P :P
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Well finally did some thing in the garden for the first time since early Dec :). the weather was warm and sunny, so i weeded a spot designated for my micro mini meadow.
dug and emptied the barrel that had my Christmas potatoes which were frosted early in the season and got enough potatoes for dinner for five :D.
tidied some spent winter crops from the beds. hope the weather continues tomorrow cause then i can finish tidying beds and start digging bean trenches.
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Ooooh I did loads ;D I had a witch hazel to plant and ended up doing the whole border. Phormiums got a good going over, cut down passion flower, attacked the very overgrown abutilon. Dug out some half dead lavender and various other 'almostius deadiuses'. All looking very neat and tidy for now.
I ache like buggery so I'm off to bed. ;D
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I'm finding it difficult to get motivated at the moment and I still have above half of my winter digging to complete.
Apart from the appalling weather,either too wet or frozen,and the fact that I was ill over the festive break,I'm also worried about my job.
By the end of Feb my job in the factory will be finished.They say that I will be moved to another job within the factory but its still playing on my mind!
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fork,dont worry hon,youll soon get it done once you have the chance,hope things with your job work out
rach
xxxxx
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Fork,hope things work out OK with your job.
I find the lottie is the best place for me when I have things on my mind :)
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all th best, Fork, hope you get sorted out :-\
dug squash pits and half filled with old poultry muck/bedding, filled in and mounded and left to rot down
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No time to do anything in the garden or on the allotment yesterday when it was fine and sunny. Today it was too wet to do any digging - could damage the soil and the heavy clay is so sticky that's it's hard to work anyway. Harvested some brussels and leeks and did some tidying up on the allotment. Fed the birds in the garden.
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Dug up the last few spuds, unnetted the brassicas weeded and pulled off the dead leaves and covered, pulled up the swede that just stopped growing, my mate Robin helped himself to a few worms. ;D ;D ;D
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pulled a few leeks,curley kale and rocket.Dug over the last bed and cleaned up the compost area.All set for spring.Fingers crossed.Son and daughter in-law having a baby in the next couple of weeks so have had to ake sure everything is set to go .
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Dug over the last bed and cleaned up the compost area....Son and daughter in-law having a baby in the next couple of weeks so have had to make sure everything is set to go .
ROFL! Are you going to plant the baby when it arrives? ;) ;D ;D ;D
G x
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Didley squat!
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Took off the last of the sprouts and dug over a couple of beds.
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Had a sort out in the greenhouse, just reorganising ready for the planting rush later.
Went down to OH's plot and did a bit of bramble cutting with one hand, splint is still on my other hand so limiting me somewhat! ;D Just enjoying the sunshine while it lasts...... :-\
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transplanted 50 carnations, picked up the seed spuds, took my purplette spring onion and ishikura seedlings to put in the poly :)
lovely and warm in the greenhouse, bl**dy freezing outside ;D
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Just come in (it was going dark) Picked some sprouts, did some couch digging, relaid a path, moved some coreopsis ( they were where the path went!)
Forgot to go and help do some measuring up this morning!! ( :-[ ) ;D
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Cold and windy but bright day, good for gardening. Mulched my garden borders with some home made compost. It's rich, dark and full of worms: I'm very pleased with it. Also put lots of it on the bog garden I started last year. Got rid of dead foliage on border perennials and tidied leaves away into leaf mould cage that I made a week or two ago.
Transplanted another Sedum spectabile to go in my new Sedum hedge. Planted a Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii Profusion (the one with the bright purple berries), bought with a bit of pocket money earned gardening for a kind and generous Indian lady.
Lots of bulbs coming up now. The snowdrops are flowering beautifully.
This is getting to be an obsession. I'm thinking maybe I should start a garden blog.
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Had a good day up the plot today. Dug up the rest of the parsnips. Got the sprouts up and got quite few stragglers off them (job for tomorrow)Tony did the digging behind me. It was lovely to be out again in the fresh air, If it's ok tomorrow will go again for a while.
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well this week I've returned to the garden and finally feel the season is beginning for me ;D.
Monday weeded the area earmarked for my micro mini meadow.
Tuesday pissed down with rain so n/a.
Wednesday i pruned and loosely retrained my living willow bench.
Thursday completed my pruning of the bench and tied in everything properly with twine.
Friday dug 2 of my bean trenches and lined them with wet shredded paper.
today got rid of rotted vegetation out of some of the raised beds, ensure protected crops were secure against the oncoming cold snap. pruned the wisteria hedge and used the willow whips to make aesthetically pleasing ties on the willow bench structure (its looking great if i do say so myself ;))
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Well lets have a piccie then... so we can all admire it! ;D
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I would really like to see the willow bench.
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come on!! post a piccy!!
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Piccy, piccy, piccy. ;D ;D ;D
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another vote for a piccy here ;D
transplanted 68 cinereria ? sp
27 campanula cuttings and re potted hyacinths as they were crowded :)
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So far me and OH have dug over most of the Schools plot, salvaging a few baby carrots and swede. Back out after lunch, we have slight snow flurries at the moment... :)
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alright alright here it is, when it in full leaf i'll post another thats when it really looks great.
(http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk187/thifasmom/IMG_1582.jpg)
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That's lovely! Did you grow the willow yourself?
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I reckon you should post the instructions for that. It's bloomin marvellous. I could do with one of them up the plot
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Now i do like that.
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We took over the new plot yesterday, we where going to have the plot across from our other one then it was one by the side then it ended up being the plot behind us !! I had planned the other 2 plots but this one im playing by ear ;D
We cleared all the rubbish, burnt the wood and took a big trailer of metal and junk to the tip !
Picked up a load of manure and finished clearing the plot ready to start digging the manure in next weekend.
Love the willow arch !!!
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Lovely thif - please post instructions for when we cut back our willow later in the year :D
Ninnyscrops
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here are the instructions have fun
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,48713.0.html (http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,48713.0.html)
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Lovely thif - please post instructions for when we cut back our willow later in the year :D
Ninnyscrops
if you have willow growing from last year this is the time for cutting it ie from november till early march, before the sap starts to rise i think, so you might be able to do this or similar projects this year.
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Don't thinkmanyofus will be doing much today! Might bring some compost into the house to warm up!
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Just built a snowman with the four year old and thrashed next door in a snowball fight and I was out numbered 2/1. 8) ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Sent Tone down the shed for the stored carrots and taters.Put the casserole in me new slow cooker. Fed the birds and shut the bloomin door and we have spent the whole afternoon playing a game on the computer.
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Cleared an area of snow in back garden so that I could put the food down for the blackbirds.
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Checked on the October sown sweet peas that had been fleeced for a couple of days. As you will see they are all ok. They have been outside since they were sown in Oct last year. The netting is to stop the birdies from having a go at them.
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Watched the snow slowly melt, and my cats trying to creep out for a wee without getting themselves too wet....hilarious!
Left hand still in splint for another 2 weeks >:( so a bit limited as to what I can do on the plots, did make up my sowing calandar though! :-\
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Decided NOT to do what I did yesterday afternoon, which was to drive over to the lottie with a few things to store in the shed and to harvest some sprouts and leeks. Ended up spending more than an hour trying to get up an ice-covered hill to go home, skidding into the grass verge, throwing up loads of mud and eventually triumphing through lots of shovelling and a bit of sand. There was nobody to watch all this except a fox and various birds. Embarrassing all the same!
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transplanted 9 dozen marigolds ;D
only another 3 dozen to go ;D
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ok,yday,had meeting with our lovely council fellow,then transplanted strawbs,set our pond in,soooo excited,cant wait for frogs! moved gooseberry bushesburnt tons of weeds,made raised bed for the carrots,marvelled at how little we have to do this year as compared to last ,our first year
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Went down the bottom, broke the 3" layer of ice in the butts and on the pond, dug up some leeks and brought in a stem of Sprouts... Igor from Robinsons..
(http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e190/Plot52/DSCN2447.jpg)
;D
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Did nobody else get out onto the Lotties today?
:(
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no......... so what did you do???
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Picked some sprouts and dug some leeks...
(http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e190/Plot52/DSCN2447.jpg)
Sorry it had dropped onto the previous page... ::)
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Moved a hill about 8ft high by 10 Foot long and 6 foot wide of manure and straw w:o well a should not run out for a while ;D guaranteed chemical nastes free ;D only cost £10 and delivered to the door of my plot ;D
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Now I'm jealous! ;D
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Always knew you could provide great specimens Saddad ;)
Planted more peas (inch high seedlings this time) to replace the seeds the meeces took and the pigeons nibbled - if the ruddy things can get past Fort Knox this time, they deserve them ;D
More shallots in the ground, rooted in the greenhouse.
Hubby trimmed the raspberry canes and I weeded the strawberry bed (note to self - do NOT let corn salad go to seed ::)).
Ninnyscrops
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or land cress.... ;D
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moved the strawberries,made a bed for garlic,with OUR OWN COMPOST in the bottom,used for the very first time,well chuffed to say the least,its still a bit twiggy bit thought it will provide a little drainage.OH was busy getting the new and secondary greenhouse up.its taking good shape now.stayed throughtout the snowfall till we realised we were really really wet,drips falling off our hair and called it a day around 4.came home to hot baths and fish and chips,a lovely day
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Took some Jerusalem artichokes from store, and pulled up 3 land cress plants and some leeks. The missus made a lovely cress soup.
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Lotties have been under snow for over a week now. Having significant withdrawal symptoms as I can't finish clearing the last remaining bit of "scrub" where my shed is going to be. :(
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A friend 'phoned me at lunchtime and we met up on her plot for lunch. Sat in the sunshine having a cup of tea and a cream cake (as you do....), looking at the snow slowly melt....very peaceful!
Then we went down and had a look around the site, I took some photos of the wildlife area and pond....iced up!
(http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l47/dlp133/wildlife%20area/42feb09009.jpg)
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It's been a while since I was able to do anything on my on my plot; it's been frozen, waterlogged or snowbound. But it can't last too much longer!
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It's my day off today was going down the plot ,but thought sod it and went to the Turkish baths instead and cooked me bits for about 5 hours bliss. will try again tomorrow to get to the plot. ;D
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You missed a lovely day Froglegs...
Virtually all the snow gone now Deb? ;D
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moved my bird table - was getting many birds at the front - think its down to the cats - had to appologies to the robin later in the day when he came for a snack lol - told him it was round the back.
moved the tubs and planters round back and hung up hanging baskets on shed - we've got the builders coming next week to put up scaffolding on the whole house (8 in a block) for the council to get work thats gona cost us £6500 :o done - cant wait :-\
cleared up a bit but still covered in snow and ice so no work in the actual garden
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I go down every day but today i dont know why i bothered not that i had nothing to do cos i did, building a mini greenhouse inside the hot house got nearly finnished at a bout 1 pm after sheding variouse itims of outer clothing as the day warmed up.
i looked at the thermometer and concludedd my time. i had waisted
[attachment=1]
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Didn't get to the allotment but did do some work in my greenhouse at home.
Pricked out Brussels sprouts and cabbage seedlings.
Sown some tomato and peas.
Ordered some more seeds off the Internet.
:)
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nothing, far too ill and v depressed about the loss of my psb and kale to the sky rats.
lbb
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Hope you feel better soon, is there anything left of the pSB?Kale it can regrow from next to nothing... :-\
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Nothing the ground was too wet n cold this morning,off to work now :'(
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Not a lot. Ground still far too wet.
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I havent done anything in my garden or plot for the past two weeks >:(,,,,,,,,
its been either snowing or freezing......be glad when its all gone........
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Opened door & looked at weather. Swore at weather. Closed door. Ate chocolate.
CC
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Couple of hours work in the GH, got some tomatoes potted on and went and got some coal off the beach.
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built a 6ft snowman as it hasent stopped snowing all day here ( teesside )
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Started to chop down some bushes on my plot. Got very sore upper arms now. Had to start stripping off layers as time went on. Better than going to the gym i've decided. :) :)
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davyw1, where do you live ? coal off the beach ?
help me here ! ;D
floss xxx
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I think he's Northumberland/Durham way.... :-\
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Merci, saddad, gotta know where peeps are coming from, ;D
I used to find coal on the beach in Paignton Devon, well not Paignton but the next beach
along towards Torquay --- where they had a coal works ?
Ace .....?
floss xxx
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davyw1, where do you live ? coal off the beach ?
help me here ! ;D
floss xxx
We go down to Hartlepool, The Bason for duff ( coal dust ) and Marine drive for coal cos they are easy carry offs
It took 15 mins to fill 7 grow bags
[attachment=1]
That was when we started this is 15 mins later
[attachment=2]
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Had a great day today at the allotment. Put the wiire netting around the broad beans and sowed some more in the gaps. I didn't put them in till Nov so the germination rate wasn't as good,(me own fault for going on me hols in Oct) the birds were singing altogether a lovely day. Hoping to go again tomorrow.
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I planted 15 Rocket seed potato's under a cloche that as been over some ground for well over 2 month now. I know it is well early but i think it may be worth the risk, they will obviously be kept under the cloche which will have some fleece put over it as well.....Nothing ventured nothing gained.
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Your pushing the boundrys with the spuds RK :o but the challenge is on, I'll only stick 5 rocket in though. ;D ;D ;D
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Right you two. Tony's girded his loins and said to tell you both that the challenge is on. Are yourn well chitted. He's gonna put 10 in tomorrow.
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we're gonna put some in tomorrow, under cover, just to see what happens , all your fault, Richard ;D ;D ;D
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Managed to work out how to get pictures from phone on here...i forgot to take digi camera with me.
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Will take a pic of Tones tomorrow just to let you see that its all legit
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We had a lovely morning. Got the rest of the manure bagged up & taken to the plot. More than 150 bags of 4 year old cow manure ours for the taking, all been kept under cover.
Janet
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Had a nice lazy day and potted my seconed lot of tomatoes on
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Spent all afternoon in the garden yesterday- too cold in the house but soon warmed up outside! Did lots of tidying in the greenhouse and garden- just hope I didn'y get too carried away as it was frosty last night. Spotted some rat holes heading bfor the cellar- guess what OH is doing today!
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Ground still frozen here in Coalville & partly covered in 4" deep snow.
Am hoping for better weather next week so can get started.
CC
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Went to the allotment today. Tone put his spuds in for the Potato challenge and I edged all up and down the grass paths and spread the potash around the fruit bushes. Quite a nice day but went a bit cool at 4pm. Hope to go tomorrow and do a bit more
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Just come back from the lottie and I've cultivated the soil and string lined it ready for the onions and shallots to go in next week, I washed my cloche bottles and tunnels and put down on the soil ready for my competion spuds and emptied out some soil from my old carrot tubs and added rooted manure ready for some spuds. ;D ;D ;D
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Two and a half happy, sunny hours down at the allotment this afternoon. Although the soil is still quite wet, managed to weed and cultivate a lot of it and was very pleased by the dark crumbly texture. Prepared an onion bed. Turned the compost heap. Had a bonfire. Harvested the last of the brussels sprouts, plus some red cabbage and some perennial sage.
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Mud and ice in equal quantities on the allotment. Dug up some leeks and picked some kale, tidied up the dead leaves on the strawberries a little bit, propped up the PSB which has a leaning tower look to it, sorted the netting and generally pottered about. Too wet to dig or weed.
In the back garden I cleared the ice off the patio - doesn't get much sun at this time of year was still about 6 inches thick in places. Once again looked at my fleece covered 'mini greenhouse' which had its top shredded when a pile of snow fell off the roof onto it last week - not sure what to do with it. The cover was new in October so I am cheesed off about it. Thinking about getting the sewing machine out and patching it with a piece of fleece from Wilkos, but not rushing into anything!
Planted some seeds for spinach, spring onions and parsley and put them on a window sill which gets the morning sun.
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I did nothing on the lotty AGAIN :'( 2 wet and cold and icy!! We still have snow in places.
I did however go to the potato day, not so much a walk but a slomp though mud :(
Picked up Anya (6), Cara (10), Nadine(6), Nicola(6), Golden Wonder(10), Yukon Gold(6), Kerrs Pink(10, Picasso(10).
These will be planted in my lotty before i move out and when i come back later in the year to clear i can also harvest the spuds. The ones in packs of 6 will be planted in the new garden to help test and condition the soil :)
Also partisipated in the seed swap got 4 packets of flowers and some chard and some JA which i made an additional £1 donation for. Well chuffed till i went to the man selling the net and hessian bags. I only needed one of each and he was selling them in packs of 2 hessian or 3 net bags for £1.50 I asked and got one of each for £1 :) very happy with myself !
Anyway we left or rather swam out of potato day :)
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Planted some spuds for the 'challenge', dug up some parsnips, leeks and carrots, and put an inch of 3yr old leafmould on the asparagus bed
[attachment=1] added rooted manure ready for some spuds. ;D ;D ;D
'rooted manure'? pray tell, kev!! ;D ;D ;D
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Camborne 7
My grand daughter is 11 and also called Cara. It is an unusual name, Irish I think, and she is definately not a potato.
Did nothing in the garden but played 3 sets of tennis, outdoors with the younger working people and didn't disgrace myself, won some lost some. Lovely sunny weather here today. Went to the allotment yesterday, dug up two leeks, put in a stew. Nothing much worth doing there as everything too wet. I was the only person there, can't wait for better weather. PSB although netted looks dreadful, will give it another few weeks before I pull it up, hopefully it might recover.
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Camborne 7
My grand daughter is 11 and also called Cara. It is an unusual name, Irish I think, and she is definately not a potato.
:) cute name :)
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Nothing on the plot either, but went to the Potato Day as well. Guess you went to the one at Stonham Barns, Cambourne - it was getting muddy when we left!!!
Got some Accent, Anya, Annabelle, Charlotte,Harlequin, Juliette,Lady Balfour, Lady Christl, Pixie, Riviera, and Vales Emerald but no Belle de Fontenay.
Did some seed swapping - best swap was some purple podded Dutch peas.
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Tone this rooted manure is a new type I've started using, its a bit like rotted. :'( ;D ;D ;D
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:) garden still overcome with snow, but glad to see the hills at the back are starting to melt, so today just cleaned out the guinee pigs and used all their lovely old hay etc onto the compost so will have good compost come this summer. Did many of you get snow? up here in Brechin (just below Aberdeen) we had plenty fortunately in stopped in time for me to get down the track to our house with the car or otherwise could have been snowed in.
Regards to all happy gardening
cindy
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I planted six rockets for the spud challenge, cultivated the rest of the soil for this years roots and harvested leeks, parsnips and swede, one of my lottie mates gave my six beetroots. ;D ;D ;D
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took cuttings from honeysuckle, st john's wort, london's prideand dicentra :)
transplanted tomato seedlings ;D
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Nasty drizzly afternoon. Pruned a rosebush at the allotment, gave the rhubarb a thick mulch, weeded around the butterhead lettuces growing under a mini-polytunnel, checked on the garlic and onions (coming along well), then gave up and cycled home. A few more people down there yesterday and today, though. It's been empty or nearly empty for the past few weeks. Feels like the "season" is starting at last.
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Went over the lottie today with Maryand both OH's. They were seconded to erect the shed. We were luck to be able to reverse the minibus with said shed bits in right down to the edge of the plot. As it was Sunday the managers were in the hut and gave us permission to drive down. Saved a lot of humping and moans and groans. Took about 3 hours but the shed does look good. We now have to try and diplomatically approach the lottie commitee to ask our next door neighbour to tidy up the huge pile of debris wood, carpet, lawnmower bits etc. There was a barrel full of stinking water that we had to empty out as the stench was making us heave. All in all a good day's work.
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Relocated the bird feeder pole about 3 feet, we felt it was just a tad too close to the house, although plenty of visitors it seemed we spooked them every time we went by the window.
Moved the chitting spuds off the chest freezer (was such a pain to move them every time we wanted to get something out) into polystyrene boxes in the unheated greenhouse and covered with fleece.
Popped my excess garlic and shallots into niece's raised beds.
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Planted, (staked and tied) 3 more fruit trees on the plot!! ;)
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sowed cucumbers, peppers, chillies and greyhound cabbages :)
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Had another great day on the plot. Starting to loo quite smart now. Going again tomorrow just cos I can.lol
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Piccies Shirl. ;D ;D ;D
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Went to new garden hoping to finish digging one side of plot.Just a few feet to go when I hit the water pipe running from a shed to the outside tap down the garden.Water spraying everywhere no stop tap to be found.15 miles to nearest builders merchants.We finally repaired it .Why do people only bury pipes a few inches and cut across plots?No need to water for a few days.
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Pruned the bramley apple, broken branch. Don't no when that happen. Cut back the grape vine. Its trained over pergola so only pruned what I could reach. Ground still very wet here. Need a weeks worth of todays weather before going on the lottie.
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Sorry to hear that Robinaber, we are very meticulous about where our Pipes go, esp. as I have to pay the water bills! :-X
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Heres the evidence that Tone has planted his tatties. They are nice and warm under the polyth(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s121/shirlton/potatoesfeb2009.jpg)ene and fleece
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Here are pics of the 2 plots so far this year. Will have to put them on separate cos they won't go on (http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s121/shirlton/plotfeb20091.jpg)together
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(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s121/shirlton/plotfeb20092.jpg)
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Had a good day digging a couple of beds over and getting rid of brassica's the pigeons had feasted on. The soil was surprisingly good in places to dig, nice and crumbly.
Feel as though I am on par for the spring now.
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looks really good Shirl.
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hi there ;D
i managed to do a few hours down the lottie. i did alot of digging and finally have one bed ready for what ever i deside to put in there, the other beds are roughly dug, but still got lots of stones and weeds to pull out. i had 2 very checky magpies watching every thing i was doing, think they liked the look of the fresh soil, lol :)
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Spuds you must get a picture of the magpies I've never seen checked ones. ;) Shirl looking good, hang on :o is that a plug I can leading to the cold frame. :o ;D ;D ;D :-*
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Well our Tracy said "all ya need now is a heater". Are we going to dig them up on the same day or what????
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What day do reckon. :-\ ;D ;D ;D
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transplanted chinese leaves into fish boxes, plus leeks into rootrainers, raked a couple of beds to a fine tilth, weeded the onion bed, transplanted some 'freebie' limnanthes (poached egg plant) that were growing in the rhubarb bed ;D
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Innit usually 12 weeks for earlies, will leave it for you to decide as you have the most free time ;D
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planted some pre-chitted parsnips, covered them with fleece, they reckon more frost after tomorrow .
covering the competition spuds tomorrow ;D
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No plot today. Went to see Mom and roasted the rest of the parsnips ready for the freezer. Going tomorrow hopefully. I'm going to put a parsnip back into the ground to get some seed for next year. Is it too early to do that or should I have left one in over winter.
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FREE TIME :o Lets see up at 5.10am work at 6.00am, hard days work, listening to everyones moans and groans all day, come home look after the kids, cook the dinner then on the puter organising compo's and of to bed bearly dragging myself up the stairs. :'( :'( :'( ;D ;D ;D
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Oh I forgot cultivated the soil for the spuds, raked brassica area and put 8 shallots in pots indoors. ;D ;D ;D
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Ya still avent said when we get the spuds up. After all yer the gaffer kev :)
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Last week & week before we bagged up over 150 rubble bags with 4 year old manure. Lovely stuff. We enjoyed the work, helping us to get fit. Today OH dug a trench while I put the manure in trugs & threw it in. We feel more like allotment holders now we are down to the nitty gritty. Hope to plant some autumn raspberries tomorrow.
Janet
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I mulched half my asparagus. The plot feels a bit like Eeyore's Gloomy Place at the moment, there's so much that would normally have been done over winter, and hasn't been due to the weather.
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I spent much of the day on the plot building a new compost bin to replace two temporary ones. I came home tired but well pleased with what I'd done.
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Up there again today helping daughter Bunjy to do her edges straight.
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Nothing OH managed to corner me into helping with the decorating... :-X
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So the old i will do the washing trick did not work then sads. ;D ;D
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No but I've convinced her to spend the day in the Garden today! ;D
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planted 50 centurion and 100 stuttgarter sets ;D
sowed some early nantes carrots in the hot bed and transplanted some spicy salad into the poly border :)
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Managed to get some done today... shallots etc... already listed in "News", now got to pack and tidy as away for the weekend... :)
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Well pleased today. I have been digging the beds over and today started on the bed that had carrots and parsnips in. I have some lovely carrots and parsnips, I think the parsnips might be on a par with the best I have grown. The proof will be in the eating though.
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Went to the allotment and it was sunny and quite warm. Crocuces and snowdrops and a few bulbs coming though. PSB although netted has been eaten to bits seems to be recovering. Few people up there had bonfires, but it was still wet. Haven't seen Joe Swift up there lately and his allotment doesn't look any better than mine, so will have to be patient and wait until the sun shines and everything starts growing. Keith's chickens were let out in their pen and enjoyed it, they look very healthy. Didn't see the allotment cat, and my old lady next door has given up her allotment so felt a bit sad that I didn't have a good chat to her.
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I've been up there a few times this week and cutivated the roots, spud and some of the brassica area, nobody else on the plot just me Robin, the lottie cat and half a dozen squirrels. ;D ;D ;D
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What a beautiful day it has been today. Found some jobs to do at the plot. Did a bit on my daughters for her. gonna sit down and watch my favourite comedienne Joe Brand tonight as she does a Britney Spears.
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Dug some beds, planted some blackcurrant bushes, sowed broad beans and radishes. Now I need to collapse - my back is already aching!
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transplanted teasels, planted some ailsa craig onion seedlings, noticed my rocket seeds are up :)
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Wonderful day. Plans to go to Cambridge cancelled so did loads of pruning, transplanting, reorganising, ground clearing and mulching in my garden. Also tidied up the pond. Tomorrow, the allotment!
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Finished digging ground elder out of a weedy patch. I was going to plant onions there but so much of it grew last year that I'm bound to have missed some. I'll try to put them in somewhere else so as to give me a chance to get what's left out. I may put peas in there because they're tall enough to hold their own even if some does come back.
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We put in another raised bed, moved about 30 barrels of soil, weeded another area, planted 3 gooseberries and a redcurrant and put a load of woodchips on the paths.
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Dug over an area at Marlborough Park allotment ready for the fruit trees and put the four fruit trees in a bucket of water ready to plant out tomorrow.
Went over to Allen Park plot and cut up some astro turf we found abandoned (genuinely) and made lovely paths (jane says so - I am not too sure) to seperate our earthed up beds.
Had a lovely chat to a fellow allotment holder, went over to our district allotment association trading shed for a bit of retail therapy (£3.42!!) :)
What a lovely day :)
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I was planting onion sets in the east, as the sun was setting in the west!!
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Planted some onion sets and planted a pear tree on the allotment and picked some brussels
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Planted two lines of shallots and dug up the rest of my nips about 60 of them, washed,blanched and froze kmost of them, going to the lottie in a mo to plant some onions that I have growing in pots. ;D ;D ;D
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First time in a couple of weeks I have actually been able to do anything as ground has been so wet.
Anyway finished digging the beds over - so all ready for the season. Although as I am taking on an additional plot - more digging to come. Its a good job I enjoy it.
Planted my shallots - a bit late I know but I didn't want to put them out ahead of the really bad weather.
Cut down the autumn raspberries.
Tidied around the fruit bushes.
And began clearance on the corner of the plot which has been neglected. Now have a pile of old carpet/rubbish including a load of broken glass that I need to ferry to the tip. Will cover this area for a year or so before i start to cultivate it.
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finished planting the ailsa craig onion seedlings, transplanted 168 livingstone daisy seedlings and that's only half of the ones I have growing :o ;D
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added some more kitchen waste to the bean trench
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Planted 4 rows of Red Baron onion sets (was going to do seeds only this year but ciouldn't resist this bag in Poundland!).
Dug out some more couch and bindweed. :( Picked some sprouts for tea.
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Your not the only one caroline , planted red brunswick onion seed at christmas and stuon onion sets today
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Helped son clear his overgrown plot...had a huge bramble bonfire, it was a bit blustery though and I managed to singe all of one side of my hair and an eyebrow off! ::)
I've just trusted my 15 year old daughter to trim my hair for me...I only had it cut on Friday! She did a good job! ::) ;D ;D ;D
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Planted four fruit trees at Marlborough Park allotment.
Dropped off an old table for the shed at Allen Park allotment, put a strip of membrane down the path way. :)
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cleaned out the hens
planted 6 raspberry canes
weeded the peas
turned over the compost heap
started a new compost heap
made a strawberry bed where the old shed was and planted 30 strawberrys
some digging and weeding
gathered all the big stones
planted 2 rows of garlic
pricked out a tray of purple sprouting
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Thanks Suzanne you've just reminded me...must cut down Autumn raspberries!
Today i was working on the bed for more autumn raspberries but when i got half way down my nice patch of sandy soil ran out and became the clay the rest of my plot is like and it is too sticky to dig and weed!
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filled and leveled one of my bean trenches
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Sowed toms, greyhound cabbage and sunflowers. ;D ;D ;D
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Had another dig at our daughter Bunjy's plot. She will be coming up tomorrow so it will be a nice surprise for her to see that she hasn't got so much to do. Marked and mucked the patch for the sweetcorn, Bagged up some dried weeds for the tip.
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transplanted teasels, planted some more spicy salad leaves, transplanted some dicentra spectabilis cuttings I took, so pleased they've started growing ;D
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Didn't think Teasles would transplant Manics... ???
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sorry, saddad, from seeds in the 10 free packs from t&m ;D
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You are lucky you know what teasels are. What are dicentra spectabilis, if they are good I want some. Ignorant from Enfield. Are teasels what they make hair brushes from!!!.
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They used to use them in textiles to raise the Nap on cloth... (Teasles)
:)
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dicentra is 'bleedin' heart, beautiful shrub and the first time I've been able to get cuttings from them..tried to upload a pic and it's too flippin' big ;D
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potted on some 'white lady' runner beans into 1 lt pots ! (in greenhouse @ college, they for a show garden in early june) ;)
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Moved my one and only raised bed to a new position to be planted with strawberries, that was quite a job because i had to move the soil as well.
went to tidy a plot i had squash in last year which is covered in straw....as I reached done sort of half wondered why the straw was in a neat spherical hump......then as i started to lift i felt something move...........
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http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,49348.0.html
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sorted the area where the whitecurrant is going...if it ever arrives..T&M again ::)
transplanted all my bacopa cuttings, getting new growth on already ;D
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sorted out my propagation area. An electric propagator, inside a mini greenhouse, inside my unheated greenhouse![attachment=1]
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Are you sure you don't want to throw a blanket on there as well Tone just for good measure. :-\ ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Are you sure you don't want to throw a blanket on there as well Tone just for good measure. :-\ ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
why, Kev, you coming up for the weekend?? ;D ;D ;D ;D
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well my autumn planted broad beans were really beaten up by the last snows and today after more than two weeks recovery time i did a proper inspection and out of 18 plants i was left with 4 :'(, so i resowed some more today.
also sowed some giant radishes with a cloche placed on top for a little extra protection.
harvested some parsley from the green house and some overwintered springonions.
the autumn chinese leaves and pak choi are doing well so hopefully will be able to harvest some soon.
the PSB is coming along and should be ready in a few weeks much to my husbands disgust ::).
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Have you tried babbington leeks? They come up without protection at this time of year and are very prolific at the "baby" leek stage... :)
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Reclaimed two feet at the end of the garden from the woodland that we'd fenced off when we moved here because our dog kept escaping. Unearthed a shoe that belonged to our son when he was about 6 (nearly 30 now!) ;D
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Went to plot to escape from a bad morning, pulled some spring onions and cast my eye for the final planning of this years planting. It always makes me feel better to go there even if I don't do anything :) Sowed more sweet peas (having been to Wilco's for a new 4 tier mini greenhouse now erected in sewing/sowing ;D room for germinating) Bought Rocket pots too and put them to chit. Not grown them before...expecting great things.
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I planted my onions and garlic that I had started off in pots. Picked some leeks, Celariac, cabbages - which are now in a nice pot of soup! - yummy!
I also cleared my strawberries of all the dead stuff and mulched my rhubarb.....
I have now taken two lots of painkillers and am almost bent double!!!
How I love gardening!
Louise
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Shovelled Sh*t, about a tonne of it... ;D
Picked some celeriac, cabbage, carrots, parsnips, raddichio... :)
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planted the second lot of rocket spuds in the poly. ground has been warmed :)
transplanted 84 million bell plug plants for the plant sale, plus 9 hardy fuschias, the communal greenhouse is heated ;D
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Started the mighty tidy up of my garden with a little help from grandaughter and her dolly pram. Very handy for transporting prunings ;D ;D
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Planted 3 more earlies for the challenge and started digging trenches for the spuds. ;D ;D ;D
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Harvested this little lot for dinner
[attachment=1][attachment=2][attachment=3][attachment=4][attachment=5][attachment=6]
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Our broccoli isn't sprouting yet, but got the rest... the kale is producing flowering side shoots which are going in a stir-fry tomorrow... :)
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Pinch out the apical bud!! ;)
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Had a very productive morning helping out on the allotment.
A paddock has now been seperated into 5 plots (1/2 plots) for newbie allotmenteers. ;D
On Wednesday we will probably get another 10 plots available from another paddock ;D ;D.
No horses were harmed or evicted in the process ;)
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ex - paddock site?? lucky folk!! should be very fertile, but watch out for wireworm in 1st couple of years! (click beetle larvae)
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are you in pennsylvannia?
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Yorkshireman born and bred.
We live in Doncaster.
The wife is the Yank.
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DonLottie is out your way, but not seen much of her online recently... :)
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Got the trench well mucked for the climbing squash. I'm getting really excited about growing them up the sticks after seeing Betty's (squash63)pics
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:)
Sur I said more than that... ???
Did some rough digging to clear couch, brought some leeks up... :)
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sowed some cabbage, okra, spring onion seeds and planted some early potatoes in tubs.
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I emptied a tub of Crocosmia that had multyplied greatly --- saw some little grey bits
at the edge of the tub and on the surface that looked like dead bits of leaves, about 1/4 inch
long. Then they started to move and then I realised they were tiny worm like things ?
Any ideas please ?
floss x
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???
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Got the trench well mucked for the climbing squash. I'm getting really excited about growing them up the sticks after seeing Betty's (squash63)pics.
Could somebody give me the link to this, please?
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http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/Aragona/squash
Ok PPlanters heres the link to Betty's squash
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Zilch! ;D
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Thanks Shirlton.
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We finally reached the bottom of mount compost!!!! A 7ft high x 10ft x 7ft compost heap left by the previous owner. This was all his waste left over years. We have used this to fill raised beds and increase the height of the plot. It's good stuff, but it has been a nightmare to move! Oh, and I planted my shallots under a cloche.
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Well done Sparkly, what are you going to grow there... under a compost heap can be very fertile... :)
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Well done Sparkly, what are you going to grow there... under a compost heap can be very fertile... :)
Am hoping we have moved the majority of the good stuff ;D We are actually putting down a patio with a pergola. This is next to the shed and not part of the main allotment so really the only place to do the main seating area. We are plannig to plant some bamboo canes along the back of the patio though as a windbreak.
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Made an inroad into the front garden, really not sure about how to prune climbing roses, but who cares? Went to friends for a very jolly lunch, so right now, not me. ;D ;D ;D Had a conversation with a like minded friend who has just taken on a 'starter plot' and offered him some sweet peas and marigolds for companion planting, he says they are not permitted to grow flowers of any kind on his site :o
How nutty is that? ::)
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Harvested the last of the parsnips and leeks :'( My hungry gap is going to come early I think.
Finished digging lottie no 2 and raked over a couple of beds which are now ready to go.
For the first time in months the sun was out and warm enough that I could feel the heat on my back as I raked and hoed. Spring is definitely on the way.
;D ;D ;D
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No Kale Suzanne? They side shoots and flower buds are very nice now, the PSB will be along soon, still eating January King Cabbage and sprouts... :-\
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Possibly over-excited by warm sunshine, but.......
planted onions, shallots and garlic that I had started in pots. Sowed early peas under a fleece cloche, broad beans and parsnips.
and cut my first spear of PSB and then forgot to cook it with dinner ::)
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Hope you ate it raw then... yummy... :)
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:)picked some kale for dinner and dug part of my plot over / shades x
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No Kale Suzanne? They side shoots and flower buds are very nice now, the PSB will be along soon, still eating January King Cabbage and sprouts... :-\
I only like Nero di Toscano and forgot to cover it last summer - caterpillars had a field day - none left. I do have PSB and cut the first of Claret today. But waiting for the WSB which seems later than usual and also waiting for my overwintering cauli's. Its just that I so love Parsnips and now I will have to wait a whole 8 months until the next ones. :'(
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I've dug over one of the beds I plan to put the onions in. It hadn't been dug for several years, but I've kept it mulched, and the soil was quite loose, while it compacts if it's not mulched. One more bed to go, and they can all go in. The other has perpetual spinach in it, which is still alive. I don't know whether it'll revive, but I might cut it back move it, and see. Apart from that, it's got ground elder and nettles, which need dealing with.
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We just went up to bring the green bags home ready for the recycling on Thursday. Would you believe it the tip where we usually take the stuff has closed today for refurbishing and will not open until June. Why can't they do these jobs during the winter.Tony got his boat engine out of the old GH (at last). It's been in there for 6 years. Got to concrete the floor to stop the rats coming back. He got some really foul smelling stuff out of the floor of it today. Think the rat is long gone. Will get the spuds down there when its finished so that my seedlings can go in their place.
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Pruned things ;D
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Well, had a late start but I managed to pull a 20yr old Escalonia stump and roots
out of the garden, did I say PULL ! Took a long time of digging , clipping roots,
raking away soil and brute force ! Bit sad really --- not good at destroying things
but it was spreading 6ft either side !! Who is the boss here !! ;D
floss xxx
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Cultivated the soil and put some more lines in for some more onions, but will leave it until after the cold snap. ;D ;D ;D
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i sowed some more seeds, and divided my chive clumps.
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I am cream crackered. ::)
Sadly out of condition after a month with my thumb strapped up, just shifted 45 bags of mushroom compost on to OH and sons plot (just beat the rain!) I had planned to move half of it on to my plot at the bottom of the hill, but didn't want to risk aggravating my thumb or doing my back in!....Ouch I can feel it now.... tea and anti-inflammatories anyone..... :-\
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Re sowed celeriac. ;D ;D ;D
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nothing didnt stop raining in south wales
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re - potted some runner beans (white lady) into 3ltr pots. they about 30 " high, and need staking. should be eating some 1st week in june!! ;)
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transplanted 84 verbena cuttings, giant fuschias and hardy fuschias ;D
watered the peas in the gutter with chicken muck water, wonderful aroma :-X ;D
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Tony continued to lay the floor in the GH now it has been reclaimed from the boat engine and the rat(long story) I did some housework so's I can get out there tomorrow.
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had lots of wind and heavy rain last night so had to restake some of my plastic cloches, etc. also sowed some spinach beet and beetroot along with lots of different flowering perennial seeds.
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planted my free bulbs from J Parker :D
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Put the chitting spuds in one of the mini GH's down in the reclaimed GH to get on with it till planting out time. Sorted the Dahlias and pleased to say they are all ok. Managed to get the chrysanths into some compost to start them off. I'm a bit late with them this year but they will soon catch up. Tony made himelf a new riddle.We are both knackered now.
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planted my free bulbs from J Parker :D
Ahh, I did that yesterday! Into a large tub as my garden is ebing redesigned (by me) as i've had it a year now, and know roughly what I want to keep amongst the majority of weeds...
today, went and bought loads of Aldi grow bags. they are very good (well i think) and I have started planting tmy Aldi trees into them (bag stood on end) as a place for the trees till I plant them later this year (when I've cleared that area!) I am planting them as a mixture of a mini fan/ballarina as a garden division, having seen a photo in a book of something similar. the bags seemed a cheap was of keeping the trees in "pots" till ready to plant
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Today i met up with norfolk CSI to take fingerprints from my break-in, oh and dug some more over :o
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Sowed many seeds. All now up in sewing room to germinate before the next batch of sowing...so there ;D
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Cleared out the GH up the plot ready for when the Toms go in. Did a bit more tidying. Theres always something to do up there.
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Nothing, still struggling with that Bedroom decorating... but have big plans for the weekend.. ;D
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Transplanted some cabbage seedlings. ;D ;D ;D
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took verbena cuttings, transplanted sweet peas and tried, once again, to make plug plants out of these d**n livingstone daisy seedlings, I've transplanted 200 into plug plants so far and still have a quarter to go, very frustrating, small, crispy stems :o ;D
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weeded under three plastic covered areas which were sheltering overwintered leafy vege crops.
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planted red duke of york, under cover, transplanted another 84 lots of livingstone daisies into plugs, can't believe how many bl**dy seeds there are in a pack for 19p from netto :o
Ray put covers over the peach and nectarine trees, transplanted the last of the sweet peas, thorougly enjoyed ourselves ;D
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planted 175 stuttgart giant sets in one of my No-Dig beds! ;)
[attachment=1]
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worked some ground and put a cloche over it ready to sow some parsnips next week if weather holds. ;)
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Planted asparagus crowns, they looked like giant spiders with huge eyes. :o
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Nothing, I was up that blo*dy ladder again, that's four coats that ceiling has had... >:(
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If i ever win the lotto i am moving South,
The only thing i have got done is my onion bed and russian onions transplanted
[attachment=1]
And some more russian onions
[attachment=2]
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Hervested some Parsnips and Leeks.
Tidied up the Strawberry bed and turned over a bit of land. It was a very nice day and good to be able to get back on the land.
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Planted some autumn fruiting raspberry canes, and a goosebury bush. Had a go at pruning my blackcurrant bushes as per the book, but they don't look anything like the illustrations :-\ The lovely weather brought all my plottie neighbours out. John mowed the path, Jim strimmed my edges. Had a gossip and came home to finish the front garden which looks a darn sight better now. ;D Hoping to get on with the back garden tomorrow, weather permitting.
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Went to the garden centre then spent the afternoon in the greenhouse. Sowed basil, parsley and corriander for the kitchen windowsill, and sowed the first French beans in modules, peas in a length of guttering and leeks. Looking forward to getting to the allotment tomorrow if the weather holds up. Not sure how much work will get done though as the warmer weather will bring everyone out with plenty of chat to catch up on.......
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A bit more tidying yesterday. Plot all ready for planting now. Going up today for the A.G.M. and to pick some PSB for our dinner. All our seeds are doing really well, Am having a job keeping up with them. Have to sow some more Toms this afternoon cos other daughter Sally is getting herself a GH and will need some ready made plants. Will have to look through seeds again to see if I have missed anything
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hi all
were do you all find the time and energy. all l got done this week end is plant my toms and still lots to do. :o
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Rained off now, so It's back to hanging wallpaper... ::)
but sowed most of the brassicas and salad leaves in trays, some broad beans (red epicure) had a good sort out and watered all the greenhouses...
;D
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Well, I still haven't started my toms Simsgirl, watch out for the retired... they make us feel bad by spending lots of time on the lottie...
I keep telling our AGM that we should charge pensioners more rent, as they get more out of it... ;D
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sowed some calabrese ( F1 Ironman ) in greenhouse also rhubarb ( Victoria ) went up lottie to check that cloches were still in place, not much else to do now but hoping weather forecast for week is correct as I want to get most of my spuds in towards next weekend.
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layed some more bricks down in the footpaths between my beds.
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Its a leaf day today - so sowed some early lettuce in modules for planting out in April.
Also spread compost on my asparagus bed as a mulch, and then on lottie 2 spread mushroom compost where my brassica's will got this year.
And then the rain hit and had to stop.
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Tidied up the cabbages and planted one line of Rockets and made ready two more trenches for the spuds. ;D ;D ;D
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transplanted all my herb cuttings into bigger pots(80)
finished off planting red duke of york under cover and pinched out sweet peas
checked the wind hadn't blown anything away and picked some leeks ;D
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got very wet and cold!! sun was shining when I left home, by the time I arrived there was a gale and it was hissing down.had a hot shower and curled up with a book
marg
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Almost finished digging - have a 3x3 sq left (rain stopped play) Worked in the poly as the thunderstorm whirled overhead. Put the canes in for the melons and cucumbers - will they x-pollinate each other? and sowed two short rows of lettuce. Had a root to see what was happening with my spuds in black buckets - there are shoots :D
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Sectioned off an area with the plastic netting they use on building sites to keep out the lovely bunnies LOL
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OMG just thought what if I have penned in the bunnies???
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hub and I finnished the paths and I spent about 3 1/2 hours digging, where on earth do all the weeds spring from ???
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Planted up my new asparagus bed.
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hi there
this morning i dug the rest of my potatoe bed over and got 2 rows of firsts in, ;D
i also maked out a few more beds and tidyed up a bit.
i am wanting more dry weather so i can try and get a digging party together, need some help digging it all over lol :)
Paula
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potted up some salvia seedlings and sowed my mangetout peas and my french marigolds.
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:) pruned my autumn bliss raspberries( Later than I usually do hope they will be ok) dug a bit , picked yummy kale for tea/ shades x
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Planted some BBeans, in pots, a trough of Spicy salad leaf and a trough of rocket in the greenhouse. Haven't done my Autumn Bliss yet... :-[
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Me neither...I'm on hols this week ploughing what I hope will be the last assignment I ever have to write.......about halfway through, hoping to finish before the weekend so I can do some enjoyable lottie time! ;D
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Planted another row of early rocket spuds. ;D ;D ;D
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Tony put an arch at the front of the plot for me for me old fashioned rose to climb up. I sowed some beetroot under the cloche that was warming the ground up. managed to get some sante spuds from homebase so put them to chit. sowed some hardy annuals that I forgot to sow last Autumn planted some sweet rocket. The wind was blowin the right way so Tone burned the old blackberry cuttings for the daughter. all in all a good day. Picked some PSB to go with the pork chops. (sod the diet)
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transplanted basil, parsley, cabbage, calabresea and romanesco into fibre pots.
sowed supersteak and garden pearl toms, burpless cucs, dark opal basil and lemon balm.
got the spuds ready to plant in planters inside, tomorrow ;D
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put to chit my free spud seeds, potted up my aubergines, sweet peppers, chillies, celeriac, and melons into bigger pots. will be going downstairs in a moment to sow some more seeds not sure what as i have to look at my list for march.
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I worked today, so not my garden but a client's....FABBO and productive day here in S. Brum. Had to stop to put on sun-screen 8)
Cut back 2 photinias which were reaching to the sky after being neglected last year and all the new red new-growth leaves will be bloody visible without the use of a telescope 8)....staked two bird-feeding stations & we were rewarded by robins + blue tits coming to them & feeding, watering & having baths.....(awww..)....cut down some Thug Tree (species unknown) & Glory Be! suddenly opened up an area previously shaded.....ate two Mars Bars 8)......mostly tho.....Had Thorts bout temporary footpaths for my own garden plottie.....round here, 'they' are laying new gas pipes along the pavements & have laid 'temporary' walkways along the grass verges? What spendid things these are! Link-together sections of thick ridged rubber......I WANT SOME 8) ;D
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Just watered the seedlings in the greenhouse, looking through the forum on here then of to bed to get some shuteye ready for bl**dy night shift tonight, at least it's my last one for this week.
Have a good day everyone.
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Sleep well Richard. :)
Finished my digging now, sweet pea support in place and plastic netting secured over arch for yard long beans. Didn't get many last year so I will try again. All soft fruit bushes pruned and weeded and strawbs weeded too. Just got to tidy up around my shed and neaten the edges and get some sand to dig in for carrots etc. Funny how there are always a million other things to do when you think the end is in sight ::) ;D
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planted afew early pots and then spent the rest of my time digging up loads of broken glass which the former keeper must have had fun hideing it under the soil
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potted up some thyme seedlings into bigger pots, also potted up a black current and a red current i got Tuesday in the poundshop and at wilkos. when I'm done catching up on A4A I'll being going downstairs to sow some basil, nasturtium, aquilegia, red and white onion seeds.
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Nothing... but that's it for the decorating... if she wants anymore doing, she mun' want...
;D
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transplanted 168 necromesia seedlings into plug plants, watered everything that needed it in the greenhouse, showed the disabled group around and came home to transplant tomatoes ;D
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Planted out my special aquelegia that I grew from seed last year(hope they turn out as nice as the ones someone put on here last year. Put some over-wintered old fashioned sweet peas all along the wire fencing at the front of the plot. Put some bark down at the top where we sit for a cuppa. Put me Terry Cotter pot man back on his bench ready for the nice weather.Hope to be there again tomorrow cos it's gonna rain here on Saturday(get some pricking out done). Almost forgot. Tony found me a lovely root of nettles so I have me own nettle bed now
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Weeded and mulched my soft fruit area, weeded and forked over the bean trench (lots of worms - great!), dug up some brambles, planted a few more onions. Made a bonfire. Had lots of chats with fellow allotmenteers - lots of activity down at the site today.
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Mowed and edged the paths on the plot and decided to put boards around the sitting area. Don't sound much but took me all bluddy day
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transplanted more sweet peas, marigolds, lobelia and geraniums, Ray planted spuds (under covers) , I sowed turnips, kohl rabi, green and purple and we put our feltham first peas out under a chicken wire tunnel to keep the **** pigeons off ;D
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pricked out teasel seedlings, resowed cabbage seeds and potted some Vietnamese coriander cuttings that were sent to me from hellohelenhere thanks again :-*
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Potted on some toms, aubergines and artichokes. Sowed some more onions. Cut back some shrubs and shredded some of the thinner bits to go in the compost.
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Yesterday repotted house plants in fresh soil.
Today planted Setton, Red Baron, Hercules and Stuttgarter onion sets.
Weeded the redcurrant and blackcurrant boarder and the strawberry bed.
Bring on the Radox ;D
Ninnyscrops
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Didn't actually do anything in the garden but did go shopping for some garden items, if that counts. Bought 2 x 3 kgs of seed potatoes (can't remember the two varieties) from Wilkos, also some more seedling cells. Wanted some more potato gro-bags but couldn't get them anywhere so bought a roll of small, heavy-duty garden rubbish sacks. Will see if they do the trick instead. Looking at the size of them I might get three tubers per bag, compared to the one I normally plant in the potato gro-bags.
CC
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planted my first earlies lady Christelle and seconds Anya cant wait till the little lovelies pop up
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Made a good start.. watered all the greenhouses. The Parsely, 4 trays, is all through. A couple of Dahlias have started sprouting. Moved some pots around. Put the wallflower tubs out along the School's greenhouse. Supervised some wood collection.. just come in for a spot of dinner then back to work!!
;D
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planted some 1st earlys in some stacked tyers and also some pop up bags from poundland, planted some onions sets and some shop bought banna shallots to see if they will grow
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planted up black buckits of sweet peas, transplanted more marigolds into 6 cells, the way the plants are goin' for this flippin' plant sale, we'll be out of room soon ;D
Ray dug squash pits and filled them with the sweepings from the chicken shed :)
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Sowed a row of parsnips and planted 5 rows of potato's, hoping to put a row of carrots in tomorrow.
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planted shallots and red baron onions
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Stayed home today. I transplanted tomatoes, melons, marigolds. Stocks and sowed some more cauli.Got the pots filled ready for the sweetcorn. Tony had to clean the pool filter.The frogs really stir everything up and of course it all goes into the filter when it gets past all the other contraptions he has in there. Frogs spawned today.
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Cleaned and tidied the big greenhouse, cut back a bed of Autumn Bliss rasps., weeded them etc... potted up sweet peas... ;D
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100 pages on this thread- is that a record??
Didn't doanything in the garden today!
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I planted two lines of Lady Chrystl and three in a tub on the lottie and three in each of two tubs and some onions in my back garden. ;D ;D ;D
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Yesterday (Saturday) sorted young Lorna's front garden.
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:) transplanted some more rhubarb, getting the ground ready for runner beans
and toms, planted some peas/ shades xx
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Just pricked out 100 leeks (Lyon) and another 100 to go (Musselburgh) and @ 50 Jolant... also sown 37 varieties of tomatoes... :-X
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Planted my last row of potato's and a row of carrots in the allotment and sowed cabbage, sprouts, lettuce, marigolds and sunflowers in the greenhouse.
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Planted out some peas(maybe this year I will get some!) and 5 rows of onion sets (getting worried my seeds aren't doing too well so went to Wilko yesterday- not sure where I'm going to put the seed-grown ones now if they do survive!)Dug out some more couch etc.
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Finished the strawberry yesterday at the lottie, but haven't made it there today. Have been working the garden. Ant has spent the last 2 days re-doing the filter bay on the koi pond and I spent today moving barrels (and barrels...) of soil to finish a rockery. Then I had to move all the rocks to put on top of the soil. Am knackered now, but pleased with the final product. Am going to go to the tip and am hoping to prick out a few seedlings before the end of the day.
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Got my carrot bed ready, and my potato bed ready. Put more leeks and peas in.
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sowed some carrots, Ray sowed some more peas in guttering...transplanted some more marigolds and sweet peas ::) ;D
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Weeded my raspberries, blumin buttercups everywhere!
Tidied all the rubbish lying around, weeded the polytunnel, had a great big bonfire.
Off in the bath now coz I am all smokey ;D
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sowed my mini meadow area with my daughters with a mixture of saved seeds, swaped seeds and free seeds from blue peter :D. will be watching with the girls to see if they germinate.
also tidied up autumn leaves from around the compost area and the boggy area around the vege pond.
i wished i could have done more but still feeling a bit weak after yesterday's day in bed :'(.
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dug my garden over, planted my potatoes, repotted quite a few things, put my large cold frame/ cloche and other cloches over the ground to warm.
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Spent most of the weekend making a loo (or rather a makeshift toilet tent!). Really should do some digging..
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More seed sowing in pots... for pricking out later,
Pricked out lavender, cut back last years plants (lavender)
Planted 36 varieties of Tomato, sown a row of carrots and a row of parsnips under cloches and fleece. Planted peas in pots and a row of Frau Heinrich and a row of Purple podded direct and potted on those leeks. Oh and potted up some tree onions....
Would have done more but it went dark... ;D
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Not enough time for the allotment today, so stayed at home listening to the frogs spawning while I weeded, hoed, trimmed lavender, planted some rudbeckia, primulas, sea holly, veronica and delphiniums in the borders; and did some mulching. Beautiful sunny day.
Went to friend's house this afternoon to sing with a madrigal and part-song group and her garden looked fantastic. Beautifully pruned shrubs and lots of bulbs in flower. Birds having a whale of a time on the feeders.
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Sowed spring onion, pointy cabbage, cauli AYR and greyhound cabbage and harvested a cabbage and some PSB. ;D ;D ;D
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Ate my sandwiches, drunk my coffee, did a lot of chat, stroked the allotment cat. Did weeding and digging and then sat in the sun. Watched everyone else working, admired their plots. Apparently Manuel's allotment was in one of the gardening magazines last year, but didn't he and me didn't buy it as it cost over £6. He has done a tiered system of planting. His home made greenhouse with old wood and polythene looks a bit of a wreck and the Council may make him take it down. Went inside and it was very warm (his greenhouse), he has planted pots in the ground and it is full of seeds in pots. Stops his wife moaning about having seeds in the bedroom etc. etc. Planted sweet peas, runner beans, and cottage garden flower seeds and watered them. Moved soil about. Cycled home. Picked some everlasting spinach that the pigeons hadn't eaten and some more purple sprouting broccoli. That reminds me, it is still in the carriers on my bike. What a lovely sunny day it was.
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Lovely day here, too. Collected a car-load of hops from the brewery and unloaded them at the allotment. Dug out some more weeds, put up canes for my sweet peas and planted them out. Spread most of the hops- a car-load doesn't go far! and put some cardboard down for a path. A good day's work. :D
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cleared and tidied up the flowers beds yesterday. i'm off to relay the paths with bark chipping running between said flower beds and to tidy the herb bed and sow some seeds, bye off to enjoy another great day.
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Digging out bindweed, couch grass roots and docks the only weeds left in the bit under black plastic for two years. The docks were at the edge so probably don't count.
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Managed to start sorting out a base for my shed. Getting lots of well needed advice from the lovely guys on the site. Can't wait to put it up. :)
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Watered would you believe. :o ??? ;D ;D ;D
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I sat in the office as I also did yesterday and fretted at such a glorious day going to waste with me not being out on the lottie. :'( Killer levels of frustration building.
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Yesterday planted my spuds in tubs :)
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I planted calabrese, cabbage, beetrrot, cauliflower, and sown carrots, parsnips and peas. Very productive day today. I'm very pleased with myself!
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planted out my onions which i started off in modules.Planted out some lettuces under fleece until it warms up a bit, planted some blackcurrants too. Also very productive.
..oh and test drove my greenhouse sprinkler system. its MAD
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Got off work early so had time to prick out some peppers, cabbage, coriander and salad leaves.
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My onions in cells are almost ready for out (400+) went round all four greenhouses watering seedlings. Mowed the Lawn. Watered the display wallflowers in tubs along the big greenhouse... did a bit of nantling... :)
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sowed some brussel sprouts and finally got to relay the paths between the flower beds with bark chipping (ran out of time yesterday :-\).
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Sowed some beetroot a n a bit of watering. ;D ;D ;D
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Treated myself to a whole day down the plot as have finished my assignment..hurrah! ;D ;D ;D
Weeded and covered the potato beds with black plastic to warm the soil for a week or two before planting, weeded the raised beds, cut down the raspberry canes..(at last!) just in time, they are starting to sprout! Did a few repairs to the willow den, the top needed tying in again. Found out mice have been in a box of maincrop potatoes and had a right old munch!! They haven't touched the ones out chitting!? So I've moved them and hung them up where they will hopefully be out of harms way...... ;D
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planted some more spuds in containers and generally finished weeding my raise beds of any weeds that survived the winter (there weren't that much) and also removed a couple spent beetroot plants which didn't grow anything decent to the compost bins.
was planning to get more done but none of the planned work was going to be heavy sweat producing work and it was getting too cold so came in for lunch and called it a day. isn't it funny when its a warm day and i can feel myself getting hungry i mentally tell my stomach to bug**r off and the hunger simply goes away and i blissfully continue gardening for hours on end (almost resenting any breaks i have to take) but a day like this and there is no way I'm able to ignore my hunger :-\.
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Checked for the watering stakes.. OK
Pricked out some lettuce, sowed some more leeks and Spicy salad leaf mix, had a quick natter with DebP.. :)
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planted four rows of potatoes planted two cherry trees two goji berries and a lavender plant
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nothing on the plot but transplanted 6 burpless cucumbers, 6 hawk butternuts, sowed some saved sunflowers :)
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Just been out and burnt the mountain of branches that had accumulated from having some boundary hedges laid.... some to**er had hidden some "fibre-board" type stuff in the middle... when I realised it wasn't burning I fished it out and watered it. Some sort of "mesh" woven into it... hopefully glassfibre and NOT asbestos... will get the council "hazard" men to have alook at it...
>:(
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Down the lotty for the first session this year, cleaned up what weeds I had with the mantis, prepared the ground for my spuds next month and planted several rows of broad beans back for another go tomorrow, :)
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Hi everyone I'm a new girl here was just sifting round the web today thought I'd join in so keep me right.
My dd bought me for Mother's Day a new pair of gardening gloves, some herbs and a litter picker upper fantastic so I've been out clearing up and chopping back. My compost bins have produced some very fine looking material I'm pleased to say.
Am also going to have a crack at making a few of these earth boxes understand they are very good, any comments on these?
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Not tried them myself Cherry Pie but welcome to the site.. ;D
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Welcome cherry pie. I can't help you with earth boxes, but I'm sure someone else will.
Lovely few hours at the lottie today, in bright sunshine. Finished sowing onion sets. Sowed a row of beetroot. Sowed a few nasturtium seeds around the place. Also sowed more leeks and broccoli in modules in greenhouse. Tidied up the fruit area. Did some watering and weeding. Admired my garlic, broad beans and overwintered onions and lettuce. Finished preparing potato bed and planted a few exotic things obtained through seed swap (not allowed to say what they are!). Had an enjoyable chat with Portuguese friend who'd brought her newish baby down to the lottie - baby's name is Ladybird in Portuguese.
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Hi Hi Cherry Pie and nice to hear from you Smithy where you been hiding. ??? ;D ;D ;D
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Hi Cherry and welcome.
Corny, just been doing other things over the last few months but can't wait to get going on the lotty. :)
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Well I was planning to laze around today doing a few bits and pieces in the garden before working tonight, but the strawberry plants I ordered from France before Christmas have arrived this morning, so I'd better get them in the soil! ;D
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hi there
i popped down the allotment this morning after a week away and my peas are up. they are looking good, lol. i did some weeding but thats about it. ;)
paula
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Moved an apple tree that I foolishly planted too close to its neighbour last year. It's just about to burst into life, so I hope it will survive ...
Looked at all the things that need to be shifted before the raised beds can go in. Think I've a busy few weeks coming up.
Sally
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we finished planting the potatoes, Ray painted the wall behind the fruit cage with white masonry paint (reflect light back), transpanted nasturtiums, sprouts and lettuce..sorted the strawberries :)
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Planted some herbs on one of the allotments and tied up the goji berries to the fruit cage
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Weeded the overwinter onion bed, checked all the greenhouses. Planted the Aubergines/peppers/chillis in the propagator...
;D
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Mowed my lawn and somebody else's. Planted a Japanese Shiled Fern (Dryopteris erythrosora) next to the pond and some Mossy Saxifrage "Peter Pan" in the rockery.
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planted the oca and ulluca tubers that were sent to me through the swaps page, split and potted up a chive bunch to share with my aunt. had hoped to get a lot more done but things kept cropping up so the day was more spent with me running round like a headless chicken ::) >:(
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Nothing in the garden or the plot today, but apparently I've not sown the correct aubergine (Black Beauty) or courgette (Tondos) so had to go seed buying for long thin aubergines (Franchi Violetta Lunga 2) and Romanesco (dear old Mr Fothergill's).
Tip - don't have an experienced Algerian/Egyptian cook in the household! ;D
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planted my earlies 'rocket' and my 2nd earlies 'charlotte', another 40 onion sets, created a bed ready for the sweetcorn / squash, In the glasshouse at home I sowed seeds of 2 types of sprouts, 2 verieties of cucumbers, chillis, datura, cosmos and sweet peas. ;)
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transplanted the last 84 marigolds, 84 livingstone daisies, nasturtiums for the plant sale..transplanted romanesco broccoli, sprouts, filderkraut cabbage, lollo rosso and little gem lettuces for us..weeded the overwinter onions, fed them and checked the fruit :)
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Barrowed roadstone; we were making up the lane. It's barely changed since the site was set up in 1840, even the passing places are marked on old Victorian maps. A road designed for horses and carts struggles with these wretched horseless carriages all the time!
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Only had an hour to spare today. Sowed some carrots in a dustbin, picked my first forced rhubarb and weeded the strawberry bed.
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watered greenhouse and house plants/ seedlings. didn't have much time for anything else as we were getting ready to go overnight by family.
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Sowed carrots and cabbage and watered. ;D ;D ;D
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spend my day in greenhouse repotting stuff then moving it to other greenhouse then moving plants around in different places in greenhouse then got really excited my aspargus from seed has come up ;D showed hubby look look think he thought i found something really exciting i did my little aspargus about half an inch :D
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Pricked out aubergines, chillies, peppers and melons. Got excited because the tomatoes are all coming through now.........simple things please me! ;D
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With the help of Grandson Joshua put metal sides and back on potting bench to stop compost falling down back/sides (Daughters partner kindly made them for me)
Planted Maris Bard (12) in 3 large tubs. Another small sowing in pots of runner beans. Gave the greenhouse a good tidy up then did general gardening work. How quickly 5 hours go when you are enjoying yourself!!
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went to Kew gardens
[attachment=1]
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potted up some tomato seedlings, sowed some courgette, summer squashes and yardlong beans.
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Isn't it still a bit early for the yard long beans? ???
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planing to grow them in my greenhouse this year i failed two years running growing them outdoors so started them a bit earlier in the conservatory with the hope of putting good size plants in the greenhouse at the end of April, i plan to grow in a large container up a wigwam just twelve plants to see if i get anything for my troubles this year ::) :-\.
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oh would love to go to kew gardens are they as good as they sound. Can you visit the house?
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Went down to the lotty knowing full well that it would be to wet to get on, watered the carrot seeds, leek seeds, cabbage and beetroot seeds, also I took four different PH readings from around the allotment which was a PH of 7, :) put a shelf up in the shed for the brewing up kit had a brew and came home :)
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So far been round checking all the greenhouses. The big one has lost two panes... but it looks like someone saw them slipping and took them out (no broken glass) but don't know where they have put them. The y are non-standard sizes so cost more than normal...
Potted up/on four Hibiscus, two from T+M that were advertised earlier.
Pricked out 48 Jolant leeks and 30 Red Cabbage (Negra) come in for a brew then back to it.. ;D
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Lovely pic Tony.....who is that good looking chap .............. :D
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transplanted 24 black opal basil, some thyme and lemon balm, titchy plants :o ;D
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Must be going mad, went back down to the lotty because the weather this afternoon was beautiful and the lotty in a space of hours as dried out, set a few canes for my peas and did another PH test and the needle is just going into the green bit on the gauge :),
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Spent the afternoon raking daughters tiny space in tiny garden for turf coming tomorrow.Needless to say I had a little helper. ::) ;D ;D
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Prepared a bed and planted out 80 cell sown onion sets... :)
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Planted the last of the first earlies and eight varieties of toms.
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Went to the lottie about three o clock, marked out the sticks for the brassicas, the cabbages have just started to show their heads, the ground looked dry, I was just thinking about a tad of water on my seedlings when the heavens opened up, luclily the OH was passing and gave me a lift home. ;D ;D ;D
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harvested some pak choi, chinese leaves and kale. they made a great stirfry with lots of ginger and coriander yum!!!
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Twiddling my thumbs until I can get something else in up at the lottie so filled in gaps in the garden with peacock orchids, gypsophylla and dwarf allium. Tomorrow it's some dahlias, astilbe and bleeding hearts :)
Linda
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planted two rows of carrots four row of onions and was attacked by hailstone :)
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planted two rows of carrots four row of onions and was attacked by hailstone :)
They attacked me too. :o
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Snap, I've just been hailed off!! ::)
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Twiddling my thumbs until I can get something else in up at the lottie so filled in gaps in the garden with peacock orchids, gypsophylla and dwarf allium. Tomorrow it's some dahlias, astilbe and bleeding hearts :)
Linda
What do peacock orchids look like? :)
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planted some more spuds in containers, sowed some carrot seeds under a cloche, applied ash to my overwintered garlic, covered one of the bean trenches and dug another, lastly cleaned up and re-potted two overwintered scotch bonnet plants. everything i planned to do got done along with the washing, school runs and after school activities, woo hoo result!! ;D
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Went to the lottie and managed to prepare another raised bed. :)
The wind was freezing,just kept digging to keep warm. ;D
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Spent an hour or so this morning continuing to restore the garden of an elderly and very charming Indian lady. I've been working on it for an hour or two each week since the autumn. The sedge and brambles are now almost cleared, revealing some lovely shrubs, including some rose bushes, and a few border plants, including some peonies. The cherry and forsythia blossom looks great. It was clearly a very well designed and maintained garden a few years ago. She has a mixture of buddha statues, garden gnomes and stone animals all over the place.
In the afternoon worked on the allotment of a friend who has recently come out of hospital and is anxious to get his potatoes and onions planted. Interesting to see another allotment site. Much smaller than ours, with some very neat and well maintained plots, lovely trees and loads of bird life. Rhubarb is growing very strongly and some of it is ready to pick.
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Went up the lottie to plant my onion sets and decided they were best left in the bag until it warms up a bit.
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Another 5 hours of allotment secretary site visits, 'arranging' for 2 committee members to actually speak to each other, and to realise they are both singing from the same songsheet!! ;) ;D ;D
people handling skills, eh? ;D ;D ;D
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planted the last of the red onion sets (another 150), so we got 300 sets, and 45 shallots in! (plus another 80 growing from seed)
prepared another No-dig bed 25ft X 4ft. picked a load of WSB and PSB and a couple of parsnips for dinner!! ;) all done and dusted by 11.30 !! ;)
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Planted one row of Kestrels and harvested a cabbage and some PSB. ;D ;D ;D
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Started digging up this years crop of mares/horsetail. Might leave it a bit longer as it keeps snapping off, when it is a bit taller can get it out in one go. Lovely sunny day. The redcurrant bushes seem to be looking good and the fruit trees have buds on, hope the frost didn't harm them. Joe Swift was up there working away, and there was some filming going on of the new people on their allotments, I wasn't filmed which is good as I looked dreadful in my old coat and woolly hat. Apparently Joe has written a book, so Ken told me as he is in it about allotments but it costs £17, might have a quick free read.
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potted up some house plants an greek basil plants, sowed with the kids some morning glory.
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I hope he put some substance in the book; too many of them just repeat the same old stuff!
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Didn't manage to get down to the lottie till 6 p.m. Still a lot of people there, even at that time. Harvested some spinach and parsley; did some weeding, hoeing and raking; watered seedlings in cold frame (tomatoes, broccoli, marigolds, leeks, parsnips, broccoli, sprouts). No time to plant the rest of my red and white onion sets or my second early potatoes - later this week perhaps.
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Knackered after a day trip to London yesterday, so stayed at home and potted up some strawberries that arrived from France this week, and several dahlias. Down the plot to tackle some potatoes tomorrow I think..... ;D
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Beautiful morning down the lotty, erected my netted frame work to house my Sweetcorn and brassicas, planted more broad beans and four more rows of onions, :)
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Finally finished planting the 400 cell sown onion sets... kept half a dozen back just incase some critter damages some... :)
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finished winter digging
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Planted my first early spuds- approx. 30 each of Rocket and Arran Pilot. All planted in an ex-bramble patch so will see whether brambles or spuds win!Spread some hops between my rows of garlic and pulled some couch out from round my asparagus.
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Spent most of the day on the plot avoiding the washing and ironing - well it is my day off!!
Dug out another huge load of couch and put in some raspberry canes someone gave me - so I have now oficially planted on my plot - Yippee!!! ;D :D ;D :D
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Beautiful morning down the lotty, erected my netted frame work to house my Sweetcorn and brassicas, planted more broad beans and four more rows of onions, :)
why are you netting your sweetcorn?we dont bother and its fine?
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Sowed some St Valerie carrots and some Guernsey parsnips. Dug an area over and raked it for my seedbed (sweet william amd wallflowers for next year). Watered the stuff that needed it (beetroot under cloche). Had some home made veggie soup for lunch and then we went nettling cos my bed isn't growing enough yet to pick from. Tone made some nettle brew. Started to make a lean to on the back of shed for storing canes and pots.I almost forgot, I earthed up my taters for the tater chalenge.
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Why am I netting my Sweetcorn?, because the birds round here like it, :)
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We have to contend with squirells as well. We put bottles over our corns and they still get at em
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We have humans here >:( Planted a row of Kestrels. ;D ;D ;D
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i recieved some picket fencing on freecycle last year so started to erect it today around my vege plot, won't have enough to finishthe whole area but i have been collecting pallets and hope to construct the rest from these, sometime in the future.
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Today I took some more chrysanth cuttings, Potted on some fucshias and Toms.
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i recieved some picket fencing on freecycle last year so started to erect it today around my vege plot, won't have enough to finishthe whole area but i have been collecting pallets and hope to construct the rest from these, sometime in the future.
did some more of this and potted up some seedlings.
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Some belated seed sowing in modules etc., hoeing and weeding. Still haven't got my second earlies or all my onion sets in.
While down at the lottie about a dozen helicopters flew over, including huge troop-carrying ones. Something to do with the G20 summit, I assume. Kids at the school where I help with reading are very upset because a trip to see the Egyptian section of the British Museum has been cancelled because of the G20. (Sorry to go off topic!)
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Got a very kind lottie neighbour to fix the staging in my greenhouse that had collapsed during the night :D
Weed-Digga
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While down at the lottie about a dozen helicopters flew over, including huge troop-carrying ones. Something to do with the G20 summit, I assume. Kids at the school where I help with reading are very upset because a trip to see the Egyptian section of the British Museum has been cancelled because of the G20. (Sorry to go off topic!)
It is, of course, well-known in the more paranoid sections of society that school parties usually conceal squads of suicide bombers!
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Are but they could ;D they often have backpacks!
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i recieved some picket fencing on freecycle last year so started to erect it today around my vege plot, won't have enough to finishthe whole area but i have been collecting pallets and hope to construct the rest from these, sometime in the future.
did some more of this and potted up some seedlings.
ditto but finished the fence for now till i make more from said pallets to erect, potted up loads more seedlings and watered everything inside and out.
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Yesterday mowed the lawn in young Lorna's back garden (next door) did some tidying up for her then spent some time in my greenhouse pricking out and sowing more seeds.
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After a mammoth sowing session yesterday, I'm on pricking out duty this morning, and probably down the plots later. Waiting for daughter to come home from French GCSE oral exam first...consolation hugs ready.....(not her strongest subject!)
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After a mammoth sowing session yesterday, I'm on pricking out duty this morning, and probably down the plots later. Waiting for daughter to come home from French GCSE oral exam first...consolation hugs ready.....(not her strongest subject!)
After my french mock exam the french teacher got us all to stand up for a minutes silence. He said we had killed the french language ;)
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Andy did his German Oral on Tuesday :-X
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Well, she survived, said it 'wasn't too bad'...we shall see! I have been busy all day so far potting on, only the tomatoes to go now.......... ::)
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Planted 2 rows of onion sets ( 1 row Corrado and 1 row Kamel ) also 1 row of Golden Gourmet shallots up the allotment
In the Greenhouse I sowed......
Cucumber- F1 Telepathy
Lettuce- Dublin
Lettuce- Ponokkio
Leeks- Alcazar
Cabbage-Castello
Cabbage- F1 Traviata
Also pricked 60 French Marigolds out, 4 tomato plants ( Gardeners delight ) and 4 Strawberry plants ( Brought from Wilkinsons )
Then I went to bed for a few hours sleep ready to go on to Bl**dy night shift ( which i hate ) :P :P :P
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Potted on some more toms. took a few more crysanth cuttings and phoned a friend to come and get the stock plants to stop me taking any more cuttings. I just can't resist taking a nice strong looking cutting. Have been very good with the dahlia's this year. have only taken 1 cutting this year of the one I like the most.
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potted on 100+toms
set off 1000s of bedders
put 80 pot grown broad beans in ground ,
bit of rotavating+ some edgein on lawns,
drank loads of coffee ;D
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Yesterday the council dropped off about 15 tonnes of compost right next to my plot, so I've been barrowing it on the plot for the last two afternoons, only take 4 or 5 barrow loads each said the secretary, oops I may have taken more than my share, honest guv it fell onto my plot when the council bod tipped his lorry, hahahaha. ;) ;D ;D ;D
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potted on some melons (i will succeed this year :)), sowed some seeds of onions and globe artichoke, planted out some turnip plants, moved some selfseeded plants to where i want them.
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Dismembered the apple tree in my garden using only a bow saw. Managed to reduce said tree from approx 20' high to a nice stack of firewood. Have now only got a 3' stump in garden which comes out on Sunday.
Didn't want to remove apple tree but the presence of canker decided otherwise.
CC
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Dug up and divided some perennials.Tried to dig up some perennial sweet peas before they take over the whole garden!
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Planted some cell sown beetroot under cloches. Put some lettuce in between Tones tomato buckets in the GH. Mowed paths and clipped edges. Worked on the schools project getting the beds ready for the little tikes. Thank goodnes its only salad tonite cos I'm fare tuckered
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planted out my homemade pregerminated parsnip seed tapes under cloche, also planted out my mangtoute peas, and lettuce. sowed lots of annual flowers and moved some more selfsown plants to where i would prefer them to be.
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We also had compost from the Council today, only took four wheelbarrows as had back ache from digging and planting potatoes. We occasionally get wood chip which is good for the paths. It is amazing how quickly the compost goes, but luckily we do get it quite frequently, hurray for Enfield Council. Not sure if it is that good but put it around the trees an fruit bushes.
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transplanted sweet peas, cinereria, nasturtiums, planted out early cabbage, red cabbage and romanesco, all under cloches..watered all the plants in the greenhouse, it's groaning with plants for the plant sale, only 4 weeks to go ;D
transplanted fielderkraut cabbage, creamy romanesco and fillbasket sprouts, tidied up in the poly :)
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transplanted sweet peas, cinereria, nasturtiums, planted out early cabbage, red cabbage and romanesco, all under cloches..watered all the plants in the greenhouse, it's groaning with plants for the plant sale, only 4 weeks to go ;D
transplanted fielderkraut cabbage, creamy romanesco and fillbasket sprouts, tidied up in the poly :)
when you say transplant do you mean potted up or did you plant these plants all outside today? just trying to gauge when i could put some things out to create more space in the greenhouse :-\
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Planted Greyhound cabbages and some more of "Lester's" peas up at the plot...sowed more pea seeds in the greenhouse.
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Hiya, thifasmom, only put the greyhound cabbage, romanesco , kalibos cabbage and red cap cabbage outside under glass cloches, the rest were all transplanted inside , oh, the sweet peas in buckets have gone outside in a sheltered place :)
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Sowed a few beetroot Red Ace in modules - not tried this before, so thought I'd give it a go. Also sowed a few more French beans in toilet roll cardboard "pots". No time for any more today as I now have to go to a ceremony to dedicate a stone in memory of my late wife (1952-82) - will take a few flowers to plant.
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Best of luck Hopalong - I hope it all goes well. We will be thinking of you.
Take care.
Pippy xx
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Best of luck Hopalong - I hope it all goes well. We will be thinking of you.
Take care.
Pippy xx
Thanks Pippy. That's kind. Our son, now 28, is over from Cambodia (where he's teaching) for the occasion. We're hoping it can be occasion for happy memories and celebrating her life.
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Thats a lovely thing to do Hopalong - so important to remember our loved ones. She must have been a very special person.
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Hopalong, It's so good to remember the nice times you shared together.
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Potted on tomatoes....lots of tomatoes.......some will have to go to the plant sale!!
Went down the plot and mulched where I had planted the tomatoes with mushroom compost that OH lovingly moved from the top of the hill for me, bless him! ;D I rewarded him by letting him sit in the shed and listen to the football on the radio while I did the mulching.... :-X
Came home to find a neighbour had a sign out selling some paving slabs for 50p, so snapped them up to finish off the lottie path on new half plot...at last!
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Hopalong, It's so good to remember the nice times you shared together.
Thanks. You're right. It was a lovely day, a simple ceremony with some old friends - including her closest school and work friends.
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Hopalong, It's so good to remember the nice times you shared together.
Thanks. You're right. It was a lovely day, a simple ceremony with some old friends - including her closest school and work friends.
hope the sun was shining on you all hopalong x
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not much,besides lots and lots of chatting,some days you just need to do that,OH has been away for two weeks,home tmrw so didnt want to do all the things i wanted to in his absence,so tmrw when he gets back we will sow carrots,erect the brassica cage,have a fire,have him admire all the potting up ive been up to.did spend a lot of time scrutinising the frogspawn,and chatted to new plotholders
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nothing its sunday.
even that bloke called Jesus rests on a sunday ;D ;D ;D
it lets play dad/grandad day.
have all 11 for dinner.
i will be tired when they all go home ;)
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Potted on broad beans and started off some sweetcorn.
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potted my cabbage dahlias and sprouts and done a tray of beetroot and a tray of broccolie and drank lots of tea what a lovelly day ;D
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Re dug half of the new fruit area which is pretty big, planted 7 rows rasps and strawberrys, planted lettuce, sowed radish, spring onions beetroot and watered as it was so dry up there, apart from that nothing much ;D
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had a work party, the 'lads worked on the lean to greenhouse, we planted up 40 hanging baskets for the plant sale, only 4 weeks to go :o ;D
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I planted up all my summer baskets & hung them in the greenhouse. OH, made one of the borders wider & planted donated plants & planted the ones i grew last year+ put in a small pond. Very busy day for both of us we started at 9-40 this morn, came in at 3-50, me 4-40 hubby, had lots of cups of tea, while we worked , we got such a lot done today now we are both knackered. Lovely sunny day though fo it.
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Planted a few cinneraria to give a touch of silver alongside the blue in part of the garden; then spent a couple of hours at the allotment planting two 20ft rows of 2nd earlies (Charlotte) and doing some general tidying and watering. Lots of activity down there today.
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Yesterday I sowed forty odd sweetcorn indoors and went to the lottie and sowed the nips, today I spread some council compost on my fruit bushes and watered, then cultivated the ground ready to sow my brassica's when I come back from my hols. ;D ;D ;D
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planted up another 20 hanging baskets and transplanted 60 african marigolds..weeded the onion/garlic bed ;D
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Did i mention my bum hurts ;D
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Got the strimmer going- really pleased with myself as I mixed the fuel and got it going pretty quickly, just a shame I ran out of line before I'd done half of what I wanted to do. >:(
Then pulled up the sprout stems with the intention of turning the soil over and getting some more spuds in- instead spent a couple of hours digging out yet more couch, bindweed and buttercup. The spids will have to wait now.
Not the most satisfying morning!
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Worth it in the long run though Caroline...
Just put three Kilo of Desiree in, two rows... ;D
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Went back to the lottie at 6.30 to give it a good watering. ;D ;D ;D
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It's actually trying to rain here... :)
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waddled up and cleared most of the rest of the fruit bed, wouldve finished it but spotted someone lovely who has offered to spray the plot, and it was a big blob of couch id left n was struggling, so went n paid him n booked him :) die couch die!!!
also cleared the old potato bed of a few weeds and popped sticks round the stuff not to be killed, after its all been sprayed im measuring it for a nice black plastic coat to properly kill the couch and save my back since heavy digging when expecting is a no no, just have to hope that keeps the council off my back as i am working all be it slowly, weve all been ill over the past 3months so its nice to get back down there, even if it is with the council nipping at my heels, grrr!!!
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planted up the first of the tomatoes under cover, protected..not sure what type, either tigerella or golden sunrise, lost the labels ;D
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well yesterday the weather was so awful i sorted my shed out and im well impressed with the results, may have to put the guinea pigs in there in the winter well now there is enough room lol
today i put a load of plants out under the cloches and sowed another new lot of seeds and repotted some of my larger tomatoes that have sown still got lots of little jobs to do particularly weeding the paths lol
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Down the lotty at 0830 this morning, carrots up, onions up YIPPEE!!, constructed another raised bed, planted and covered with debris netting 36 collies, planted two rows of main crop spuds and came home at 1115 and now its raining, :)
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we earthed up the poly spuds and the red duke of york outside, covering with fleece has really made a difference :o
planted up celeriac, finished transplanting the last of the plug plants(flowers) into 6's..can't believe how full the big tunnel is ;D
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Took a service at church this morning, then sent on a work party for an hour till we got rained off, making an empty plot usable.
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Stripped down and rebuilt an engine! ;D
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Nowt. Confined to house with D&V....charming! :-\
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Nowt. Confined to house with D&V....charming! :-\
Oh i am glad i am not in your house! We had that for easter two years ago.......lovely :-[
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Prepared a bed for the salad stuff on one plot.
Went over to the other plot to try out my new Azada (medium 7") works like a treat, so very happy!! :) Although it was raining really hard and was the only one down there - extreme gardening or what!! lol
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Went to get some psb from the plot and it rained so will have to do it tomorrow.
I can't believe its grown so many shoots. i only turned my back for a couple of days.
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got alot done today. It only started rain about 1/2 hour ago, so this morning we all went down to the allotment. I planted my blackcurrants and gooseberries while the OH put up my bean poles. :)
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got my sprouts in today one long row...tomorrow its lettuce sowing
j t w
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started with resowing the dead seedling (brussel sprouts and cabbage) which greeted me on my return after five days away, they were left in hubby's care.
also sowed some kale, romenesco, cauliflower.
watered surviving plants and seedlings ::)
cleaned mini vege plot pond.
gathered up lots of last autumn leaves to give the birds better access at eating the slugs and any other nasties (i know, i know its a job i should have completed during the winter but it was so coooolllldddd :-X).
then rain came and stopped play will finish off tomorrow if the rains don't continue as they are forecasted.
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Said that I would get my spuds in today come hell or high water. I got the water. Got all my spuds in but found I needed more. Toddled off to Wilkos to buy 3 kg of Arran Pilot reduced to £1-50. The shoots are a bit on the long side but what the hell.
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Took the cloches off the beetroot.hoed everywhere cos the weeds are growing so fast. Last years coriander has self seeded everywhere so wont be spwing any more.
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potted up some yucan tubers that were sent to me, planted out young celeriac plants, erected my carrot fly barrier around emerging seedlings now that i have taken off the cloche and my mum and a visiting friend cleared a patch of ground of weeds and covered with a layer of cardboard to stop more growing as i am planning to grow my squash and pumpkins there (tomorrow will probably reveal a passing fox has ripped up all her hard work ::)).
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You know what they say about a picture.
[attachment=1][attachment=2]
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Checked the bees, did a bit of digging, planted PFA and caulis.
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got some ground worked ready for the big plant tomorrow hoping to get cabbage and sprout plants in beetroot, peas carrots and parsnips sown as well
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Planted some onion sets :)
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Checked the bees, did a bit of digging, planted PFA and caulis.
Oh i want bees..........can i swap some for some french beans ;D Whats PFA?
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Pink Fir Apple, it's a potato. Contact your local Beekeepers' Association. Hives are pricy unless they can find a second-hand one, but if there are any swarms going this year, they at least come free. If you have to buy bees they come expensive.
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I planted some of those too. Have you grown them before? I have a hive( christmas present) and the bees i am working on my father in law as he keeps them ;D It's my birthday soon and i might get a buzzy present ;D ;D ;D
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No lotty today big day tomorrow planting out with better weather prospects,
Davy,
Thats the beauty of a pollytunnel, looks a treat, :)
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watered the asparagus bed at 8 am
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well its yesterday i did it but i put out my aqua wotsit broadbeans under cloches, sowed my onion sets, put out other stuff under cloches for hardening off, did shed loads of weeding and partly emptied my compost bin and it has to said what was in there is amazing
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I've grown PFA once before. It's a lovely potato but I lost a lot. They formed on the soil surface immediately under the mulch, and as the mulch disappeared they were exposed. Then an early frost did for them. Nowadays I put on extra mulch if I need to to keep spuds buried.
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today me and the wife oh and little jack planted out some summer cabbages and done loads of weeding. jack mainly pulling up everything he shouldnt( is this a weed daddy????) :o
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Tone planted Nadine and Sante potatoes whilst I planted some lettuce under a cloche.
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We laid a bit more of the patio at the plot, did some weeding, put fence posts in for the pergola. I have then been potting up various brassicas and flowers in the greenhouse. Am just going to go back to the plot now and get some rhubarb and maybe do some watering.
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Did a bit more work on new fruit/herb area in my garden at home. It's looking good ;)
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Nothing. Stayed over at my sister's last night after a few bottles of red. All good intentions of getting up and home early went out of the window and by the time we got back this afternoon I just wanted to doze on the sofa. Still, it was a fun night with good food, wine and company. And of course.........
tomorrow is another day.........
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Severe case of digging overload today after being hard at it since the middle of last week (including being trapped at the lottie one evening last week til after dark when OH was out on a work social thing after forgetting my house keys - aarrgh :o). Left OH to carry on digging while I sowed some peas, beetroot, shallots, onion sets, last of the PFA, caught up with some weeding & admired my emerging tattie leaves ;D.
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Put down some heavy duty weed membrane, and found that 25 x 2 metres was not enough.. got frustrated with yet another useless watering can I've just bought that piddles out all over the place and doesnt spray.
Made a raised bed out of an old bookcase to put strawbs in, and marvelled at how weeds have managed to grow in my manure heap that has been covered with black plastic + an old pond liner on top. Nuked lots of baby bindweeds.
Mainly stood around pondering what to do next.
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Repaired and cleaned out pump and got waterfall going strongly in the pond at home. At the allotment, the soil was crumbly and easy to work after the rain - good for weeding. Tidied up the fruit area and borders, sowed a row of Spinach Tetona F1 hybrid, put cloches over First Early potatoes to speed them up a bit, harvested loads of rhubarb for daughter to take back with her to uni tomorrow (she loves it). Got very excited about the asparagus coming through strongly - some thick spears, promising a really good crop for the first time since I planted them in 2007.
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Just a wander up to the plot this evening to have a browse.....second asparagus spear spotted, onions all seem to have rooted and now putting on leaves, potatoes just starting to break the earth, pea plants are finding their way up the mesh, fennel seeds have germinated. A nosey pigeon decided to land on my perp spinach seedling tray in the garden and upended the lot so repotted those. Most of the seedlings in the greenhouses have put on a growth spurt. Took some fuchsia cuttings and put the prop back in the garage till next year :)
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zilch but did pick some PSB
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Mulched some of the spuds.
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im aching but feel good
ive put in 4 bags off tattys , first earlys sharlot, salad ??, and two main crop maris piper and disirree then i moved my horse poo into my pumking bed. (about two tunne of the stuff) and rotavated it all in with a box of FBB . then i rotavated all of my beds , dam it looks good and also smells good with a ph of 7.0 to 7.5 with a clay base soil ;D
were my horse poo was is were my toms are gonna go in, that bed is all sorted now
tomorrow im gonna sort out the edging and straighten all the lines up and make it look good
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I have sown Beetroot, Lettuce, Spring Onions, Turnips, Parsnips,Carrots and Peas. all in all a bloody good day ;D ;D
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Planted thirtysix cabbage then covered with netting put in two rows of carrots and beetroot had a weeding session between my broad beans which are now showing and put in twenty parsnips, :)
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;D planted my Nicola spuds,sowed my melons and yet more tomatoes,cleared a carpet away to dig a bed and had to re home 4 toads and a newt ;D did a bit of digging and shaped the beds, moved a globe artichoke, chatted to my lottie neighbours one helped me with the digging :o and soaked up the rays, a lovely day/ shades x
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what a great day
i planted late onions carrots sprouts and i filled two baths and one with carrot seed in and the other with carrot seed and a few well sprouted garlic cloves raked a few beds over and admired the sun ;D
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So gorgeous today. We spent 5 hours at the lottie and we:
laid wood chips on all the paths
planted an apple tree and cherry tree
planted 2 blackcurrant bushes
laid brick edging along a new path
planted raspberry canes
planted 5 rows of spuds
unloaded 36 bags of soil improver
basically worked like slaves and are now totally cream crackered but really pleased with the results.
;D ;D
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planted cucumbers in the poly with glass cloches over, watered everywhere, transplanted agastache and pansies, moved more trays of plants to the communal polytunnel, transplanted lots of sunflowers into root trainers, day off tomorrow ::) ;D
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Emptied the fishpond (1 goldfish, 1 frog, about 100 newts and several pond snails), cleared out the silt and refilled................very smelly job :(
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Planted out some penstemons grown from cuttings - they root very easily. Hoed loads of weeds that have sprung up following the rain and managed to damage a hosta. Sowed a few half hardy annuals. Then drove daughter over to Cambridge - grass and borders in the colleges, tulips and wood anemones, cherry trees and the last of the daffodils in the parks and by the "Backs" looking fantastic. Now off to the lottie to do some emergency watering and slug control.
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Once again hoped to get the rest of the spuds in but ended up doing more digging, mainly getting bramble roots out ,and then creeping buttercup. >:( Maybe I'll get those spuds in tomorrow.
On the plus side, actually persuaded OH to come with me as it was such a lovely day, and he did a lot of strimming and had a bonfire as well as helping with the digging. Think it'll be a while before he comes again, though. ;D
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sowed parsnip seed,planted out a couple each of red cab,courgette and pumpkin,i know i know,bit too early but im sooooo impatient/excited,have covered them all. pegged fleece over the carrots,planted some teasal,more sweetpeas and something else i cant remember in the greenie. did a fair bit of chatting,as OH is away,always do more chatting (ie shirking)when he is away. had about 5 cups of tea,enjoyed the sunshine,gave some seeds away,fab day!
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potted up all my squash, pumpkin and courgettes plants and moved the lot out of the conservatory and into the greenhouse all the tomatoes were also moved to the greenhouse, the last melon plant was also potted up into its final large pot but it will remain in the conservatory for now will move them to the greenhouse the later part of May.
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Sowed artichokes, planted calabrese and romanesco( a bit more room in the coldframe) Tone planted another row of potatoes and some phacelia just for the seed. Weeded out the broad beans.Admired my spuds for the challenge(earthed up twice now). I bet Kev will come back to some weeds EH! ;D ;D ;D
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Went to see Mom this morning and did the garden at home this afternoon. One of the branches on our yucca had fallen over so being as we have a green waste disposal this week we spent the afternoon cutting it and bagging it up. I took all of the nasty spikes off the ends and put them into a separate tin to put in the household rubbish so the dear little binmen don't get spiked. I just hope they realize the trouble some of us go to trying to make their life easier.
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sowed courgettes, planted cukes and toms in the greenhouse,cut the grass, did a bit of spraying,/ shadesx
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Sowed artichokes, planted calabrese and romanesco( a bit more room in the coldframe) Tone planted another row of potatoes and some phacelia just for the seed. Weeded out the broad beans.Admired my spuds for the challenge(earthed up twice now). I bet Kev will come back to some weeds EH! ;D ;D ;D
shirl did you sow the romanescau direct?first time growing some this year,hubbie bought some seeds in france?
rach
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With OH planted some more potatoes... picked broccoli... :)
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Finally got spuds bed finished and planted -!! Woohoo - Rocket, Pent Jav, Charlotte and PFA - 54 in all.
Sowed Beetroot, spring onions, radish
Its starting to look like a proper plot now - long way to go still tho ;D
Lushy x
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Weeded carrot,parsnip,onion,shallot and broad bean beds- all planted/sown in late February under fleece. Pricked out the last of the toms and peppers and the teasels I,m growing for the Goldfinches.Watered the rest of the toms,peppers,squashes,brassicas and annuals in both greenhouses.Sowed the second batch of broad beans and the Reed Mace I,m growing for my reed bed(to treat our sewage and grey water effluent) most of this lot was sown in late February in the propagators in the porch and moved to the greenhouses mid March.Also went to work and to a Hospital appt.
If I can learn to do it I,ll post some pics this week!!
Marshalls onion set order(heat treated) should be here for the weekend,400 to go to the lottie along with 200 shallot sets and this years PSB,cabbage and dwarf beans. Everything already planted is in deep/raised beds at home.
Nearly forgot,also sowed some Geraniums for home!
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sowed some amaranth seeds, planted out some buckler leaf sorrel and chamomile into the herb bed, spent way to long watching tadpoles, dug out last bean trench for filling, could have done lots more but felt a bit lazy ;)
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Finally got the rest of the spuds planted yesterday- definitely getting better at making the rows look neater too!
Sowed first pre-chitted squash and pumpkins inside.
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planted out fielderkraut cabbage, fillbasket sprout and creamy romanesco..sowed winter veggies and barlotti beans.
spent some time with our friends from the disability living group, we earthed up the spuds, put the bean poles up, put supports in for the tomatoes and cucumbers in the poly and put the net over the strawberry bed ;D
oh, and of course, weeded
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sowed my cucs, red orache, pricked out some ornamental alliums, and dug out and sifted the soil where my salsify will be going.
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2 30ft rows parsnips hollow crown in,
2 30ft rows carrots columbia f1s in ,
1 30ft row spring onions white lisbon in
1 50ft row maincrop (desiree) in,(a freebie from robinofthehood)THANKS
100 broccli plants parthanon f1s in
50 savoys serve f1s in
30 caulis clapton f1s in
and 40 caulis snow crown in.
Not bad for a wednesday ??? ??? ???
sorry and 1 50ft row of peas kelevdon wonder.
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Got back from my hols and no weeds to report so you can stop sniggering now Shirl, :P earthed some spuds with compost from the council pile and harvested some cabbage and a large leek, and rained today so bugger all. ;D ;D ;D
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Fed up with the rain so I went to plot anyway. Admired spuds coming through, garlic fattening nicely,winter lettuce nearly ready etc. etc. Raked a bit as the soil was moist and sowed 2 rows of carrots. Harvested even more psb and rhubarb and ran out of time ::).
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Sowed all the cucurbits; squash, marrow,pumpkin, courgettes and then Sunflowers, 8 types, for the sale... :)
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Raining here today in Enfield, went shopping and popped in the £1 shop and bought a few more packets of seeds. Went to Morrisons and bought a few plants for hanging basket. Hopefully the rain today and the sun we may get on Saturday/Sunday will get things moving on the allotment.
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Loads of potting up for the sale, kept me out until dark... put the leaf beet in, general weeding... :)
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Sounds as if you've had a good day SD.
Janet
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Same as Saddad here, loads of potting up.
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took delivery of bedding plants for the sale(can't grow lobelia, begonia and busy lizzie, hands don't work), by the time we'd watered all the baskets and plants, had our lunch at 2.45 and came home, worn out ;D
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Nothing, I've been at a beekeepers' get-together.
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Ok to do this in pictures?
Today I spent another 10hrs at my allotment and...
Planted some lettuce....
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a85/mickwall/a42.jpg)
Two more rows of spuds...
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a85/mickwall/a32.jpg)
Made a hotbed for my courgettes...
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a85/mickwall/a22.jpg)
(I know it needs digging agian)
and sowed a few seeds....
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a85/mickwall/a1-1.jpg)
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Nothing- did a 12-mile charity walk. Just hope the aches and pains are gone tomorrow so I can get down to the plot on the last day of my week off.
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i love looking at pictures of other peolpe's allotments i'll have to work out how to post mine :)
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Did some weeding and a general tidy up one of my lotty neighbours turned up and said I could help myself to his parsnips and leeks, Lubbly, :)
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;D
Turned the compost yesterday. It all looks crumbly and like a christmas cake mix at the bottom so I mixed it all up and put it all back, it will be gorgeous in a few weeks! How sad am I... :-[
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tied in the sweet peas, made up a couple of hanging baskets, planted more fielderkraut cabbage, creamy romanesco and fillbasket sprout, red cap and kalibos cabbage..watered everything that needed it, Ray put the debris netting over the cabbage bed..found 2 CABBAGE WHITES today :o ;D
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lots of watering and talking to other plotters..planted more sprouts" wellington "....sown red cabbage in cold frame.
j t w
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Built the shed and painted it dark brown - for that been here for years, aged look ;D
Organised our first plant and seed swap - sort of worked but I now have a tray full of seed packets - more than we started with ??? ???
Did a bit of weeding and launched chemical warfare on the bindweed that overwhelmed the strawberry bed last year.........but disaster struck when the seam on the sprayer bottle split and roundup went everywhere, fortunately I was in the area I wanted to spray, so I picked up the bottle and sprayed from the seam, but I wouldn't recommend it! ::)
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Planted two lines of Ratte and sowed half a line of Sprouts. ;D ;D ;D
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I was tied up at church most of the day, but I managed to barrow a few loads of grass cuttings tonight.
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Not a thing,went to a plant fair at Chatsworth house in Derby,on the way home had fish n chips in Matlock Bath.
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Planted out some leeks, french beans and beetroot grown in modules. Mowed my own and my neighbour's plot. Caught the sun.
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tidied up the strawberries need to feed them tomorrow as they are already in bud and even some flowers. also mowed the lawn and turned the rabbit droppings and sawdust compost heap.
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Laid down 20 tyres and planted 40 pink fir apple spuds. Planted all my earlies, resited my strawberries, planted 2 blueberries and made 1 raised bed. I then watered all the plot.
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Nothing yet, I was waiting for it to get light!! ;D
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I planted out all my lettuce Mixed leaf , Iceburg,cos,sladin and lollo rosso my salad bed looks great i have raddish spring onions and two diiferent beetroots >:( its a shame i will have no toms to go with them and cucs will be ages yet :)
well that gives me the excuse to sow and and buy more seeds ;D ;D
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Dug a new bed in an area that's been covered in old carpet for a year and planted my maincrop Romano potatoes in it. Planted out some beetroot and marigold seedlings grown in modules, put netting around french beans to protect from possible frost, harvested some butterhead lettuce and asparagus, admired my new fruit cage, turned the compost heap, tidied the shed, hoed and weeded, straightened some edges, watered. Had too many cups of tea. All the while, listened on my ipod to Dylan, Bach, Beethoven and Rossini. Lovely!
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Ower Tone strengthened all the posts holding the raspberries, blackberries and Tayberries. I planted out all my dahlia tubers and mowed the paths again
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I got very bad sunburn! :-[
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Played tea parties in between giving the Daphne and Forsythia a tickle ;D
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weeded and demossed a small patch of lawn (not that i fastidious about the lawn but this little area looked so sad in comparison to the rest it had to be done)
sowed seeds of Kohl rabi, chinese cabbage, lettuce calabrese and PSB. pricked out lemon grass seedlings and shuffled things around the greenhouse to make more space ::). i think i did a couple more things but my greenhouse fried brain can't think of what they were at this time ;).
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i put in more yes more tatty's
the tattys are taking over
but at least i get to use the rest of my lotty . its so mahosive
8)
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We found it was too hot yesterday so decided half way through digging to go to Llandudno instead ;D had a lovely day but we've got a lot of work to do this evening now lol
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I planted out more geraniums and lobellia along with some more Nasturtians in the long bed next to my front path will have to sort some photos as I'm proud at what Ive accomplished with the front garden need to sort out a subscription out
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At long last we have our water turned on, watered my carrots, beetroots and leeks, filled up one of my water butts so I'm a happy lottyman, :)
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Not a thing,went to a plant fair at Chatsworth house in Derby,on the way home had fish n chips in Matlock Bath.
OOOOH FROGGY! My two favourite things to do in the whole wide world :D
Today I have strimmed and strimmed and strimmed. Helped out a mate I share one of the allotments with and strimmed under the fruit trees - inadvertantly strimmed all the wildflower seedlings she'd carefully planted under them. WELL SHE COULD HAVE TOOOOOLD ME!
Started a horseradish patch ... mmmmmmmm :)
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we watered the peas, turnips and kohl rabi seedlings, planted more tomatoes and peppers, Ray put up the canes and sank the pipes next to them..moved more plants around for the plant sale, transplanted more plants for the plant sale..looks like it might rain, now ;D
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:-\ cut the lawns today
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Be careful with the horseradish patch or it may became an allotment patch. My next allotment holder and me and another one are trying to get rid of it.
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Be careful with the horseradish patch or it may became an allotment patch. My next allotment holder and me and another one are trying to get rid of it.
[/quote
Bit like Mint then ;D ;D
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Did make horseradish sauce once, but as we don't eat it that often, buy a jar. I don't believe it, but my mint seems to have disappeared this year, or it is not up yet. Mint is good cause I use it a lot.
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:) :)
Mint Is super (you killed it how ) I love it in new potatoes Super stuff And easy to grow :) and control too !!
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I have sown more carrot seeds after my trial and ERROR discovery yesterday !!!
Thanks Palustris.
Also planted more sunflower seeds in pots as 'back up' plants for the kids at the nursery school I work in as the ones they have sown are not looking so good, but we are gonna plant them out anyway. When mine are ready I will sneak them in !! Shhhh!
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The mint is the garden dies because the cat/s pee on it if that is any help. At the allotment I do not know. It is under the rosemary which has got much too big and I cut it back yesterday so hopefully the mint will grow soon. Anyway no great problem as can always get roots from next door, it seems to have left my garden and moved next door. I blame the cats. I also have ginger mint, or had it. Salad tonight with pots. and mint (from next door) sob sob.
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The mint is the garden dies because the cat/s pee on it if that is any help.
;D ;D ;D
well that won,t help ;D
I also have ginger mint, not had that one what do you use that for ?
Had an Apple Mint But all mixed in together now :)
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Ginger mint is the same as mint but the leaves are yellow and green.
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:)
Thanks ;)
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Sowed some PSB and peas direct and transplanted some leeks yesterday. ;D ;D ;D
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potted on 'a' cabbage plant (the others aren't ready as yet :-\), potted on some Vietnamese coriander that was sent to me by a kind A4A member :) they are growing really well. watered a lot, did some weeding and saving of self sown plants mainly oregano and i think a dog rose plant from under the old apple tree. planted out a couple of sunflower plants and generally tidied up a bit.
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Hoe-ed weeds around onions.
Earthed up tub spuds.
Sieved earth ready for tub of carrots.
Watered.
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watered, transplanted more cabbages, sprouts and broccoli, weeded the onion bed, transplanted lots of alyssum and lobelia ;D
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Planted broad beans, sprouts, mange tout and sowed some more parsnip seed. Going to have a day in the garden tomorrow. Tones got to do the pool and I have to vacate his GH for the Toms I have to move my stuff out either into the coldframe or the bottom GH. bleedin liberty.lol
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planted out some sprout seedlings and psb, that's all as had my two children with me (2 and 4) and one got stung by nettles :'( hopefully better luck tomorrow, if weather holds out...!
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This evening I sowed peas, beans and tomatoes (yes, I know, I'm a bit late with the tommy-farters). But I stood there at the garden wall (my potting bench) wondering why I left it so long, because I really, really love doing it. It's just so relaxing and satisfying, pottering away there (no pun intended :D ), wrist-deep in good compost, counting out the seeds and knowing there'll be something so worthwhile at the end of it all.
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weeded and watered
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hoed and hand weeded onion and shallot bed, picked spinach and asparagus for tea, cut the grass paths/ shades
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Put some more grass cuttings on the spuds, and did some digging.
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put in shallots /onions /parsnips /beetroot /carrots/ spinach/
all the spuds now in and put up been sticks :D
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Checked the greenhouses. Watered where needed. Pottered in the big greenhouse pricking things out. Dug up some little JA's and things to get in the post to those I had promised..
:)
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Spent a few hours over the last 2 days making a couple of hazel wigwams with some freebie poles OH got me. Very satisfying! Have earmarked one for sweetpeas and the other for my outdoor cucumbers!
Also planted seed onions (ailsa craig), peas (meteor) carrots (fleeced in a frame), beetroot and parsnips.
Ready for a hot bath now! ;D
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planted out some plants into the flower beds, watered what needed watering and done some more weeding.
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Moved all me stuff out of Tones Tomato GH and down the garden to the old one. Washed loads of pots (nasty job) potted up 100 or more chrysanth cuttings.
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Potted on a couple of dozen alpine strawberry plants that got terribly neglected over the winter, and am counting as a bonus that they are still alive.
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Nuts, still haven't dug up those runners.... :-[
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transplanted fielderkraut cabbage, romanesco and fillbasket sprouts, Ray earthed up the spuds in the tunnel with newspaper, I weeded the pea and turnip bed, planted out lots of sunflowers in to the squash bed, transplanted lots of alyssum and lobelia for the plant sale, re-arranged all the plants outside, the lads put a support up to hang the baskets out for the sale ;D
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I re transplanted my young bay leaf tree to another spot took most of the leaves off so as to encourage root growth and so when the new growth comes can train around a pole in order to have a curvy trunk as its in the mifddle of the front of my garden as a sort of centre peice when it gets a bit bigger about 5 years from now also planted a shrub my neighbour was going to throw away didnt know what it was when i asked him he said it had big flowers and thats all he can remember has no leaves on at all as he had it in a pot cut it back hard from what i can see it was pot bound as well as when he gave it me looked a little dry so soaked it over night and dug in some manure with it will sit back now and wait for the surprise , there is young shoots comming one or two only
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Deeply planted a few early runners and sowed some more peas. ;D ;D ;D
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Watered the plants and roughly dug over another section of soil.
It was like digging concrete as our site is full of clay, but just keep digging and adding compost is what i am told by the experienced lottie holders.
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Potted up 5 bare root hostas that I got from Home Bargains for 2 or 3 quid. Look nice and healthy, and just starting to shoot. And they came in a lovely thick green paper bag that I can't bear to get rid of, but have no idea what to use for. :)
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And am now being pestered by younger daughter to sow the Dig In seeds we got this week. Sent her on a seed tray hunt. :)
Her class was asked to take in plastic trays this week so that they could sow seeds in class. I think she she was the only one to take in a propagator, complete with lid. :) And she looked down on the cress that other children were sowing. Considered them beneath her superior gardening experience. She chose peas. ;D
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planted beans outside, Tony's had his in for 2 weeks and they're doing fine, got more growing as insurance..planted sweetcorn in the polytunnel..planted unknown onions, forgot to label them, could be long red florence..planted up hanging baskets and troughs that people had dropped off, made 140.00 for the plant sale today ;D
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Weeded and tied in the sweet peas. sowed some salad leaves and hoed. Tony half made the structure for the chrysanths
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Went down for the first time for over a week and found the weeds taking over- dandelion, bindweed, couch, buttercup and others whose names I don't know, all shooting up everywhere. So spent most of the time weeding instead of planting brassicas as planned, although I did get a few peas and a couple of globe artichokes in and spread some manure. Felt a bit overwhelmed as I am not likely to get there so often now that I'm working full time. :(
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Dug. Unfortunately I'm a bit limited in that area due to my back, and I couldn't do that much without setting myself up for problems.
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tied in the beans, watered everywhere, planted lettuce, planted a squash under fleece to see how it goes, planted cauliflower out, checked all the fruit trees, priced up hanging baskets and pots ;D
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pricked out some brassicus seedlings and amaranth seedlings. potted up some basil and cucumber plants hot work in the greenhouse :-[. helped hubby trim the hedge before the birds ear mark it for their home as last year we couldn't do anything to the hedge till august.
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I've sowed Red Cabbage, Cauli AYR, and Carrots in a toy tub, all direct. Earthed up spuds, emptied some lovely compost out of my dalek and started another one and mixed the others and given the lottie a good watering, so much for the rain predicted this weekend I've got bloody sunburn. 8) ;D ;D ;D
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Hi
More couch grass removal, did another half bag full, the full bag is now too heavy for me to lift, so will have to get help to move it when it comes to disposal time.
I have now done about 4 m squared, 1 spit deep!! hehe
Cheers
Dave
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Today I mostly weeded my tattie, asparagus & onion / garlic plants - they were well in need of it after the warmth & wetness this week ::). OH did a bit of digging but then cleared the pile of old logs / bramble stems that are on the next bit we'll tackle. There was a wasp nest in that bit last autumn so thought we'd move the pile before anything else set up home for the season :)
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Earthed up my early spuds, planted out some sweetpeas and peas (show perfection and purple podded) and picked some more psb, then went home and mowed the grass! :D
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Cleared out the Hippo bag that I had used as my first compost heap (it was in the shed and I hadn't collected any pallets yet) into one of the pallet bins, used said hippo bag as a load liner in my camper to go and get some free topsoil (which I will earth up my potatos that are planted through weed mulch fabric) and did a small bit of digging of new ground and getting the couch roots out of it.....I have a pet rule, whenever I go to the allotment, even if I only get fifteen minutes to do it I dig and de-root a bit..... also ran the hoe around my onions..... have now got Welsh, Kelsae, Rjionsburger, Aisla Craig, Long Red Florence and Egyptian Tree in.... apart from the ratehr sad garlic the only other thing that is out is a few broad beans, half a dozen Jeruslalem artichokes, some Oca from a seedswap and the inherited fruit bushes (which turn out to be mostly gooseberries, yum!)..... Mostly today and yesterday I have been making the marquee sized panels for my new lightshow structure ..... needs to be ready for a festival in mid May and I'm starting to panic.... at least I now seem to have got the knack of sewing with the ancient (but tough as old boots ) Singer that I bought on ebay a few weeks ago./.....
chrisc
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Tony put the bean canes up and I swung on em to make sure they were strong enough. Watered,had a chat, bought some canes from the lottie shop, had another chat, dug the paths either side of the sweet peas and strawed it. had another chat.Weeded and strawed the strawberries. all in all agood day.
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Perfect Sunday morning really, planted out the next lot of peas from their guttering sowing, planted the Welsh Onions Saddad sent me (thanks again!) put in a row of cabbages my neighbour gave me having sown to many (yet again!) dug up a bucket load of bindweed roots (yet again!) had a cup of tea and chat with the neighbours and the morning had flown by.
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Started to plant up my flower garden on the allotment,Chysanthmums to start with. Sowed some lettuce seed and Watered everything. It's really getting dr here on the north east coast my peas now have a big crack down the middle on the row.
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First my garden- cut the grass, dug out some weeds, potted lilies into a bigger pot, planted out someplants from my coldrame to make room for more, watered pots that were really parched, sowed some cynara and a few squash. Then down to the allotment- planted out cabbages, calabrese and sprouts. Came back for tea then took OH down with me to help net them and dig out some dandelions (his pet hate).
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We reclaimed/dug another 140 square feet. Potted up more beans/tubers etc. ;D
My body feels like road kill :)
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had a BBQ
;D
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put straw around the strawberries, tidied the big poly for saturday, beggared off out of the rain for lunch ;D
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Bugger all in this weather, wheres the bloody Sun 8) gone. :( :'( ;D ;D ;D
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Just been down to the lotty for the first time in five days to water the plants in the lean-to and what a difference with all this rain everything is going mad but I need to do a weeding session when it comes dry by weekend, :)
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Hoe-ed the weeds that are starting to fly up and dug a trench ready for some Ratte tomorrow. ;D ;D ;D
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Just went up to water the Toms and lettuce in the GH. Was going to tie in sweet peas but it started to rain again
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tied in the beans, sorted the inside cucumbers, moved the rest of the bedding plants to the polytunnel, sold lots more stuff, pulled radish, chives, garlic chives and lettuce for lunch..we all started tidying the site, priced up more stuff :o ;D
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spent a few hours in Barnsdale Gardens, taking loads of photo's (geoff hamiltons garden, nr rutland water) ;)
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Potted up some Golden Sunrise and Gardeners Delight tomatoes, planted out some leeks, observed m ore early potatoes and carrots coming through, licked my lips about the prospect of a bumper fruit harvest (except for my sad and sickly pear tree), drank too much tea, tried out one of the new allotment loos, picked some heads off dandelions (a losing battle) and chatted with my lovely (actress) allotment neighbour.
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Monday night I potted on some tomatos, Black Krim, Gardeners Delight, Alicante and San Marzano and sowed some more lettuces, parsley, assorted cabbages, rocket, oregano, celery and something else I can't remember ::) Tuesday morning I managed to get on the plot before work and get in a row of broadbeans that I'd started in pots at home a couple of weeks ago, a feww garlic plants that were in a pot outside my greenhouse and a row of assorted peas.....
chrisc
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Braved the rain and to get some cauli, PSB and asparagus for tea. Yum
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Had a great day here in Brum. Tony put up the structure for the squash to climb up. I strawed the paths around the crops so they don't get compacted. Did some weeding and got home at 7pm.
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re planted the begonias corms in my new bed outside the front door intermingled them between the rocks as there a cascading type in many different colurs so will see what they do free so not complaining if they dont come to much
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Had a weeding session surprising how the weeds come through after not touching it for five days, planted more beetroot, marrow seeds and banked up mi spuds, :)
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After work spread well rotted manure on bit we cleared/dug.
Lay on ground with a camera to take a picture of bee living in tunnel for Richard...after 25 minutes got up as no bee and horse-people in field behind us giving me strange looks
Planted up garlic
Planted up some more artichoke (experiment from B7Q as they look smooth like Fuseau except they are red.)
Weeded borders. ( Bittercress is a pain)
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planted more toms, peppers, basil and parsley in the tunnel, everything's looking good :)
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Planted out, limed and netted my brassicas (Cauli, broccoli and Brussels). Weeded the strawberries and sowed some leek seed. Dug out a few of the dreaded dandelions then ran out of time - hoping the rest don't go to seed before I can get them out later in the week!
;D ;D Hector - folks have been arrested for less!!
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Planted half a dozen sweet potato slips in pots, planted out some more leeks on the allotment, planted out sweet peas and Morning Glory in the back garden, potted up some basil, weeded and watered.
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sowed my runner beans, borlotto and first lot of french climbing beans. fed the tomatoes and curcubits in the greenhouse as they have at least another thee weeks in their pots before the go into the ground.
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Checked rat taps (caught one).
Put the fire on because I like doing it, not because I needed it.
Planted 7 varieties of beetroot, some in ground, some in modules.
Planted a variety of heritage peas.
Dug over a small bed.
Wanted to plant my asparagus but couldn't due to them being rotten on delivery!
Planted some onion sets to fill in in the spaces where some of my seed onions were before they were eaten by critters.
Went to the waste land bit and cut some comfrey for composting and to put below my beans.
Fried and ate two lamb chops.
Phoned Halle Berry and told her I couldn't go on that date as I had other beds to dig and seeds to sow.
Spoke to the old guys about who was annoying them that day and about cycling.
Sat about and generally loafed while thinking about a cool design for 'beanstick mansions'.
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Wednesday evening I picked up some builders bulk bags off freecycle, picked up another bulk bag (noy full) of topsoil from freecycle, set three of the bags up on the plot to act as temp raised beds, then planted out 40 modules of pickling onions and put some slug pellets down arouund the Jerusalem artichokes cos the wee blighters have been at em.....
chrisc
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yesterday evening sowed my parsnips, cut and laid comfrey around tomatoes in the plot greenhouse ;)
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covered all the things ive put out far too early due to excitement and impatience,sowed back up seed of things that failed to germinate so far,watered and tidyed the greenhouse.admired hubbies pea/bean frame he is making for us(think huge wooden goal post with twine running across) tidied seeds,weeded weeded weeded,got wet,drank ea and chattered.not many up today,prob cos of the rain.saw one of the newts in our pond so fed her a worm which she soon gobbled up
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Sowed nips, spring onions and earthed up the spuds in toy tubs to the top and put fleece covers on them. ;D ;D ;D
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:) went to lottie from work and watered pots in greenhouse, and watered my carrots on my plot. we need more rain ;D/ shades x
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yesterday i erected my runnerbeans supprt and one wigwam for some climbing french beans.
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Planted another row of broan beans and beetroot banked up the spuds did a bit of weeding and generally spent a nice three and a half hours on the lotty this morning, ready for a pint, :)
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did some tidying and watering...
now going to talk to a group of Infant teachers and TA's about the delights of allotments and food growing... ( I never got training days like that!!) :)
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Made a seed bed in which I plan to grow cabbage seedlings. Got rid of a lot of stones and rock-hard lumps of clay. Was complimented on my broad beans by some American allotment neighbours and had to point out that they were in fact field beans (green manures planted in autumn, with lots of nitrogen fixing nodules on the roots, which I should have dug in earlier in the spring). Some of them were beginning to flower, so I dug them in this afternoon. Sowed some more carrots. Also cut some comfrey and put it in water to rot down into rich smelly liquid. Noticed my second earlies (Charlotte) coming through and everything else growing strongly.
Birds singing, sun shining: a wonderful day.
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Put up a runner net and sowed a few more runners.
Put in another line of onions.
Sowed some more peas and put up some netting.
Re sowed some cauli to fill in the patches that never germinated.
Cultivated more soil ready for brassicas.
Sowed Squash in pots propergated in plastic bags.
Watered. ;D ;D ;D
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How did you do the squash in the plastic bag Kev?
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dug out stones from my carrot bed, planted carrots and spring onions in the vain hope of deterring carrot fly, watered everything, planted sweet peas against the shed, planted purple caulis and chatted to my neighbour. Nice afternoon.
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Done some digging planted out my swede and courgettes(tempting fait with them)
lots of weeding and watering.
Then back at home in the greenhouse but more lettice in 4 types and little lad put his giant pumpkins in.... And more watering....
Now feeling bloated as mrs done a loverly roast and washed down with a bottle of newky. :)
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Rebuilt and refilled my four compost bins, pricked out some sunflowers, and Gaura "The Bride" for the sale... going back for ten minutes to do the Okra... :)
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erected the rest of my wigwams for my french beans, etc.
erected one of my frames for netting brassicus plants.
dug and filled 8 individual holes with rotted manure (from small mammal bedding) for my tomatoes, 4 more to do when the rest of the area is cleared of winter and early spring crops. i also started to erect their supports which will also double as the support for the roof that goes over them to help keep the rain off (in case the rain returns) thus reducing the risk or reducing the effect of blight.
potted up some cabbage seedlings.
watered whatever needed watering.
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Scalped all my hedges
Mowed the lawn
Dug out two tree roots.
CC
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Did some of my hedge yesterday. I'll probably dig a bit today. It's drizzling a bit now, but I don't think it's going to be more than a few drops now and then.
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Leaving the lotty alone today to wet but I have plenty to do when it dries up later this week, :)
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weeded the onion beds, planted some romanesco broccoli, firkled for some new spuds, only took 6..planted another squash under fleece ;D
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weeded and watered, it has just started to rain here and i hope it keeps going, over night would be nice. It's so dry on my allotment that i've got big cracks in the soil. My poor parsnips are on a cliff :-[
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This weekend we cleared a 30x30ft square on our 2nd plot, put weed suppressant fabric dug in over half of it for pumpkins and filled the rest with potatoes in trenches. Glad that is done! ;D
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Day off from the plot today. Went to see me Mom this morning and worked me butt off freeing up the GH tables that I was using outside to harden me plants off. Tone uses them upside down for standing his tomato buckits in.Them tables are in costant use in and out of the GH. Now have trays of plants standing on the gravel path with old supermarket baskets over them. Don't want to plant out just in case there's a frost. It would eb such a shame to lose them after all the hard work.
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Took a day off too, went to Trentham with OH and some friends, it rained but not enough to worry about.. :)
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Got down to the plot before the rain started in earnest and managed to do a little bit and then got too wet. But yesterday I did a fair bit of digging and clearing of the additional plot I have taken on, and also sowed all my squash and bean seeds in modules, plus cleared a newly discovered strawberry bed on the new plot.
Less pleasant found what looks like a rat run near my shed - time to grit my teeth and sort it out. i am not looking forward to that at all.
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Cleared out the greenhouse :)
Moved some Strawberries, hope they will be ok ???
Potted lots of Flower seeds :)
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Dug over the very dry front border, even today's showers didn't penetrate more than half an inch.
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wanted to go to Manicscousers openday but had to wait in for my old Mini to be repaired in time for work tomorrow......sooo more digging ( boy am I feeling it ::) ) ....hubby has made me a 3 by 3 foot 6 potato planter like this http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/homegarden/2002347126_potatoes25.html (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/homegarden/2002347126_potatoes25.html) but bigger. Hubby and kids painted potato thing.
Sowed more seeds, pricked out Romanescue early...Snapdragon...Mesanbrium (can't spell them).....more digging again....clearing more wasteland..................planted some garlic....reptted a climber.....moved a toad to a safer place!!!....dug up what looks like a hidden supply of broken bathroom tiles and muckle big bricks and boulders.
Went out and bought some essentials.
I am now flaked out with a BIG Pimms and lemonade.
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don't worry, hector..hope your car's okay ;D
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As I'd been visiting family yesterday, I wan't going to let a few showers put me off getting a few hours in today!
Planted about a dozen or so broad bean seedlings i'd started in pots in order to plug the holes in my rows of those that didn't germinate or hadn't survived - and weeded the rest of the bed. Planted a couple of short rows of black salsify (an experiment this year) and a few more lettuce.
Got in the last of my spuds (four Shetland Black which I'd bought - again as an experiment - but forgotten about (chitted properly unlike my others this year).
Continued my annual battle with horsetail (bindweed gets weaker every year, couch increasingly under control - except on the raspberry patch) but this is still a pain).
Started my courgettes in off pots.
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Potted up tomatoes in the greenhouse while it was raining, then went down to plot this afternoon. The soil was just right for digging after the rain so had a good bindweed and buttercup session. Planted out onions and beetroot,plus one more globe artichoke as two had been badly chewed. Picked asparagus and rhubarb and did a thorough strim. Sowed some annual flowers to attract the bees. Just out of the bath but still aching!
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don't worry, hector..hope your car's okay ;D
£80 has made it all better :) She's old but I think after my digging today that her bodywork is holding out better than mine ;D
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put all the peas and beans out now that OH has built a stunning wooden frame for them,had top visit from dad,lovely few hours spent chatting in the shed.ate lunch with him then weeded a bit,sat in the greenhouse admiring,prayed over the courgettes that i was too impatient to keep in pots and planted out too early.had spare peas/mangetout and broad beans so found foster parents for them.put one pea next to our strongest sunflower as an experiment,to see if they will grow together.came home when it got too cold,despite all my layers bbbrrrr,hope that wasnt our summer over the weekend!
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Mesanbrium (can't spell them).....
from Hector... Livingstone daisies... much easier... ;D Glad the car's better...
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Found a bottle of nicely chilled Pinot Grigio outside my allotment shed, left by an allotment neighbour Angelo as (unexpected) thanks for giving him some tomato plants. Drank some, then planted out some parsnips grown in modules and did some weeding and hoeing. Harvested some lettuce. Noticed Oca coming through.
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Livingstone daisies... much easier... ;D
are livingstone daisies also known as ice plants?
doing nothing at the plot today, transplanting my squash at home with my leg up, should be fun ;D
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Don't think so, but they do have a "succulent" leaf... :-\
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they do have sparkley leaf, sot of icey :)
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Watered tomato plants and salad bed gave the onion plants and peas a feed of organic fertiliser which stinks to high heaven, hoed between the onions, put up another half dozen runner bean poles, :)
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yesterday i dug some more holes (these are for aubergines and sweetpeppers) and half filled them with small mammal manure and backfilled, will be doing more of the same today (this lot will be for the courgettes and cucumbers).
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Just popped up to water today. (hairday today). Did some transplanting and sowed me beans including some for the allotment shop. Sorted out the chrysanths that I want and the rest will go to the shop. It's easier for us to grow a few extra plants for them to sell than muck in on the working weekends they have.
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Controversially I planted out my sweetcorn plants, I did cover them with fleece, so fingers crossed there... also weeded couch grass...
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Just watered, Shirl the way I read your post it sounds like you was transplanting your hair. :o ??? ;D ;D ;D :-*
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Weeded and cleared garden borders. Like others, nothing but watering at the allotment. Looks like being a bumper year for plums and gages - loads of fruit forming on the trees.
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:)
Watering in Greenhouse Today All ok
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Drank two tins of wine. Inspected my seedlings. Drove to the tip (before the wine)
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yesterday i dug some more holes (these are for aubergines and sweetpeppers) and half filled them with small mammal manure and backfilled, will be doing more of the same today (this lot will be for the courgettes and cucumbers).
well my abdomen is killing me from the holes i dug yesterday and the sunday, so i wimped out and transplanted my french marigolds and spring onions instead, also sifted some compost and added it to the bed i planted the spring onions in, then i still had a half hour to kill so i bit the bullet and dug two holes for the cucumbers, OUCH!!!! washboard tummy here I come ;).
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Had a day off today with Oh. Hauled myself round the shops, which I don't enjoy, apparently i am supposed to like shopping :-\
Anyway after 6 hours of this got myself to the lottie at 3pm, and then shifted an old compost heap, hoed my onion, rhubarb and strawberry bed, and earthed up tatties.
Headed home, cooked dinner (veggie! much to OH's disgust no meat), and I am now happily rubbing in the linament after a nice bottle of french red - shared with OH of course - has to be some compensation for a veggie dinner.
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Just watered, Shirl the way I read your post it sounds like you was transplanting your hair. :o ??? ;D ;D ;D :-*
Thats whats good about getting old you can say and do what ya like. Folks will always make excuses for you.BTW I could do with a hair transplant and ower Tone could ;D
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Watered everything in the big greenhouse, for the sale. After my Acupuncture clinic felt up to weilding a fork so went down the bottom lottie and dug out bindweed/brambles/stray spuds/dandelions from along the hedge... found the snowberry growing back... >:( so dug it up again...
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Watered everything in the big greenhouse, for the sale. After my Acupuncture clinic felt up to weilding a fork so went down the bottom lottie and dug out bindweed/brambles/stray spuds/dandelions from along the hedge... found the snowberry growing back... >:( so dug it up again...
What sale might that be :P
Duke
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;D
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Finished potting up the chrysanths for the shop. Ended up with at least 100. Went to the plot this afternoon to do a bit o weeding and to encourage the mange tout to climb up the wire mesh. Tied the sweet peas in (will be glad when they are up the sticks) me bluddy knees are killin me.
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planted out my onion seedlings, dug and filled 6 more holes for the cucumbers and some of the squashes, only 18 more to go :-\
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yesterday, planted out some leeks ;D
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After tea potted up T+M sweet potato slips... not happy about condition. At over £1 each (with p+p) to have lost 4 in transit is not funny... also some annual grases for OH, some sunflowers, liquorice, nicotiana etc.. OH planted out leeks lettuce and chard into her "pottager"... ;D
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Re sowed sweetcorn as none of the 42 came up :'( I have E-mailed Fothergills about the duff seed. ;D ;D ;D
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Thought it was going to rain this morning, but we only had 10 minutes of very fine drizzle. So had to go and water my seed beds.
Started second batch of sweet corn. Very upset ;D one of the previous batch did not germinate. Rest growing nciely under plastic bottles.
Just seen my first courgette. It is about an inch long.
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Manured my chrysanth run and got the bed ready for me courgettes. (5 this year). Tone got the PSB out and stripped it for the bunnies. Planted my gojiberry. Went to get some trout pellets for the fish and came away with 2 new plants. Jacobs ladder and another plant like an iris but it's not. Will take a pic tomorrow. Wind playing havoc with the aquilega and colombine, had to put some wire netting around them
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pricked out the Chinese cabbage and 2nd set of lettuce
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Just done weeding today didnt have to water as its started to rain just as i was finishing weeding ;D now how often does that happen.
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defleeced tender plants and saw how many weeds have come up :o since Tuesday thanks to the rain...sun...rain...sun we've been having here in Surrey
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tied in and pinched out the sideshoots from the tomatoes, firkled some new spuds and picked some psb for tea..sowed some barlottis, leeks and lettuce for follow on crops ;D
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Well today was one o them days when as soon as you started something, down came the rain. Our Tracy (akaBunjy) has just got a GH and we sat in there sheltering from the rain and drinkin tea. Did manage to plant 5 lavender plants around the area where we sit for a break.(wots that) weeded amongst the broad beans, I took these pics today. The one is of the n(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s121/shirlton/enviromeshcages011.jpg)ew plant I got yesterday. (What a bloody mouthful)[]
sisyrichium siriatum "Aunt May"
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Here are the other 2
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I planted my sweet corn, and please do not tell me it is too early. It was outgrowing the pots. Pulled up mares tail as it is just coming up everywhere. Looked at the overgrown plots surrounding me and felt like giving up. Picked some everlasting spinach for dinner, and wondered why I am the only person that seems to have lost my mint. Redcurrants seem to be doing well, so netted some, birds watching what I was doing. Strawberries in flower, did some watering as in spite of the rain this morning the soil was still dry. Potatoes coming up.
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Last night picked up another couple of hippo bags and got some more topsoil of freecycle... dropped off at site tonight... also potted on a couple of dozen tomatos, 90 asparagus plants, some chillis, beetroot, lettuce, assorted herbs and even a spice (I grow coriander for the seed :D) so now there is a big pile of 15-shot module trays outside the GH hardening off, basil in 4" terracotta with gritty compost in the GH ... meanwhile on the plot itself I managed a test-rig of the brassica frame (it's 2" aluminium scaffolding poles and will be a walk-in structure) and planted out another tray of peas (24 plants) and established a brassica nursery bed (under chickenwire) and transferred in the assorted cabbages, caulis and brussels that were in modules are now in soil.......
Need to get more topsoil over the weekend......... need more hippo bags too ......
[/knackered]
chrisc
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planted some roma tomatoes in the poly, courtesy of a friend, planted more basil next to them, nearly a full bed now..
sowed swede and radish, can't believe I ran out of radish..picked an overwintered onion that started to go to seed, plus some spring onions and lettuce for tea ;D
all of this while people were coming on buying plants
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planted some roma tomatoes in the poly, courtesy of a friend, planted more basil next to them, nearly a full bed now..
sowed swede and radish, can't believe I ran out of radish..picked an overwintered onion that started to go to seed, plus some spring onions and lettuce for tea ;D
all of this while people were coming on buying plants
You still selling plants tommorrow manic? Got many brassicas left? Slugs have demolished nearly all mine in the greenhouse overnight :'( I would like summer cabbage, red cabbage, brussels, calabrese, sprouting brocolli and swede.
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only got summer cabbages, sparkly, Tony may have sprouts and cauli..I've some small calabrese and swede, I can put some to one side for you if you'd like ;D
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yesterday i dug some more holes (these are for aubergines and sweetpeppers) and half filled them with small mammal manure and backfilled, will be doing more of the same today (this lot will be for the courgettes and cucumbers).
well my abdomen is killing me from the holes i dug yesterday and the sunday, so i wimped out and transplanted my french marigolds and spring onions instead, also sifted some compost and added it to the bed i planted the spring onions in, then i still had a half hour to kill so i bit the bullet and dug two holes for the cucumbers, OUCH!!!! washboard tummy here I come ;).
dug ten more holes today in very stony soil back filled with rabbit manure and sifted the Stone topsoil, now my back is killing me.
ah well only 8 more to do but in the raised beds so less stones
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More digging..... Then put my savoy and broc in.....
At home started to paint the fence with the stain Mrs had got only for her to say it wasn't the colour she though and dont like it ::)
So of to diy store tomoz to get a diff colour ???
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tied in haricot, purple podded and runner beans..planted my squash out, sowed some beetroot..weeded the other onion bed and sowed some Ishikura onions..met a lovely lady from here called Sparkly, had a chat and a cuppa and sold her some plants ;D
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Still at it, just come in to make a cuppa! :)
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tied in haricot, purple podded and runner beans..planted my squash out, sowed some beetroot..weeded the other onion bed and sowed some Ishikura onions..met a lovely lady from here called Sparkly, had a chat and a cuppa and sold her some plants ;D
Was great to meet you both today Manic. You have a lovely site with a great community spirit. Thanks for the cuppa too! ;D
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Went to the plot this morning to get some rhubarb for our son and his partner to take back to Consett with them. They left 5 mins ago and guess what is still in the fridge (you got it rhubarb). Will have to put it in the freezer now. Potted on some more Tomatoes and emptied the tubs of tulips in the garden. Have saved the spent compost to fill in the carrot trench like Tee Gee said to do. Am hoping for some fantastic autumn king to store this year.
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I weeded the carrot and onion bed, strimmed the grass,potted on the cauliflower, feed the compost bin and watered. Need to dig my next bed but can't as the ground is too hard. I never thought i would say this pre allotment but....... i sure wish it would rain lol :) :)
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More digging then put out my purple sprouting and romanesc cauli..... Got to plant more ordinary cauli as the all scorched in the green house.....
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Today I planted potatoes on next doors allotment,the guy who owns it is having a few problems so I've agreed to plant up as much of it as I can and we'll share anything that grows.
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Planted out my loo-roll parsnips. Fingers crossed for abetter crop this year. Perversely, when I was weeding between my onions I saw a parsnip growing there (where it shouldhave grown last year!). Also planted upsome toms into growbags and did some more weeding. P:icked asaparagus and rhubarb.
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Forget to give them the Rhubarb Shirl that old chestnut, :-\ ???
Potted up 6 toms in their black buckets.
Put up a cane wigwam and sowed some Cherokee beans underneath it. ( cheers Shirl ).
He'd the weeds ( again ).
Dug out old PSB plants ( the bees have had their fun ).
Harvested Rhubarb. ( may send it to consett ).
Mixed daleks and sieved one of the finished bins for the Tommie's.
Also commenced battle with the marestail.
Give a bloody good watering.
;D ;D ;D
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declared war on marestail !!!!!!!!!!!
I also weeded my onion beds, Planted out runner and dwarf bean plants and seeds.
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We planted out purple sprouting broccoli bordeaux and romanesco cauliflowers. ...planted out chinese cabbage plants. Started off making cloches and made more raised bed frames. Planted out more spuds in grow bags and pots. ( Anya and truffle spuds from a Veggie Box)
Transplanted smaller chinese cabbage into bigger modules/pots Planted on various garden shrub/plant
cuttings for folk who have sent me nice seeds/tubers ;)
Whew!!!!
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Spent the morning fencing off my vege plot with chicken wire, there are 4 fox cubs in the area whose inquisitiveness is a little destructive. Now that is up i can get on with planting as i hope it will stop them from rooting out any new plants i plant.
i also dug and composted all but one of my perpetual spinach plants from last year that are finally going to seed, this was after harvesting the last lot of leaves i could have taken off of them (which tasted great when it was sautered with ginger and garlic this evening) I did leave one plant to see if i could harvest seeds for next year sowings.
later in the day i dug some more holes like before now only two more to dig, thank goodness.
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Barrowed some more topsoil into the the HIppo bag planters, then sowed 60 assorted maize/sweetcorn in the big propagator, butternut and winter festival squash, Marketmore cucumbers, gherkins and courgettes in the small propagator and 72 modules of beans (12 dwarf french, 24 yin-yang and 36 borlotti).....
chrisc
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;D ;D ;D at Kev
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:) scattered sulphate of potash around my strawberry plants, sowed small sugar pumpkin and beans seeds - thank you 1066,
watered my compost bins, and added veg waste and horse poo!/ shades x
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Parents down for weekend so Dad helped me dig out 2 x conifer roots from my garden. Plus all the concrete in the lawn that held the base for a parasol in place.
The photo below shows where one of the tree roots was, the large grey hole is where the concrete was, it's approx three foot diameter & nearly 8" deep. I'm going to be spending a chunk of this week filling it in I think, after I've forked over the base to break it up.
CC
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/anaxi100/Gardening/DSC01636.jpg
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A weeding and watering session also tried out my petrol shredder on some old nightshades and it murdered them, :)
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Planted out some old large Chrysanth stools. Mainly to see what colour they are cos they all got mixed up in the mad dash last autumn. The sprays will go in during the next couple of weeks. Spent the rest of the time weeding. Last nice day tomorrow and then rain for 3 days here so will have to make the most of it
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DebP did the plot assessments, I supervised a school visit then strimmed some overgrown plots... :)
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finished planting the inside tomatoes, some have flowers on already ;D
weeded and watered, pulled two onions going to seed,used them for tea tonight ;D
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Yesterday, planted out three different courgette plants in the soil that I'd moved my composters off, hubby mowed the paths with the freecycle petrol mower (a happy chappy in charge of a mean machine ;)), laid down paving slabs in new places on the plot for the composters - lady from Brinsbury in a recent talk said put them on slabs to avoid Mr Ratty getting in. Not worried about the worms as they can get up through the slabs, how many times have you moved a terracotta pot on the path to find a whole gaggle underneath?
Linda
PS Not expecting to do much more, it's Christian Aid week and will be busy collecting all those envelopes delivered tonight!
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planted out a few young perennial plants, watered plants and seedlings in the greenhouse. decided not to plant out the toms and curcubits as it was so windy will hopefully get them in over the weekend.
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yesterday, netted my current bushes again as the soil is too dry and its soooooooooo windy ,netting and canes are blowing all over the place, weeded garlic and shallot bed/ shades x
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Received the free seeds frmo the BBC, sowed the Hunter BNS in the greenhouse in a propagator and I fished a Terrex Autospade out of a skip when I was supposed to be looking at a house......
chrisc
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Put up some plastic, orange builders netting and sowed some french dwarf beans and did some watering. ;D ;D ;D
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mowed the lawn, staked plants in the flower bed area. expecting heavy rain and don't want all that lush new growth flattened.
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put up frame for runner beans,
built new fold away staging for GH,
weeded onions again,
potted on more bedding plants,
put another 20 toms in there final growing positions,
set off sprouts trafalgar F1s,
and calabrease Belstar F1s
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Planted up the rest of "our" toms in the greenhouses... peppers and Aubergines next... (yesterday) I'm not able to garden in the dark... not like Thifasmom!! ;D
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I planted out one side of my runner beans waiting for the others as they havent germinated yet growing two different varieties and don't want them to come at the same time
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Planted up the rest of "our" toms in the greenhouses... peppers and Aubergines next... (yesterday) I'm not able to garden in the dark... not like Thifasmom!! ;D
;D
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weeded, watered..tied in the toms and pinched out, one had grown a huge sideshoot, pinched it out and planted it for a spare..Ray covered my onion seed bed with chicken wire, the wild plot cat(who keeps down the mice and rats) has been digging in it. put out all the seedlings on my shelves so they will be watered while I'm in filey.. picked lettuce, red mustard, radish and some onions that were going to seed, nice salad for tea ;D
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Sowed some more French Dwarf Beans yesterday. ;D ;D ;D
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planted out the caulis, cabbages, romenesco, and some of the psb and kale, and of course netted the lot.
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Netted summer fruiting raspberries. Planted out squashes under cloches. Sowed some spinach. Weeded and watered. Slaughtered some slugs and snails. Cleaned the pond filter.
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Had a look at the lotty this morning after yesterdays rain, I do enjoy looking at an allotment after rain because everything is erect and upright my leeks are certainly standing proud, :)
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planted out some of my runner beans, and transplanted a cucumber into the greenhouse @ the plot. ;)
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planted out all my squash, pumpkin and courgettes, hope they do well as the wind has been 40+ today but has died down now for the night. they simply could not stay in the pots any longer. also attempted o make a mini greenhouse for the sweetpeppers and aubergines but the wind showed me it need tweaking :-\.
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Didn't get out until 3pm having been to Squash's open day....
lifted the fleece on the carrot/parsnip rows... weeded out about 3,000 Poppies (somniferum) murdered some slugs. Put some more sweetcorn in modules, sowed more lettuce, transplanted another 44 Kohl Rabi, generally nantled.. took OH coffee while she prepared the brassica beds on 118/119... finally got rained off.. :)
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Put in a row of summer cabbages and started filling out the flower bed. ;D
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Planted runner beans, two blocks of sweetcorn and a couple of artichoke plants. Weeded in between shallots, garlic and winter onions.
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Potted on some tommies and went to the lottie and braved the winds :o pulled up brassicas and planted my left over spuds in bags. ;D ;D ;D
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Actually got around to doing a few bits in the rain, still not feeling 100% :-\
Planted out the angelica and pink flowered strawberries purchased from Squash's plant sale yesterday, and put to use the environmesh mini tunnel to cover the caulis and carrots...dodged a few showers, took the cloches off the dwarf french beans so they got watered and that was it really! Pathetic..... ::)
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Just come in, been at it since 10:00am... planting out, pricking out, OH has done 15 Tomato baskets for the sale.. sorted out squash for us and the sale... sown more sweetcorn, dodged the odd shower, had a beer on the pew... ;D
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The backstroke.....been torrential!!! We put up a wee gazebo thing and cut timber to make/put up frames for mesh...put on/cut/fitted mesh. Planted out Romansco...iceberg lettuce and more chinese cabbage. Sowed carrots in containers. Sowed more perpetual spinach from a different source as only 3 plants from another sowing...sowed Mipoona...Red Osaka...Chard (couldn't find it before...in my garden jacket pocket with a bag of humbugs, so well impressed. Ate humbugs in greenhouse and looked at Noah blokes blueprints for Arks in case the rain didn't stop...read Joy Larking when it did.
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planted out the chinese leaves, would have done more but was afraid the wind might have snapped them in two while i plated them out. maybe I'll get them in tomorrow
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sowed my 1st batch of sweetcorn, harvested some asparagus and some blanched rhubarb (crumble with double creammmmmm) ;)
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Potted on two cucumber plants, I wanted to plant them out at the weekend but the winds have been sooo strong I didn't bother, are these winds ever going to stop, is it me or are the winds getting worse every year. :-\ :'( :( ;D ;D ;D
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Nah Kev it's all that corn you eat love ;D,. Went up to the plot and tied the sweet peas in. Took the net off them. Came home and worked in the garden. There are more weeds in our garden than there are on the 2 lotties. Planted up troughs around the pool to deter the heron and planted an acer.I really don't enjoy the garden as much as the plot.
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Not the artichokes you lot up north are blowing down Shirl. :'( ;D ;D ;D :-*
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I'm not in the North me laddo
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Sowed Runner Beans, french Beans, endive, chicory, winter Brassicas (Tundra, Purple Cape, Savoys)... watered all the stuff in the big Greenhouse... :)
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North of Brum is north to me, then again so is north of Watford. :P ;D ;D ;D
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Oh bless, I used to think that when I lived in sowf London..... ;D
Didn't feel up to doing anything in the garden or plot today.......boo hoo :'(
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Even OH has decided to go to the Cinema rather than out in the rain tonight..
Hope you are feeling better... :)
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Netted the redcurrants ::). Tied in the raspberry canes (not before time!). Hoed and weeded for a bit before the first shower (for this read downpour) rained me off.
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planted out my chitted sweet corn into the allocated bed and covered with plastic to help keep the temp up. This was after i prepared the bed and covered it for a few days to encourage the soil temp to stay warm during the last rainy windy spell. this is an experiment to see if i could eliminate the faffing of pots and 3 week planting out time.
(http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk187/thifasmom/IMG_3206.jpg)
also planted out my outside tomatoes with some basil which have 2L bottle cloches and erected my outside tomato cover finished at 21:37, there was just enough light to see my way inside. but the flash in the picture makes it look completely dark.
(http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk187/thifasmom/IMG_3209.jpg)
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Took my friend Heather and her 2-year old grandson Ivor to see the site and my plot. Ivor watered the spinach and I firkled a fair sized first early potato (Colette) for him to have with his dinner. Later went down there again and planted out some lettuce "Marcord" grown in coir pellets under a cloche, and a couple of courgette plants - "Goldie" and "Nero di Milano" - in between my climbing beans. Also put a couple of squashes - Butternut and Sweety Lightning - near the beans. Watered. Strimmed long grass on a neighbour's plot. Loads more to do before going off on a choir tour of Finland and Estonia on Saturday.
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Someone on the lottie had left me a tub of lettuces on my plot, so I planted out a dozen in between my French beans, did a bit of weeding and watered. ;D ;D ;D
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Blimey, what a coincidence, I was offered lettuce this week, told it was going to be left on my plot but hasn't turned up yet. You are so lucky not only got my lettuce but also my free seeds. I think another allotment holder goes to a nursery and it is buy one get one free, so he distributes lettuce around. Don't really want it as food for pigeons and am off to France on Sunday so no time to net/plant. Nick gave me a sweet corn cob with strict instructions on how to plant it and also some courgettes seeds. Felt a bit guilty when I recycled the sweet corn as already had mine planted. He has planted about 80 lettuces, most of which the pigeons are eating, but as he is my friend, he will probably give me some. I come back from the allotment loaded with lovely produce that people have given me and lie to OH that I have grown it, but he doesn't believe me. Had three men last year giving me marrows, they said you don't want his marrows, mine are bigger and better. Hopefully this year I will be able to give something away, but when I gave Margaret (my old lady) some beans and courgettes she was most upset as she said she wanted to give me some but as she was getting old mine had grown better than hers and she didn't like it. Off on my rambling holiday on Sunday to France and don't you dare say I am rambling too much on here.
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planted out all my beans; runners, borlotti and french - climbing and dwarf.
also planted out my second set of lettuces and some chard.
some flowes were also planted out a companion plansts.
built and positioned a little mini 'hot/ green house' for my sweet peppers and aubergines.
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Planted up my flower bed in the project garden, Filled it with dahlia's this year in front of a sweet pea hazel frame. Planted out the courgettes, weeded the garlic. Trimmed path edges.
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planted the rest of the squash out, planted out the barlottis, lots of african marigolds and ordinary marigolds..weeded lots, picked some spuds, onions that had gone to seed, lettuce, radish and spring onions ;D
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Borlotti, that can't be bad three men offering you their big marrows, maybe I'll get a similiar offer with melons this year, :P :P :P , sorry I was day dreaming for a minute there, I emptied my home compost and mixed the three dalek bins I have on the go, weeded and watered. ;D ;D ;D
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i planted out my sweet peppers and aubergines with some french marigolds into my newly built mini 'hot/ greenhouse'. planted out my cucumbers, potted on the ochro and moved them into the greenhouse now that there is space emerging.
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Watered and weeded.
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That is a true story, had them all standing in a row and had to judge, comment on the size of their marrows. Very embarrassing and the fourth one only had a courgette. Had to take the marrows home in relays as they were so big and stuffed them at home. Today I watered quite a lot, chopped down a lot of mares tail, talked to the allotment cat who has gone blind in one eye. Had a walk around next door's allotment (lady has left and given me permission), amazed to see how more overgrown it has got in 2/3 weeks. Looked at Joe Swift's allotment and think he has almost more mares tail than me, know he is at Chelsea Flower Show, but he really needs to get up to his allotment when possible and do some weeding. Sprayed pear tree as it doesn't look too healthy. All the pears dropped off last year. No-one much up there to talk to so went home.
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. Looked at Joe Swift's allotment and think he has almost more mares tail than me, know he is at Chelsea Flower Show, but he really needs to get up to his allotment when possible and do some weeding.(Quote from Borlotti)
Yeah but then that would be real gardening wouldn't it. Unless of course he is going to make a tv program about clearing overgrown plots. ;D
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Really proud of myself today, I was down the lotty just after 0730 gave it a good watering with water(I think that is what you put on plants) and then I really struggled with not knowing which end of the hoe I had to put in the ground, but after about thirty minutes a lotty friend came along and said its that bit you stick in so I put that bit in to the ground, not really knowing again what I'm doing what should I do next, OLLIE WHERE THE _U_K are you, ;)
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Did some second digging, of a bit that had been rough dug to get the couch out that we missed the first time... :)
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weeded the pea/bean bed, pulled some onions that had started to shoot, looked at my peaches growing, so excited, first year ;D
planted some african and ordinary marigolds, firkled some more new spuds for tea, couple were like bakers :o
tied in tomatoes, they're growing like weeds, planted up the sweet potato slips, the other one is looking well(cutting from last year)
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Transplanted some Greyhound and Derby Day into their final growing postions, planted out cucumbers and celeriac, weeded and watered. ;D ;D ;D
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planted, watered, weeded. oh yeah and shaded the greenhouse ;D.
(http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk187/thifasmom/IMG_3246.jpg)
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Prepared the bed for me carrots (the Tee Gee way) Filled the trenches with the used sieved compo. Heeled in the tulips for the summer and gave them a scattering of growmore to feed the bulbs.Planted up a 3 tier planter that we got from Wilkies in the sale last year. Put in all busy lizzies. Ower Bunjies new partner is a chef so he did us all a lovely barbecue. Ain't gotta cook tonight. Watered and got home at 7-45pm.
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Had a barbie and Sunbathed mostly! ;D
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Planted some red onion sets, did some weeding and some watering!
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Started off a barrel of comfrey liquid, and did some beekeeping; I'm in the process of raising a couple of queens.
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Sowed the rest of my runners.
Sowed a line of carrots.
Watered.
Went to the Pub.
;D ;D ;D
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You keep your Queens to yourself Robert, what you do at the weekend is your business. :o ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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:) planted more toms and chillies, sunbathed a bit, sat under my cherry tree to cool down, chatted quite a lot, sunbathed a bit, sat under cherry tree etc too hot to garden 8) 8) 8)
picked spinach and onions for my tea and dandelions for my tortoise ;D/ shades x
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Oh angle shades, you lucky thing, a tortoise..................my absolute favourite.
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how did you fix those lovely net curtains over the greenhouse roof?
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planted out some more sweet peas, sieved some soil and filled growing containers to finally start to plant out the oca, ulluca and yakon sieving was hot work so had to stop, hope to complete them tomorrow. watered anything that needed watering.
Didn't get as much done as i would have liked as i was on mummy duty for the majority of the day at the leisure centre's pool.
how did you fix those lovely net curtains over the greenhouse roof?
I'll try to explain in plain english :-), i joined the bottom of the two panels together (leaving the top ends which you would normally put the curtain rod through as the hems, this allowed me to put a bamboo can through which gave it some weight so the wind didn't keep blowing it up).
when sewing the two panels together i made sure to leave a gap the exact width of the window for eg:
................... ...........................................................
and that's it really. after i placed it on the greenhouse and worked the window through the gap, i made sure it was correctly laid out and positioned (putting the bamboo canes through the hems should help do this as it keeps everything in place), i took note of where the latch for the window was resting on the curtain and cut a small slit which allowed the latch to be passed through the curtain. now the window should be on the outside but the latch should now be accessable from on the inside. at night or whenever you choose you should be able to close the window down onto the curtain (as it is so thin it doesn't form any real obstruction) and the latch can be secured inside as per normal.
i hope this all makes sense, if not let me know in a pm and I'll take a few pictures to clarify further :).
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Planted out some more lettuces in a wooden frame, the pallet topper collapsable thingy.
Put up some wooden blinds on the fence next to the park as a screen.
Watered. ;D ;D ;D
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Weeded through the 2 rows of parsnips - nightmare! Think I will stick with the toilet roll method next year. Did a little video of the plot. Am on Half Term this week so have plans to get lots done at the plot.
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I have worked hard this weeked. Have done all the seasonal jobs around the house and garden (cut back 50 m hedge, spring cleaned conservatory, repotted all the patio containers, and cleaned the house, done the washing and cooked). And found time to put up my tomato house which i construct from scratch each year and planted toms in it, planted out pumpkins/squashes under cloches. weeded lotties 1 and 2. finished digging lottie 3, erected bean frames and sowed my courgettes and cucumbers. Oh and dug and planted out herb bed, planted out leeks and zebrune banana shallots.
I sow wish I did not have to go back to work tomorrow I feel like i am on a roll at the moment.
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sieved some soil and filled growing containers to finally start to plant out the oca, ulluca and yakon
more of this only a few more to do now but quickley running out ofsoil :-\
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yday i only sunbathed,all day.went round everyone with sun lotion and forgot to do myself,idiot,think ive got away with it but am quite red. today painted the table for the new communal hut,dug a few weeds out of a plot whose owner is in hospital,entertained friends who visited with a lovely lemon cake (thanks tabs!) and weeded the onions,gave them a feed. quite a lot of larking round chatting too,lovely day!
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After a month of working full time I've been madly tryingto catch up with everything this weekend- luckily have today off as well. Spent 4 hours at the plot yesterday, mainly weeding but also planted out my French beans, a few brassicas and a few sweet peas and sowed some more carrots. Then went home and potted up aubergines into black buckets (noticed greenfly has started :(), courgettes and squash, PSB, sowed some sunflowers and planted out some verbena and penstemons.
Back down to the pot today to carry on the battle with the bindweed and couch >:(
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Postscript to my mega stint on the lottie. Woke up this morning and legs covered in itchy midge bites.............breaking out the antihistamine cream :'(. I won't be able to wear shorts or skirts for a week - so hope it doesn't get too hot.
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Sowed some peas in the gaps.
Potted some strawberry runners.
Harvested spuds. :P
;D ;D ;D
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last year I sowed sweet william and Wallflower straight in to the ground as I usually do. marshalls seed and they didnt germinate. This year have grown them in seed trays and today I planted the wallflowers out into a spare place on the plot. Planted out 3 more cauli's. Planted anthirunum under the fruit trees to add a bit of colour. Also planted out the poppies I had raised in the GH. Have to do it that way cos we have loads of red poppies on our plot that take over. Helped daughter Bunjy to put a fence up to keep the dogs off the plot.
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sowed some swede and khol rabi, harvested the last of the winter grown lettuce little gem.
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:) dug out a new bed and lined with wood, planted loads of runner bean plants up wigwams Mr blackbird sat in my wheelbarrow waiting to dive on the worms i dug up but refused to have his photo taken , planted more strawberry runners, planted purple globe artichokes grown from seed,
was given lots more wood and a table for my shed by my mate Harold (88 years young, got more energy than I have)
going to make a water feature tomorrow ;D/ shades x
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watered toms and leeks planted out two varieties of sweetcorn filled the water butts had a hoeing session which I can now do without help, ;)
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Tony mended a puncture on the wheelbarrow tyre and helped Daughter Bunjy to put a net over her Sprout plants. I put the runners in and planted the Cherokee trail of tears beans Mowed the paths and watered. All in all agood day
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weeded weeded weeded,admired the woodpeckers who have nested in a tree over our heads,heard their babies squeaking for the first time! sowed more brassicas ,back up style. photgraphed husband finish the last of the reglazing job.all reclaimed glass in our second greenhouse. sat in the sun filling out funding forms. all in all spent 7 hours up there,was determined to only be there fr a couple,oh well,will be stuck back in college next week so i dont care
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Admired the flowers on the peas and beans
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I admired the pea and bean flowers
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T I put the runners in and planted the Cherokee trail of tears beans
Same here :) And...put in more PSB, Romanesco, iceberg lettuce, chinese cabbage, rebuilt squash house with recycled polycarbonate as plastic blew to bits the other night and then planted Hunter squash , planted Pea Beans with OH cutting lot of hazel pea sticks/poles, took cuttings, repotted 5 orchids, repotted Frangipani, sowed more wallflowers, watered loads of begonias and other plants
Watched goldfinch chick get fed by parent
Life doesn't get much better than this :)
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Lifted the enviromesh in double quick time to get the flowerheads off the garlic before the leek moth got in.Netted the strawberries. Sowed the maincrop carrots TeeGee style. Going to cover them tomorrow cos ower Tone didn't have all the bits he needed to make the frame. Helped our daughter Bunjy to put the netting over the mange tout to stop the darned pigeons eating them. Tied the sweet peas in. Glad they are getting a bit higher up the canes. Don't give me back such gip. they have started throwing 4 flowerheads now so less work picking the 3's off. So hot today had me straw hat on.lol Talk about Gertie Jeykll
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Went down to the lottie this beautiful morning after a week away in Finland and Estonia. Amazing growth in such a short time. Everything surviving and flourishing, apart from some cut and come again salad that's gone to seed. Very pleased that the tomatoes growing through the ring culture method are doing well (bottomless pots sunk in wet gravel; roots draw up water through capillary action). Harvested some broad beans and spuds. Lots of weeding to do this afternoon. Garden also looking very lush and colourful.
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Out most of the day but managed to get all my cosmos and dahlias out of the coldframe and into pots so got an empty coldframe for the next lot now. Hope to get to the lottie tomorrow.
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planted cosmos daisies,watered a friends greenhouse(dislocated shoulder)pulled up kohl rabi, it was swamping the beetroot, which we much prefer.watered friends tomatoes (away in his caravan)sowed radish where the kohl rabi were.checked friends greenhouse(she was gardening at home today) planted out celery,pulled up another two caulis their demise due to nasty little cabbage root fly note to self must make collars for sprouts etc.and finally one of the best parts of the lottie chatted with friends 8) 8) 8)
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weeded weeded, weeded oh and weeded did i mention weeded!!
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Just this!
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,49016.msg529608/topicseen.html#new
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Finished netting the strawberry's. Sowed some more beetroot.Potted up some PSB cos we aint got room yet, Planted out a few more squash. Cooked hot dogs for the grandkids.Planted the coco sophie that an A4A memeber sent me. It's all going to be saved for seed.Planted Hyacinths beans,
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Showed my friend Sue around the site - she was jealous! Weeded and watered. Finished putting tomato plants in ring culture pots embedded in gravel in old cold frame; pinched out side shoots. Squished some asparagus beetles, caught while they were bonking away merrily. Started sumer runing grapevines. Harvested some more rhubarb (and made a rhubarb fool - delicious!). Resisted the temptation to pick some strawberries which are just about ripe - will wait till we've got enough for a bowl or two, which will be very soon now. Had a grumble about an allotment neighbour who has done nothing to his plot for months - not fair on all the people on the waiting list.
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Half planted my squash bed... 10 courgettes, 2 shark's fin and 10 others... 16 still to do. Spent three hours watering... roll on that sale! :)
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Weeded, weeded and weeded again. watered..Went home to do some gardening there. neverending ain't it
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Sowed sweetcorn direct.
Planted some sweetcorn plants that old Sid gave me. (cheers Sid) :-*
Planted 3 cucumber plants.
Planted out celeriac.
Weeded & watered.
;D ;D ;D
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went to the lotty on sunday with the plan of planting some spuds and found that the whole plot is covered with 4 ft high grass. It was easy to pull out so started to clear the potato beds i had prepared 2ft in i found my eyes starting to run and i started sneezing then i had a alergic reaction to something.
Face, arms and legs all started to swell like i had hives. And ended up in A&E.
No idea what cant just be grass polin anyone have any ideas????
Got nothing done :(
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Watered, watered, watered. Picked some rusty leaves off the broad beans. Also visited a friend's plot at Clay Hill, Enfield, where everything seems to be growing strongly. Despite its name, the soil looks quite light and carrots do very well there. Lots of free manure and compost is available. Green with envy. ::)
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Harvested spuds.
Planted cucumber plant that old Sid gave me.
( he's alright that Sid )
Watered.
;D ;D ;D
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Went to look at a GH today. A freebie. It has brambles growing inside and outside of it. Chappie said that we can have anything that we want from inside it. Did see some staging. We are going on Thursday to dismantle it. Will take the camera with me.
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Two School visits... 55 infants planting French Beans... watering, potting on. Going to go down and finish the squash bed... :)
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cambourne 7 are you OK now ?
Whew, that must have been a moment, what did they say at A& E ?
Sounds like an allergy but you need to know so as you can have some sort of medics at
the ready in case it happened again, do let us know how you got on,
floss xxx
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good grief, cam, only just seen it..what did the doc say?
nice to see you back, hope you're feeling better :)
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thanks guys, much better now the doc is not sure what it was i was wearing sangles and long trousers but it was only my knees that got it and my arms are scratched to buggery but other than that the welling has gone down. Never had anything like that happen before and it was a little scary.
I called the parish and the people who own the medow next to the plot to find out if anything has been sprayed funny no one has called me back. One of the parish councilors said i had to pay to have my plot strimmed down i suggested that the parish doing it might be less that 50 trips to A&E as thats how many trips i am going to need give the small but i actualy cleared :(
Worked 3/4 of a day today and am taking it very very easy. As its unlikly i am going to get the spuds planted i am going with plan 'b' and going to get some black sacks and 1/2 fill with soil and plant them up insead :(
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Hi cam, do hope you're feeling better today -- can you cover the area over until
it all dies off ? Good luck with plan b. Hope it wasn't anything nasty like chems!
Take care,
floss xxx
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Had a visit by 30 year 4 school children to their plot (years 2-6 visit in turn on Tuesday mornings). Split them into two groups one working on their plot and we planted out squashes and lettuce plants and also did weeding and watering, they also harvested radishes. The other group had a work sheet to look for certain things in our wildlife area, then they swapped over. They also brought their packed lunches with them to stayed for a picnic. They have only had their plot since the beginning of April and they are doing really well.
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well yesterday i planted out my marrows and the rest of the mixed leaves planted out the peas and watered my beans on the plot.
in the garden i managed to get hold of some floweres from my next door neighbour she doesnt know what they are as she has never seen them she cleared the area last year this year they had grown there, there red stemed tall thin with a cluster of lovelly red crimson cluster upward like flowers simular to lupins but not as dense any ideas welcome
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thanks guys found out the wildlife trust had been spraying something with Clopyralid in.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clopyralid
They claimed it was safe and they spray without protective gear?
|The parish are going to strim the plot for me so i can clear out any plants i want and hand it back in 6 to 8 weeks time.
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Pulled a few Beetroot, carrots, radish and lettuce, watered the toms now off for four days fishing, :)
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Spent all weekend down there, weeded, strimmed, trimmed hedge, planted out sweetcorn and tomatoes, sowed peas and french beans, watered, fed things, earthed up spuds, thinned out carrots, admired tiny baby lettuces chard and beetroot, sat in the sun drinking tea! Had a lovely time.
After 2 years of allotmenting in the wind and rain it's so nice to get a break and to finally find out what it's all about! I think this is the first time ever I've actually had to water things! Everything is growing soooo fast! Please let this summer be decent weather 8)
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Weeded sprouts and watered. ;D ;D ;D
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yesterday i planted out the remainder of my brassicus plants.
today i mainly harvested a large amount of oregano and put it to hang under an open paper bag to dry.
i also cut all my chives back, scissored them into usable pieces, put the lot into a freezer bag and put them into the freezer.
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Finished planting out the squash bed, just in time for the last frost!!
Planted out some peas, dug out some couch... :)
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Planted out tomatos, Hunter, Waltham butternut and Festival squash, courgettes, outdoor cukes, gherkins, dwarf and climbing french beans, borlottis and beetroot.
Cut down a couple of small trees that were crowding my gooseberries.
chrisc
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Went to dismantle Ower Bunjy's GH. Took us all bloomin day but will be the business for our Tracy(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s121/shirlton/enviromeshcages020.jpg)
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I tidyed up the greenhouse trying not to disturb my resident frog (who is fab at eating up the small slugs !)
I tied up the tomatoes and planted the last and very straggly looking aubergines and peppers , planted some marigolds in there to.
In the garden i planted out all the dried up straggly bedding that ive been hoarding , stocks dwarf lupins lobelia and some very negelcted gladys.
It feels like summer now the greenhouse is planted up. yay!
x sunloving
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mowed the lawn, gave the geraniums a hair cut (should then give a second flush of flowers later in the season) these two tasks filled two of the compost bins to capacity.
after the school run this afternoon pond dipped with the girls, can't believe how two ponds within spitting distance of each other, created at the same time, planted with the exact same plants could have such different amount of wildlife.
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Showed a school group round and planted 3x31 French beans with them... watered.... spent hours pricking out and potting up... dug some rough ground..
generally had a jolly time ;D
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Had a tidy up before the open day.......found some little wild bumble bees nesting in my compost bin!
Harvested my Marco garlic, well impressed with the size of the bulbs, this was from my saved bulbs last year so will definitely do the same again. The other varieties have not produced as well, Solent Wight, Albigensian and Iberian....don't think I will bother with them again. All laid out in the greenhouse to dry now.....the smell!!! Courgettes are now in the empty space...well is was empty for about half an hour.... ;D
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:) in the pouring rain and thunder, dug up gone to seed spinach, dug up rest of Jap onions to eat as I started getting white rot in March and have been eating the onions since then, dug the whole bed over which was dry as a bone and rock hard, we certainly needed the rain ;D
planted more toms in greenhouse Cherokee Purple ( my faves) came home soaked to the skin ;D/ shades x
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went to Saddad and Debs open day, bought meself some fancy climbing beans, salmon flowered peas, red kuri squash, fancy toms and a couple of peppers, plus a LICQUORICE plant, for a bit of fun ;D
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Weeded and weeded some more. So easy when the rain has been pouring down. Took some pink and penstemon cuttings for future plant sales..Picked me first sweet peas. A bit late but I've been waiting for the 4's (flowers). Cut a spring cabbage, Dug some spuds, picked a few broad beans and picked a nice lot of strawberries.Ower Tone built another compost container.. You just have to make the most of the dry weather at the moment. Don't know what tomorrows gonna bring.
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Potted up the last of the toms and cot the rotten ends off my work bench legs.
It had spent 2yrs on the pot and the legs had rotted, two coats of Med Blue and
it looks like new, will add -- 19.99 from Focus, erm ...... 10 plus years ago and they
are still selling them !
Might get another for the shed !
floss xxx
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Picked some beautiful beetroot, carrots, lettuce and radish, :)
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Dug up last of the brassicas and turned the ground and set up two three foot wigwams ready for some more beans. ;D ;D ;D
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Harvested broad beans, radishes and spinach and started giving tomorite to the outdoor tomatoes.
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Went down to the recyling centre and bought another 5 bags of recycled compost £1 each. Have to fill your own bags. Managed to cover myself with black. One of the bags split and put compost all over the car. Car stinks.
All my seedling growing mixture of it and potting compost are doing well.
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planted up the sweetcorn, tomatoes and sweet peppers I got from Derby..Ray dug up half a bed of earlies to plant out the fancy beans and salmon flowered peas tomorrow, picked a pound of ripe strawberries, lettuce, radish and spring onions towards lunch ;D
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Got grounded to day so never got there till tonight.
The day before just sat with a coffee whatching this daft buger
[attachment=1]
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I've just come back from the lottie and sowed some beans under my smaller wigwams. ;D ;D ;D
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:D planted more spinach, planted out courgettes, toms,cosmos, marigolds, dug and weeded ,watered greenhouses,chatted a lot, took four cans of Guinness and a birthday card to my mate Harold-88 years young ;D / shades x
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Harvested some Lady Christyl tats, Meteor peas and spinach for supper. Dug up french garlic for drying in the greenhouse, sowed some more beetroot, carrot and parsnips (a tad late with the last bit hey ho nothing ventured nothing gained!). Watered everything as the soil was so dry underneath the garlic and tats.
Linda
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What a view Davy what coast is that?
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weeded, weeded and um weeded
oh picked 4 pea pods, 3 aubergines, 1 courgette, a handfull of chillis
lbb
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What a view Davy what coast is that?
North East between Hartlepool and Seaham and that,s the worst view. On warm days there can be as many as 10 paragliders flying around. Next time i go round the i will take some more and put tham on.
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Your courgettes are early, mine not ready yet. Picked 3 strawberries, and scattered slug pellet around. No need to water and it was raining here in not sunny Enfield. Peas that are netted are doing OK but flat pods at present. Hopefully when the rain stops and the sun comes everything will go mad. Redcurrants nearly ready and had one or two raspberries.
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Your courgettes are early, mine not ready yet. Picked 3 strawberries, and scattered slug pellet around. No need to water and it was raining here in not sunny Enfield. Peas that are netted are doing OK but flat pods at present. Hopefully when the rain stops and the sun comes everything will go mad. Redcurrants nearly ready and had one or two raspberries.
it was only about 3 inches long (the courgette) but i couldnt resist, my peas are a disaster and i netted my currants but ith hindsight i think they need insects :-[
lbb
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It's ok to net after the fruit has formed. You need the insects when the flowers are on. They have done their job by now.
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Feeling a bit under the weather today so only been to the plot and opened my greenhouses....will go later to water and close them up again.
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wots up then Fork.Can we cheer you up mate?
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probably rusted up after sunday, I know we did ;D
planted up me peas and beans, Ray planted cabbage and celery, we fed everything with chicken manure water, stunk the polytunnel out ;D
Ray dug up half a bed of red duke of york, picked strawberries, lettuce, radish, spring onions, nearly a salad ;D
pruned the vine, peach tree, nectarine and plum..weeded everywhere, fed them all to the chooks with a couple of slugs I found ;D
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Blimey Manic only TWO slugs we've got loads in the garden i hope the froglets (we've got loads of them also) mum has taught them how to slughunt !!
I think the slugs down the lottie breed with mice they're HUUUGE :o :o :o
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Potted up fuchsia and hydrangea cuttings that had put on sturdy roots in the jam jars of water.
Linda
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Blimey Manic only TWO slugs we've got loads in the garden i hope the froglets (we've got loads of them also) mum has taught them how to slughunt !!
I think the slugs down the lottie breed with mice they're HUUUGE :o :o :o
ah, but I've been feeding the chooks on them all winter as I find them, also do slug hunts now and again ;D
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Potted on the tomato and aubergine plants I bought on Sunday, gloated over the squash, and wondered where on earth I can find room for the walking onion.....strung strings round the greenhouse for the cukes to wander round, and weeded, weeded, weeded......
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Weeded brassicas for the last two days and transplanted sprouts into final postion. ;D ;D ;D
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Sprouts (Trafalgar and Evesham Special), kohl rabi (Lanro F1), celeriac (Monarch) and Brocolli (Romanesco) all planted today.
Harvested some Italian Sprouting Calabrese and a Greyhound cabbage for supper.
Linda
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weeded the raspberry twigs :-\ (t&m free ish ones)
harvested 6 chillis, 1 courgette, 6 pea pods and 1 garlic bulb
lbb
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Gave some unpaid consultancy advice to a friend of mine who has a lovely garden but doesn't know it - he hadn't realised how much fruit was growing at the far end or how many great shrubs were hidden by the weeds. Also pruned shrubs and tidied up garden for a lovely lady who used ot be a lead singer at Sadlers Wells Opera. Not much time for my own garden, but tidied up borders to give irises, peonies and heuchera more of a chance. Saw some newts while clearing blanket weed from the pond. Feated on freshly picked lettuce, broad beans and strawberries. A very satisfying day's work.
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Picked more Beetroot, radish, cabbage and lettuce planted a few more peas had a watering session and a Blackbird had a shower under my hosepipe, :)
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Harvested a couple of huge bowls of strawberries. Lovely!
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I emptied both my compost bins and was so amazed how much good soil I got ( first time doing it) The soil is so black, and I gave all my plants a good feed with it and mixed it into my soil I already had. Very chuffed
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We are clearing an area for council compost to be dropped off, one the of the guys chainsawed off some stumps and others have chopped down some bushes and hacked down the stingers so me and the Sec had a bonfire to finish it off, he even give me a freebie box of lime. ;) Its the first time since I've been on the lottie that everyone has mucked in and done a bit, I bet the few who shyed from the work are the first in the queue for the compost though . :-X I made ready the soil for more brassicas, then transplanted the PSB, and did some weeding and watering ;D ;D ;D
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Got home and my four year old Pheobe has fell over and broke her arm. :'( :'( :'(
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aww poor love if its any comfort my son broke his at the same age and bath times were a kerfuffle etc :-\ but look on the bright side pain aside for the poor Lil lassie bones heal quite well when young
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Not a lot. ;D
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Cheers Flower. ;D ;D ;D
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Beautiful down the lotty a bit of hoeing and watering came home and with the next door neighbours being away had a couple of hours nude sunbathing, ;)
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Starting to feel like father christmas............all i do is Hoe Hoe Hoe. Having said that i think the tide is turning :)
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Mowed and strimed around the plot, More weeding and will be going up later to water and plant the giant pumpkin.
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dug up the rest of the red duke of york and planted one lot of leeks.
picked 2 lbs of strawberries, half a pound of peas, took loads of onions home to string up, baby carrots and baby parsnips.
sowed turnips, kohl rabi, purple radish and cos lettuce ;D
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We picked strawberries - again. There are so many, they are so huge, so red, so juicy, so appetising - and there are LOTS more to come. I wonder if we'll get fed up with them - I think not.
:P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P
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Transplanted cauli and greyhound.
Weed and watered.
Harvested New Rocket Spuds.
Harvested Strawberrys.
Collected ash from bonfire.
;D ;D ;D
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Sowed a line of swede. ;D ;D ;D
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Ditto, but two lines, Marian and Virtue.
Watered, watered and watered.
Picked more peas (Lester's). Took off poppy heads before they burst all over the plot.
Linda
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Watered put out some lollo, little gem, and tom thumb and watered.....
And now we are having a thunder storm and it's lashing down so i wasted all that time to night watering ;D ;D have to laugh or i will go mad ::)
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Eat my lunch at the allotment, Manuel gave me a pumpkin (or was it squash, will find out soon) plant that he planted for me on my compost box and then watered and fed for me. Got strict instructions on watering and feeding. Someone else gave me a handful of borlotti bean seeds which I planted. I picked strawberries, a few more redcurrants and a dug up a cabbage. I then weeded and dug up an ants nest and got itchy arms. Decided it was too hot to weed, so watered and watered and watered, thought that would bring on the promised rain/thunder storms and it sure worked. Looked at the pile of Council compost and watched other people filling their wheelbarrows.
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Harvested peas.
Sowed Fennel, Kale and Chinese Cabbage.
No need for watering after last nights downpour.
;D ;D ;D
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Picked my first early spuds more beetroot and lettuce then discovered a half eaten Strawberry still hanging there with canine teethmarks, ;)
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we planted out our pumpkins and courgettes, weeded, had a cuppa ;D
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An "interesting" day (in the Chinese sense). Worked on a garden that I'm renovating and re-creating for our local Age Concern Centre. At 4 pm someone padlocked the gates, leaving me and my car stuck inside high fences with barbed wire on top. Tried phoning every number I could think of without success, until eventually getting through to the Age Concern London HQ. They tried lots of numbers too without success before advising me to call the police, who said it was nothing to do with them and were amazingly rude and unhelpful. Age Concern's Chief Executive eventually authorised me to call the Fire Brigade, who were great - they broke the padlock and rescued me at 8 pm. Meanwhile, my dear wife had passed a cup of tea and Kit Kat to me through a hole in the gate. Feeling more and more like Victor Meldrew every day! ::)
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I know I should not laugh .........but I did ;D ;D ;D
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I know I should not laugh .........but I did ;D ;D ;D
My friends had a good laugh in the pub tonight too. ;D
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Fruitful day picked a couple of pounds of strawberries, five pounds of Home Guard spuds, two lettuce, radish prepared ground for dwarf beans this weekend, then went and admired my mates gooseberries, Blackberries and garlic tight arse did not give me any, :)
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Sorry hopalong but I had a bit of a giggle myself, ;D I would put in a complaint about the police though. :( ;D ;D ;D
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picked about 4 lbs of strawberries, romanesco broccoli, turnip, parsnip and carrot thinnings, lots of new peas, pulled loads of overwinter onions and put them to dry, got little gem lettuce, cucumber, spring onions, red mustard and radish for tea, only need tomatoes..weeded all over the place and fed them to the chickens, along with a couple of big, juicy slugs ;D
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Planted out celery and cucumber, sowed a succession row of salad stuff - the plot is now absolutely packed. So where on earth can I put Saddad's butternut squash!
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:) picked pounds of redcurrants,found my grass snake in the compost again ;D
planted out more toms and gherkins and beans, picked coriander, salad leaves, blackcurrants, was given pounds of strawberries/ shades x
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I tried to paint the nasty pebbledashed garden wall... then it started raining, again!
This has been an ongoing theme for the past two weeks, but I have to finish painting before I reinstate the trellis/supports which the beans, peas & squash will require. ;)
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Age Concern thought my imprisonment on their premises last night was a bit of a laugh. Consoled myself down at the allotment by harvesting the first of the garlic - Germadour, some very respectable-sized cloves - strawberries, raspberries, lettuce, onions, beetroot, spinach and almost the last of the broad beans (blackfly have taken over). Mowed and strimmed the grass and used it to mulch the potato beds. Weeded and watered. Everything is looking great.
Also worked on a client's garden. Branches of her huge plum tree had fallen onto the lawn again - second time in two weeks. The fruit was very heavy and the winds have been strong. Spent a couple of hours sawing and pruning to clear up the debris. Lots of useful plant support material.
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Went to the lotty association for some canes and compost maker then up to the lotty planted dwarf beans picked some brilliant carrots perfectly straight and five inches long just proves that the ground I prepared earlier this year to a good tilth payed off also two cabbage more beetroot, strawberries and Home guard spuds, :)
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pruned the fruit trees, tops of the currants with the nasties on, weeded fruit cage, pulled most of the overwintering onions as they had fallen over, pulled 3 of the bunches of shallots, 28 bulbs from 3 planted ;D
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We pruned our plums and gooseberries.Picked yet more strawberries, broad beans, cabbage and lettuce. Having a day at home tomorrow so that Tony can watch the motor racing. (after all it is fathers day).
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poor ray had to finish off the polytunnel mesh doors, and it's his birthday today :o ;D
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Happy Birthday to Ray ;D
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thanks, shirley ;D
today, we pulled more of the shallots, sowed savoy cabbage, kohl rabi, turnips, swede, tarzan radish, calabrese, all year round cauli, planted loads of leeks and dug up half a bed of kestrel..transplanted 24 little gem lettuce, planted out winter calabrese, red bull sprouts and alaska cabbage
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Hi Manics. I see you have romanesco broccoli. I have some cauliflower are they the same thing as they look it on the seed packets.
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ours aren't Janet..our romanesco look like something out of star wars, if you want some seeds let me know..trouble is, it's a bit late now, according to my seed packets :)
we grow more romanesco as it freezes better than cauli ;D
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We weeded through the parsnips and brassicas today. Yesterday we dug up a load of onions (now made into onion marmalade), picked lots of redcurrants and strawberries and some spuds. We also gave the giant pumpkins a feed. Everything seems to be moving on really fast now. In about 2 weeks think we will be cropping like crazy.
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Cursed the pigeons for eating the brassicas I planted out yesterday (didn't have enough netting) and the bindweed for strangling the strawberries. Strimmed the weeds,trying not to make eye contact with my neighbours as the grass seeds went flying(Won't have time to do much over the next two weeks so it had to be done) , and picked a few gooseberries and some asparagus.
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Weeded parsnips, brassicas and spring onions.
Netted some of the brassicas.
Sowed some more spring onion.
Sowed more sweetcorn direct.
Watered.
Harvested spuds, beetroot, spring onions, lettuces and shallots.
Had the spuds and spring onions for dinner in the back garden.
Happy birthday to Ray.
;D ;D ;D
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Back from the lotty after a flying visit to bloody hot up there even at 0900, picked my biggest load of veg for my mother in law to distribute to her pensioner friends hoping to get a pint out of it, ;D
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Just about to go up there.. will need the Factor 30 I think... :)
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06.00 made like Santa Claus for an hour - hoe hoe hoe
07.00 fed chucks and changed their water
07.30 3rd breakfast - raspberries, goosberries and strawberries
Praying for rain - water butt is empty
Life is good
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well yesterday i put the frame together for the toms in the greenhouse i had to make extension for my cucs to grow up they have grown so well will run out of space for them soon ive attached cords along the roof now and hoping i can continue there growing spree in the eves .
watered the garden at the back where my corn are soil was a Little dry under the membrane toms are doing well gave them a little potash feed .
watered runner beans with comfrey feed / Tea
I also found some begonia bulbs i planted but forgot where stumbled on them so moved them to a more appropriate place
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Yesterday I started in the garden at 9am and apart from 2 x half hour breaks worked until 6pm. So, what didn't I do? :) I weeded, dead headed, dug, planted, mowed the lawns and then did almost the same to young Lorna's garden next door. Finished up by watering both gardens, I really enjoyed my day, for once I had no pain with either my "dodgy" leg or sciatica. Wanted to get jobs done before I go off on Friday for my few days trip to France.
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:) ate gooseberries, blackcurrants and redcurrants and peas, and picked loads, planted out sweetcorn, watered greenhouses,had a cuppa with a lottie neighbour,was given some eggs by another lottie neighbour, gave some tom plants away, was given a apple drink by another lottie neighbour and some cake, dug up some garlic
we've had a lovely day 8) 8) / shades x
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Cut three Greyhound cabbages (one to eat and two to freeze), some Italian Sprouting Calabrese and badgered hubby into helping me water :)
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Spent all day on plot.Did a bit of everything, all looking good,had a great day. Harvested 2 caulis, pots, spinach and raddishes.
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Too hot, did some watering, and talked to my friend. Got given some spinach, one courgette and picked some peas and carrots and sweet peas, raspberries and strawberries from my allotment. Saw Joe Swift doing some weeding, think they are going to be filming again soon, that is probably why he is getting rid of the mares/horsetail. (Someone said, 'are you going to film the weeds, not me but I thought it'. ) Got home to watch the tennis and feed the cat.
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Going watering shotly after tea... :)
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Picked a collie, cabbage, radish, lettuce and a bag of spuds, first time this year I have felt uncomfortable on the lotty with the heat mind you I was digging up a couple of raised beds to make way for my Fruit cage for next year, :)
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planted out sweetcorn, butternuts, and more runner beans, OH harvested gooseberries, strawbs , blackcurrants and tayberries
;)
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Took sister-in-law up to the lottie and she went away with courgettes and a cabbage!
Linda
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Not so much today as yesterday as have finally managed to chase off the "black dog" so:
emptied, cleaned & tidied the green house, potted up tomoto & capsicum plants
Sowed sweetcorn seedlings, french beans, peas, leeks, cabbage seedlings & carrots.
Took & potted on fuchsia pinchings.
Feel quite good with myself
CC
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picked the first of this years outdoor tomatoes ;)
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noticed my kohl rabi, turnip, swede and purple radish are showing their heads above the soil, found a part of it dug by the allotment cat, i forgive it, not had much trouble with mice this year ;D
picked a couple of pounds of strawberries, peas, baby carrots and parsnips, pulled some shallots, fantastic year for them. Planted up some red bull sprouts, lettuce and calabrese, sowed some carrots and transplanted some lettuce little gem and cos into pots to get a bit bigger before i let them loose for the slugs ;D
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went and picked littlelegs second breakfast and then had a cup of tea in the hut. Didn't get as much done as i would of liked (spent to much time gassing ;D)but gave everything a good water. Just seen the news i think london got our rain as well as theirs! :o
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You ain't kidding. :o ;D ;D ;D
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Barrrowed some council manure on to my plot.
Harvested spuds,shallots and peas.
;D ;D ;D
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Sat in someone elses and ate and drank. ;D Came home with a Judas tree seedling though. :D
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Harvested beetroot, lettuce, shallots, red and white onions, strawberries, gooseberries, coriander and garlic, plus some sweet peas. Dug up a few first early spuds (Pentland Javelin) - good sized tubers but not many of them. Dug up the last of the Aquadulce broad beans. Sowed some cauliflower seeds and planted out some more parsnips and peas sown in modules. Also planted some Pink Fir Apple a friend didn't want - will be interested to see if they come to anything, planted so late. Mucky and sweaty, but happy, after a solid afternoon's work.
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Ower Tone sprayed his tatties ready for the blight. I dug and mucked a patch for some maincrop onions ( I know its a bit late but its first time growing them and I just want to see if they make a bulb before the winter sets in.) picked raspberries and tay berries, mange tout, beetroot, spuds and lettuce. One more root of Rocket and we are on to the Pentland Javelin. Yippeeee. Nearly forgot. Planted the willow seedlings eack side of the bench.
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Watered the plots at 6.45am and had raspberries for breakfast while we were up there :)
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Watered hanging baskets at home that were looking droopy. Waiting to go to the allotment to water, but it is just too hot out there at the moment. Certainly is sunny Enfield today.
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:) been going to lottie every morning really early to water and pick , picked pounds of redcurrants, blackcurrants,goosegogs, peas.
lovely lottie neighbour insisted we pick all his strawberries as he is going away for a few days, ate as many as we could, but making jam at the mo and drinking vino ;D
sorted out toms and melons,watched the house martins coming down to drink at the spillage from the taps,loads of butterflies,boiling hot day, bliss!
got to plot at 7am left at 2pm, and if we could have some lovely gentle overnight rain it would round up a perfect day 8) / shades x
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Watered this evening. ;D ;D ;D
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yesterday, the tunnel was 98 degrees at 9.30 a.m. so, we, well, Ray, watered ;D
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Transplanted some sweetcorn, weeded and watered. ;D ;D ;D
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I dug a 10 x 4 veg bed thats 2 in 2 days also riddled about a quarter of the soil from that bed.
Sprayed my beans with garlic water and watered all the plants.
Oh and now I am drinking a bottle of lager as a reward.
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:D picked more blackcurrants,redcurrants , red goosegogs, cherries ( a fight between me and every bird imaginable!)
was given sweetpeas and lots of strawberries and broad beans, what lovely lottie neighbours,
dug up shallots and garlic/ shades x
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Dug out a row of Epicure, the first Kohl Rabi, got a calabrese head from DebP, some tomatoes (whippersnapper) and had them for tea... Did some watering, planted out some french beans, took down a row of Peas and shelled (3lbs of peas)... :)
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I got about 20 pea pods which is good for me. Will be even better next year, think I will grown them up chicken wire, and they got all tangled up in the netting I put over them when they were small. Boiled some beetroot so can go to bed now. Missed Manuel at the allotment today as the pumpkin seems to be growing out of the compost box and may need supporting. Hope he will be there tomorrow and show me what to do. Gave it the four watering cans of water and a good talking to and it just kept growing. He gave it to me and will never forgive me if it gets top heavy and the stem breaks. He is pumpkin mad and if he grows the biggest will give it to a charity shop or raffle it for charity. Apparently we have a charity shop that takes vegetables, it may well be in for some courgettes soon. All mine are green so far and I am sure I planted some yellow ones and some yellow ones that look like flying saucers.
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Woohoo, made it to the plot unsupervised for the first time since the op... Frustratingly slow & painful, but I was pleased to have made it. Picked the red & white currants, the first 3 toms (Sungold). Dug up some Annabelle spuds & another row of garlic. Picked 3 courgettes - the flood is beginning but we're still nowhere near a glut (see, we only have 5 plants - because we're not insane!). Did a bit of watering, mostly half a can at a time...
Picked some Tree Spinach leaves for tea as well - thanks Georgie!
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Picked more blackcurrants as a swap for red from lovely neighbour at home, we're both making summer pud. ;D
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:D picked more redcurrants and blackcurrants, fought the blackbirds for more cherries,
dug up more garlic,
planted out more runner bean plants,had to water the ground well before the canes would go in,
picked dandelions for my tortoise,
had a cuppa with my mate Harold (88 years young, looks about 60!!)
watched the air display from RAF Waddington from my plot/ shades x
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Harvested my first carrots and some lettuce. :P ;D ;D ;D
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Pulled some beans and more lettuce. Got the cabbage ready for the first time in years and looking forward to it. Checked on the strawberry runners and they have all taken, great. Mowed down the grass between the raised beds and re-covered the cabbages to keep the pests off. Pinched out the side shoots off the toms and looked at my lonely cucumber plant to see if the flowers are coming.
Finally took some Hornbeam cuttings so as there can be a longer hedge down the side and that way I can lay this one in years to come.
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Tied the squash up the canes. Layered all the sweet peas.(had to cos I couldn't reach the bloomin things) picked some beetroot (cooking now). For once I didn't digress from what I had planned to do. Tone got the radar onions up.(chuffed or what), Not a sign of the alium moth,
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Shirl have you got any piccies of the squash climbing up the canes. ;D ;D ;D
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While I was setting up the runner bean "tent" I watched the other half of our domestic operation bent over and doing some weeding......... ;D Life is good !!
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Shirl have you got any piccies of the squash climbing up the canes. ;D ;D ;D
[/quote
Will take some today for you my dear]
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Just been out planting out @70 pots of French Beans... sown by an Infants School Visit in June... now off to the Beer Festival!! :)
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(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s121/shirlton/enviromeshcages078.jpg)
Here you are Kev
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(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s121/shirlton/enviromeshcages081.jpg)
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(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s121/shirlton/enviromeshcages077.jpg)
A close up
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Cheers Shirl, :-* mine are trailing on the floor and smothering my celeriac and invading the peas, I just couldn't imagine a frame taking the weight, but yours looks pretty sturdy, how high are they. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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I can reach the top and I'm a short assed 5ft 2". If you look at the frames every other cane is upright and the opposite one is at an angle. This is what gives it the strength. I have planted the squash at the bottom of every sloped cane to make it easier for them to climb. When they get to the top they are on their own. I have noticed that they are fruiting earlier climbing that they were on the ground last year.As you mentioned the are very invasive.I will be growing them like this next year if it proves to be a success
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All I can do at the moment is to move all the plants out of the greenhouse for a lovely drink of rain that is coming down here at the present time.
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Podded another row of peas last night... and some red epicure broad Beans...
(as I was only working the fest!) :)
Oh also lifted the japanese onions, shallots and garlic... as they were promising torrential rain, that hasn't happened... :-\
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had a work party, followed by a big breakfast, demolished the old communal greenhouse and tidied up the site in preparation for Wigan in bloom ;D
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I've harvested 3 lettuce and a celery and checked the cabbage and broc for nasties.
plus taken updated pics of it all for my diary and finally rescued my veg bed from my 14 month old ;D !
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zero ,nothing,nowt.......played games with the granddaughter and watched the rain,rain,rain :(
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All runners are now rooted on me strawb's and there is more than enough chinese leaves to go round. Itss just starting to bolt, so having to harvest to get something else in.
Took cuttings of fuchsia's and lavender, the drizzle has kept them moist enough to pot up. :D
Weeded and weeded some more, they grow with vigour in this sort of weather.
Painted some boards for the garage and put them up.
Very productive day in all.
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Gave the vine a haircut... picked gooseberries and redcurrants... OH trimmed the hedges on the "parterre" ready for East Midlands in Bloom Tuesday... :)
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Sprayed the runners.
Weeded the celeriac.
Watered, fed and earthed up sweetcorn.
Watered and earthed up container spuds.
Sowed more beetroot.
Erected a Shirl frame and trained some of the sqash up it.
Harvested spuds,onions and the site Sec gave me some beetroot.
;D ;D ;D
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Barrowed two barrows of council compost and dug some in.
Weeded parsnips, celeriac and cabbages.
Dibbed and watered in leeks.
Harvestested spuds and springys.
;D ;D ;D
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Ower Tone put some more broad bean plants in. I tied in the squash again. and the new blackberry and tayberry shoots. Picked Raspberries and finally red currants(think they must be a late variety) Grandkids helped to clear the old cabbage heads for someones chickens. Picked broad beans, beetroot spuds. Brought the garlic home to dry out. A good day in all.
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Corny, was your Council compost steaming. Usually leave it in a pile for next year, or perhaps you put it on a bed that wasn't used, not sure what is in it???? :( I was given a marrow and a cabbage from Ken, the super star, on Gardeners World, that told Joe Swift how to net his brassicas, and they cut out his swearing, so hardly recognised him. Did you see his lovely sunflower alley? I was told by OH to cut all the leaves of the bottom of my toms, which I did, then told by next door that I had cut too many leaves off, then told by Chinese neighbours that I shouldn't be watering my hanging basket as it was raining, then told by Manuel that I was working too slowly at the allotment, then told by Nick that my apple tree needed supporting, and my tomatoes needed a prune, which he did with his knife, which he then said he had lost, so after a search of my allotment he found it in his pocket. Had a chat with a new bloke, and warned him of the dangers of becoming 'an allotment addict' and he said it was the best thing he had ever done, but was worried about going away for three days, so he is already an addict and already planning dreaming about next year, when his allotment will be better. Well stuffed marrow for dinner tomorrow, thank you Ken.
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The compost heap has sat for a couple of weeks but is still warm when I take it, so I have been leaving it spread out near where I am using it and use it a couple of days later taking care not to touch any of the plants, with the greedy gits on our site Borlotti they would never leave it for a week let alone a year. ;D ;D ;D
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Corneykev please could you explain
earthed up sweetcorn
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Cornykev, what I mean was take the compost, if you can beat the wheelbarrow races as everyone rushes to get it, they think it is gold, put it on your allotment or compost heap and leave it for a few months, or dig into unused beds (if you have any). I wear gloves as not quite sure what is in it. Some people love it, some people don't think much of it, but everyone rushes to get their share. We get it quite regularly now, but at first thought we were going to have compost allotment rage.
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picked peas ,courgettes, gave lovely gill sweet peas and a cucumber she gave us lovely fresh eggs mmm,picked french beans,radish generous friend gave us runner beans(ours aren't cropping yet.)caught up with friends....the joy of the lottie.had eggs for supper divine :) :) :)
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Went to the lotty bout 4ish.. just wondered round in amazement at how beautiful my lemon sunflowers are and some zinnias that i bought from Holland. We cooked some of our courgettes and a steak on our little barby and had a couple of beers each. Prepared a bed for our cauliflower plug plants that will be going in the next couple of days.. If anyone likes scented flowers then sow some night scented phlox and you will be rewarded with an awesome candy smelling scent.. Then i got the step ladder out and picked a big bowl full of morello cherrys.. Made one pie last week and gonna make another pie tomorrow.. mmmmmm lurve cherry pie.. Came home about 9.30pm after a last smell of the phlox. :D :D
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Watered Squash, celeriac, sweetcorn and beans. ;D ;D ;D
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I am in heaven,
I have had for tea a garden full of the best.
Minicole cabbage, carrots, and wilja spuds. The only bit extra which had to be paid for is the chicken.
AHH fatted pig am I ;D ;D ;D
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planted out some lettuce where the peas came up, I've grown them a little bigger than usual, hope they're not slug-eaten when wigan in bloom judges come on tuesday ;D
sowed some of the free seeds from kelloggs points, tuscan, californian and provence leaf mix..it'll be interesting to see what they are like ;D
picked some of our beautiful sunburst cherries, first year, taste wonderful .
our mate, Steve told us we could have as many blackcurrants as we want so i have 4lb in the freezer, ready for jamming ;D
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Went to the supermarket today. No veg in the trolley ;D ;D ;D
Though did buy some plastic tomatoes, wish mine would hurry up.
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Started getting the old raspberry canes out and tying in the new ones.(only going to tie the strong canes in this year cos last year every cane got tied just in case). Sowed some Ambassador peas. Tied up the squash. Picked some Beetroot and Rhubarb.
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what a satisfying weekend. we completely cleared all junk and weeds from second half of our plot and today collected, dismantled and replaced in new position on our lotti plot our new green house . ;D
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I could not get out there today had to sit and watch the rain pour down. :'(
Only got out there between the downpours to lift some carrots and pull a cabbage for dinner. Still there is always the shed with the wood to cut down for me garden bech that I am building.
Oh well hope tomorrow is better then Ican get on with the weeding.
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we ignored the weather and did it all in the rain. well in the down pours . we`r off on holiday on Friday so had to get it all done. we also had our full sunday lunch with all veg of our lotti yesterday, it was wonderful and so satisfying, can`t believe the size of my carrots :o
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got the plot sorted for the wigan in bloom judges tomorrow, picked the bent cucumber and left the tow perfectly straight ones on ;D
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Good Luck for tomorrow, we didn't win a thing... not even a third or a special mention... :-X
Picked some Jostaberries, raspberries, redcurrants. Courgettes and Kohl rabi... both of which we have just eaten for tea... :)
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:) dug up more spuds (Nicola, fantastic),picked French beans (Cobra brill!),runner beans (Scarlett Emperor ditto)black courgettes,Plums,
Planted curly and flat leaf parsley and black nasturtiums, picked broad beans and podded them at the lottie.
planted Chocolate mint ( thank you Shirton ;D)
saved a few toads and bees (toads from the road, bees from the rain), watered greenhouses/ shades x
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Picked some side shoots of broccoli. dug some spuds. Tied in some raspberry canes, weeded.broke the roots of the onions ready to lift at the weekend. Packed the green stuff up ready for the recycling wagon tomorrow. Picked me sweetpeas and all this whilst dodging the showers.
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Transplanted some Romanesco that one of the Italians gave me, dug up the rest of my onions and hung them in the shed and did some watering. ;D ;D ;D
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I forgot to plant some cucumber plants that the Italian fella gave me, so I've just been back to plant them and I took the father in law with me to give it a good watering as I'm going up north for the weekend tomorrow. I harvested some beetroot, peas and springys and my mate Bart gave me a cuc and some beans. ;D ;D ;D
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:) dug more lovely spuds,picked and podded more broad beans, picked courgettes, Alicante tomatoes, was given some blue cornflowers,
fed toms, aubergines and melons
picked 20lbs of plums/ shades x
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Dug over some ground ready for my 2nd crop of runners and some jan king cabbage to go in tomorrow.
And picked runners,courgettes, primo,kale,carrots,beetroot,swede,broc AND cut my 1st cauli ;D
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Not been up there today, but yesterday dug up more Marfona tats, picked first of the runners and more spinach for supper.
A fellow Sicilian plotholder took off tender shoots of a long courgette he is growing and told me to steam them, drizzle with olive oil and add a shake of salt and pepper. Now that's a first for us and they were really delicious. When I was looking at his crop they had grown at least 10 feet and all the fruits were growing along the ground and the shoots seemed to be just an extra part of the crop that were growing skywards. I'll try and find out the name of them.
Linda
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Still picking carrots, beets, parsnips picked the last of the broad beans cleared the pea sticks and picked two lubbly marrows, :)
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Watered and fed the greenhouses. Picked some courgettes but gave them to old Mr Hall on the next plot. Edged the Lawn for OH ::) Potted up Hectors parcel. Generally nantled... :)
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Put in my 2nd crop of runners and some January king, Then made up a water butt of my special feed for the giant pumpkin ;)
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Had some compost delivered from the Council, but only got a couple of wheelbarrows as was tired, after grandchild last night, very excited at finishing primary school and breaking up for holidays. Watered and fed the pumpkin as instructed by Manuel (four watering cans per day, even if raining and feeding with tomatoe feed twice a week) and he murdered 3/4 tiny little pumpkins as he said I wouldn't get a big one if I left the tiny ones on. (Does this work with men, or is that rude ;D ;D ). I don't really want a very big pumpkin, what am I going to do with it ??? Think it must be a man thing, my pumpkin is bigger than yours, who cares, not me.
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picked all the rest of the cherries(14 in all) , tasted delicious;D
planted out some kohl rabi seedlings and calabrese, picked sweetcorn, cucumber, toms, ishikura onions as spring onions for my daughter..payment for having the dog for a couple of days, came home and made 8lb of strawberry jam..got to make room in the freezer somehow ;D
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Lifted some more carrots and cabbage for dinner.
I also took some runner beans down the old folks home for them too.
Had a go at the weeds, but they won again. Don't they always? :-[
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Nowt at the plot today but spent the morning blanching broad beans(Green Windsor) Beautiful colour, blanching the six cauli and chopping loads of rhubarb. All harvested from the plot yesterday. Gotta do some housework now while tone watches the car racing.
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Went down the lotty to prepare a bed for Mustard seed but I was interupted by a fellow lotty holder about the coming meeting to form our allotment association, three hours later I was pissed off with talking to people so I came home,
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Whilst I do enjoy a little chat with fellow plot holders, there are some folks that can talk fer England and it is annoying when you only have set amount of time to do the things that you have planned to do.
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No-one spoke to me today and feeling a bit sad, then I had two people looking at my pumpkin and think I might to learn to speak Portugese and Italian. But after feeling lonely, I had two lectures about pumpkins. Have left some cougettes and runner beans outside neighbours house. Blackberries next door which she likes, and feeds my cat when on holiday. Just going to look up recipes for squash soup/courgette soup. My takeaway is due soon so goodbye. Saw Joe Swift and his daughter up there today, taking photos of her with a sunflower which he picked and took home in his car.
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That used to happen to me, lady next plot to me [ her garden backed onto her plot, so she
could pop out - whenever ! ] used to 'corner me ', do like a chat, but you gotta show
something for a 3 to 4 hour 'session ', she used to 'chander ' away head down - oblivious !
Tried to say yes and no in the right places, gave up in the end and went ' deaf ',
- sad, but true. :-[
floss xxx
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You have to read the body language.
I am on the first plot so most people pass my plot.
If they walk fast and are give you a quick wave that is enough to tell you they want to get on with it.
If they come and stand next to the plot you know they want a chat.
I enjoy a chat but if I want to get on I just say that I must carry on as a lot to do in a small time.Be firm about it,but smile. ;D
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Thank you betula, I value you're comments but had to give up the lottie in April,
- now hubby and I tend our large garden, he says very little - but is ' meaningful ''
if you know what I mean ! ::) Is working well, ;D
floss xxx
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Picked the veg for dinner,cauli,calabrese,carrots and cabbage(got all the potatoes out yesterday)....had to do it in double quick time though before the rain came!
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Planted three aubergine plants in the greenhouse that had were missed when I put the rest in. Sowed some more lettuce - lollo rosso and winter density - and a handful of dwarf beans. Tied up more onions.
Potted up hydrangea cuttings that had put on loads of root in a jam jar full of water, picked off flower buds from fuchsia cuttings and cut more sweet peas.
Froze Primo II cabbages - grew Greyhound too this year but they didn't perform as well.
Saved seed from Delphiniums, Sweet Williams and Calendula.
Ate a Sweet Million tomato - the one and only ripe tomato so far!
Linda
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On Saturday managed to bag up my first harvest for this year of potatoes - salads, plus some second earlies. Sp these should last to end of the summer. My early maincrops are doing well - I have dug some of these up as thought they had blight but now being told its potassium deficiency - so will leave the rest alone.
Harvested calabrease, summaer cauli, Pax gooseberries (eating these for lunch now), ridge cucumber - small one, tomatoes, runner and french beans.
On Sunday was confined to shed as chucking it down so cleaned up my over wintered onions which have now dired off and put them into their new storage racks. Really pleased with these as the canteen at work were throwing out stacking mushroom trays - ideal for storing onions and apples in.
Today - well back at work - its lunch and raining outside - so what better than to browse A4A :)
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Went down to water my toms and found the council had started to do the groundwork for our new carpark, :)
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:) dug more pots, picked runner and purple and green french beans,
picked courgettes and mint. dandelion leaves for my tortoise,
picked Alicante,Gardeners Delight and Tumbling tom tomatoes,
cut cornflowers and sunflowers for the house,
watered and fed plants in greenhouses / shades x
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Just back fro stringing onions in the allotment shed with the rain coming down how civilised also the allotment car park is finished, :)
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Well I finally got the Chinese leaves out. The family have been stuffed with these over the past few weeks.
Parsley has gone past it now so more has been planted in its place.
More runners picked for us and the old folks, as well as cabbages which have come on really well.
Prepared a bed for the sowing of carrots, radish, spring onion, and beetroot.
I have yet to get the coldframe ready for the pending autumn.
There is still so much to think about but given the time and the weather I shall get it all done.
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Generally nantled... :)
What is a nantle????? Is this a secret gardener thing ;D
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Thanks Hector. Didn't want to show my ignoramous, my bet, probably pottering.
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watched the rain rain rain :(
and prayed against blight :(
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Not allowed out today, as have to go to grand daughters presentation, or whatever. Still it will do me good not to watch everything grow and dig up things before they are ready to see how they are doing. With the rain should be some runner beans to pick tomorrow and have some friends that want some. Just looked in the freezer and still have blackberries from last year, and am starting to pick them this year. What do I do??? Have made jam but we can't eat it all and next door likes it, but probably not good enough to give to strangers, don't want to poison anyone, apart from me and OH. What can I do with all my frozen redcurrants???? How much jelly can one eat.
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Got the strimming done and a bit of weeding before the rain came down :(
Picked a nice size marrow for tea tonight :D
Now as its still raining going to prep the rest of my beetroot for the freezer and pickle some of my shallots :)
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Drown... :P
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Drown... :P
;D
Yea went in Green house to tidy up abit :D
Its pouring down cats n dogs
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Clearing out the garden shed, and taking stuff from there to the lottie shed, hang on I'm clearing out one to clutter the other. ??? It will probably rain so I probably won't get to the lottie today. :-\ ;D ;D ;D
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Squelched.
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:) well it's poured with rain here ALL day, had to go to plot as no veg in the house except courgettes ::) :P
dug pots, picked french and runner beans,peas,toms,lettuce,dandelion leaves for my tortoise.
think Margo in the Good Life and that was me slipping and sliding picking runner beans in the mud and rain ;D what a bloomin' marvellous day!/ shades x
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Four hours of weeding between
Sprouts
Cauli
Kale
Red Cabbage
Swede
Fennel
Chinese Cabbage.
My backs bloody aching, any offers for a massage, and thats chicks only. :-*
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Just popped up today for some spuds. Saving meself for tomorrow if the weathers ok.
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Watered all the greenhouses, except the one I did yesterday, potted out some tomato side shoots, lifted some onions and put to dry, cut some Kohl Rabi... drowned again.... ::)
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I also harvested some beetroot and my first runners. :P ;D ;D ;D
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Been turning pallets into strawberry cages and rushing for cover when it rained!
Went for a walk round tonight and ended up hoeing weeds! :P
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Picked more courgettes........ note to self don't need 12 plants next year :-[..... Picked another carry bag of runners ;D good job there my fav veg :D.
Brought all my onions in to dry as its so wet here and done a bit of weeding
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Got the broad bean haulms out and dug them into the onion trench with the manure ready for the Jap onions to go into in the autumn. Ower Tone dug over the ground that the broad beans had been in and I planted the brocolli plants. Just hope that we get a crop off em before the winter sets in. Finished taking the leaves off the strawberries while ower Tone get the old Brocolli plants out. A good days work
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:swam: ::)
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Watered, got hot in the sun. ;D ;D ;D Picked blackberries, runner beans, french beans. Got given a marrow. Resisted the tempation to pick sweet corn, told have to wait until the moustache goes black. Nick cut the bottom leaves off my toms, and I watered the pumpkin its four watering cans a day as per instructions.
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Dried up enough for me to get in the garden and pick runner beans and green sprouting brocolli, oh and rhubarb. ;D
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After the scorcher yesterday 8) in Enfield, the weather was better for the lottie today, so I ripped out the peas and weeded around the french beans, watered and found where the beans had been hiding. :o
I also harvested some more earlies, they are getting big now and some have slug damage, so me thinks its time to get them out the ground. ??? ;D ;D ;D
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cut back 2 beds of strawberries, transplanted lots of me free salad mix seedlings..picked more purple and runner beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, purple radish, carrots, they've done really well in bunches, ishikura onions, beetroot and parsnips ;D
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Had a day off - went shopping
Dreading all those marrows tomorrow.
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Just nipped out for some leaf beet and fennel... carrots by the back door and spuds dug yesterday.. :)
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Pulled more carrots, piched some runner beans, and lifted some cabbage for tea.
More,and more weeding to be done after weeding again. This rain has been a welcome to the weeds and not to the gardener.
Took some fuchsia cuttings and transfered the strawberries to larger pots.
Sowed more carrots, lettuce, beetroot, and spring onions.
Looked at the sorrowful excuse for a cucumber plant. Cukes are not as big as first thought. Only a few inchs long not six as first thought.
Gave the garden a once over to see if there are gaps to fill with anymore crops.
Found space for some more chinese salad.
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I stayed indoors today as it has been pouring with rain all day.
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Hope you mean picked not pinched some runner beans, or you would be in real trouble. ;D ;D ;D
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bad speekin persun me ;D
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Harvested first red tomatoes (they didnt make it into the house)...yey! ......yey....ate our first PSB....potted up som chilis...didnt do much as a bit under the weather :) Came in and ate dinner of psb and chard in a cheese sauce and a quorn steak...followed by homemade yoghurt...yum!
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Just been out and did a bit of slug stomping... :)
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digging my potatoes up ??? Most had some blight on the leaves so i've whiped them out and are now drying on the garage floor. Please don't tell me i shouldn't have, it took me three hours to get them all out :-\
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Checked my rain guage; 11mm! ;D
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Rain....Rain....Rain...... and Ummmmm Rain :(
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Pulled up one lot of toms at the plot, the dreaded B >:( still got some healthy ones on the other plot so looking on the bright side.
Removed a dead shubunkin from my pond :(
Took more flower buds off fuchsia cuttings.
Then it rained ALL afternoon.......
Linda
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i have allowed the garden and the greenhouse to become not only untidy but a bit of a hazard, so since yesterday i have been tidying, just popped in for a late lunch will go back out in a minute.
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We have dug out the Red Dukes and Charlotte spuds, shelled some peas that we had dried for next year (in the coffee breaks) just come in for a snackette.. now going back out. :)
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sowed chicory, endives and onions in pots, turnips and long red radish in a container, picked sweet corn, parsnips, carrots, ishikura onions, tomatoes and cucumber..all for a present tomorrow..had a brill time as the sun's shining ;D
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Stayed home to do the garden today. Its looking a bit better for the attention given it. We have tended to neglect it a little this year what with one thing and another
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Dug up my Turbo onions and put in the shed to dry. Soil was too wet to do much else so concentrated on getting the grass cut at home and the garden tidied up. So nice to have a day without rain!
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Still at it, just come in to make the coffee, it's my turn... it's always my turn... :-X
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got the tiller out done a bed for winter onions and garlic, only me on the plots so no yappers to hold me up ;D ;D
jtw
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I cut the shaws off most of the tatties on the bottom plot and planted out 2 aster plants. Probably a bit late with those. My partner Ted lifted his onions to dry in time for the allotment show at the end of the month.
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Not much today,
Got the plants watered and a few toms picked. Picked some more beans and checked the growth of the next lot of carrots.
Meanwhile in the shed I am at another project.
The big white box.
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Sat in side watching the rain pour down on it. :'(
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::) :'( ::) :'( ditto
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Watered stuff in greenouse shed, brought onions home and put them to dry in the mini greenhouse, picked more courgettes :)
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took some video footage for next years records
JTW
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When the rain did stop for a bit picked runners and courgette then more rain :(
So i prepped all the runners for the freezer 11 large bag's in total :D plus the 8 or so allready in there.... good job there my fav veg ;D
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:D cut the grass paths, picked toms, courgettes, pots ,runner and french beans, was given some greengages, cut down and composted broad beans and grass, picked spinach, cleaned out shed when it rained/ shades x
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mowed the lawn
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Made sure the rain water was running away from the allotment via my drainage system and apart from that to wet to do anything, :)
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Got a pricking out/potting up session planned for the afternoon... :)
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have to wait until i finish work till i can go. >:(
but it will be weeding ALL night :)
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Sowed some spring cabbage seeds plus swedes and turnip seed, sprayed potatoes for blight and brassicas to stop caterpillars from damaging them.
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Yesterday I dug up some spuds and gave my Mum and Dad half of them, some onions and some runners, as they were looking after the kids it only seemed fair. :D
I harvested some french beans and carrots for my dinner. ;D ;D ;D
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I've just come back with more dwarf french beans, lettuce and a bite on my arm. :'( ;D ;D ;D
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cut grass / clipped :) 2 yew trees general tidy
just light rain in Gloucester now :(
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Checked two beehives, started planting paeonies and hellebores, and it started peeing it down so I gave up.
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still weeding, so much to weed, the weeds are as think as a mackem
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watered everything a lot, its swealtering down here.
filled the paddling pool and sprayed the kids down with the hose.
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Rain, rain, and more rain.
All I got done was to pull some carrots and then all indoor work.painted a door and planted up my baggie ready for christmas spuds.
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No garden had the grandchildren...sticking stuff, skipping ropes,washing up.....
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Still to wet to do anything my rain gauge is off the scale but the lotty doe's dry out fast that's if we can have a couple of dry days, just looked at the weather map and after today we have a whole week of dry and sunny weather :)
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Brought home a wheel barrow full of shallots
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Lovely day today. I checked a hive which is raising queens, and potted up some paeonies. I wasn't feeling too good at all, so I didn't get any further.
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Picked runners and raspberries,french beans.I checked, with fingers crossed,for blight as a friend was digging up her toms as we arrived.Put it this way we didn't dig the toms up today tomorrow ...well we'll wait and see ::)
We didn't do much work as it's the flower show tomorrow and we helped set up the tables e.t.c. always good for a giggle..men with little sticks and tape measures ;D
I hope your feeling better now Robert :)
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cleaned and refilled a pond, picked runner and french beans.
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I'm feeling better right now, thanks, but I've let myself in for a work party on the site in a bit, and I'm wondering how well I'll manage! I seem to be a bit limited this summer, I hope it won't last.
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Dug up my Lady Christyl
Watched the carnival go past ( took all of three mins )
Barrowed some council compost
Lapped up the Sun 8)
;D ;D ;D
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weeded and dug over a few beds, planted loads of plants and cleaned out all my tubs etc ready for bulbs and autumn plants etc
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I weeded,weeded weeded (have been busy helping son set up his new shop) the weeds decided to grow twice as fast as usual. Picked some runners and tomatoes.
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Loads of stuff including digging out a couple of rows af Anya... :)
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oh yes and i weeded weeded and weeded too
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Nowt at the plot went to see Mom again she's got another chest infection. Another lot of antibiotics ::). She seemed in good humour. Took the girls who care for her some rhubarb. They don't give it to the residents for some reason ;D. Came home and cleaned the windows.(we couldn't see out of em) Gonna spend a whole day up the plot today
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Did some more weeding and that was it. Got more mundain tasks out of the way like watching paint dry on doors for the up and coming winter, also painted the sofits and facias around the lower level of the house.
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Picked my first runners more beetroot, carrots, peas, half dozen leeks and a marrow, sweetcorn tazzles starting to turn :)
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General tidy up and weeding and a bit of digging dug up some spuds but the slugs had most of them :(
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Had a good day today mainly weeding and tying sweet peas and squashes and picking runners and climbing french beans. Came home with a lovely load of tomatoes
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planted a lot of pots sowed some more carrots, general tidy up and some repotting
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Dug up some more Lad Chrystl
Transplanted some strawberry runners
Harvested spuds and beetroot
I was also given some plums and apples
;D ;D ;D
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Picked raspberries, dug up some pots, picked runner beans, peas, and a couple of courgettes. Got given a marrow. Have just cooked spagetti bolognese for tomorrow, courgette soup, and pork chops with peas, and sweetcorn, forgot the sweetcorn, and also baked squashes, courgettes, toms, onions whatever. The lady at my allotment said that she saw a squirrel last night, picked one of my sweetcorn, unpeeled it and sat on a bale of straw and ate it. I suppose that means that it is ripe, clever these squirrels, hope he enjoyed it, so picked four today to bring home. Cut the grass a bit, a did some weeding, but it was vey hot, so had a good chat, and Manuel come to see if I had watered my pumpkin, which I promised to do later, and Nick checked my toms and pulled off a few side shoots. Spoke to Ken, who was on Gardeners World drinking the nettle tea, which he said tasted like piss, but they couldn't film that, so he changed it. Also they have cut out his swearing. He is a real character and generous, he grows stuff and gives it away. Just got home and after cooking etc. etc. still some beans to freeze, the door bell rang and my neighbour, who also has an allotment, had left an enormous cabbage on the door step.
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I forgot to say but I will be brief one of my lotty mates gave me a peach and said I could help myself to his polytunnel
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pricked out and put into individual cells some seedlings of kohl rabi, pak choi. mizuna, turnips and kale.
also planted into cells some tiny cloves of garlic which i removed from some of the stems of my home grown crop. i know they won't really get very big but plan to pot them up further when their roots are showing and will grow them in pots/ window boxes for a possible early crop next year, we'll see if the experiment works.
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Harvested my spring planted garlic. Some were only starting to put out scrapes, so I probably should have left them a bit longer...
Planted my elephant garlic pips.
Transplanted turnips, khol rabi & beetroot from root trainers. Sowed radish & oriental leaves.
Tried to work out what has been munching on my horseradish & tree spinach leaves. Failed. (Looks like slugs, but might be caterpillars... )
Dropped a few slugs into boiling water & then put them out on the shed roof for the birds. 8)
Picked some 'Twilight', 'Ring of Fire' and Lidl's chillies; dropped some into a bottle of tequila, made something resembling an harissa paste with the rest ;)
Harvested & prepped for freezing chives, dill, garlic chives, various basil, parsley, tarragon, winter savory, broad beans, mange tout & peas.
Emptied two buckets of spuds and replanted with earlies.
Turned over a few borders in preparation for nematoding tomorrow.
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Watered, picked courgettes a few toms. Worried about my PFA so dug one up, got some really odd shapes but they looked fine. There is blight all over the site so cut them right down, am planning to leave them in for a couple of weeks and then get them up, hope thats a good idea ???
Lushy x
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Yesterday I dug up some more Lady Chrystl, no slug damage unlike the rocket.
Transplanted strawberry runners and watered in.
Mixed home compost into the dalek.
Harvested beetroot and spuds.
Was given some apples and plums from a lady lottie holder.
;D ;D ;D
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Not to much today dodging the showers but managed to pick beetroot, runners, peas and a marrow, weather to pick up for the rest of the week so it will be a chance to rotovate the mustard in, :)
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Had a good day today, picked some blackberries to give to my ex allotment friend, who had to give it up (they were her blackberries, and she did ask what about my strawberries, told her I had picked a few for jam, she said I could, feel guilty now). Went round and begged some courgettes from Manuel, and 3 lovely freshly laid eggs from Keith's wife, and stole (yes stole) some beans from Joe Swift's allotment (only a few, promise) as he is away in France (I hope) and a few beans from my allotment and then walked round to see her, carrying my eggs, blackberries and stolen goods. She is OK but has been registered blind, although she can see with a magnifying glass. Told her that her allotment has not been taken on yet, so if her pears etc are still there I will take her something round in a couple of weeks, might go round with my begging bowl and ask for something as most people knew her up there and I don't care. Wouldn't ask for myself. Was tempted to pinch one egg to eat myself but she got all three, as I think wants comes around goes around.
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not much, after checking the realseed site last night about harvesting amaranth (i thought mine looked ready as their flower/ seed heads have started to droop) so i did the test and yep some were ready to be harvested so i did, as the weather looked like it might rain tonight and didn't want lose any of the grain.
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:D picked runner and two types of purple French beans,courgettes, loads of toms, dandelions for my tortoise,was given loads of greengages,a blue water butt and a compost bin, cut the grass paths again,cut my potatoes down as they have blight,picked some raspberries/ shades x
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Dug up last of the Lady Christyl and barrowed some council compost on the old spud soil but was too hot so I came home. 8)
I returned later and watered and picked a small cauli.
I had some plums from lottie neighbour Ann and picked some Rhubarb from the secs plot, a little late but I'll give them to next door and see how they go. :-\ ;D ;D ;D
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Picked runners,french,runners,peas,runners,red cabbage-like a football weighed a ton,runners,lettuce,toms oh and did I mention runners :o
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this morning before going out with the kids i picked runners, french beans, some tomatoes, a cucumber and the first scalloped squash which i didn't even know was there, i just happened to notice a white thing under the plant, on investigation there was a huge squash to harvest.
this afternoon after my day out with the kids, i potted up the tomato plants i have grown from cuttings into their final buckets, the Broad Ripple Yellow current already has two young fruit on it, hopefully we get an indian summer and maybe i'll have tomatoes for christmas from the greenhouse.
harvested some springonions and more tomatoes.
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Dug up last four rows of Potatoes on the top lottie. Picked a kg of cherry toms and some Autumn Bliss Rasps... some Runner beans and kohl rabi... :)
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Had a good tidying up session with son helping. Cleared the two remaining outdoor tomatoes that had survived the blight....not! Cleared and weeded the salad bed, Cam sowed some more lettuces and salad onions. Cleared lots of borage that seeded itself everywhere but getting tatty now, so to the compost heap they go!
Harvested purple climbing french beans, a few courgettes and some greengages that are just about ripe and already very sweet. The yellow raspberries are lovely, but rarely survive making it back home...I wonder why?
I had planned to dig some more potatoes up today, and take down my ruined cauliflowers under the environmesh tunnel, but the rain suggests otherwise..... :-\
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had another day out planned so just got the watering done this morning, but harvested with the girls 8lbs of cherry plums from the side of the road on the way home. will go back in a weeks time to see if the yellow one are ripe.
(http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk187/thifasmom/IMG_5615.jpg)
(http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk187/thifasmom/IMG_5623.jpg)
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cut the first kalibos cabbage ;D
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Wow Thifasmom what a lucky find :)and aren't young children useful at times ;D
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Now I'm jealous Rekellah... :)
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dug up the last of our new pots, picked a cabbage, some beans and carrots for tea. and they were all delicious
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Wow Thifasmom what a lucky find :)and aren't young children useful at times ;D
they do come into their own from time to time :).
Now I'm jealous Rekellah... :)
glad to reciprocate the emotion ;)
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Sad, I didn't do a thing. I was tied to a paint brush all day as the doors needed doing and I am the only one who can use one properly. :(
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Rotovated my mustard seed in about 60 m2, then I picked two marrows several large beetroot half a bag of runner beans very disappointing this year, spring onions two broccoli and three peaches from my mates polytunnel, :)
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Watered the greenhouses... picked the minipop then had to take son to opticians for a check up. Off to dig up more spuds now... :)
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Picked more raspberries and turned them into raspberry ripple ice cream and couli.
Watered the toms, cucs and melons in the polytunnel and swapped a cucumber for some baby plum toms, which we ate with dinner.
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Got the three lines of spuds up, picked some raspberries... :)
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Dibbed in the last of the leeks
Sowed some carrots
Harvested some carrots
Barrowed on some council compost
Watered Celeriac, Pumpkins, Squash and cucumber.
;D ;D ;D
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Oh no, not another mountain of Council compost, we are so lucky living in Enfield. I dread it when it comes, cause I have to have some even if I nackered. Wheelbarrows races are good.
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Picked more rasps, radish and spinach beet... gave away some Kohl Rabi and cherry toms to a newbie... :)
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Chopped up my last remaining tomato bush [ Piccolo ] and it had up to 20 toms
per truss !! sad but true. ::)
Cut some chinese assorted salad, saved the carrots till tomorrow [ long for Shepherds pie !?! ]
--- need comfort food ! and will use my own garlic, lovely ;D
floss xxx
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Dug up the last of our earlies and re-netted the sprouts as they'd grown too tall. General hoeing and weeding. Tad concerned about our pumpkins as they look very sorry for themselves and wondering whether the butternuts will ever fruit. Picked yet more raspberries
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transplanted herb cuttings, took some more, including some 'stevia' cuttings..planted up more mixed leaves, sowed some endive and chicory, must've done more 'cos I'm knackered ;D
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Borlotti, does yours chuck up, I'm surprised the neighbours don't complain about the smell, I can smell it halfway across the park. ;D ;D ;D
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Potted up strawberry runners, tomorrow I will take more lavender and rosemary cuttings from home for planned hedges on new plot. Also took seeds from rose campion. I love taking seeds ;D
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Nothing, doing the bloody ironing all day >:( Thats what comes of leaving till there is nothing left to wear ;D
Lushy x
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Nothing, doing the bloody ironing all day >:( Thats what comes of leaving till there is nothing left to wear ;D
Lushy x
Understand the ironing thing my basket is growing like bindweed shame tumbleweed won't work on it .On the lottie we picked,picked,picked and weeded.beans just go on forever :o
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I brought some parsley seedlings into the house too pot on and left them in the kitchen while I had a coffee... When I returned 20 minutes later the plants had been stripped bare. After much grilling of the parsley loving members of the household I found a fat 'n' juicy Cabbage White caterpillar reclining on a stalk. (http://bestsmileys.com/frustrated/8.gif)
Apparently the CW caterpillar is also rather fond of my chilli plants. :( (Or they were, they've now been relocated to the garden bird feeder. ;) )
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Dug up 30 blighted tom plants ready for the burn tomorrow ::)
oh and lots of talking to other plotholders ;D
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Had our annual show. Setting everything up yesterday with a bad attack of migraine was a nightmare, but everything went OK in the end. this year we had 15 people enter, two up on last year, and we held it in a pleasanter spot on the new orchard. I'll now have to try to make it better again next year!
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Not a great deal... we went out to an NGS garden in Burton, and for a walk along the canal (Trent and Mersey)
Have picked a load of CFB (Kentucky Wonder), some peas for seed, a bit of watering and spag Marrows something to climb... now they have got going after about two months... :)
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mowed around my plot and picked beans,beans and some beans not forgeting a cabbage, swede,peas, carrots and kale
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potted up some plants; greek basil x 2, tomato from cuttings x 1 and two sweet potato plants i hope to over winter as they had a late slow start, i found 2 sweet potatoes growing in one of the pots so potted it up in a very large pot, fingers crossed they'll grow to a nice size.
also watered everything, sowed some harvested seed from an overwintered gone to flower carrot plant.
cleaned the ancient apple tree of all/ practically all the diseased fruit.
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[/ :D cut the grass paths yet again,picked loads of runner and purple french beans, courgettes,loads of tomatoes,
sunbathed, chatted a lot,thanked the chaps who gave me a new water butt and filled it for me whilst I was at work, thanked the chap who waters my greenhouses while I'm at work, I'm very lucky with the help I get :-*
watered and mulched my beans and sweetcorn, started cutting down my herb fennel before it self seeds all over my plot ::) dug up my red onions,picked some apples, / shades x
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Lets try again ;D cut the grass paths , picked loads of runner and purple french beans,courgettes and loads of tomatoes,
thanked the chaps who gave me a new water butt and filled it for me whilst I was at work, thanked the chap who waters my greenhouses while I'm at work, I know I'm very lucky :-*
sunbathed, chatted, dug up my red onions and picked some apples
watered and mulched my beans and sweetcorn, started cutting down my herb fennel before it self seeds all over my plot ::)/ shades x
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Yellow on white... never good. But OK if you highlight it... blue background helps
:)
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picked beetroot,lettuce ,french beans(for our neighbours at home)
The OH strimmed for our lottie neighbours and helped unload muck with the lovely horsey lady Jenny she brings a smashing load for £5 shame we have to ferret about trying to find the right plot oh for organisation! ???
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Fed and watered the garden and veggies, also earthed up my very late spuds in the greehouse. Finally sat back and enjoyed the view of what I have put together. Yes a garden which I can say is complet. But there is a change in the wind me thinks. All change next year as there will be spaces to fill and more veggie to try. :P
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weeded the leeks during which exercise got a wasp up my trouser leg....it got very cross several times.......I may never walk again, and the wasp certainly won't.
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Hoe-ed the weeds, harvested carrots and french beans this afternoon and watered and dug up some more Kestrels this evening. 8) ;D ;D ;D
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Not as bad as OH who didn't find a wasp on a mulberry once which objected to being bitten... :o
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Weeded a couple of beds and harvested carrots, calabrese, sweetcorn & french beans.
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dug up a load of spuds, id bought some plants so planted them and did some more pots etc, aching now lol
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Well, I spent the best part of an hour picking runner beans off of two rows of them.
The old folks and neighbours were very pleased to get them as the prices seem to be on the up again.
Sorted out and bought some more seed from Mr Fothergills. Looks as if I am going to be a busy bunnie for some time now with all the sowing and potting on required. Must remember to oreder some more trays and modules to put them in too.
Grass cutters had to be moved again today. Those are the resident guinea pigs, not the swimming pool as someone thought it was.
Spuds in a bag are earthed up again. Boy are they growing away well.
Watered the garden and await more veg to produce for us to eat.
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I spent the best part of an hour picking barlotti beans and runner beans and then spent about 4 hours preparing them for the freezer
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Hoe-ed the weeds
Watered in Kale
Harvested runners.
;D ;D ;D
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Carried on shovelling more manure. Managed to get a 2nd plot on my site so have decided to cover it with inches of manure to keep the weeds down and deal with it over the winter. Trouble is i didn't realise how long it would take to do. been at it 10 days now lol. Still it's worth the aches and pains and it's doing wonders for my bingo wings lol.
I also harvested more runner beans, hoed my 1st plot to keep on top of weeds and watered.
Still loving my 1st year
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Picked Tomato's, marrow and runners before I went to work, :)
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Watered in greenhouses... then it rained... supposed to be laying slabs. The delivery has just unloaded...
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sowed
long red florence and sensyu onion seeds
greyhound cabbage seeds for early spring crops
endive and chicory
winter density, valdor and arctic king lettuce
long white icicle radish
lisbon spring onions
picked
tomatoes, parsnips, runner beans, purple podded beans, cucumbers, basil and a peach and a fig ;D
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Discovered I'd managed to miss a 2 inch long caterpillar the other day... ::) Cue mumbled swearing & the removal of a few dozen munched peppers. :(
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earthed up my x mass spuds, planted next years garlic.
j.t.w
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Went to town on cleaning the pots in readiness for autumn plantings.
Used Jeyes to clean out over 200 pots of various sizes.
More runners, carrots, and spuds for tea though. Nice piece of fish to go with.
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Laid slabs for a new seating area... well if it's dry on the Open Day there will be lots of "friends" here too many for the patio... ;D
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Give the lottie a good watering. ;D ;D ;D
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Picked rasperries for show jelly.
More runner beans (even left some out for the milkman tonight ::))
17 heads of sweetcorn - Ambrosia - already on the seed list for next year.
Chillies and courgettes.
Linda
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Nowt because I have been back at work this week in my new job, but managed to get to the lotty on Wednesday, hoping to have a good day tomorrow, :)
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Oh dear, had to go for a big shop, wanted to dig a new bed in garden, clear the tomato tub soil,
Sooo, not a lot --- always tomorrow ! ;D
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I built a new pond
(http://inlinethumb19.webshots.com/19986/2106633360062644071S500x500Q85.jpg) (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2106633360062644071ELHgXV)
(http://inlinethumb02.webshots.com/40001/2489467910062644071S500x500Q85.jpg) (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2489467910062644071CmCGNU)
pictures of me paddling and planting coming to a website soon.
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Anything to get out of mowing the lawn Ace ;D
Linda
PS. Lovely pond though :)
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:D picked loads of toms,spinach,kale,aubergine,herbs,french beans,pots,cabbage,raspberries and apples/ shades x
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took down runners destoyed by the winds ,watered celeriac as per instructions on this forum :) havested red cabbage.Took delivery of a trailer (small)muck at home for the garden much twitching of curtains by the neighbours, next time i knock on their doors with free veggies i must educate them in the fertility of the soil ;)
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transplanted the chicories and endives yesterday, picked runners, purple podded beans, some of the dried salmon flowered peas, yin yang and haricot beans...cut some cauli and calabrese, pulled carrots and parsnips, picked loads more tomatoes and 2 more cucumbers ..visiting in laws today :-\
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Put in some leeks and winter caulies prepared a bed for my garlic which will go in next month, :)
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How many runner beans for a pint of milk. ;D ;D ;D Ace love your pond, the cat looks a bit surprised and is that a real cow???
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nothing at the plot today but poached 25lb of pears in spiced cider ;D
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Picked Brambles and Runners... squished caterpillars, and fed the biggest to the chickens.. strimmed several over grown corners...
:)
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:D picked toms,aubergines,chillies,coriander,beans,beans,beans and beans,kale,spinach,apples,courgettes/ shades x
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(http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/tt149/macmac-photo/08_31_3.jpg)
Actually worked at home today,reclaimed an area behind the garden shed and met this chap, he was very patient and sat still while I took several shots. I love 'em but the OH can't bear them
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Decided to dig up the rest of my spuds while it was dry.Didn't realise quite how many that was, and since half of them were in a "cleared" bramble patch which has returned to brambles........- four hours later I'm aching and ready for a bath. Pretty pleased with the yield, all things considered, but quite a few yucky runny tubers so will have to keep an eye on them in store.
Also picked lots of raspberries and a few courgettes, toms and carrots.
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Dug up all my Kestrels and started digging up my Ratte.
Harvested: Sweetcorn, Runners, Purple Breans, Cabbage, Cucumbers and Garden Tommies.
Brought home stored onions and Spuds.
Watered.
Added garden waste to daleks and mixed them.
;D ;D ;D
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:D picked beans,beans etc,tomatoes,aubergine,flat leaf parsley,melon,raspberries,potatoes,/ shades x
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Carried on digging up Ratte
Harvested carrots
Given a cucumber
Watered.
;D ;D ;D
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Sorted out strawberry runners
pulled up lots of carrots
picked runner beans
(http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/gallery/4528_05_09_09_3_29_38.jpg)
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picked my nieghbours gerkins - will pickle later
last of the early spuds came up
Watered my winter brassicas
picked a huge red cabbage which smells more cabbagy then anything I have experienced!
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Dug up another row of spuds. had to do it meself cos ower Tones got an hernia and couldn't very well let him do it. Thats 3 sacks of spuds in the shed now and only 2 more rows to dig(phew) We have 2 buckets that the slugs have been in so am having to use them first and salvage what I can. He don't throw nowt away, Picked meself about 15 damsons from the tree we bought last year and pinched some of the daughters plums while she wasn't there. Was looking forward to getting some damsons from Saddads open day but it's no go this time so will have to be satisfied with what we have. Brought home another load of toms and picked some chrysanths to take to me mom tomorrow Just having a nice glass of wine cos I deserve it ;D
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Can't remember it all. Been at it since 9:00 am... still not finished Glad when the OD is over.. :)
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Transplanted some leeks and cabbages.
Watered.
Harvested Runners, small cauli and Sweetcorn.
;D ;D ;D
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Tidied everything up after seeing all the beautiful plots at Saddad's open day! ;D
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Yesterday - harvested the last bit of calabrese and then cleared, fed and dug over the bed ready for my overwintering onions in a couple of weeks time. Then weeded the rest of lottie 1.
Went up to the other site and harvested beans, carrots and raspberries. I had picked beans and raspberries on Sat, along with a swede, cabbage, leek, courgettes and cucumbers which I gave to Mum and Dad. So glad I restricted myself on the number of green/runner beans I planted - my main harvest will be shelled beans for use over winter.
Also noted that vines on the squash are dying back quickly now - potimarron and crown prince seem to have done very well this year. Will take photo.
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Dug up more Ratte
Harvested Carrots
Watered.
;D ;D ;D
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Started seed saving ::)
Linda
x
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Started seed saving ::)
Linda
x
ooohhh what are you trying?? ive saved some parsnip seeds from a derelict plot,so far
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It was flower seeds from the garden today Rach, might be harvesting a leek seed or two in the next few days up at the plot though as it doesn't look as they are going to produce pips :(
Linda
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dug up more spuds,picked yet more beans of all sorts and colours, was given some damsons, picked loads of toms, sweetcorn,courgettes, cut the grass and weeded/ shades x
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cut half of my leeks almost down to the ground as per Kittykats advice,many plot holders on site are digging theirs up because of the dreaded moth.Next year it's back to the envoiromesh.Pulled up the pattipan plant which while the 2 I harvested were nice the rest just rotted .The OH sowed 4 packs of overwintering spring onions,and he started digging.It's been really muggy here and very hot 8) feels like thunder though none forecast hope it doesn't rain as off to watch number 1 grandson play footie :)
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Dug half a row of Maris Piper and they were scabbed and slug ridden. Next year will stick to the Pentland javelin for the earlies and Nadine for storing. Cut the squash that were ready and picked blackberries and raspberries.Some more beans Toms and lettuce and weeded again
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Picked 3 pumpkins of varying sizes that were ready (anna swartz hubbards) a handful of beans, a couple of courgettes and an aubergine
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Planted out strawberry runners.
Shirl my Maris Pipers were rubbisn last year 95% slug holes, I don't know if you remembered my thread maris poopers.
;D ;D ;D
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:D picked yellow and green courgettes, pots , runner beans,kale, and clover and dandelion leaves for my tortoise, watered my toms and chillies etc , cut down blackberries- finished already ::) sunbathed/ shades x
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Planted out strawberry runners.
Shirl my Maris Pipers were rubbisn last year 95% slug holes, I don't know if you remembered my thread maris poopers.
;D ;D ;D
Pity I didn't see the post it would have saved me all fruitless digging Kev, I still have a row to dig today. (Be glad when ower Tones fit again), They must use a load of chemicals to grow em commercially.
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Well dug the last row and a half of the Maris Piper. Managed to save about 3/4 of them.I'm aching(not shakin) all over. Thank godness I put the slow cooker on this morning. Did some more weeding. Came home with some more toms and a punnet of plums that someone gave us.
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:) dug more spuds King Edwards, weeded, watered, dug over beds, watered greenhouses etc / shades x
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Transplanted more Spring Cabbages.
Harvested carrots and runners.
Saved seeds from runners.
Watered.
;D ;D ;D
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Finished digging up the Ratte.
Watered squashes, cucs and celeriac.
Snared a mixture of spuds from an abandoned plot, with permission of course. ;)
;D ;D ;D
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Harvested carrots, beetroot and 2 sweetcorn and took home with some stored spuds. ;D ;D ;D
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:) picked loads of the usual.. toms ,beans and courgettes,
watered all my beans,courgettes and pumpkins/squash,
painted all my wooden compost bins Ocean Blue, to match my shed which I painted yesterday,
Sat and watched a flock of Goldfinches and Greenfinches on my sunflowers .
weeded and cleared another bed/ shades x
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Weeded and watered Strawberrys.
Made ground ready and lined for Winter onions.
Aired spuds in the Sun. 8)
Harvested a Cucumber.
;D ;D ;D
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Tone did the easy jobs while I dug and mucked the bed for next years maincrop onions. Picked some apples and Toms and a cucumber and the last of some broad beans that we planted late and most important cauliflower.
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Digging and weeding the area where I'm going to put a rhubarb plant that my plot neighbour Joe has said I can have.
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picked some runner beans, cabbage and tomatoes. Did a bit of digging, and watered the plants in the greenhouse. ;D
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Did one of my favourite tasks, clearing leaves and the last of the edible ones off the beanpoles to let the selected pods ripen off. I HATE putting up beanpoles, HATE picking and preparing beans, but this tidying up just suits me.
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Had a lovely burn up today ;D. It's so very dry still. Not much else to be done till the groung softens a tad. Looking a bit tidier now though.
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Watered. ;D ;D ;D
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harvested dried peas and beans, still loads to go but these were near the bottom and bits of them were eaten..cut lots of calabrese and our first sprouts, trimmed everything in the fruit cage, planted up the chicories and endives, found a row of radish with what looked like carrot fly damage ???
picked tomatoes, cuc, lettuce, ishikura onions instead of spring onions and 2 radish with no damage for lunch..more runner beans, they're winding down now, and we planted up some garlic :)
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Picked the first years cooking apples and eating apples. Got on with the winter digging while Tone lay on the ground weeding the broccolli underneath the wire mesh. He can't stand for long now so have to find him either sittng or standing jobs. ;D. I too collected some seeds from the beans that I had from folks on here. Picked a nice bunch of chrysanths to take to Mom tomorrow.
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It took me most of the day,
But I dug one of my pits for the runner beans next year.
Picked some late strawberries and cut some cukes for the guinea pigs.
Cukes are not worth eating with salad as they are a bit bitter.
Runners are still coming and being eaten with all sorts of meals.
Carrots have not yet got big enough from the late sowing, so I will have to wait on them.
The spuds which went in late are nearly in flower and no sign of blight as they are in the greenhouse.
Mustard green manure is doing well and they will keep the weeds down on one of the beds.
Now there is a chill in the air, I think the chillies and hot peppers are the thing to be cooking.
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put away my little ones tent,swept the patio, tidied up the shed
and dodged a line of washing will doing this :)
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Ate strawberries, watered squash and sweetcorn, picked another bucket full of courgettes. Bemoaned the lack of days in the weekend as I have made other plans for tomorrow, so the leeks will have to wait another week for transplanting.
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picked the rest of the squash to ripen off indoors :)
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Watered.
Harvested 7 sweetcorn, one small butternut and a handful of self growing tommies.
;D ;D ;D
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Walked into another spider's web, didn't mean to break it, but wish they wouldn't swing them from my washing line. Sorry spider, all your hard work on my face. Picked some red hot chillies, and not sure if I burnt my hand cooking my squash soup or it was the chillies. It didn't hurt but fingers looked burnt and kind of red, mottled and swollen but only on my left hand. Thought I had some terrible disease, and would have to go to A & E, but washed and scrubbed them and put hand cream on and then after an hour it got better. My hand looked like an alien monster hand. Panic over. Or could it have been the skin of the squashes I was cutting up??. Very strange.
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harvested these from cold-frame
[attachment=1]
and these, from outdoors at the lottie
[attachment=2]
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I get a reaction every time I get chilli on my hands, but it doesn't last long.
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Sprayed all my sprouts with anti-mealy fly stuff. Luckily the birds seem to have sorted some of the out already - see below.
Tried desperately to rig up temporary netting with a couple of hoops, wrong size bamboo canes, metal poles, sticky back plastic and sellotape ;) where the birds have ripped open some of my el-cheapo temporary B&Q netting and bitten the heads of my sprouts in one bed and my PSBs in another.
Brought home a sack of Amaranth flower heads for threshing.
Harvested a whopper of a cured marrow for storage and a bundle of pattipans before the cold arrives.
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Cleared and cleaned both sheds, took all the non organic rubbish to recycling and burnt the rest! 8) (for cool read smug ;))
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Watered squashes, winter onions and celeriac. ;D ;D ;D
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put in winter onions was given some spring cabbage so put them in. Then watered all and picked runners, swede,carrots and the 1st of my savoy for tea .
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy2E0_Kf6Ko
not a lot ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Harvested carrots and red springys. ;D ;D ;D
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Dug. I'm trying to clear a patch of bindweed and groud elder, so I won't have to do any more routine digging there.
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:) after work went to lottie and picked a large punnet of red and yellow raspberries,
watered toms in greenhouses,
watered plot,soooooooooooo dry and dusty/ shades x
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Harvested the last handful of runners and took home some stored spuds for chips. ;D ;D ;D
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Got the last 2 cauli's up to put in the freezer. Started moving the strawberries away from the autumn raspberries.Got the last few bean seeds in to finish drying off. Finished digging the last potato patch ready for next year. Labelled the chrysanths that had got mixed up. Came home to a lovely casserole cooking in the slow cooker, The smell is divine. Just got to do some spuds now to go with it.
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Had a tidy up, moved some herb plants from my son's plot to mine temporarily and clipped the hedge, pretty routine stuff really! I'm getting some manure delivered from a local farmer on Sunday, so I might have to dig up the rest of my carrots and the sunflowers that are growing by the front fence as that is where he will want to tip it over....... :-\
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Nothing except pick a few herbs for my lunch.
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Got into terrible trouble at the allotment today, started a bonfire and the smoke blew the wrong way, and a lovely lady shouted so all of Enfield could hear, if you don't put that fu...ing bonfire out I will call the environmental health, so I rushed to get my watering can and put it out. Thought it was only dry grass I was burning, I think I ruined her washing, so no more bonfires. Other two bonfires on there blew onto the playing fields, so I went home feeling upset. Spoke to other nice people on the allotment and they said they heard her shouting, it was quite scary. Had a good chat with my friend and his wife, and 10 of us were looking for his keys which he had dropped, but no luck. He heard the shouting, but said it is an allotment site and not my fault the wind changed direction, but it did spoil the day for me. I would never, ever do that deliberately and must admit even the dry grass did smoke a bit.
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Borlotti get yourself home girl, put your feet up, pour yourself a large glass of wine and put some music on.
I'll lend you one of my favourite albums if you like, how about Smokey Robinsons greatest hits.
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D :-*
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Or "smoke gets in your eyes".... I'll get my coat.... :-X
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Borlotti,
It is from advise that I heard, you can only do fires from 1800 to 0600 daily.
This would not interfere with the people who want to put out their washing and also those who want to air their houses.
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In Birmingham fires are forbidden at any time. On my site we are waiting for Nov 5th when we are allowed to bend the rules. Some of the piles are quite high and cover with plastic sheets.
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Or I could lend you a film, maybe Smokey and the bandit. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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After the manure was delivered last weekend(eight ton) we got stuck right in today spreading a good layer, tomorrow I will be back to finish the job off, :)
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Moved some more strawberries to their new home. Planted some spring bulbs under the fruit trees
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Watered and took some dry beans home for seed saving. ;D ;D ;D
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Watered and took some dry beans home for seed saving. ;D ;D ;D
but did you get shot of the corn bits :D
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harvested the last of the sweetcorn, the butternut squashes and some more outdoor tomatoes.
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Cleared some ground by removing and composting the sweetcorn, sadly planted too late so no crop. :-X
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Hoe'd weeds.
Transplanted strawberrys.
Harvested 1celeriac and my last sweetcorn.
;D ;D ;D
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we took down the runner beans and Ray dug trenches for next years in the next bed, took down some of the sorry looking tomato plants, sowed some of my sweet pea seed from flowerlady, thanks, flo plus some honesty from georgie, thanks, georgie, i will keep them inside to see how they go ;D
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We spent 3 hours clearing some of the plot that I've just taken on! still got masses to do :)
From this:
(http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll32/ellieyusuf/lotty/8125_1157744307331_1339459230_30480.jpg)
(http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll32/ellieyusuf/lotty/8125_1157744387333_1339459230_30480.jpg)
To this:
(http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll32/ellieyusuf/lotty/8125_1157744427334_1339459230_30480.jpg)
(http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll32/ellieyusuf/lotty/8125_1157744467335_1339459230_30480.jpg)
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cor, Le-y, give yourselves a pat on the back, amazing difference ;D
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Thanks Manic, many hands make light work and all that, managed to rope the parents and grandparents in on a promise of free veg ;D
and we managed it all with a toddler, newborn and dog in tow ;D
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Wow Le-y did you dig all that by hand? Can you all come down and do a bit on mine? ;D
Lushy x
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Took delivery of some nicely rotted cow's muck, and spent a couple of hours barrowing and shovelling it to where I wanted it! Bliss...... ;D ::)
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Nothing, I've told you already its raining. ;D ;D ;D
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Planted some tulip bulbs and wallflowers on the project garden .Dug up some dahlias.. It going to rain here tonight and tomorrow.
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Planted the last of the overwintering onions. The next job is to mulch them.
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i got mine in too .. and the garlic. What do you mulch them with Robert?
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Mine still need to go in... picked some more toms... see "still at it" ;D
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:) after work picked toms, and red and yellow raspberries, watered mushrooms, have some baby ones now :o watered toms etc/ shades x
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Re weeded the bed where the onions are going in, and emptied three barrow loads of my compost from the big bin onto it....lovely stuff! Tried digging the last remaining bit of the last bed, which has so many dandelions and couch roots it takes about half an hour a row......... ::) I'll go back and have another go today!
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Barrowed some council compost and harvested some beetroot yesterday. ;D ;D ;D
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Was going to get some compost, but obviously it went to Cornykev, >:( >: (ours is coming next week. >:( >:( >:( but we did get a Council small skip for our rubbish. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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We had our skip, cage thing on wheels 6 weeks ago, I was away so one of the boys put all my toot on it. ;D ;D ;D
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sourced a couple of water butts for the wife's new studio/shed. ( it might rain soon) :D
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:D picked loads of Kale, tomatoes, mushrooms, runner beans,raspberries,courgettes,
dug a bed over and planted broad beans, weeded,
was given loads of packets of flower seeds and some strawberry runners ;D ;D/ shades x
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disnt go to plot today. did my seed order to kings,,,,,sprouts f1 wellington, broad beans,,,dreadnaught,,,,early nantes,,,swede,,,marian the rest will come from lidl,,,,only growing what i like to eat
jimtheworzel.
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pricked out the "Tinkerbell" planted out Campanula, hacked and slayed... planted out onion sets, picked carrots, cabbage, grapes, melon, celery... :)
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Yesterday I barrowed more council compost.
Cleared the dead brassica leaves and pulled up a few manky plants.
Weeded around Raspberrys
Harvested: Carrots, beetroots and took home some stored spuds.
Turned over pile of manure I didn't use this year.
Took home compost to lottie and put it in the daleks.
;D ;D ;D
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Tidied and weeded the front borders and planted bulbs. As the light was going I just soaked the ground and hope the local cats don't treat the borders as their newly built loo before I put the mahonia cuttings over the soil ::)
Ninny
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Just gazed longingly at the garden and thought about the plot. Hatching some lurgy here and got no energy. :(
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Tied the new shoots of the thornless blackeberry in now that the chrysanths are up. Put them too near this year. Tone went to the dump with 20 bags of rubbish. planted some bulbs and sweet william under the remaining 2 fruit trees. Came home and planted my chitted sweet peas in their pots. All the broad beans are up and ready to go into the ground next week. Sowed them at home to stop the mice gettin em.
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Cleared and composted the sweetcorn leaves and cobs.
Snipped the bottoms of the runnerbean stalks.
Watered.
;D ;D ;D
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Had a really good day after being back from working away, planted two gossegogs and a redberrie also three rhubarb plants, picked the best sweetcorn today which was 'F1 Conqueror' from Thompson and Morgans really good big cobs but a late variety, :)
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Planted out the broad beans that I had grown in pots( to save the mice eating them).Put the grease bands on the apple trees. Tones going to do it next year. I hate sticky hands and I coudn't get rid of the stuff. Picked a big bunch of chrysanths for me Mom. She is 87 tomorrow.
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Shirley Wish Mum a Happy Birthday tomorrow from me. I remember that lovely photo of her enjoying a visit to your allotment. How is she? (sorry to go off thread)
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Picked the last of the Gardeners delight, had a bit of a tidy up and have sown some of Shirl's sweet peas in John Innis. Like Emaggie still suffering from the remains of the dreaded lurgy.
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cleared the last of the tomatoes from the greenhouse. :(
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Cultivated some new ground and transplanted some Strawberry runners in it.
Cleared brassica leaves under the plants.
Dug and filled 5 squash pits for next year.
Harvested 1 red cabbage.
Watered.
;D ;D ;D
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Corny,
Did you ever get a good crop of Sweetcorn?, I've just started to pull my F1 Conqueror(Thompson&Morgan) best Sweetcorn I have ever had big full juicy cobs, it might be late in the year but worth waiting for, :)
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Gave up on my sweetcorn and pulled them up today- had a total of five cobs.Mind you, when I dug over the patch after pulling them up it was so dry, maybe that was the reason (as well as late planting). On the positive side, still picking raspberries and dug up a huge parsnip. Just wish the weeds and grass would stop growing!
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Ray barrrowed loads of our 2 year old compost on to the poly borders so we can transplant the peas into it tomorrow, weeded around the chicories,the weeds are still growing here, picked the rest of the toms to take home ,plus some green peppers for sauce, cleaned partof the poly with jeyes, had a cuppa and a laugh with some of the lads and ladies from our disabled group, checked the grapes in the fruit cage, they're going black but slowly ;D
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Pulling the last of the F1 Sweetcorn this weekend and that will be it so roll on next year, manure spreading finally completed with plenty left for other jobs, :)
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dug over a bed and limed and planted onion sets last chance to beat white rot,may not bother next year if this doesn't work,
picked raspberries,kale,pears and tomatoes,
moved mushrooms in to coldframe,took a few toad photos, fed a lovely black cat, beautiful day weather wise,/ shades x
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planted the red onion sets and garlic we bought yesterday, dug up the celeriac to store as one had gone to seed, dug up the last celery, going to try the shove it in a bucket method and see if it will last a bit, cleared all the manky leaves off the brassicas, picked calabrese and some blown sprouts, dried beans and popcorn ;D
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Nothing for hubby and I as we were busy decorating :o (it doesn't happen that often!).
Our daughter tho' took up the rake and cleared the lawn of fallen oak tree leaves........still reeling from the shock but she said it was like a workout. All the leaves put over the fence into the woodland where the oak grows, just hope my primrose bank survives that I planted last spring. I forgot to tell her that there are two old dustbins behind the shed for them (was too busy pointing out the bits that hubby had missed ;D)
Ninny
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We are decorating too so I am behind with the gardening and at the allotment. Yesterday I painted five doors and became really ill because of the fumes of the paint. Lay awake allnight with a dry throat, stinging eyes and very hyper active. Must try to find about about some better paint to use. The same thing happened to me when we painted doors last week too. Today I feel very chesty and very tired.
:'(
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Picked some carrots and cabbage... but nothing much as we had guests... :-\
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Red letter day today. Not been to plot for a week or so, today was free so I went and I'm sooooo glad I did. I was given red currant bushes x 2 white currant x1, 2 gooseberry bushes and a tayberry bush. Bought some beautiful wallflower plants from a plotter who grows and sells them for a charity,gave away some strawberry runners and a rhubarb crown, but best of all I've been given another 5 rod!!! Off to celebrate with a cuppa. ;D ;D
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slightly off topic, sorry!
Must try to find about about some better paint to use. The same thing happened to me when we painted doors last week too.
I was worried about the VOCs in normal white gloss paint (worried about OH's asthma and cat's little lungs, and the unpleasant smell and fumes) and after a bit of googling found a company called ECOS who do much healthier paint: http://www.ecosorganicpaints.com/
you can wash the gloss off your brushes and rollers using water rather than turps, and there's virtually no smell (it doesn't smell all chemically like 'normal' paint, but it does have a very slight smell). my only criticism would be that you probably need one maybe two more coats as it's a little thinner than normal gloss, it is more expensive, and it's not quite as hard wearing, but if you prep your surfaces well before getting started it dries very quickly to a lovely smooth finish and the white is very white. I wouldn't use anything else now.
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Not very hopefully, cut the grass for the last time this year.
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A bit of weeding
Harvested cucumbers and beetroot
Forked over a bit more ground for the strawberrys
Took home produce with some stored spuds.
;D ;D ;D
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dug up my courgette plants, weeded and dug a bed and planted some Italian white garlic a fellow lottie holder gave me,
picked a melon, tomatoes and raspberries,/ shadesx
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Nipped up for an hour or two this afternoon, planted the rest of the strawberries, moved stuff around, (piles of this and that) and prepared the onion bed ready for Saturday's plant up. Chatted to new neighbour and various others. All very pleasant. ;D
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Sorted out my shallots that had started to divide on the strings. Tonybloke said these are the ones I should plant not the little ones I had saved (they'll go into the pickling jar now). Thank you for the advice Tony. :)
Watered fuchsia cuttings sparingly - and noticed a few dead sticks had produced leaves at the bases with this warm weather.
Ninny
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Weeded me Jap onion bed,the red ones seem a bit slow of the mark ???,dug over where me sweet corn had been,put some cat pepper down a rat hole in compost bin the bugger made me jump when i took the lid off.
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our grandson officially took over 2 of our beds today, he's 10 and wanted to start growing his own veggies..today, he planted lots of onions, red, white and yellow, we need to get him some garlic now... raked over his bed for the broad beans he's been growing, moved a trough of strawberries over to 'his' side, nabbed one of my leaf bags to grow carrots in next year and put some overwintering peas in to a pot to grow..phew, I'm worn out ;D
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Nowt, but i picked two huge armfulls of Dahlias and Chrysants yesterday...
:)
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Fab managed to get out and do a little today. collected armful of leaves, well not quite accurate as the mower did most of the work, but a good haul. Weeded jap onions and garlic beds with supadupa new onion hoe. Picked some beans, a few toms, peppers and aubs (from poly) and a handful of corrie for curry tonight yum!
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emptied all the spent compost out of the parsnip bed onto next year's brassica bed, pulled some leeks and picked some more dried beans, took off all the manky leaves on the cabbages, etc and fed them, white fly and all, to the chickens ;D
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Nothing at all. I'm still recovering from cracking my ribs a couple of weeks ago so just looked out wistfully at the sunshine. Boohoo! Not like me to be that sensible really! ???
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last night was lottie Halloween/bonfire night party lots of food,fireworks and a log fire and very nice it was too :)/ shades x
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Harvested: beetroot, leeks and celeriac. ;D ;D ;D
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Took Council leaves, wheelbarrow and some chicken wire to the allotment in OH's van. Then he tied a rope round my overgrown minature fir trees and attached it to his van and pulled them up. Have been trying to dig them out for ages so was pleased to see them go. Got wet and muddy, but at least have the wheelbarrow ready for the Council compost which is being delivered tomorrow.
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cut down the asparagus ferns, and took down the runner beans poles.
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Helped Bill who's transforming my shed, weeded bed for shallots, moved 2 of my 40 barrowloads of mushroom compost to my plot and dug it in where the shallots are going, then planted the shallots. Not bad for a little old lady with cracked ribs! 8) 8)
Oh and chatted till my jaw ached. :)
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Took me bean poles down till the rain stopped play,still in my book this lot was worth getting wet for.
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First time down the plot today for ages, just haven't had the time to go. It was heaven to be there again! Took down my bean poles, did a bit of digging, inspected the garlic, now showing, generally pottered about. Harvested leeks parsnip, swede, celeriac and sprouts. Ate a few late raspberries. Bought some eggs from my lottie neighbour - he had to collect them from the hen house, they were still warm with that lovely hen house smell.....
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Dropped off the rest of some slabs I got from freecycle to make a path down one side.... need more yet but should be a godsend for getting a barrow up and down the plot... harvested a few late radishes, carrots and spring onions for lunch, dropped off the new barrow (to replace the nicked one) put the fleece back over the Oca to protect against forecast frosts ove rthe next few days.... I reckon if I can keep the plants alive for another couple of weeks it will be all I can ask for, if they produce a decent crop from that and I like the taste then they'll be a feature from now on, if the harvest is poor and/or I don't like them then I might well pass them on....
chrisc
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picked lots of side shoots on the calabrese, picked the last of the poporn, took up the plants and composted them, we organised bits and pieces for tomorrow's bbq then home to make the squash soup :)
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tried to paddle through the flood by our compost heap, it went over the top of my (short) wellies, yuck, freezing cold water the colour of manure :o
cleaned out the chickens and put all the sweepings in a dalek to break down ;D
sorted out stuff for the bbq tonight, could do with a bit of dry weather ::) ;D
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Planted my new apple and pear cordons - 8 in total. Now sitting in the warm with a nice cup of tea wondering if I can find the energy to go back to the plot to light the bonfire ;D
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Dug up my JA's and shared them with a fellow member who wishes to have a try at some next year.
Then spent about an hour digging over a rough patch which has not previously be dug.
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Absolutely nothing, but I am retired so have all week to play about at the lottie.
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picked more toms,raspberries,kale
cut the grass paths
chatted quite a lot to everybody and was given a massive lemon grass plant ;D / shades x
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Not much! Has been chucking it down here for the last week. I went to the plot, the ground was soaking. I managed to dig up a few parsnips and have a quick chat to other plot holders before the heavens opened again.
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weeding, finally took down my runners, dug a lot of ground over and eventually got my garlic, shallots and onions in, and got very wet into the bargain lol
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Cleared away and composted squash plants.
Some winter digging and weeding.
Harvested Squashes, carrots, celeriac and my last cucumber.
Took them home with stored spuds and shallots. ;D ;D ;D
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That was good, and your trip to Birmingham. ;D ;D You didn't look too good, must have been a heavy drinking session last night.
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Lovely sunny day so quite a but done. OH finished pruuning the hawthorn hedge which makes a windbreak for our fruit then he pruned the old wood out of the loganberry and shortened the autumn raspbery canes. He also scalped the lavender hedge I grow to attract pollinators.
I trimmed the box hedge round the front bed and tidied up a climbing rose and tied it in before the gales arrive and stashed more pots in teh greenhouse then after lunch we both dug out a massive patch of yellow flags and transferred a cornus Midwinter Fire to that spot. Itl looks much better there but didn't half take some shifting. Last job was for me - planting a few perennials and some bulbs around it then watering it all in.
I picked some Japanese mizuna for lunch and we've got more salads to come though they may need cloches soon.
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planted a rose and two walnut trees, got wet,weeded , chatted a lot,
picked more raspberries and mint,
weeded the broad beans, transplanted some spinach plants
carrots have the fly >:( brought some pumpkins home/ shades x
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Inspected the broad beans and filled a couple of gaps, planted garlic and did some digging. Picked carrots, brussels, swede, turnip, cabbage and kale
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Nothing yet, having lunch. Then pick over the toms (probably for the last time) check the mouse trap, bag up the last of the muck...
:)
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Scratched my head trying to figure what to screen the automatic air vent with to keep little and big varmints from making the walk-in cold frame their winter home.
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mulched the asparagus bed with well rotted FYM, and covered it up for the winter.
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Potted up my hanging basket for the front of the house.
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Dug, chatted, chatted, dug. Bunged in a few bulbs.
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I put the bean canes away for the winter my least favourites job.
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Have about another 10lbs of toms in... :)
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Planted my new autumn planting asparagus in the new all singing all dancing asparagus bed. Scraped the old putty out of my new shed windows. Admired it all. :) :) :) :)
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Put the dahlias and the chrysanths to bed,
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Planted my new autumn planting asparagus in the new all singing all dancing asparagus bed. :) :) :) :)
My imagination is running riot here Anne ;D ;D ;D ;D
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;D ;D ;D Well call it poetic licence!?? :P Two years ago it was weed infested solid clay - now there is a foot's depth of lovely rich weedfree loam teeming with organic matter. All down to the magic of manure and mushroom compost. There you go! Magic mushrooms! In fact who needs asparagus. The soil is good enough to eat. ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Brings a whole new meaning to mud pie. ;D
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Planted trillium seed.
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Stripped one pollytunnel and dissmantled another
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Tidied up top end of my plot around shed, had a dig on new plot and put lavender cuttings in with fingers crossed for a lovely hedge ;D
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Stained lattice fencing.
Sawed some more siding for the cold frame (now a 2-year project).
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Been spending far too much time at the allotment. Getting the front garden under control again. Clearing the weeds and digging it over. Done half.
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:)dug a bed and found some lovely 'lost' spuds, dug carrots and parsnips,
spits and spots of rain ,not cold and a bit breezy, no storm here ;D
had a cuppa with some lottie neighbours
cut down sunflowers without seeds, came home in the dark :P/ shades x
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Wandered to the compost heap (bokashi bin in hand), slipped on something slimey, stubbed toe, landed on my b'hind, swore loudly & have accomplished sod all since. Upside? I'll be delegating garden jobs tomorrow... I think 'gather leaves' will be top of the list ;)
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not been to allotment for 2 weeks..search party will be out
looking for me
may show up sun if not raining
;D ;D ;D ;D
j t w
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Winter dug over some parts of the lottie
Did a spud check and snapped off any chits
Harvested my last squash, celeriac, carrots and my first parsnips
Took home with stored spuds and shallots.
;D ;D ;D
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Just off to shut the greenhouses and cut a cabbage... :)
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Attempted to bodge together a brassica cage after the one I spent several hours making out of canes and those build-a-balls unbuilt itself in the wind. The pigeons had already been snacking.
Indulged my pyromaniac urges with a pile of old sunflower stalks and some paraffin.
Found some enormous carrots, which cheered me up, one is 11 inches long!
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pulled up the last of the nasturtiums, tidied the polytunnel after wading through 6" water both ends ::)
re-did the hen house with cardboard on the floor, shredded newspaper on all the shelves etc and put some new straw in the nesting boxes, moved all the old stuff to the compost heap, that should warm things up ;D
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cleared the rest of the plot
made my compost bin
spread some manure
made friends with a near by plot holder and learnt about chicken keeping
oh and stabbed myself in the foot with a fork, wellies are no longer waterproof then LOL
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:) dug a bed over completely and found loads more spuds, they look better than they did in the summer ::)
fed the the black cat that won't leave me alone, gave him FIVE sachets of food, then he went to sleep in my greenhouse in the sun :).
dug up some massive Jerusalem Artichokes for Delia's Carrot and Artichoke soup,
picked more Raspberries and tomatoes,
planted a rose and wallflowers,
cut the grass paths and weeded
brought my ginger plant home ;D / shades x
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Oh dear, you have just got a friend for life, poor cat must have been starving.
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Getting the front garden under control. Digging it through before the winter. Thought it might be a bit damp to dig but was just right.
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Oh dear, you have just got a friend for life, poor cat must have been starving.
Unless he's a "six dinner Sid".... :-X
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:) Borlotti he's got worms which we are treating and the cats name is Clyde and he belongs to someone who lives near the allotments, he just doesn't like going home because too many people feed him as they thought he was a stray until his owner came looking for him ::)
He had been missing for a fortnight,...today he had a collar and id tag on so he has been home since I saw him last Sunday ,I think we give him better food ;D/ shades x
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Took advantage of the beautiful weather and emptied all pots and hanging baskets. Mulched front garden with 2 year old leaf compost. Scrubbed all dirty pots and seed trays, cleared out messy greenhouse and had a ruthless chuck out of stuff I haven't used in the last 4 years. All very theraputic. Found some cacti I'd forgotten about. Note to self, wear plastic apron when dealing with same in future. All the spikey bits seemed to have worked their way through my trousers and into my person :o
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Took advantage of the beautiful weather and emptied all pots and hanging baskets. Mulched front garden with 2 year old leaf compost. Scrubbed all dirty pots and seed trays, cleared out messy greenhouse and had a ruthless chuck out of stuff I haven't used in the last 4 years. All very theraputic.
d'ya wanna come do mine, Maggie? ;D
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Took advantage of the beautiful weather and emptied all pots and hanging baskets. Mulched front garden with 2 year old leaf compost. Scrubbed all dirty pots and seed trays, cleared out messy greenhouse and had a ruthless chuck out of stuff I haven't used in the last 4 years. All very theraputic.
d'ya wanna come do mine, Maggie? ;D
"RUTHLESS CHUCK OUT"= just what many of us probably need. Thank you for the push, Maggie.
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Took the rest of my now empty growbags from the greenhouse down the plot, chopped them up and put them as a layer on top of the newly dug over boarder I've made on my 'new' half plot which is going to have flowers, herbs and fruit as a nectar boarder between my plots. Will finish off washing out the greenhouse tomorrow, the ground is way to wet to do any digging at the moment, which is typical when I have a weeks holiday to get things done in! ::)
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More caulking, weather-stripping and painting of the walk-in cold frame.
Layering cardboard,soil, and leaves to raise some of my too-low raised beds.
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fleeced the fig after taking any big ones off, re-tied in the tayberry, still seems to be growing :o
transplanted my scented geranium, the roots had grown out of the pot into the ash on the path, weeded in the poly and fed the weeds to the chicks, generally hung around while the lads brought the broken tractor we have been given up to the plot, they reckon they can make it work, we can always sell it for scrap, I suppose ;D
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Emptied home compost into a dalek
Weeded and tidied brassica leaves
Dug up sweetcorn stems
Put away large bottle cloches.
;D ;D ;D
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Was just about to pop over the plot to finish off the wires for my new apple and pear cordons.....and then..........the heavens opened. Its so dark, that we have switched the lights on.
Looks like I'll have to do some housework instead :'(
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Same as Cornykev, emptied home compost into a dalek! ;D
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Got wet.
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Ferried muck and compost to OH who is replanting a bed in the garden. In between tidied up the fig, picked more tomatoes and chillies. Started tidying out the big greenhouse. Cut a large "Filderkraut", dug some carrots and parsnips, picked a few cape gooseberries... :)
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:D picked tomatoes, sprouts,
planted red onion sets between new asparagus rows,
planted more broad beans,
sorted my shed roof out, as the felt was coming off,tacked it all back on, Clyde the cat joined me on the roof ;D,
re-potted my verbascum seedlings,
fed Clyde the cat and left him sheltering from the weather under my coldframe / shades x
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Not much had a lazy day.
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nowt, went to see line dancing and mad cowboys doing quick draw at fort san antone
no offence to any cowboys on here, had a reet good laff ;D
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" It's hard being a cowboy in Rochdale... the spurs don't fit right on m' clogs"
;D
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Brought in a potted impatience flowering nicely from the cold frame, plopped it on the kitchen table before company came. And later found it crawling with ants ::)
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put the fence back up that blew down in the wind
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Just HAD to get the rest of my late delivered ever bearing strawbs in. OK OK I know its too damp, but have had 'em lying round wrapped in newspaper in the shed for too long. So in a brief dry spell this afternoon in the Wild West I got down and very dirty, and in they went, all 3 dozen of 'em. Job Done.
Then to cap off a perfect afternoon I spotted a whole clump of snapdragons...yep you see right....snapdragons blooming their heads off in the hedge. Wonderful thing that Mother Nature!
Regards, Caro
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picked curly kale,savoy cabbage,pak choy,flat and curly leaved parsley, lemon grass,sage
planted more garlic,
did a bit of digging and weeding,
fed Clyde the cat,
had a cuppa with lottie neighbour ;D/ shades x
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Cleared out some Kohl Rabi that had got away...
did some digging, cut two good sized florence fennel, some celeriac, a cabbage and a barrowful of celery for soup... :)
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Laid some more slabs for the path, sorted out the netting round the spring brassicas, tried Oca for the first time,. burnt a load of ivy in the incinerator, chatted with plot neighbours who came second in the Oxford best kept allotment awards (our site came thirds and there's over twenty sites in Oxford)....
d**n, one of the plot neighbours I hardly ever see was there today and I forgot to ask if I could have some tree onion sets from him.... he's got a miniature variety that isn't the same as either of the ones that I've got and I'd like to try it out.....
chrisc
chrisc
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transplanted my sweet peas (the ones the mice hadn't eaten) ;D
stayed out of the rain in the polytunnel, had a look at the peas and carrots, still going strong, have lots of endives and chicories, don't feel like salads ::)
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ran out fed the guinea pigs and ran back in lol
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Took down and tidied away the rest of the canes.. cleared some more summer brassicas. Cut down the aubergine plants and harvested the last of the aubergines.... :)
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Cleared out the annuals from the flowerborder at the plot and Ant helped paint the site hut (working party)
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took the shade-net from the greenhouse (I know it's a bit late to do this) ;)
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Ray part covered the top of the fruit cage over the peach and so-called nectarine to try to keep away peach leaf curl, he also took up all the old wood chip paths and put it around the soft fruit..we're going for neww stuff tomorrow :)
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:) picked more toms, fleeced lemon grass,
cut grass, put cuttings in compost bins with horse poo
fed Clyde the cat,
weeded and cut sunflowers down now the seeds have been eaten / shades x
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picked brussel sprouts, broccoli and a bit of thyme,dug up Jer.artichokes and leeks. Dug some more around the tree root I'm trying to move. Drank tea and ate a bun. 4degrees, no rain. (I'm in Denmark!) and took the bus home (We are having a climate top meeting here next week!)
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showed OH where to dig the hole, as instructed on here, to drain the possible sump underneath our crab apple tree- also instructed him where to put the heap of soil that came out of said hole then wouldn't go back in!
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Got cold feet.
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Bugger all. :'( :'( :'(
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pulled up all the nasturtiums the frost has finished off, dug some new potatoes for tea..cut a fielderkraut cabbage and a stick of sprouts, turned the potato pots over onto the poly borders and raked it all flat, lovely soil :)
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Planted up gaps in a hedge... at "Tree O'Clock Time" :)
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:) cut down autumn rasps, picked cabbage and parsnips,
fed Clyde the cat,
weeded and dug and planted more broad beans/ shades x
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Hi Y'All
Here in the Wild West it's been raining for two weeks non-stop. But this afternoon the sun broke through and I hared over to the lottie to heel in my raspberry canes which I've had lurking in my shed for 3 weeks now. Good job they were well packed.
Rescued some black membrane and re-pinned it - terribly windy over there - picked Brussels, dug parsnips, now that we've had a frost.
About to leave when the leeks caught my eye, so I had a few of them as well.
After my bulb planting in the garden pots this morning, I feel that I have earned my gardener's keep today, and am well pleased.
Caro
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Finally got my garlic in. The ground was pretty damp but not sodden and i knew if i didn't do it today it wouldn't get done until after Christmas. One variety was already sprouting so just as well.
Also dug in some mustard and harvested carrots, parsnips, leeks, jerusalem artichokes and sprouts.
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:) planted more garlic,
fed Clyde the cat, ::)
threw away some tom plants that had finished, and weeded onion bed/ shades x
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nothing at all
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Got wet ;D
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About half an hour of picking at the grown in black sheeting some bright spark covered the garden with and then.....just left it......... ??? :'(
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Not much, picked a bunch of watercress, two leeks and some ulluco.
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First time to the Lotty for a couple of week to check on things, put some more garlic in so I hope it is not to late and I know I should of kept my winter collies covered thank you birds, :)
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let the chickens have a wander around the site and carried on cleaning the plastic cover on the polytunnel ;D
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Burned a binbag full of bank statements and dug up some enormous carrots!
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Its too wet underfoot to do anything in the garden and has been like that for a few weeks now :(
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Moved some big slabs down the bottom allotment to make a path later, picked some Cayenne which had been forgotten (outside!).... :-[
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Cleared one full side of plot(6ft wide) then covered with visqueen and bark around all fruit busshes and fruit trees. Today moving strawberry's to a new bed . Thank god the rain has finished fir the weekend. Next week it's the fencing repairs grandson thinks I am supergran but when you only have weekends due to work and lack if daylight you have to be a little manic at weekends to keep on top ;D.
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Repaired top of Runner Bean frame that took a wind battering
Dug a trench for the Runner Beans and back filled with council compost
Harvested carrots
Checked spuds and brought them home to store.
;D ;D ;D
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Nothing it's rained all bloody day.
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Just been out and picked off the last 4lbs of semi ripe toms from the cold (very cold) greenhouse. Dug a load of celery to soup and some Celeriac to store as it won't stand too much of this weather.. :)
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Squelched up to the end of the garden to get some wood for the fire :-X
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Just did a last pre-Christmas check-over on a freezing but absolutely beautiful day here in the Wild West. Bye lottie, see you in 2010.
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I went to the lottie today to harvest some leeks for lunch. I checked out my November planted garlic and onions. The onions are doing really well, the garlics just showing.
I noticed one of the garlic sets had been pulled up, birds perhaps?
I picked it off the surface of the soil and was surprised to see what I thought was another set underneath. I grabbed it then screamed in shock as I harvested 3/4's of a very fresh dead hen!!!
The foxes on our site must have good taste, trying to marinade it like that! Didn't half make me jump though :o
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I picked it off the surface of the soil and was surprised to see what I thought was another set underneath. I grabbed it then screamed in shock as I harvested 3/4's of a very fresh dead hen!!!
The foxes on our site must have good taste, trying to marinade it like that! Didn't half make me jump though :o
:o :o :o Bloody hell! You made me jump then!!!
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Laid some more paving in the path which with a bit of luck will see me get it right out to the shed tomorrow and working on the "service" are near the shed (basically a patio big enough to turn the barrow around on surrounded by compost heaps).
Harvested some leeks
Burnt some more ivy
Dropped off some more builders bags.
Planted in some potato onions and tree onions that were in pots.... they're now the rest of the row with some elephant garlic....
chrisc
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Knocked the snow off the poor old Hebe, it is bent over now :(
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Looked sadly at the rose arch which is at an angle, pushed over by the rose under the weight of snow... Another job for spring!
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scraped the snow off the greenhouse roof [4 inches] checked the electric fan heater went to the pub.
Bob
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Wondered how on earth I'm going to get the parsnips up for Crimbo......
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netted over the pond to keep the heron off that has now taken 5 fish and just dumped them in the snow to die >:(
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Rearranged the netting on my trashed brassica cage (nil points for the Build-a-ball + garden cane concept!) as something had been having a whale of a time digging it all up. Took 4 sacks of rubbish to the tip and cussed as one of them was full of water and deposited a dirty mini-flood in the car boot. Cussed some more because I want to sell this crap car I only bought a month ago whose main selling point is the immaculate interior............
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yesterday found my kale and pak choi under the snow , had to bash them to pick them as sooooooooooo frozen ;D
will have to buy parsnips looking at the weather forecast for this week, no way are those babies coming out of the ground ::) ;D / shades x
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It's my first post here so I thought this would be a good start 8)
Today I picked a handful of brussels sprouts from the garden, had a huge crop this year but picking them from under all the snow proved to be a rather difficult task. I also replaced a piece of glass in the greenhouse that was smashed a few days ago. It's good to get outside even though it is below freezing outdoors.
Cheers
- Alex
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picked a frozen cabbage!
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Wondered how on earth I'm going to get the parsnips up for Crimbo......
(http://img.alibaba.com/photo/11247608/Jcb_804_Super_Excavator.jpg)
:D
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Chriss, I'll have a borrow after Small, so as to dig up my carrots and parsnips. :o ;D ;D ;D
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:) picked sprouts and watched an old boy dig up a parsnip out of frozen ground and went and tried myself..... It is possible people without the need of a JCB ;D
very sharpe spade needed ;)
fed lottie cats,
lottie neighbour cut me lots of logs and brought me home :)/ shades x
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Welcome to the board, Alex! ;)
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Can I borrow the digger? :D
Managed to chips a few parsnips out yesterday. But today put my nose outside and put it straight back in. Much too cold and miserable. :-\
Welcome to A4A Alex,
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I think it depends on your soil. I'd need a sledgehammer to get a spade into mine right now, no matter how sharp. Someone else might manage to push it in without too much trouble.
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yesterday picked sprouts and kale,after the treacherous walk to the lottie (paths are still deathtraps) enjoyed 5 mins peace and quiet, and managed eventually to get home in one piece ;D/ shades x
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So depressed. :( Nothing doing until the weather improves and the frost leaves the ground. Can't even get out to try and remove more of the black plastic that the previous tenant of our house laid down and then dumped soil over the top and then left to overgrow with brambles. Brambles gone but the plastic is buried. Waaaaaaah. :'( :'(
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I'm going to try and dig some carrots and parsnips out tomorrow, if this bloody rain stops. :'( ;D ;D ;D
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:) dug up parsnips and picked sprouts, fed the lottie cats, took a few photos, got a few logs / shades x
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treated my bees with oxalic acid.
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Picked sprouts and Kale and tidied the netting over the brassicas,it was sagging over the plants after last weeks snow
sowed some Alisa Craig onions but kept them on a windowsill
marg
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let the chickens out on the plots for a scratch around, put 4 in our polytunnel, they thought they had gone on holiday, all dug holes and flung soil on themselves ;D
picked a cabbage to have with the spuds for tea ;D
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Fed the guinea pigs & the chickens over the road. That was enough for outside :o.
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Harvested some Carrots and Parsnips
Cleared up unwanted swedes and celeriac and put into the daleks with home compost.
;D ;D ;D
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:) picked more kale and watched the snow ;D/ shadesx
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Had a smashing bonfire and a bit of a clear up.I smell disgusting but feel wonderful. :)
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Dug a path through the snow from the front door to the gate.
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:) planted garlic in pots in greenhouse,
potted up a loganberry in greenhouse,
fed lottie cats and had a natter with lottie neighbours, got some logs / shades x
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Harvested more parsnips and screwed the top pole back on my bean frame. ;D ;D ;D
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I gazed out the window at my new Montmorancy Cherry Tree. It was a Christmas present from my better half who got our son to plant it during a brief thaw. The hope is it will help an older cherry produce something.
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I managed to get there yesterday during the hailstorms, now banned again as the ground is like a skating rink ::)
they're giving -5 tonight :o
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Can't do anything in the garden as it's snowed under! I'm going to sort the shed out for seeding this week-maybe wander down to Wilkos and pick up some windowsill props and seeds!
I also want one of those heated mat thingies for out there. ;D
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Went to collect some stored spuds from the shed and hung up some suet balls for the birdies. The ground is frozen solid - does that mean another good fruit crop this year?
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went to take this thing out but it was frozen solid so left it
[attachment=1]
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Went to collect some stored spuds from the shed and hung up some suet balls for the birdies. The ground is frozen solid - does that mean another good fruit crop this year?
good fruit crops follow a successful pollination in the spring, followed by no immediate frosts (these can damage early blossom)
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Went up to check the "compost" pile we had had delivered and the big greenhouse which was frozen shut and I broke the door handle!! :-[
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Went and shovelled a bit of compost....everything else frozen in the ground! Tried not to fall over too much...... ::)
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Went to collect some stored spuds from the shed and hung up some suet balls for the birdies. The ground is frozen solid - does that mean another good fruit crop this year?
good fruit crops follow a successful pollination in the spring, followed by no immediate frosts (these can damage early blossom)
I was referring to the vernalization process - breaking dormancy encouraging full bud opening. I noticed a big difference in all soft fruit production last year and the only difference was the cold and snowy spell that we had in Feb. Just keep fingers crossed that there aren't any nasty frosts when the bushes/trees are in flower........
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Went up to check the "compost" pile we had had delivered and the big greenhouse which was frozen shut and I broke the door handle!! :-[
Whoops!
I made snowmen in my garden today!
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found a frozen cabbage in the snow,
fed lottie cats,
Chased Clyde the cat around the plot, he was in a playful mood today and loves the snow ;D / shades x
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fed and watered the birds!! ;)
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fed and watered the birds!! ;)
and me, you dare not miss a day or else they sit and glare at you ;)
marg
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me too,my blackbirds look through the kitchen window to ask for raisins,... ;D/ shades x
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...and the robin on the windowsill peering in seems to be shouting FEED ME!
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knocked all the snow off the polytunnel after the meeting, fed the chooks, broke the ice off all the water feeders ;D
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NOTHING!!! i worked all day and am beginning to get really down without my garden fix. I just wanna grow stuff!!!! :'(
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Nothing yet.
I've ordered all the seeds I want, havent ordered the seed potatoes yet.
(still waiting on some of the seed catalogues to arrive :D)
I still need to order the plastic greenhouse, closhes and netting...ive probabily forgotten what else I needed.
Still need to go and collect the compost bin too.
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Repaired the snowman. :o ;D ;D ;D
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Dug out a load of Bluebell bulbs and some horrible creeping plant with a tough root system.
Then had to bath the very muddy kids ;D
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managed to cut a stem of sprouts and a winter cabbage then went for a cuppa and a laugh in the shed ;D
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cannot do much at the lotty but did manage to move my manure pile over from the right hand bay to the left hand
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g110/slyfox-mal/SP_A0462.jpg
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dug up a couple of parsnips and cut a savoy cabbage, picked a few bay leaves and other herbs for my soup :D
fed lottie cats and had a chin wag / shades x
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Finally managed to get my first batch of onions sown today in the propagators in the GH , about three weeks later than intended but between the weather and the outdoor socket getting used for outdoor lights over christmas...
120 seeds assorted large onions in individual modules (mix of Kelsaes, Giant Spanish and Russian Size), two/three seeds per module of Tropea, Sturon, Aisla Craig, White Spanish and a Finnish strain of Walking (tree) onion (total 60 modules) and finally (for the moment) 5 seeds per module of Long Red Florence (40 modules).
There'll be another sowing of Sturon, Tropea, Sweet Spanish, Aisla Craig, and LRF before the propagators get turned over to other veg.
chrisc
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Alos put 40 Aquadulce Claudia into bigger modules to get them started, will plant out next month.... they're just in the GH, no heat...
chrisc
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Taking delivery of 12 tonnes of compost... again 8)
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Yesterday, as the weather was so beautiful here I started the grand tidy up in my garden as we have now sold our bungalow (stc of course). Luckily the purchasers are keen gardeners, so that makes me feel a bit better about leaving it.....ho hum :-\
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Yesterday and today I did a little weeding in the polytunnels and had a little tidy up around the plot.
Yipee I noticed my bluebell seeds are germinating.
Dug up a few parsnip, leeks and a celeriac for my tea
Sowed some leeks, cauliflower and calabrese seeds,
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Yesterday, as the weather was so beautiful here I started the grand tidy up in my garden as we have now sold our bungalow (stc of course). Luckily the purchasers are keen gardeners, so that makes me feel a bit better about leaving it.....ho hum :-\
Where are you off to?
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Harvested some Parsnips, Leeks, carrots and spring onions on Saturday. ??? ;D ;D ;D
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Not far Anne, nowhere at present in fact. Looking locally-ever hopeful.
At least I can keep my plots...now that would upset me. ;D
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Went to the plot today, hooray! First time in absolutely ages. Broadies and garlic seem to have survived the weather, still got some sprouts to harvest and leeks and parsnips to dig. Brought home a swede and some carrots. It was just great to be there - and also to see a few lottie neighbours and exchange some chat. Feels like things will be really stirring soon ;D
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Dug some more of the garden, chucked more bluebell bulbs on the rockery.
Covered some of the garden in the black matting, removing rocks from the ex- rockery to pin it down.
My eldest son planted the first 6 of our Broad Bean seeds (Karmazyn), going to start em off indoors because otherwise they will be slug munched im betting and that also means he can watch them grow ;)
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Mini greenhouse turned up so I built that and put it outside ;D
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Nothing today as it's raining. :( Yesterday I went outside and did lots of pondering and planning on where the beds are going. ;D
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Harvested carrots, parsnips and kale
Pulled up old plants, wigwams and weeded
Took some home compost for the dalek.
;D ;D ;D
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It was really cold today, and a bit drizzly, so I just dug up a few leeks, had a walk around and went home again! ::)
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Tidyied up the old and rusty hanging basket with new compost and some stripy sweet pea seeds. Took my new watering can out of the kids toy box, they wernt too happy about that, but they were happy watering the basket. :P
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tidied up & managed to give away more of the landlords chopped tree :) looked @ new allotment and tried to identify some plants. great day! ;D
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Pulled some (small) parsnips and mooli and tidyed up.
Planted new strawberries :)
Dreamed about spring and wondered where everything will go!
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this saturday i forked over the soil, done some more weeding and picked leeks. I sowed in modules more leeks, and alpine strawberries and checked my greenhouse overwintering plants for mould.
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Took delivery of my freeby shed yesterday which I wanted to erect this weekend on the lotty, no chance to wet to walk on :)
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Picked up my very battered plastic greenhouse that got blown around the garden, fortunately its not too badly damaged, going to have to weight it down some how.
Building the raised beds today. ;D
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Hi Its the curse of min ghs so try tieing them to something like a drain pipe or hooks in walls or slats in fences and always put a layer of heavy things on the bottom.
Today im leveling the ground and builiding my raised beds in prep for my new greenhouse arriving this week.
So excited!!
x sunloving
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Just been to the lotty to prepare the ground to erect my shed the ground and the muck I put on at the backend are like concrete so the the first job for me when the weather starts to warm up is get that muck dug in :)
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General clear up
Emptied compost dalek and started to refill
Sowed tommie seeds this morning.
;D ;D ;D
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Finished building my 12x4 bed - it's main purpose is to define the end of the plot and the path. Start to pile in the 50p bags of split compost from Homebase, but I shall need lots more :o
Moved the strawberry troughs in to the polytunnel and placed the black bukits ready for the toms (I know wishful thinking)
Put some reclaimed edging tiles down the edge of the flower beds.
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Wanted to finish digging out some Germander hedges but the soil was frozen.. drove back fropm Cheshire through snow last night.. :-\
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Measured up my plot to make a scale drawing (you can see it on my blog) so i can sort of plan for next year as i was to hungover to do any real work today :)
w00dy
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not in the garden but transplanted long red florence and purplette onions, plus oxheart tomatoes ;D
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One broad bean shoot showing of the 6 my son planted in pots, moved the Broad Beans (Karmazyn), Tomatoes (Tigerella) and Blueberry Bush upstairs to the (occasionally) more sunny spare room.
Turned over the raised bed soil and removed yet more roots.
Planted some Radish seeds (Scarlet Globe) in the raised beds and rigged up a dodgy looking cheap cloch.
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Had a 'proper' session at the lottie this morning, cleared away some overwintered celery, chard and tatty annuals, so it looks quite neat and ready to start all over again..... ;D
Will be sowing my banana shallots this afternoon, first seeds of the year... 8)
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Hi'Yall
Harvesed some leeks for leek and potato soup, started to weed strawberry bed, but it was too perishin' cold to carry on. So I came home and planted chilli and leek seeds for the propagator, and sorted out seed collection over a nice warming cuppa!!
Regards
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We went up the lotty this morning to take some fence panels, wood and cardboard up there.
Laid the cardboard over a portion of the plot, a whole car load and still hasn't touched the weedy bits!
Started to do some weeding but then the heavens opened on us and we made a swift retreat!
Still got my manure to take over, manure pile to make, compost to take over, paths to tred to define the beds and weeds to clear!
Hopefully it wont rain next week so we can get up there!
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Nothing much today, had a bit of a tidy in the greenhouse before picking some Leeks, for soup, cauliflower and parsnips for dinner.
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Took Husbando to garden centre to show him exactly how I want him to make a cold frame for me. (he agreed very readily when he saw the price of a diy model in a box ;D)
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Bought a pergola £79 bargain and really sturdy. No clue how I'm going to get the thing up as its enormous! Then found a freshly loaded skip and was the first vulture there (what joy..) Two slatted wooden paths, a pile of huge plastic tubs and terracotta pots, a table that will be useful in my polytunnel, and an antique bicycle and dartboard. Am hoping the sale of the bicycle (vintage Raleigh, good condition) will cover the costs of the pergola!
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Nice one Lewic, I do love a fellow skippy.
I put down some cardboard, bubblewrap and shower curtain on top of some council compost, ready for the corny spud challenge yesterday. ;D ;D ;D
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I put down some cardboard, bubblewrap and shower curtain on top of some council compost, ready for the corny spud challenge yesterday. ;D ;D ;D
Oh, really? I might just post a link to this on the spud thread you bad boy. Right, covering, covering, must find some covering. There's a skip on my road.... ;D
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It's all within the rules Emms. :P ;D ;D ;D
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Yesterday I dug a path through the 12 tonnes of compost blocking the entrance to one of my plots... :o
Today I went to visit Robert at the Guinea gardens in Birmingham and got back in time to dig up some leeks to make soup with.. :)
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It's all within the rules Emms. :P ;D ;D ;D
:P yourself!
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Well I was going to move the chicken run and start digging it for this years veg plot. But It was too cold so I sowed loads of seeds in trays and put them in the spare room where there is underfloor heating. The OH never goes in there but I bet she will now and insist I use the greenhouse or poly tunnel. It is far too cold out there, we have been spoilt for the last 10 years or so. I always had plants growing and grass cutting to do around about valentines day. Not this year though.
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Hi Y'All
Putting on several hundred layers of clothes, I trudged up to my lottie to dig over and cover a tiny bit of ground read for the Spud Challenge. Then realised I had taken all the cardboard away a few weeks go, but found a tiny roll of elderly roofing felt - just the job weighted down with stones, till I can get more cardboard. This Spud Challenge is going to be serious stuff I can tell.
Came home for a cuppa, posted a question on strawbs, got an answer I could act on immediately, so back up again to start a major tidy of my strawb patch. Dug some leeks, and staggered home just as it was getting dark. I can feel the sap start to rise, and all my old Spring obsessions returning......some of them even have to do with gardening weh hey!!!!!!! Where my OH!
(settle down girl, its still a while to Valentines Day!!!
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Nothing outside its too bloody cold. :o :'( ;D ;D ;D
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Nothing outside its too bloody cold. :o :'( ;D ;D ;D
Ditto :P
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they make us a bit tougher in Lincoln ;D :P :-* :-*
dug over a bed and added compost,
planted my tulip bulbs in tubs... late I know.. tubs been frozen since before xmas
shelled dried beans
stood in my shed watching the heavy snow showers and a flock of Fieldfares
cut down raspberries / shades x
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Took the flagpole down from the shed and bolted it to longer supports. Should be flying high tomorrow.
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moved the sweet peas back into the mini greehouse after a brief blast of fresh air yesterday.
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Fixed the flagpole to the shed. Magnificent.
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I aquired some paving stones and a bag of sand from work, my mate gave me a lift to the lottie and I dug him up some parsnips, carrots and leeks. ;D ;D ;D
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met another comm member to finalise details of our community garden,work starts on it next week,yahoooooooo,i am so excited! intended to tidy my shed but didnt,up again all weekend so will do it then,maybe ::)
came home to sow sweet peas,herbs and to chit peas
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planted the first of the pre chitted parsnips under plastic, sowed a salad box(lettuce, rocket, spring onions and radish) in the polytunnel under fleece..covered the peach and plum trees (one has buds opening :o )
watered the overwintering carrots , looking quite healthy but small ;D
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brought the vine in a pot into the polytunnel for the summer, took the dead leaves off the strawberries for forcing..planted up some oriental greens, covered the early carrot bed, dug up some leeks and cut a cabbage, had some tea and biccies and a laugh ;D
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No need to go to the lotty because it is still wet up there, but having just met a guy in the Canaries last week who is growing all kinds of things at the moment out there it made me envious of the climate, so I will settle to fill a few seed trays this morning, :)
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Nothing yet i'm just on me way now..... ;D
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I'm off over there in a mo. ;D ;D ;D
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Oooh-loads of digging and clearing grass to make the beds, moved loads of poly and found 3 frogs of varying sizes, cut back brambles at top of garden to make room for compost, had a cup of tea, taught girls how to play bishbosh-an advanced version of squash requiring one bouncy ball, one tennis racquet and the side wall of a house. Really didn't think that one through... ;D
Out there again tomorrow...I luuurve half term. 8)
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:) did a bit of digging and weeding,
planted my new fig tree,
had a chat, then rain stopped play ::)/ shades x
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Oooh Fig tree-lovely. ;D
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Went to the plot for first time in months and was pleasantly surprised - took up some of the black covers and delighted to find bare soil underneath. Did some digging to get out some of the surviving couch roots and some more covering, it seems to be working. Dug up my first ever leeks and made lovely soup. Sooo good to get back there, and it just shows the work we did last year is paying off.
lushy x
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Dug up the last of the leeks, last parsnip and rest of Jerusalem artichokes, then replanted some for next year. It was a nice sunny morning but still too wet for digging really. Sorted out the last of the spuds in the shed (threw lots away) and dug up the sprout stems which had been well and truly chewed, and did some general tidying up. Thought about the work ahead and when I got home sent an email to the council asking if they would be prepared to divide my plot in two so I'll have half the work and someone else can have a half plot.
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Potted on the big onions, some of the maincrops and some walking onions. In the space that cleared in the propagators I've got more maincrop onions (Sturon and Long Red Florence), more walking onions, leeks (Musselburgh) , spring onions (Ishikura) chillis (Tabasco, Anahiem, Iranian Round, Wenks yellow) and cabbage (Hispi)
chrisc
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It is still buried with more snow coming tomorrow and Tuesday so did the only thing possible,
bought green onion sets, some flower bulbs and potting medium which makes me feel like I'm doing something!
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sowed some pepper seeds in the propagator, not much at the plot :)
sorry, that was yesterday, going shopping with the littlies today ;D ;D
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Already!!!! Blimey! I'm finishing my coffee then I'm off to shift 38 barrowloads of mushroom compost and 5 of manure.
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Today I am starting my seed sowing for this year. Tomatoes, mini peppers and dahlias. Will probably add a few more to the list cos I know i will get carried away once I start. I will have to find a cure for this obsession.
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I harvested some carrots in my toy tubs and covered them ready for the early spuds to go in them, also harvested some parsnips.
Covered some ground with a plastic cloche ready for some shallots. ;D ;D ;D
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swed marmande toms, tigerella toms, ayr cauli, greyhound cabbage and ishikura onions, transplanted some sweet peas to go into the poly tomorrow and emptied my storage box in the shed, a huge celeriac, half a dozen carrots and 2 parsnips, just starting to sprout but still firm, veggie soup, anyone ;D
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Cut a cabbage down the lottie,came home and emptied two compost bins and spread a load of muck on the veg plots at home.I was going to sow some seeds but the OH put the kettle on .Oh and I ooh and aahd at our koi who have grown even more over the winter and are just waking up and moving about more,'trouble is before you know it you've lost half an hour :-\
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What did you do in the garden today?
Though it would be a good idea to start a thread so people could put what they are doing on there plots?
Its amazing how much you actualy do when your pottering around.
cambourne7
yes it is interesting to read about all the activity
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Did a bit of digging, put in some garlic, and gave up when it started raining. Lifted some Jerusalems, and the last of the oca.
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sowed some sweet peas, pricked out some toms and peppers, comandeered another windowsill in the house!
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added another compost bin and turned turned the muck in the other 2 into it
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dug our first ever beds! and became very excited by all the seedlings sprouting up on the windowsills!
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Too wet for the plot
On the windowseal :Leeks are 1.5- 3.5 inches high in an ice cream tub.
Tommies are up to 2.5 inches high. Roma, Red Cherry and Marmande doing well, only the Tigerella not germinating well only 6 out of 20 have germinated.
Cauli AYR are 1.5 inches +, 22 out of 25 up.
;D ;D ;D
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Feeling very good after two half days down the plot sorting the paths out.
Our site had a delivery of free conifer shreddings, so my 13 yr old son was bribed to help me shift loads to top up the paths on main plot 98, and also put down membrane and make new paths on 'new' half plot next door 97b. I reckon we have moved about 8 gravel bags full over the two days, no wonder I'm cream crackered! It looks very neat at the moment, but I ache all over now..... ::) ;D ;D ;D
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We're still frozen and snow covered so nothing happening in the garden apart from feeding the birds and hoping the leeks and curly kale are still OK. All the other winter veg has been frozen to a mush - white sprouting, purple sprouting, biroccoli, mizuna, chard..........
Aparently a thaw is due to start on Thursday but it will also rai heavily. I hope it stops by the weekend as I depserately need OH to turn the compost heaps and pile some on my veggie beds and I have a new hamamelis Orand Peel to plant out when the ground thaws.
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More digging. Pulled up loads of black plastic that had been sewn to the ground by roots. >:( Looks great now though and the soil underneath is lovely and choc full of worms!
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Nothing outside yet, its too wet.
Planted out a few seeds in trays for the spare room.
Lettuce: Mini Green, Little Gem and Salad Bowl.
Cabbage: Greyhound
Soaking some Peas (Onward) to do tomorrow.
5 of the 6 Broad Beans have sprouted and the second lot of leaves are on some, one of the tomatoes has some tiny leaves. ;D
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Beautiful day in here in South Essex so went over the plots and decided to dig over one of the beds. Despite yesterday's rain the soil was quite managaeable. Had a lovely couple of hours and now have a nice dug over bed to boot. Come on weather, improve from now on as I want to do more digging ;D ;D ;D
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Sowed some Peppers. ;D ;D ;D
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I just stomped around muttering grumpily about the frost and winter and looked longingly at the great mounds of work that need doing kicked the raised beds and the giant greenhouse parcel sticking out of the shed just waiting for the frosts to be over enough to lay the cement dig the ground and get going!
Then i knocked of the yogurt pots of seedling sunflowers on my way in which made me curse some more so i had to go the chippy in disgust.
Back to the lab again pinky .
x sunloving
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Gazed longingly at the lovely gardening weather here and nursed my sinistus. Can't even think about sowing seeds yet as we are away for a week and I don't want to leave them for a daughter to forget about. ::)
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Planted out the 5 Broad Bean plants, covered em with cut plastic milkbottles, hopefully to protect from mice and slugs. Just as well I did Hail stones just started...
The radishes arnt growing out there yet.
Sowed some carrot seeds indoors in toilet rolls.
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Tipped my home compost into the daleks with a drop of wee
Planted two rocket spuds into toy tubs
Checked the covered area for the Spud challenge
Washed some pots at home
Transplanted two tommies into pots.
;D ;D ;D
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prepared the 2 cold-frames ready for spud planting tomorrow ;)
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Nothing, it was covered in snow. I've got loads to do as well.
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Moved the mini greenhouse to sunnier side of garden. Filled a polypot with a little compost ready for potato planting tomorrow.
Indoors - potted up chilli and tomato plants. Sow spinach and herbs.
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transplanted 'prizetaker' leeks, 90 self sowed pansies, put some cuttings of rosemary into gritty soil, checked the 'spud challenge' area ready for tomorrow ;D
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sowed pasb, purple caulis, chillis, toms, leeks, parsnips in loo rolls, outside sowed a row of meteor peas covered with fleece then a long cloche. Sorted seeds out into months, tidied shed, lovely day!
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Everything is still frozen, so nothing ! I kinda tidied the greenhouse, still need to wash pots and get the jeyes out and give it a proper clean. Everyone seems to be busy........ I havent sown anything :-\
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I'm not sowing anything yet. If I did, stuff would be getting too big before I was ready to plant it out. There's no hurry, next month is soon enough. Remember you're not supposed to plant in the open ground until you can sit on it comfortably with your bare bum.
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Thats the bit I look forward to most Robert. :P :P :P
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Looking forward to sitting on it with your bare bum ?? oh my!!
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Nothing! waaah! I wanted to plant out the onion sets and dig in some green manure today, but woke up to 6" of snow. So I will restrict myself to making newspaper pots and watching my potatoes chitting.
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Sowed a few cauli and cabbage. I won't be doing anymore for a while now.
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I'm not sowing anything yet. If I did, stuff would be getting too big before I was ready to plant it out. There's no hurry, next month is soon enough. Remember you're not supposed to plant in the open ground until you can sit on it comfortably with your bare bum.
I will let you do testing RB if I may please as it might give some of the other plot holders a heart attack if I did some mooning on my lottie. One man is 90 plus.
I am only 2-3 miles down the road from you so timing should be o.k. I will pass your tip onto the others.
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Cleaned the shed and greenhouse had a tidy up down the plot finally managed to plant the rhubarb. Currently collecting toilet rolls for my parsnips first time of trying this method. Put in another raised bed on my friends half of the plot for her. Put some weed supresent on the paths and covered with wood chip. I haven't sown anything yet waiting for seeds to come in the post should be here in a next couple of days Yippee
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Took my father greenhouse down at his house and took it to my allotment ready for cleaning and erecting.
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Screwed a padlock on the shed door...had good intentions but it was freezing up North..snowed as well.
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Not a lot outside in the snow and sleet so I went to aldi and bought 2 apple trees. Indoors pot up some more chillis and peppers. Roll on spring! ::)
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Planted spinach, kale and cabbage plants in the greenhouse (the ones I'd neglected to put up at the plot before Christmas that were covered in snow on the garden table below ::)) - nothing ventured nothing gained and didn't want to consign them to the compost heap. Hopefully I'll be able to harvest them before the toms go in. Sowed some Greyhound cabbage seed and potted on onion seedlings. Cerinthe Blue Kiwi sowed in the heated prop.
Ninny
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/DSCF0774.jpg)
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Scrubbed my greenhouse frame, till it shone.
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I pricked out my godetia and helchrysums hollyhocks and aubergines and took my first dahlia cuttings (pom pom) new baby. But only small amounts of everything holding on for the mad rush once the frost clears.
This time last year it was mild i had my seedlings outside in the cold frame already and my dwarf tulips were in flower. No chance this year can you belive its forecast to go beyond next weekend. brrr all the window ledges are now occupied but weirdly most of them have the very very late flowering forced hyacinths that should have flowered by christmas, but lovely and better late than never ;D
summer dreams -- big sigh!
x sunloving
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transplanted leeks, tomatoes, all yr round cauliflower, took 5 honeysuckle cuttings, moved the sweet peas to the polytunnel, cleared out my polytunnel truck and put bubblewrap over the early carrot bed ;D
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Outdoors, chucked some veg peelings in the compost and ran in from the rain ;D
Indoors, cabbage and lettuce are sprouting. ;)
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Barrowed muck up from where it's dropped by the gate on site to our plot.Several times !!
Got soaked, got filthy,overheated felt FAB
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transplanted leeks, tomatoes, all yr round cauliflower, took 5 honeysuckle cuttings, moved the sweet peas to the polytunnel, cleared out my polytunnel truck and put bubblewrap over the early carrot bed ;D
what a worker that manic is :o and what was the other half doing while all this activity was going on in wigan I got dragged into an unplanned work party tiring
but it helps sort the site out 23 / 2 / 10
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Someone has turned off the heating out there.
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Someone has turned off the heating out there.
Hi digeroo just looked at your site on satellite link looks really tidy think I saw you waving
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Sowed some lupin and delphinium seed in the greenhouse 'cos my Percy Thrower book said in late February I could! :)
Ninny
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Fed the chickens and counted the molehills
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persuaded OH to help me dig another bed on the new bit of a lottie- actually he did the lion's share, but it was great to see it all turned over and tidy!
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planted the maris bard spuds for the spud challenge, planted some more and some sharpe's express in the polytunnel, covered them all over 'cos it's still cold..planted the rest of the shallots in a warmed bed ;D
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Moved the plastic mini greenhouse to the sunny part of the garden, well weighted down this time.
Put the blueberry bush and newly bought gooseberry bush in it.
Put the potato pot for the competition in it, is that cheating? :P
Also put the seedlings, lettuce, cabbage and tomato in.
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transplanted at home
tigerella toms, marmande toms, oxheart toms
at the plot, transplanted greyhound cabbages, lollo rosso lettuce and ishikura onion bunches, checked the peach trees, no opened blossom yet, planted my pre-chitted parsnip seeds, got 3 1/2 rows 2' wide now ;D
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Got bloody soaked, putting down some gravel between my shed and the pallets I'm using as a decking base. Planted my 11th clematis, a v small but fiesty looking Montana Rubens from Wilko.
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I love a Montana lewic, so reliable. You just know it's going to flower big time every time.
I don't know about you lot transplanting already, I've just sown my first lot of seeds today, now under threat of compost heap for the none germinators. Not had many of those in my sewing room, very cosy. ;D
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Looked for newts in the pond (and saw none), fixed a cleat to the flag pole so I could pull the flag a bit tighter, and ordered a nice new one on-line.
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Planted out some strawberries that had just arrived. I keep changing my mind where to put them.
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I did a little clearing and weeding around the brassicas in the polytunnel. Also picked 4 cauliflowers that were ready. Remembered to water the strawberries in hanging baskets.
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i have had a lovely day down the lottie ;D Finished all the raised beds and wood chipped all the paths ;D Also put our scarecrow which me and my daughter made friday in place watching over the lottie ;D
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Looked out at the snow and tutted! >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( :'( :'(
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I think I would have more than tutted Anne ;D ;D
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Finally managed to get out there and DIG ;D ;D even though really it was a bit too wet
Dug in half the green manure and prepared the bed where the onion sets are going tomorrow. hee hee!
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Discovered a mouse has eaten all the broad bean seedlings I planted out last week :'( Will have to let the next batch get bigger before they go out... little gits only ate the bit of bean that was left.... not interested in the shoots or roots.... Moved content of a compost heap up the plot to the shed end (shaded) set fire to more ivy...
chrisc
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paddled about a bit.
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Planted out the garlic which was already beginning to sprout, ran in from the rain.
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Sun came out so I planted:
Another row of Radishes (Scarlet Globe) (first row has sprouted nicely)
A row of Carrots (Autumn King 2)
A row of Red Onion seeds (Red Baron)
A row of Brown Onion seeds (Rijnsburger 5)
and a row of Shallot seeds ( Paris Silverskin)
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Nothing. My plot is like a big paddling pool at the mo. Think the weather is out to get me. It's only stopped raining on the days i can't get there but it's too wet to do anything in between anyway. :( :(
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Cut down my autumn raspberries. Spread old compost from pots and some from my bin around rasps, artichokes and comfrey. Commiserated with neighbours over rabbit damage >:( Soil too wet to do anything else, but at least it stayed dry whilw I was there. Off to sow some seeds in the greenhouse now.
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Still can't do anything on the lotty but went to our favorite garden center and bought broad bean seeds, peas and seed potatoes and the best £7.00 I have ever spent on 'The Vegetableand Herb Garden' book very informative, :)
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Still can't do anything on the lotty but went to our favorite garden center and bought broad bean seeds, peas and seed potatoes and the best £7.00 I have ever spent on 'The Vegetableand Herb Garden' book very informative, :)
by Dr. D. G. Hessayon ;D Tis the one ive got too. ;D
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transplanted some ishikura onions seedlings, took them with the sweet pea seedlings to the plot, started melon, red cap cabbage, kalibos cabbage, romaine lettuce, little gem lettuce, yellow queen acquilegia, giant prague celeriac and black krim tomato seeds..gonna run out of windowsills soon ;D
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Yesterday we top dressed fed and mulched the little front garden in the rain (because today was supposed to be really wet!) today we set 190 onion sets and sowed some onions, leeks, sprouts and sweet peas again... and then put some plants in the border and potted up some lillies. ;D
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Still can't do anything on the lotty but went to our favorite garden center and bought broad bean seeds, peas and seed potatoes and the best £7.00 I have ever spent on 'The Vegetableand Herb Garden' book very informative, :)
by Dr. D. G. Hessayon ;D Tis the one ive got too. ;D
Can't put it down very good book for someone like me that know's nowt, :)
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The last of the compost got moved... it was my first year on a rather rough plot last year so I put several compost heaps (pallet types) down my plot so that I didn't have to do too much lugging around of weed roots, they just got thrown into the heap and a lot of the grass just got chucked on there as clods, it got them out of my way.... Now that I'm rather more on top of the weed issue I wanted to stop wasting 4 square metres of potentially productive soil and put all the compost up at the shed end cos it's too shaded right at the far end of my plot to grow things... the shade is nice in the summer though..... Also ran some more ivy through the incinerator and that allowed me to consign the bindweed roots I found in the compost to a firey doom.
chrisc
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planted a few spuds for Kev's challenge. cleared a bed ready for planting onion sets and shallots. ;)
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Feeling a bit better today, so went down the lottie, it was lovely and frosty first thing this morning, then really brightened up to a sunny day, most pleasant. I moved some more mulch onto the paths and had a bit of a weed and tidy up. I'm cream crackered now! ;D
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Still can't do anything on the lotty but went to our favorite garden center and bought broad bean seeds, peas and seed potatoes and the best £7.00 I have ever spent on 'The Vegetableand Herb Garden' book very informative, :)
by Dr. D. G. Hessayon ;D Tis the one ive got too. ;D
Can't put it down very good book for someone like me that know's nowt, :)
Im the same, even my 6 year old has been reading it :D
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Finally remembered to collect the composter...didnt realise theyre quite that big ! 220L thing :o
Anyway its in the garden :)
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Have not been to the allotment today, spent most of the day in the garden .
Planted two apple trees I had from Aldi, hope they go ,also dug up some unwanted old plants etc, just had a nice relaxing bath, having my tea and watching the t/v.
June.
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I'm a Dad,
Looked in my coldframe this morning and most of my seeds have popped up after keeping it at 60 degrees over the last few days, just hoping that the weather keeps fine this week and it will be digging in the muck this weekend and putting up a shed :)
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Checked on cerinthe seedlings that I'd moved to the unheated greenhouse..........survived the frost last night ;D
Ninny
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HI Y'All
Wonderful day here, sunny just a little chilly, no wind. So.....threw some manure into dug trenches for beans later on....planted shallots and onions. Dug Parsnips and Leeks, a fine crop even though my Parsnips do look like Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) in Pirates of the Caribbean! Dug over small plot for some Lady Cristl earlies later this week. Threw in a row of radishes and rocket. Cloche covered some soil for warming up for pea planting.
Checked over all my houseplants in the Conservatory, and started off some more Sweet Peas I found lurking in a packet.
Bliss.
Regards
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I sowed some celeriac last night. ;D ;D ;D
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I sowed some celeriac last night. ;D ;D ;D
snap, transplanted some chives today, plus carried on with sowing the pre-chitted parsnips, got 5 rows of 8 now ;D
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me and my 2 year old moved the manure that i had been storing in the garden, sowed some grass seeds and sorted out a load of compost which has got to go down the allotment with all the manure this weekend.
we're moving next month to a place with no garden :'( so everything has to come down the lotty with me before we move.
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I was at the lottie really early yesterday, it was so lovely, all frosty! Only a surface frost though, the soil was fine in a hour as the sun melted the frost away as I watched, wish I had my camera! Luckily my manure pile was covered and unfrozen, so I was able to dig it out and top up my potato beds that are now covered up ready to plant up in a few weeks. Pricked out my banana shallots and onions grown from seed into their final big modules, they are now in the cold greenhouse. Have a lot of sowing to do this week!
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well i took my good friend and our 3 children down the lotty today to dig out some weeds and prepare a trench.....my girlfriends daughter liked the trench A LOT :)
(http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll32/ellieyusuf/Photo016.jpg)
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Hahahah, kids and muck ;D ;D
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aww bless ;)
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Planted out 12 shallots undercover
Transplanted Strawberrys
Harvested carrots and parsnips.
;D ;D ;D
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The wind was to cold for me ,so spent a lovely long time in a cosy warm greenhouse .Potted on my tomato seedlings,sowed peppers,sprouts, sunflowers,stocks,watered my Epies and with slightly warmed rainwater that I have in a basin below the benches and stood gazing lovingly at my geranium cuttings whilst listening to classic fm on my little yellow radio . Ah ! Life is good ! Debbie :)
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Nothing today work in the way but a early finish tomorrow so off I'm up there tomorrow to lay slabs for my shed, but my babies in the cold frame at home are coming on a treat, I feel a real proud Dad, :)
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Barrowed some half-rotted autumn leaves, pottered about a bit.
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planted 56 garlic' solent white' and 100 'sturon' onion sets.
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After finishing work I picked up my slabs from Focus plus roofing felt, straight to the lotty and got stuck in with the job in hand which was joining two 6'x4' sheds together, an hour and a half later I had the slabs laid plus the shed floor and the three sides up, manana is the roof and felting, the lotty is still a paddy field so I'm just glad that my cold frame is a god send, :)
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I cleaned my greenhouse.
Duke:)
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Did some tidying up. Decided to remove all the Maxim strawberry plants I had underplanted my fruit tree cordons with, as the couch grass had wormed its way back into that spot and it was looking a real mess. So, I carefully forked them all out and replanted them on the plot next door where thay will hopefully be a bit happier! I plan to mulch the trees with the last bit of my old manure pile tomorrow.
Also pruned the blackcurrant and redcurrant bushes ...yes I know it's a bit late, but it was really just for making the path a bit clearer as they had grown so much!
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It was really good up the lotty today seeing a couple of fellow lotty holders, still very wet but I got on with the job in hand joining of sheds, :)
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sowed some more pre-chitted parsnips, that's it until the end of march, trying to sow every so often this year , extend the harvest ;D
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Moved my carrot seedlings out into the mini greenhouse, need more room to sow stuff !!
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transplanted my romaine lettuce into pots before putting them in the unheated propagators made from council lights, then put them in the polytunnel, taking no chances with -5 here ;D
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i have been very lazy and not done anything for a while, picked some gorgeous brussels though yesterday even the kids ate them, havent even started thinking about my toms or chillies yet really need to get a shufty on and i have spuds to plant
lazy lazy lazy
>:( ;D
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Finally finished my shed project, very cloggy under foot so good knows what the lotty is like under my muck which I still have to rotovate in, I'm just glad that I now have a cold frame which is now doing me proud, going off the weather forcast it looks like we are going to have a dry spell so roll on Easter, :)
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I've planted spring onion, carrots and beetroot in the new B&Q raised bed. Can't wait ;D
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I forgot, my salad box is performing, at last, sowed rocket, lollo rosso lettuce, purplette and white lisbon spring onions and sparkler radish in a box under fleece in the poly, 12/2nd...just poking their heads up now
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done a little bit of digging cleared some old crops from last year
burnt some rubbish,and chatted with other plot holders
so all in all not a great deal
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Planted out 4 challenge spuds
Barrowed council compost onto plot
Planted out 22 shallots
Cultivated soil ready for onions
Emptied kitchen waste into the Daleks
Potted on tommies.
;D ;D ;D
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What a lovely day in London. Picked kale and brussles for a roast - weeded round the over wintering onions and garlic - went to the city farm for some free rotted manure.
Forst real day down the plot this year.
I feel like I have just woken up from some form of hibernation!
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Mixed the dalek bins
Chicken pelleted the onion bed ready for planting next week
Hoed the weeds that have grown on my squash pits
;D ;D ;D
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Off work with (wo)man flu, but did manage to sit outside facing the
Sun. Wonderful.
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Sunny but cold. Picked Lambs lettuce and small land cress from one bed, picked land cress and just a few spinach leaves from cold frame, and picked (very small) lettuce leaves, salad rocket, wild rocket, pea shoots and tiny sorrel leaves from the unheated greenhouse. I am really surprised at what has survived the winter. I have some very tiny Arctic King lettuces leaves that have sat outside all winter and still look up for it. Very surprised to find quite thick ice a dustbin full of water standing in the garden.
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Checked the fuchsia plants in the greenhouse.....................little green shoots appearing on those bare sticks :)
Ninny
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Potted on more tommies, Roma seem to have a 100% germination. ;D ;D ;D
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Prepared the other half of the new asparagus bed, pruned the clematis - better late than never. Dug up 2 ash saplings lurking behind the clematis, dug up and transplanted a globe artichoke. Don't know if it will survive but I have new ones coming up in pots to replace if need be or give away. Dug up the old asparagus bed and transplanted the best 3. Gave the rest away. Burnt all the asparagus and artichoke and clematis stuff. Put loads of stuff in daleks too. Started levelling the old asparagus bed which is where my new greenhouse is going. Hopefully soon!!! Another plotholder came and took away all the extra strawberries left over from yesterday's clearing of old strawberry bed so that's good.
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Got our brand new lottie on a brand new site in Cambourne at the weekend, I finished the side rabbit netting today, 55yds of ft deep trenches. I is pooped!
Down there again tomorrow to get the front fence in and start building the soil improver and manure bin.
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Welcome to A4A mad_abbot. ;D
I just watered some mini greenhouse stuff today.
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Welcome to the Asylum Mad abbot. :P :P :P ;D ;D ;D
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I cleared a load of brambles.
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Received a load of wood chippings for our field from a tree surgeon who contacted us recently, excellent quality so gave him a key so he can bring in more when he's working in this area. Received a load of bundles of Hazel branches for pea sticks and bean poles from someone who'd contacted us a few weeks ago as he was coppicing his woodland. Harvested some more leeks and shoots of Tuscan Kale. Gave a couple of stalks of sprouts to a lottie neighbour as I still have lots and need to clear this area very soon; sprout variety Trafalgar F1 have been excellent this year, started harvesting in mid November.
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At last found the time to attend to my garden yesterday and it's looking a jolly sight better now ;D
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we took delivery of the big communal greenhouse, the fitter is coming tomorrow, friday and saturday, it's getting exciting ;D
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Naffed off. everything is late, late! Managed to get my sweet peas in late, hopefully they'll catch up. was going to plant my shallots but they were moldy! did plant some fruit bushes and tried some myrtle cuttings(they had accidentally become detached from parent plant). mulching of beds with compost from the local tip (bargain £10 a ton, better than anything B and Q sell and peat free)
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Went to B&Q for bits and bobs and got Wednesday 10% off for the first time!! Painted unpainted parts of my shed, painted the bottom of the posts for my pergola. did a lot of chatting and dug up some raspberries.
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Went and pulled two sprout stems... red and green for tea.. :)
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Transplanted some strawberrys
A bit of weeding
Harvested carrots and the last springys
Dug up more carrots and buried in a trench
;D ;D ;D
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Well i finally got down the allotment and transferred the manure and compost from my garden in bags ready for spreading/storing.
Also took down 2 weeks worth of (smelly) veg peelings and such for the bean trench.
Was hoping to do more, we've got some structures to build for the manure, leaf mould and compost heap, we've also got some fence panels to put up to (try) stop weed seeds blowing in from the uncared for plot next door.
and about another million things to do!!
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Nothing! Sob! :'( :'(
I'm still recovering from surgery so no digging (or lifting, bending, stretching or reaching) for me for a few weeks yet. The weather is sooo nice today as well! Aargh! >:(
Luckily my splendid sister and her boyfriend have said they will come to stay in a few weeks and will plant my potatoes for me :)
Am just stuck sitting at home waiting for my seedlings to pop up. Grrrr!
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finally sorted out part of the greenhouse, put cover on mini greenhouse inside of said greenhouse, installed heated propagator, and started off 9 types of tomatoes. ;) ;D ;D
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Still at it... planted Yacon, Oca and some Summer bulbs in the greenhouse in pots. Dug over the root bed. Going to prune the vine and Fig.. picked some sprouts, cut an endive (radicchio) and some winter radish... :)
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WEEDING. >:(
That's all I can do as the OH has taken me trowel and hand fork to plant out the primulas and other plants we have to put in.
When I have dug over a bit, she follows and fills the space with young plants to show we do not have any bare patches.
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at home, transplanted more tomatoes and peppers, at the plot, transplanted redcabbage and sowed some little gem seed under cover, finally got the rest of the onions in ;D
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Cut back lots of stuff in the garden this morning, had a break for singing, then went to allotment this afternoon. Still don't know which bit I'm keeping but dug out lots of couch on one patch which will hopefully be mine whichever way they divide it!
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Excuse me while I whinge and moan,I'm aching all over and I'm k********d
the last three days we've
rotovated,dug,weeded,sown peas,radish,carrots,peas (all of which are probably too early but hey ho)
planted two rows of potatoes,edged two paths (despite a line they're fetchingly
wavy.)
I think the thing that got me aching the most was the painting :)
oh and barrowed more muck !
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Pruned the bramley tree. Cleared out the dried sweet peas from the pergola and tried up the clemantis. Ant did some rotavating in the prepared beds. Dug over another area in preparation for moving the last few beds tomorrow.
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Just went and collected 16 rubble bags full of chicken poop and dumped them on the plot!
and my god does that stuff STINK i dont think my car will ever be the same again :-\
tomorrow we're building a surround for the manure and filling it!
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Ha ha, our car still smells like pine after I used it to transport loads of shredded greenery for the lottie paths... ;D
Had a bit of a different day at the lottie today....for a start, usually sulky teenage daughter wanted to earn some clothes money, but 'doesn't do digging and stuff'...so was put to work doing my most hated job, aka painting the raised beds with woodstain ::) She did the lot too, so I was happy to stump up the cash!
I spent most of the day weaving willow. I had been given a load of freebie withies, so I made a freestyle living 'fedge' for the front of my 'new' half plot as the fence is collapsing, then made two permanent willow tepees which will hopefully grow and support my peas and sweetpeas, and still look attractive in the winter. I also plan to make a willow leaf bin, and some low fedges around the edges of part of the plot. Working for the next couple of days on the trot so had to make the most of today!
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Continued to fill bean trench with veggie peelings and any that didn't quite make it at the plot (chopped up). Giant Stuttgarter and Centurion onion sets planted and some Red Sun shallots (all Taylors bulbs).
Weeded and broke up top inch or so of brassica bed.
Ninny
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went over to my parents house this morning, so, ...........pruned mum's apple tree, wisteria, and a huge rose bush, and emptied last yrs tubs onto her raised beds. ;)
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Cleared up some broken safety glass... cut down the Autumn Bliss raspberry canes. Planted out a few spare pansies...
Deb's willow fedges look good. Just having a break listening to GQT as it's from Edenfield from Rossendale where I grew up... :)
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I sowed some parsnips and potted on my basil seedlings. I then realised that my cabbage sowings from last week have been sitting soaking in water for over a week!! ::)The compost was soaking wet .I think I might have to sow some more. :(
Duke
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Put the finishing touches to a raised bed that i built yesterday.
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Have managed to rotavate one plot ready to start putting in potatoes at the end of the month :) :) I have been given a fence for my 2nd plot so need to put that up
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Really pleased with this weekend got loads of jobs done but just waiting for the ground to warm up for a Easter planting session, :)
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I planted 5 rows of sturon onions, 44 in a row. ;D ;D ;D
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Took the top off the lawn at home, cleaned gulleys and grubbed weeds out with my marvelous SPEED WEEDER ;D
(Big plug for my big bro).....garden looks a treat now. Shame our buyers have now bought else where. ::) The thought of another summer here fills me with delight. :)
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Are you saying your big bro is fast at weeding, or does he have something to do with this:
http://www.organiccatalogue.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=2310&osCsid=adaaec00b53baea66caef521a8261598 (http://www.organiccatalogue.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=2310&osCsid=adaaec00b53baea66caef521a8261598) ???
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Planted out some onions in the back garden that I started off in modules
Stared at my celeriac that has come back
Transplanted some AYR cauli's
;D ;D ;D
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transplanted some burpless cucumbers, california wonder, yolo(thanks to my secret santa), and paprika peppers..oxheart, black krim and garden pearl tomatoes..sowed some romanesco , planting spuds tomorrow ;D
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Moved all the fuchsia plants and cuttings to No 1 greenhouse and all the potted-on seedlings to No 2 greenhouse. New greenhouse heater (I only requested potting-on compost for Mother day!) to keep them company ;)
Ninny
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Re-potted lily bulbs, been tinkering in the greenhouse and watching plants grow..1 pea has germinated! ;D..been doing log edging rolls :-\..a job that I wish I never volunteered to do..(shop ones weren't right kind ::))
and after that I had barbeque ;D..for job well done..
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Re-potted lily bulbs, been tinkering in the greenhouse and watching plants grow..1 pea has germinated! ;D..been doing log edging rolls :-\..a job that I wish I never volunteered to do..(shop ones weren't right kind ::))
and after that I had barbeque ;D..for job well done..
That's got to be the first BBQ of the year goodlife, well done! :)
Ninny
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Went out with a machete and pith helmet to attack a very large, and thanks to the snow, very droopy Phormium :o ::) Ended up cutting outside leaves and encircling the rest with wire to make it look better. Don't think this will do in the long term but it'll have to do whilst I have a think. Also massacred 2 hebes which I'd let get too leggy. Now knackered and off to bed.
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Trundled autumn leaves to mulch the spuds.
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Robert, what advatage is there to the spuds by mulching them with autumn leaves?
Sinbad
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First time down the plot in about 2 months,so had a bit of a tidy up, put 3 rows a Rocket in,dug a few leeks up. In the 2 months i have not been there the rats have moved in, spent most of the day putting back the compost the rats had dug out me bins,will go back tomorrow and give them all another good turn over and put some bait down.
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Planted my early potatoes under fleece, made some more willow wigwams, hoed everywhere, watered my transplanted strawberries....and sat in the sunshine for a bit! Very pleasant! ;D
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Robert, what advatage is there to the spuds by mulching them with autumn leaves?
Sinbad
The worms take them down and it feeds the soil. Meanwhile, they cover up the spuds, which often form immediately below the mulch, and if I put on enough, stops them greening. I'd rather use grass cuttings, which have plenty of nitrogen, but I don't have any yet.
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Well, not today, but over the weekend I cleared out the pots on the patio and moved the ones with bulbs to the front, and swept up the leaves from the patio for mulch for the allotment. Then had DH drag all the crud (spent soil, etc) to the allotment for putting in the compost bins. On Sunday, we all went en famille to the lottie and dug. Spread leaf mulch, planted some onions and generally got things done! My crocuses and narcissi are up in front and I'm feeling very productive lately! Spuds next weekend. Yay spring! ;D
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moved lots of plants I've grown for the plant sale out of our polytunnel into the communal greenhouse..my poly sighed a sigh of relief ;D
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Dug a patch of ground to cloche up for some beetroot. Cleared somewhere else for some strawberries that didn't get planted at the end of the year. Did some weeding.The sun makes ya feel great don t it. ;D
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Re-potted lily bulbs, been tinkering in the greenhouse and watching plants grow..1 pea has germinated! ;D..been doing log edging rolls :-\..a job that I wish I never volunteered to do..(shop ones weren't right kind ::))
and after that I had barbeque ;D..for job well done..
That's got to be the first BBQ of the year goodlife, well done! :)
Ninny
I'm afraid i beat that, we had one in Jan for my father in laws birthday :) he said he'd always wanted a bbq for his birthday but never had the guts to do it!
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150100785550384&ref=mf
well today i planted some more cucumbers and some more lettuce.
My son eats cucumbers like they are chocolate (and strangely doesnt like chocolate) so i definately have to grow a few this year!
also replanted my other cucumbers and made a make shift cloche for them out of a cake keeper (i forget what the actual name is).
oh and i sorted out my wine bottle which i use for watering the indoor plants :)
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Lovely day on the plot today.
Planted my shallots, some garlic and 2 rows of sturon.
Managed to dig over my pumpkin bed, cleaned the chicken coop and have started giving vacant plots to people on the waiting list :).
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Bum tested my soil in the Sun 8) and planted a row and a half of Rockets. :o ;D ;D ;D
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Rotovating session after work this afternoon, :)
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planted (and covered) some spuds, sowed carrots early nantes, radish ostergruss? sp. radish sparkler, white carrots someone gave me from france, silverskin onions in bunches and white lisbon spring onions..transplanted lots of bacopa plug plants for the plant sale , transplanted some self seeded limnanthes and poppies ;D
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Planted a bed of onion sets, and found a bag thrown into the stream at the back which was full of music books. Turned out to belong to the local school. Apparently it was stolen from the music department yesterday and they were really worried about it.
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Planted some carrots and onions and some peas. Thought about potatoes. Could not find any bare bums. Everything is a bit dry. Soil starting to set like concrete.
Let out a few peas from their cloches, hope the rabbits stay away
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put in some Garlic Arno, some Stuttgarter sets, sowed Sugarsnax carrots (the sweetest I ever tasted) and put my parsnip seed into the Root Run I made from a friend's unwanted box
http://www.flickr.com/photos/34459063@N00/4439357958/
Yesterday I planted peas
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forgot about the kohl rabi, turnips and 3 types of beetroot ;D
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Went to the lotty after work for another rotovating session and the muck is working in very nicely so can't wait to get the onions sets in followed by broad beans , plants in the cold-frame coming on a treat, :)
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Planted another line of Rockets
Watered the shallots
;D ;D ;D
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Spent a few hours up at the plot today. I got the cover off the onions and gave them a good weed. I hate the way the soil gets a scummy layer on after the winter around the onions. Got the cover back on as quickly as possible just in case the onion fly decided to get out early( you never know)
Did a bit more work on the strawberry beds. Tony made some arches up for the sweet peas. Afraid they are going in a bit later this year. Its supposed to be raining for the next few days so wont be able to get up there. Its so grand to be going to the plot again.
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I feel the same way Shirl nice to get back to the plot,yesterday i planted a bed of each Sturon and Jet set onions,dug up 3 black currant bushers that had been there donkeys years before i had the plot,then shoveled some sh*te to put on me Asparagus bed. But best of all coming home at 6 and the wife telling me this is a funny 5 o'clock it's a good job teas not ruined now i know I'm on the mend. ;D
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Still nothing, waaah :'(
But at least the weather's not as nice today. Stayed at home and sowed sweet peas and tended to my baby brassica seedlings, and noticed I have some tiny tomato seedlings as well :) :)
Definitely going to go to the lottie at the weekend though. Even if I can't do anything I can get the OH to pull up some leeks while I watch :)
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Moved 8 peas, a couple of tomato plants and 4 Basil plants outside to the mini greenhouse, then ran in from the rain. Hopefully the rain will get everything properly growing now. ;D
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Finnished off my 3rd line of Rockets. ;D ;D ;D
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Mulched the onion sets I put in yesterday. One more bed to go, and they'll need fleecing to keep the onion fly at bay.
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I dug over about a fifth of a large plot and pulled out nettle and other roots. The problem is that, against my wishes, my husband sprayed it with Roundup last summer. The nettle roots are not so strong now but I am wondering whether I should plant the plot with potatoes or leave it fallow for another year. :-\
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Spuds will be fine. Nettles are one of the few weeds which can compete, but they grow straight up through the potatoes and don't really affect them. If you've got the big roots out there shouldn't be much of this, and you can easily finish the things off when you lift the crop.
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Finnished off my 3rd line of Rockets. ;D ;D ;D
Bloody hell Corny how long a the rows? first lot Will be up before ye get the last lot in ;D
Nothing down the plot yesterday stayed at home and had a tidy up in me front garden.
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I've can only get 16 in a row Frogs and have one more row to get in, probably Sunday, weather permitting, raining today and tomorrow. :( ;D ;D ;D
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Well we had a good day yesterday. managed to put the sturon onions in and cover them. Tony made up another 2 arches ready to go in place on Sunday.
We really must get our spuds in next week. Everything seems to be piling up on us at the moment. I'm so glad that I got the winter digging done in the autumn cos it has saved me a lot of graft. Raining today so am going to pot up the tomatoes at home and give me achin back a rest.
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Just went out to remove a fleece so that the rain can get to the soil, forecast is warm nights for a while.
Second row of radishes is showing leaf now and the garlic is growing nicely.
Mini greenhouse had a tray of water swamped carrots (hole in the roof) but they seem fine.
3/4 germination on Matina (Saved seed) tomatoes.
Competition spud (Pentland Javelin) in a black pot has vegetation coming up.
Lettuce and Cabbage are all producing their second leaves as are the Tigerella Tomatoes.
Tigerella tomatoes first leaves look sickly, a bit patchy and discoloured, hope the second set looks healthier.
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Good job I went to the lotty shed roof leaking, re-felted the whole shed roof hope the rain keeps out, also managed to sow three garlic bulbs which means alot of garlic later in the year also sowed some onion seeds which I will pull when they are about the size of spring onions all in raised beds so they do come in useful when it is wet, :)
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planted the onions and shallots, and put in a rhubarb too.
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Sowed 24 varieties of tomatoes in about 150 modules, 5 sorts of herbs, some wacky things like carob and aristochia, two sorts of DFB for growing early under glass/plastic, a tray of Prisma shallot seeds , two sorts of chilli and the last of the walking onion seed... potted on some cabbages and sunflowers, continued the hardening off of the leeks and onions... gotta go see if I can get on the plot this pm.....
chrisc
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cleaned the floors of my bee hives. ;D ;D
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Emptied my compost bin and sieved the stuff in it before spreading on plot- pretty good stuff considering it was mostly weeds/roots when it went in. Moved the bin to a sunnier spot on my side of the plot and moved one of my carrot bins too.Met the people who are probably taking over the other half- young couple with two little kids- he's a fireman so says we'll never need to worry about running out of water!
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Harvested the last of my Parsnips for freezing
Dug up the last of my Carrots took some home and buried some in the soil
Transplanted some Strawberry's and weeded
Cultivated and weeded soil ready for carrots and parsnips
Filled some beer traps for the slugs
Had a general tidy, wee ed in the dalek and nearly tidied the shed.
8) ;D ;D ;D
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Hi Y'All
Planted some Lady Crystl new pots, wanted to dig over a flower plot but too wet. Harvested LOADS of White Sprouting Broccoli, PSB, and Cavallo Nero Kale which we are having with our roast in about an hour's time and any left over will go in a stir fry tomorrow.
It's forecast to be a manky week, so will be doing some indoor sowing and giving the lottie a rest I think.
I love this time of year!
Regards
Caro
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To much with a bad cold :(
Dug for about 1 hour sorting out beds, planted strawberrys and a rosemary bush and 3 roses and clematis over the archway onto the plot, finished diggng the bean trench and planted some summer raspberrys into a new place, came home and crashed :'( feel lousey now
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spent an hour at the plot pruning brambles- hope to go back tomorrow to finish the job.
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Managed to get to the plot, emptied a brown wheelie from home into a builders bag, it's all the leaves that had been harvested this winter......
Played with Tested my Swoe by weeding the spring cabbages and round the Catawissa's, garlic,Welsh onions and wacky allium bed.
Tried to set fire to some more ivy, chucked some old netting....
chrisc
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Planted Lady Christl and Cara potatoes. Dug over and covered the last little bit of plot 1. Hubby dismantled the last of the raised beds I no longer wanted on plot 2, used the timber to edge the outside of plot 1.
6 cars in the car park up at the plot!
Ninny
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Pruned the other two bramble bushes- took two and a half hours! They look great now, nice and tidy, just as I like them- don't know if we'll get brambles this summer though as I might have done it all wrong!
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Planted our first seeds in the ground- broad beans! Shifted manure and went looking in the rubbish corners for bits of crazy paving for paths- then had a puncture on the way home!
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transplanted sweet peas into morrison's best buckits for the plant sale, planted another couple of gutters of peas, transplanted another 40 celeriac and some marmande tomatoes..replaced the plastic over the parsnip bed with fleece now they're showing their heads ;D
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Planted out the remaining shallots I had started off in modules, had a general tidy up, dug out some sneaky couch grass that had infiltrated one of the strawberry beds...and then it started raining! ::)
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Yesterday I planted a lavender hedge on my new 5 rod and put in some broad beans, today I worked on other plot, digging a bit and weeding. Dug up the last of the parsnips, and put some shallots in. Rain has stopped play so I'm now going to sew instead of sow ;D
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planted up another 4 buckits of sweet peas for the plant sale, tied them in and pinched them out ;D
transplanted another 40 celeriac, more roma tomatoes and watered everything that needed it :)
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potted on some brocolli- although I was in the kitchen and not in the garden.
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Potted on some more Tommies. ;D ;D ;D
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Watched it pour down with rain, from the safety of the kitchen. :(
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found the first of the maris bard spuds are showing(not the spud challenge, unfortunately) , lots of parsnips up, Ray cleared away all the old dead leaves etc from the strawberry beds, checked the peach trees, budding up so fleeced them, ear buds at the ready to pollinate ;D
transplanted loads of pansies for the plant sale, came home and ate plot soup ;D
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checked the peach trees, budding up so fleeced them,
Bit concerned about this. My little one - as I think I told you - has peaches already and is in full leaf. I think I'll give it a shock and move it outside! ;D
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bought horse manure from local nursery (just got started so none of our own yet!) and dug it in to potato and cauliflower beds. One was lovely and friable, the other very NOT- 2 beds right next to each other- hopefully this time next year they'll all be great to work. Spread some Poundland fleece ready to sow carrots and parsnips.
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Planted leeks (Musselburgh), garlic chives and honesty. Yesterday it was BB's (Red Epicure) and pot marigolds.
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Bit concerned about this. My little one - as I think I told you - has peaches already and is in full leaf. I think I'll give it a shock and move it outside! ;D
wouldn't do that with the weather heading your way ;D
brilliant day today, transplanted plug flowers for plant sale, planted up some lollo rosso lettuce and ishikura onions, fielderkraut cabbage and fillbasket sprouts, noticed the radish are up in the hot bed, no sign of the carrots yet..took some bacopa cuttings and pinched out the flowers, put some slug safe pellets around the lettuce bed..had a cuppa and a laugh ;D
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Got out there at last ;D Put in 2 rows of early pots 2 rows carrots 1 row beetroot and i row of peas that a chat with some of the other lotty people ;)
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Bemused my neighbour by digging up a partly blanched dandelion (while planting potatoes) and remembering how tasty blanched dandelion leaves are. Nibbled a few.
Dug out a small fertile space where I had stacked compost to smother nettles and brambles etc, and replanted the dandelions under large black pots with a brick on top.
In 2 or 3 weeks, I hope to pick some salad off them. They taste like chicory. Might as well make use of the annoying things.
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planted 50 red onion sets, and a 4ft x 15 ft bed of broad beans. prepared a bed (4ft x 10 ft) for some squash. all done by 10.30 this morning, as had to attend AGM of Norfolk Beekeepers today.
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Dug up the last two rows of Parsnips and carrots... to get ten rows of Potatos in the bed. Cleaned out a greenhouse... sowed some carrots... :)
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Planted 157 white and 118 red onion sets (sold by weight).
Dibbed holes and backfilled, sowed two parsnip seeds in each and a line of Florence Fennel.
Got soaked at 1.30 went back at 4.30 to weed asparagus bed and got soaked again at 5pm so gave up :(
Ninny
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Funny time for fennel? I normally sow midsummer.. ???
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Funny time for fennel? I normally sow midsummer.. ???
Thought I was having a senior moment so have just checked the packet.......... sow anytime from March to early July outdoors. We like it grated in salads so should be able to harvest from late July/early August Grawrc.
Ninny
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Yesterday I planted 12 asparagus crowns, I'm hoping these will crop a little later to the other bed.
Potted up tomato seedlings in the greenhouse.
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Had a rotovating session this morning also had the broad beans and other plants outside to harden off ready to go in next weekend whatever the weather, :)
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Funny time for fennel? I normally sow midsummer.. ???
Thought I was having a senior moment so have just checked the packet.......... sow anytime from March to early July outdoors. We like it grated in salads so should be able to harvest from late July/early August Grawrc.
Ninny
me too! So I'll pop some seed in pronto. Probably in a pot indoors for now since snow is forecast. :o
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took lots of photos of stuff coming up, transplanted banana shallots, , sowed some more romanesco broccoli and best of all swede, going to try modules for the swede, after advice from this site ;D
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Sowed some more carrots, parsnips, radish and Broad beans... and the twenty varieties of tomatoes we want to grow...
We are having a non-NGS Plant Sale on May 9th (Sunday 11-5pm) If there is a specific variety you want let us know... between us DebP and I probably have it..
www.littleoverlaneallotments.org.uk ;D
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tickled my peach flowers with rabit tail.. ;) sowed some lettuce,radish,spring onion, potted some bedding plants and took some cuttings,,potted some broadbean plants as some helpfull mice been planting seeds during winter in greenhouse borders..they are poping up everywhere ::)
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i popped into the allotments after work to see how my seedlings are going
and everything i sowed 2 weeks tuesday have come through now,wasnt sure if the sweetcorn would germinate yet,but it did ;D
leeks,peppers,sweetcorn and sunflowers all going strong
will attend on tuesday now so i can re dig the areas for my onion sets and spuds,and get my new raised beds level ready for filling
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Ive replanted the white onions the birds keep pinching. Ive also sown some musselbrough leeks in modules and potted on lots of cabbages that were growing very fast. I had attempted to sow some broad beans but when I went looking for the packet I cant find them so thinking I maybe didnt get round to buying any so must get those. Im still learning so finding this thread very very useful as reading what others are doing gives me the nod to get mine done too. Im in Cumbria having moved here recently, are there any others on here from this area?
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I went and planted out my first earlies and cleared a load of couch grass whilst i was there.
Transplanted the spring cabbages and made a contraption to net it (though my hubby brought pea mesh rather than the environmesh i requested).
Also set up a water saver using an old baby bath.
shifted a big pile of ashes, bricks and weeds off to one side, moved some manure and trod down my path a little.
I also planted some broad beans which were taking over my kitchen and made a little shelter type thing for them cos the wind is a little fierce up there!
another Sunday where there was no one else to be seen so i ended up singing quite loudly to myself just because i could!
also picked up a tray of mange tout from b&q for £1 something so gave them a new home in the kithen!
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made the first path narrower and the first bed wider by about 10"- should given us more room for our bean poles- but then rain stopped play! I really wanted to get the roots bed a bit more tilth-like, but that will have to wait for another day.
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re...what did I do in my bedroom today.. :o
it is totally innocent though....
All this rain and wind is getting me down, cannot go to work, cannot do anything in lottie so to kill time I have been poking into plantpots in propagator just to see if anything happening yet...
..I know..should leave them alone, but just doing house work is boring and not doing anything with compost giving me withdrawal symptoms ::)
..so I found some re-sown chillies have finally decided show some activity. I pick those seed out and carefully gave them their own Jiffys... ;D
..life's little pleasures..... :)
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Cleared up some cat sh it and replanted some onion-sets that the cat had scattered, planted out 28 'golden sun' shallots.
Dug up a load of Comfrey Bocking14, now off to the Post Office to send out some root cuttings.
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Started more peas on the windowsill. Capucijner, Lancashire Lad, Victorian Purple Podded, Commander, Clarke's Beltony Blue. They're all purple podded; I'm not putting marrowfats in yet.
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Nothing. :( Could have done lots while it was dry over theweekend but had my Dad staying.Now he's gone it's pouring. Went to B&Q and bought a bucket of chicken manure just to feel I was making some progress. ::)
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planted some lollo rosso and romaine lettuce in the poly borders, quite a good size already, sowed french marigolds from a friend on here, and nemesia ;D
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Paddled :-X
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Didn't go to the lottie this weekend, as I was busy painting fence panels waiting to go up next week. ;D ;D ;D
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I havnt stepped over the doorstep today other that to put the rubbish out. I have sown more leeks and also some mangetout. I have all these on my conservatory windowsill and the cabbages I pricked out yesterday are looking very sorry for themselves but im sure I remember stuff looking like that last year and then it picked up. Its a bit cold in there but I figured they have got to get used to it anyway ;D
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I couldn't do much in the beds as I might have joined the plants for a siesta.
I think I had better get some ZZZZZZZZZZZZ
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went down to the plot, dug another trench for the peas and filled it with some old veg and shifted the remainder of my burnt weed pile.
also took my 6 month old for a walk around the plots, see if i could get some inspiration and introduced him to some ducks and chickens on a far away plot.
never seen so many chickens in one place before but they were all up the cage side almost as if they were expecting me to bring them food LOL!
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Not waving... but drowning... :-X
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at the weekend, sat in a chair watching my sister and her other half planting my spuds out. Lovely, although frustrating that i couldn't do it myself. I was in charge of refreshments. Also (very carefully) presided over a bonfire. Since then it's been raining so have sat indoors cheering on my seedlings.
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Bugger all, its piddling down with very high winds. :'( :'( :'(
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Cleared half a bed that I'm planning to put spuds in.
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fleeced the spuds in the poly , it's going to 0 apparently ::) ;D
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I finished work at 7am and went straight over the allotment in the rain. It took me 4 hours to clear approx 5' x 4' of new area at one spade depth, that i have just taken over, it contained 6 layers of carpet with dirt and weeds inbetween then heavy wet clay underneath. The spade went through the clay really easy but it was just so heavy.
Tomorrow i'll try the same. I hope the asparugus appretiate it :-\
Neil
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Freezing cold and bucketing rain/sleet/snow/hail. Blowing a gale. I'm tucked up with a bottle of Wolf Blass!
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i made an appearance at the lottie
but so did the rain :(
really need to break the soil ready for sowing so please rain,pretty please with sugar on top please get lost yeah ;)
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Been bloody wrapping the greenhouse with bubble wrap >:(..I had to section part of it to make it that bit more warmer for toms and peppers...so cold and wet.. >:( >:(
put some extra candles on... ::)
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took Callum with us today, he finally got his spuds in, plus a row of peas and he's planning on putting carrots etc in next week,
I transplanted some sweet peas, tigerella , marmande and garden pearl toms, burpless cucumbers and watered everything that needed it, it was bloomin' hot in the polytunnel and freezin' outside ;D
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helped to make paths at the lottie- I dug out the straight edges whilst others with greater DIY skill put the edging in place, spread some manure on courgette bed.
Just went out and put a poly bag over my one spud just in case!
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Something has been munching on my radishes :'( only 2 leaves damaged so hopefully they will be ok.
Planted, Purple podded pea - Desiree and Golden sweet, along with the Painted Mountain corn into modules and 10 asiatic lilies (mixed from Poundland) into pots.
Moved the leeks, Sunflowers and Squash out into the mini greenhouse.
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To wet on the lotty to put anything in but the outlook from next Tuesday onwards is cloudy and sunny weather lets hope by next weekend I can get my broad-beans in which look a treat, also my spuds and onions, :)
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Spent two hours digging out couch and bindweed- wonder how many times I've written that on this thread now? ::) Was waiting for the rain so I could stop but it never came- my back told me to stop in the end!
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moved pallets and old skirting board to lottie in son's van, tidied a border in the garden and planted three roses.
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cut down a bed of 'autumn bliss' raspberries, uncovered the asparagus bed, ready for the rain.
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transplanted flippin' flowers for the plant sale, seems like a never ending job :-\
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One job I don't have this year... ;D
We have been rained off since about 2pm... got 60 spuds in this morning and dug out the sorrel, prepared ground for the new asparagus crowns...
OH gone out to put another few spuds in... :-X
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Surprisingly pleasant weather in East Sussex. Planted out broad bean seedlings in the gaps where most of the autumn sown ones were killed for the first winter ever, plus a lot of chitted ones (ie roots showing but not plants). Cleared a very messy corner to finish off the packet. Weeded Blueberry Corner - a very small corner with 2 blueberries and a cranberry planted last spring. Had a very few delicious blueberries last year, hoping for more this year, but they haven't grown much.
In Poland one year, boys were selling them by the side of the road in jam jars for pennies, surrounded by fields and fields of the plants.
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Day off at last, down the lottie early as rain forcast for this afternoon. Son wanting to earn some pennies, so he barrowed some broken breeze blocks that somehow have been sitting around up to the skip that has just arrived on site. I tidied up, moved the bean pole supports to where I want them now the area is weed free and found some sneaky regrowth of couch grass around the strawberry beds.... ::)
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Its been a nice day here so ive got lots of flower seeds planted around the garden. Well my son did that so who knows what will come where ::)
Ive potted on some strawberry plants and sown more leeks and broad beans. Got the belfast sinks sorted and got all the salad and herbs sown too.
Oh I also moved the seedlings from the kitchen window into the greenhouse as hubby made the staging yesterday.
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Lovely day in Cheshire and managed to get the rest of the spuds in the ground. Prepared a bed for carrott but still a bit cold for germination, so not sown any seeds.
Found a nice little patch in the fruitcage for salad and have sown a packet of freebee seeds that came with a BBC magazine.
Kids enjoyed doing the watering with their own cans!
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more plant sale flower transplanting BUT, then I got to do some of my own stuff ;D
Ray put up the wigwam for the tall peas, I transplanted (I know) sunflowers and nasturtiums that self seeded, sowed some mixed leaves and pak choi in a trough, watered everything inside and we covered the next carrot bed with some polythene to warm it up, most of the pre-chitted parsnips are up ;D loads of the potatoes in the poly are up and growing away well..started some more parsnips pre-chitting at home :)
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pricked out 92 tomato plants this morning, then rain stopped play @ the lottie
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Yesterday I dug out sad phormium and other shrubs I didn't like, gave climbing roses their final prune. More to come out tomorrow, weather permitting. Contemplating a visit to local garden centre tomorrow. Today Grandaughter and I looked at a free packet of lettuce seeds with a view to sowing them. ;D
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Yesterday,
Got the rest of my blue piping cut and in the ground, just in case there is a late frost to contend with. Cut the grass, sown some more seed for the garden and weeded the beds a bit before the rain came and spoiled the rest of the day.
Oh well the is always today to look forward to. Now if only this rain would ease and let me get on with things.
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Just back from the lotty and there is no chance of getting on to do anything needs at least a week of totally dry weather to even consider doing anything , just glad I have my broad beans coming on in the shed my spuds on top of the wardrobe, :)
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planted 36 tubers of 'rocket' potatoes, in the ground, and planted 48 runner bean seeds, (24 'white lady', and 24 'black russian') in pots in greenhouse.
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I weeded and tidied the front garden beds.
My OH dug up two huge shrubs that I no longer want.
Organised the garage.
Sowed some Magnum Bonum peas.
;D Duke
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(http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/gallery/10575_05_04_10_3_34_40.jpg)
My two boys 'helping' today. ;)
(http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/gallery/10575_05_04_10_3_36_00.jpg)
Eldest spent the time talking to the girl next door, while sitting on the compost bin, youngest spent it getting filthy and playing with worms. ::) ;D
Planted out 3 types of Lettuce, Cabbage and 2 types of Carrots (seedlings and seed)
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they look like they're enjoying themselves..especially your youngest ;D
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Took 4 bags of spent hops up to the plot, put pea plants in, repaired pea netting, and received a lovely gift of 5 Italian long courgette (and I mean long ;D) seeds from a fellow allotmenteer. Duly sowed in the greenhouse this evening.
Ninny
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Planted spuds and was given a few more autumn raspberries. Distributed tansy to all who would take some. ;D
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Well, finally started to put more seeds in.
More salads and dug out the trenches for the spuds.
Also put down some bark chip for the paths as this will be better than the slabs that have been used for another project.
Got the grass cut and weeded some more around those plants that have shown growth.
swept up and put some hoops on the beds for the first time.
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planted up 6 tomato plants and a burpless cucumber in the poly border with bell jars over, planted loads of living lettuce(99p from lidl)..there were about 50 plants in it ;D
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Edged, dug over and weeded the parsnip bed and sowed ... wait for it! ... parsnips and radish. Weeded onions, garlic, leeks. It's still incredibly cold here. Peas parsnip are up. So unfortunately is the asparagus so I covered it with mulch and told it to behave.
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I re-potted 30 mooli seedlings in greenhouse, sowed some gherkin, la diva and crystal lemon cucumbers and made sure all my other seedlings are doing okay. My husband made a 16ft X 4ft raised bed for spuds - one of ten eventually - and set it into the ground.
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Down the plot 6.00am this morning, I put in Onion sets that I started of in toilet rollw cut in half - 360 of them also sowed a short row of ATLR lettuce
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spent 6 hours barrowing manure, helping to make edges for paths and planting potatoes. I also ate my lunch in the warm sunshine, with coat off, smelling the hyacinths and just looking at our lovely dug beds!
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Re sowed some celeriac
Transplanted some Toms and a cucumber
Cut grass
Took veg peelings to the lottie for the daleks.
;D ;D ;D
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mpdjulie, talk to me about mooli. It's one of my new tries for this year and the packet says sow in late June/July - can I start some now? I much prefer spring sowing.....
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Was planning on playing golf but ended up down the lottie with wife and kids!
Sowed carrot seed and herb seeds (parsley, rosemary etc). Dug in some compost for the beans and erected two wigwam's for the climbers.
Back at HQ all the seeds requiring germination are in the propagator's
French Beans, squash, sweetcorn, pumpkin etc
I'm worn out!
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managed to drop some onions in today,weather forecast looks good for the weekend so should give them a good start,il pop in after work each day to re-plant what the piegons have removed ::)
also sewn some more sweetcorn
was tempted to sow my pumpkins and cougettes but that can wait untill the weekend now,as can the carrots :)
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cleared a couple of 10 x 4 beds ready for planting more spuds tomorrow
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edged more beds ready for path making, dug a trench for runner beans,threw some horse manure in the bottom and left instructions for lottie partner to lay newspaper on top then backfill(hope this works as have never done it before!), did lots of hoeing
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Planted 5kg of Rocket.
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Planted 4th and last line of Rockets. ;D ;D ;D
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Watered the greenhouses and changed the mouse traps before going to work... :)
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Sowed more seed and moved some plants into their final locations.
Planted up two rows of spuds for summer salads hopefully.
watered the ground as it has dried out a bit round the fruit trees.
Looked over what is to come and what has been.
Snow drops will need splitting soon as the last of the flowers are beginning to fade.
Seen the first Catkin on my Hazels. Hope to see more in the coming years.
Cannot seem to get rid of the dock plants that the bird droppings are bringing in.
Mixed up some more compost, perlite, and sand for potting on.
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Erected canes ready for Scarlet Emperor runner beans, brittle wax beans and sweet peas, left the plot at 8pm in daylight :)
Ninny
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We watered the garden and planted more seeds in modules:
Courgettes Black Beauty (Dig In)
Cucumber White Wonder
Cabbage Greyhound
Onion Red Baron, Rj 5 and Paris Silverskin
French Bean Blue Lake (Dig In)
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Played alot and grandaughter watered everything in sight. ;D
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Emptied out the spare bedroom of seedlings, all now in the greenhouse. We can have guests again! ;D
Ninny
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Watered the greenhouses before going off to work. Planted two rows of spuds and dug some leeks this evening... :)
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I excavated a 1m x 2m trench in front of my shed for my decking under the new pergola. 15 barrowloads of soil and 5 of rubble. Back says aargh!! :o :o :o Put weed fabric in place and levelled pallet bases. Bought and delivered decking stuff to the plot. Plus lots more little insignificant things. Decided that doors and windows will be painted claret. (contrast with forgetmenot blue). Chatted lots to nice folk. Had my plot admired by 3 folk!!! 8) 8) 8)
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After my lunch break (I work from home) I sneaked up the garden and planted out 50 pea plants that I had sown in paper plant pots 3 weeks ago. Covered with bubble wrap to keep the local pigeons at bay!
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this morning, planted out the remainder of my spuds, and gave the asparagus bed a feed of seaweed.
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Planted out two lines of Kestrel, just the Cara to go. ;D ;D ;D
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Finally finished our paths! Put up the wigwams and planted sweet peas, sowed more broad beans and planted the last few potatoes, and prepared the asparagus bed. Had a lovely bath!
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Finally got on to the lotty, broad beans(plants) have gone in plus 'Nadine' spuds , tomorrow it is onions and broad bean seeds, bloody love it, :) ;D
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Watered and took pictures (see my gallery) of my tiny garden.
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Sowed carrots, beetroot, turnips and tidied up a bit (and chatted a lot)
marg
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Hubby did all the the jobs involving machines... ::) I weeded..dug..planted all taties..earlier, seconds and maincrop in one go..can't be asked to mess about with them too many times..so done..!..body says..rest! ;D
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Sweet peas planted and netted up to about 16 inches. Clay beginning to bake so watered the garlic and then covered in spent hops. Weeded the raspberry beds, took up paving stones and removed roots travelling to the other beds, watered and mulched with ......spent hops ;D
Ninny
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weeded the strawberry beds a very long overdue job, from 6 plants i must have about 70. planted out some broad bean plants that i cheated and bought at a car boot sale today from a lovely man.
tidied up my pots and sorted my canes, spuds went in the other day now must sort peas out
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Everything!
Cheated and bought in some calabrese and cauliflower - mine have just germinated - so I will have succession!
Planted out 10 swede (an experiment) Will finish off the bed with direct sown seed in May. Finished off the bed with a newly made debris netting tunnel cover - a lot less faffing about and way cheaper than Harrod Horti
Gave my no-show carrot seeds a stern talking to and a heavy water
Planted all toms in polytunnel - 4 each of Vanessa, Big Boy, Costulo Fiontura and Roma. Also planted 6 dwarf bean in the poly. All the seedlings are doing nicely. I am wondering about the commando snails that scaled the galvanised legs of my seed table to eat the french marigolds :o but I got'em ;D
Admired the blossom on my plum tree and sent a no more frosts prayer up to himself
Realised that I don't know where I am going to put the Sweetcorn :-\
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Weeded underneath the currant bushes, anyone ever tried to dig a large dandelion from the roots of currant bush, took me ages, and bitter cress can seed in the middle of the bushes too, patience required today ::)
Ninny
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sorted out my shed today and hopefully mad the mouse/mice homeless in the process, freecycled lots of stuff and now got room for the lovely gas barbecue we are going to treat ourselves too. hubby did help mostly from the comfort of his deckchair, metioned something about workers and managers, whatever lol ;D
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...Absolutely nothing......well,,er...walking around checking nothing has gone wrong over night.. ::)..a spot of watering in greenhouse...and now I'm trying to get strengh back from busy weekend...why do we always go mad with gardening when first truly warm weather arrives... ::)...this girl has over done it..
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Hung out 4 loads of washing! Got backfrom hols at 2:30 this morning so not much energy for anything else!
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got back yesterday to visitors so went today,
I'm amazed at how much things have grown in 4 days, all my lettuce, pak choi, oriental greens, carrots and spring onions have miraculously grown through, I have a flower on my forced strawberry plants, the forced rhubarb pushed the bucket off, kohl rabi up, planted some more tomatoes, some beetroot and long red florence onions grown in modules...a cucumber(under a bell jar inside) and a melon(ditto), sowed barlotti and haricot beans, hooligan and golden nugget squash..transplanted paprika peppers and california peppers..busy, busy ;D
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Spent the last 4 days clearing an area of 7mts x 5mts, not been used for many a year. But has been home to my raspberry and current supply for the past 3 yrs....
Finally took the bull by the horns and set about reclaiming it, bindweed , twitch, nettles abound and the raspberries, well! given away 30 plus to other plotters and re-planted another 30 0r so in other areas.
Now approximately 3/4 dug over, dig a row, down on hands and knees to remove all the weeds by the barra load....and still seem to have as many rasps as when I started.....Still soon be Christmas... ;) ;)
Some d**n good soil under them there weeds...a lot of it full off well rotted manure...so thats a bonus...
Pity realy I've already planted out my tatties , it would have been a great area to do so....now I've got to decide what to plant there....
Any thoughts , ideas gratfully recieved....cheers.. ;)
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Planted out two lines of Cara, so thats all the spuds in now. ;D ;D ;D
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Repotted all the houseplants into new soil and divided the aloe again ::) anyone want a tiddly?
Ninny
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spent the morning in the garden at home, adding 3 huge bags of soil improver to our newly cleared little veggie patch and planted some broad beans- then off to the lottie where I did some watering, rescued a HUGE bee from one of the water barrels, did some more digging around in our "roots" bed (have a feeling we might need to put spuds in there instead as the soil's like concrete!), then made our asparagus bed and planted 6 crowns. Am hoping I've done it right- I now have 6 little depressions with soil banked up around each one - is this right?
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put in the base for a greenhouse on a plot that a local church has just took over.
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Hi Y'All
Dug out a sickly shrub from a dark dank border in my weeny front garden, firkled out the clay and shale which is only 3 inches down, added loads more garden compost and extra earth and planted a couple of much more suitable shrubs.
Thus inspired, I went out to back decking, and planted a huge new cordyline in a large pot Apricot Queen. It's going to be a centrepiece for my mini bit of decking together with lots of red geraniums, dahlias and grasses all of which I potted on today. A hot looking lot of pots, and I hope a hot summer.
I'm knackered!
Goodnight A4All!
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Started to sow the seeds for the farm shop.
Will be doing the ones that the kiddies like though, so as they sell well and do not sit around waiting for the hard enthusiast to come and take the lot at a reduced price.
Trays of flowers and Tommies to go when they are up, and then they will be just right for those that have not got the plants due to them being sold out in the shops.
Late sowing seems to be a great hit around here, they tend to go well if I get the timing right.
June seems to be better for people to buy in more of those gap fillers than May.
Marigolds are another that will sell well, also those little Tagetes which keep the edges of borders looking bright.
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Had a Mantis session getting the ground ready for my carrots, parnips and beetroot this weekend, also sowed a row of peas, :)
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transplanted my black krim tomatoes (seeds from a friend on here, thank you)..sowed sweetcorn, purple podded beans, potimarron pumpkin and orange banana tomatoes (more seeds from a friend on here, thank you)
hand pollinated peach flowers, gave away some surplus marmande and oxheart tomatoes, planted up some hanging baskets for the plant sale ;D
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Planted out my Gooseberry bush in the only bit of the boarder not overgrown with Bluebells.
Watered lots and replanted the Radishes that my youngest pulled out. :o ::) (at least I got to see how big they are)
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I sowed mini pops and incredible sweetcorn before work today, It feels great to be sowing half hardies at last a real sign of summer comming:)
x sunloving
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I sowed a line of parsnips
Mixed line of cabbages
Sweetcorn Incredible
;D ;D ;D
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Pricked out 80 leeks, 80 Calendula, watered the greenhouses and some lines in the ground... resowed the cabbage and lettuce that OH had fried in the greenhouse... :-X
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I took nine enormous black bags and a bundle of branches from my privet hedge to the recycling. Weeded a quarter of the plot. Cut up blue pipe for the enviromesh to cover my chard etc. I may have a new fence where it had holes in, but the bunnies are still getting in and munched a bunch of stuff yesterday!
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sowed my pumpkins and courgettes and watered all the greenhouse contents
sowed two lines of carrots,and then prepared an area ready for my brocolli
just need to hoe my paths at some point :) :)
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transplanted some pak choi, sweet peppers, butternut squash and chillies..sorted out the rest of the plants for the plant sale from the wholesaler ;D
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Its been the same job nearly every day its been up that long it started to fall apart so had to be rebuilt, just need a warm day with no wind now
[attachment=1]
[attachment=2]
[attachment=3]
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Got my remaining maincrop potatoes in the area of rough clay that is the new potato bed....OH spent ages digging it over, tried the Mantis on it but it was just skipping over the hard lumpy clay soil so we just added some claybreaker granules and bashed it as small as possible with forks....and then went to work for the night! ;D
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Nothing until late on when I went down and dug all Deb's spuds out and back filled the trench... ;D
Just kidding.... :-*
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smashing job davyw1
I just potted up yet more toms and pricked out some peppers
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Nothing until late on when I went down and dug all Deb's spuds out and back filled the trench... ;D
Just kidding.... :-*
:o :o :o :o :o :o
I think I'll order some mushroom compost to cover them even deeper then..... ;)
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Not much today..just pottering about..watering..sown few seeds..topping pots up with fresh compost..
We had delivery today fot lottie shop.. ::)...and we were short with"staff"...so there were full lorry load of compost, fertilizer etc..to carry in..bag by bab....
Now I have arms like iron bars.. ;D..
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lovely job Davyw1!
I put in a few more potatoes and dug over the carrot/parsnip bed (again!) to try and break it down a bit more. Chatted to neighbour over the fence- he gave me some trumpet shaped thingies to plant parsnips in- should I bother? I like the idea of stuff having contact with the soil!
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Sowed Cornflower Seeds, Autumn Forest (Rudbeckia Hirta), Sunflowers and some more Sweet Peas.
Planted out seedlings, Golden Sweet and Purple Podded peas, Leeks, Painted Mountain Corn and Butternut Squash.
Re-planted Radishes that my youngest pulled out again. ::)
Watered liberally.
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Sowed some more sweetcorn today, I have 6 showing their heads from Saturdays sowing. :o ??? ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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sowed dwarf french beans, lemon, spice, purple and green basil, plus, transplanted some butternuts and a couple of yellow pattypan squash ;D
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Davy 1: I'm so impressed with your structure! drool, drool, drool.
I've been planting out tomatoes and have to cover and uncover them every night.
Planted eggplants in the coldframe where they aren't bothered by flea beetles.
Found the Lupines which I thought had all died had actually reseeded themselves- so pleased! ;D
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did a bit of reorganising in the garden at home- too busy to drive over to the lottie today. Took tomato seedlings to Open Doors at church and potted them on whilst chatting to friends.
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Rebuilt collapsed last year's climbing bean support (great big cat's cradle, not admired by a passing traditionalist). Planted out 9 lettuce and 30 parsley seedlings, and covered with fleece because we are due to go down to 1 degree soon.
Worried about squash/bean seedlings put outside in their pots to breath the air and feel the sun, which need to come in in 10 minutes......
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Finally managed to get my earlies in dead p******D of with building still cant complain my old tunnel lasted 20 year made from what i had at hand at the time.
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Finished off the left front border, wild onion will be back though as I didn't get all the little gremlins out, planted cerinth, sowed some borage, godetia and night scented stock.
Hubby bought me a ragwort fork for Christmas and I thought what on earth do I do with that ::), but a handy tool for getting out nasty weeds in between the roses without too much root disturbance :)
Ninny
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Finally got my spuds in- only 2 rows of Rocket this year due to smaller plot, so that was quite easy! Also 3 rows of red onions ina bed which I thought I'd cleared but turned out to still have loads of couch roots in. >:( Going back this afternoon to pick the forced rhubarb I forgot about this morning.
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Watered the greenhouses... carrots up in the raised bed... radish and parsnips poking through... :)
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Hi Y'All
Watered eveything, my soil is like concrete when the sun shines. Got carrots coming under cover, rocket and salad crops in raised bed, and the last of my calabrese to harvest over the weekend.
Planted last of shallots. I threw out my dummy digging my flower plot, which I stupidly left uncovered over the Winter, it now has the World Collection of Weeds on it. I just roughly dug it over, and I'm off to get some black membrane to cover it. Blow it, I'll uncover the last of my carpetted plots, dig out what's there, and chuck in some annuals after I come back from my weeks holliers. That is if I ever get off the ground next week, wonder when the old volcano is going to stop play!
Regards, Caro
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Watered, put some old branches in for the peas to grow up, some onions are finally showing, not sure which type though since youngest removed the lables. ???
Washed out some old pots I found while clearing out the last of the garden rubbish, bonus !!
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HAve been doing a lot of watering, things very dry. Sowed lots of seeds last week and they are comstantly having to be kept moist.
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cut lawn watered pots n tubs as very dry
dead headed daffs
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:'( Our daffs are still in full flower
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popped in after work to drop off some more compost,more seeds and slug pellets.payday and car equalls garden centre lately ::)
gave the greenhouse a watering ......
also checked my potatoes havent came up yet, worried about frost
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I have been potting up some bedding, cuttings, toms..watering in greenhouses...topping up with some compost for my potatoes in buckets, planting some wild flowers in hedge bottoms..sorting out some tomato plants for surrogate growers( I cannot do it anymore on my own)... ::)
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planted some hebes that had seeded themselves into the gravel and spent the last few months in pots- that was at home. Dug another half bed at the lottie-it's starting to look more like my Dad would have liked it- he loved tidy soil!
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Wrapped and covered all tender and new plantings as there was a frost over night.
I didnt want to lose the new shoots on my fruit trees as they have showed themselves.
Watered in peas and broad beans, dead headed flowers.
potted on some little violas. I think they were minnie, free from T&M with other seeds. Eight in a packet but only three have grown into lovely little crackers.
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Had a clean up round the church, found some nice old-fashioned violets which had self-seeded, and managed to rescue a bit. I've strained my back enough for one day so I'll give the plot a miss.
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I've been delivering tomato plants this morning..potting up plugs..potted some pot leeks for pips..watering..re-organising greenhouses so I can have more in.. ::)..and now I'm having well earned coffee break and some time out of the sun..PHEWW..so hot...I wish it would be raining..... ::) ;D ;)
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Sowed french beans,broccoli, cabbage and sunflowers in the greenhouse. Tidied up the garden and garage and shredded some bits.Planyed out some pansies.
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Sowed spring onion, peas and beetroot. ;D ;D ;D
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:o I only got up...! ;D
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Hurrah. I managed to do everything i wanted to during the school holidays. I've got all my spuds in (8 rows) carrots, onion sets, parsnips, strawberries in their nice new bed (so proud of myself lol). I got the asparagus bed built and ready to go but don't think i can get the 20 plants i orderd in there lol. I also managed to build some compost bins. There have been nights i couldn't sleep because my arms ached so much and my husband isn't thrilled by my newly developed muscles but i've loved every second of it.
Counting the days till the next holiday when i can spend all day plotting :) :) :)
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Worked on my front garden today. Cut down a hawthorn that was threatening to have someone's eye out and a phygelius that refuses to die but is definitely diseased. Then cut off the rusty bits on all the groundcover hypericum- back-breaking but nice to see it looking green rather than spotty brown! We were promised light rain but it didn't appear- hope we get a bit overnight so the digging at the plot is easier tomorrow.
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After long and lazy morning I finally got myself into lottie...been potting up, taking cuttings, watering, weeding, pruning...lovely day.. ;D
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OH has spent a whole weekend re-doing a border... so inbetween moving sacks of compost and mulch, I pricked out @100 toms, 45 Marigolds, lettuce, Kale... potted some stuff on and generally moseyed around... :)
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did a bit more to the carrot/parsnip bed to get it a bit more tilth-like.
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Potted on the chillies and peppers in the greenhouse at home, started hardening off some peas, calendulas, leeks and banana shallots. Then went down the lottie, took some home made compost with me to top up a raised bed, then hoed everywhere, watered the carrots, spinach and salad onions that are staring to show now, and did a bit of general mooching around.... ;D
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Planted up 4 hanging baskets... Then down to the plot to Feed/Water the hens, plant out the Pak Choi, and set seeds for: Chard (Rainbow and White), Lettuce, Spring Onion, Spinach, Carrots & Beetroot.
Then gave everything a good soaking along with the green house and all the plants that we are growing for the plant sale on the 16th May... Spent an hour or so talking to fellow plot holders and enjoyed a cold can of larger.
Home for dinner and the the back garden needed watering :P
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planted the last of the potoes and sowed parsnips, carrots, cabbage and sprouts. Got very excited over our first broad bean showing!
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Got my spuds in !!
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Watered the onions and some seedlings. ;D ;D ;D
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pulled some pots out of the greenhouse to harden off for the day
then made my bed for blackcurrants ???
know its late for them but a neighbour gave me them and they have healthy buds and shoots,beds a 10ft by 3ft with three 6ft posts
just need to drill holes for wires.added lots and lots of compost and spent manure and saturated them with water.
think if i keep them well watered they should take.
also removed a laurel bush as the inspecter wasnt happy with where it is?? wish he had said this in the winter rather than now >:(
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Unloaded and stacked some slabs at 7:00am... then watered the greenhouses at 6:00pm after work...
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Had a random saved flower seed sowing day, sorry about the layout still can't manage to make it look neat from Excel ::)
AQUILEGIA ? PATIENCE'S FLOWER 1 Greenhouse 200410
FRESIA (LIKE A BUT NOT) ? SAVED FLOWER 1 Greenhouse 200410
ASTILBE WHITE SAVED FLOWER 1 Greenhouse 200410
CORNFLOWER DOUBLE BLUE SAVED FLOWER 1 Greenhouse 200410
FLAX RED SAVED FLOWER 1 Greenhouse 200410
GERBERA RED/PINK SAVED FLOWER 1 Greenhouse 200410
HELEN'S FLOWER SNEEZEWEED HORSHAM MUSEUM FLOWER 1 Greenhouse 200410
TAGETES AUDREY'S SAVED FLOWER 1 Greenhouse 200410
TAGETES NAUGHTY MARIETTE HORSHAM MUSEUM FLOWER 1 Greenhouse 200410
HOLLYHOCKS NIGRA SAVED FLOWER 1 Greenhouse 200410
GLADIOLI MIXED SAVED FLOWER 1 Greenhouse 200410
GYPSOPHILIA PINK SAVED FLOWER 1 Greenhouse 200410
MIRABILIS 4 O'CLOCK PLANT GILL FLOWER 1 Greenhouse 200410
COTTAGE GARDEN ANNUAL LITTLE PINK FLOWER SAVED FLOWER 1 Greenhouse 200410
ASTERS MIXED SAVED FLOWER 1 Greenhouse 200410
CALENDULA YELLOW SAVED FLOWER 1 Greenhouse 200410
ALLIUM PURPLE SAVED FLOWER 1 Greenhouse 200410
DELPHINIUM MAGIC FOUNTAIN SAVED FLOWER 1 Greenhouse 200410
JACOB'S LADDER YELLOW SAVED FLOWER 1 Greenhouse 200410
CHRISTMAS BOX SARCACOCCA HOOKERIANA SAVED FLOWER 1 Greenhouse 200410
STOCK SINGLE PINK GILL FLOWER 1 Greenhouse 200410
TEASEL ? SAVED FLOWER 1 Greenhouse 200410
Some of the descriptions aren't very professional but easiest way for me to remember where I got them or what they looked like!
Ninny
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Today I went down and mulched the raspberries and gooseberries with shreded office paper, much to the amusement of my allotment neighbours, who don't seem to know about mulching. I first put several shovelfuls of home made compost around them. then added the paper and watered well. That will beat the weeds and grass for the first few weeks of summer at least.
My son helped me add compost to a large area then black-plastic it - that will be the courgette bed in a couple of weeks.
Then it was just watering, pottering around, tidying up. It's looking really good just now. First radishes should be ready in a few days ;D
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Took the first tray of beans down to the plot, put them in a cold frame, and planted out three varieties of peas.
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went to the plant nursery to pick up the rest of the hanging basket plants..moved all the baskets down to the big polytunnel and all the hardened off plants to the tables (only 10 days to go :o ) then I transplanted 45 celeriac and watered everything in our polytunnel ;D
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Cleaned out cat poo from inside the closh covering my squash and corn plants, little bugger... >:(
Went to my local Wickes and bought some more compost to earth up the potato bags, got some funny looks cos it was shoved in the bottom of the pram.....just :P.
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Planted three more pea varieties, did a bit of mulching, and checked the bees.
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mulched, mulched,mulched,mulched,mulched,mulched,mulched,mulched, and mulched.
And my knees know it!
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Sowed some Sunflowers with the little un and did a bit of watering. ;D ;D ;D
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Called at the lotty on the way home from work and replaced the onions that the birds had pulled out, :)
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Lots of weeding and earthed up potatoes.
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Put more compost in the potato bags and pots, weeded a bit.
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Thinned radishes, sowed some carrots under cloches (We're still getting frosts but the soil under the cloches is nice and warm) and planted a few african violets (in the hope they will do some good). Potted on Pepper seedlings in greenhouse. Ditto Cape Gooseberry and some strawberries I'm growing from seed. This afternoon I'm sowing nasturtiums and some cut-and-come-again salad (in greenhouse). Already have salad leaves coming through under cloches.
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watered, dug and hoed the leek bed, and discussed the possibility of clearing out and repairing a delapidated old shed with hardly any roof. I'm dreaming of our own little space, with places to put things that's just ours!
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transplanted the rest of the celeriac, sorted through the tommies I have, put the ones we need to one side, got 20 to sell , plus 12 sweet peppers, last year had no luck, this year, everything germinated ;D
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Resisted the Lottie and pruned the escallonia at home instead, and transplanted some Jacob's Ladder self-sown plantlets to the front border-Oops! Just remembered I didn't water them in.............
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Moved some bits into the mini greenhouse, weeded and noticed flowers on my Broad Beans ;D
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We finally got our Canadian mini lottie and started working on it, digging it over seemed to be easy as the ground is very easy to dig and full of worms, no perennial weeds. We have cleared all the junk off, knocked down a sort of gazebo thing held together with wire and plastic bags, today we started to lay out paths and get ready for building raised beds.. coming along well so we are very pleased.XX.Jeannine
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Watered it! :o
Sandy soil, no rain, plenty of sun and a steady breeze for six days - even the pond is looking low. Not funny.
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Not much with my torn ligaments :'(
But with the aid of my crutch, I am surprising mobile. I am working from home today - mostly responding to emails, so I'm wondering when I could reasonably have a POETS moment. I have peas chitting that desperately need planting. I'm thinking I could shuffle along on my derriere.
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..at least you have couple of dibbers handy ;) ;D
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We finally got our Canadian mini lottie and started working on it, digging it over seemed to be easy as the ground is very easy to dig and full of worms, no perennial weeds. We have cleared all the junk off, knocked down a sort of gazebo thing held together with wire and plastic bags, today we started to lay out paths and get ready for building raised beds.. coming along well so we are very pleased.XX.Jeannine
would love to see a photo!
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finished off marking prices on hanging baskets for next week, transplanted my dwarf french beans and watered everything in the poly ;D
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In toilet roll cardboard cylinders, I sowed mangetout peas that had developed shoots whilst sandwiched in some damp kitchen roll indoors. Picked some nettles to make fertiliser with, planted and transplanted some herbs and did a little bit of digging.
I am about to go to the greenhouse to sow my sugar snap and Victorian peas.
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Found clumps of cat fur all over the garden- territory wars this AM
Found fox poop in various places and one dug up a tomato (maybe smelled bone meal)?
Mixed up some planting mix in holes for squash.
Weeded out rampant ivy and found one (only) volunteer poppy! Don't you love volunteers?
Rinsed off some squash seeds I'd planted last week to see if they're germinating (they are but slowwwwly.)
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Sowing bit of this and that..watering...planting....delivering yet more tomato plants..and having good argument with neighbour in then lottie next door..."Mrs Buket" was being argumentative mood and this time I could not hold my cool anymore so she had what has been coming to her for long while now...it was long due and now she knows that I'm not to be messed with.....there! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Filled the Windowgrow I won (from Greenhouse Sensations) with some compost and sowed the Lettuce seeds (Red Salad Bowl), Radish seeds (Scarlet Globe) and some of the Dig In mixed Salad Leaves, then left it out in the garden.
Planted out Cabbage (Greyhound), French bean (Dig In - Blue Lake), Onion (Red Baron), Onion (Rijnsburger 5), and some Shallots (Paris Silverskin) seedlings.
Re potted one of the Tigerella tomato plants, a Courgette plant (Dig In - Black Beauty) and a Cucumber plant (White Wonder).
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not much yet...spent morning in lottie shop..and we shifted "boat load" of stuff...lovely..now I'm having my well earned coffee break and then start round 2.
Plan is to sow some salsify, scorzonera, carrot and peas...oh and some radish..and...well we see.. ;D
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Just planted my 10 gijnlim and 10 backlim asparagus :)
About to get some garlic in (only just delivered today - hope they'll be ok).
Going to sow some squashes and courgettes.
Happy happy happy.
Alison
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Sowed lots of flower seeds - limnanthes, calendula, tagetes, linum, sunflowers, nigella, sweet peas, cornflowers, poppies and ornamental rye grass.
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Sowedcorinader and parsnips.Potted up some sweet peppers. Cut down aclematis which was swamping my trellies and my crab apple- quite a job but lots more light in that area now!
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I had a good planting out session this afternoon, purple podded peas, calendula seedlings, banana shallots, clumps of pink torpedo onions and then had a good watering session too as the topsoil is really very dry everywhere...
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planted out the banana shallots, potted on 100 gardener's delight tomato sedlings, 100 nemophila white seedlings, planted up a few more baskets, got 63 now ;D
priced some of the trays of bedding up, phew, getting closer now ;D
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watered a lot
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Sowed two 6 foot wigwams of french beans. ;D ;D ;D
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Pulled out loads of bluebell leaves, literally filled up my composter with them and put the rest in an unused corner. ::)
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Pouring here so repotting and talking to my Crown Prince and Queensland Blue Winter Squash seedlings ;D.
I'm very tempted to "help" Crown Prince shed the dry seed coat from his seed leaves but know I MUST NOT!
Anybody else have that addiction?
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transplanted potimarron and butternut squash, orange banana and most prolific tomato seedlings ;D
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Watered the strawberry's
Dug up old sprout and PSB plants
Washed out and filled plastic bath ready for carrots
Harvested last of the leeks and first helping of Rhubarb
The kid wants me to take her out on her bike
Not on your nelly, I'm bloody knackered.
;D ;D ;D
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Pouring here so repotting and talking to my Crown Prince and Queensland Blue Winter Squash seedlings ;D.
I'm very tempted to "help" Crown Prince shed the dry seed coat from his seed leaves but know I MUST NOT!
Anybody else have that addiction?
Yes ;)
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Yes - have 'helped' one of my sunflowers at the cost of a chunk of leaf! Let me be a warning to you.
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sowed some beetroot, turnip and leek seeds, and shifted some rubbish from our being refurbished falling down shed.
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lots of watering again ::)
sown some french beans and mixed leaves (thanks bbc :))
sown some more sweetcorn,sunflowers,and sown the chilli seeds ive had wrapped in wet kitchen towel for a few days
made a frame ready to net my broccoli,also mended the blockage on my waterbutt system
pulled the strimmer out and cut all the grass area,tidied up the gooseberry bushes,and removed the flower stems from my rhubarb
busy day lol ;D ;)
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Watering... first cut of Asparagus and cut loads of sprouting broccoli... and had a beer on the pew...... :)
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I have sorted my greenhouse out today. I am also off to the allotment to give the peas and beans some protection.
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planted out some cabbage, cauli and romanesco, barely got it in the ground and a cabbage white landed :o
didn't get far, though and now the nets are up ;D
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Finished filling a bath with soil and sowed the carrots in it. ;D ;D ;D
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hoed my pathways
broke up the heavy clay clods where my leeks will go,bloody hard work but looks great now with compost applied
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I pricked out my petunias - filled 72 cells and I still have some left. Also, visited a garden centre that I'd never been to before and couldn't resist buying three unusual cucumber varieties - Lemon Apples. Apparently they are shaped like lemons. Anyone seen or grown these before? I stuck 'em in a grow bag in the greenhouse.
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sowed more runner beans, french beans (thanks BBC) and sweet corn. Potted on tomatoes, pricked out antirhinums and sowed an apple seed ("nut") with my 4 year-old grand-daughter. Went to the lottie and did some watering. Put more compost round my potato in a bag and watered stuff in the garden.
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re helping a seed out. I always thought it a no no but just got Amy Goldmans Tomato book and she mentioned she does it!!
I transplanted little tomatoes, still under lights, but planted out my two Tumblers and two Patio's onto the balcony today, figured they should go out as they are in full flower and 1 Tumbler has little fruit on it. broke one of the Tumblers so I think I might just have one now.
Planted squash, baby pumpkins, eggplant, peppers and beans in small pots to go under lights.
XX Jeannine
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planted out dwarf french beans and fillbasket sprouts ;D
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I'm on hols this week, so was determined to do some work even in the drizzle....I planted out my broccoli and cabbages, earthed up the potatoes, and constructed some of the famous 'Wilkinson arches' to act as net supports over the brassicas as my old ones are falling apart now......I only made them half as high as they should be in case you were wondering what kind of massive brassica bed I had! ;D
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Gosh you are so lucky! I'm miles behind you in Edinburgh! :-[ :-[
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sowed some swede just before it rained then got wet catching up with the digging
beetroot, carrot,turnip and spinage beet are coming up. earshed up spuds and started putting bean canes up.undecided whether to put beand straight in or start them in greenhouse. better make my mind up soon
brassicas are out of the greenhouse getting used to the real world :)
marg
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Gosh you are so lucky! I'm miles behind you in Edinburgh! :-[ :-[
I'm being a bit pushy with the veg due to lack of space in my cold greenhouse Anne, I have been starting to harden things off as soon as they look big enough to survive the slugs, but will shall see if I shall live to regret it later.......! I am trying very hard to do successional sowings of things this year just in case... ;)
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(yesterday) i played happily in the greenhouse with the rain pattering on the roof..pricked out some celeriac that allaboutliverpool kindly gave me the other day,thanks! sowed some more chilli seeds,brassicas and second lot of peas/beans as insurance against our unpredictable weather. walked about in the drizzle with my cup of tea admiring all the blossom and generally feeling very happy that we have our plot ! ;D
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Weeded :)
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The pea and bean sowing epic has started... 150 tall peas (Telephone) and about two hundred assorted beans in last night/early this morning, mostly climbing french of varieties that dry well plus some giant butter beans. I'm about half-way through.... THe 6-to-a-half-tray modules arrived in the post today so there's a lot of squash to be sown and put into the heated propagators, plus there's a load of stuff to pot on from their first modules...... need to check the sunflower roots, it's growing like Audrey at the moment, it might need a bigger pot already....
chrisc
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Finally got the bean trench filled back in and the canes are up ready.
Must remeber to empty the freezer, so I can refill with all those lovely veggies that will be coming along. :P
More weeding to be done when the weather gives me a break.
I must also remeber to start to seperate the seedlings for the rest of the garden.
Plenty to do and more to think about.
Still must get on, as work needs to be done too.
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Almost to the end of digging it over,, buying wood today for raised beds XX Jeannine
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Saved a dear little blue tit from the greenhouse.
Alison
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Dug another 4 black sacks of couch grass from the rockery
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Started dividing/propagating the mint in hanging baskets. One down, 5 to go 15 extra plants for the sale already ;D
Top dressed the big containers.
Watches a blackbird digging in one of the fern pots ???
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Sowed three X thirty foot rows of parsnips, one thirty foot row of peas, two four foot rows of Nantes 2, and two four foot rows of Nantes 5 carrots. Prepped a thirty x four foot bed ready for outdoor tomatoes ;)
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Harvested a lot of White Sprouting Broccoli, planted three new 'Patriot' blueberry bushes OH got in Lidl today into buckets, and brought a tray full of peppers into the site greenhouse for the plant sale..... ;D 8)
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Planted fiftyfour caulies and one doz lettuce and covered with netting,now off for a pint, :)
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planted another 30ft row of spuds (mayan gold & Kestrel) and 48 'snowball' onion sets. also direct sowed some 'enorma' runner beans.
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Potted on my Queensland Blues and whispered to them "It's show time in September" ;)
Ninny
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Dug more of plot 2. Loads more to go, need rain to soften the ground. Greenhouse heaving, stuff will be ready to go in as soon as I harden it off so I think I should be out there digging still with miners lamp attached to my head.
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Finiished the pea and bean epic today... squash and sweetcorn will have to wait a week, the butterbeans need the propagators, and there's 20+ other varieties in there as well... finished up with 20 trays of beans, about 350 modules all told, prolly near a thousand seeds..... They 'll be twinning Swindon with Chicago by October...... Also did up three trays of beetroot (Moneta and Boltardy), salady stuff, herbscabbages, cauliflowers and Romansescu.... They're aa;; in th ekitchen on a load of staging, the windowsill adn the kitchjen table......
chrisc
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In the past few days I have planted Celery, lettuces and marigolds, all gifts from lottie neighbours.
Potted on squash and tommies.
Sowed a line of turnip.
Sowed carrots in my back garden.
;D ;D ;D
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Planted fiftyfive leek plants and was also given a tray of Celeriac from a lotty neighbour, :)
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It's chilly here this morning, so I did a load of pricking out and potting on; celery, green cauliflowers, melons, white cucumbers, also flowers; sunflowers, anchusa and agastache. I haven't got much to do at the plot today so might stay in the warm! ;D
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Ohh soo cold here too....dog would not get up from bed ::)..and as I went to lottie I knew why....and can't blame her..not fit for anybody...
Spent an hour in GH doing some salvia and argyranthemum cuttings,,wrapped everything in cold GH in fleece and set paraffin heater for another..
Blimming mouse has had ago in my pea and sweetcorn pots >:(...provided some more snack for little Mickey... ;)
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Earthed up all the spuds just incase the frost does come tonight. Also weeded a few beds. Need to finish potting up the bedding plant seedlings I have bought this afternoon. 200 of those.
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I sowed some a variety of different summer and winter squash. My new ones this year are
Bon Bon [winter squash]
Sweet Dumpling [winter]
Moonbean [summer squash] looks pretty thats why I chose it.
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sowed some 'cos' type lettuce in a container in the greenhouse.
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Fruit day today - so potted on the toms and sowed my beans.
But v.cold
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transplanted some butternuts into big pots ;D
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Got damp ;)
Sowed seeds although to be totally true this should be posted in 'What did you do in the dining room today'
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Sowed some carrots seeds and put in my poles for the runner beans and came home with a bag full of leeks, :)
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I did loads on Saturday, I was down there at sun up! Yes you heard right! I had to take my son to rugby for an away tournament so afterwards I went to the garden. By the time the others were up and about I had weeded all over the place, uncovered the netting on the peas, sowed beetroot, French beans, rocket and planted out lettuce and flowers, and generally tidied up quite a few things. And all to the sound of birdsong. Beautiful. We had rain Sunday so I was rather pleased.
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Done some edging, weeding, sowed some carrots, butternut squash, pumpkin, spring onions - really enjoyed it today - managed to leave children at home - only came away because they needed feeding!
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Went down in the sun/rain/hail for a couple of hours to try and sort out the area where the gooseberries were, it got in a bit of a state with the couch grass making a renewed bid for domination......two large containers of couch later I'd had enough for the day and it's still nowhere near clear enough! Now I just have to decide what to plant there...I'm sure I can find something! ;D
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Spent a couple of hours digging out a bucketful of bindweed. Timed it well and only got one short shower, otherwise lovely sunshine.
Sowed cerinthe, cosmos and cornflowers at home.
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Dug ground elder out of part of the JA patch.
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Reclaimed a patch of lawn by digging out the cr*p the previous owners left me and then backfilling the ensuing depression. Unfortunately, said "depression" is in the order of semi-circle with a six-foot diameter and four inches deep.
Had to barrow over the top soil which meant many, many trips. Arms and legs now ache but the large patch of bare soil does look soooooooo much better than what was there before.
Now bring on the grass
CC
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Fleeced everything this evening - it looks like the January snows have visited the garden again :(
Ninny
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Erected pole & bits ready for runners (with a lot of help from daughter 2's muscle bound lover) and did even more digging.
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Tucked up all my seedlings as there was a frost last night.
Shall let them out after I have had a snooze.
All my Peas and Broad beans are showing their little heads now.
I must get round to splitting my lettuce so they can put on some growth.
Put some bark chip down to suppress the weeds between the beds, which will make it easier to walk on if we get a good downpour.
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sowed some beets,planted my peppers out in the greenhouse space.
replaced the blackcurrants that didnt work out and replaced with new canes.fixed my very unlevel guttering on the shed
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Sorted out the plants in the greenhouse and on the garden benches, what's to go to the plot and what's to go to the plant sale this Saturday.
Planted peppers, aubergines, a couple of rock melons and a cucumber in the greenhouse border all surrounded by my eggshell posses ;)
Ninny
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Planted out last of broccoli plants, weeded fruit beds, went mad with strimmer. Everything has a short back and sides now. ;D
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Sorted out my little plastic 'greenhouse'.
Repotted butternut squash, pumpkin, french beans.
Sowed more french beans, planted my toilet roll parsnips and sowed some parsnips and swede.
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Put some netting up for the peas.
Re potted cucumbers.
Generally continued tidying up.
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watered carrots which have just popped up a couple of days ago, and counted more broad beans.
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performed an artificial swarm on one of my beehives yesterday, now I've got 3 hives in the back garden[attachment=1]
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theylook really good, tonybloke, I'd love some bees but our site's too small..I transplanted my hooligan squash, planted out lots of sunflowers and an uchi kuri squash and put a plastic cloche over it ;D
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Nice one, Tonybloke, and lovely looking hives, too.
How far along with their swarmy preparations were your bees? Ours are still just making play cups.
Me, I planted another little batch of sugarsnap peas (I use 1 litre yogurt pots) and pricked out some of the truly ridiculous number of cosmos seedlings which I've been blessed with, thanks to my decision to chuck all the seed left in a 12-year-old packet of cosmos into a seed tray to see if one or two would germinate. ::)
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I humped 30 bags of mushroom compost that were delivered form a local mushroom farm on to my plot today, and spread it over the new potato bed, the first nourishment that soil has had in years! The rest went to top up some new beds and the brassica raised beds on the old plot. I now realise I could have done with another 20 bags or so..... ::)
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made a wigwam thingy ma bob,just for a few french beans
noticed that one of my pepper plants that i planted out in the greenhouse has gone >:( so got the slug pellets out for the others
hardened off my courgettes,planted out toms in a growbag in greenhouse
then in the evening i shown my mother around the plot,has been a while since she saw it,think i bored her ;D ;D
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OH is double digging daughters plot. I am the lacky & really enjoying it. I am loading the barrow with manure for the trenches. Taking the rubbish to the dumping area, if only we'd had one on our site. Chatting to the the lovely plot holders ;), pouring drinks. When we had done there we went to have a look at our plot as we haven't been for a week. An hour should sort out the few weeds that have arrived, thanks to the no dig method. So far so good. We picked cavalo nero & white sprouting broccolli some comfrey for the chickens & leaves for the guinea pigs. Ate the WSB raw when we got in & CN with tea, both delicious.
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Planted wigwams of Kent Blue Pea and Ezethas Krombek Blouwschok.
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Put 4 kinds of cabbage in and covered them with netting. made sure spuds were banked up well, noticed lots of others with frost damage and even some runner beans that were slug pelleted, netted and quite dead !! felt very smug mine have been just sown in the greenhouse
marg
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Me too Marg I only sowed my beans yesterday....and I have seen sweetcorn planted out at our allotment site without protection. For a few seconds I feel as though I am as always very late with sowings when I see beans and sweet corn in other peoples plots and panic for a few seconds :o ~~but I know its not worth the worry of putting things out too early.
Today I started hardening off some of my seedlings ~ placed them outside for a few hours but they are back in the greenhouse now. ;D I also potted up some lemon grass seedlings .. they are so slow but seem to be still alive. No sign of my squash sowings yet but I did check on them today as I do every day :D
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Voted on the way to the allotment. Just dug up loads of horse tail/mares tail roots and put them on top of water butt to dry off and hopefully die.
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planted some celeriac in between the peas :)
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Did a bit of weeding and watering at lottie - soil/compost filled my 1st raised bed at home - will be planting it tomorrow - not sure what with yet!
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Potting up cuttings, potting up others to larger pots, planting sunflowers out , sowing first lot of beans and more squashes and courgettes, weeding, clearing (again) land from raspberries...they seem to pop up every where.. ::)ohh..just typing all down that I've been doing tires me out ::)
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I dug more of the new beds today and planted my first row of dahlias , velvet queen sunfkowers, helichrysums and some calfinian poppies all for cutting later in the year. Lovely to begin to put out the half hardies at last. Greenhouse still bulging with all the stuff waiting to go out. found some very fat slugs under the heli tray that was thier last meal.
Also planted beans into trial manure tubs as still havet found a aminopyralid free source near lancaster, fingers crossed for good strong growth.
very windy here and everything is wilting.
x sunloving
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went straight to the lottie after a mind-numbingly boring day invigilating exams- had a lovely time with the hoe, and planted out some sunflowers. Carrots are just beginning to show, and the POTATOES!
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I found these teeth whislt i was digging a new bed, made me smile :D
x sunloving
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I found these teeth whislt i was digging a new bed, made me smile :D
Yuck! ;D
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Removed the damaged plants, potted on some plants in the green house ready for the Plant Sale on the 16th May and then took a trip over the road to our local garden centre for lunch and to get 6 bags of gravel for the greenhouse floor.
My father then kindly built me a raised platform for the water barrel and then he started cutting the heavy timber to make some large planters that will be going either side of the allotment gates at the entrances.
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Had a really good session clearing all the little pesky weedlings that have been hiding round the roots of the onions, garlic and shallots waiting till my back's turned.
Sowed my second batch of beetroot and radishes, planted out a row of parsnips in loo-rolls, potted up some cosmos seedlings, and killed a queen wasp scouting out the nesting possibilities of my shed (the second this year). :o
Oo, and came home to find my lovely pack of T&M half-price seeds had arrived this afternoon. *kid in a sweet shop* ;D
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i got round to finishing off a bed preparation then planted all my sweetcorn and half my butternut squash.....then it rained......excellent timing.
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Planted radish, beets, carrots, and zucchini out in pots. Watered beans. They're growing well.
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We took all the wood down there to build raised beds tomorrow XX Jeannine
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Ooh building raised beds, exciting!
I planted out 3 squash plants, dug out bramble seedlings, thistles and bindweed from my potato patch and weeded the flower bed.
Not much, but back bad today. There's always tomorrow!
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Hoed the weeds to death
Prepared areas for squash, pumpkins, and cucumbers
Sowed a 1/4 of the runners
Watered Rhubarb
;D ;D ;D
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We went up to water the toms in the GH and came home. Bloody weather is gettin me down.
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Nothing... :-\...rain, rain, rain... ::) But instead I visited neighbouring allotments ;D..just to snoop around how others are doing..and see fellow gardening friend....
It is so interesting to compare other allotmenteers plants and see how they are growing and doing things.. ;)
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transplanted my sweet potato slip into the poly border, covered it with a glass demi john cloche..planted up one of the sweetcorn beds, planted up some sweet peppers, put fleece around the beans and over the french beans in leaf holders, phew, I'm worn out ;D
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Its been a horrible day here today so I sorted out my seed box. I found some seeds which I think might have been a freebie. They are a pumpkin seed called snow man. I dont know where to put them if they germinate. I think it might look pretty spooky. ;D
I also found some old sunflower seeds ~ they are a deep burgundy colour called Black Magic!
From one extreme to the other :)
Duke
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popped in despite being unwell :(
managed to net most of a frame i made recently,bad weather started eating into me so called it a day
was nice to see my carrots are in large numbers now
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Planted out peas (Robinson and Carlin Pea) and BB's (Red Epicure).
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Took lots of seedlings to the plant sale at the local horty. Only came back with some Aloe and Jade. Interesting.........all the marigolds both African and French, Sweet Williams seedlings went. Lots of cottage garden seeds sold too. Maybe we're going back to traditional gardens.
Ninny
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i got round to finishing off a bed preparation then planted all my sweetcorn and half my butternut squash.....then it rained......excellent timing.
did you give your sweetcorn any protection from the elements? nearly put ours in today but was too scared of frost/cold getting them...perhaps i will do tmrw seeing as you have!
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John built raised timber beds and I read A Night to Remember , we both got sunburned. John quite badly.
XX Jeannine
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Planted forty sweetcorn plants and twenty sweetcorn seeds then netted the lot, lifted half a dozen leeks, yum, yum, and bought half a lamb of my lotty neighbour for fortyfive quid, :)
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Planted forty sweetcorn plants and twenty sweetcorn seeds then netted the lot, lifted half a dozen leeks, yum, yum, and bought half a lamb of my lotty neighbour for fortyfive quid, :)
p.s,
also forgot to mention I went to 0830 mass being a Catholic, :)
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I had to organise things at my church this morning, forgot the notices, and had to run home for them. But apart from that, I was in a committee meeting all afternoon so I barely got onto the plot.
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Dug grass out of a patch about 4 sq m. in 2 hours >:( Nettted my onions whose tops had been chewed. >:( Picked some rhubarb. :D
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earthed up 6 rows of spuds, prepared the site for the runner beans, picked loads of asparagus and rhubarb :D
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Sowed 18 sweetcorn and prepared beds for Squash and cucs. ;D ;D ;D
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(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/DSCF1099.jpg)
Finally planted out my daphne seedling! Sowed 03.02.07 :)
Ninny
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planted more peas, cleared out greenhouse, built growbag greenhouse, fixed brackets for hanging baskets, planted leeks, beetroot, built raised platform for strawberrys (stop the doggies peaing on them)
very busy, very productive day
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Cleared some ground to move the chickens and had a lovely bonfire.
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Potted up remainder of my 70 tomato seedings, into pots, ready for nursery fun-day in 2 weeks time. Sorted out greenhouse - getting tight for space in there - 12 trays of marigolds all doing well, again, mostly for nursery fun-day, but some for myself for going into allotment WHEN it is eventually ready. (waiting for local authority to get the dividers in, get the sheds on, and get the leaf mould on - it is a renovated site, so starting again from scratch. Just wish they'd GET A BLOOMING MOVE ON!!!!!!)
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First peas are planted out...so are cabbages..re-potted toms,peppers and chillies into bigger pots. Been digging out yet more bindweed and old raspberry roots.
Can't really plant much more out..frost in forecast..so better sit tight..and wait..there is not panic yet.. ::)
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Well,
Today has been a busy old day, Firstly I transplanted my African Marigolds, Cosmos, and Sunflowers into larger pots. Next I finished off the Cold frame with the bubble wrap. And then I started on a ramp for the garage door, which will allow me to get the mower and other things into and out of the garage more easily. I also filled up 200 three inch square pots ready to continue the transplanting of seedling into their new growing medium.
All this in time for the late frosts due this week. Still after that we can only hope that there will be a good summer in the end.
I must get round to cutting and levelling the grass, which is well overdue a good rake and spiking. Then I have to re grout the patio as there are some grasses and weeds coming through the cracks.
The only bad thing to happen today is, the plastic greenhouse has now got a new ventilation hole along the zipper closure. The problem is that the greenhouse is only thirteen months old and the warranty is out.
I have watered the plants and the fruit trees in readiness for the dry period this week.
I also moved around the plants to better accommodate all new growth.
Finally I had a cup of tea and a bite to eat.
A good day productively. ;)
Photo's to follow
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Photo's
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Not much as it was raining. Dumped 6 bags of hops from the brewery and spread some of them around my onions, then earthed up the first potato shoots as frost is forecast tonight.
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Watered, had a droopy potato plant (in a pot) :-\
Strawberry plant I bought last week has flowers and so does one of the tomato plants. ;D
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Ray emptied the leaf bin and earthed up all the potatoes he could find, put the cloche back on the competition spuds, put up some fleece around the beans..I transplanted some different basil and sowed some 9 star perennial cauli (thanks, saddad), little gem, swede and beetroot in pots, re-planted the tomatoes into bigger pots, rapidly running out of undercover space..put the mummy peas nearer the door to slow them down a little, hoping the weather warms up soon ;D
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Barrowed council compost onto the plot ready to sow more sweetcorn direct tomorrow. ;D ;D ;D
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Planted out the nasturtiums and started potting up the foxglove seedlings from the seed trays.
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Earthed up all my potato's and covered them with fleece. Also built a wire mesh frame ready for my pea's, beans and french beans.
When is going to warm up >:( need to get my Chilli's, Tom's, peppers, cucumbers, courgettes, squash and pumpkins outside as seriously starting to run out of room!
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The OH painted the bits of a shed that a lottie neighbour couldn't reach ;D
weeded the peas ,sowed more peas.
Played hokey cokey with the greenhouse plants...in out in out etc. turned the muck bins and wondered if it's rotted enough to plant courgettes in ::)
picked salad leaves and sorrel with radish and spring onion for a salad supper oh did I mention the asparagus for lunch with wonderful eggs from our favourite lottie friends chucks .
Isn't life wonderful :)
With love and many hugs for those who are having it tough at the moment.xx
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I didn't do anything today, but hub did, he planted all my spare cabbages and sweede that were still in the greenhouse grown from seed, so I asked him where he put the cabbages and where did he put the sweede to which he replied all in a row. So now i have sweede and cabbages all mixed up but hey ho I dont think it will matter too much, just hope we dont get any frost as they were taken straight from greenhouse to lottie without being hardened off ;D
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Dropped off the half-ton of manure I collected on Saturday this morning... that'll go under the squashes eventually...
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Helped a neighbour shift a load of oak railway sleepers into his garden ready for him to position into deep beds. :P
Oak seems to be very heavy or I am just getting weaker. :-X
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Sowed another 23 sweetcorn direct. ;D ;D ;D
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spent a very sunny morning weeding out onions, earthing up potatoes, strimming and edgeing then stopped for lunch. Sat in the sun enjoying the peace and quiet then more weeding, sowed beans and inspected compost bins. All doing well.
So we did quite a lot today and came home when it got a bit cold and windy but a lovely day.
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Who nicked our compost, now more deliveries until end of June. ??? ???
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Still building raised beds, and filling some. and getting blooming sunburned XX Jeannine
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Been barrowing compost bags and canes from lottie shop..planting last lot of cabbages out..everything have to be netted these days.. ::), potted up more of my super pre-germinated extra special popcorn seeds ;D ;D ;D
Another lot of seeds came though postie...so yet another lot of squash seeds planted and in propagator ::)
My courgette was starting to get too big in GH so it is out now, planted in cosy warm compost bin in compost pocket with coldframe and plastic sheet cover over..should do well... ;D ;D..like underfloor heating..
And I still have half a carrierbag full of stuff to sow...I'll get there.. now that I have little bit more space in GH.. ::)
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Just fleeced the young plants hardening off on the garden benches and table AGAIN! Earthed over my potatoes at the plot yesterday, and will light the greenhouse heater on in an hour or two.
The hawthorn flowers are still tight in their buds and not wanting to come out.
Ninny
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Dug up and re-positioned poles for bean support, with the help of a stool and a big hammer. Planted beans (seeds) So glad I made the effort otherwise I'd still be waiting 2 weeks hence ::) Did more digging, hope to finish tomorrow.
At home I managed to drop a tray of plants that were hardening off and had to re-plant the lot. Spent this evening titivating bits of wood to put together for raspberry supports. I'll be first in B&Q tomorrow for the stakes and some wire. (OAP day ;D) Pleeeze....no rain or babysitting.
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not our garden or the lottie, but in Highland Theological College garden at Dingwall! Our middle son is janitor there and we often go up to the Highlands to visit. This time it was moving daffodils that had finished flowering from the rose beds to the borders. It was a beautiful warm sunny day. and the cherry and crab apple trees were amazing against the blue northern sky. It was quite hard to believe we drove through a blizzard to get here yesterday!
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After work, planted more sweetcorn and covered with netting and banked up the spuds, :)
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I earthed up my spuds and did more digging
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Planted 2 whitecurrant bushes that where reduced to 10p each in wilkinsons,they look terrible but I am sure they will recover.
netted my strawberries as they are starting to pink up ;D
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Today I prepared the root vegetable plot, very late this year as the soil has only just warmed up here in the North of England. I have also been sowing some peas over the last couple of months in seed trays. I found several packets of old peas so I used these. I have just experienced the delightful taste of pea shoots. Forget lettuce. I have a friend who bought dried peas from the supermarket and uses these. Cost hardly anything! Sow every couple of weeks throughout the season and mixed with watercress, delicious.
Regards Queenbee.
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Yesterday I erected raspberry supports (3x2) and only whacked thumb once ::), and did more digging. I would dearly have loved to have finished it as I'm away next week. but had to retire sick. :( I've got the worst cold I've ever had.
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watered the greenhouse plants,thats all :(
starting to feel better so should get some weeding and planting done after the weekend
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Earthed up the spuds in sacks on the patio and sowed some french beans.
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Still doing the raised beds but on the last batch now..planting might even start on Monday LOLXX Jeannine
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Finally got the toms and peppers out into the greenhouse (hope the forecast is right!). Potted up cabbage, broccoli, courgettes, squash, cerinthe and cosmos. I can see out of my kitchen window now!
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Grrrrr... Blinkin' frost did for my beans. Despite covering them up. Did a bit of cheating and bought 24 off a smashing bloke who comes to town on a Friday for our plant and flower market. Just listening to the forecast on radio and they are still predicting possible frosts............. Can't remember frosts so late down here. >:(
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hoed the garlic, parsnip and onion beds this morning
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Watered and weeded a little
(still trying to figure out which are the weeds and which are the crops ;p)
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Hoed the weedlings, planted out dwarf french beans, sowed sweetcorn and lettuce.
Alison x
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Continued with building the ramp for my garage, which will allow me to get the mower in and out better.
Potted on a load of toms for the garden, weeded over the patch and need to weed some more.
uncovered the beds to let more light and air across the plants growing in them.
More to do and time waits for no one.
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Today our allotment association had a 'Build for Wildlife' day at our site. We all built bird boxes and made insect homes and ate cake!
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Sowed some broccoli, sunflowers and sweet peas. Also re-potted the previously sown sunflowers.
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Had a lovely day down the allotment....did a lot of planting and tidying up, OH popped down and put together some great mini cloches for me made from some double walled plastic left over from someones dismantled lean to, so the courgettes will be going into them as soon as they are a bit more hardened off. He also made one huge 6'x4' one for my melon pit...I'm really going for it this year! ;D
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Planted out Cabbage seedlings, sowed more sunflower, radish, carrot and onion seeds.
Harvested some lettuce and radishes.
Put flowering tomato plants out in the sun.
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Planted out corn and tomatoes, said my prayers to the frost gods.
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I've had a busy day cooking actually, but this did not stop me going outside into the garden to check things out. I noticed a lot of the plants in the mini greenhouse were wilting (must be due to that round thing in the sky that we haven't seen for some time!), so everything got a good watering.
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Pottered around in the garden at home, weeding and planting out tomatoes and antirhinhums, then met up with lottie firend at another friend's house. She is moving in a fortnight and had lots of wood offcuts in her garage to go to a good home. Loaded what we could use in the van then on to the lottie, where both OHs set to with a vengeance cladding the shed interior (making a jigsaw puzzle really!). I pottered about weeding and watering, and planted out calabrese under our Wilkinson's net cloche- looks very good! Tried to work out which were the sprouts and which were the cabbages I'd sown in the bath! Earthed up the potatoes that were big enough. Pulled some rhubarb and chopped off the flowere stalks.
Thinned out the carrots, beetroot and turnips. A GOOD DAY!
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put lots of pots out to harden off,and watered
thats about it ;D
lots of weeding to do tommorow,also planting lots out now the weather has turned the frosty corner
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Another GOOD DAY Sowed more carrots at home, and at the lottie planted out runner beans. It looks just a real lottie now, with beans snaking up the wigwam. Also planted out some cauli and covered them with plastic bottle cloches. Sowed more carrots, beetroot and turnips, and left partner sowing cornflower and marigold seeds. Her OH was busy in our shed making the walls good.
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put a load of old raspberry canes up in a double row, as a support for some peas, hoed the onions and shallots beds, and watered loads of stuff (Rain? what bl%*dy Rain?) :D
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Sowed more carrots, James Scarlet, Paris Market Baron and Chantenay Red Cored 2, all my runners now in, weeded onion and shallot beds, last good water then covered in spent hops (my hair smells like it's had a beer shampoo!).
Ninny
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Sowed some courgettes, pumpkins and squash seeds, transplanted some (rather late) late broad beans and made up a hanging basket of tomato and mange tout plants
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Phew,
I have potted on a load of plants ready to go into the garden.
My back aches and have not had a cup of tea to boot.
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stared at a fly that was mooching around my carrot seedlings. It was grey/black and about 2cms. long. Was this the dreaded carrot fly that I've heard so much about, and is there anything I can do if it was?
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Put some peas on canes just in case we get no more frost, then I got heat stroke digging over the half of the garden I had left from yesterday, so much brick stones glass and asbestos it was unreal, the previous people must of buried a shed or such. I got a red face and shoulders, sore scalp and had to sit down as felt really sick, its so easy to forget how long you are in the heat ---- SO GET SOME SUNCREAM, oh and use it.
Nearly finished my coldframe then sorted out the bean selections I seeded, things have gone mental and sit there laughing at me, last night they were barely poking out the ground today they are huge, I'm sure they did it deliberately.
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Came home from work, went out to veg patch with a drink and enjoyed the peace and quiet.
My little bit of heaven :)
Alison
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At the lottie by 7 a.m.-my first experience of being the first one there- magical in the sunshine with birds singing. Tidied and swept our newly revamped shed and pottered with the beds- a great start to the day!
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Sorted out a hive which a swarm had moved into. It had my oldest, smelliest (it's the smell of old comb that initially attracts them) and most horrible comb in, that I'm planning to melt down, and it was in the top box. So I sorted out a box of good comb, swapped it over, and shook the bees down into the new box. Not my favourite job in this heat!
Then I did a load of watering, and moved some emerging broad beans which the mice had ben at. Serve me right for leaving the trays on the ground!
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popped in before work to water
managed to earth spuds up on thursday so thats a job out of the way
everything is out now,just a case of watering and weeding,and a few other jobs here and there
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Harvested some lettuce and radishes...picked off slugs and snails from them too >:(
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I got sun burnt on my shoulders at my allotment today ::) :o the wind made it feel quite cool so I had no idea how badly I was burning until I got home - ouch! I will have to remember to use sun block from now on
I made a net cage for my currant bushes, planted out courgettes, butternuts & pattypans under plastic cloches, watered & weeded, covered my raised beds in net or fleece as the seedlings are through & the pigeons were eyeing them up ;D
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Filled the gaps in the broadbeans with spare plants, cleared and dug over the rest of our (2nd) plot and decided to chance a couple of rows of (very) late spuds. Tomorrow will finish this off and put some late onions in too - even if they only make spring onion that is okay! I will also plant out runner and french beans.
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Realised most of the pots on my patio were full of dying-off bulbs, so spent the afternoon empting them and sowing annuals.
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I planted out squash, celeriac and AYR cauli and have put all my potted toms outside now. ;D ;D ;D
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Put the outside toms in their bed - 3 each of Sungella, Sub arctic plenty, Red cherry and a unknown French variety that has green and yellow stripes.
French marigolds for companion planting and iceberg lettuce for interplanting.
Decided it was too hot for any digging
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Planted out more peas.
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dropped off more horse muck from work (next years load) , watered the beets,carrots and squashes
purchased a few golden sunrise tom plants while out and about,to go with my other variety that ive forgotten the name of ;D ;D
had planned on tieing the sunflowers to there canes for support but was still in work time,so had to dash
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early morning watering of small veg patch in the back garden- and after the heavy burst of rain after lunch it was the only area that stayed damp- shows how thirsty the ground is. Planted out the french marigolds and thinned the carrots as the sun was slowly sinking.
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I played the fool, moved things around in the cold frame and greenhouse so I had more space, then I weeded out the garden, then I thought enough! its too hot so I scar4ed all the neighbours by getting undressed down to the underpants and decided to use the large blue water butt as a swimming pool / sauna.
Such cool bliss. :o 8)
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OVer the weekend turned the inherited decking into a tomato bed in the polytunnel, a horseshoe 4.5 metres on the long sides, 2 metres across the end, filled it with 800Kg of topsoil/compost mix from the recycling yard and a load of horse field manure, planted 31 tomatoes in it mostly one per variety but three Kirschklumpen and a couple each of some others, then rejigged the autowatering so that I don't have to worry about a watering can in there now....
Repotted all the other toms into 8" pots or gave away to brother/mother, have 20-soemthing outdoor toms waiting now back in GH. potted up strawberries into collapsible planter./.... three layers of strawberries and one of Garden Pearl toms, sits out on the flat most of the time so they all get good sunlight but if I need the space it stacks into a col;umn. Repotted some beans that needed it desperately.
chrisc
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sanded down then painted the shed,bird table and wheelbarrow flower pot feature thing ;D
watered well all around,cut the grass around the shed.can now see the ground by my gooseberry bushes
tied my sunflowers to there supports.planted my toms and a chilli plant in the greenhouse,and bedding plants in pots outside.
was good to see my blackcurrants are doing well,was VERY late putting them in
lots of weeding tommorow
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put in leeks, a few sweet corn plants, sprouts and cabbages. Watered and weeded, and messed about with bits of crazy paving to tame the sea coal the previous plotholder had used on the entrance to the shed.
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Planted out my parsnips (sown in loo rolls) and some sunflowers and mulched with hops. Picked off lots of dandelion heads before doing a good strim of the plot- always looks better after that even if it won't last long! Felt frustrated that the people who took over the other half of my plot have left the asparagus to grow two feet tall, although to be honest I'm surprised it's still producing through the weeds that I left them!
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planted out more squash butternut ,sweet potato and courgette.tomatoes and chillis.And watered ........................... :( 8)
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watered the asparagus bed and cut the lawn in front of the bee hives before they woke up this morning!
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Put straw under my strawberries on my 2, 3x1 metre beds.
A bale cost me £2.50, such good value, and at the end of the year it composts.
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Felt frustrated that the people who took over the other half of my plot have left the asparagus to grow two feet tall, although to be honest I'm surprised it's still producing through the weeds that I left them!
I understood that you are supposed to let it grow and then cut it all down at the end of the Summer?
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Felt frustrated that the people who took over the other half of my plot have left the asparagus to grow two feet tall, although to be honest I'm surprised it's still producing through the weeds that I left them!
I understood that you are supposed to let it grow and then cut it all down at the end of the Summer?
you are supposed to eat it up until mid-summer!!
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Over the last few days I've......
Planted out squash, cucumbers, celeriac and cauli's
Earthed up spuds
Fleeced the carrots
Hoed and weeded to death
Moved the toms outside in their pots
Harvested my first onion
Watered the plot.
;D ;D ;D
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took out the last 2 new potato plants and finished planting the polytunnel, put the sweet potata slips in (only got 2 :( ) just got one more melon for the end bed, looking good so far :)
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Dug over most of the Jerusalem bed - obviously, they're all sprouting, but they're tolerant things - and got the weeds out of it.
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Got the tall peas into a bed made from recycled bits of edging and some imported topsoil/compost mix., they'll be climbing up net attacehd to long canes leaning against a small palm tree. Planted out the red cabbages and got them under a netting cloche and the rest of the crimson broadies, the parsley oregano and the sunflower. Potted on the brussel sprouts and some peppers.... rejigged the autowatering for the toms in the polytunnel.
Checked the rest of the stuff and it all seems OK, indeed the Hispi's look like the pictures in the seed catalogues, I've never grown better looking cabbages.....
chrisc
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finished planting the green zebra tomatoes in the poly and the most prolific outside, planted the last melon inside and some more cinnamon and lemon basil, looking really good now, all the toms are growing very quickly with lots of flowers on ;D
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Finally got the onions sown. Also got everything well watered before the temperature took off too much.
CC
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i planted out my beans and peas and some other stuff and tidied up most of the rest of the garden well pleased with myself
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planted out a few tomatoes in a 'no-dig' bed
[attachment=1]
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Planted out Runner and French Beans plus loads of potting on in Greenhouse. Loads to get out in the ground :o
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earthed up potatoes , did some weeding and sowed French marigolds between carrots and parsnips.
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Catching up fast now.. Joh had finished making all the raised timber beds, all tilled, fed etc. Bed of pre chitted parsnips and beets, 3 colours, in along with carrotts.
The Rose de Roscoff onion seedlings made it in,, late but I have my fingers crossed, spring onions in too.
Finally the last of the potaatoes made it.
Bed of dwarf peas in.
2 supports erected for climbing beans all ready now.
Composter installed and starting to receive.
All in all I feel like a person again with a lottie..well a mini lottie.
Also have prepared the disabled long high raised bed I have been allocated , winter squash going in there,we have also dug over the mini demonstration patch we have signed up for which is to to grow veggies for the food bank. Subject chosen is mini veggies suitable for small places.
Lets out long sigh............................................... life begins again.
XXJeannine
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Jeannine have you posted pictures of your new allotment. I would love to see it.
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No not yet as there was little to show..well on our plot, but John is planning a camera day around the park,, raining today but will post as soon as I can XX Jeannine
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After the breif rain I weeded and edged the salad bed , weeded the path and pinched out the side shoots on the greenhouse full of tomatoes. Lovely to see them comming into flower thinking about the fruit to come.
The ground is still so dry even after the rain.
Going to tie in the sweet peas later and more weeding.
x sunloving
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yesterday....prepared the ground and planted 8 squash plants...made the bed for ulloco and planted it...planted last of the peas around 2 wigwams...planted cauli, broccoli and brussels..watered, weeded and walked around admiring my 8 hrs achievements... ;D
today...nothing..I'm not even going have a sniff of fresh air...it is a duvet day.. ;D ;)
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Planted out some sprouts, caulis and brocolli hoping that the rain will help the move.
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Ground now to wet to do anything.
Took some photos and painted the ramp that I am building for the garage.
Not much else to do at the moment.
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harvested some more asparagus
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Collected some unwanted green marble floor tiles to create 'stepping stones' in the new herb bed.
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Mustered enough energy to dig a bit more so I can plant some more. Got the 'when will you be home' call at 6pm so thought I'd better stop for the sake of harmony in the home. ::) Not too much further to go now though. ;D So frustrating.....
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Collected some unwanted green marble floor tiles to create 'stepping stones' in the new herb bed.
Ooh that's a good idea. I might steal that. ;D
G x
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Collected some unwanted green marble floor tiles to create 'stepping stones' in the new herb bed.
Ooh that's a good idea. I might steal that. ;D
G x
As long as you don't steal my marble (only the best for us! Lol) tiles! ;-D
I don't know how they'll stand up to the weather: it is but a freegle/freecycle experiment. Once it's done I'll post photos. (note to self.: pay 2010 sub to this site so I can upload photies.)
Tonight will be spent with graph paper 'designing' plot, while drinking home-made ice-cold mead. Oh, the suffering!!
Camo
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;D AT SCARTANORE MAINEAR
1) Cleared weeds from a prepared bed
2) Planted 4 rows of beetroot (Detroit) and sadly, had to photograph as evidence someone's been up today! (sigh, we have Meldrews' on the site)
3) Mulched some raspberries.
4) Re-inked our plot numbers on posts so they a) can't go 'wandering', again: b) keep folk from trying to take over our top plot! I ceded one to someone as we really hadn't been able to do much apart from plant trees and cut back brambles since Yule. Thankfully, they're letting us move the trees in a fortnight, but I'll be a dutchwoman before I cede another! Harrumpf!!
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put he kettle on lit the fire had a coffee while getting warmed through looked out the shed put another log on the fire had another coffee come home.
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Spent a lovely afternoon on the plot before getting THE phonecall at 6pm ::)
Finally got over my girly 'I can't start the strimmer' belief and now have mown paths - yay :D
Planted out loads - Sweetcorn, french beans, runner beans, more strawberries (mara des bois), Cauiliflower and kale.
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put he kettle on lit the fire had a coffee while getting warmed through looked out the shed put another log on the fire had another coffee come home.
Kettle on??? Fire??? How big is your shed Davy??? lol
Well thanks 2 yesterdays overdue rain i was able 2 dig over a bit of my plot & finally got the cabbages in the ground, WOO HOO!! I planted out the twins sunflowers aswell. I think im gonna sort out the building bag for my atlantic giant pumpkin tomorrow, so i will be up 2 my elbows in s*** for most of the afternoon, oh the joys of gardening!!!
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Planted parsnips. They're very late and I don't know whether they'll be any good, but I haven't grown them for several years since my daughter took a dislike, and the wife suddenly asked me to grow them again last week.
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Nothing today, spent the day at Strumphaw Steam Rally with my Dad
[attachment=1]
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Had to finish the ramp and posted in the assisted gardener section.
Weeded some of the garden, weed and feed the grass. Moved a cherry into a tub for a few years to give it the chance of bearing fruit.
I have walked the legs off the dog Winnie and she is now curled up on the floor. :-X
Daughter needed help with packing as she moves out tomorrow. ;D ;D ;D
Watered the garden and wanting to put more plants in.
Sweetcorn is ready to go in with the flowers in hope that I get a few cobs.
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Well what a weekend! Yesterday I strimmed the paths, planted out some toms, and dug up the last of the leeks (yes I know it's late). Added some bf&b. Today I planted out some butternut squash, courgettes and an unidentified squash, I think Pattypan. Then I dug out a small patch which I had grown white sprouting broccoli on, and, again added some bf&b. We're expecting rain tomorrow, so all this had to be done pdq!
From a very knackered Caro
ps: love the lottie!
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Weeded springies, beetroot and onions
Filled wooden box with council compost
Sowed the rest of my runners
Covered cucs and squashes from the winds
;D ;D ;D
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Finished phase 1 of daughters plot. The fruit section is done the supports were put up for oblique cordon & raspberries. Looks lovely. The rest will be double dug trenched & manured as & when weather permits. Hot weather no can do.
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Netted the currant bushes and the strawberry bed. Weeded in between the onions and shallots. Spotted a frog lurking under the cabbages, yay! Watered an allotment neighbour's plot as he's on holiday. Discovered, from a knowledgeable gentleman on our site, that the part of the South Downs I can see from my plot is called Truly Hill :)
Ninny
PS ....and forgot to wear the longer sleeved polo shirt on Saturday, out came the aftersun ::)
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Took netting off my onions as they were getting caught up in it- hope the rabbits and pigeons stay away. Netted strawberries. Dug a trench ready for french beans and filled it with hops and compost. Cut down my comfrey as it had flowered while I wasn't looking and made a dustbin of comfrey food. Dug up more bindweed and couch and hoed borage seedlings. Ground still very dry so hope it rains again soon.
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I got all bush toms and cumbers in small GH..planted courgettes....turned over tons of soil to bury some weeds...watered...munched trough all big enough to eat mange tout peas..none left for supper ::)...weeded carrots and parsnips...had a look at my bees...talked to chickens...walked the dog...and now I'm ready to read my eye lids...nighty night.. ;)
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[IMG]http://i49.tinypic.com/14xl106.jpg[/IMG
Nothing horticultural- watched the tide come in over the causeway at Holy Island- magical!
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(http://i49.tinypic.com/14xl106.jpg[/IMG
Nothing horticultural- watched the tide come in over the causeway at Holy Island- magical!
[/quote][IMG]http://i49.tinypic.com/14xl106.jpg)
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Nice Photo, it looks to be a super place to observe the sunrise
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pulled out my first carrot from the large container I sowed them in, way back in frozen January. It would have fed a few fairies but certainly no-one human! I think I need to be a bit more patient! I also wonder why it's forked when I used compost-not much chance of straight ones from the garden!
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Sadly nothing.....it has poured with rain all day in the not so sunny south of england.
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watered the garden in the drizzle :o
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took dad around to the plot
he didnt leave empty handed,lots of rhubarb ;D
had planned on weeding today but didnt happen
and my potatoes dont look good,4/5 plants have blight from what im seeing ??? ??? will rip them out tommorow and hope for the best
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are you sure it's blight? I'm no expert but I've noticed a few posts on here expressing panic, and others have come along to say it's too soon and not warm or humid enough yet.
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(http://i49.tinypic.com/14xl106.jpg[/IMG
Nothing horticultural- watched the tide come in over the causeway at Holy Island- magical!
[/quote][IMG]http://i49.tinypic.com/14xl106.jpg)
No tourists got stuck yesterday then? Always makes me smile I'm afraid.
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(http://i49.tinypic.com/14xl106.jpg[/IMG
Nothing horticultural- watched the tide come in over the causeway at Holy Island- magical!
[/quote][IMG]http://i49.tinypic.com/14xl106.jpg)
No tourists got stuck yesterday then? Always makes me smile I'm afraid.
A few got their feet weet running back though!
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tied in and pinched out the tomatoes, planted up some romanesco and red cap cabbage, weeded, watered in the poly, planted the 11 herb plants :o
I bought while in Brighton at the weekend, really pleased, I got back some of my herbs that died in the frost and a few I liked ;D
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Finished the digging at last :D. Planted out last of tomatoes, the butternut squash plants and the courgettes. Decided I'll have to replant climbing french beans as nothing appears to have germinated. Not going to sow direct again, that's for sure. >:(
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Nothing, we have had hard rain for more than a week now and a weeks more to come..serve me right for rolling my eyes at your frosts when I got sunburned three or four weeks ago. What goes around comes around!! All sorts here getting two big for the modules they are in..we can but wait.
XX Jeannine
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Planted out 4 tomato plants.
Planted up 3 hanging baskets.
Weeded my small veg patch that has strawberries ,raspberries, peas, onions now carrots in.
And finished off with a well deserved coffee.
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Some kind soul gave me some Fuchsia cuttings again.
So I potted them on again.
Got 50 tomato plants ready for sale at the farm shop.
Potted on some of last years Bergamont.
Went to London for my Medical at 50. ;) ;) nudge nudge
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watered all the herbs I brought back from brighton, weeded the other brassica bed, tied in some top heavy sprouts plants, dug up some spuds for tea and planted a potimarron squash in the space , watered in the poly to bring down the temperature (104 degrees at 9.30 a.m. ) :o ;D
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rejoiced over our first tomatoes! Too small and green to eat yet, but promise much!
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A break in the rain and we got the brassicas and bean plants in XX Jeannine
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Started planting out the shelling beans on the allotment, sowed squash in modules into propagators, sowed sweetcorn into rootrainers into propagator...... Will now go and finish sowing squash, hopefully plant out sokme beetroot and have a sort out of the asparagus, then pick up manure on way to work....
chrisc
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potted up 20 lavender cuttings, I've been pruning my lovely old one, it's on it's last legs :-\
planted up a deutzia cutting I knocked off 3 months ago, it's been in water all thet time and just grown roots, planted up 5 hazel trees from the nuts the squirrel had buried in my pots in the garden and another self seeded plant I like but can't remember the name, also weeded the bean bed and thinned out the self seeded sunflowers ;D
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sorted out the bed at the front of the house- sounds complex but just meant moving the polyanthas and popping in some lovely garden compost and some busy lizzies. Had a good afternoon at the lottie in the glorious sunshine, trying to find ways to stop things eating the cabbages- ended up with (organic) slug pellets, much to my dismay but needs must, and flags on sticks using orange Sainsbury's carrier bags. We WILL have cabbages!
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Watered the back and front gardens this morning in my PJ's before the sun came over the oak trees.
Topped up the garden pond this afternoon.
Started off some elderflower champagne, more water. ;)
Watered both my plots this evening.
Watered a neighbour's plot as he is/was on holiday this week, only to see him walking up the ride when I'd finished ::)
Ninny
PS.........plus I had a bath this morning ;D
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DIDN'T!! :(
Did me back on Tues so the OH put me on house arrest :(
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Planted out beetroot and sowed trays of mostly squashes and associated cucurbits this morning, planted out more beans this evening..
chrisc
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Finished digging the 4th bed after 3 days non stop and it was hot and horrid, I then informed the wife I was moving the fruit patch to the bottom of the garden and so it needed digging up too and a fruit cage purchasing, went down like a lead ballon.
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Weeded and watered. Sowed some White Detroit beetroot and Snowball turnips, more Selma fennel and Meteor peas.
Erm, hubby had a lovely glass of Pimms at the ready when I got back from the plot. Our daughter had picked "mint" leaves which turned out to be sage leaves ::) tasted OK though :P
Ninny
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Went to water plots and salivated over the strawberry I knew was waiting for me.......but some creature had beaten me to it >:( Strawberry patch now tightly netted and I'm ever hopeful once more. ;D
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Been clearing up in GH
[attachment=1]
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...and chopping up peach tree to give fruit some sun.. ;)
[attachment=1]
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strictly speaking, it was yesterday- had a wonderful time emptying the compost bin in order to move it, so that we can put up a greenhouse in its place. Was amazed by the amount of compost one dalek can hold!
Als emptied out my chaalenge potato bag- very happy!
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Harvested 14 challenge spuds, 16 onions, four lettuces and I'm going back to pick some strawberry's later with the 5 year old. ;D ;D ;D
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weeded and weeded then sorted out all the pots and the planters so the non edible part of the garden if i say so myself is looking smashing
going back out after tea to plant on some veg etc and to water it all good productive day today ;D
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Dug up one garlic plant, and it hadn't cloved, even with all that cold winter weather. Hope the rest have!
Ninny
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I did nothing much...
sat in the garden and read the Sunday Papers......
Had a BBQ........
Watered the veggies in the greenhouse.......
;D
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Transported ancient bench up to plot 2, and shared a strawberry with he who seldom visits. This would have been an event but I still have no sense of taste or smell :(
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I did nothing much...
sat in the garden and read the Sunday Papers......
Had a BBQ........
Watered the veggies in the greenhouse.......
;D
Slacking again Duchesssssssssssss ;D
Ninny x
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hi all I also done a lot of weeding sowed some beetroot seeds and watered the garden we have had no decent rain for ages this is my first posting I am
really enjoying this site
lorraine
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Welcome happygardener!
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Slacking again Duchesssssssssssss ;D
Ninny x
[/quote]
:o How very very dare you Ninnyssssssssssssssssssssss!
Welcome Happygardener!!
Duke
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Spent ages at lottie today, planted out cabbages, cauli, sweetcorn, sprouts, weeded and tidied loads - also got locked in! My 13 year old son, who has been a star today fetching plants and things for me, on his last trip to lottie he dropped the plants just as he was unlocking and then when it came time to leave we couldn't find the key! Turns out he had dropped it outside the lottie when picking up plants - cue some inventive reaching with a metal pole!
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8etween the showers that didn't even permeate the first half inch if soil!
1) Four rows of turnip seeds went in.
2) Hacked down some weeds
3) Earthed up some spuds.
4) Cleared a bit more of a bed for spuds.
5) Put up some poles to re-mark our plot until the fence arrives.
6) Hoiked out weeds from round the raspberry bushes.
7) Weeded the onion bed.
8) Collapsed exhausted! Lol
Camo
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Weeded
Sowed more climbing and runner beans
planted out - lettuce, pumpkins, squash, courgettes, sweetcorn, PSB, Calabrese, Brussels, celery
More weeding
Still loads to go out
I'[m so behind :-[
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Sowed a row of beetroot and a row of broad beans- never grown either before but both were free seeds and I had some room! Planted out one squash and 12 sweetcorn and about 12 leeks. Decided not to mulch until it has rained some more and just as I was about to leave the heavens opened- but only for long enough to soak me as I ran to my car.
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put more string around my sweet pea wigwams- there are buds at last! put some lovely garden compost around the sprouts, planted the last squash and 5 sweet corn, put canes and netting around the corn as the last lot got pulled out and eaten (not sure of the culprit), moved more fox excrement and earthed up the potatoes.
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weeding !
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Weeded, tied up my cordon toms and cucumbers. Tonight I'm going to pick some nettles to make a nettle feed. harvest the rest of my mooli, sow some more lettuce and carrots.
Julie
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Weeded, tied up my cordon toms and cucumbers. Tonight I'm going to pick some nettles to make a nettle feed. harvest the rest of my mooli, sow some more lettuce and carrots.
Julie
nettles see smelly post ;D
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,60400.msg620548/topicseen.html#new
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Weeded and watered
Resowed very patchy parsnips
Slug pelleted beans
Transplanted lettuces
Planted out some marigolds
Put in extra pea sticks.
;D ;D ;D
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Planted out my drawf and blue lake french beans and also my sweetcorn.
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Not a great deal, when I am on nights I can only get a few hours in.
Got the sweetcorn in and sunflowers for the birds to eat when they are ready.
Then it started to rain and has continued all night. Only just stopped for a break and now the rain has started again.0508hrs
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planted a dozen sweet pepper plants
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plenty of weeding.managed to get the shears on the hedge line so thats all tidy now
i have a leak at my header waterbutt so need to address that tommorow,my rainwater is getting wasted
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planted up the last melon in the poly and a couple more tomatoes ::)
plus planted another potimarron squash outside, all looking really good and the rain all night helped ;D
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i did some serious weeding!! my ground is like concrete when dry so i took the opportunity of the rain to get some weeds out!
when i got home i looked like i had been mud wrestling but still i loved it!
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Me too Le-y, weeding was so much easier today after all the rain ;D
I also thinned out my turnips & swedes, planted some sweetcorn out (abit late but got my fingers crossed), transplanted 2 clumps of comfrey & picked my first strawberries, yippee!
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Me too Le-y, weeding was so much easier today after all the rain ;D
totally you can actually see that i am growing stuff on my plot now :)
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Planted out some cauliflowers, calebrese and cabbage. Very high germination rate I have hundred of seedlings. Also shifted quite a lot of fat hen.
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weeded both the onion beds, dug up some garlic and planted another butternut squash in it's place ;D
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Weeded part of the flower border, dug this over to remove the roots.
Set out the plants to put in and the heavens opened.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad68/landimad/garden/rainstoppedplay.jpg)
Supposed to have put in a mix of alyssum, cosmos, veronica, aubretia, and bergamont.
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Fought off my fear of the strimmer, hung in the garage for the last eight months, and it started first go! Strimmed daughter's tiny allotment, then part of my own before the line gave out, curses.
Sowed chitted mangetouts Carouby de Mausanne (bought in Holland last week), netted strawberries and cabbagey things.
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made a new squash bed with black pourous membrane & lots of tent pegs to hold it down, was quite a job on my own in the wind :o but was so relieved to get the last of my sqaush planted out & covered in individual cloches (recycled large plastic bottles) ;D
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planted out 90 sweetcorn plants, and a dozen sweet pepper plants, harvested some spuds and asparagus :D
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Fed, watered and mulched tomatoes, (going away for 3 weeks) and weeded for England. Tried to make all as hastle free as poss for my pals who will be tending plot for me.
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Weeded and resowed the parsnips (too late I know but what the hell )
Thinned out beetroot and planted out seedlings in the back garden.
Harvested 14 onions thats 36 in total. ;D ;D ;D
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thinned and replanted parsnips; weeded, weeded, weeded, planted out yet more leeks, beetroot, chard, spring onions, red cabbage, did I say weeded ;D planted out fennel and last of the runner beans and some more calabrese - help running out of space :o
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planted on some more peas, french beans and transplanted my cucumbers today under the watchful eyes of my chooks!
weeded the patch that was going to be the pea bed (before the greenhouse decided to move there) and it was beautiful soil so made me very happy to think what my soil might be like next year (its horrible this year)
weeded a bit and watched the chooks have a dust bath and a rugby scrum over a worm :)
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Hot here today in Cornwall so got to lottie very early and watered a few things. Then weeded and weeded some more, then I weeded again. Stopped for a break, admired my onions which I overwintered (and most of which survived against all the odds) and which are almost ready. Then weeded along my neighbour's border (it's an overgrown plot and weeds creep onto mine).
Got round to pulling up last year's parsnips left to flower cos the bees go mad for it, easy to pull out. Put up some more pea netting.
And finally picked some wonderful strawberries (nearly 3 lb) some of which I have already consumed sitting under my garden umbrella on my decking outback. Heaven!
Spent 4 hours up there, so I needed my lovely snack and the rest.
Regards, Caro
Regards, Caro
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Hot here in Cornwall so went to lottie early. Mega-weeded, pulled up last year's parsnips left to flower cos the bees love 'em so much. Put up some more pea netting. Watered squashes, beans and sweatpeas also spinach, planted last row of annuals for cutting.
Had quick break whilst admiring my over-wintered (against all odds) onions, which are almost ready, weeded again. Dug over small plot in readiness for some brassica plants.
Picked 3lbs of magnificent strawberries some of which I have just consumed (avec Rodda's for those in the know) sitting under an umbrella out on my decking at home. I was 4 hours at the lottie, I deserved that snack ! Luv me lottie.
Regards Caro
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OOps, sorry folks, posted twice cos I thought I'd lost the first one!
Caro
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Harvested another lot of potatoes and repotted some of the tomatoes.
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took up some more of the autumn planted garlic, amazing crop this year, planted squash in their place, that's the last of them..planted out some lettuces between them..got to the grass cuttings from the bowling green first and mulched the spuds up with them and planted up some module sown beetroot where I had taken some onions out (refuse to buy them ) ;D
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Good tip manics! I might do tht tomorrow
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I'm trying to have some modules ready when I take something out, sparkly..we're moving out strawberry bed this year and I have some calabrese and romanesco to go in there, it was manured last year so I'm adding lime when I plant them, hoping for lots of winter crops ;D
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Picked up the bamboo support for my sweet peas which had collapsed, cut scapes off my garlic, sowed a row of coriander, dug out some couch (could finally get the spade in after the rain!) and spread hops as mulch. Strimmed, cut some rhubarb. At home sprayed my peppers with soap against white and greenfly, sowed kohl rabi and swede in modules.
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I extended my cane structure then planted the remainder of my runner and climbing French bean plants. Then I transplanted some tomato plants from their pots into the ground.
I did a lot of watering, some weeding, a bit of mowing and planted out some nasturtium plants.
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Moved some more tomato plants to their final containers outside and bagged up some flowers on others for seed saving. Various watering & feeding.
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Going to be building a greenhouse wood frame with poly walls , the only kind we can have.John buying the wood as we speak.
XX Jeannine
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Dug up the parsley from last year as it as running to seed.
Planted some spare sunflower plants.
Planted a courgette, butternut squash and a pumpkin called snowman.
Planted a crystal lemon cucumber.
Watered the runner/french beans.
Watered the sweetcorn.
Picked 3 strawberries :o
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Dug over the border to allow the planting of more seasonal flowers.
Weeds are growing fast so I need to keep on top of them.
First carrots and peas have been nibbled on by the family today. ;D
Sorted out more plants to grow on in larger pots now that I have planted more into the garden.
Ready to sow more for the veg patch and the flower border.
OH is having hayfever problems as we have three pyracantha's in flower at the moment. :(
Weeded around the sweetcorn and the sunflowers.
Still got green strawbs at the moment.
Trimmed the grass and dead headed some of the perennials and annuals to get more later.
Puzzled over why the hedge at the front has got some die back at the corner. The leaves have died and the stems too. ???
Always plenty to do and now I have to clean the pots that have just been emptied from planting.
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Weeded onions and cabbages
Watered
Picked about 80 Strawberry's
Harvested 16 red onions ( bolted so not very big )
Sowed 16 sweetcorn direct.
;D ;D ;D
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Weeded onions and carrots
Mixed and added activator to daleks
Planted out more marigolds
Watered
Mowed some long grass near my shed
I nearly forgot, I munched on a few strawberrys, don't tell Borlotti :-X
;D ;D ;D
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Yesterday I finished transplanting my brassica, I had forgot to take netting down with me so early this morning I popped down to net them only to find bare stalks sticking out of the ground _ Those pesky birds again Well I had a good look and I think I may save some as the growing tips are still OK. The only other thing that happened today was I picked about 2 lbs of strawberries (Royal Sovereign) so that about 9 lbs picked so far.
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Harvested 2.3 Kg of Lady Christly New Pots
Mangtout "Oregon"
Peas "Twinkle"
Turnip "Rubin"
Almost hand pollinated my Cantaloupe melons but have no male flowers yet :-(
Watered the polytunnel as per usual......
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Dug over the garden and removed over six large trogs of weeds which needed to be barrowed out of the garden.
A variety of docks, couch, nettles, bindweed, ground elder, thistles, dandelion, cleavers, oxalis, plantain, chickweed, and groundsel.
Transplanted some primroses as they did not do well where they were.
All this done with two garden forks and a aching back.
But hey what a nice patch of ground it looks now.
Just the final hurdle to do around the top edge, from the Hazels to the Oak tree.
Just like the forth bridge, get to the end and go back to the beginning and start again. :o
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lots of weeding and watering
cut the grass near the shed,plot looks tidy
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Put up orange builders netting aound the peas
Harvested another 70 Strawberry's
;D ;D ;D
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put compost round the runner beans to give them a tonic, planted leeks and sowed more carrots and beetroot-all in lovely sunshine!
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10 hours in the garden today, wonder I have not had sun stroke. Weeded, watered, fed and mulched. My lottie is small and I wondered how some of you with large plots manage to feed. I made at least 30 trips to the tap and went through a large box of phostrogen. Do any of you use a dispenser on the end of your hosepipe? and do you think that it gives an even feed?
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Cornykev, 70 strawberries, I don't believe it????? >:( >:( >:( If I am lucky may get five tomorrow. What a show off you are, you are awful but I like you. ;D ;D ;D ;D Please change the snowman to strawberries or whatever.
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hand weeded 90 ft of parsnips., (3 X 3 30ft rows)
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Gosh, you must LOVE parsnips!
I fed my ailing 'Incredible' sweetcorn, harvested some shallots and onions and put them on some racks to dry, and dug the bed over ready for the brassicas that are following on. Planted out a few Strawberry Sweetcorn plants I picked up at GWL yesterday from Robinsons, and also had a major sowing session of beans, lettuce, late Zinneas, PSB and yet more sweetcorn........
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Weeded spring onions and Strawberrys
Watered
Harvested: 5 lettuces, 6 bolted onions and more Strawberrys would you believe ;)
Site Sec gave me some garlic. ;D ;D ;D
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Thanks for changing the picture, I feel much warmer now.
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did some watering and weeding and picked my first bunch of sweet peas. At home we ate our first two baby carrots I sowed in a large pot way back in february- they were delicious!
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Finish the digging and a bit of planting, cut the grass and picked some peas, carrots and a cauli. MMMMMMMMM ;D
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Watered and picked some more strawberry's, will these strawberry's ever come to an end. :P ;D ;D ;D
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I nearly forgot I harvested 12 more onions and a meal for two of new spuds. ;D ;D ;D
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went to pick up 6 bags of sterilised mushroom compost, 6 for 12.00...surprisingly heavy ;D
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Picked red raspberries and blueberries.
Transplanted some flowers- risky in this heat.
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Watered and pinched out toms, potted on some toms, peppers and aubergine into final pots. Cleared most of the Brassica bed in polytunnel, planted some climbing beans. Dug a Elephant and normal garlic, nearly ready ;D
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Hand weeded my carrot bed. Harvested garlic - lovely crop, really pleased. Dug the rest of the early spuds, pathetic but will do us a couple of meals. Picked broad beans. Added more support strings to the tall peas, now flowering. Watered the celery and celeriac and the ground where I sowed some beetroot last week.
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Watering and mulching. Plant out some peppers I bought for 50p in B&Q and some tomatoes. Chatted to various allotment neighbours. Watched the sun set.
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Watered Sweetcorn, celery, celeriac and transplanted cabbages. ;D ;D ;D
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watered, watered and watered and got lost in my thoughts - took forever, so dry 8)
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watered, watered and watered and got lost in my thoughts - took forever, so dry 8)
" " "
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When I get home tonight I shall be as others on here, WATERING FOR FOOD.
The other plants shall have to wait their turn and chance there is some left over for them to have. ;D
No point trying to do anything else as the light will have faded by then. :(
Still I am off tomorrow and boy those weeds wont stand a chance, and more planting to do.
I must not get ahead of myself or I will be digging up plants and planting weeds at this rate. :-[
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watered
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gave my nephew a guided tour of the plot,and watered everything as its very dry at the moment
said hes getting an alotment when hes older ;D ;D
hes unwell so off school for a while
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Stroked the allotment cat, and stroked another cat, saw a fox, hope it isn't going to eat the cats. Watered and then cycled home. Ate three strawberries, I really, really hate Cornykev, but not really, my strawberries will be ready for Wimbledon finals day, his are much too early, so there. Went to tennis and had strawberries (from Tescos) and champagne for £5, excess money goes to charity. Watered my strawberries, which may be a mistake, but who cares. Allotment next to me has beautiful strawberries and the birds don't eat them, and they are not netted. Asked her if they were a special expensive variety and she said they came from Lidels (excuse spelling).
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[IMG]http://i45.tinypic.com/dz6o76.jpg[/IMG
Introduced grand-daughter Ella to the joys of pulling your own carrots(and wished I'd tied her hair back for the picture!)
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(http://i45.tinypic.com/dz6o76.jpg)
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ah sweeet picture, Gwen. I rather like the hair in the eyes look.
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Almost passed out from the heat, but reassembled my tomato cover, weeded and potted some new plants. Gave a little garden tour to a three year old who liked picking the purple beans and trombone squash and eating them raw.
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Gave a little garden tour to a three year old who liked picking the purple beans and trombone squash and eating them raw.
They're best when they're young (veg and children!)
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Transplanted cucumber and sweetcorn
Watered and picked some more strawberrys :P
;D ;D ;D
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harvested the garlic, great crop and sowed more carrots in its place, thinned and transplanted more parsnips, watered again!, thinned the apples, ate a few strawberries, thinking about picking the first peas :D
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I watered, watered and watered. Picked some redcurrants to give away, still have some in the freezer and jelly from last year. Picked some strawberries, gave some to next door, so there Cornykev. ;D ;D ;D Watered them, but not sure if that is good or not as they love the sun, watered them after picking, haven't been watering them so perhaps that is why they are a bit slow (like me). Got enough pots and spinach and a few peas for tonight. Lovely sunny day today, and tomorrow Council compost is coming so that will be an early birthday present for me, I am so lucky.
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cried :( my sprouting broccoli has gone to seed, over night :o boo hoooo
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Picked blueberries and the last of the spring red raspberries, two toms and bush beans and purple pole beans. Too hot to do much else.
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Sat under a large red umbrella.
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Harvest
(http://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s349/smudger280/TheHarvest26062010001.jpg)
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Found a cauliflower on my cauliflowers! I am a real gardener at last!
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Harvest
(http://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s349/smudger280/TheHarvest26062010001.jpg)
Doesn't that picture just make you smile? Lovely spread Smudger.
Ninny
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let off 2 paper lanterns into the night sky - bootiful it was ;D
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Umm....let see...I picked loads of elder flowers for cordial..got covered with pollen.. ::)...then I cut off some red currant branches,,with berries and gave those to my chucks..spent ages watching and laughing at their reactions for it.. ;D..what a fun... ;D sat down with a cup of coffee and listened birds singing and butterflies fluttering around...bees buzzing..dog snoring.. ::) ;D..lovely morning..but it is time for a action now....and get some work done..
...and GOOD MORNING TO ALL OF YOU TOO... ;D ;D (..in a style of 'good morning Vietnam')... ;D
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I took a load of cuttings off my pinks last night, labelled them and put them in bags ready to put into pots this morning. At least I can sit under the apple trees in the shade to do it.
I put my aubergines into their final pots yesterday and they are looking good. I also did some hoeing but not for very long as it was too hot.
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Harvest
(http://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s349/smudger280/TheHarvest26062010001.jpg)
Doesn't that picture just make you smile? Lovely spread Smudger.
Ninny
Thanks Ninny we are very pleased so far....
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A lovely looking selection Smudger :)
I've been tying up toms and pinching side shoots out before it got too hot :)
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collected ragged robin seeds to sow again in my meadow :)
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tie in runner beans / watered some plants / picked courgettes and over grown ones now marrows / dug some spuds :D
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picked lots of peas, more strawberries, never had such a good crop, first of the cherries, couple of tayberries, lettuce and a few potatoes ;D
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Watered. Planted out some more brassicas was waiting for some rain. Can't wait any longer.
Planted out some more beans. Watered. Pegged down strawberry runners into pots with hair pins. Difficult to find them. Tesco came up trumps.#
Watered
Mulched around beans and courgettes. Sat on my new chair from car boot sale - bargain.
Watered
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After Saturday's cauliflower triumph - found three huge calabrese heads, first time I've grown this .....at this rate I may even have a go at melons next year.......
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Due to the God d**n hot weather (never thought I'd say that..... :( )
I have carried 900 litres of water to the site to fill up my water butts...
Took me a good 2.5 hours.
Perks of having a 20ft Polytunnel ;D
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installed a sink,outside the back door to the house, so I can wash the veggies before they get into the kitchen. note bucket to collect the water for re-use on the garden.
[attachment=1]
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Planted leeks,picked strawberries,watered plot,picked strawberries,picked peas,picked strawberries,picked blackcurrants.
Note to self reduce strawberry bed by at least half next year.
My OH reckons he's picked his own body weight in soft fruit this year :o
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Harvested more rocket spuds. ;D ;D ;D
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Harvested strawberries, raspberries, onions and my first beetroot. ;D ;D ;D
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Finished work for the weekend and put more plants into the garden.Watered them all in and then sat back to enjoy the view.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad68/landimad/garden/July%201st%202010/28062010004.jpg)
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did a red ant dance ;D gosh they have been bad this year - before that planted the last bulb fennel, weeded, planted out some thyme, last of the beetroot, last of the squash and then found caterpillars on my kale!!
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cut down a row of peas(planted in march), spread spent mushroom compost on the bed and transplanted some calabrese, savoy and romanesco into the space and put a net over them
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did a red ant dance ;D gosh they have been bad this year
I have to wear wellies in some parts of the garden they are so bad, don't half hurt stung up your trousers :o
Picked some beans, calabresse and toms. Dug over Autumn planted, now harvested onion and garlic beds.
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Dug all garlic up....watered...managed to finally get last lot of tomatoes in after clearing all peas... ::)...sowed some salads.. ;D ;)..picked few raspberries..
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watered, watered then watered some more, havent had any rain here in ashford kent for what feels like forever ::)
Picked strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, courgettes, lettuce
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Dug up Red Sun shallots and they're in the greenhouse to dry off. I've never grown this variety before and some of them are bigger than my onions at the moment!
Weeded onions again.
Watered.
Didn't pick the sweet peas tonight as our house smells lovely with those I picked a couple of nights ago. (There wasn't anyone up at the plot to give them to!)
Hopefully, nets off tomorrow and will be armed with my scissors for a currant picking session.
Ninny
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Weeded my runner beans and strawberry patch.
Pinched out the tops of the broad beans
Harvested,potatoes,beetroot,peas and lettuce
Pulled my overwintering Japanese red onions which are now drying out
had plenty of cuppa's and lots of chat too ;D
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Disconnected strawberry runners from mother plant,they had rooted into several pots so got lots of new plants.....................first time I have done this....amazing what you can do with a hair grip...have all the latest technology me. ;D
Done the same with my alpine strawberries too.Been putting them into ice cubes...never fails to impress people. ;D
Been ignoring the weeds but will do them tomorrow......promise.
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Been ignoring the weeds but will do them tomorrow......promise.
At your peril - 7 years remember ;D ;D ;D
Ninny x
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Yes Miss.......you beginning to sound like Georgie x :)
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Tonybloke,
What a Bl,,,y good idea to place a sink under the outside water tap. I will definitely do the same as I have a drain beneath mine. I did not do much in my garden today apart from picking strawberry's and raspberry's.
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First pickings of redcurrants and blackcurrants today, about 4lbs of each.
More sweet peas and halved them with my plot neighbour.
Last of the tall peas as the rest will now go to seed and the grape vines will take over.
Sowed Marion and Invitation swede where the shallots were.
Hubby watered, cut the sweet peas and commented on the blackfly on the middle crop of Liberty runner beans (he's getting there :-*).
Ninny
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Apart from up to my neck in compost, I shall be watering again. :(
At this rate we shall have the water board crying themselves into the reservoirs just to fill them up again.
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tied up tomato plants after a long, long walk (six days spent walking Hadrian's Wall- amazing!)
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Cut down blighted potato helms from one bed. Others had all had a copper spray a few days back so they may be ok for a little longer. Seems some toms are affected too, so I've been taking off any spots I can see, not a happy bunny :(
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Sowing lots and lots of seeds, pricking out kale, potting on some plants, hoeing, watering, weeding, picking berries & veg..phew..how long is a piece of string.. ::)
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took the troops up there to help me reclaim the plot from the weeds!!!
managed to get quite a lot out and ground covered.
prepped the ground for squash to go in, dug up some potatoes, pulled a couple of carrots, rebuilt the chicken run with a roof and had a nice old natter with the fella next door!
blinking lovely day :)
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Watered and weeded! Picked a few courgettes and dug up some garlic- some ok, some rotten.
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Finished planting out the 58 squash I'm growing this year... shifted about two tons of manure doing it too.....
chrisc
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Picked loadsa strawberries, more Rhubarb, some gooseberries, raspberries, peas and mangetout. Oh I love the fruits of my labour!!!
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first time at the lottie in a week (been walking Hadrian's Wall-that's another story!), I was amazed at how much everything had grown. I weeded the paths, planted more leeks in every available spot, dug up our first potatoes (kestrel), pulled our first turnips and sowed some more, picked strawberries and had a good natter with my lottie partner after her long holiday in Spain and Potugal (she was even more amazed than I was, after almost 6 week's absence!)
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We pulled up all our two Canadian bought lots of spuds, after a firkle we were not happy with what we found so saw no point in leaving them there.The Charlottes that came from England and grown in pots were beautiful. So I have another bed free LOL
Planting tomorrow XX JEannine
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Had a sneek peek at our 2nds potatoes today "Kestrel" 2 weeks early and I'm delighted!!
(http://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s349/smudger280/KesteralJul2010001.jpg)
(http://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s349/smudger280/KesteralJul2010002.jpg)
And not a blighted leaf in sight!!
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Also harvested our first French beans and half a punnet of Raspberries
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Harvested the cabbages because the caterpillars have eaten more of them than I have, at least they left me some tiny hearts.
Harvested my first tomato and the first of the french beans, also harvested a small lettuce.
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roasted!!
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Picked loadsa strawberries, more Rhubarb, some gooseberries, raspberries, peas and mangetout. Oh I love the fruits of my labour!!!
Surprised you are still getting rhubarb- mine's been more or less finished for a couple of weeks now.
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Yesterday I watered and harvested onions, beetroot and peas.
Today I sunbathed in the back garden, the suns 8) still shing now.
;D ;D ;D
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sowed more dwarf french beans, oriental salad leaves, long red florence onions and my garlic pips ;D
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picked 7 lbs of red currants for the jelly, picked loads of strawbs and raspberries, when will they stop coming (now who said that? ;D); picked some chard and dug up more spuds; planted out a few rows of rossa di treviso then cleared the first early peas after picking hundreds of them - I almost don't care about the hose pipe ban ;D
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Picked another 3kg of 1st early lady Chrystl today (That's 17kg now). Another punnet of raspberries which are heading for the freezer.
Also picked my first pepper today "Big Banana".
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Did my second cut of comfrey- it was flowering so thought I'd better! Put some in a dustbin and left the lid off in hope of rain rather than use precious water from the butts. Picked courgettes and first few french beans and dug some more garlic. Planted some beans given by a fellow plotter- didn't really want them but seemed churlish to say no!
Weeded and watered- but not everything as those cans are hard work!
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Put up a gazebo (v cheap, £10 in Argos 3 years ago) that was blown away and damaged last week. Lashed it together with duck tape and tethered it with extra strings and new, stronger tent pegs. Absolutely vital to be able to retreat into its shade after working in these temperatures.
That left little time to do more than some urgent watering and a little picking of pea pods and courgettes, raspberries and cherries.
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Put ALL the houseplants in the garden - no, surely I didn't count 83 ::)
Ninny
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collected yellow & green courgettes, 3 punnets of raspberries, handful of blueberries, gave evrything a big watering....still praying for rain in my part of Kent ::)
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dug up the mint I'd planted a few weeks ago and put it in a large pot- could see it had designs on taking over the garden!
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at last i can post something here :)
Up at 6am dirty nappy alert and bottle for Harriet and by 7am she was asleep and i was in the garden basking in a cool breeze.
Strung up runner beans so they have some support, watered the growbags (onions, lettuce, tomatos).
Laid down weed membrane over herb bed and made holes for the 2 courgettes and 2 squash plants.
Went over weeds with hoe (only managed 1/2 garden) and Wheelbarrowed soil over to level off the ground (this is where the grass will be so i will be covering this with membrane until we organise some turf.
Wheelbarrowed over more soil to bring up soil level behind patio to mulch dalias and climbers in this weather.
Wheelbarrowed more soil after clearing under the other fence pannels to plant more climbers and shrubs got as far as 4 wheelbarrows when my back decided to seize (10.30am) so after a mug of tea and a bacon butty had a hot shower and crashed for an hour while husband looked after harriet.
photo of my handy work :)
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n61/cambourne7/Allotment/619131dd.jpg
This is a photo of the herb bed (peonys in the left and side and rhubarb in the shady right hand side :) cant decide how to cover the membrane onces its planted but will probably be wood chips.
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Picked some broad beans and carrots for this evening and found a lovely cabbage to go with these. Also had a look around at the cuttings and seedlings for signs of any more loses to the ever growing area to cover.
Looks as though the wallflowers are struggling to get under way, they have shown their heads in one tray but the other twelve trays are not looking so good.
Sown some pansies and sweet peas for next year.
Still waiting for the rain. It falls and evaporates before hitting the ground. It all seems to be going around us yet again :(
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Watered and weeded
Took home some onions and shallots and I harvested my first ever Turnip, quite a big un to. ;D ;D ;D
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Watered the spuds and springies
Harvested 2 turnips, beetroot, onions and my first dwarf beans. ;D ;D ;D
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dug up a potato that looked poorly and got a decent amount of potatoes (Nicola)- enough for 5 of us. harvested turnips, broad beans and our first beetroot. watered everything and now it's raining!
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Not that much been raining allday did put up some pot lockers on the fence
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After a long sleep as I am on nights, I sat and watched the rain for a while then said to myself "not going to get much done today" ;D
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I dug up 2 anya plants and got 1.64kg see pic. I also picked some garden pearl tomatoes, 2 courgettes and a dinners worth of french beans.
;D
(http://i27.tinypic.com/2r6h8qq.jpg)
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That's a lot of potatoes! Are Anya a first or second early?
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After a long sleep as I am on nights, I sat and watched the rain for a while then said to myself "not going to get much done today" ;D
'wasn't on nights Landimad but watched the WELCOME rain from the kitchen window
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All I hope is that my new fuchsia's are getting a welcome drink after the heatwave we have been in Macmac.
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That's a lot of potatoes! Are Anya a first or second early?
Second early
Julie
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picked a few pounds of peas and this made space for some more chicory - planted some spuds for xmas in the greenhouse - thinned the grapes - picked loads more strawberries and raspberries and spuds - picked some kale as well - then battled home in a gale force wind ;D
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Harvested my 2nd Potatoes today "Kestrel"
About 12 seed tubers.
(http://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s349/smudger280/PotatoHarvest15072010001.jpg)
(http://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s349/smudger280/PotatoHarvest15072010002.jpg)
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Late sowing of runner beans
Late sowing of peas
Dug out 16 square foot of turf where creating border
Potted up strawberry runners
Ran for cover when it started to belt it down
CC
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Made use of the rain and stayed in the green house and just had a good tidy up and made sure everything was in place and supported ready.
Next task is the shed!!!
Will be popping to lottie later to see what damage these high winds have done and make sure Cane (Thats my scarecrows name.... is still keeping an eye on things and not blown away.
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wow smudger28 they look amazing! Some people haven't had a good year with potatoes this year (me included)
I ordered some strawberries and they arrived yesterday, so today I had an epic journey to get two bin bags of manure up the steep hill to the plot and planted the strawberries. While I was lugging the manure I thought 'why am I doing this? This is awful!' But afterwards I felt glad. (or was that just relieved?!)
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Hi PigeonSeed
We have had the best year ever so far for potatoes. Last year was a disaster (Blight)..
This year 1st's and 2nd's have been amazing. Now we just need the Cara's to come good...
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dodged a lot of wet stuff falling from the some, some say it is called rain ;D harvested lunch for tomorrow basically - peas, potatoes, cabbages, carrots, sowed the last beetroot (hope not too late); planted savoy cabbages and sowed turnips and radishes inbetween rows
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Just woke from last night shift and hope that tomorrow will allow me to look over what needs to be done and what should be achieved.
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set some runner beans at home. planted out lettuces and parsley. picked flowers - sweet pea, malope vulcan, sunflowers and achellia. picked mange tout -weggeiser (very prolific). realized i have forgotten which squash i have planted out. earthed up sweetcorn which were falling over in strong wind. weeded onion bed, which are at last swelling. dead headed sweetpeas in hope of more flowers.
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Weeded and watered
Harvested spuds, beetoot, onions and dwarf beans
Sowed parsnips and swede
Harvested my first tigerella tommie in my back garden.
;D ;D ;D
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one thing I didn't do was water ;D but harvested the last of the peas and cleared the bed and sowed carrots; sowed a few rows of spinach; planted the last of the savoy cabbages and some swede, sowed some tatsoi, thinned the grapes (again) and tried to ignore the weeds ;D
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Harvested 28 lbs. of tomatoes this AM and pulled up the earlies (Polfast vines) which are finished-
turning out to be a good tomato season here in Delaware and hope you're having equal success
over the pond.
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sowed beetroot and turnips where the onions have come out and carrots inside the poly..took the last of the tayberries off, boy, some harvest this year, plus some raspberries, they didn't get into the punnet ;D
cut a romanesco, a cauli and a calabrese head, pulled some carrot thinnings, picked some french and purple podded beans, all for tea tonight ;D
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Watered, now it's raining
Hoe ed the weeds
Harvested dwarf beans
Swedes have germinated
Planted out two more cucs.
;D ;D ;D
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kept ignoring the weeds again by sowing some more seeds - found some Kintsai (chinese celery) seeds and discovered they are quite winter hardy so will be growing these in the greenhouse as well as outside, could make a useful winter soup ingredient, sowed more chard as I've lost quite a bit to bolting and ditto calabrese :( so sowed a load more as I reckon there's enough growing time left, thinned the apples, harvested for supper and checked all the compost bins for progress - a quiet day :)
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Watered, looked for my hand fork, didn't find it, but it will turn up (I hope) dug up some more marestail, was the only person up there this afternoon so no chats.
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Watered and transplanted cabbages. ;D ;D ;D
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harvested several gluts ;D and listened to the cricket in the greenhouse - halcyon days 8)
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Dug up most of my garlic. Was going to lift onions but they are so small I decided to weed round them and water them in the hope they might grow a bit more.
Did loads of weeding- couch, bindweed, buttercups, you name it...
Harvested a few beans, a couple of courgettes and about 6 potatoes from 2 plants :(
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Gosh, I've not been to the plot for a couple of weeks and three tondo courgettes were nearly the size of
footballs :o. The Soleils were being sensible though, so picked a few of those at a nice size.
Picked lots Safari and Tasman french beans, both seemed to thrive with no watering recently. Only enough Scarlet Emperors for about 3 meals. All blanched and in the freezer now.
Pulled up last of the first sowing of Detroit beetroot and cooked them tonight. White Detroit beetroots are hiding still under the soil.
Selma fennel has gone to seed :( so I'll pull the bulbs and just freeze it for stews.
Trained the Queensland Blue squash to where I wanted it to grow, not where it wanted to ;D
Watered both plots, weeded under the cucumbers and gherkins.
Picked two little All Year Round cauliflowers and had them with a cheese and bacon sauce for supper.
Ninny
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Pulled my beetroot today. Made some pickled beetroot, beetroot chutney and just cooked some for the freezer. Also dug up the rest of my kestrel, 4 plants of yukon gold - my god the size and amount - enormous yield from 4 plants. I only had to use 4 spuds for to make chips for 5 people - adults size dinners - today.
;D
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Went to lottie to do "quick" watering job in GHs..6 hrs later...; dugged up some potatoes, picked courgettes, cumbers, toms, plums and beans, peas bit of weeding, feeding, pruning,,and yes watering...lots of watering..whoaa..were did the day go?...and then I only needed to do a bit of cooking.. ::)
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Dug up the first row of Lady Cristal spuds. 2 buckets so not a bad crop.
3 corgies, (2 normal 1 huge!) lot's of beans, raspberries, strawberries, gooseberries, (alpine strawbs too), First turnip.
Then noticed the rabbit in the plot next door's water bottle was on the floor. Had to fight the chickens to get to it and fill it up again. >:(
I can't understand why people have animals and don't pop up everyday to look after them especially in this warm weather. >:( >:(
Rant over. :D
MP
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Discovered the pond again! Iris and lily leaves had taken over so had a good clear out. The dragonflies have hatched and long gone and the lily leaves had no snail eggs on so a good time to do it.
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/th_DSCF1563.jpg) (http://s158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/?action=view¤t=DSCF1563.jpg)
Ninny
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trying to do some tidying up but most beds on 3 plots are still really full - harvested a huge amount of dwarf and climbing beans, the last of the strawberries, pounds of black, red and white currants, beetroot, spied some super courgettes and patty pans that are almost ready
picked some sweet peas that smell divine :)
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WATERED, and received some onions in fact a carrier bag of onions from my next plot neighbour Sid, as my onions have been very poor this year, he's the man. ;D ;D ;D
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pulled out the calibrese that had gone to seed-now wondering what to put in the vacant ground........
Pulled first cabbage, ever!
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pulled out the calibrese that had gone to seed-now wondering what to put in the vacant ground........
Pulled first cabbage, ever!
a lot of my calabrese has gone to seed :( but I am only cutting the main stem off as I am hoping that it will sprout smaller off shoots - living in hope
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Holy moly, this thread is LONG, lol.
Anyway, spent the best part of the last couple of days chopping down a very big 'weed' tree as my husband calls it, which has been left to grow completely out of hand and has practically taken over our garden (and some of next doors :-[) Anyway, tis cut almost to the base now and we've been having a good old shred up to get rid of it (those shredders are great!)
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I popped over last night to harvest some dwarf beans and a cucumber, as I was picking the dwarf beans I noticed some other beans on another wigwam, they were flattish and red and green in colour I picked a meals worth but can't remember what type they were. ??? ;D ;D ;D
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I have just harvested carrots, kestrels, springies, beetroot, kale, runners and borlotti's. ;D ;D ;D
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Absolutely nothing but I cooked up some veg pulled during the week for freezing.
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harvested 40 :o peaches, some fallen off while we were away, I'm going to cut out the nasty bits and poach them in syrup,harvested sweetcorn,tons of tomatoes,including a white beauty, green zebra and 2 orange bananas and peppers, ;D
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Just spent two days in Essex dismantling a greenhouse and bringing it home... bit of a trek from Swindon (had to stay in a campsite for a couple of nights) but worth it for a 20x10 Robinsons for 300 quid......
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Tackled the laurel hedge in the front garden that seemed to want more of my front border than I was willing to let it have.
Pawed over the show schedule for next Saturday having inspected the veg at the plot yesterday.
Ninny
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had a water fight bliss ;D
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Hiya tim k, long time no speak!! how's the arm?
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Dug up a small bag's worth of Kestrels, a few springies and four beetroot. ;D ;D ;D
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Dug up more Kestrels and emptied a few tubs of rocket. ;D ;D ;D
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Yesterday and today I have dug up 4 barrow-loads of weeds, picked loads of raspberries, spread some hops and sown fenugreek (as green manure) and sprayed brassicas with rhubarb liquid. Also sowed lettuce, spinach, senshyu onions and spinach in modules at home.
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Watered Cara spuds, parsnips, sweetcorn, pumpkins, squash, celery and celeriac.
Planted out cabbages.
;D ;D ;D
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cleared some old, finished squash plants, raked and put alfalfa seed in
planted some red cos lettuce in the poly border, picked loads of tomatoes, cucumbers and calabrese :)
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Dug up and packed 5 sacks of nadine to see us through the winter. Got to go and tidy up the mess we made tomorrow.
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Dug over and weeded the ground to plant some cabbages
Harvested baby carrots and a cabbage
YESTERDAY would you believe I found some Mushrooms :o growing next to the path on my plot, three big capped ones and a smaller button one, I asked a lady on the plot who told me they were edible but I haven't had the balls to try them yet. ??? ;D ;D ;D
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Cornykev, fungi are roughly grouped into four categories: edible, non edible, poisonous and deadly.
The first two are not likely to kill you, the third may make you a little ill but you will survive (hopefully). There are very few in the fourth category.
Does that make you feel any more BRAVE? :-\
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We will all miss you Kev ;D
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Cheers Shirl, I decided against eating them before reading Terriers post, :P Borlotti seems to think they grow in the council compost, I have seen some growing before but nothing like these, they were like the ones you get in tesco's the large cap top ones and one button mushroom, others on our lottie eat some that are growing on the other side of the fence to where my plot is.
I dug up my first Cara, just the one plant to see how they were doing, I got about 16 from the one plant :o
Harvested runners and beetroot. ;D ;D ;D
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Harvested runner beans, tomatoes, pears, figs and chillies and mowed the lawn. Haven't had to do that very often this year.
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Picked off the sweet pea pods and cleared the ground. Harvested more runner beans, french beans, cabbage, African marigold seed heads, one sweet pepper (biggest I've ever managed to grow - looks like a supermarket one ;D), a few chilli peppers, courgettes and more cucumbers.
Ninny
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Started to cut down the old fantasia blacberry stems ready for Tone to put a trellis up for next years stems. They get that heavy that they weigh down the wire that holds them and you have to get them off the ground.
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Bugger all its raining. :'( :'( :'(
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When it stopped raining I went out and harvested two carrier bags of toms, one of damsons, some courgettes... and a large tub of Fantasia Brambles... ours are still going strong here Shirl... :)
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Blanched and froze runner beans, courgettes and cabbage. Popped the seeds out of their casings, spread out on a tray and now in the window of the lounge to dry out.
Ninny
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Harvested three Cara plants
Hoed the weeds
Mixed and watered the compost bins.
Watered celery and celeriac plants.
;D ;D ;D
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I am gradually emplying beds and putting in biomatter: compost and manure and sowing green manure ready for the winter. Potato beds now done, so started taking down the cliimbing french beans and stripping off the pods for drying.
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chopped up and dug in the pea foliage, finding several pea pods as I did it-yum! Did some weeding, pulled some leaves off the butternut squash so that the sun can get in- counted the squash (14!) picked some more bambles and pulled seedheads off the calendula. Tested the sweetcorn but not ready yet.
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A lot of hoe-ing filling a wheelbarrow with weeds
Harvested spuds, beetroot, springies and a rossa cabbage/lettuce.
;D ;D ;D
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Cleared 20 bags of seeding weeds from our new plot and cut down the old wood from the 3 blackberries at our old one and took them all to the tip. Best feeling to have when all the bags are empty.
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Harvested and stored more Cara
Harvested two sweetcorn
Raked, cutivated, chicken pelleted, watered and cutivated again the soil ready for the winter onions
Watered plot
Lottie mate Bart gave me a large cabbage
;D ;D ;D
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Weeded all day, even under the slabs around the raspberry canes. Doesn't bindweed look like noodles when it can't escape but how comes it never strangles itself! ;)
Ninny
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Harvested some more Cara. ;D ;D ;D
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My bean poles came down today~ always a sign of winter approaching!!
Duke :)
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so did ours :)
but, I've still got tomatoes and cucumbers in the poly, 2 beds of lettuce, romaine and red cos, pak choi and ishikura onions coming on well, still have chillies and peppers to ripen up, summer's not quite over for me yet ;D
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Picked some sungold tomatoes from the greenhouse, yummmm
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Suddenly realised last weekend my lawn which i haven't had to mow since May as it was all burnt and brown was just above ankle height again and wet i've spent the week hoping it would dry out long enough to mow it. Finally got it done today.....poor mower really struggled.
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[dug some spring onions, harvested beans and turnips, dug a bit and put a very thick mulch of cut grass over a few patches where veg had been dug up.
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Tidied up the strawberry patch and transplanted 50 runners. Picked a load of carrots and some leeks. Surveyed our new 2nd 1/2 plot! ;D
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Went out after dinner to dig up the last potatoes... a line of Sarpo Axona... reasonable crop how are they eating wise?
Also emptied the bins to Harvest the Aura. Picked Tomatoes, Peppers and Grapes, collected tonnes of apples ( well about 30lb actually.. ) :o
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Took some runners off the plant to save some seed and collected some sunflower seeds to save, do I store these the same as the beans, cheers in advance. ;D ;D ;D
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Greenhouse borders emptied. Took out about 6 inches of soil ready for a redressing in the spring. The bubble wrap is two panes up, ready for the winter. Two tables in with cuttings and tender plants.
Ninny
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tidied up one of the strawberry beds, and prepped a bed ready for spuds ( layers of cardboard and manure, covered with straw)
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Didn't have much time as the nights are pulling in. But picked up another tray of walnuts to dry......thats 8 trays and still counting..... ;D
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lovely morning at the lottie, spent turning the manure heap, digging a new bed for beans next year, and spreading seaweed on next year's potato bed.
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Started the marathon of leaf sweeping today........all tidy now but with 2 huge oak trees shedding the lawn will be covered again by Monday :(
Planted 16 varieties of daff bulbs (only 2 of each!).
Hacked back the fig tree, pruned mahonia and rambling roses.
Ninny (in need of a good hot bath!)
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harvested about 100 lbs of apples and not finished yet, phew :o fantastic
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Cut back the climbling rose that is climbing a trellis and trained under my kitchen window. It looks as though I have killed it :( Emptied six containers where I had summer annuals growing to make space for some bulbs. Up early tomorrow to give the front garden a really good weeding and clearing!!
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gwynnethmary,
Where do you get your seaweed from? Do you collect it off the local beach? Do you find it makes a difference to your potato patch? Apparently they have banned the collection of seaweed in Jersey and that is why Jersey Royal potatoes do not taste the same as they used to do. Have any of you lotties got any opinion on this? or is this just a fallacy.
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Took advantage of the weather and planted onion sets and broad beans. We are going to put a wind break up this year just in case we get a winter like last year when we lost all the beans.
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Picked the last of my sweetcorn which I thought was going to be a disaster this year but it turned out alright in the end, also put in three rows of garlic already people are asking could they have some when it is ready, finished off with a little bit of rotovating, :)
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Raspberry canes cut down, except for the new green shoots.
Dug up the last of Ambrosia sweetcorn plants I was planning to saving seed from..........Mr Ratty seems to have started his own seed saving project!
Pushed the rake up and down beds that I've emptied but haven't been able to cover yet to dislodge a few weeds.
Picked some kale and waved it along the path home to get rid of the thrips.
Ninny
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Planted winter shallots and made a start on the onions. ;D ;D ;D
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Nothing in my garden or plots today but next door neighbour is away on hols for two weeks, yup feeding Billy the Cat again! She keeps saying about the weeds in the gravel bit of her drive, so half way there with a week to go as a welcome home surprise :)
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/DSCF1659.jpg)
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/DSCF1658.jpg)
Ninny
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I think you should come and live next door to me I have some trellis fencing that needs staining !! :P
Duke
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LOL - hubby's better with the paintbrush ;) that's a "man" thing ;D
Nins
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Ninny
that is a lovely thing to do as a surprise. How kind of you.
Today's garden job was tidying up blighted tomato foliage. Usually such a sad task in late July or early August. But this year we were lucky here to get blight so late. We harvested so many outdoor tomatoes that I really can't complain.
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I covered my chicken run in bark ready for the wet days so it doesnt get like a mud pit......it took 11 sacks - my back hurts a little now!!
And harvested yet more walnuts - what a great year its been for walnuts.
Ninny - what a lovely deed - you are a great neighbour x
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Planted two lines of onions
Harvested carrots and runners
;D ;D ;D
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Garlic went in...3 weeks earlier than normally..I'm ahead for once.. ;D
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Harvested some more Cara
Took down the netting used for peas and half cleared the area of weeds.
;D ;D ;D
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cleared the bean bed, it's the new strawberry bed so, thursday, we're putting the soil from the chicken shed on it and getting planting ;D
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Planted out some more strawberry runners, planted some red winter onions. picked several varieties of beans for drying. Gradually taking the squashes home. Watered the spring greens.
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Lifted last of the potatoes up, harvested some maize and chopped their stems for mulch, picked loads and loads of apples and took some around neighbours too ;D (keeping up with good relations and as thank you for some favours), dug some weeds up for chickens, lifted some leeks..potato and leek soup is on menu..
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Prepared the beds for onions and broad beans on our new plot and made yet another trip to the tip with more rubbish on the way home. Tony is just starting to have a little dig after his op so he's happy. I'm so glad that I like digging cos there has been so much to do.
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Dug up the French beans, turned over the compost bin again.......
Picked the blighted leaves from my Xmas potatoes (inside polytunnel)!
Went to work!
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Picked yet more apples ;D Having a coffee break now and then back for apple picking...shed is filling up nicely ;D..Oh Joy!..I loove apples ;D
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Dug up, blanched and froze the carrots (Nantes), managed to get some to a decent size at last!
Brought a pepper and some chilli plants home tonight as I reckon tonight's forecast frost would have done for them.
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/DSCF1666.jpg)
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/DSCF1664.jpg)
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/DSCF1662.jpg)
Ninny
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Emptied all my spuds out onto sacks in the morning Sun 8) and they are still out there in the back garden
Dug over next years spud area
Pulled up wigwam canes
Hoed weeds
Earthed up Celeriac
Hoed off runner bottoms
Put up a line of Cd's over the onions like the ones Ninny's growing :o
Harvested Pumpkins, Butternut, Runners, Celeriac, Mint and Kale
I think that was all. ;D ;D ;D
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geez Kev - thats enough isn't it!
I dug up a row of spuds (a sack full drying out in the greenhouse - will be tomorrow now before i bag them up)
Dug over the spud ground (and weeded!)
harvested my squash
cleaned out my chickens (and ran around, trying to grab them to checkover for fleas - all fine!)
made squash soup for my lunches next week
did my ironing and cooked a roast (sorry thats not allotment related)
but am now cream crackered and relxing reading all these posts : )
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cleared toms and cucumber bed and picked loads of apples. harvested squash and the giant pumpkin :)
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I nearly forgot I dug up the last of my Cara yesterday. ;D ;D ;D
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My granddaughter ate dirt and carrots :o
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4148/5090815476_0880fdbb52.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/54987571@N08/5090815476/)
P1010283 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/54987571@N08/5090815476/) by lisaparkin36 (http://www.flickr.com/people/54987571@N08/), on Flickr
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/5090814894_4310a9ec18.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/54987571@N08/5090814894/)
P1010281 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/54987571@N08/5090814894/) by lisaparkin36 (http://www.flickr.com/people/54987571@N08/), on Flickr
while we dug, weeded, and cut the pumpkins to take home.
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My granddaughter ate dirt and carrots :o
Aw bless her, I just love the picture ;D
I trimmed all the box, leylandii and other pompoms around the pond, accompanied by Mr Robin who picked up a few tasty morsels.
Ninny
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Harvested the last small beetroots in my back garden and stringed up shallots and onions that were drying in my mini greenhouse. ;D ;D ;D
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finished off planting up the new strawberry bed, puled all the rest of the worn out squash plants and composted them with the dwarf beans, planted up another 50 overwinter onions, still got garlic to put in, then shallots , picked the grapes to make grape juice with :)
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Just back with the last few kilos of outdoor cherry toms, squash, courgettes, cucumber, fennel and turnips. Got too dark for proper tidying up so that will need to wait till tomorrow.
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Took off the lower sprout leaves, picked some kale for freezing and weeded underneath. Raised the netting as the kale is up to my waist now, then saw the very black clouds and made a dash for home.
Ninny
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Dug over more ground. ;D ;D ;D
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Was my first time in the garden to do proper things - it seems like forever since I had the chance!
Just weeded out a bed. Achievement. Small thing perhaps but meant a lot to me.
Have become bogged down with work, but now, lesson learnt!
CLx
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Yes - i did a bed yesterday - another bed to do today (oh my poor back lol!)
Unfortunatly I left some squash down the allotment last weekend and the frost got them - d**n : (
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Took me bean poles down,dug up me old Strawberry bed.
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Dug some more on the new allotment, laid some more paving down the boundary path with next door plot... had long chat with next door plot about nothing in particular, planted out three different varieties of tree onion from plants transported down from old plot, checked up on the assorted garlics and overwintering onions I planted out last week, weede the brassicas, planted out some potato onions. Sowed up 8 trays of Aquadulce Claudia broad beans , potted up the six blackcurrant bushes I got from Lidl on Friday evening, pickled up a load of onions including a big load of small ones into mustard vinegar (1oz mustard to 1 pint vinegar) as an interim for the picallilli I'll make probably on THursday. Did the filling, sanding and washing on what will be my bedroom adn got the first coat on the wall that due to previous decoration will probably need three coats.....made 15 portions of onion gravy adn 15 portions of pasta sauce from nearly all homegrown ingredients (OK , not the olives or mushrooms)....
chrisc
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Harvested the last of the borlotti beans for drying, cut down the dahlia foliage now that it's all been blasted by the frost, planted garlic, weeded the paths, dug over a bed then sat down and drank tea and ate cake.
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Had a good sort out, cleared one of my old strawberry beds and forked it over, then planted up two new ones with the new Ken Muir and Marshalls plants.....there was one plant short in the Marshalls lot as well (funny, I'm sure I remember another post somewhere recently that mentioned they were one plant short in a strawberry order as well, I wonder if they make a habit of it?)
Planted out a whole bed of Jermor shallots, and half a bed of Messindor Garlic (new variety I'm trying this year, my Marco garlic will go in a bit later on).
Took down the bean poles and weeded, so it is all looking quite neat...except I still have load of potatoes to dig up!! ::)
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Pulled up sweetcorn storks and pulled up all the big weeds and clumps of couch grass, and threw out some cabbages that are going rotten.
I did find a short fat cob that I will be having with my dinner and picked a rossa cabbage/lettuce.
;D ;D ;D
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mowed the front lawn!!
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Mucked out chickens pen and all that good stuff went into lottie on bed on top of chopped up sweetcorn stems. Now there is lovely deep topping on and plenty of stuff to worms to get their 'teeth on' ;D Can't wait untill spring when I'm going to turn all that lovely stuff over and the soil is going be almost 'eatable' ;D
Now I just have to get chickent to s....more and do same to the next bed.
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Dug over the final bed ready for winter! Never been this far ahead before, good job since we took on the extra half plot as we have that to do yet!
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planted 3 rows of 'aqua dulce'
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A final clean up of the greenhouse....
Harvested the last of the chillies.....
Brought my lemon grass plant indoors.....
Weeded the back garden.....
I have loads of pots to clean tomorrow!!
Duke :)
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Planted shallots and garlics. Weeded a bit. Harvested Cauli, picked pears and apples. Spread contents of wormbin in greenhouse border.
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watched the sun rise
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Tone you need to get out a bit more mate, hurry up and read this before it gets deleted. :-X :-X :-X
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I washed a lot of plant pots and trays ready to be put away for the winter. Its a job I have to do now as I hate not having clean pots in the spring.
Duke
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finished the onion / garlic bed by planting some of our red shallots
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sowed some overwintering beans and peas/mouse gifts...
Weeded a bit more. Now finally the weeds and grass are slowing right down, it's easier to keep it tidy. (those d**n plants, cluttering the place up. Maybe I should tarmac it... :-\)
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Seem to have moved A LOT of stuff around... :)
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Cracked on with some very satisfying diggin!
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cleared and dug our beautiful flower border, which has been a joy to behold for 4 months- runner beans, sweet peas, sunflowers, cornflowers and marigolds- no doubt we'll have them in EVERY bed next year!
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An hours digging at 6.30 before work.
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An hours digging at 6.30 before work.
That sounds lovely. Just getting light at that time, now the clocks have gone back.
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Transplanted cabbages
Weeded and composted
Harvested Kale and carrots
;D ;D ;D
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Planted more Elephant garlic and shallots. Spread compost around from my builders bag - lost heart with it a few months ago, seemed to be growing weeds faster than I could smother them - but suddenly everything is dead and spreadable. Second bag is filling up.
Arranged land cress seedlings into rows. Set up an expensive net tunnel over them and some healthy chicory plants, some left outside as a control (was it worth it?). Sheltered from a very heavy shower in tiny hut, builders bag over my knees.
Had very interesting conversation with a neighbour who intends to build a self-sustaining house either locally (very costly land if building permission included) or in Ireland where Celtic Tiger has collapsed and he has family. Hope it is locally.
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Shifted a load of paving slabs from my trailer (needed neighbour's help to get trailer facing the right way so I could hitch it to van) to plot 1. Dug out all the weeds where the boundary path is going and laid slabs on it. Just enough slabs so I don't need to find any more.... had a look at plot 2. Doesn't show any sign of being rotovated or ploughed which is good.... just as overgrown asd mine plot 1 was. Will try to get black weed membrane up there next weekend along with as much manure as I can pick up.... there's loads waiting for me at the stables so I guess I oought to go and get it.... don't plan on digging this one straight away, and the area growing squashes can get the piles of manure_membrane approach if I run out of time...
chrisc
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What in this weather. ;D ;D ;D
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Put my broad beans in and spread 4ton of muck over over the plot only covered half of it :o and empty the compost bin out as well and put that over the plot.
Now raining so peas will have to wait til tomorrow
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Padded around in the mud and retrieved some veg for tea. Put away the last of the bean sticks. Spread some straw along some of the paths. Noticed something has been eating my broad beans. Rushed for cover asap.
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pulled up nasturtiums and attempted to pick up seeds but gave up, did some weeding, dug up leeks and parsnips and collected some sprouts, then pruned two of the bramble bushes....and all in lovely sunshine.
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Picked late apples (Crispin) and stored them.
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soil is very wet and heavy so that was a good excuse not to do much more than clearing beds and pulling witloof to force and taking stock really of all the goodies still to come ;D
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On Saturday I barrowed a lot of council compost onto next years spud bed
Harvested a celeriac for Sunday dinner and was given parsnips and celery from our site sec. ;D ;D ;D
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Faced reality and pulled up the scorzonera which are never going to come to anything. Took stock of what is left and made a note to grow about a tenth the number of swedes, I shall be chomping through them till midsummer. Cut down the asparagus and decided that the little creeping shamrock which infests the bed isn't actually doing any harm....
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Relievd the asparagus of my shed roof
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Oh dear! Was it okay? (The shed and the asparagus)
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Managed to extract a few things for a stew tomorrow.Took some pictures with my daugter for a school scrap book star bear on tour. came back looking like a mud monsters ;D ;D ;D
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I'll trade for the Swede Small... we haven't got any... :)
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spent some time thinking whether or not to bother with manure that has arrived at our plots, so much to do and so little time to do it ;D
sowed some sweet peas while I debated
made a decision :o
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Took off the brassica netting and picked some sprouts for the freezer, Telegraph have produced lovely buttons with more to come but all the Evesham Specials have blown, despite being in the middle of the cage so less wind rock :(
Cut off a couple of Primo II cabbages and criss-crossed the stalks, the other stalks have produced some nice winter greens where I did the same.
Put back the black covering where the wind had had some fun with it. This time with more bricks!
The garlic has put up shoots, about 6 inches, but hopefully shielded enough by the PSB plants.
Tied in the broad bean plants.
Banged my wellies well before I got in the car, it's so wet and claggy now.
It was a lovely sunny morning to be up at the plot.
Ninny
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found a lot of strawberry plants had flowers on them :o
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this ;D
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Barrowed more council compost onto spud to be patch
Harvested some Kale and springies.
;D ;D ;D
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Took the compost,Dug out the rest of my spuds and some parsnips.
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I moved compost bags around the site for OH who was tidying a border. Picked Sprouts and dug some leeks, carrots etcetera. :)
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Failed to start my petrol strimmer- again. >:( Used my electric strimmer instead, which promptly ran out of line. Re-filled and strimmed around compost bin and garage, raked up some leaves and cut back some brambles.
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Today I picked weeds for the tortoise's dinner. I must be one of the few who is actually happy to see some weeds as I just think "dinner!"
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I let one of our plot holders graze for dandelions for his pets too! :)
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Dug carrots from the large fleece cloche. The forecast -5C night time temperatures might just be too cold for them to survive.
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We are going to get the sprouts for with Christmas day today, we have debated whether to buy some but it is the first time we will have had enough for everyone,plus going for our first savoy cabbage :)
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Filled up the bird feeders... :)
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Fed the cats....... and the birds.....and came home.
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Digging what is digging? Our soil is like iron from the xmas carol.
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I don't suppose a pickaxe would make much impression on my plot right now. I've just posted my HSL seed order, and I've been drooling over various seed lists. What else can a frustrated gardener do in this?
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Fed the birds..fetched some apples and taties from shed... ::)..that's how exiting the life is at the moment ::) I'm always so desperate for the winter break from gardening this time of the year..but now it is getting bit too much >:( When you don't have any other options than thaw your knickers on front of fire all day long, one is 'crying out loud' for spot of weeding :o..normally classed as swear word ;D
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went to allotment site to discover 8 sheds broken into (nothing stolen, AFAIK) >:(
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so what just happened to all the posts between nov 25th & today? (they disappeared, why?)
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Have they? I don't know about any missing posts. Weren't me. :-[
I did some digging on Sunday - well clearing a patch of brambles and couch grass. Was surprised the soil wasn't frozen, it was just the very surface plus any tubs or planters.
Amazing to see little pea shoots coming up through the snow.
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Not so balmy here. Snow stil covering the ground, but the thermometer briefly went to 0 at lunchtime, so I dashed out to dig up parsnips for Christmas dinner. Finding them was no trouble, but the soil was rock hard and it was quite difficult to get a fork in and then liberate them out of the lumps of frozen soil. Still - we have parsnips!
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nothing 6 inches of snow >:( couldnt make it to work either so watched telly
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so what just happened to all the posts between nov 25th & today? (they disappeared, why?)
Were they buried under the snow! ;D
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Zilch: but will be digging parsnips tomorrow - might need a blowtorch to get the fork in the soil but I WILL have MY parsnips ;D ;D
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We have snow at the moment but I'm going for a stem of sprouts tomorrow... billhook will be the tool of choice I think... ;D
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Took the hammer and chisel up to my plot but could not budge the leeks or parsnips. Will have to buy them this year. What a bummer.
-
am going to try and get me parsnips out of the ground tomorrow
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Fed the birds with more seeds and nuts. Ive never known them eat so much. Tomorrow I might have to go and buy some more from Lidls.
Lidl shouldn't be too busy .......I hope :-\
Duke
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Managed to chop off some sprouts. Taking the whole stalk as well. Carrots and parsnips still rock solid under six inches of snow.
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pulled (being the operative word) some swedes from a rock solid ground but it actually took longer finding them under the snow - who needs a freezer ;D
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Dug a few parsnips this morning
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pulled (being the operative word) some swedes from a rock solid ground but it actually took longer finding them under the snow - who needs a freezer ;D
I think I'd need a rock drill and black powder to do anything like that at the moment.
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Fed the birds ;D ;D ;D, twice.
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I went, I saw, I retreated. Everything is still like concrete.
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Put up my bird box facing 45 degrees N/NE, fitted a new pull cord to one of my Brigg's engines, winter veg and garlic are doing champion, I think the next visit will be at the end of February :)
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First of all found the plot!
Cleaned out the chickens, picked sprouts, pulled carrots out of tubs in the greenhouse, dug up parsnips and leeks!!!
I am totally astounded that all looks so good. On downside my dahlia tubers were still in unheated greenhouse and feel decidedly soft, as they never got put in compost in time.
I think I am lucky as my plot is sheltered, just been round to friends and their leeks and sprouts are not good and we are on same site.
Turkey stew for tea. :)
Anne x
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Sorted out some compost bins - the contents are still frozen, but I was able to lever one pile apart and redistribute it, giving me three empty bins when I start sorting the garden out. Pruned some young apple trees.
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absolutely nothing but i did have a very busy november the compost bin has been emptied and moved the new fence is up the veg patch is yet to be dug over but all the tubs were tidied emptied and weeded as appropriate i am now waiting for the time to start seeds for tubs etc i have had a complete rest from it all for a couple of weeks will dig the garden over when it defrosts though
x
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Ahhh..first bit of 'gardening' for this year done..and for last 4 weeks ;D..the mind was keen and ready for it even if the body was bit against.
I finally got my winter onions in, planted in modules as ground is unworkable. I know they are late...but they have a chance to produce or not..either way I only paid 20p for them from clearance sale ::)
Got some softneck garlic into modules as well and some other hardneck garlic bulbils in too.
.......and my 'mol lols' leeks for seed saving circle ;)
Sorted through most of my shallots..to eat and to grow lots...I didn't realize how well I did last year..I still have loads to eat and they will keep us going untill chives arrive.
Ohhhhhhhhhhh......I feel so much better now....Instant pick me up.......now I can happily climb back into bed and nurse the long lasting cold/flu away ::)
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on NYE I cleared one of my plots (giving one plot up, ain't got time to manage 2 plots and run our association) :(
today I dug up some carrots and parsnips for lunch. ;D
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yesterday we cleaned one side of the 30' polytunnel with jeyes and warm water, just as well we started early, its going to take another few goes to finish it ;D
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Yesterday I harvested a celeriac and dug, no, excavated a monster parsnip for my roast dinner. ;D ;D ;D
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Yesterday, dug over a small patch, weeded half of my onion bed, and nailed back together some of my wooden edging on my beds..
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First time I have managed to spend some quality time at the plot since November :'(
I am replacing some of the wooden bed edging and making some proper raised beds - 2 will be 12" deep and one will be 6" deep. One deep bed completed today and half filled with garden compost and manure.
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Took a digging hoe to some unwanted grass.
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delivered the last of the new locks and keys (24 & 832) to site secretaries.
that should help with the current spate of allotment break-ins!!
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Cleared some more of that grass. We've been having the annual round of break-ins as well. It always seems to happen in bad winter weather when nobody's around.
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crossing my fingers today so that I can get the garlic in tomorrow - getting desperate but what's a girl to do ;D
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today I dug a bed over, I was going to spread some of the ocmpost heap over but found that its become a foxes den, so left it alone for the minute.
Dug up some parsnips.
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Today I dug out lots more weeds, chopped down bramble bushes and extracted the collapsing arch it was climbing and tidied up the shed.
Still taming the plot having taken it over in October.
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Dug out some bindweed. I'm going to be doing lots of that.
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Dug up some more weeds
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cleaned most of one inside wall of the polytunnel :)
painted some of the scaffolding boards ray is re-building our beds with. like the forth bridge ::)
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chopped back the roses destroyed by the weight of snow to get at the buckled rose arches and ....... finally, at long last .... be able to access the shed again!
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Dug up Parsnips and Winter Radish... salvaged some celeriac... stood up a water butt that had fallen over... :o
Dug some leeks, did some tidying in the greenhouse, picked some land cress and did some rough digging... to finish it all sat on the pew with a beer... as the sun went down... first of the new year! ;D
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We dug over nearly 300 square foot, had a bonfire, dug up some parsnips :)
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Ohhh..Joy! ;D...I managed to have couple of hours in lottie ;D
Dug up some carrots, parsnips (whoppers ;D), jerusalem artichokes, salsify, leeks, scorzonera...all washed up and clean from soil..ready for the pot ;D
Had a chat with other allotmenteers...'fished' out some dead frogs from pond :'(
And plenty of just pottering about...mind and body is eager for work out but soil is sooo wet and heavy..but I'm not in rush 8)
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I wish I had anything other than leek to pull up (inexperience!).
built a pergola with scaffolding to be home to loofah, rolet and tromba de albenga squash.
almost nothing left to avoid the digging :-[
Feels great doesn't it to be back on the plot with spring looming
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Picked sprouts and carrots,still got peas in freezer O/H made lovely pork loin dinner son must have smelled it cooking they all turned up Did bring cake from Gregs bakery. Plant Aster and Dehlia seeds hope Asters work this year. New net deliverd today ready to cover brassicas (scaffold netting read somewhere that its good) Broad beans are looking good was in greece last year so did not have a meal neighbours enjoyed them (lol) no they look after everything so they deserved them And rain cats and dogs for the past 5 days but lawn looking very good Rugbypost
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Gave the bees an oxalic acid treatment. They're alive, so far!
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Set some mouse traps - the litle b#ggers have got at my broad beans >:(
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Ohhh....thanks for that Robert!..I must do oxalic to my bees too..almost forgot :o
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It doesn't do to forget! I've just been waiting for a mild day. I need to give mine some candy, and if it's still as mild when I get that far I might give them a quick inspection. I've never found that winter inspections did any harm, despite the received wisdom on the matter, and they teach you a lot about how bees winter.
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spread some well-rotted (3 yr old) manure on asparagus bed and some of the rhubarb, will spread some on the other rhubarb bed and the comfrey bed if it ain't raining tomorrow.
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It doesn't do to forget!Oh it is easy to do ::) I've been suffering with cold/flue for few weeks now and anything involving outdoors is been furthest from my mind + my brain not been up to it anyway, nor body.
But it is over now and I can start doing ourdoory things moore. ;D
Speaking of which I have done a little today....pottering about in GH and raking chicken muck on my this years squash bed...ohh my squashes are going to love it..I can almost hear them growing ;D
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solefully looked at the snow and ice that is still lying and wishing it away!
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Not been up to the plot but tats have arrived and seriously thinking about getting the lecky prop out of the garage to get the onion seed in ;)
Ninny
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Grabbed some planks to make raised beds with.
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Still can't get on the lotty but next weeks weather here in the east mids is a dry sunny week right in to the weekend so lets hope we can start to do one or two jobs, :)
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solefully looked at the snow and ice that is still lying and wishing it away!
Having the opposite experience, as the disappearing snow and ice exposed lots of stuff that needed clearing away - therefore have been tidying up, to my shame.
On the other hand, now things aren't frozen up, have been able to get out some Jerusalem artichokes that were in containers. :)
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Nowt. Have another chest infection but there is plenty of time. I am not going to be rushed this year ( she says)
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Hope you feel better soon Shirley. I don't get chest infections but colds go straight to my chest. I've been coughing since October. Far to many bugs about, thought the really cold weather would kill the blighters.
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Turned over small patch of land...it was wet and heavy but it had to be done...now it is done I can sow some wheat next...something for my new flourmill to 'chew' on for next winter....one can only hope ::)
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dug the brassica bed and to my surprise it was like crumble and not at all waterlogged as I expected. Not as many perennials second time around which gives me a bit of encouragement when I tackle new spots for the first time.
Just got it finished as the heavens opened.
Wheat? Cool!
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At last got to do some digging after what feels like months of frost or rain (soggy ground). I really enjoyed it - also digging up some celeriac, leeks, parsnips and a cabbage that survived the snow and frost.
Spring will soon be here
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ground waterlogged, more like a paddy field. :'( :'( potato day next saturday so something to look forward to ;D ;D
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Decided to clear out the greenhouse. Wind was horrendous; next door had tiles blow off the roof and neighbour was trying to patch things up. I only moved into the house a few months ago so decided to ask him when the greenhouse was last used by previous tenants (I rent...). He reckoned it must be at least 4 YEARS! No wonder it seemed like a mammoth task. Shovelled at least 150 litres of dried up compost and plants out of the containers in there. Found a few ladybirds too which was strange! Put them inside on my herb plants to avoid the huge clear and cleanout.
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Planted some 1st earlies in the polytunnel. Dug a trench, put 2-3 ins manue in the bottom, then the spuds. Covered with earth and 2 layers of bubblewrap.
Not done this before but hopefully will get a decent early crop...
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Sowed my Robinsons mammouth onion seed news years day - put them in spare room window sill - checked them today got two lickle seedlings throu - wheres the rest ????
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Planted some 1st earlies in the polytunnel. Dug a trench, put 2-3 ins manue in the bottom, then the spuds. Covered with earth and 2 layers of bubblewrap.
what do you call early? i am wating till march you can only eat em once
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Planted some garlic in pots and started cleaning up the primula auricuala and allionii's,
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had a work party to move the 8 tons of soil into the school raised beds, had burgers and trifle, slightly damp but we all had a laugh ;D
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Dug up loads of snips, leeks and harvested some brussels ;D
Brought home the rest of the stored potatoes and onions to use,
did some digging, the soil dug over very well. Feeling very pleased after that :D
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Yesterday and today... we have been working down the bottom lotty... digging back for the polytunnel move and refilling the tyre planters...
now having some dinner and going to the garden centre for some seeds... (did the audit yesterday to find what we were out of... ) :)
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Everyone's moving now after a Christmas lull!!
I carried on clearing the top of the plot, the area which will be potatoes this year.
Did some weeding, manured around GKH and rhubarb to protect the shoots in case we get frost.
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:) dug /shades x
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Saddad I do hope Alison has sorted out a minder for you or has taken on the job herself ;) ;D.
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Wouldn't let me go without her holding my hand... (arm twisted up my back...) ;D
T+M had three "offer " tomatoes on and she wouldn't let me have any... :'(
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Well nothing in the garden or the plot far too soggy :(, but the tats have arrived and are now tucked up on the spare bed on cosy egg boxes :)
Ninny
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Cleared old fallen leaves, Moved compost bin and started clearing Greenhouse. Also made coconut Bird feeders with the kids.
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Finally planted the last of the overwintering onions and garlic :-[ and some daffodils
Dug up parsnips, leeks and picked Brussels
Going to plant the "spring planting" garlic in pots this afternoon.
So good to be pack on the plot again :D
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Spent 4 hours at the plot today. Even had our soup sitting outside. The sun was shining. Managed to spread some muck on the potato beds before Tone puts the cultivator over them.Planted 2 ebony blackcurrants and 2 blueberries and 5 autumn raspberries That we got before the bad weather set in.Cut down the existing autumn bliss while Tony dug. It was so nice to spend some time up there. I know now why I love the allotment
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Did a survival audit on the plots to see what had survived the weather....I've lost all of my black kale, all of the little pot leeks (Mussleburgh are all OK), all the cauliflowers, my PSB (sob!) most of the swedes......sigh. All of my carrots and parsnips are fine though! Also lost every pumpkin I'd left in the shed, and the potatoes had all rotted too, that was a nice task clearing them out.... :-\
Oh, and one pane of glass broken on the little greenhouse...could be worse I guess. I've decided my shed isn't frostproof enough to try storing potatoes despite its thick walls, so that limits me to earlies only this year I think. Ho hum. It was nice to get some fresh air again though after being cooped up with 'flu...still deaf in one ear, partial hearing in the other, I'll have to learn how to sign at this rate!
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finished filling the new fruit bed with our 2 yr old compost ;D
.Planted 2 ebony blackcurrants and 2 blueberries and 5 autumn raspberries
we planted ebony last year, Shirley, lovely big sweet fruit ;D
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That's so disheartening, Deb. Guess it's a case of looking forward not back, now.
I think with the combination of freezing winters and rabbits, I'm going to give up trying to grow anything over winter except maybe leeks and garlic.
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Yes, the weather certainly has taken its toll. Still, I shall optimistically sow some more PSB this year and have a go, it is one of my favourite veg! I shall be crying in April though, usually bring it home by the bagfull.... :'(
My overwintered garlic and shallots are only just popping their heads out too, they usually start to grow away at this time of year, but I have kept some cloves back to plant in Spring, and some shallots which were pretty successful from a spring planting (first time I had tried it, I'd always just done autumn planting before that). Hopefully it will all work itself out in the end!
It's sunny here today, so I'm off down the lottie soon to do some more tidying up and muck spreading......happy days! ;D
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Potatoes arrived this morning all put into egg cartons ready for chitting.Started to preaser wash the paths in the garden. Airiated front lawn grass looking good for time of year checked broad beans they are all looking ok. Picked sprouts for dinner with fresh runner beans from tesco £1 a bag sliced and ready to cook I,am so good to O/H. Weather breaking here in Wales but heavy frost again last night So good rushing any thing. Rugbypost
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Dug a load of dead plants out of the plot and spread a bag of gravel over the mud patch in front of the shed.
Then a trip to the Garden Centre to lift my depression - bought a few packs of seeds with winter hardy sounding names: Tundra Cabbage, Below Zero Leeks, etc.
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Then a trip to the Garden Centre to lift my depression - bought a few packs of seeds with winter hardy sounding names: Tundra Cabbage, Below Zero Leeks, etc.
We hope your anti-depressant worked ;D
I discovered my shovel in the garden, buried in snow. Bad girl.
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cleared out the greenhouse @ home ( I know I should have done it earlier)
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Found even more seeds tucked away in the shed. Is someone deliberately hiding them there?
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managed to get a few beds dug over,also hoed the pathways
and put a birdfeeder up ;D ;D
more digging next week and then a general tidy up including washing my greenhouse
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Back in work this morning 20 mins to clear the car garden looked nice though. Put out fresh food for the birds and water. Wife was throwing old pillow out from dog basket had a look to see what was inside some type of fibre any way put some by the bird table see if they would take it to there nests, looks like some has gone will try again.
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sowed my first seeds, lamb's lettuce on the windowsill for microgreens, yoohoo ;D
on the plot, finished adding home made compost to the new fruit bed, just waiting for the trees now. picked up lots of woodchip and put it down on the paths ;D
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I dug some couch greass out from round my currant bushes, up to the point that I managed to chuck mus in my eye which I couldnt get out so had to go home and do an eye bath. Oh well back to it tomorrow.
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Err...yesterday ::) Wheat and oats are sown, first lot of strawberries potted up and in GH for early crop ;D Started clearing patch for my brassica 'breeding ground'...cage materials are nearly together, I just have to get rid of old rapberry canes..hard work.
Today one can only dream and plan as frost called work off.
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Oh yes..forgot..been wood chipping paths too ;D
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Did not finish work till late but had a half hour pottering around, all digging done back in september, Octorber. brassicas patch will not get dug again they need firm ground just a hole for each plant and lime in and around each plant. everything else is all covered with manure but that can all wait till febuary. Waiting to do a bit of work on my lawns but so far the weather has not damaged them. Rugbypost
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We had a new 'bigger' shed delivered 16 x 10 ft :o Luckily it is dismantaled into sections!!
My brother was given this and he gave it to us for the allotment...free is good!!!!
We have moved the old 3x4ft shed and some other bits but there's a lot of work to do to get the new shed up :o ;D
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Just arrived back from the lotty still frozen hard up there makes me wonder what part of the country some folk are living in when they can dig their allotment, managed to fix my new ypright in place and my last lot of garlic have appeared about three inches high really pleased because it is a greek variety which we bought to use, :)
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cut up a couple of cubic metres of hardwood (utile / sapele) for the wood-burner ( I get the 'trimmings and offcuts' from a local hardwood joinery) and finally got round to sorting out the split supply pipe to the outside loo!
no actual gardening, though!
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Was for doing a few jobs today but the weather well below zero all day with a bitterly cold wind. Had a nice day in front of tele watching Heinikin cup rugby, but did mix batter ready for yorkshire puddings , yes joint of silver side with all the trimings my idea of lunch. Rugbypost
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More digging :( :) :( :)
Almost got the potato area 'cleared' except for the bindweed which will rear its ugly head in due course.
Playing find the fruit bush next. Although the gooseberrys seem to find me rather easily......
Back and hip not happy with me, oh well.
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Tidied up the brassicae bed. The purple sprouting broccoli has virtually bent double and the stems have gone black. I am not sure whether these will recover. I cleared out all the dead leaves and used the three pronged cultivator to rake the ground. I have lost about 50% of the winter cauliflowers but this is about normal. I will still have more than enough. The Brussel sprouts are still cropping and I have a few Marion swedes left.
I then went and got some last year’s lawn mowings and leaves to put on the brassicae bed when everything has gone over.
It was blooming cold so I came home - no one else up the allotment.
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put a plastic cover over the roof of the fruit cage where both the peaches are, it worked against leaf curl last year, finished off 2 more beds with the scaffolding planks and started painting the rest for the last 2 beds, yaaay
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a lot of the ground was quite frozen but managed to sort 2 beds, put a whole compost bin of what was leaf compost onto one bed (pure gold dust it was after nearly 3 years ;D); shifted 5 barrow loads of manure uphill to another plot for later and really quite enjoyed myself but glad to get home for a long soak :)
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not been to the plot since start of nov, snow not killed garlic, it been in since july last year
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV-mZxXwiWs
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Bought my onion sets today, trying half on compost in seed cells in the cold greenhouse and saving the rest for the plot later in the season.
Ninny
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clearing more ground, from the top of the hill on my hilly plot. The soils's shallow, so will need to work on that.
Dug over some beds to try and mix more air in, hoping they'll warm up faster that way once we start to warm up.
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Went up and dug some leeks,parsnips and potatoes and the spuds are still as good as they were 3 months ago i,m amazed :o :o :o
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Been out on the lottie most of the afternoon... dug some leeks and a good parsnip (not a monster from the deep) heeled in three new apples I got for a Christmas Pressie and moved and re-sited the polytunnel frame which included laying an access path... and had a beer on the pew as the sun went down.. :)
Oh and a stem of sprouts.... ;D
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Repaired the fruit cage(snow damage) also cut a water butt down to use for planting herbs in, three more garlic bulbs have come through, to cloggy underfoot to do anything else just hoping it will dry out this week, :)
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Not a lot got up with a bit of a cold so just looked after the birds cleaned the water tray and some seed, have not seen our robin all week keeping warm i expect, & and if it dont come with brine our cat wont eat it she got no teeth. (HA)
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Cleared away all the temporary bird water pots now the pond isn't frozen any longer....and long may it stay that way!
Ninny :)
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Ninnys has given her 'kiss of death' on the weather now ::)
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Noooooo I hope not :-X
Ninny
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finished off the plastic covering over the peaches, cleared all the fruit cage paths and re covered with wood chips, sowed 40 pots of sweet peas, at last, something going ;D
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Planted orhcids ready for the summer. Robin back in the garden this morning he had a few treats before flying off. Broad beans are looking good, leeks are up (indoors) Will be looking on sowing cabbage and cauliflowers end of month.
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couple of hours digging
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Took down old polytunnel, getting a 'proper' one in February, so now prepping the area.
Pulled the front end of the plot back by about a foot and filled space with wood chip.
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couple of hours digging
A very satisfying sentence :)
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Pruned the Wisteria
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Pruned the Wisteria
do you know a lot about wisterias TB, cos I got a question for you if you do ;D - will a wisteria flower if the graft has failed (what I was told) even though it grows well in every other way and is pruned properly (sometimes)
so I am just asking questions in the garden today, too wet to do anything else ;D
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Tidied up the leaves, removed the summer bedding plants :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ from two tubs and planted the winter flowering pansies!!
OK a bit behind this year ;D
Moved my salad leaves seedlings into greenhouse propagator and fixed up the LED grow-lights courtesy of inspiration from All About Liverpool- Thankyou - Should look good at night!
Seriously I'm not sure how long to leave them on?
This afternoon hope to plant tomato, pepper and more salad leaves, and persuade OH to repair puncture in the wheelbarrow tyre.
Tonight going to Community Forum to ask for grant for notice boards for the allotment.
If anyone has any spare positive and generous vibes going spare, please direct them towards Chesterfield ;D
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Good Luck with your meeting... hope you get what you want... :)
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good luck with your meeting pumpkin lover
I was to be taking my 3 year olds to the lottie today, but its piddling down and as their wellies no longer fit it would be far too squelchy in shoes aside from getting soaked.
Add to that the fact that I was waiting for an emergency plumber till 2am and have already tried to pour my drink over my lunnch and fill a diesel car with the wrong fuel due to sleep deprivation, me thinks that I am safest sitting on my behind doing nothing that I can cause damage with
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sounds like you are not having a good day Brownowl!
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Mowed the lawn, cut the driveway hedge, loverly sunny day, just like spring, the bluetits were checking out the nestboxes.
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sounds like you are not having a good day Brownowl!
You could say that, it took 5 and a 1/2 hours to get am EMERGENCY plumber out last night! MEanwhile we couldnt turn the water off as the stop thingy was jammed and we had water coming through the ceiling into the garage where our circuit boards are. So couldnt go to bed till a plumber had been.
Ive vowed if anything else happens today im hibernating for the rest of the week ;D
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went up to Lotty far to wet still to do anythink :(
So popped out to a garden center and got some seed pot's in pink fir apple, winston and epicure makes me feel like I'm doing something :)
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Ive vowed if anything else happens today im hibernating for the rest of the week ;D
After a bad day yesterday I decided I was going to hide in the basement. A quick facebook poll of friends found that most had had a crummy day & they all want to join me. At this rate we're going to be having a party down there ;D
Started dismantling one of my much hated conifers this afternoon in a bid to get the worst of the disruption done before the birdies start to nest. Not that anything with an ounce of sense would nest in a conifer but there you go. ;D
Man it feels good to finally be getting rid of the blooming things.
Although since you mention birdboxes Ace, I might have had rather a good idea.
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picked up several piles of dog poo!
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I have had lots of dog poo on my allotment over the winter. I really hate it. I can smell it so I have to find every bit before I can work.
But today I started on the garden. I got the lottie well sorted before the winter but decided to sort out the garden it is a terrible mess. But the soil is great. I have been growing veg in it for 26 years and the soil is like butter. One area I put a lot of manure in is now heaving with worms.
It is however very full of weeds. I planted out some strawberry runners in the autumn and even though I put an inch of recycled compost on top the goose grass has come up big time.
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Pruned the Wisteria
do you know a lot about wisterias TB, cos I got a question for you if you do ;D - will a wisteria flower if the graft has failed (what I was told) even though it grows well in every other way and is pruned properly (sometimes)
the usual reason they are grafted is to put a white or pink flowered one onto a more strong, blue-flowered rootstock. wisteria usually take up to 7 yrs to start flowering ( it's why you should always purchase one in flower)
moisture and a south or west facing aspect are the usual requirements, no need to feed, but provide a good root-run. ( mine is on a south facing wall, under a leak in the gutter, with a concrete path in front of it) there's some pictures on here somewhere, I'll see if I can find one
rgds, Tony
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http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,41529.msg415726.html#msg415726
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Thanks for good wishes Saddad and Brownowl
Planted some more seeds and lined this greenhouse -Tomatoes and Peppers
This is my propagator with the LED lights- I will PM AALiverpool to see how long he leaves his lights on.
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do you know a lot about wisterias TB, cos I got a question for you if you do ;D - will a wisteria flower if the graft has failed (what I was told) even though it grows well in every other way and is pruned properly (sometimes)
the usual reason they are grafted is to put a white or pink flowered one onto a more strong, blue-flowered rootstock. wisteria usually take up to 7 yrs to start flowering ( it's why you should always purchase one in flower)
moisture and a south or west facing aspect are the usual requirements, no need to feed, but provide a good root-run. ( mine is on a south facing wall, under a leak in the gutter, with a concrete path in front of it) there's some pictures on here somewhere, I'll see if I can find one
rgds, Tony
[/quote]
thank you m'dear :) mine is east facing and is about 14 years old so maybe the trick is to water like crazy this coming few months - yours look lovely, so not jealous ;D but glad I asked
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dug 2 more beds and pruned the apples that needed in - all in an arctic gale :o but at least the sun was shining, came home when I couldn't feel my fingers any more and saw blue tits using a new bird box - early? a good sign methinks - thawing out now ;D
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Ive been tackling the privet hedges around my house at last after moving in nov 2009. they are four feet wide! well no longer and the front garden looks massive now. good job ive just germinated 20 echinacea to fill up the gaps.
that wind made it feel so bitter yeasterday though , i went inside and to bed with a hot water bottle for a hour to warm up and watch tele before heading back out to clear more of the pruning up. Great to see the birds investigating nesting sites. Ive stacked the prunings behind the compost to get them a lovely secluded place to nest this year. Sparrows chirping like mad in the eaves. :)
Brr woke up to frozen washing on the line oops forgot about that! light by 7.45 though ace
x sunloving
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Attached some coils of barbed wire to the top of the allotments site gates ( bloody thieves / vandals >:( )
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I was advised by Mr Pugh from NSALG that we should not do that Tony in case of injury to the bloody thieves/ vandals.
I have put some at on the fence in the past and have not removed it. ( sorry m' lord I did not realise it was there!)
However a couple of years ago my OH heard a young girl shouting out and found her suspended from the barbed wire which had caught in her clothing as she tried to climb over. He had to lift her off and he was alone at the time.
The possible consequencies if she had told porkies to her parents could have been a nightmare! ::) ::) ::)
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we should not do that Tony in case of injury to the bloody thieves/ vandals.
i put barbed wire round my plo t and wa stold by the powers that be to remove it for the same reason
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we should not do that Tony in case of injury to the bloody thieves/ vandals.
i put barbed wire round my plo t and wa stold by the powers that be to remove it for the same reason
it was put up following advice from the the local police!!
if any thieves get injured and want to pursue a claim, our association will be pleased to meet them in court!!
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Lets hope you catch a couple Tone, you should leave them hanging there as a deterrent to others. ;) ;D ;D ;D
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Dug up some leeks (ready-trimmed to the ground by rabbits >:() and parsnips. Pulled up the brassica stalks (completely stripped by rabbits too) and did a bit of clearing up. Soil was too wet for digging.
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OH worked on tidying the greenhouses and I went through all the potatoes in Store to check for rots/ mice damage/ frost damage. Except for the Aura which had a lot of frost damage they were in quite good nick. Very little rot and only the epicure starting to chit... :)
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We took trip to the allotment today. It was freezing! I was surprised to see two other plot holders working. We pulled some parnips and came home. It looks so sad at this time of the year but it made me keen to get going again.
Duke
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put up the frame of my second greenhouse and dug up some leeks hopin to get the glass in tomorrow as long as the weather is kind
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topped off some of the new beds with very well rotted manure, planted some strawberries and dug out the propagator, washed all the trays, still no seeds in ;D
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Sowed some miniture sun flower seed these should flower begining of may and will sow a few every month up to april. Really to cold to do anything in the garden
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fitted some extra shelves in my shed,and fitted a solar powered interior light ;D
also planted some blackcurrants and made another raised bed frame,its to be the new home for my strawberries.
have a tipper load of mature manure to drop over tommorow
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More shed building and had a bonfire ;D
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Purchased a three kilo bag of Pentland Crown for £3.15. ;D ;D ;D
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OH worked on tidying the greenhouses and I went through all the potatoes in Store to check for rots/ mice damage/ frost damage. Except for the Aura which had a lot of frost damage they were in quite good nick. Very little rot and only the epicure starting to chit... :)
can I ask if these are last year's Epicure you have kept for this year - cos they are an early spud and I was wondering about how long they have stored so well :)
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Had a bit of a tidy up tried to net the fruit cage but it is a two man job to cold to mess about, :)
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Layed out and labeled all the spuds in egg trays and stored them in the Summerhouse, I hope its not too cold for them in there. ??? ;D ;D ;D
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Purchased seed potatoes. Twenty each of rocket, home guard, epicure & red Duke of York. £10.80. Tracked swift down at wyevale.
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Not been able to do anything today as Eldest daughter needed help moving into a new place to live. Got a small town garden too. ;D
She can now start to grow a few little things for the table too. :)
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Prepped fence line for the hedge planting work party next Sunday. Got a fire going to burn all the branches etc. Dug up the last of the carrots - pleased to see that the carrot fly had missed a few ::) Created the second new deep raised bed
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Belatedly planted some primulas,chased my cat out of my cloche and cleared up a tray of cat sh^t.
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The weather still very cold trying to sort out things in the shed not a lot of room in there at the moment.Got deep trays ready for brassicas all washed in soapy water with drop of bleach. Washed canes ready for broadbeans just something i do every year.
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had a site meeting with the 'community payback' team on one site, met their co-ordinator on another site to arrange a scheme of work on there, dropped off some rent receipt books on another site, showed a potential new tenant around a plot......etc etc,
the joys of being an allotment general secretary (volunteer) :)
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OH worked on tidying the greenhouses and I went through all the potatoes in Store to check for rots/ mice damage/ frost damage. Except for the Aura which had a lot of frost damage they were in quite good nick. Very little rot and only the epicure starting to chit... :)
can I ask if these are last year's Epicure you have kept for this year - cos they are an early spud and I was wondering about how long they have stored so well :)
Yep lifted in July... just starting to sprout
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Finally finished collecting the autumn leaves! :-[
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Put some rubbish in the Council rubbish truck, which is quite small and we get about twice a year so one has to be quick. Got given an enormous turnip from a nice man as he had a surplus. Looked at the pile of horse manure but decided that OH could do a bit of shifting that next week. Spoke to the ladies that have taken on Manuel's allotment, and they are doing a course at Capel Manor, so seem keen and know what they are doing. Did some weeding but got muddy and decided to wait until it is a bit drier or better still get OH to rotavate, I know it is not recommended but seemed to work last time.
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Had a day in the garden at home.
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Finished buildinga storage structure in the garden for my lighting rigging, pulled out the two little ponds in the garden and sent them on their way to the freecyclers who had requested them, collected a trailer load of manure, took it up to the plot but ended up giving it to one of my neighbours as I didn't have anywhere prepped for it to go, did some more digging and realised the ground is easy enough to work ATM so will try and get up their early AM now...., I should get in half an hour of digging before I have to catch the bus....
Knocked down a small bit of wall that needed to go to accomodate the new greenhouse plan and filled the smaller of the two pond holes with soil from the bed in the poly tunnel (which also has to go)
Need to see if I can get the polytunnel top off cos it will make my life a lot easier re: filling the other pond hole.....
chrisc
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got some of my spring cleaning done, although there is alot more to do. But I was cut short by 45 mins as I had to pick up a sick boy from preschool, d**n this tummy bug that is going round the kids, its interfering with my allotment time.
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As the Sun 8) was shining I went to the lottie for the first in over 5 weeks, I had a potter about, a bit wet still but will give a quick dig and weed this week, met a newbie on site and had a chin wag for about 15 minutes with the fella, nice bloke an all. ;D ;D ;D
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Got home from work and cleaned out the bird tables fresh water , and food. Filled deep trays ready for cabbages, and cauliflowers will sow the seed tomorrow. I can normally plant out onion sets in march with a bit of fleese for cover so i have not bought any yet.
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Happy, happy, happpy, got some digging done at last, the plot is drying up nicely, going to put in the shallots in tommorrow :)
On a sad note the little ***** had broke 2 more panels of glass in the greenhouse >:( >:(
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spread some 3 ye old manure on one of the rhubarb patches, and also onto the main Comfrey bed, pruned a gooseberry bush, and potted up 4 rooted cuttings from the same bush ( Invicta)
had a chin-wag with the new neighbour, and donated a load of compost to him ( his plot needs it!)
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popped in yesterday to deliver some manure for my raised beds.
had planned to work on the plot tommorow and wednesday but the cold weather says otherwise,
the grounds frozen solid so if i dont break my fork i will break my wrists :(?? :(
we shall see.....
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Yesterday I finally finished cleaning up the strawberries and pruned the raspberries. :)
today went round to collect up a members' greenhouse frame which was rolling aound the site
then started on my own-the door had come off and several panes- I cleared up all the broken glass and OH put in some posts to try to stop the greenhouse moving in the wind.
We knew last year when we took over the plot and bought the greenhouse off the last plot holder that it needed a bit of work on it - but :-[ :-[ :-[ were so busy with other work like when you take over a new plot that it did not get done.
Now no choice got to get it sorted!
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yesterday actually cos the weather so bad today I daren't go out ;D weeded yet another bed (8 to go) and started clearing space on one of our big fruit beds for some plants and flowers, began sorting out all the compost bins and spotted a dandelion in flower :o
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Wandered around gloomily, looking at my ramshakled greenhouse, roofless shed and scattered pots after the bad night of gales.
So grumpy at having to fix the gh AGAIN. :(
Need a fixing slave.
x sunloving
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Yesterday I dug some parsnips and leeks, toooo windy today. :'( :'( :'(
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Had a wander around picking up flower pots and seed trays that had been thrown around in the wind... but too windy to do any real gardening.. :'(
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That's really odd Kev because its windy here too. ;D ;D ;D ;D We have got compost next Friday. ;D ;D ;D ;D Plastic greenhouse hasn't taken off yet.
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Big clean up day very high winds during the night few panes of glass broken will replace tomorrow with plastic which I bought on the way home from work had only just filled some of the pots but no damage thank god. Hope every body else is ok and you did not have any damages
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Think Kev must be eating dinner, or gone to the pub, just waiting for a witty reply from him. :D :D
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Ive just had my minted lamb chops and its windy now for sure, :-[ we are having our compost delivered on the 11th. ;D ;D ;D
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had a lovely day.was so good to finally be able to make a start ;D hacked down an old fuschia on our new half,weeded the belfast sinks and added fresh compost,took out the last of the over winter stuff and started to dig this years brassica bed on the new half. came home full of joy and happiness!
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sowed seeds - asparagus and celeriac and plan to sow the first peas in trays in the greenhouse this week, if it hasn't blown down and we are not flooded :(
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Very windy here so thought I would sow a few seeds and put on the windowsill.
Time for some early peas and maybe try for a few calebrese - packet says February.
Thought I would sort out my seeds into months so I do not forget to sow any. I think there are a few other Febs in there so I will seek them out.
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started golden sunrise, tigerella and moneymaker, sorry, cleo, (for plant sale people )in the propagator, mixed leaf salad on the windowsill oh, forgot, franchi seed, long horn shaped peppers in the propagator, too.
on the plot, the seed potatoes are here, yaaay, just started them chitting in egg boxes in the dining room ;D
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OH sowed some stuff, but I spent the day locked in Betty's shed with the scarecrow... :-X
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Had you been a naughty boy? been buying seeds? ;D
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No NSALG training day at Walsall Road in Birmingham with Squash (Betty)... :)
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Its been a day of cleaning up 2 fences down, and a small wall. Shed roof has a leak but waether so bad 3rd night very high winds, and heavy rain fingers crossed no more damage in the morning
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Compost heap repairs,topping up raised bed,general tidy up still to wet to finish digging :'(
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Fences worse for wear here too. Storm was fierce over night. DH did a temporary repair to a fencecpost that had snapped and nailed loose panels back into place.
I did a bit of harvesting, digging and general tidying. Watered tiny rocket plants in the greenhouse. Still very windy here. One broken pane in the greenhouse fixed with gaffertape ;D inside and out.
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Today was my first gardening day of the season (hoorah ;D)
Did some general tidying & deadheading although not too much tidying as I noticed lots of ladybirds nestled deep under leaves so didn't want to disturb them
Had layered my thornless blackberry bush last season, so severed and potted up 7 new plants from it (YIPPEE ;D )
Potted up my 3 raspberry canes
collected some dry seed heads I'd missed from a hanging basket
Put my seed potatoes into trays to chit
What a fab day ;D
Debs x
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OH sowed some stuff, but I spent the day locked in Betty's shed with the scarecrow... :-X
Can I put a photo on?
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Sowed some chilli, aubergine and sweet pepper seeds in my propergator at home... I know its a little early but couldn't help myself ;)
Also some sweet basil for the kitchen window sill. ;D
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Collected the panes and door that had blown out of my greenhouse and searched for my plastic bell cloches. Decided not to go to lottie to see if my shed roof is still on.
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stared in amazement in the garden today as almost overnight there are now hundreds of snowdrops, crocuses and pushkinias out in bloom - that's what happens when you don't venture out for a day or so ;D
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Picking some kale..pottering about in GH, planted few strawberry plants in containers...not much, but as weather is so windy it is not fun to be outside neither ::)
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Freecycled the remains of my rubbish Ebay polytunnel!
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Took my home compost to the lottie and daleked, and layed some cardboard on weedish ground. ;D ;D ;D
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Digging :) I have got half an allotment left to dig. This is my favourite time of year, before the weeds wake up. Also dug up a few parsnips, I seem to have too many again.
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Nothing here weather to bad supposed to be a bit brighter middle of the week got lots to repair wall, greenhouse, and shed roof all taken a bit of a battering
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Played find the gooseberry bush :) the gooseberry bushes played scratch Sarah :'(
Currents next :)
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got ready to go to the lottie, but it started to p%^s down so didnt go
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so glad i got into the garden yesterday because today has been a total washout.
Rain all day
Midweek is meant to pick up tho :)
Debs
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Tried to refix tthe polycarb panes back in greenhouse. Gave up as the winds were a bit high. Was absolutely delighted with the snowdrops coming up that Ihad forgotten about.
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OH sowed some stuff, but I spent the day locked in Betty's shed with the scarecrow... :-X
Can I put a photo on?
You already have... ;D
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OH started the greenhouse repairs, I did some tidying and pruning of an overgrown area on the site, Oh and just started to wonder about where we could have a composting toilet (all full of enthusiasm after the NSALG training day!) ;D ;D ;D
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At last I got out on the soil for the first time this year.
Not done what I thought I would, no Bean trench this year as there is not enough room for two. So I shall try to incorporate some other veg where there was one of them.
Weeded the main border and planted a shrub honeysuckle. All in all a good day before the rain due tomorrow, wait and see if that arrives.
Dug over the ground and filled a raised bed with excess soil, found there is enough to cap one of the beds and I shall wait and see if more is available later on.
All the seed heads have now been picked over by the birds and they have now been composted ready for later this year when I shall use this to cover the more tender plants.
I have a raging back ache from digging the soil but pleased that it has been completed.
I shall wait a while to see if the soil settles and then go over with a rake to level off.
Then I can start to sow some seed ready to grow on and eat with the family.
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had a great day - almost finished yet another bed, did a lot of hoeing, sowed peas (feltham first), mustard (ruby streaks) and the first sprouts (trafalgar) as part of the sprout competition I am having with my partner as to who can grow the best, could end in divorce ;D but at least it will be more fun than the King of the Corn comp ;D then came home and sat in the sun baked garden with my coffee and toast - glorious
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stirred a couple of the poly beds with chicken pellets ready for the very early spuds, covered with cardboard to warm the soil.
filled a parsnip bed 1/2 with spent mushroom compost and 1/2 with our home made compost. my marigolds , italian mix salad leaves and tomatoes, golden sunrise are up :)
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Frustratingly nothing.
Tuesday is the only day my boys dont go to preschool and sods law has it that its generally one of the best days weather wise of the week. Hey ho there is always the rest of the week to hope for good weather so I can get down the plot and get digging.
im jealous of all you who have been down your plots. Ive got allotment time envy :D
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A lovely Sunny day 8) I prepared and covered the soil ready for the great spud challenge. ;D ;D ;D
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I got another bed dug today. I was joined on the plot by my site rep who I didnt even hear come in, frightened the life out of me he did, im so used to being on my own the whole afternoon.
Hoping for no rain tomorrow and friday so I can go down and do more.
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checked fertiliszer in shed = o/k. put roof back on shed after strong winds blew roof halve way across plot
got given metal table and 2 metal chairs....soon be sat out in the sun, roll on
8) 8) ;D
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Trimmed over the Pyracantha as it has finished giving up the berries to the Blackbirds. ;)
Picked up the rubbish from the kids which leave litter to blow into the front. >:(
Dug over some more garden ready for veg. 8)
Shocked my little helper came into the house while on tea break. :o
Filled up the bird feeders again. :-\
Looked at the flowers bursting out at this time of year. :)
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Tried to dig with a spade,no joy so weeded the Japanese wintering onions and garlic area.Must remember to take a fork next time.
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Bought 3 potatoe grow bags from pound stretcher on way home from work £4.99p I thought a very good price bought 10 rocket seed pots ready for the challenge hope they will work. Have got second earlys chitting but I did not want to use them fingers crossed
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Pulled up a few weeds, dug out the sunflower stalks, scratched my arse and chatted to a few of the lotters, they haven't seen me for a while and just kept coming over chatting, it was hard to get much done, sometimes I hate being so bloody popular. :-* :-* :-*
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repaired a couple of holes in an allotment site fence with weldmesh and stainless security clips.
( note to self, must do some work on my own plot!)
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Nowt,
I slept in as the night shifts are taking there toll this week and have been busy changing these old sleepers for the new type.
I will try to get out and do something over the weekend now as the rest of this week is for night work and rest.
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had a lovely morning finishing yet another bed (yawn) and sowed more seeds - leeks, red onions, spinach, cauliflowers and some rather old day lily seeds that might not come to much but nothing ventured nothing gained ;D
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transplanted 210 marigolds in the big greenhouse for the plant sale, starting early ;D
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soon be sat out in the sun, roll on
Roll on indeed Jim, looking forward to the spring now.
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Started planting out a row of autumn raspberries.
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Mixed fat and bird seeds and scooped into halved coconut shells yesterday. ;D ;D ;D
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Wish I was a bird now with all that food around Kev. ;D
I would be round yours in a flash. mmmmmmmmmm ;)
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transplanted 15 tigerella toms, same of golden sunrise and 30 moneymaker, peppers are showing :)
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Scooped out a small trench filled with dalek compost and planted out a line of shallots, and a line of CD's above them. ;D ;D ;D
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is that Booker T on the CD's - 'green onions' ;D
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just started off my sweet potato for slips and sowed 4 different varieties of herb ;D
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Still struggling to get on the lotty but hope to sow chili and leeks this weekend, but thanks mate you Barstool who ran in to me last weekend and and did not leave any details, I have repaired the damage you TWiT,
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planted some more garlic and took some herb cuttings :)
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Weeded and cleared up more cat sh*t.Fungus was growing from it.
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sowed sweet peas in cold frame. next month { march } its onion sets.then early potatoes, broadbeans, and peas.
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It's all far to wet again on the lottie after Thursday's rain Arrrgh! Will probably start some seeds off tomorrow just so i can get my fix for this weekend ;D
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Dug out a bit of ground elder and planted autumn raspberries.
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Real nice day in pontypridd replanted the mint into bigger pot washed all the ceramic pot and filled them ready to be planted, and give the shed a good clean
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Forked some council compost straight onto my plot as it's been tipped right next to my plot
Dug out a trench for my beans
Dug up my celery that was frosted
Harvested my last two celeriac
Went home and watched the rugger and footie
;D ;D ;D
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Gave compost heap a good turning
cleaned leaves out of ponds
gave rhubarb a top dressing of home-made compost
Debs
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helped the contractor unload a pile of hazel ready for the hedge laying on my site.
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Put some more muck on my potato beds,
Tidied up two of the living willow wigwams that had been blown about by the winds..
Dug up some leeks...Mussleburgh now all rotted :'(, pot leeks are all still fine, plus a load of carrots still mostly fine as well. All black kale lost though...... >:(
Home just as it started to rain.... ;D
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:) more digging for yet another greenhouse and watered my sweetpeas, oh and cut back my raspberries,/ shades x
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To wet here in pontypridd rain and more rain done a bit on saturday but with the rugby on I thought I take her indoors shoping early (HA)
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Carrots and parsnips sown under cloches at the plot on Saturday. Started off a few seeds in the electric prop, yellow pear toms, two varieties of aubergines, orange scented and English thyme, sage, globe artichokes (some for the local horty plant sale).
Ninny
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Cut back my raspberries, weeded and fed them, scattered chicken manure around them and mulched with spent hops- hope they appreciate it!
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sowed mixed radish, red spring onions, cylindra beetroot and round carrots under the cloche on the hot bed, just enough space for 3 potatoes next week. ;D
planted up a goji berry, hazel tree and weeded the onion bed and spring cabbage, fed them and raked over 2 of the potato beds. Also positioned some tyres in the squash/courgette bed ;D
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frustratingly nothing. Boys were due to go to preschool, but this bug thats going round has knocked one of them for six so he was home all shivery shakey with a temp.
Heres to hoping that they are better by wednesday as thats supposed to be another ice sunny day here
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Cleared out the lottie shed and F##k me would you Adam and Eve it, I found a 1/4 sack of Cara's buried under all my nuts, can I say nuts, is nuts OK, yes are you sure, right, where was I, a bag of Cara's that I had forgot about, I thought my spuds had gone down quickly, oh and I forgot yesterday I repaired my builders bag and 1/4 filled it with leaf mould, manure, 2 year old turf soil and council compost, I hate it when the compost gets tipped next to your plot, I keep throwing shovel fulls on will the vultures struggle up to the other end of the lottie with it, priceless. :P :P :P
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you forgot to mention the fire you played with as well ;D
tipped 2 big bins of 2 year old compost onto the garden and spread it around and then it rained and set it all in nicely thank you
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transplanted carnations and sowed celeriac, hungarian hot wax peppers and red horn long peppers in the propagator . tidies up in the polytunnel and then went for a cuppa in the communal one as it poured down :)
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glorious here today but decided to stay home and sow some seeds - melons and aubergines, mainly using or getting rid of old seeds so not expecting much but sod's law will probably have a welcome glut instead ;D
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was to be digging.
Instead I found that my compost heap had been demolished, and my pallets i'd been saving had been burned. saws, lighters, glass and metal poles had been left all over my plot. Ok I have reasonable evidence and a witness to who was responsible and if I caught hold of them i'd be wearing thier crown jewels as ear ornaments.
So I spent my afternoon clearing up
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sowed my leeks and onions to day
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Snap... and some broad beans I put to soak.. :)
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Put a small, blue pipe fleece cloche over my shallots that I planted last week. ;D ;D ;D
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transplanted some lettuce for leaves into a trough, plus transplanted some more carnations :)
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Made sure that the cloche was still over the tattie challenge patch. Did
tidying and a bit of digging. Planted 2 climbing roses that had been waiting in pots during the cold weather.
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Buried some old brassica stalks. Sowed some Nantes Frubund which has been chitting on the windowsill and covered with bottle cloches to stop the deer treading on them.
Did a bit more to sort out the front garden I think I am finally winning. One bit is still a bit of a mess but I have decided to dig in all in and plant some spuds to clean it up.
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I finally finished putting up my greenhouse in the back garden, instructions were all over the place, its taken me 3 days, thankgod its over ;D
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Instead I found that my compost heap had been demolished, and my pallets i'd been saving had been burned. saws, lighters, glass and metal poles had been left all over my plot. Ok I have reasonable evidence and a witness to who was responsible and if I caught hold of them i'd be wearing thier crown jewels as ear ornaments.
That's terrible, I am so sorry :( I hope you managed to get it all sorted out and the people responsible get the trouble they deserve.
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finished deconstructing a large compost bin and spread its contents over one of the fruit beds, fantastic stuff it was too, finished yet another bed (only 6 more now ;D) and sowed some more seeds in the green house - red aquilegias, yellow aquilegias, ragged robin, hellebores and some mizuna, came home and sat in the sun soaked garden for a while
I find it really upsetting when I read about misfortunes that some have on their plots - we do have some vandalism but not much so sympathies are expressed and hope things improve
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transplanted some sweet peppers :)
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met with head honcho of the allotment dept at my plot today regarding the problems on my plot. As no one has actually caught the yob in question and made a statement they cant actually accuse him, even though the evidence is scattered all over his plot. So only a letter is going to go out to all plot holders on our site. Not really going to help.
anyway today I almost got a whole bed dug over, could have done with ten mins more on plot but school run called. Will finish that hopefully at the weekend - the plot not the school run- its OK I havent abandoned the twins anywhere even though one is really winding me up >:(
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Fed up of hanging around waiting for the weather to improve, so I decided to sow my Chillies, Leeks , Cabbage and Caulies in trays, :)
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cleared up the paths and planted up 2 beds of home guard spuds in the tunnel and replaced the cardboard over them, transplanted lots of sweet peas and took some oregano and thyme cuttings ;D
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met with head honcho of the allotment dept at my plot today regarding the problems on my plot. As no one has actually caught the yob in question and made a statement they cant actually accuse him, even though the evidence is scattered all over his plot. So only a letter is going to go out to all plot holders on our site. Not really going to help.
Infuriating. I had a comparable impasse when I was having stuff stolen wholesale. Then when the woman's daughter took over her plot, the council sat back and did nothing while thousands of blue bricks, Victorian edging tiles and the like went missing. Another of the woman's plots was taken over by an antique dealer with no interest in gardening, who again stole a load of stuff, though we did break in and take most of the blue bricks before she could dispose of them. The bricks were distributed to people round the site, as no doubt they'd been taken from plots in the first place.
I meant to do some digging today, but wasn't feeling up to it. I did at least get down briefly, meet my new neighbours (hope they make a go of it!) and potted up Blackkitty's Sarracenias, which arrived this morning.
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Not as much as planned as it rained until 3pm and the ground is sodden. Pleased that we managed to get the foundation pipes for the polytunnel in yesterday.
Today I contented myself with sowing in the greenhouse: Douce Provence peas, Lobjoits lettuce, Kamal red onion and dwarf Cosmos.
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Just back from the lotty no movement up there with water everywhere, managed to construct another raised bed and planted two types of garlic, :)
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planted the spuds for the challenge, weeded the onion and cabbage bed, raked over a couple of beds and sowed some pre-chitted parsnips ;D
sowing some marmande, black krim and plum toms in the propagator this afternoon
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One of the Solent White bulbs I planted today had eighteen cloves the most I have had before as been twelve :)
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sowed 1/2 pkt broad beans in cold frame.wish it would dry up then i can rotovate the plot!!
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Manure moving, potato area almost cleared, plot looking better than it has in years :)
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Prepared 4 tubs for Spud challenge
Weeded strawberry patch
Cleared some old/rotten veg and put in the dalek.
:)
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planted the 3rd spud bed in the tunnel and covered it , sowed some silverskin and radish under fleece and sat drinking tea in the shed trying to warm up ;D
sowed some black krim, oxheart and marmande toms in the propagator and fielderkraut, red and greyhound cabbage on the windowsill :)
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planted one spud ;D but more importantly got another bed dug over and compost spread, more manure spread and sowed seeds - salad rocket, delphiniums, palms, sweet rocket
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bought some lovely small watering cans for the schools, sowed some white and ordinary carrots inside, took lots of herb sowing and split the sweet cicely and repotted the bits ;D
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Spuds have gone in the tubs for Kev's challenge ;D.Thought i would try starting off our garlic in pots this year and transplant later if the ground ever dries out ???. I ordered four garlic bulbs from marshalls and some other seed first time i have ever ordered from a seed company.I must say very impressed 83 cloves out of the four bulbs :o
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Planted my spuds for Kev's challenge. Not a lot else as ground is too wet for digging.
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Cleared out weeds and old carrots from my carrot bath
Dug up old cabbage stumps and weeded some of the pea/bean bed for this year
Dug out quite a few strawberrys that have been wandering tooo far
Put a pallet hold up thingy on the bean bed and filled with manure, dalek and council compost for a small raised bed
Competition spuds are going in tomorrow, I forgot to take them with me today.
??? ??? ???
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Wet and miserable here to wet to do anything , hope to have the spuds in this weekend if I get a dry day. Broad beans are looking good Manics are way in front of me
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Bit soggy here, but planted out some parsley (tesco) and planted some peas under bottle cloches.
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At last managed to get a few hours in at allotment.
Surrounded raspberry area with new edging, and planted two rhubarb roots. But the main thing planted three new apple trees and "planted" mistletoe on their branches. Fingers crossed that they take :)
Lets hope for a good day tomorrow Ripley
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Wet and muddy, but I planted 4 spuds in tubs for the challenge and pulled up quite a few clumps of grass, they wiggled out in the soggy ground root and all, and I fell arse over tit in the mud, :-X nobody was about though. :-[ :-[ :-[
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sat in back garden watching my bees being busy!!
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bootiful day here - emptied yet another big compost bin onto strawberry beds after weeding them, sowed seeds - cabbages, caulis, beetroot - noticed flower buds on some strawberries about to burst :o, didn't really want to come home ;D
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After 4 years on my old plot, I've now been given a new plot at a different (posher) site, so for me today involved digging, digging and some more digging. Then I had a rest and did some more digging..
;D
Sheddie
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After 4 years on my old plot, I've now been given a new plot at a different (posher) site, so for me today involved digging, digging and some more digging. Then I had a rest and did some more digging..
;D
Sheddie
congrats on the new plot / site!!
where is it?
( add location to profile ) ;)
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We put the spuds in for Kevs challenge.
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Cheers Tonybloke,
In Whickham, here in sunny Gateshead (well, its sunny today at least..). The new plot is even a few minutes closer to my home. I applied for both sites originally but never expected to get a call from the new site as had heard it was a case of 'dead man's shoes' to get a plot, but after only 4-5 years, I got the call. Well chuffed with it, its all about location!. My old site is a nice enough site with some lovely people, but due to its location and no houses anywhere near it, it suffers something terrible for vandals, people dumping rubbish etc. The new site is in a posh area and lots of houses all around, so hopefully a lot less hassle with any toe-rags.
p.s. pics will follow when I get a chance, I know we all like a nosey!
Sheddie
;D
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filled 2 trays with compost ready to sow F1 sprouts montgomery and summer cabbage grey hound at end of month
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Bought some begonias from Aldi,s £1-25p for 6 tubers and 3 rose bushes £1-75p each had a good day all potted up but in the shed out of the weather. Still cannot plant spuds much to wet they will only rot in the ground so will hold back and see what happens
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Did a little digging, and looked at the bees. One colony's flourishing, the other's died out. Typical!
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Finally started clearing out one of my big pallet compost bins and sticking the stuff on the spud patch. Was offered a load of chicken poo in straw as the person who had received this gift didn't want it. What shall I do with it - leave it in the bags to rot down or empty it into the bottom of my compost bin to start new compost off.
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keep it in the bags for now,then add it in layers through the year to your compost heap.
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Oh good, didn't feel like lugging it across the plot, I a aching like mad
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We put the spuds in for Kevs challenge.
Same here - planted them under the Geoff Hamilton cloche.
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Finally got round to potting the tumeric up, its been sitting in a bowl in the kitchen for nearly 3 months ::) :-X and it now has small shoots, so I've potted them up into some gritty compost mix and will put them on a sunny windowsill. Be interesting to see what happens :)
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transplanted lots of dicentra cuttings, carnations and marigolds, covered the first of the potato beds, picked the last swede :)
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Finished weeding the pea/bean bed and have not started on the brassica bed, harvested some leeks. 8)
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bagged 16 bags of manure and took to allotment. cover the potato patch i dig yesterday with manure. then i dig a bean trench and filled with manure. all i can say is my back is killing me lol
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planted about 175 onion sets
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hope you back's ok TB - I've got 3 bags of onions to plant and will have to do it in small stages but today an easy day, just sowing seeds in the greenhouse and a lazy bit of tidying up but planning dates for the spuds to go in, the onions and broad beans - all has to happen over the next 3/4 weeks :)
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Well my OH jet washed the inside and outside the greenhouse. That's another job done! ;D
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Dug out crouch grass took 12 bags of it to the tip
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Dug out some ground elder and planted some last-minute garlic.
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Just looked at it !!!! :D
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Harvested carrots, parsnips, celeriac. Beetroot and kale.Got the onion bed ready.
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covered the early potato bed to warm up, transplanted my pak choi and put the cabbage seedlings in the street light cold frames ;D
Ray moved 10 barrows of well rotted muck, 3 per bean bed, the rest in melon/cucumber pits in the poly ;D ;D
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Just looked at it !!!!
Did it look good? :)
Ray moved 10 barrows of well rotted muck, 3 per bean bed, the rest in melon/cucumber pits in the poly
This I'm very jealous of. Trying to get friend of friend to deliver to site, but it never happens and I don't want to nag any more. Been thinking of when to ask OH whether he'd drive me to the riding stables again... It's an ordeal carrying bags to plot. Access is not easy on our site. Little narrow windy paths.
But on a happier note I had lovely time at lottie this afternoon. Planted more shallots. Worked out how to dig up couch grass using only left hand (injured right hand) and how sad am I, that made me happy ::) ;D ;D
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Finished weeding the brassica bed
Dug up the last of the parsnips
Composted some of the leaves and weeds and bagged up the nasties
Harvested kale with my parsnips
;D ;D ;D
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made 2 more bed today of 5ft by 5ft
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more digging and digging for me, bit thats all of my new plot turned over now ;D
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planted up a bed of home guard early potatoes and covered it ;D
weeded the onion bed on the new plot, again ::) ;D
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rotovated a patch for the onion sets, raked flat so next its onion sets , going to
plant later this week
i hope
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retrieved the bulbs in pots(lots frost damaged) from the side of the house and sat them in the sunshine on the patio, and pruned the clematis
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Uncovered the onion bed and give the cultivator a quick twist over the soil
Sowed Monarch and Giant Prague Celeriac in a heated propergator
Planted last 6 shallots in pots indoors. ;D
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahHvvU4JPtA
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planted a bed of red duke of york on plot 1 and covered it, put up a mini greenhouse and a shelving unit in the poly, early toms in the greenhouse and loads of herb seedlings and cuttings on the shelves, my sweet cicely cuttings appear to have taken ;D
nearly forgot took the first of the champagne rhubarb, forced under a morrison's black bucket ;D ;D
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Dug the footings for two new raised beds that will not be used for a few years yet they are both 4mtrs by 2.5mtrs will start the brick work this weekend and hope to have them done by the end of the month and will fill with all the garden waste and old grow bags, and the local stables will supply the rest for free ;) ;D
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Sowed a small patch of Early Nantes Carrots in my plastic bath on the lottie
Stringed out some lines ready for the onions
Chopped, blanched and froze parsnips
8)
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Uncovered the rest of the root bed and added council compost as the soil had sagged a bit, gave the cultivator a few twists and added some chicken pellets
Weeded in between the Winter onions
Harvested some leeks for some of my plot neighbours.
;D
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Started digging over ready for the spuds. Planted champagne Rhubarb. (hoping to start making wine for next year.) Have cleared the brambles encroaching from next doors plot. Planted more onions (pigions/magpie thieves) Still haven't worked out how they got them past the netting. Praying the weathers as good over the rest of the weekend. Felt giddy at the sight of so much sun ;D ;D ;D
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Nothing in the garden today, but i have big plans for tomorrow ;D
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Planted a damson tree - Merryweather - and two blackcurrants, Ben Sarek and Ben Connan.
Took tarpaulins off a 12 bale double row of straw bales, my new craze. Eg: http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com/straw-bale-gardening.html
I am hoping to a) stifle a big area of weedy meadow for later digging as a veg bed, and b) grow some crops while I am waiting.
Weeded a small bed of shallots, elephant garlic and over-wintering onions. Admired leeks, not big, but visibly fattening up.
Allotments (3 smallish plots) look very messy over all, but are actually quite productive and I have the usual optimistic plans for perfection.
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transplanted some more pak choi, red fuego and fielderkraut cabbage, sowed some kalibos cabbage..dug up some leeks as that's where the spuds are going, making some pea and ham soup tomorrow so loads will go in there ;D
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raked seed bed to a tilth, sowed broad beans and brought home some leeks for Sunday lunch.
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Too much!!! .......... o u c h !!!!!
...and probably same again tomorrow.... :-((((
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Sat in the sun with a cup of tea!
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It was a lovely sunny day here today so I.......
Pulled up the last parnips brought them home and prepared them for freezing.
Removed all the dead leaves from the stawberry plants.
Weeded two raised beds.
Weeded in-between the leeks.
The sun brought out a quite a few other allotment holders today. Some I hadn't seen in months. It was nice seeing them again.
Duke
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While Tony was dock hunting I was emptying out our 3 half barrels. One is going to be used for the spud challenge at Walsall rd and the other two for our long carrots
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in the drizzle, weeded another bed (only 2 to go now), put a big tub over some rhubarb to force and sowed cabbages, celtuce, mitsuba, kintsai and some porcupine calendulas ;D going to play with seeds now
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sowed Aubergines, Tomatoes and Peppers :) Did I mention I'm getting a greenhouse ::) ::) ::)
Thanks for the reminders folks, must sow some Oriental veg next
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Planted Victoria rhubarb, then lined string ready for onions to go in, next week hopefully, if the weather holds 8)
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Sowed some dahlias, potted on some aubergine and chilli seedlings. If I don't succeed with aubergines this year(third year of trying) I will give up :'(
Duke
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transplanted the last of the pak choi, some more fielderkraut cabbage, sowed some fillbasket sprouts and speedy cauliflower in the tunnel, under plastic outside, sowed some silverskin onions ;D
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Sowed all the tomatoes... then brought the pots into the propagator to get them going.. :)
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Started the almighty tidy up in my garden at home. Lasted 1/2 hour. Think I'm going to have to get a 'person' in to help. :(
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Finished mulching the rhubarb with last year's grass cuttings, and did some digging.
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planted 2 rows sharpes express spuds , rest next week if weather is fine
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We had a bonfire on the lottie to burn a stump in the middle of our compost area
Planted 2 Rockets for the challenge
Potted up 8 strawberry runners
Shoveled manure into recycle boxes ready for the spuds.
;D ;D ;D
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Collected ashes from our bonfire, it was still hot from yesterday and started smoking again as I collected 3 fire buckets of ash
Took off cardboard, weeded and cultivated more soil
Put the cardboard and blankets on the path
;D ;D ;D
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Dug up all the parsnips to make wine- and eat some! ;)
Dug up leeks and picked sprouts and sprout tops to make leek and sprout top soup.
Let a couple of chickens out to do a bit of weeding for me.
Planted the "step over" apples- did the cordons a couple of days ago.
Dug out the compost from and old water header tank because the drainage hole got blocked, put another one in and replaced compost for a new blueberry.
Tidied out greenhouse on plot and watered the overwintered lettuce and chrysanthemums.
Started to empty a compost bin where taters are going.
Moved a few blue barrels for the rain water collection.
Then came home, made the soup and had tea! ;)
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planted my mini , self fertile, no peel kiwi, sounds too good to be true ;D
planted out some limnanthes and some alpine strawberries and weeded the onion and cabbage beds, the weeds think it's spring ;D
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Pulled out the pea sticks and dug over the failed pea bed ...ready to try again ...found a couple of potatoes and a carrot in there. Cut some PSB ,leeks and rhubarb for lunch . Had a small bonfire in the incinerator bin .
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Tried to get rid of Crocosmia in the back garden and tomorrow attempting to do the same with Oxalis!Space invaders - never conquered that old game either!
Ninny
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Planted out my greenhouse grown garlic. Planted my jermor shallots and sowed carenten 2 and blue de solaise leeks in the greenhouse.
Julie
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I wonder if you go back to the same day 2 or 3 years ago on this thread and see if you did exactly the same thing
ground hog day ;D ;D
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I've put the washing out... does that count? Hoping to replace some greenhouse glass too.. :)
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Finally got on to the lotty and sowed my Broad beans and started to net my fruit cage, since Saturday the lotty as dried out and the soil was workable and will be ideal if the weather stays the same till the weekend when my onions and shallots go in :),
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planted up a bed of spuds, red duke of york and smile to fill it up, covered with fleece to keep them toasty, transplanted more celeriac, got 42 now, every seed came up :o
transplanted the last of the carnations and marigolds for the plant sale, watered everything that needed it ,sat having a cuppa and a laugh in the communal shed out of the wind ;D
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dug over one bed :)
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Finally got out there to do something.
Sowed some marigolds, nigella,cosmos, cornflower, and KochiaTrichophylla(burning Bush).
Also started with Carrots, chives, beetroot and spring onions under the cloche.
Weeded and cleared the deep beds ready for some veggies.
First cut on the grass at the highest cutting point.
pruned a few shrubs that needed it.
Put up a nest box for years to come as the smell of me will be on the wood.
Finally trimmed the mint pots to encourage new growth.
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Over the weekend number 2 plot got completely rotavated twice adn had about 2/3 of its area covered in manure between the two rotavatings.... Also put up smoe fencing in the garden.... what I didn't dop was sow seeds.... oh well.... there's always wednesday.....
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Gardening has started properly now! ;D I've sown salads..peas..herbs...(in GH though)..done bit of weeding outside..yes the bl...ers have started to grow now :-\ Tons of seedling to prick out..all tomatoes are sown, wild leeks planted outside...AHHH..lovely..and bit of sun as well ;D
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How sad am I, Just sowed some lupins. Well 120 to be exact. :-[
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Went into the greenhouse to sow seeds, but noticed that some of the early daffodils. colchicums and sternbergias looked poorly. tipped them out to check and found that a lot were killed by the severe cold last year. :'( :'( :'(
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Lovely sunny day here, but cold- an ideal day for digging! Dug over a big patch with the azada (not as thorough as the fork, but quicker!), spread pelleted chicken manure and some BFB. Was going to plant some onions sets but was put off by the forecast of frost tonight.
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More weeding and cultivating
Sorted out saved bean seeds
Shovelled the last of the bonfire ash and give it to the site sec for his compost bin. ;)
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dig over another bed
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dig over another bed
:D :D
AND ME
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had a busy morning - weeded and tidied, planted 1.5kg of Epicure and 1.5 kg of Lady Christl spuds (only 15 kg of 5 more varieties to go ;D), sowed some broad beans, greenhouse is nearly full and takes ages to water now but still managed to sow some coriander and more cabbages - it was lovely down there and so warm after a frosty night
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weeded between the blackcurrants and fed all the fruit on plot 2, started painting the new beds, took measurements and did the planning ;D
radish and carrots up in the hot bed ;D ;D
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Planted out three lines of Turbo onions. ;D ;D ;D
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A spot of digging then harvested lots of rocket and lamb's lettuce from the greenhouse, gave the shallots and garlics a handful of chicken pellets and enjoyed the sunshine. At one stage I wondered about taking my fleece off, but in the end it stayed on.
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Sowed most of the seeds, put in my heated propagator.
With the peas and B.beans in conservatory away from mices.
Hurrah feels like I've started! :)
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Terrific bonfire including rotting cardboard covering compost heap (OK should have carried on composting it, but too thick and damp and ugly and heavy) plus autumn raspberry canes cut down rather late, and all sorts of mess.
Spread compost heap around, dark and delicious stuff.
Lovely weather, loads of digging, fantastic quantities of couch grass and convolvulus thrown onto bonfire to damp it down at sunset.
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Checked and watered stuff in the first greenhouse. Got the glass to fix the third g'house but son dragged me off to Ashbourne for the football.... :-X
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sewn some morning glory,watered the sweet peas which are coming on nicely now
sewn leeks and sweetcorn,and planted a rose bush i purchased off aldi.few bulbs went in also ;D
have some desiree potatoes in the shed waiting,and onion sets.
need to buy my carrot,peas,and courgette seeds this week and im all set
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Not a lot in the garden just the green house checked my flowers all going well bit of light and winter sun during the day won,t hurt them but all in doors in the night this time of the year O/H would happily divorce me ;) ;) ;)
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:) MORE DIGGING DONE
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Got an early start in and dropped off a load of manure before nipping home for a shower and catching the 7:45 to work....
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Planted another line of onions
Raked the stones on my far path up against the stingers to try and keep them at bay a bit this year
Raked the soil level where I have just dug up my parsnips
Dug up couch grass around my raspberry's
;D
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:)
Digging
(http://i691.photobucket.com/albums/vv277/GRACELAND_01/Photo-0028.jpg)
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Used my Mantis to rotovate last years onion bed ready peas and broad beans.
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Used my Mantis to rotovate last years onion bed ready peas and broad beans.
I use the Mantis to Break The ground down after digging ;)
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Finally got that new bit of glass in the big greenhouse... went round watering in the frames etcetera... set 192 onion sets in trays... :)
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transplanted some kohl rabi that I've started in cells , watered everything that needed it, moved the campanula cuttings outside, transplanted some sweet peas into morrison's buckets for the plant sale ;D
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finished all beds today :D just maintenance now on paths and some branches that need sawing down, such a relief when we were so behind but everything looks great now but give it 3 months and the weeds will be great too ;D sowed another packet of broad beans, some lettuces and spinach - had a lovely morning in sunshine and its sleeting now so planning my next visit
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painted some more bed sides until it rained, planted 100 spiraxis/ freesia bulbs under the fruit trees ;D
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didnt go to plot, fitted 2 new batterys to my mobility scooter, now on charge for 24hours
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Nothing been at work keeping the country going, but tomorrow it's onions also red onions and shallots plus a bit of rotovating, :)
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weeded the front garden
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Digging, like every day last week and this whenever there is time and the soil is suitable.
Transplanted broadbeans and protected them with bottlecloches. Sowed spinach. Harvested salad greens and kale.
Found lots of very fat white convulvulus roots. Considering they are related to sweet potatoes, would somebody please cross them - then I could feed the whole town with winterhardy sweet potatoes ;D
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Dug up all my leeks
Put up a bit of small bit of fencing down one side of the plot
Put a few more earlies in
A bit of weeding and tidying up
:D
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also red onions...
My red ones always seem to bolt from set >:(
Me - nothing today - been chasing network ghosts all day but tomorrow is earlies in containers and digging, lots of digging.
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Digging and tidying :)
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Put the washing on the line for wife :)
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A bit of digging, and I brought the brassica seed home to sort out an early planting. Someone suggested starting couve tronchuda early, indoors, for an early autumn crop, and I'll be putting several other brassicas in at this rate!
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Tried to soak my experiment growing veg in 12 straw bales.......and the allotment water was turned off.
Never happened before. When your allotment water is turned off, when is it usually turned on again?
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stayed at home today to tend to the garden - sowed seeds, topped up all the pots with lovely home spun compost, cleaned out the chiminea and we are all set to go here ;D
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Been tidying up..'digging out' all pots and bits of rubbish from hedge bottom that wind has been blowing there over winter.
Shifting stored slabs on better location out of way.
Digging and turning land over for new squash bed ;D ;D
Digging row of JA's out and bindweed..never ending job ::)
That's action so far..more to do once coffee had 'dried' out and tummy cannot take it anymore. ;D
another shift is waiting while weather is good ;D
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Went to the plotment to move spread the compost, found three more broken panes of glass :-[ :-[ :-[ on the greenhouse.
Started checking through my alpine seed pots and managed to fall over and bash my head on a barrel.
now got a nice bump and a bruise on my leg. Sunlovers came to help!
Anyway going back this afternoon to get bit more done or fall over again! that gooseberry wine we started last night must be strong stuff. ;D ;D ;D
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Walked round admiring all the spring flowers covered with snow!! :-[ :-[ :-[
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Our water will be back on again early next month, as long as we get reasonably seasonal weather.
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transplanted lots of lettuce, watered stuff, Ray washed the roof of the poly, I transplanted 100 anthirrinums, fiddly little things ::)
planted up 14 buckets of sweet peas, the greenhouse is filling up quickly ;D
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Digging lots and lots of digging ;D put in leek seed and some more spuds in pots in the greenhouse
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Planted some bulbs, sowed more seed of flowers and veg. :D
OH made a cloche cover out of fleece and webbing for my bed. :-[
Put up my canes for the runners next month.
Raked over the seed beds ready for more seed to go in.
Had a cup of tea. ;D
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Loved it, me and Mrs Smith working together, fruit cage netted onions and shallots in just a brilliant morning, I'm back down tomorrow if it stays dry, :)
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Round two today and all JA's are up,, land turned over and several barrowfull of chicken muck loaded on..
Body says it's done some work today :-\
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Planted some Picardy Wight garlic- had been in pots at first.
Planted early potatoes.
Lovely day. OH measured up for next glass cutting assignment for the greenhouse and put guttering on shed.
Let the chickens on to site of an old compost heap to do some weeding for me ;D ;D
Watered over wintered lettuce in greenhouse and the chrysanthemums-not sure if they've all made it :(
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nowt cos it started to rain
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Finished off a line of Rocket
Emptied home compost into the dalek
Planted out 6 shallots in my back garden that I had in pots indoors
Cut the grass in my back garden and put some of the grass on the spud ridges.
;D
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Got the greenhouse up in the garden woo hoo, only took four months of nagging ;D I am going to start filling it up tomorrow, oh what shall i sow first ;D ;D ;D
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O H done some digging! ;D
sowed some cucumbers and toms indoors then some radish and carrots direct!
planted some shallots sets too! enjoyed every min i love getting up the allotment and spending quality time with my hubby and forgetting all about work! cant put a price on it ! ;D
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Sowed all the peppers and Aubergines for the propagator.. lots of brassicas for the cold greenhouse... moved the sweetpeas out to the other greenhouse.. did some weedng.. lovely day.. :)
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Digging. I started lifting the Chinese artichokes, rather belatedly as they're already coming up. They're tiny fiddly little things which will probably become a weed. I'll see what that taste like, and whether they freeze well.
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I've often considered growing some but apparently they need very rich conditions to reach any size... :-\
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Repoting flowers ready for out side end of april 5 lots of sunflowers, 4 lots of Begonias, White marigolds 17, Marigolds mixed 27, China Aster 30, Dalhias dwarf 40 Californian poppy 20, Orchids 5 types , Aster mixed 45. The hanging baskets I will start this week its space I am crying out for but come june july WOW sea of colour ;D ;D
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Nothing done today - weather miserable, cold and rainy
Hopefully tomorrow will be better
Debs
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claimed back my greenhouse after it being used for a winter shed :)
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Been ages since i posted anything here as the garden has been water logged but after a bit of light weeding last weekend its since dryed out and i have got loads done. (and hubbie)
Lifted all the weed membrane and let the rest of the soil breath (till tomorrow when most will get covered up again.
- Planted 4 David Austin Roses
- Planted 2 of 6 Honeysuckles
A few hours serious weeding around the edges of the garden filled a entire large brown bag of mostly dry stuff.
Husband laid more paving slabs between where my raised beds will be and leveled out the soil in one for planting tomorrow (carrots, leeks and beetroot). Worked out final planting for bramley apple tree which was an impuse purchase at ken muir and not in my planting scheme so had to do a but of switching around. 3 Minnerettes (pixi, pippin red and another one i cant remember) are going into herb bed now and in hindsight this is probably a better place for them as they will get better sun and cast less of a shadow on the patio.
Now sitting with hot water bottle on my back having had a hot shower and taken 1 tylex :)
Been though what husband can do in the garden when i am laid up so fingers crossed in 6 weeks all will be well!
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All ready for a day at the allotment- even picnic planned!
Opened curtains and it's raining again! A sad day already and it`s only 8.30.
I think I will spend the day in the greenhouse and even eat lunch in there! :'(
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Looks like a day of greenhouse therapy is in order for me to
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Nowt yet.. but sun breaking through so here goes... :)
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Resting after the digging
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not a lot today - just sowing edible sprouting seeds in, guess what, a seed sprouter ;D just cress for now but quite a few others lined up
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greenhouse is all ready now to get sowing
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Finished netting the fruit cage and ran the rotovator over the lotty just to get it to dry out a bit quicker, :)
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just sowed some cornflowers and sunflowers and just had a chat 8)
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Put the three apples I got for Xmas into their permanent bed.... dug some ground over. Going back out to plant the shallots... ;D
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painted another bed and a half, sowed some more carrots and mixed leaves, weeded around the new blackcurrant bushes and found 2 of the lidl ones have rotted :o
enjoyed the sunshine ;D
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Planted up onions and sowed some more lettuce.
Repaired a hedge trimmer and hoed some weeds off.
Looked around and seen signs of growth in a lot of stuff.
Gooseberry is now starting to bud up so shall be keeping an eye on this now.
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Pouring down this morning so decided I'd stay home and sow seeds. Sun came out this afternoon but it wasn't worth going to the plot by then. Sowed peas, artichokes and beetroot and lots of flowers.
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planted the rest of early spuds 6 rows in all, and onion sets, next is broad beans, then april its four rows of peas.
jim
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sowed some herbs
thyme, parsley and dill
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I was netting out my fruit cage, then run out of netting :'( but decided to stay out when the sun came out, pop home, poured a glass of wine for me and my other half, and i then had a sudden burst of energy and started digging and weeding ready for my potatoes, spent the morning in the greenhouse re potting tomatoes plants, moved some plants over to plastic greenhouse , so i have been a very busy bee today. ;D
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Spent the last two days digging over my new half plot ive managed to get.
I now ache all over !!!
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Spent a few hours cleaning out old compost from some large pots washed refilled ready :) Still not planted anything out still to wet, will hang back till weather changes had over a ton of free manure from the local stables its where to put things stuck for space at the moment
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Got up during the night to a poorly Harriet looks like she has 3 teeth coming though so lack of sleep and a clingy still poorly baby meant the gardening got knocked on the head. Husband carried on with the laying of slabs but the garden remains unplanted and uncovered. Which means i have 2 hours tomorrow to get everything done.
Fingers crossed i can get my list done which means husband can get the turf laid while i am laid up and it will be ready for the summer for Harriet to play on :)
Soil is far 2 cold and wet still to i am having to pack all my seeds back away will cover the ground up to stop the weeds taking over again and fingers crossed i can try again in a few weeks...
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I've often considered growing some but apparently they need very rich conditions to reach any size... :-\
I'm not sure they do reach any size. they're a bit of a pain, but at least they've cropped. There's a decent page here, though it evades the question of size. http://www.slugsandsalal.com/plantdb/veg/artichoke/artichokechinese.html . I can very easily see them becoming a weed.
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more digging but i am getting there going to make 2 more beds then going to leave the middle bit for a bit.
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weather this morning was rubbish but by lunchtime, sun struggled through & afternoon was glorious
planted up two containers of first earlies (lady christl)
sowed seeds (onion ailsa craig, leek musselburgh, kale, dill )
Will need to buy some beetroot, broccoli & french bean seeds as lid on seed tin not shut properly &
seeds had gone mouldy :'(
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Stuck a few brassicas in pots.
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Soaked the bean trench
Filled with shredded paper
Topped with council compost
Drenched again
Then put back original soil and mounded
;D
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OH tidied up some flower beds, which included me digging out a large carex pendula..
but I worked along the boundary fence of the lottie digging out couch and bindweed... have a keen new neighbour who has done his side so we stand a chance of sorting it... :)
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More diggin ;D
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Weather fantastic in Whitley Bay today - so sunny and warm at my plot. Wore my sun hat and put some sun block on my face (yes, really did!).
Put some manure under my gooseberry bushes, and planted out my new blackcurrent bush. Put some manure on my courgette/squash bed to-be, and dug out some old redcurrant bushes. Then dug over two thirds of our pea/bean bed which is very large. My back is very achey at the moment but hopefully after some tlc tonight will manage to finish off the bed tomorrow. Quite pleased with progress at our plot. OH is lopping some of the trees to the side of our plot as it has started to be quite shaded there, so think it will make a big difference to our crops this year. I am really looking forward to lying on our sofa tonight surrounded by cushions. :) busy_lizzie
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Ditto as per Bizzy lizzie :) - weather beautiful in Whitley Bay today.
Planted more earlies (Anya) in pots for patio
Sowed seeds indoors - Salads (rocket, mizuna,corn salad, mustard red giant,)
Cauliflower All Year Round & Spring Onions
Debs
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As the ground is still cold i have dug out some cardboard i was saving and hubbie is going to lay cardboard down and cover in black membrane to stop the weeds and help the soil warm up.
Upon digging out the cardboard i had saved (big bits) i found a carrier bag with some seeds which i had forgotten about. Looks like a bag of seeds i took from my allotment a few days before it was torched :) bit of a spicy smell so going to have a sort out tonight :) Also found my wireless headset so i am going to load an audio book onto my phone so i have something to listen to :)
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i spent almost the whole morning in my greenhouse, OH only put it back up saturday afternoon, oh that feels sooooooooooooooo much better ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Got home from work and the lawn looked dry so give it its first cut on a high setting pulled a bit but it cut ok give it a top coat of fertilizer will do another one tomorrow. ;D ;D
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finished transplanting the last of the sweet pea buckets, 25 of them now, transplanted the kalibos cabbage, watered stuff in the communal greenhouse, showed a new special needs group around, then a school for one of our new beds, busy day ;D
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Dug out lots of bindweed and spread some hops.
Turns out the people who took over the other half of my plot haven't given up- they were there today. Their side is definitely in a worse state than when I left it last year, but they seem keen to get it sorted (again!) so I wish them luck!
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weather this morning was rubbish but by lunchtime, sun struggled through & afternoon was glorious
planted up two containers of first earlies (lady christl)
sowed seeds (onion ailsa craig, leek musselburgh, kale, dill )
Will need to buy some beetroot, broccoli & french bean seeds as lid on seed tin not shut properly &
seeds had gone mouldy :'(
I have some spare beetroot, broccoli & french bean seeds if that helps you out? Might be a week or so before husband can stick them in the post?
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Lifted more Chinese artichokes. I remember Harry Dodson muttering about these in 'The Victorian Kitchen Garden', and I can see why!
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in record time planted 160 onions (only approx. 300 to go - almost one for every day should be good ;D), sowed a packet of dwarf broad beans, sowed some more leeks, dug in the manure on 2 large beds, watered in the greenhouse and rushed home to have coffee in the sun baked garden - phew
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Turned the soil with my cultivator and mixed in some dalek compost in, then put up my home made wigwam
Put the pallet hold up thingy onto the pea/bean patch and emptied some soil that I had in a dustbin into it
;D
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Weeded the rockery & mowed the grass
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planted a hazel at plot 2, took it ut of the garden where a squirrel had buried a nut ;D
painted another 1 1/2 beds until my knees and neck gave out ;D
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went shopping for some more seeds,ended up buying more spuds while there
watered my seedlings,dug over the bonfire remains and prepared a few patches ready for flowers
also chopped up some old raised beds,using them as composters
tommorow i need wood stain,nails and a hoe ;D ;D
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so far, transplanted some of my baby moneymaker toms into larger pots, plus 5 burpless cucumbers out of the propagator into their own pots ;D
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Got up early, drove to the place I get my manure from and filled my trailer, then caught bus to work cos it goes past the place.... will pick up my van and trailer on the way home.... saves towing the manure for 50 miles just to go to work..... I have a season ticket for the bus...
chrisc
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Dug. I ended up with a trayful of Chinese artichokes, from the few I planted last year. I just noticed that the first Gloria de Portugal seedling is up.
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I put up a few more small bits of fence on the lottie
Sowed some tommies - Garden pearl, Tigerella and Roma
Sowed some marigolds
:)
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Not as much as i would have liked bloody van broke down! >:(
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Nothing sadly.. :-X
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Got up early, drove to the place I get my manure from and filled my trailer, then caught bus to work cos it goes past the place.... will pick up my van and trailer on the way home.... saves towing the manure for 50 miles just to go to work..... I have a season ticket for the bus...
chrisc
Serious result yesterday evening.... got a lift back with someone from work that saved me nearly an hour on getting back to the bus so I managed to get it to the plot and manure the rest of plot 2 that didn't get done a week adn a half ago.... thought that was going to be a job for the weekend, now it'll just be a rotavation job....
chrisc
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planted another 3kg of spuds, pentland javelin, planted out some monarda, tarragon and sowed some spring onions and had time to hoe a few areas - daffs out everywhere :o seems early to me but lovely
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Washed clay plant pots this morning.
Allotment in afternoon and cleaned out the "girls", spread compost onto where spuds going, picked brussels and planted a replacement blueberry.
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My first home guard potatoes are up under the cloche in the hot bed ;D
finished planting up the early potato bed, sowed some more radish and spring onions, we finished off the bed painting , weeded :)
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More digging.
Transplanted the first peas in groups of 3 and put bottle cloches over each group - Carruther's Purple Podded and Pink Blush sprinted away after germination. More varieties are hardening off to follow soon.
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Cultivated soil and mixed in Dalek compost and put up another wigwam. ;D
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More diggin!
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Dug. Checked the bees, which are thriving, with a lot of willow pollen coming in. Put up a new mini greenhouse.
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pricked out alpine strawberries,dug over bits of new brassica patch and laid a cross shaped path across it,weeded a bit,sowed more broadbeans in modules as meeces have been nibbling the seedlings in the greenhouse. went back as an after thought and covered all the other seedlings to protect them.
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Lady Christl tats went in last weekend :)
Ninny
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As I am on nights this week, not a lot doing.
Chopped some wood down for the wood burner and put out more seed for the birds. Seems to be all at the moment. :'(
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transplanted some 'speedy' cauliflower, fillbasket sprout, tuscan salad leaves. sowed some purple haze carrots, finished off the buckets of sweet peas with their sticks to climb up ;D
Went to our special needs group centre and moved some fruit trees that have been put in the wrong place, sat down now, still got tomatoes to transplant, phew ;D
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thinking of sowing some stuff in cold greenhouse next week what do you reckon ?
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Nothing today just a bit soggy here, and oh so close to finishing digging never mind maybe next week, if it dries out over the weekend.
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Dug where large cloche was. Put cloche back, Made furrows, filled with nice crumbly compost from a mature 'dalek' and sowed first Nantes carrots, watered well and put fleece back on.
And a bit more digging .....
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Dug, and put up another mini greenhouse.
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thinking of sowing some stuff in cold greenhouse next week what do you reckon ?
been doing this for well over 2 months now - so yes, you can sow almost anything at this time of year - hurry up ;D
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Sowed carrots, beets and parsnips back up there tomorrow for another session soil is perfect to work with, lubbley jubbley, :)
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Cambourne,
If you have some spare brocolli and beetroot that would be great
If you PM your address I'llsend a SAE
Debs :)
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Cut grass general tidy up getting ready for sowing in Green house
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had a great time, lovely weather, emptied 2 more compost bins onto fruit bed, one bin is rather large and I nearly fell in, seeing as I am quite small that would have been funny ;D - planted another 150 onions, sowed some mizuna and spinach and generally tidied up
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I had a fab time today, it was actually warm enough for me to have my first long visit to the lotty this year
;D
I lifted the black covers from the areas I grew squash on last year....so lovely to see the weed free soil underneath. And then put it down again in the area I will use for this years squash.
Cleared weeds from around the edges of my raised beds & added compost to the beds, getting ready for planting/sowing etc.
Decided on a place for my new strawberry bed.
Planted artichokes along one of the edges to act as a screen between my plot one of & the neighbouring plots in the hope it will encourage their children to stay off my plants ;)
Had a good old tidy of my small shed......fabulous! Ive missed being down there so much over the winter.
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Dug up 2 large patches of lawn to make veggie beds - not sure if I'll be able to get out of bed tomorrow!
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planted a bed of kestrel, transplanted some verbena, calce-thingy, can't remember the name, plus some more bl**dy anthirrhinums, sick of the sight of them, can't you tell it's the run up to the plant sale, 2 weekends this year, at 2 different sites ;D
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I've been tidying up in GH and moving tomato canes around, trying to achieve some space for some extra tomato plants later on...after some careful maneuvering I managed to find room for ONE more plant.. ::)..well it's better than nothing..desperate times ;D But as a bonus with all this hassle. I have got room now for some chillies and peppers too ;D ;D That leave my small GH free for anything and everything..OH JOY.. ;D Must do some plans and lists..
Sown some more dwarf peas in buckets..and some dwarf beans...I can almost taste them now..won't be long now ;D
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Had two good mornings on the lotty sowed some more carrots and beetroot plus parsnips, prepared the coldframe for my chillis and had a play with the mantis and I have found out what my raised beds are for, so cats can have a shite in, :)
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Planted out my Sturon onions, half straight into the ground and half from modules. Divided some pond plants and generally tidied up in the garden.
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Dug over the large border and removed as many weeds as I could. ;D
Sowed more veggies, cabbage, Chives, cauli, and carrots. :P
Lupin seeds are just popping their heads above the soil.
Alyssum and cornflower are up too. :D
Might have to dig up a lot of the forget me nots as they have taken over in one place. :'(
As I was digging the border over, managed to dig up the gladiolus so put them back again.
Plenty of signs of new growth on a lot of plants so well on the way to a good year again me thinks.
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planted a blackcurrant bush we grew from a cutting, plus a sweet cicely from our large one, didn't realise the could be split ;D
transplanted some more celeriac, every seed came up :o
transplanted some oregano cuttings that had rooted, moved some cabbage and lettuce seedlings outside, bit too warm in the poly and they're giving a mild week here ;D
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I've been pricking out seedlings in GH..forever lasting job.. ::)
Planting shallots in modules, sown some herb seeds, gave spring feed for all fruit trees and bushes..bit late but better later than ever..
Spread chicken muck around beds..re-counted my squash markers and arranged them again and now I have 'found' some room for another lot of sweetcorn.. ;D
Sat down for break on front of beehive and watched the bees go by..and the sun was shining..neighbours cat came for cuddle as well, so there we were..sitting in sun..cat purring on my lap, bees buzzing and birds singing..wonderful! ;D
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Planted out some chitted peas under plastic bottles. Weeded strawberries. Planted some new raspberry canes. Busy busy busy.
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Planted radishes and rocket and pruned roses.
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Put the spuds in.
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Planted 3 rows of Kestrels, did some hoeing and moved compost onto garden and planted a few ornamentals to look preety! ;)
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Over the weekend I've:
Potted my strawberrys into their planters in the back garden
Weeded and mixed the soil in the tommie pots
Cut the grass ( well the OH did it ) ;)
Planted a line of Winston that I swapped for some Rocket
Weeded the Strawberrys
Today I've:
Sowed some Marigolds in a small raised bed
Watered carrot seedlings
Watered spud in a tub
Layed some thick black plastic on paths and covered in wood chip
;D
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Sorted out my Sarracenias, which are showing signs of growth, with their feet in water, and did a bit of digging.
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bad bit
patched two holes in a site fence where the 'little darlings' got in and out of the site. Oh, they also burnt down 6 sheds, which also destroyed 4 greenhouses. so, also ordered 2 skips for the morning.
good bit,
planted my early spuds
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Sorry to hear that Tone :(
I've just sown: Cucumber Telegraph and Cauliflower Romanseco :)
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Really sorry to hear that Tonybloke. Makes you very >:(
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Spent all day at the allotment. Got excited about bonfire that Site Sec lit to burn the rotten bits from the 250 scaffold boards (that were delivered on Saturday, and have now all been taken, I have four) as he said I could put some of my stuff on it when it had got really hot. No wind and not much smoke so we didn't get into trouble. Watched Site Sec make wooden seat out of scaffold boards and sat on it to try it out. Saw the lorry come with wood chip and just had to have some. Got given a log from my friend (for the wild life). Looked at some lovely stinging nettles on a neglected plot and thought I will have some of those tomorrow. Dug up some marestail roots and put in on the bonfire, very satisfying. The excitement of scaffold boards, log, bonfire and woodchip was too much so had to go home and cook my lovely rhubarb (and custard).
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MMMmmmmmmmm, Rhubarb + Custard !!
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got a little help from a friend
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p118fxRdK0
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bad bit
patched two holes in a site fence where the 'little darlings' got in and out of the site. Oh, they also burnt down 6 sheds, which also destroyed 4 greenhouses. so, also ordered 2 skips for the morning.
good bit,
planted my early spuds
What is it with these little shits they always appear when no one is about, but who gives a toss apart from the good folk that have the allotments,
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We had a visit from the local infant school this morning, showed them the allotment and chickens. (give them positive memories of allotments so ten years later they don't break in an vandalise 8) Hopefully!!
Set a new person on a plot where a plotholder of over 40 years has had to give up just before his 90th Birthday.
Just wish we could offer small raised beds to people in this situation-more fundraising to do!
Planted potatoes and garlic and did a bit more tidying! ;D
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Planted the onions and fed the fruit trees with lidls food 2 for a fiver.
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Dug, and put All the Year Round lettuces and Spanish Black carrots in under cloches. Put Serpette Guilotteau peas in on the windowsill.
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Filled in my pallet hold up thingy raised bed with leaf mould, council compost, home compost and sieved soil.
Me and my 6 year old Phoebe sowed, Beetroot, Curly Kale, Cabbage Jan/King and Primo II Cabbage. ;D
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Planted my Charlotte potatoes ;D ;D
Hoed round strawberries and broad beans. ;D ;D The little critters are popping up now after a couple of days of sun!!! :(
Re-potted tomatoes ;D ;D
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planted white and red onions, lady christi potatoes also picked some lovely rhubarb and made a crumble with it which was very nice
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Planted some Sweet Peas for a neighbour just had a big op for stomach cancer he,s 79 and like a button. He was notgoing to much this year but I will do things in pots for him he can potter on in his time
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had a lovely day in my meadow - planted a cherry, some achillea, sorrel, mint, white borage, lavender cuttings, pressed some flowers and sun bathed 8)
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Planted Marco onion seed, Roma tomatoes, Ophelia aubergines and Monarch celeriac in trays......then managed to drop the lot!!
Managed to salvage the last few aubergine seeds, have to make sure I take extra care of them this year!!!
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:( :( :( sorry to hear that- hope you've got some more to sow
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May need a trip to the garden centre, ah well, something to put down to experience!!!
;D
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Dug up mu Ground elder patch - again! Took 7 bags of weeds to the dump & then had to call in at the garden centre as I have heard that it is illegal to drive past when they are open!!!!
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sowed some squashes,sunflowers and wild flowers,watered the rest of the greenhouse little uns
cut some grass and then topped up the raised beds
spuds and onions are on standby ;D
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inspected my 3 colonies of bees, all good and queens laying well. Yay!
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Dug up mu Ground elder patch - again! Took 7 bags of weeds to the dump & then had to call in at the garden centre as I have heard that it is illegal to drive past when they are open!!!!
Does this include nurseries and gardens too?
Tidied stuff up carried on laying cardboard and straw over the fruit area, wishfully thinking the bindweed is dead.....
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Planted some 1st earlies in the polytunnel. Dug a trench, put 2-3 ins manue in the bottom, then the spuds. Covered with earth and 2 layers of bubblewrap.
Not done this before but hopefully will get a decent early crop...
Spuds are now showing ;D
Of the two varieties planted, Swift is showing the most (Rocket is a bit slower).
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Productive day's digging! Got may spud bed done, planted some peas, weeded around the strawberries and repotted some runners.....Lovely sunshine all day!!
;D
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I weeded all my flower beds and topped up the soil with the old growbags from last year and some bags of compost. Cut back more ivy as I need to reclaim more of the patio to put the new plastic growhouse with the two smaller ones side by side. When I was scubbing out the two tomatoe growhouses Redford the cat was trying to drink the water :) I have cleared the veggie growing area and bought some sturdy growing bags with handles which I now have to fill with earth. Planned were everything is going on the plot and now im having a break before sterilising all the garden canes and seed trays.
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Put some carrots in and general weeding
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planted up the roma tomatoes, ran out of pots until I can get to the plot tomorrow ;D
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Sowed a line of White Gem Parsnips
Weeded and picked off dead and eaten leaves inside the brassica cage.
Watered Rhubarb, Eggplants and shallots
One Rocket is showing in a tub on the lottie
Tigerella's and Garden Pearl are up.
Face is a bit red from the Sun
8) 8) 8)
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sowed the fourth and last packet of broad beans, planted another 2 kg spuds (arran pilot); planted some strawberries and prepped the ground for some new raspberries going in at the weekend, actually had to water the onions and a few other areas :o, sowed some beetroot in situ and sweated cos it's so hot 8)
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Watered round the greenhouses... and the shallots I put in yesterday. Cut back the fruited wood from the Fantasia Bramble. Dug up lots of brambles an elder and a privet from a rough area... :)
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Dug a bit more, need to dig the rest of that area and then plant parsnips and carrots
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transplanted some pak choi and mixed red salad, potted up some more oregano cuttings. Tool the rest of the geraniums for the plant sale to my mini greenhouse in the poly :)
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Carried on weeding brassica cage
Planted second line of Rockets
Watered seedlings and Rhubarb
Sowed Nantes Carrots in a tub in the back garden.
8)
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Third session of digging out a very old strawberry bed, slowly, cos it's riddled with bindweed and I want to try and get most of it out by hand, so its a sort of double digging exercise. Phew!
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:) After digging the plot over the last 2 weeks
have now spread 28 barrows of well i mean well rotted manure over them will leave for a week now hope we get a little ;D rain then i will get the mantis on it to break it all down -Then hopefully get sowing !!
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Watered all the pots, greenhouses and frames... ::)
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Watered all the pots, greenhouses and frames... ::)
yea its getting dry out there
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April showers... pierce the drought of March to the roots... :)
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part 2 of digging a bed full of couch grass.
Not helped by the fact I have a cold and hayfever and asthma together, I was not a pretty sight.
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Meat and fire. ;)
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April showers... pierce the drought of March to the roots... :)
Where's the pilgrimage, then? Wyevale?
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got in the first of the potatoes- Kestrel (second earlies), added a row of cabbage to the seed bed-already sowed sprouts, calibrese, pfb and cauli, looked at peas and broadies but nothing showing yet.
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Sowed a 1/4 line of Autumn King Carrots
Cultivated Brassica soil.
;D ;D ;D
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I sowed two rows of beetroot under a cloche and planted my dwarf broad beans.
Duke :)
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planted the last of the earlies, spud challenge under the cloche on the hot bed will need their first earth up on monday :o
others not showing yet ;D
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Weeded and fed strawberries and sowed 2 rows of parsnips while Tone filled the water butts and went stone picking
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planted the last 150 onions, pleased with that as it isn't a job I like doing very much but the soil is so good this year it made it easy, planted some new raspberries, spread some home made compost, sowed some lettuce and rushed home to watch the cricket ;D
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planted some lettuce out under demi john cloches, planted some more inside the poly along with some fennel and kohl rabi, transplanted some more herbs and watered my stuff inside, my parsnips are showing ;D
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We planted 10 rows of potatoes... Epicure, Red Dukes, Ballydoon and Charlotte... and dug out a load of bindweed from the boundary.. now we have active neighbours we might beat it... as we are both working on it... :)
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Sowed a few carrots in the back garden. ;D
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having a nice time at home sowing a few more seeds - teasle and lavender for the meadow and cabbages and leeks for the allotments - will be potting on time soon, how time flies :D
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Yesterday, I planted the raspberry canes that I bought in France last year.
Today I will be pricking out tomato seedlings into small pots, then I need to sort out my seeds, put the peas into soak and see what else needs sowing.
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transplanted more tomatoes, sowed calabrese and more lollo lettuce, transplanted grown lollo out under demijohn cloches, found some of the outside earlies are up, under fleece ;D
finished transplanting the antirrhinums, thank goodness !!!
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Planted out a few Saxon spuds that one of the blokes on the lottie gave me
Turned the soil mixing in council compost with cultivator and lined ready for the Kestrels to go in
Tied in Raspberrys and watered
Watered back garden
Bunged in a few spuds in a large pot in the back garden
;D ;D ;D
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Built a base for the shed extension with decking, metpegs, bricks, gravel and paving slabs.
Plot is on a slope, started levelling out the ground around the shed (AKA beer drinking and BBQ area) and barrowing up the soil to the upper terrace. Now the gooseberry and blackcurrant on the top terrace are one foot too deep. Hmm....
Tended my clematises - 15 and counting!
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OH had me fetch and carry while she did a few beds...
so I potted up and gave away loads of Day Lillies, Shasta daisies and Lucifer... for the plant sale in the summer.. :)
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Nothing - had a day off to do some needlework & watch Sammy the scarecrow fluttering in the breeze over my newly sown seeds.
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In garden:-
first grass cut of season, lots of weeding, re-planting of an u/k geranium which self seeds everywhere,
planted remaining potatoes (sante, pink fir & belle de fontenay) into potato bags, indoor sowing of sweetcorn (incredible f1) and courgettes (black beauty)
Achey back now. . .
Debs :)
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Put netting over the onions which I planted out last weekend and had been chewed. >:( Planted out broad beans and put protection round them.
Sowed toms, peppers, aubergines, basil, salad leaves and calabrese and put red onions in modules.
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Sowed some carrot seeds in black bins. : and covered them with fleece.
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Was working just one night on its own Sunday night so, had 3 hours sleep then down the plot all afternoon to keep me awake! ;D
Finished distributing the manure pile AT LAST!!! Hurrah! The blooming thing has been sitting where the last of my shallots need to go out, they are stuck in modules and desperately need to get in the ground now poor things. Amazingly it was still very wet in the centre, the whole thing froze in the cold weather and I'm sure it has only just thawed out! However, ivy had managed to sneak underneath during the winter so I had a load of roots to tease out unfortunately.
Kept awake by digging those final two beds over and then got all of my potatoes planted out. Their beds had been covered with black plastic for the past two weeks, so the soil was nice and warm for them. It brightened up and was sunny for a while, lovely! Today I'm going down again to plant out the shallots, and might be tempted to look in Aldi, I noticed they had some fruit bushes in pots at £2.99 the other day......
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planted another 3 kg of spuds (rocket), sowed parsnips, ipomoea, mitsuba and peas, planted out the first early peas and did a bit of path maintenance - decided not to water and I bet sod's law it won't rain tomorrow as it is supposed to ;D - at home potting on tomatoes and marigolds
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Over the last few days have sown various pea varieties - thank you twoflower and seed circle 2010 - largely to grow for seed and am about to sow the ones which we will actually eat. Yesterday finished repotting our vine tomatoes and put some old summer squash seeds onto damp kitchen paper to test viability; later on today will be sowing our bush tomato varieties.
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took another dozen tomatoes to put in the mini greenhouse inside the poly, space on windowsills for peppers now ;D
sowed long and red cos lettuce, berlicum carrote and transplanted sunflowers into root trainers :)
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Potted on Cauli Romanscu
Layed down plastic on the path and finished my three very large bags of woodchip, now got to find some more. ???
:D
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Ohhhh I am soo behind! never mind off work for three weeks and one day now :D :D :D
Thats why its raining for the first time in about two months :(
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I am persisting with my straw bale experiment, so watered all 12 of them heavily today after sprinkling them with sulphate of ammonium to add nitrogen. They are supposed to be heating up and composting, but they remain cool and wet.... Any advice?
Planted a lot of onion sets, and dug out more heavy weeds for a potato area. Huge quantities of buttercup and grass from a year of neglect, but not quite as bad as the first dig into a heavily weedy meadow 2 years ago.
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A bit more diggin very nearly done :D
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Been very busy hoping for some rain tomorrow. Sowed some carrots, radishes and cabbages.
Planted some spuds, international kidney, home guard, edgecott purple and shetland black.
Weeded some of the strawberries and fed them. Put in a couple of rhubarb crowns which arrived yesterday wished they had arrived several weeks ago.
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have a bad back :( so didnt do what i had planned for today
but still managed to dig over a bed ready for my maincrop,its all set
and watered my greenhouse seedlings.
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Productive evening... home slightly early due to lift rather than bus, so got a solid hour and a bit in on the plot digging... not much left now, four or five hours should see it pretty much done.....got home, ate tea including homegrown spuds, mini cauli and frozen beans from last year, then potted on 75 tomatoes and chillis aqnd assembled new coldframe in kitchen (too late to be banging around outdoors...) very pleased with myself all things considered...
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nothing on the plot today but 12 california peppers transplanted before babysitting ;D
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I had a productive day yesterday cutting back the bloomin Ivy that hubby refuses to cut. I have uncovered much of the fence and reclaimed a good two feet of patio. I will never understand why hubby refuses to cut anything back ??? I shall be for it tonight when he spots his Ivy gone. Oh well I cant stick it back ;) ;D Sowed parsnips, two types of carrot. radish and spinach. Planted out cauliflower, red and green cabbage seedlings and covered them with plastic grow tunnels.
Today i Shall be sowing more carrots, mesculin lettuce,beetroot, peas and more raddishes and re-positioning the plastic greenhouses. I shall scrub and bleach out the new chicken house which will give it time to dry before the red mite treatment arrives and then I can treat it again.
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Feeling very virtuous as managed to finish planting all my alliums now, the potatoes are all in, just need to get the rest of the seeds sown tomorrow and I will fell a lot more on top of things !;D
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Rain stopped play on the lottie
Sowed some leeks indoors. ;D
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Did the garden today in between showers
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planted another 1.5 kg of spuds (nadine) now only 3 varieties and 4 kg to go ;D - sowed parsnips, tomatoes, dill, rocket, planted out small some flowering shrubs in the fruit beds, sowed second packet of peas (lincoln) and netted cos pigeons were watching me >:( and did some hoeing - lucky with the weather as well
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Watered all the greenhouses... sun out now, looks lovely. If the compost man gets back to me I could go out and do some digging!
:)
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Got the sand and filled the barrels ready for the carrots Had a little dig. We are saving ourselves for the lovely day forecast for tomorrow ;D
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Dug for worms and sieved well rotted compost for planting up!
We have a visit by the year 3 group of the local Primary School tomorrow (each class visits weekly in turn to tend their plot and for a 'subject') and the subject is worms and they like to handle them - the talk covers how useful they are to gardeners and the different types, so it will cover the 'brandlings' who live in the compost heap and the 'lobs' who live in the soil and, if they are about in the compost heap, we'll show them the slow worms. They were sent - by the Woodland Trust I think - ten small saplings each of silver birch, rowan and wild cherry, they don't have very much room in their school grounds for all these so they will pot these up, some will later be planted in the school grounds and the rest we will plant out (when they are a bit bigger) in the allotment wildlife area.
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finished the spuds on plot 1, planted some kohl rabi out, transplanted some more herbs, sowed romanesco, basil, red salad well up, nearly ready for transplanting , more of the early spuds in the poly have been mulched up ;D
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didnt get to the lottie with work,and my bad back
but have secured for myself some top quality timbers at work,ideal for raised beds ect ;D
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Filled a pallet hold up thingy with council compost, leaves, soil and dalek compost to make a small raised bed and put in 4 sunflowers and Hamburg parsley.
My mate at worked dropped off a builders bag full of leaf mould.
;D
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Pulled off the fleece off the now germinating pea seedlings and pushed in peasticks . Sown courgettes , pumpkins and butternuts up in greenhouse . Picked another huge bunch of PSB .
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more spuds planted, yukon gold (not tried those before), hoeing, sowed rather a lot of squash but using up old seeds so not sure what to expect, bound to be 100% germination for being reckless ;D, brought home a large tub of salad leaves to use over the weekend and at home sowing courgettes whilst watching the cricket - managed to dodge the showers :D
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potted on some of my tomatoes, sdowed a load more tomato seed, and butternut squash.
yesterday sent a load of comfrey 'bocking14' roots to various folk
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err..yesterday..
All spuds in..some Charlotte and Peach bloom. Now that I've got that done I can consentrate for more seed sowing and finish last bits of the beds for planting later on..I seem to be well ahead this year ;D ;D
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planted the rest of the spuds, some pak choi and a redcurrant and a blackcurrant, all on plot 2. Plot 1, sowed another gutter of peas, the other two have been hung in the fruit cage to harden off, planted out some tuscan, californian and provence salad, all done in bunches. watered whatever needed it ;D
Quite forgot, the home guard spuds are up on plot 2 so Ray earthed them up and the corneykev challenge spuds needed earthing up, too..the bag's are nearly full ;D
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Went to the allotment to catch my allotment neighbour to tell him to keep his Ckufgni dog off my allotment, >:(
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Cleared the larger of my 2 greenhouses in readyness for the tomatoes when they are big enough to go in.
Gossiped and drank enough tea to float a battleship ;D
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Father in law came unexpedly for di nner today and kindly took all the chopped ivy in his sprinter van down to the local dump for me. Needles to say it filled up his van :-[ I am so pleased as I struggled with thirty huge sacks up the dump in the week and had run out of energy. We scrubbed and treated the new chicken house and run yesterday and I am spring cleaning the cat run and preparing it for painting in the week.
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Sowed 27 Sweetcorn Incredible 1
Sowed 6 Blue Lake beans in back garden
Took a bag of ash to the lottie and did a bit of watering while I was there.
Transplanted some more Cauli Romansecu. ;D
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Sowed Cabbage, Calabrese, Early sprouts and Leeks in the greenhouse this morning.
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Dug out some Scorzonera and cut a cabbage, then some leeks... then dragged off to Bolsover Castle.. :(
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spuds stasrtng to push up through ground, onion sets " sturon " all sprouting
sprouts, cabbage, lettuce all growing well in trays in cold frame
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Planted a blueberry, transferred some herbs from pots into allotment. Looked for signs of spuds and broadbeans, but nothing yet. Then cleared a load of rubbish from surrounding area - no one else seems bothered about the mess. Then came home and had a BIG slice of lemon drizzle cake and watched The Wizard of Oz .
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Big weekend... Saturday planted out 240 broad bean plants (mixture of Masterpiece, Giant Green, Express, Sutton and Crimson Flowered with a ew Aquadulce Claudias to fill some gaps) from modules into the ground, also 120 onions and small clumps of onions from modules, a half-row of carrots from modules into a fleece tunnel, plus a 3/4 row of peas (Meteor from module strips), then went hoem and did some more to the GH frame...
Sunday sandwiched around trip to the folks for lunch on "Give Mum choclates and plants day" I finished potting up the 300-odd tender veg (tomatoes, chillis, aubergines, peppers, a half-tray of celeriac) into 15-cell trays and got them into the cold-frames... 20 of 25 tray spaces in the frames now filled.... Then refilled the propagators with pickling onions, leeks, an early shot at sweetcorn (experimental, I have loads of seed), and got some cold trays going in the kitchen of maincrop peas, a tray of assorted brussel-sprouts, one of assorted summer/autumn brassicas, a tray of herbs, and a couple of Misticanza salad......
chrisc
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its raining, so stayed at home
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Raining here too... :(
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Alas, nothing for me. Got stuck in the house while the Mrs shopped for holiday and now I have Man Flu (a lethal strain that would kill a women).
However, last thursday I planted my earlies (rocket) and inspected my rediculously earlty sown edamame beans. Now 4 inches high, just waiting for them too collapse like reports predict.
Melons and redbor kale have germinated :)
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Still suffering from some version of flu :-\
anyway, got some sweetcorn in in between pills and temperatures , Thank God for laptops ;D
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Planted SPUDS ;D
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Sowed the carrots in the tubs . Came home cos it got cold
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;D ;D ;D ;D
Yesterday got 30 Rocket spuds in, also about 40 Stuttgarter onions, worried about being too late for some things, but calmed down now that I have seen what other plot holders have done!
;)
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Planted out some more chitted peas and beans, took the bottles off the first ones and replaced it with a black fleece screen to keep the wind off them. Planted out some strawberry replacements previous batch total no show. No rain here for weeks so did some more watering.
Planted out some chitten chard I left it too long so not sure it will survive.
Got some more spuds but the ground is rather like concrete. Put few courgettes to chit and sat the pot on the radiator. Can't find my old packets from last year.
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Helped my littleun plant onions, carrots and butterfly and bee's flowers in her small raised bed. (pallet hold up thingy)
Dug up three volunteers
Watered seedlings and Rhubarb
:D
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watered the spuds
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More and more seeds sown for this year and to sell on if to many to put in.
Cut the grass a bit lower and tidied up around the place.
Guinea pigs moved outside for the summer ahead.
No signs of new growth on my fuchsia's as yet.
Onions are just showing, as are the beets and carrots. Brassicas are not doing to well as started late.
Leeks are moving up in height and will transplant when ready.
Roses are now starting to be trained against the fence to help the clematis grow through them.
Put in actinidia kolomikta for a bit more colour along the fence line too.
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You bin workin in the dark again Landi... ;D
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You know me to well Saddad. :-[ :-[ :-[
http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad68/landimad/garden/05-04-2011/seedlings.jpg
http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad68/landimad/garden/05-04-2011/sown.jpg
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at home again so transplanted corno rosso peppers, more tomatoes, cucumbers and courgettes. Looking forward to getting back to the plot tomorrow, giving lovely weather here. The 'flu has nearly gone ;D
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Nothing, cold and rain here today. Went to Clockhouse Nursery and bought some cauliflower and broccoli plants for allotment and some plants for hanging basket. My seeds are not too advanced at present. Then went to lovely Morrisons and got two bags of compost for £5. Spent £50 + on heavy shopping as has OH took me in van, but only went for compost, but it will all keep in the freezer (the food). Kicked the terrible twins (cats) out of the plastic greenhouse and over the fence (hope they have gone home).
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sown more leeks, 1st lot failed to germinate [ old seed ]. got 5 doors for back fence [ stop rabbits getting in ] i hope!!,,,,,put combination lock on cabin i am allways forgeting my keys
jim
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Wet in Wales poted up runner beans they will go out 1st of May flowers are ready to go in but will we have more frost let hope not. Earthed up spuds yesterday (the ones in grow bags). Cabbages, and coli,s looking good they will be planted out next month as well. Broad beans are in flower but a way to go there yet. Will hope to cut lawns this weekend more compost. ;D
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yet more pricking out-I am going to retire one day,-next year?
I now dream of a smaller garden,one I can manage and actually have time to enjoy as opposed to constantly being a mess. It will soon be two years since Jenny first started to say her mouth hurt and by the summer of 2009 we knew she had cancer so gardening was no longer much of a priority
I have a new girl friend so if things work out who knows where I will be next year.
18 years of being surrounded by baby plants and worrying if they will eventually sell is enough!!
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hope your dreams come true :)
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Pricked out leeks and dahlia seedlings today.Still windy but much warmer. Need to mulch and attend to cordon apple trees tomorrow.Lots of blossom on plums and pears but too windy for the bees although 1 or 2 bumbles out and about. :)
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Looked out the window at it ........ too wet and windy to enjoy doing anything out there today :(
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Last night I concreted in part of the greenhouse foootings (it's a wioerd setup on that GH but makes sense to me now)... THis morning I weeded one of the veg beds at home, potted on a tray of tomatoes (the last tray, these had been hiding) and sowed up two trays of marigolds....
chrisc
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Sowed more seeds- trying the paper method for more things this year (only used for cucurbit seeds before).
Stared cleaning the alpines in pots. Potatoes WILL get all put in tomorrow!
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:)
cut grass wedded rose beds in father in laws garden :)
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Enjoyed it ;D
Then set about listing all that I have sown so far. :)
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transplanted loads of flowers for the plant sale, only 2 weeks on friday :o
planted out some moxed oriental leaves, planted the first tomatoes in the polytunnel. put the rest of the sweet peas in buckets outside, plus some tagetes, marigolds and carnations ;D
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pressed some more flowers and potted up some new rockery plants - just had to walk down to the garden centre ;D
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Watered Rhubarb and Sunbathed. 8) 8) 8)
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Hoed, watered. Moved some soil to build up a low patch.
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on the plot - I planted out the last of my maincrop tatties, sowed some parsnips and some carrots.
in the garden - planted a stray tattie in a bag, potted on some seedlings, and planted out some herbs that I got in the garden centre.
All with the "help" of my 3 year old twins, which meant down the plot it was plant a ptato, do another row, replant first ones, till we got to following instructions.
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Called round the lotty after work (roll on next march) and watered the seeds in the coldframe and made a liquid manure/mulch which I put round my Rhubarb and Fruit trees, :)
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sat down had a cigy can of lager and enjoyed the sunshine
grand as owt!!
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potted on some tomatoes, dug up some horrid clay behind the greenhouse and wondered what might grow there, and planted the grape vine into the garden after realising it had actually survived the winter in a pot in the greenhouse.
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Weeded round the strawberry plants for an hour and fed loads and loads of small slugs to some chickens. Then went to bed as I was night shift last night. BTW how do other allotment holders deal with night shifts? If its daylight I like to do about an hours work before I go to bed as it helps me get to sleep.,
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I'm just soooooooooooo glad not to do them any more ;)
One guy on our plots works them regular and he comes on in the morning then goes to bed :-\
What ever I did I just felt awful all the time! :(
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I am so behind with everything this year..... have only just cleaned out greenhouse this afternoon and got pots ready for sowing :o
Got some tomato plants at weekend and have them in their pots with canes in but thats about it so far.
Must get a move on !
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Cut down three trees(small ones) planted snowdrops, celendines, grape hyacinths, sweet peas, solomans seal and foxgroves. Pricked out chillies and dwarf tomatoes. Set up canes for the tomatoes in the greenhouse...........good day's work, and i got the washing dry!
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planted yet more spuds 8) had been given 10 tubers free of Sofia, 2nd earlies, sowed some cucumbers, kohl rabi and radishes, potted on some chillies, picked the first rhubarb, trod on a mouse and killed it :'( don't ask how I did that, weird, enjoyed the blossom on the damson and one of the plums, hoe'd here and there, pruned the pear trees and noted the broad beans are poking through, buried the mouse :-[
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Watered seedlings and fruits. ;D ;D ;D
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We watched the blasted wild ducks swimming where we needed to plant!!
Enough rain already, we are under water.
Keep on pposting you guys, I envy you all so much.
XX Jeannine
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Potted on cucumbers and tigerells's yesterday and parsnips were showing on the lottie yesterday evening when I went back to water. We've had a good few Sunny 8) days here Jeannine and its going to last into the weekend, what time is it there Jeannine. ;D
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What on earth were you doing up at 4 am.. we are 8 hours different. It is 10am the night before here right now.
XX Jeannine
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Got the bed ready for the spring sown broad beans and at last I mowed the grass while Tony put some supports up my willow arch. Will post a pic when it gets into shape.
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Started cleaning up my crevice garden (yesterday) morning and planting out some alpines.
In afternoon went to plot and finally got in last of the potatoes-Anya. Cleaned out the chickens and let them do a spot of scrating they love that :)
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Dug out the last of the mobile scorzonera... and today the parsnips so we can get the last of the spuds in too... :)
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The clocks are still an hour out on the forum Jeannine so it was 5 o clock, I'm leaving for work by 5.45 each day. :o
I have just come back from the lottie and filled a hold up pallet thingy with a mixture of council compost and dalek compost and watered well, it was too hot so we came back after an hour
I potted up 8 aubergines and left my sweetcorn and cucs to bask in the Sunshine. 8)
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You can up date the time on your profile :)
I only know as I go on another forum and it's a topic on there :-X
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Ray earthed spuds up on plot 2, we both weeded, planted out some oriental greens and took the cloche off the spuds in the hot bed, trimmed some dead bits off trees, found some flowers on the alpine strawberries ;D
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Dead-headed 500+ daffodils, pressure washed the patio, & did some serious work on my suntan!
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planted spuds, made some more in roads into the bindweed patch & then sat on my arse on a sunlounger while the little one was napping.
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Filled my pallet hold up thingy with council and dalek compost, then went home as it was too hot 8)
Potted on 8 Aubergines
Sowed some more sweetcorn (22 up so far)
;D
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Not doing anything :(
This is due to me being put on cleaning duty. ;)
I have two freezers to defrost and clean out before all those lovely veggies and fruit go into them. :o :o :o
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Onions, shallots and garlic going in.
Probably some watering >:(
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sweated, oh no ladies perspire don't they ;D potted on a load of brassicas, got hundreds to do, sowed rocket, mibuna and spinach, planted out salsify and scorzonera, watered and brought tubs of salads home
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Made a new raised bed, walked what seemed like miles in the heat to get compost to fill it then sowed Leeks into it ;D
Had planned to do lots more but was just too hot so will go back this evening....if I dont seize up that is ;)
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transplanted romanesco, planted another 2 tomatoes and 2 cucumbers inside. Transplanted tons of hanging basket and geranium plants for the plant sale,
sold someone 32, yes, 32 tomato plants and 4 peppers ready to go in their greenhouse . £19.00 in the plant sale kitty already ;D
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One silly thing- planted my peas in exactly the same spot that I had sown broad beans 2 weeks ago- there was even a label, but i'd started at the other end!
Apart from that, planted my asparagus crowns, beetroot, caulis, sowed carrots in bins and some lettuce. Even got OH to come with me (probably the first and last time this year!) and he planted the spuds.
Time for a bath now!
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Nothing
Went to work
Went to pub
Too hot
I'll try tommorrow
:P
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Planted out a row of peas, some summer psb (remembering the cabbage root fly collars this year), earthed up the potatoes.
Alison
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We did well today. Planted broad beans and spinach in beautiful newly prepared beds. Made the woodwork for a new raised bed. Hit some weeds with glyphosate. Watered the gooseberries, blackcurrants, raspberries, and asparagus. Weeded and dug manure into another bed ready for planting. Drank flasks of tea.
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Remembered my gardening gloves and picked stinging nettles and covered with water, am going to use later as a tonic for plants. Came home with toothache/earache/faceache and went to bed with neurofen, roll on Tuesday, dentist appointment.
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Not face ache again Borlottti. :P :-X
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'Make a difference day' today so spent the morning helping to tidy and clear up the site. Where does all that rubbish come from......and the amount of carpet put on the skip could have carpeted a whole house!
Anyway the site will look all the better for it.
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Got me spuds in, the Howard 400 I have has a potato ridger and it took maybe 10 minutes to put the ridges in , it then took me aout 45 minutes to plant 100 spuds..... I spent longer working out the planting plan and recording it.... also got in the last of the maincrop onions from modules (some long red florence) and the rest of the early dwarf peas.... started clearing the compost heaps off the front and barrowing to the back....I'm chuffed.... I'm also sunburnt on my arms......
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STUCK LOTS OF PEA STICKS IN THE ROWS OF PEAS WHICH ARE COMING UP NICELY-COLLECTED YESTERDAY FROM WOODS AROUND hELMSLEY. tHEN TODAY oh DECIDED TO CUT DOWN A ROBINIA, SO HAD LOTS FROM HOME AS WELL
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Planted up front garden having pulled all the dead hebes out and a few weeks ago and sprayed the couch grass.
Just been made a cup of tea and am having this while my runner beans presoak for planting and once i have them done i am going to presoak my peas :)
Just cleaned out one of my tiny 60 cell trays and am going to be sowing cabbages in there to get them started.
Tonight then i need to made a decision about tomato plants and get them sown - BRING ON THE SEED PORN !
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What I did today was just let folk borrow my kit, the old Italian boy borrowed my sprayer and came back an hour later with it, then the bloke and his Mrs on the next allotment borrowed my rake, which I think is an essential bit of kit on any allotment, other than that I just listened to other lotty folk moaning, then I planted a dozen cabbage, thinned out the Swedes, sowed under glass my sweetcorn and some red cabbage came home and had six cans of Fosters in our garden, :)
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moved cold frame to front of plot, to get more sun
had a jap and took some video for next year.
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Finished digging over the new bed for the currant bushes I bought from Lidls last autumn. All three redcurrants have survived the winter but only one of the blacks has :(. Then planted 50 wild garlic plants. Love the stuff.
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Nothing - went to the seaside instead and did seaside things - cockles, chips and ice cream
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Nothing - Allotment AGM in the morning. Then had to stay and have Sunday Dinner and a pint to say "Thank you" to the landlord for use of the room for free. ;)
Alpine plant meeting in afternoon. Excellent speaker fantastic raconteur - he could tell a good story as well! :)
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sweated, oh no ladies perspire don't they ;D
They don't do anything so unladylike. The hoi polloi sweat, gentlemen perspire, ladies glow.
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Moved about 200 potted on heritage tomato plants down to the newly restored allotment greenhouse for the association plant sale next month. Until I get more room in my home greenhouse I'm a bit stuck for potting on room at the moment! I also potted on my cucumbers and melons (ha! I'm such an optimist!) which is my favourite job 'coz of the smell of the roots.......lovely! ;D
Sorted out my home veg beds as well, transplanted some little gem lettuce, Oriental salad and salad onions in the cold frame. Trying hard to resist sowing beans, sweetcorn & courgettes yet....... ::)
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planted out some sweet peas grown from seed
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finished transplnting the geraniums for the plant sale, transplanted romanesco and calabrese, Ray earthed up spuds, most are showing now. Planted out some red oriental salad, watered everything and then started sowing the colossus and mummy peas. planted up another couple of tomatoes in the poly ;D
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Dug up horse poo (old) and fed it to fruit bushes on the plot and roses at home. Another job jobbed. ;D
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Half-built a lean-to storage shed with the help of a friend's engineer boyfriend who understands flat-pack better than I do. Drank gin in the sun.
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Loads of stuff both days...
done enough pricking out to start the April sowing now... :)
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Yesterday I acquired 25 bags of soil that were on there way to the dump, I helped a neighbour/bloke from work to load them in his car and we took them to the lottie, it saved him a 8 mile round trip 3 times, my lottie was only a 2 minute drive.
I topped up my tub challenge spuds with some of the soil and sieved some more for my pallet hold up thingy for the small raised beds.
Filled another with council compost and give most of the plot a good watering later when the Sun was off the plot. 8) 8) 8)
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Got my peas and broad beans in, watered them in too.
Got the Tommies on the go and sowed some more carrots and onions.
Repaired two troughs and filled them with soil ready to grow toms and climbers in.
Put some growmore onto the beds ready for stuff to grow and got more tomato food for the plants to show their best.
Now the rain has started so will have a nice cuppa. ;D
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Sown all pea varieties in pots and planters and those are 'sitting' in GH.
Potted up almost all tomatoes.. ;D..things are starting look good and its nice to see GH 'active' again..plant pots everywhere.
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Finished sowing peas, mangetout, leeks, carrots and beetroot in 1 raised bed. Salad seeds in pot.
Filled potato and sweet potato planters (not recieved slips yet but getting soil ready) with soil and fingers crossed will be planting vales emerald, charlotte and maris piper today.
Just heading out to do the potatoes now then a bit of a tidy up of the mini green house so i can sow more seeds tonight planning on getting onions, cabbages, sprouts and herbs started.
Last day of gardening for 2-6 weeks so fingers crossed this is not all for nought!
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Potted on and potted on
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With the boys' help yesterday put up some wigwams for most of our peas and moved out some seedlings - just the troughs to prepare for the mange tout to grow against our fence next.
Looked out this morning to see the sparrows flying around carrying bits of string in their beaks! :)
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I did the same as Shirlton ;D
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planted the last of 17 kg of spuds (international kidney) so glad that's over, potted on more brassicas, strimmed here and there, weeded here and there, picked some sorrel for a sauce tonight - pretty much up to speed :D
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spuds are now in
as are the sweet peas and morning glory ;D
need to sew some more garden peas in modules tommorow to add to the others,aim to have them all planted in a week or two
sweetcorn are doing nicely,while before they go out mind
i got carried away sewing squashes so early this year,and none have germinated
il sew some more next week
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Last of my Picasso maincrops went in
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planted out fielderkraut cabbage, calabrese and kalibos cabbage, put the debris netting over the frame. Transplanted some lollo rosso lettuce and romanesco broccoli. Went off mum in law sitting ;D
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Watered seedlings and planted out 20 main crop spuds, only two rows to go. 8)
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Weeded and weeded...don't the b----s grow fast! ::) Noticed Nicola spuds are through in most of the trenches. The 4 broad bean plants that survived the snow are almost in flower, tomatoes need planting in poly but no room yet as salad and strawberries are in the way.Tomorrow is another day but the outdoor toms need pricking out and the sweet peas need a home by the trellis...and after that I hope to cut out a pair of trousers..
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Weeded and weeded...don't the b----s grow fast! ::)
Installing an electric fence to keep the rabbits out (I would shoot them, but next door they have horses so not a good idea). Then went to lunch with the cycling club (Seniors) by car, afterwards collected a member from hospital after a hip replacement. Back home to finish off the electric fence.
I am trying a farming method of killing off the weeds by leaving half the plot fallow and rotavating it regularly during the Summer. The ditch will be done with some Sodium Chlorate which I have in stock, when that's gone I shall have to think of another way. I do have a Sheen X300 flame gun (paraffin burner). A high pressure sprayer with paraffin is quite effective on everything except groundsel and thistles, sprayed early morning when the forecast is for a very hot day.
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Planted out the bunyards broad beans and wire netted them, watered and did a bit more weeding. I cannot believe that I haven't sown my courgettes or squash yet.
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Finishesd the clearing up of the front of plot 1 so that it can be dug, only "scruffy" bit left there now is a dumpy bag half-full of manure that I'll be digging in once it's dug anyway so it might as well stay there.... did a little bit more glazing on the GH....
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potted on around 80 tomato plants and about the same in pepper seedlings just hoping the mini and the bigger plastic greenhouses are going to be warm enough. Taken the chance and planted out the squash which i sowed way too early into grow bags and tied to frames in greenhouse. Hoping to grow them vertically. Planted out primo cabbage plants, all year round cauliflowers and red acre cabbage into a prepared bed covered by polytunnel. Have sewn spinach, resistafly and chatenay carrots, bolthardy and cylindrica beetroot and purple plum radish with some onion sets and spring onion seeds in a prepared bed covered with polytunnels. I am absoloutly shattered now and resisting the urge to have a warm bath and go to bed as my FMS is playing up again.
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sat on the edge of a bed and planted out greyhound and fuego red cabbage, sat on the floor and weeded a large fruit bed ;D
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Worked off a stressful day at work by digging! Got rid of some more bindweed and dug over an unused patch with my azada.
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Filled another pallet hold up thingy with soil and sowed a line of spring onions and carrots. ;D
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Tided up an area that was still rough as used to have a compost heap there. Planted out spinach. beetroot and carrots and sowed more seeds.
planted some cornflowers and watered everything as going to Alpine conference till Sunday. Now got to water here and prick out seedlings, then pack! ;)
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Sowed some more carrots and made an enviromesh frame to cover them and then I laid my first slab path.
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Oh long soak in the bath with Tone rubbing your back is it tonight Shirl? ;D
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Pruned the hebe and the pyracantha, bagged it all up+ ivy cut back before, removed ALL the flag irises from the pond. (I hope!!)
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Oh long soak in the bath with Tone rubbing your back is it tonight Shirl? ;D
::)
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Had to stay home and do some housework. Just couldn't leave it any longer. Did manage to sow the squash and courgettes,some parsley and some caraway.
Cannot wait for tomorrow to be back at the allotment.
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Nothing in the garden today, Out all day my little girl is 7 today :-*
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Watered
Hoe-ed weeds
Earthed up spuds
Took a big armful of Rhubarb home that one of the lottie girls gave to me.
;D ;D ;D
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Just a good to be alive day, just love the lotty and everything about it, :)
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Finally got my Salad Blue and Shetland Black spuds in, put in some Jerusalem artichokes (A little late i know!) and started planting lettuce and radish in between rows. Watered the fruit bushes and strawberries (noticed everything is flowering already!)
Harvested rhubarb and just deciding what to do with it!
;D
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dug a pea trench , sow peas sunday 8)
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Sowed 2 wigwams of French beans
Hand weeded bath carrots
Hoed weeds around pear and fig tree
Mixed and watered compost bins
Watered
Sowed Spring onions in back garden.
;D
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No chance of doing anything when I have been at work all day and no cover tonight. :(
Maybe able to get things done tomorrow. ;)
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What a beautiful weekend, sowed some red cabbage which I grew from seed, planted four marrow seeds(only) in pots, transplanted my chilli seeds from home to the allotment, put up my sticks for the runners and prepared my sweetcorn bed , this weekend reminds me of the 'Neil Diamond' record ' What a beautiful Day'
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Put up my pea netting and sowed a few
Left the rest to soak overnight
Hoed and watered onions, shallots and seedlings
Uncovered brassica netting
Harvested PSB
8)
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More digging!
Sorted through compost bin and got a good bucket full.
Planted some parsnips, purple sprouting, and calabrease in seed bed, and relocated some spuds growing from last year. Enjoyed the lovely sunny weather!
;D ;D ;D
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Nothing as usual :(
Might be ok in another week :)
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Sowed radish, lettuce, rocket, lambs lettuce.
Pricked out winter cauliflower and Gold Acre cabbage.
Hardened off onions grown from seed and lettuce for planting out in the allotment.
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Planted out red fuego and greyhound cabbage, planted some sunflowers, watered everywhere, sorted out where all the plants are going for the plant sale, transplanted lobelia and sunflowers ;D
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Re-potted tomatoes to bigger pots, earthed up 8 rows of potatoes, got ground ready to plant sweetcorn, watered carrots and beetroot which were planted last week, thinned out radishes.
Job for tomorrow is to weed around onions. :( Put up wigwams for runner beans :)
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Yesterday I finished planting a row of peas
Planted out a line of Pentland Crown
Earthed up spuds
Weeded brassica's
:D
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Too hot to do much, so I just earthed up all my lines of spuds, it's still Sunny 8) out so I will go back later to water and give my new hoe a swing. :D
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Mowed all of the paths and trimmed the hedges
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Filled me seed bed.
Started to clear weeds for another bed, mulched over around rasberries.
Enjoyed the lovely sunshine before work tomorrow (grrrrrrrrrr >:()
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Called round the lotty on the way home from work to water my baby seeds, and they do look happy in this sunshine, Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, also my Red cabbage and Sweetcorn have popped their little seedy heads in to this world, how nice :)
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painted the shed!! looks nice again now ;D
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watered everything in the poly, water butts getting very low :-\
moved stuff around for the plant sale ::)
moved stuff outside to start hardening off ;D
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Called in at the Plot to test my new battery powered grass strimmer (Bosch ART23 Li). It only weighs about two and a half kilos and is perfect for me to use as I have MS.
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dig another patch over, did some weeding and planted some more peas as something has eaten the tops of the last lot
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watered watered and watred some more
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popped three of my tomato plants into their grow-bag in the greenhouse-mmm, I'm anticipating already.....
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watered everything! planted elephant garlic direct,and red shallots in modules in the greenie a la Monty. sowed even more sweet peas,pricked out fennel,basil,wheelers cabbages. built a make shift coldframe out of a childs gazebo and bubble wrap to house things that are getting scorched in the greenhouse on these hot days. let brother and nephew in,and out again,let other brother and dog in,and out again.let friend in and out again,considered turning the mobile off!
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Like the rest of you, watered everything :-\
Sowed some more red onion and spring onion in modules.
Pricked out some more lupins, sunflowers, cosmos, and kochias.
By the light of the silvery moon Saddad ;)
Yes and I am on nights again this week, so not much getting done as sleep is on my mind as always. ::)
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todays job is to go back down with the boys water some more and find the rose that fell of one of little lads watering cans yesterday. Hope I can find it and its not at the bottom of one of our water tanks.
Will go back down tonight and water some more too. Oh to be able to use a hose pipe on an allotment. I'll feel like a monkey with long arms when im done.
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Tell me about it, but everything is doing really well, broad beans and runner beans went in at the weekend and the are looking fab, need to have a massive attack on the new weeds that have just popped up over night on the potatoes..
So tonight's job is watering and weeding so by Friday can do some more planting, need to get some more bone meal.. :)
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Planted 20 Sarpo Mira (cheapo deal from T+M with free postage too), also weeded a bit round the spud mounds..... that soil wasn't dug properly, I just turned it over a couple of times with a rotavator then put the ridger through it..... there's a lot of weeds waiting to happen, the greast mulching with cardboard and manure starts this weekend....
I also got a dense row of mixed alliums in from modules.... 24 clumps of Long Red FLorence, 50 clumps of Borretana and a dozen of Banana shallots...
Found my plot neighbour has given me a horseradish thong.... they were badgering me into accepting somethign for the manure I drop off for them ...I pick up five dumpy bags a time by loading myself at the equestrian centre, I generally stick a bag down on their plot.... I find it a bit embarrassing though cos they've clearly bought the horseradish, I was assuming they'd know someone with some they could swap for or something.....
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Potted on more plants and got my runners into the ground.
Watered plenty and looked over the seedlings to see what needs potting on now.
Strawberries well into flowering and gooseberries are showing signs of having a good crop this year.
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watered and watered and planted brocolli
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Well we found little lads watering can hose so that was good news. I watered a bit and was hoping to get down again later but didnt.
Weve got a young lad on our site who's plots next to mine, he's got great ambitions for his plot which he has just taken on last year and even greater enthusiasm and insists on telling me about all his plans every time I see him. I feel awful having to try and get away to do my watering. It means ive only got about a third of the planned watering done.
the lad told me yesterday that he wanted to take up the carpet path in between our plots, but he has nothing to replace it with yet, so i kindly told him it wasnt a great idea until we had an alternative as at least the carpet is a bit grippy for my boys to walk/run on.
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What did I do in the garden yesterday evening - watering and more watering! IT's hot here and dry! Was about 26 C yesterday we were all sweating! I weeded the alliums and even gave them a water (nothing for the spuds though, they will have to tough it out).
And gave a drink to the carrots, spinach, strawberries, artichokes, new seedlings (broccoli, lettuce, beets) and the radishes sown on Saturday are germinated already! They will need a lot of water I think!
This morning it has actually clouded over, so probably will rain for our April weekend (we only get Monday off). Typical!
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yesterday evening plants peppers in plastic greenhouse. Spring onions and coriander in veg area. Rat baited under shed, under decking and in compost bin. Today will probably do a bit of watering with can from water butt.
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planted some peppers in the poly, planted some cauli in the ground, put collars around all the brassicas after watering. All the hanging baskets and bedding arrived so we had to sort out the room for them ;D
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Had to stay home today but did manage to get some of the toms sorted and put some in their final pots.Potted on some begonias and some rudbekia.
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We got another two rows of spuds in... only three to go.. :)
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Cut the grass..... now this may not seem very exciting but since laying new lawn last year my husband had appointed himself 'Head Green Keeper' and doesnt 'let' me cut it anymore ... His only involvement with the lawnmower until now has been to give it an anual service!
The garden is mine !! I am taking back control ;)
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Watered the seed beds and planted out some lettuce. And went to the recycling centre for compost. Car stinks now. Mulched a few things with the compost.
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Planted out reine des glace lettuce, and romesco caulies. put in the pea sticks. Didn't weed as my knee went wrong yesterday [ getting a rhubarb crumble out of the oven] and it doesn't want to squat today either. Let the water barrel overflow in the poly [####] how stupid was that.... :-\ ......
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Planted 3 Pentland Crowns in a builders bag for Tattiemans challenge
Watered
Sowed 16 sweetcorn direct
Dug up some of my spent Kale plants, but left some flowering for the bees
Cut hedge at home and put the cuttings in the dalek and mixed with ash
;D
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Spent most of the day lying around doing nothing. I'm still recovering from a vomiting bug.
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Mowed the lawn, tidied up part of the border and planted my first lot of spuds.
Wanted to do more but had to head inside when the temperature started to climb because I'm red-haired and fair-skinned.
CC
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More sowing of seed, potted on some flowers, watered a lot.
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sat in it and read the paper!
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Just up from last night shift and turned my hand to potting on some plants in need.
Rosemary and thyme, plus a large hosta have all been moved to larger pots.
Still always tomorrow to get more done. ;D
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Planted the last of my Pentland Crown
Cultivated, watered and added more council compost to the sweetcorn bed ready for more planting tomorrow
;D 8)
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Finally got all my spuds in and planted a few more shallots that I found lurking in the shed!
Then watered, watered, watered! (that'll make it rain)
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My greenhouse is now fully up and glazed.... last job left is to fit the auto vents, install the autowatering kit and the power inlet.... oh and dig it over and plant it of course.... Power can wait until autumn TBF... Also got the little rotavator fixed and did some rotavating on the two allotments, allotment 1 to turn in some manure, allotment 2 as a weedbashing exercise in bits not planted with spuds.... Also first thing I got down to teh recycling place in Wooton Bassett and picked up a trailer load of council compost.... cost me 3 quid 60..... prolly cost the same again in petrol but it's still way cheaper than the supermarket compost..... I want it to improve the soil in the GH and polytunnel(I want to avoid the random nitrogen content of horse manure) , plus I need to pot on the asparagus....
Tomorrow morning hopefully I'll get the polytunnel up on plot 1, plant the gigandas, the tall peas and the beetroots out, if I get lucky then also the pickling onions... then its off to the folks for a BBQ... if I get anything else done it'll be a miracle, but next on the list is bashing the ground in front of the GH into shape and planting out the fruit and sorting out the bed for the celeriac and parsnips, both of which are coming along in their modules nicely.....
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Enjoyed it!
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In between customers, cuppas and bacon and egg, sowed my beans and squash seed, transplanted the dwarf french beans and planted out some cauli and red chicory and watered all over the place ;D Ray transported 5x 5 gallon containers to water with as our water butts are nearly empty
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Mixed some compost into the soil, sowed some more Sweetcorn and watered
Weeded Onion/Shallot bed
Pulled up marestail all over the plot :(
Sowed some more Carrots in the bath, watered and covered with a fleece
Watered Rhubarb.
8) 8) 8)
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watered all the spuds, and ridged up the ones in the frame with leafmold. hoed through the onions and garlic beds, started tying in the tomatoes to canes, sowed 54 pots of runner beans 2 per pot(3 types, 18 pots of each)
Harvested more Asparagus.
;) :D
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Divided a sack of Lime into 7lb backs for the shop to sell. ;D
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In between customers, managed to get all the beans and squash sowed, transplanted the rest of the Roma toms and romaine and red cos lettuce, earthed up more spuds ;D
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planted more lettice and beets cleaned up around the garden, lawns all looking good but 1 has a lot of moss so a lot of work to do on that pots looking good but not sure how far behind kev will have to wait and see :D
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weeded round my strawberries and watered watered watered. OH and planted up some corn and courgettes
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Me too weeded round my strawberries and potoatoes!
Planted chillies, (Cayenne, Czechoslavakian Black and a orange one) planted 1 pumpkin (for the OH), sowed some parsley, sunflowers around the shed, more sweet peas. Watered the courgettes seedlings, and watered, watered and watered.
enjoyed the sunshine and had a bbq all good stuff. :)
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Put some more wire up to support the climbing peas.
Sowed beetroot, cucumber and some flowers. Built a wigwam for the cucumbers first!
Planted out 2 aubergines that were big enough and the first tomato plant (A Gardener's Delight). We'll not get frost here now.
Did a bit of weeding and fertilised the strawberries that have green fruit on them!!!! oooh excitement!
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watered onions, garlic, broadies, and spuds, again. ( when is it gonna rain? )
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aparently it going to bucket it down on Friday night, Saturday and Saturday night, fingers crossed :)
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First thing I did was put on a Jumper it was bleedin freezing, picked a few Radish, planted a dozen Red cabbage plants, more Carrots and Beetroot, admired my Garlic and Fruit bushes had a watering session and a general tidy up, :)
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First cut of comfrey :D
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Sowed more beetroot , earthed up pots again, planted out runner beans, broad beans are looking good should be ready begining of june. Planted out carnations ;D
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Barrowed muck for 5 hours and then watered. I'm knackered now ;D
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glad you enjoyed yurself, Shirl ;D
covered some stuff as they're giving 2 degrees tonight :)
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Planted out 7 sweetcorn
Planted 6 sarpo mira spuds
Hoed onions and watered
Sowed some more carrots
;D
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Dug. Barrowed grasscuttings. Planted out broad beans. I thought the heatwave was supposed to be over, but it was as hot as ever. The bees were enjoying it.
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planted out more flowers and give more than 100 plants to neighbours the weather has brought everything forward. Planted out some french beans in large pots, more spring onions,, and put up netting ready to plant brasicas ;D
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planted onion sets and peas
sowed more sweetcorn and sunflowers,dug over the sweetcorn bed ready
got the strimmer out....
plenty of watering ::)
will dig over the pumpkin bed this weekend so im set there and turn the soil over in the raised beds ready for the courgettes
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Earthed up spuds
Weeded raised boxes
Planted out lettuce
Sowed silybum at last, Georgie will be proud
;D ;D ;D
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Weeded,Watered and chewed the fat ;D
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had fun with my new strimmer.
earthed up spuds
watered wateread and watered some more.
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Got the strawberries into the ground this morning before going to work, along with a morello cherry from a pot where its been since I got it as a bare root this winter, plant
chrisced out the last of my pickling onions and seed-grown shallots.... the only hardy stuff left in modules now are the assorted brassicas and the leeks. Because of predicted cold weather tonight I moved all the tomatoes and other tenders into the GH and shut it down, also laid out the hose and leaky-pipe runs in the polytunnel, cut them to length and put them together with assorted junctions and jubilee clips.
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What are you sowing thistles for? Or do you mean 'silly bum'?
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Watered... frames and greenhouses... :)
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still trying to create something that looks like a seed bed.
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tied up the cucumbers, about 8" tall now, uncovered all the toms , planted out another gutterfull of peas, watered everywhere :)
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sowed more sun flowers, and poted on a few. sowed more runner beans this lot can go out end of may. Don,t know whats wrong with my carnations they all look like dryed straw will keep a eye on them, and did a lot of watering :)
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Planted out some more cauli's to replace the ones lost over the winter. Potted up some toms for the spring sale and then dug the holes for the squash and filled them with manure and of course watered.
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Got everything sorted for our second plant sale weekend at our special needs group centre, knackered now ;D
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been away for three weeks so weeds everywhere. Spent the half hour I had at lottie reclaiming materials from local kids building dens with them. JOY!
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Yesterday it was not 2 windy so went on the attack with the weed killer.
I sowed all my tomatoes and chillis for the garden and for my pouch experiment
Pouches - Blondkopfchen, F1 Sweet Million, Libi, German Red Strawberry, red pear, Money Maker, Gardeners Delight, Aji Dulce, Anaheim, Bolivian Rainbow, Hawaian Sweet Hot, Chilhuacle Rojo and Negro
Garden - plum Fryer, Legend, Heinz, Orange banana, Jersey
So far today
Watered all my peas which have all popped there heads though the ground no sign of anything else (leeks, carrots, beans, beetroot) popped into wilko who were reducing trays of some neglected baby shrubs and flowering plants down to 10 and 20 pence so spent £1.50 and am just having a break from giving them some water/love and attention and if they survive another week i will pot them on until there safe for the garden.
Also planting up another tray of beans just in case the ones i have planted dont germinate.
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Another good couple of days, Yesterday sowed Parsnips and some last minute .com onions, sowed a couple more packets of 'Invincible' Sweet corn, today made a nice slurry out of my muck to put round the fruit trees had a hoeing session and clean up,
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tied in the Tomatoes again, watered spuds, and installed an outside tap @ home, over the royal doulton belfast sink,
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Mowed, strimmed,watered and chewed the fat
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In the last few days: Mowed, watered and emptied big compost bin (pallet bin) for greenhouse soil top mulch. Sowed beans into pots. Sowed squash into pots. Pulled weeds and half filled the other side of the pallet bin (this will shrink to nothing within days), must mix some cardboard in with it. Fed worms in worm bin, they get through stuff much quicker now than they did a month ago, guess the colony is growing. Not sure what to do about some ants in the bin? Cut comfrey and lovage and ran mower over them (as suggested by GW), put into liquid fertiliser bin with a lot of nettles from under the hedge. Mowing comfrey saves time, but leaves stalks on the ground which have to be picked up separately. Used some of the chopped comfrey as light mulch on the potatoes.
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Had a lovely day just tidying and weeding the plot and polytunnel. Sowed salad leaves. Just g ;)reat and feel lots better for it.
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Sat around in between customers, having cups of tea and a barbeque, laughing and chatting, oh, yes, and watering all the 'for sale' plants and baskets
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Laughed my head off when buying four bags of manure in the allotment shop. Nice old geezer who runs the shop (his name escapes me) wrote it up on the sale list as "Four bags of horse poo".
I said "I can't believe you really wrote horse poo".
He said "It's taken years for them to get me to write that."
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I was being artistic this weekend, not much gardening done, but my garden sculpture which i'm making for a dear friends 60th birthday gained a few more branches, and some leaves, (pics to follow)
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Planted out more sweetcorn
Planted out cauli's
Planted out runners (someone left them on my plot)
Earthed up competion spuds
Weeded and watered
8) 8) 8)
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Look forward to seeing pictures.
I have been out and about all weekend.... but today, last day off, am going to spend in garden catching up with some planting and have some more sweet peas to put in. Then I think will just sit out and enjoy the sunshine with a cold drink (non-alcoholic .... Friday is still a blur)
Hope everyone is having good weather and enjoying garden/allotment :)
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Just watered today. :'(
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sowed parsnips and carrots, earthed up & watered the spuds ( some got flowers on) and harvested more asparagus
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Today I planted up hanging baskets, sowed second batch of sweet peas and some cornflowers.
Put in some peas, hope its not too late !
Re-sowed some sunflower seeds as someone/something has been scoffing them.
Husband who is still playing head greenkeeper put some feed and weed on the lawn.
Then sat and enjoyed the sunshine...... back to work tomorrow :(
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Not a lot done today as I am still at work.
Yesterday I managed to pot up 135 nasturtiums, 48 AYR cabbage and a dozen or so caulis. Also got to pot up more nigella's, about 100, and also done my Hosta into a large pot ready for the big display which has begun in this new pot of which I think will be the last move before splitting.
Kochia's are now into their second stage before planting out as are the sunflowers. God only knows where I am going to put them all.
We have a nice show of Alyssum Saxtile in the back now as I put them in last season and they really are going to show me up.
Oh well back to work as I have to go out again.
Catch up with you all another day.
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well ive dug over a neglected bit of plot, ive weeded my strawberrys, ive done battle with lots of couch grass. Oh and Dh and the boys helped chuck loads of whel barrow loads of water on the plot. At least everything has had a good water now.
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Angel you have given me a brilliant idea. My husband doesn't know it yet, but has now been promoted to 'head green keeper', I'm sure having a title will encourage him much! ;)
Yesterday we admired all the dandylions and daisys on front and back lawns. Checked the rat bait, which isn't going down any more (think it's done the job). Had no choice because they were under the shed very close to the wooden aviary and wouldn't want them getting in there!!!
Also plenty watering, earthed up my 4 homeguard spuds and planted out butternut squashes (12) into a raised bed.
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Managed to get carrots, cabbages, courgettes in :)
my cucumber died and it looks like my fennel seeds got lost somewhere in the wilderness :-\
Have weeded and netted up gooseberries and strawberries, and have earthed up the potatoes again..
;D
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planted 'mummy' peas on our grandson's bed, put up all the pea wigwams, watered everywhere (having to take 15 galls every other day) :(
still, giving rain on thursday ;D ;D believe that when I see it
counted up the profit from the plant sales ;D
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Harvested Rhubarb yesterday
Covered sweetcorn with bottle cloches
Earthed up spud in tubs
Watered and fed 1st line of Rocket spuds
Watered in general
;D
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Dealt with a swarm which moved into an empty hive this morning. Did a bit of digging, potted up the Daubenton Kale Goodlife sent, and spread some grass cuttings. We had a few drops of rain, and it's a lot cooler.
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Did not do a lot due to making some forms for a new fence which shall be going in when the neighbours go away on their hols. Tried to reason with them about a new fence, but they want to keep it the same as they have already. Not a chance of that as we maintain the fence line so I shall do what I think will last longer. :-X
Watered plenty and planted out Toms, checked on a few tender plants to make sure they are ok. ;)
Got more trays ready to pot on more seedlings. :-X
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Started tying in all the new growth on the tayberries and black berries that will fruit next year.Saves getting them all jumbled up at the end of the season.
Tony did our first 3 small raised beds on a spare piece of ground and we started our first nettle brew of the year.Oh and planted two cobaea to climb up one of me wilkie arches.
Still watering here in Brum. Had 2 spots yesterday ;D
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Got myself out of my sickbed after 10 days of inertia in order to vote, and crossed road to my local allotment to find devastating frost damage. All the potatoes on the site are withered, mine being better than most because of my big apple tree protecting them. Watered a bit, helped by son and his wife. All squashes OK because of fleece, but beans dead. Went back to bed.
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Oh dear. I am sorry. I hope that you soon feel well again.
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planted out some dwarf french beans and a courgette, planted some more peppers , roma tomatoes and a couple of melons in the poly border, planted some calabrese and cauli in Callum's bed, planted some lollo rosso in spaces I found ;D
Ray planted out the 'colossus peas around 2 wigwams,
watered everything that needed it, the rain last night never got below 1" :-\
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Planted out Romanscu
Transplanted Primo
Sieved soil for more spud tubs
Potted on tommies to black buckits
Watered
;D
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Got to the plot feeling awful, sat for an hour or so, and went home.
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Got to the plot feeling awful, sat for an hour or so, and went home.
Hope your feeling better soon.
Have not even managed to get out and water yet been one of those days going to fill my watering can and head out and do a rain dance!
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Weeded..... and hoped for rain before I plant, sow anything else. Uncovered the fig tree but the top growth has been nipped by the frost along with spuds I forgot to cover and the beans I shouldn't of sown outside. There's no fool like an old fool..... :-[. But the toms look good for sowing late and the spring cabbage is amazing. Have pigged asparagus and am leaving it now as this is first real picking year. :)
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We had a very heavy shower a while ago. The way it came down it should have made a difference, and it didn't last long enough to cause a flood. Hopefully I'll be feeling OK tomorrow. These headaches don't often last more than 24 hours.
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weeded and watered. desperately trying to get sorted and tidied uo for the cultivation survey
Just got home from the plot to get a text from my sister to say dads had a heart attack, so I get a funny feeling barring a few hours here and there my plot is not going to see alot of me over for the next couple of weeks specially as my mother is ill too.
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did a rain dance!!
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weeded and watered. desperately trying to get sorted and tidied uo for the cultivation survey
Just got home from the plot to get a text from my sister to say dads had a heart attack, so I get a funny feeling barring a few hours here and there my plot is not going to see alot of me over for the next couple of weeks specially as my mother is ill too.
My best wishes to the suffering.... Hoping for a good outcome...
Here's hoping you can get out and keep things under control soon...
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Hope that the situation improves for you and your family brownowl
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All the best Brownowl. :-*
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All the best, Brownowl,
let them know what's happening at your allotment
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Very best wishes to those having problems, and thank you for the sympathy sent to me.
I have bounced back at last - was able to potter gently at my nearest plot, and planted two gutters of snap peas. Set up a rain collector for the rain promised tonight: a strong piece of plastic suspended between 4 bamboos. I cut a hole in the middle, over a big trug, and weighed plastic down with two water bottles. (No water at this plot - everything has to be carried up in plastic milk bottles, and I have never quite managed to collect rain before).
Picked a lot of enthusiastic thick asparagus, and secretly tied it to the bicycle handlebars of my plot neighbour, whose wife sent me Get Well flowers only yesterday. Hope they enjoy it.
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hugs to those struggling at the moment i have done nothing in the garden today woke after heavy rain to find the garden still hard popped downstairs where husband had taken Harriet down for breakfast while i had a shower to find i had missed her first steps without holding on to anything. But my disappointment was soon forgotten as she has done nothing but walk around all day :)
So whilst my garden got wet i woke to find i had a toddler ;D
Am now sitting her with planting plan trying to work out what to do in the garden tomorrow if i can :)
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Lovely time, Louise, everything new for them :)
sowed 5 different types of lettuce, more dwarf french beans, long red and ailsa craig onions, savoy cabbage, falstaff sprouts, trying to grow more as I think we will have an early harvest and need more stuff to fill spaces, my BN and hooligan squash and my grandsons' jack o' lantern pumpkins are all up ;D
planted out some lettuce and more melons
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Weeded carrots, parsnips and onions
Resowed pea and carrot bare patches
Transplanted January king cabbages
Watered and slug pelleted
Potted up more tommies
;D
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As for today, I have potted up more young plants into larger pots ready to go out into the beds for the display this year. :P 120 marigolds, eighty zinnias, and 120 nigellas. :o
Seems as though oh wants to outdo what I did last year.
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since yesterday i have moved about 100 edging/driveway bricks off the area i want to plant on heading out now to move the last 25 which are suck slightly into the soil. Next job is to dig the the area over with some chicken poop and get it ready for squash and pumpkins which are going to be hardened off over the next couple of weeks. I have 3 nets of onions to go in but the ground rock hard so before i more any more bricks i am going to get a couple of watering cans and wet the ground so i can dig it over onions will be going in tomorrow when Harriets having her nap i am interplanting PSB, B.Sprouts, cabbages with the onions so need to get my rows right while the ground is plyable i might dig narrow trenches for the seedlings to go in once there all up :)
Tonight i need to decide what goes in my 3rd bed which i have down as root veg so i am thinking succession parsnip, turnip, swede and carrot :)
(bed 1 legumes, bed 2 brassicas, bed 3 root)
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hiya all - first time on this forum! :D
yesterday, unexpectedly, we had fine sunny warm weather in the afternoon, but that made my work harder. fetched a couple of barrows of leafy - leafmould that the site have had a big delivery of. it was quite a trek as we had to walk out of the site to go into a different gate to get to it (10mins walk and about 20mins back up the hill! :( was a bit of a chore as we had to do this on foot as we don't drive. then, i had to make use of the ground being damp to use the leafmould for mulching. Poor OH, he didn't realise that he had to dig right into the leafmould pit to get at the semi-decomposed sfuff rather than the dry leaves that he picked up!! ::) ::)
as we only had a couple of barrows worth, i had to sparingly mulch each onion, raspberry and broad bean plants. there were other plants that needed mulching but i had to be discerning as to which plants were mostly in need of this. each time i needed to move on to the next batch of plants, i got up and felt really dizzy. i think it was a combination of too much sun (dehydration) and not enough energy to have carried out this task out properly (had a hard week at work)...
hey ho, that's lotti life for you! am going to go down Wed prob after work for more mulching and weeding!
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Went out and looked at my seed trays and pots.... still no sign of any new seedlings, so stared at them for a bit willing them to get a shift on !!
Not sure if that method will work, but hey........ you never know ! ;)
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Not done much as I have just got home from a long day. Only managed to get some more compost mixed with sand and perlite ready to pot on more seedlings.
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Weeded,weeded,weeded
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Weeded Hamburg Parsley
Watered Spuds in their tubs
;D
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Planted a few runner beans :-\.Weeded and weeded whilst Tony put our chairs together for our half plot at Bettys.Its getting filled up now.
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Fennel finally sprouted, thought I had lost them, planted seeds 6 weeks ago :) parsley, corriander and cabbage seeds going great guns and watered and watered now looking to planting more courgette and beetroot seeds. oooh and this weekend I will be weeding weeding and more weeding.
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All I am doing at the mo is watering babies and pots. It's so dry I can't risk planting things out in the veg plot or flower beds. We have had one good downpour - 10 days ago - since mid march and no showers. This last weekend Belgium was the warmest place in Europe with temps in the high 20s.
Established plants are doing OK but I'll have to water the soft fruits if we're to get a crop this year.
Meanwhile, I just keep watering and doing a spot of weeding but will have to pot on various babies as they outgrow their wee pots. At least the drought is helping suppress the slugs and snails but my natural pond is just mud so no good for this year's crop of frog, toad and newt tadpoles.
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transplanted romanesco broccoli, planted out mange tout and celeriac, watered all the stuff in the poly that needed it :)
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Planted out some cosse violette beans, romanesco broccoli and sowed carrots, all on plot 2. Dug up the potatoes from the hot bed, picked some radish, spring onions and a spring cabbage for tea ;D
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Dug, watered, planted a few extra spinach to fill the gaps in the row. Didn't have much time, unfortunately.
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turned the water on at the lottie weeded,watered and had a really good tidy up,just been and turned water off, about 4 hours spent at the plot today very satisfying ;D
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Staked Tomatoes in the greenhouse, ran strings over and above Gherkins. In the garden I staked my Sunflowers.
On the allotment had a big fore of dumped trees and shrubs, took away two dumped bicycles, rescued a wheelbarrow and cut some Hazel for poles and walking sticks.
Oh and sowed Cauli "All year round." in trays.
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We tied up the tall cabbages to stakes, planted out some celeriac, planted up the last of the inside sweetcorn, dug up some very early potatoes, cut some oakleaf lettuce, red mustard and red mizuna for lunch :)
oh, forgot, I also transplanted the jack o' lanterns that Callum sowed into larger pots ;D
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Knackered myself! ::)
Spend 5 hours at the plot today, weeding sunflower and borage seedlings out from my allium beds, they have gone mad n the past week. Planted out all the brqassicas, then realised I hadn't sown the swedes yet! Netted them all up nicely to keep the birds off.
Tomorrow I intend to put plant out more peas, the first lot of dwarf beans under cloches, and the first lot of CFB's. Hope we don't get a late frost now!
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Watered and watered this morning
Then back later to transplant some Primo Cabbages
Harvested 3 Onions and ate a small Strawberry
:D
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Looked at the seed trays again........ I think something may be happening !
The staring and willing them to grow method is working ;)
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Just finished for a while after sowing some more runner beans and then onto the planting out.
So far there has been plenty to plant, Nasturtiums, Cornflower, Kochia, Cosmos, Tomatoes(tumbler and cherry gold) and finally the Brassicas are going in.
Lastly, those darn weeds have been at it again. Spreading themselves sround the place with no concern for others. Just like humans ;D
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Weeded, weeded and weeded, thined out the beetroots, pricked out some cabbages, checked on my leeks - I have 5! ??? mmmm I'm sure that there were more, this week going to get some flowers too as Landimad has inspired me. ;D
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transplanted some more morning glory, planted some more Roma toms and yolo peppers, planted another couple of self seeded sunflowers outside, transplanted lots of self seeded verbena bonsariaris ?sp ;D
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Just going and we have sun.. real non rainy day.. whoopee can't believe it.
XX Jeannine
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;D..You can ditch now all the plans for the rice field...what about drought resistant varieties of veg.. :o ;) ;D
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Made my new border for annuals in the main, laid more old carpet on my allotment and had a meeting with the Council about the state of other peoples plots and H&S issues. Tied up my Gherkins, Tomatoes, and sowed some Winter Cauliflowers.
A good days work.
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Weeded
Watered
Put home compost in the dalek
:D
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Seems like no ones done much for a while
I sowed runners and blue lake beans
Weeded and watered and soaked up the sunshine
8) 8) 8)
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Had hoped to get my calabrese out and my debris netting/blue pipe cloches built but it was very windy so spent the afternoon in the greenhouse, potting toms into grobags, aubergines into black buckets and moving lots of stuff out to the coldframe to make room for the latter. Also sowed more french beans as only got 3 out of 15 from the last lot. Just hope the coldframe doesn't blow away now!
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Seems like no ones done much for a while
nah, just forgot to put it on ;D
transplanted som webbs wonder lettuce, some more squash, leeks, planted up some more roma toms, 'firkled' some more new spuds for my mum in law and us for tea, sowed some more peas and ran out of compost so tidied up around the compost heap, oh, and mulched up the spuds with straw ;D
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Weeded >:( and Weeded >:( thats what happens when you dont keep on top of things !
Planted up a hanging basket for my friend :)
Looked at seedlings ........ yes after much staring and willing of them to grow, I have finally got some seedlings ;D
Pulled more algae from pond >:(
Then it got windy and started to rain, so that was it for the day LOL
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Lots, re potted Tomatoes started hardening the outdoor ones, sowed winter brassicas, annuals wallflowers and sweet williams, been to allotment had another fire, started digging up roots with my new Mattock.
Bought more canes for later crops of Runner Beans and ha d a general tidy up.
Phew, Might have Sunday off, ;D
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Not much.
Re-sowed courgettes and cauliflower, sowed more dwarf french beans.
Watered young plants which are still inside g'house -kale, broccoli, toms, peas, cucumber, sweet peas, blackberry plants-successfully taken as layered cuttings 8). I'm biding my time with these as we have had strong winds for past week on the NE coast & i don't want to plant out & find them damaged, dried out or snapped.
The re-sown flat leaf parsley & coriander are already through after only a few days
Indoors on sunny window sill are 4 healthy aubergine plants which I've grown for first time & approx 28 young capsicum plants which are making very slow progress
Tomorrow I will plant out my 7 remaining sweetcorn plants from the original 16 I had sown :-[
This year has been an odd one, with some seeds growing weakly then dying off & others not growing at all (lettuce would you believe!)
Debs
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Quiet weekend on the lotty, went up to the 'High Peak' on Friday to Edale with my lad and went over Kinder Scout on Saturday morning, that bloody 'Grindsbrook Clough' I was knackered when I got to the top, just back from the lotty after watering the sweetcorn, :)
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Watered, cut stinging nettles to soak for feed. Ate first two ripe strawberries. The people that Joe Swift gave his strawberries to look very good (the strawberries, not the people, although they also looked good), so have been promised some runners. Planted sweetcorn. Got some water from one OF OUR NEW WATER TANKS, admired our new green fence and new gate. Walked around looking at other people's plots for ideas, and to chat. Said hullo to Italian family and got offered a mars bar, which I refused, admired their wild fennel, and got offered that, but said just wondered how they cooked it, but as the answer was in Italian not much wiser. Admired the strawberries and got offered a taste, but refused again, it is embarrassing but nice everytime I say something is growing well, they give me some, and I was not begging just admiring. Went on the neglected plot to see if there were any hidden strawberries but found a dead rat, so didn't continue with that idea. Went home with a small bunch of sweet peas (which I grew) and they smell lovely. Peas are doing well. (This was yesterday), just off to see if anything has grown in the night, windy here today.
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Was horrified at how much the weeds have grown
Weeded strawberries, lettuce and beetroot beds
Thinned out lettuce and picked radishes (yummy salad for tea)
Noticed that parsnips have finally germinated :)
Finished building luxurious broccoli cage and planted out PSB into it
Netted currants
Planted out tomatoes
Earthed up spuds
Drank tea
Started off new batch of comfrey fertiliser
Chatted to new allotment neighbours
Wondered how to get rid of massive red ant colony that has taken over the whole plot
Made list of all the things I still have to do.....
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Probably a waste of time as it was so windy, but watered anyway. Also weeded and strimmed, and emptied a dalek compost bin to use for mulch- just hope I haven't spread too many weed seeds!
At home, potted up some cosmos grown from saved seed, so thanks to the A4A person who gave me the seed last year!
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Again too windy, but I did stick my fork under my rockets and got myself a meal for tomorrow. ;D
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Shaded the green house, staked all tall plants as we are suffering terrible gales. Pricked out my Roma sauce tomatoes. Had a fumble with my first earlies, (Not ready yet) sowed more winter brassicas and collected some more Hazel for my stickmaking.
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Earthed up two rows of lates and give all the spuds the biggest watering ever. ;)
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Dug and planted out 4 bon bon squash.Planted out the naff chrysanths I had ordered. Painted a planter. Went to the other plot and planted 2 more bon bon and sowed some fennel and planted some caraway that I grew from seed .Dug another tatty up for tea and picked 3 little gem and some parsley for the rabbit.
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I just come back from the lottie with a punnet of strawberrys and 3 onions. :P
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Harriet and I had a nice long walk into the village around the shops and back she had her first lollypop and we both got sticky :) As the weather was nice, not 2 windy and not raining tonight while she was asleep i have managed to pull 1/2 a brown recycling bag of weeds and a bit of tidying up still lifting slabs before sunday looks like i have a good chance of getting the patio done sunday which means monday husband can help me cover the planting area with membrane to stop any opportunist weeds taking over.
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Checked the bees and dug a few square feet. That was all I could manage, I'm still recovering from doing the kitchen floor.
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Yesterday spent all day planting up the home greenhouse with 36 tomato plants, 5 cucumbers, 8 melons. Knackered myself, then today went down the plot to plant out the sweetcorn. I live about 2 miles away, and it has been pouring down here the past 24 hours, but at the plot it was bone dry! I had to water everything! Anyway the sweetcorn are in, I haven't put the plastic bottles around them this time, just to see if it makes any difference or not. Ate the first of my new strawberries, seem ok!
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Took our 3 year old grandson to plot 1 today, he had new gardening gloves and wanted to dig up some spuds for his mum. We dug up 3 red duke of york and he gleefully mauled around in the soil, it went everywhere but we got a carrier bag full ;D
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planted out Matthew and Callum's pumpkins, while Matthew watered everywhere and hoe, hoe, hoed lots of weeds, wonderful what a 3 yr old can do ;D
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Had a day off and it was a lovely sunny day so got loads done. Collected 12 bags of hops and earthed up and mulched the spuds. Weeded and dug over two patches, planted out 40 leeks, a few French beans, 2 pumpkins. Hoed off weeds and dug up more bindweed, planted out some cornflowers. If I have the energy will pop down this evening to do some watering and spread some more hops.
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Cleared an area of fat hen and Planted out sweet corn. Watered brassicas I planted out yesterday. Where did yesterdays rain go.
Too hot to do much.
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earthed up my spuds ;D
watered the greenhouse
tried to resolve a blockage issue with my waterbutt system,but failed..
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Watered a comfrey feed into two lines of spuds
Planted out some silybum next to our new fence
Harvested a punnet of Strawberrys
Harvested a handful of spring onions that had grown in with the brassicas over winter.
Mixed one of my daleks
Transplanted a Sunflower
;D
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Planted out oca, climbing beans and brassicas.
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Weeding, mulching, watering, planting drawf beans, digging, eating raw broccoli, tasting this and that, stroking the soft 'fur' of my lovely peaches are almost full size now...(slurp :P)..can't wait to eat some, nearly there though.. ;D
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weeding weeding and more weeding after the rain its all gone mad >:(
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nothing i cant get to it we have pulled the patio up and are preparing to relay it so i cant get to anything :(
Fingers crossed the weather will let us get to the patio next weekend or the weekend after.
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Took a risk and planted out half of my squash plants in an area that has been covered with cardboard for a year and is now pretty much couch free! Also planted out celery, more dwarf beans and a few more CFB to fill gaps. Back to work tomorrow..... :-\
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Picked strawberries, bunch of sweet peas and some baby spinach.
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Went down to the allotment this evening.....
Weeded, weeded and weeded ???
Also pulled some spinach, never grown or cooked it before, having it for tea tomorrow, sowed some more radish and spring onions :)
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Nowt... other than look around and check my ggod friends had watered everything as I was away all weekend.. :-X
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Cleared the ground next to the new fence with my mattock ( bloody good tool that)
Transplanted some silybum and marigolds and watered them in
Watered Runners and Sunflowers
Going back in a minute to finish the watering
;D
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At plot 2, transplanted 5 squash out, 12 climbing french and haricot beans, nasturtiums and turned out our competition spuds 'cos we're away at the weekend, weeded all over the place, new ground is chronic ;D
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Finished planting out the climbing beans, and checked the bees. The bramble is just beginning to flower, the bees are up in the supers, and I'm expecting some honey soon!
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... actually got about 2 hours worth of gardening done today so pleased with myself.
Used my new hoe (amazon one mentioned in another tread) which i am told is a mattock either way i cleared a load of soil for laying more patio slabs and used the soil i needed to get rid of into a large bag for my sweet potato slips which arrived a few days ago and have been sitting in water. Also topped up with bags with my potatoes. Soil is wet about 1 inch below the surface so gave everything a good soak and covered up the ground so i can continue to dig tomorrow.
Pulled up a massive load of weeds and managed to fill one of my recycling bags (sprayed last week with week killer) got more bindweed showing there heads so monday/tuesday next week (patio relaying now saturday) more week killer going down.
Pumpkins are not looking very well i suspect i need to start again - does anyone think i am 2 late?
Brassicas are looking good and fingers crossed i can plant them into there bed in about 2 weeks.
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Finally accepted that strawberries are more or less over. Impossible to water them enough in this dustbowl.
Sweetcorn looking sad, though I did water them. Picked a few mangetouts (they have grown magnificently in spite of no rain, but are now looking stressed), picked some asparagus (seriously slowing down, considering we should have another 2 weeks), also some indefatigable sorrel.
Watered climbing beans, which look quite cheerful, surprisingly. Looked at potatoes drooping - but there is no way I can water them enough, given that every drop has to be carried in old milk containers (no water on this site).
Yesterday I visited my allotment that does have water, but even there the strawberries are not good. Potatoes are all right, onions are not too bad. But on the whole, in East Sussex this is a discouraging year. I am very sorry for farmers contemplating their withered crops across Kent and Sussex.
And my niece has a cut flower business ("Blooming Green") not far away. I have not dared to ask her how her flower fields are doing.
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I was 'helped' by my 12 yr old and 3 yr old grandsons to dig out a big bucketfull of home guard potatoes from a polytunnel bed so's when I get back, the rest of the tomatoes and peppers can be planted. Some for mum in law, some for daughters family, some to take down south and a few for us , will definitely grow them again, due to our hosepipe ban, they haven't been watered at all but gave a great harvest ;D
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Watered and mulched!
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sorted the healthiest sweetcorn out ready to put in lottie watered and sorted greenhouse out looking nice now
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Watered a comfrey feed into two lines of spuds
Planted out some silybum next to our new fence
Harvested a punnet of Strawberrys
Harvested a handful of spring onions that had grown in with the brassicas over winter.
Mixed one of my daleks
Transplanted a Sunflower
;D
What is Silybum????
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Picked strawberries and sweet peas. Gave some strawberries to next door and made some jam, and didn't burn the saucepan (result). ;D ;D ;D Raspberries and redcurrants rippening, and peas have pods, but didn't pick any. I expect they will all be ready in 10 days time when I am on holiday. :( :( :(
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Silybum is milk thistle, just googled it as thought it was one of Kev's jokes, but it does exist.
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planted out celeriac, assembled plastic greenhouse, weeding and more weeding, tied up sweet peas against netting, ate the only strawberry, looked at red currents - will be ready to harvest on saturday - looks like I have a busy weekend ahead. :)
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Potted up masses of cucurbits, and did a bit of watering where recent plantings are wilting in the drought.
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:o :o :o
Looked around the garden to see what space I have and found very little to go round. I shall have to do some weeding and remove some plants that have gone over so as to get more in.
With twenty or so more trays of plants and ten seed plug trays to be potted up before they go in, where is it all going to fit??? :-[
I just go overboard with growing stuff and think that a small market garden project will get shot of all these plants. ::)
If push comes to shove I shall be giving the stuff away and try not to over do it next year.
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went to alnwick garden - so didnt get a lot done but was inspired by what i saw there :)
potted up my 4 very healthy aubergine plants, planted more garlic but am not expecting much - too late perhaps?
watered & weeded
Debs
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Put the heating on
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Is it cold up't north Davy?
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Silybum is milk thistle, just googled it as thought it was one of Kev's jokes, but it does exist.
Okay, so what do you do with milk thistle? I know you can feed it to horses to protect their liver and keep it healthy, but what else is it good for?
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Cut the grass to stop the seed heads, planted some plants and dug over part of the border.
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GeeGee I didn't know milk thistle was good for horses livers but there is a herbal remedy of MT that is good for human livers. I also have it on good authority that guinea pigs like it too.
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Ask, Kev, he is a lovely man, was going to say 'know it all', or a silly bum. Just waiting for the rude reply.
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Strimmed,mowed,weeded filled water butts and watered put out some brassicas collected some more money for a bulk order of water butts being delivered tomorrow.
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Planted out a wigwam of Robinson peas. One of my favourites.
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Put the fire back on
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Watered the lottie, raining now
Sowed more silybum :P
Transplanted some Kale
The silybum seeds were sent to me by Georgie and I have planted some out next to our new fence as grow to a quite big bushy, prickly plant, they have been nibbled by the slug/snails even though they have grown quite prickly already, a good smidging of pellets have gone down.
No rude or silly jokes, although I will be naming the first fully grown one Sandra. :P :P :P
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Weeded, planted out some more courgettes, weeded, harvested the first of my overwintered Jermor shallots, weeded, picked some strawberries, weeded, cut the grass on the rough bit of the allotment where I'm going to put the butternut squash out, and.............weeded some more! ;D
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Saturday, I weeded, sowed some barlotti beans and butternut squash to see how I get on...planted out the tomotoes in my baby plastic greenhouse accidently brought a cucumber plant, picked over a kilo of red currents, watered, picked salad leaves, corriander and mint, watered some more, thinned out the beetroot, watered some more, got sunburnt even with factor 30 went home, made red current jelly and collapsed.
Sunday, did bugger all apart from thank my lucky stars that it rained... ;D ;D
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Watered the spuds with a comfrey feed. ;D ;D ;D
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Watered the spuds with a comfrey feed. ;D ;D ;D
Kev, didn't know you had to feed the spuds? do I have to feed everything? I have been feeding my tomatoes but nothing else....help what do I need to get :-\ ???
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tied up and hung my onions and pottered around the pumpkin
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Checked the bees, which are fine and starting to lay down a little honey for me. It looks like a showery afternoon at this rate, but I need to get back briefly to pot up Irridium's Ragged Jack, which just arrived.
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Pulled 2 lots of garlic, quite big, considering, some onions that are ready and some picklers that had gone to seed, dug up 2 plants of home guard potatoes and planted a squash, planted 3 butternuts in the poly, letting them sprawl through eveerything, planted some hooligan and a potimarron in the pea beds, transplanted the last of the roma toms and yolo peppers into compost pits in the poly bed. moved the 'hestia and dwarf french beans outside to harden off, pulled up some oriental salad that had gone too far. had a lovely day, dodging all the heavy showers ;D
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nothing so far very strong winds have died down now so fingers crossed i can get out after i make husband a cup of tea and get dinner on.
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Yesterday I harvested Strawberrys, lettuce, onions and my first beetroot. :D
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Weeded and weeded and weeded some more. had'nt been to the plot for just over a week and the weeds have taken over. Did pick the goosegogs that were left after something had invaded them. picked strawberries. lettuce and more beetroot. Finished putting some bedding plants in to keep a bit of colour on the front of the plot
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took out the rest of the oriental leaves that had gone to seed, sorted the bed and planted webbs wonderful and salad mixes, picked cherries, blackcurrants, strawberries. Making some blackcurrant cheesecakes with last years blackcurrants and a strawberry flan with this years strawberries, all for our communal barbeque tomorrow at the plot ;D
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Got very, very wet. Picked strawberries, raspberries, lettuce, broad beans, peas, sweet peas, got very wet again. Forgot my glasses, so got home, changed clothes, has a shower, told OH and he went back and found my glasses near to the fig tree. Said goodbye to the allotment for a week, and have packed. Can't wait until Saturday week, and will rush to the allotment and hopefully loads and loads of lovely peas. Heard about the daught, on TV in the bank before I went to the allotment and then the rain and thunder came. ;D ;D ;D
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sods law ;D Have a great holiday Borlotti
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Finally planted out my cabbages and broccoli. I saw the fat pigeons in a neighbouring tree watching me do this - clearly, the beggars were thinking "yum, cabbage for tea".
HA! Netted the lot. Sucks to you, fat pigeons. ;D ;D
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all i have managed to do is water by the looks of things out of the 25 pumpkins/squash and courgettes i plants i have zero viable plants they have just all bolted and only had 50% germination rate NOT HAPPY
I have been given a pumpkin by a friend as a gift but the packaging does not tell me what it is (aimed at kids) so guessing a carving pumpkin rather than anything else.
Also noticed some cat (grr) has decided to scratch out some plants from my seed trays so i have lost some as it happened last night and i have only noticed so the plants are dried.
On the positive side i have been given the details of a architect who can do the planning permission for my greenhouse so am hoping to have this in place late feb next year just need to save up.
Mother in law is down so i am hoping i might get a little bit more gardening done this week.
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all i have managed to do is water by the looks of things out of the 25 pumpkins/squash and courgettes i plants i have zero viable plants they have just all bolted and only had 50% germination rate NOT HAPPY
I have been given a pumpkin by a friend as a gift but the packaging does not tell me what it is (aimed at kids) so guessing a carving pumpkin rather than anything else.
Also noticed some cat (grr) has decided to scratch out some plants from my seed trays so i have lost some as it happened last night and i have only noticed so the plants are dried.
On the positive side i have been given the details of a architect who can do the planning permission for my greenhouse so am hoping to have this in place late feb next year just need to save up.
Mother in law is down so i am hoping i might get a little bit more gardening done this week.
I have some spare courgette seed if you want to re=sow?
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Cleared a bed of shrubs in the front garden
Cut back all my oriental poppies
Weeded a large bed in the front garden
Planted some dwarf sunflower seedlings
Planted some dahlias that were sown from seed
Tomorrow I am off to the allotment
Duke
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Just had a weeding session, picked some small beetroot, carrots along with my first garlic that I put in last back end, :)
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Got rained upon........OH came begrudgingly to help me put some stakes in to support the new fruit trees, but we gave up in the end! :'(
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Not much to do today..rain called the play off..
But I had to adjust all the temporary downpipes from GH so now precious water is wasted and all goes into butts.
And some watering in GH..and talking to plants...and tapping my tomato flowers..and eating few peaches...etc.
Lots of 'tinkering' to do...
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Raining hard so just managed to dig some " Red Duke of York " spuds for lunch, along with the first marrow! watered and weeded in greenhouse, watered and weeded in polytunnel, then sat down with a cuppa ! Ahhh bliss. ;)
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Planted out a load of annuals yesterday, today playing on computer whilst none stop rain waters them in ;D
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yesterday, pulled up 2 lots of garlic planted in autumn from our own bulbs, they're really good so put them to dry, pulled up some onions that have fell over and put them to dry, too. dug up lots of potatoes and cooked them for the barbeque and took some lettuce, spring onions, cucumber and radish for a salad, had to buy tomatoes ::) ;D
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Nothing- just enjoying seeing the rain that hasn't stopped since we got in at 3:00 from visiting an open garden.
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all i have managed to do is water by the looks of things out of the 25 pumpkins/squash and courgettes i plants i have zero viable plants they have just all bolted and only had 50% germination rate NOT HAPPY
I have been given a pumpkin by a friend as a gift but the packaging does not tell me what it is (aimed at kids) so guessing a carving pumpkin rather than anything else.
Also noticed some cat (grr) has decided to scratch out some plants from my seed trays so i have lost some as it happened last night and i have only noticed so the plants are dried.
On the positive side i have been given the details of a architect who can do the planning permission for my greenhouse so am hoping to have this in place late feb next year just need to save up.
Mother in law is down so i am hoping i might get a little bit more gardening done this week.
I have some spare courgette seed if you want to re=sow?
thanks hector i am going to go to the organic plant place next week and pick some up :) but very kind of you to offer :)
Other than that today i have been baking for MIL birthday she had had home made chicken and leek pie lower fat version so no pastry i put the mash on top like a cottage pie and served with spinach. And made apple crumble baked cheesecake YUM :) Were having a nice cup of tea and the garden is having a long drink of water.
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Just managed to sneak over for a while and plant out some PSB before it rained. Watched the rain running down a window pane, reminded me of my childhood. Realised it does not happen in my house.
I could hear the grass grow. Were they the lyrics to a song?
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Saturday morning popped up did some weeding, picked some gooseberries and the rest of the redcurrents, put some netting up for sweetpeas, fed the tomatoes...looked longingly at my leek seeds to do something - like grow :)
Yesterday I just let the weather do it's stuff... If the forecast is right for this week by next weekend there will be a whole plot of weeds waiting for me :)
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WOOHoo
Very excited got Harriet to bed and while MIL listened out for her i have been outside and its NOT raining :) in fact we have blue sky! Spent just over an hour outside
Planted up stuff into bigger pots, chopped back parsley which was going to seed
Painted weedkiller onto the bindweed, chickweed and couch grass.
Dug more soil from the path between my beds so husband can lay more slabs down soil is moist but not claggy or boggy. Used the soil i dug out to fill a large planting sack and planted up the last of my sweet potatoe slips.
Having a cup of tea at the moment and no more rain forcast till wednesday and thursday so trying to get as much done as i can as next dry day is now friday and i am out all friday and saturday so sunday the grounds going to be baked again and if i can get more soil up for slabs before the soil drys out again it will make life a lot easier as i have about 20 more slabs to lay on paths and all the edging stones around the patio to relay as well as the edging stones between the large border and the new grass (when i order it). I also want to turn over the ground where the green house is going dig in some chicken poop and cover with membrane so i can plant up my pumpkins and squashes next week.
If i can get as much done now while i can i can rest up wednesday and thursday.
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Ground to a halt about an hour into the garden the second time today but got the rest of the digging done for the slabs bar about 6 of them had a hot shower and had some fun with Harriet now hubbies home and its almost harriets bed time so fingers crossed we can both get out to the back garden a 3rd time to get the rest of the slabs down before we get more rain it looks a bit dark outside.
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Hey, hey, heavens to Betsy, we are finally getting going, apart from myt greenhouse and disabled raised beds we have nothing in because of the constant rain and the sodden goround. The sun has finally decided to join us..so off Joh ngoes to finish nthe raised beds on the plot, we may even be ready to plant in three weeks LOL It seems to have rained here since August last year.
Yesterday we finally got tomatoes in Global self watering 5 gallon buckets in the greenhouse, planted more squash in disabled beds etc.
Hey we may even get some bean and beet seeds in this week..wow
XX Jeannine
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pulled up lots of garlic and onions that have rot from plot 2, dug up some amazing sized home guard spuds, weeded everywhere, picked some wonderful freesias, my favourite flowers which I always kill and enjoyed the warmer, rain free day ;D
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sounds productive Jeannine and Manicscousers husband just decided he has hurt his back although it looked fine when he went running for an ice-cream :( so tomorrow i am going to dig over the greenhouse area and get the chicken poop in :) and head to the organic plant place and replace my failed seedlings instead. Hes going to finish work early wednesday and do the slabs then. So i can plant everything friday.
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Had a lovely time collecting some raspberries, strawberries, redcurrants, turnips & their greens, salad leaves to restock my fridge. Couldnt stay long as the rain has made my arthritis flare up, but still very glad to have the rain ;D
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I had a lovely afternoon up at the plot! Today's tasks:
1. Finally finished weeding out the last raised bed - dug in a lot of compost from the heap, raked and levelled then planted out all of my Tigerellas (14 in total), as well as 10 San Marzanos.
2. Put in two Marketmore cucumbers and two Mohican gherkins at the other end of the same bed.
3. Planted out all my sweet peppers (California Wonder, Carnival and Ringo), as well as Hungarian Hot Waxes and a lot of hubby's stupid hot chillies (Facing Heaven, Hy Hot and another one I can't remember). A total of about 30 assorted plants.
4. Planted out my butternut squashes, and took a minute to gloat over the bed - four courgettes, three gem squash, three patty pans and two butternuts.
5. Laughed manically at the dead slugs and snails all over the place (I finally admitted defeat and chucked some pellets around on Saturday).
6. Tied in my raspberries and planted out two sweet melons (Emir and Cyrano) - although I am not expecting much from them.
Much fun was had today! Too bad it's back to work tomorrow.
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Watered toms, cucs and peppers, carrots and beetroot in tunnel. Finally had a days rain yesterday YIPPEE!!! (sunday) which was just enough to put 5 or 6 watering can refills into my butt (ahem!) (usually have to bring 3 jerry can style plastic tubs from home to acheive, this which is a right b****rd sometimes!)
Also did some weeding, but not much - was on dinner break at time so not much time to do owt else.
Looking forward to sat tho - might get this years first kale.
*looks back at own comment?! excited about kale???* Must be gettin' old - Big 30 in 6 days.................
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woops not sure if i will get much digging today i am a tad stiff (typing hurts haha) and the suns out and dried up the ground again so it will be much harder going today. So might leave Harriet asleep and whilst MIL is here pop to defland nursery (http://www.organicplants.co.uk/) and replace some of my failed plantings and have a potter around the garden :)
Shopping list inc
Fennel (both), Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme, Beetroot, Courgette, Squash (sunburst and uchiki huri) some early B.Sprouts as i only have mid/late variates, kale (had forgotten about it woops) and some leeks as mine failed to germinate. Might also pick up more runner beans as i have crappy germination here as well!
Will try getting more seeds into soil tonight once i know what i am still missing :)
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Public holiday weekend here so lots of things done.
- Planted out a dozen Brussel Sprout plants,
- Tied up all the tomatoes, pinched out side shoots, trimmed them all a little,
- Sowed another courgette in an empty space!
- Put a little support up for the melons which are growing well.
- Sowed Autumn King carrots, Monoruba beetroot, Guernesey parsnips, summer lettuce.
- Had a mooch to see that the courgettes and cucumbers and squash have also germinated, the French beans are in flower, and the new row has just germinated.
- Harvested probably the last of the peas, some early spuds (belle de Fontenay, small but healthy and very tasty!), about 2 kgs, and about 800g of raspberries, very big this year! Also some garlic that was struggling, the stems had died. The paper hasn't formed properly inside but the actual garlic is fine. i will just use them now.
- Oh and removed about 2 huge barrowfuls of weeds!!! Impressive how they grow so fast after just a little rain.
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Potted up chillies and peppers.
Planted out cucumbers, squashes and lettuece, rocket and beetroot.
Tidied around planting table.
ripley
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woops not sure if i will get much digging today i am a tad stiff (typing hurts haha) and the suns out and dried up the ground again so it will be much harder going today. So might leave Harriet asleep and whilst MIL is here pop to defland nursery (http://www.organicplants.co.uk/) and replace some of my failed plantings and have a potter around the garden :)
Shopping list inc
Fennel (both), Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme, Beetroot, Courgette, Squash (sunburst and uchiki huri) some early B.Sprouts as i only have mid/late variates, kale (had forgotten about it woops) and some leeks as mine failed to germinate. Might also pick up more runner beans as i have crappy germination here as well!
Will try getting more seeds into soil tonight once i know what i am still missing :)
Well back from shop had a great trip out roof down on car and music blaring and not feeling like a mum for 2 hours hehe shopping was a mixed bag managed to get oregano, thyme, beetroot (variaties i dont have), squash uchiki huri and butternut, 1 courgette, runner beans, salad and some other bits and peices waiting for it to cool down a little to go out and plant everything up.
Woman at shop suggested i give my pumpkins a feed rather than dump them so i will pop a chicken pellet into each pot and water them with some chicken poop tea and see if that perks them up but as there yellow and are tiny but still want to go to flower i am stumped and dont hold out much hope.
Hope everyone else has had a good day :)
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Yesterday I harvested
30 spuds
Strawberrys
Raspberrys
Blackcurrants
Onions and shallots
Today
Strawberrys
Raspberrys
Blackcurrants
Lettuce
Watered the spuds, carrots, parsnips, peas and sweetcorn.
;D ;D ;D
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watering and weeding today,and some chill time in the sun
plots doing good,veg and fruit is on track and some lovely colours and fragrances from the flowers
my daughter loves the strawberries and gooseberries,shes waiting on the peas now,fresh out of the pod lol
was planning my greenhouse move today,will start on it around mid september when the grounds easier to work and i havent a lot else on
will have to move mint and rhubarb with the greenhouse but have a new home in mind,will free up a good space for me
enjoyed today on the lottie
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dug spuds for tea,harvest garlic and spring onins
had a smoke and a talk then came home
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nothing much,just walked up to the veg patch in the rain,turned round and walked back again,our forcast is rain for the next few days.
Remember the saying"be careful what you wish for ,you might get it.
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dug rest of garlic, put under cover to dry out
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Dug up some more Home guard, firkled in the charlotte and kestrel, both a decent size but we have lots of earlies to get through yet. Transplanted some romanesco broccoli, picked more of my freesias and weeded ;D
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A bit of a weeding session, came home with a bag of spuds a cabbage, carrots and beetroot and a couple of red onions which I picked early, should have a bumper session next weekend when the first batch of my Broad beans will be ready,
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Yesterday was a bit of a washout so once Harriet was in bed i have got all my seeds out and updated by spreadsheets. Found a load of flower seeds i had not recorded so added them in :)
Well today we had a bit of rain but not a lot which meant the husband was able to pop over and lay a few more slabs in the areas i had already prepared and he managed 17 in 2 hours :) YIPPIE
I also managed to have a clearout in the garage and have unpacked all my gardening stuff (honestly it felt like christmas) found things i though i had lost as well as stuff i need now :)
Week ahead looks like a little more digging (3-4 more slabs worth) the rest of the digging needs to be done when the morter is mixed. I need to go over the garden with yet more weedkiller (begining to wonder if my roundups gone off? does it go off?) and then once i have hoed and cleared the beds its time to transplant over my b.sprouts, cabbage, PSB and sow 2nd lot of parsnip, leeks and beetroot. Then i need to focus back on finishing off the patio and ordering the grass :) Feeling much more positive about the garden although i am sure its going to be at least another 2 years before i am getting it to be how i want it to look :)
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Yesterday, did 2 hours of weeding, planted out my cabbages, dug up my first spuds, got rid of all my bolted lettuces, tied up the sweetpeas again (they are not playing ball!) pulled some rhubarb, picked some gooseberries, went home very grubby, but a lovely day for it. :)
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I had a lovely day in the sun! I finished my melon pit, cleared out and rearranged the shed and greenhouse, planted the outdoor bush tomatoes, planted up a wild flower area, watered all the new stuff in and sat in the sun for a bit! Didn't have lunch until 4pm, lost track of time again...... ;D
Oh yeah, and resigned from the Allottment Committee today after 4 years (long story)..... :-X
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sorry to hear that DebP but sometimes you need to walk away.
Hugs xx
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today i have got the last of my onions into the ground and now all but 2 of the slabs are down did more weeding and noticed the peas are going great guns :) might have enough for sunday dinner :)
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Harvested onions, shallots, carrots, beetroots and lettuces for the last few days. ;D
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Checked the bees, which are now laying down honey at a rate of knots, cleared a bed ready for planting, and planted out some peas.
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Platted my first lot of Garlic, looks better than what you can buy, :)
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Plaited my first lot of Garlic, looks better than what you can buy, :)
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Picked some salads from the garden and had some peas fresh from the pods with it.
Started a new bench for the garden too. Only 4 foot long though.
Mowed the grass as it is getting to long.
Relaxed and enjoyed my efforts. ;D
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Yesterday I almost killed myself! 4 hours! before it started getting really hot (37 degC here yesterday!!)
Pulled up the garlic and the early ecahlotes, planted some leftover tomatoes in their place!! lol
weeded a fair bit (OK a huge wheelbarrow full and a lot left on the soil as mulch!!), tied up the tomatoes again and started removing their bottom foliage. picked all the gooseberries, about 2kg, ripped my hands and arms to pieces thorny bardsthards. Ripped out all the peas that are finished now, turned the bed, put in some manure and compost and sowed more French beans (Safari, Cobra climbers). Watered a bit, tidied up in general, dug out about 1kg of early spuds. My legs are torture today!
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I had some spuds and beetroot out at the weekend. ;D
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Nothing had a nasty storm here for almost 5 hours thunder, lightening and heavy rain looking at some of my containers looks to be about an inch of rain water collected in most of them.
Looking out the window though i can see rows of onions popping though :)
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Finshed digging another bed. Yesterday it was appallingly hot and stuffy; it's better today, but still stuffy. The bees were in a horrible mood yesterday, I couldn't go within ten yards without being buzzed. This is typical in thundery weather. We had a short thunder shower last night, but nothing dramatic.
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OMG, everything has gone mad up at the allotment, my carefully weeded plot which was looking fab before the weekend is now looking like a weed central..how did that happen?? you turn your back for one minute and they are there...so it looks like a several hours on Saturday morning of digging ???, mind you that said and done everything else is coming along great guns, just need to get the plot back on track.. ;)
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I've been sorting this lot out..took 6 hrs..Pheww!
[attachment=1]
It is sheep wool.. ;D I was given 2 freshly sheared fleeces and those needed washing and sorting. Now I've got neat bundles of wool to process further and eventually spin it..and knit it.. ;D
All the lovely s****y water was used to water my brassicas.. ;D..they should grow well now..it was bit pongy stuff..
Another good way to use bread trays and insect mesh.. ;)
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Harvested: Onions, shallots, beetroot, spuds and a handful of my first runners. ;D
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Not been doing much as am on a bank of nights.
Still there has been good times a plenty, Strawberries big ones, peas podded, beetroot pickled, broadies podded and frozen. Red goosberries are not being touched by anything so all the more for me to eat.
And the second bench has been stained in oak to compliment the other one.
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CLEARED A 15X10 FT BED AND ROTOVATED IT IN READYNES FOR NEXT YEARS GARLIC AND WINTER ONIONS.
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nowt today,but plenty of weeding and watering yesterday ;D
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Weeding, raspberry picking, made two raised beds & filled with compost, sown one with turnips will sow the other one tomorrow - havent quite decided with what yet ;)
Cut the comfrey back & added to stinky water butt :o
fed the squash plants with liquid seaweed
harvested turnips & their greens
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weeded, watered, mulched...weeded, watered, mulched..snacked with berries,,,weeded,,etc,, ;D
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Weeded, weeded and weeded ??? ???
Also came home with beetroot, new potatoes, runner beans, spring onions, courgettes and peas ;D ;D
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5270/5898093147_4292c686c2.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/54987571@N08/5898093147/)
Photo0417 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/54987571@N08/5898093147/) by lisaparkin36 (http://www.flickr.com/people/54987571@N08/), on Flickr
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5074/5898090699_12c87cd67a.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/54987571@N08/5898090699/)
Photo0414 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/54987571@N08/5898090699/) by lisaparkin36 (http://www.flickr.com/people/54987571@N08/), on Flickr
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5272/5898653890_f6273a4977.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/54987571@N08/5898653890/)
Photo0411 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/54987571@N08/5898653890/) by lisaparkin36 (http://www.flickr.com/people/54987571@N08/), on Flickr
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Bit hot to be doing very much so spent the day at the beach and this evening its was weed weed weed and covering the beds with membrane and watering.
The guys are working in the garden tuesday (Lawn gets laid finally) so later in the week i am going to be transplanting my brassicas into final position though the membrane :)
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lisaparkin, what a lovely looking allotment!
I have done nothing today - tied down to daughter's primary school fete - meant to get to her Greenwich allotment to weed and sow - too tired and hot - admired her amazingly advanced apple trees in back garden, and came home.
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Oooh, Lisaparkin, I had to do a double take on your courgette/marrow photo. I really thought that you had harvested a hand too. That looks so spooky.
Fab allotment by the way.
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Thank you :)
It is a courgette, it was hiding under some weeds and nettles, O/H found it. The glove was to hand to show what sort of size the courgette was......but, yes it does look like I have been harvesting gardening gloves!!! ;D ;D
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Planted out 40 sweet corn.
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Planted out 40 sweet corn.
are they not a bit late now ???
mine went in in May :o
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Back from a weeks holiday down in Kent, the first thing was up to the lotty, needless to say it was a bumper picking session with the same tomorrow and all weekend, :)
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my Runner beans have been attacked by rabbits this year
but not touched the French climbing beans in same bed any idea why ?? ??? ???
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I picked my first french beans (blue lake) from my back garden about 10 mins ago. ;D
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Started to dig up some more of my Nadine spuds, they are a really good size now ideal for baking its a shame we don't eat spuds in our house but they keeps me in a few pints down the local pub, Carrots, Beetroot, Broccoli, Caulie, Broadbeans,Peas, small Turnips, Shallots have been harvested today, I hope you all have a good harvest for the rest of the year, :)
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Picked our first ripe ful sized tomato today, golden sunrise, full truss ;D
we have tigerella, oxheart and marmande with pink fruits on .
picked mange tout and colossus peas, very good harvest so far, even managed to get some home to freeze ;D
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Hoe ed lots of weeds
Transplanted cabbages
Harvested carrots and a turnip
Site sec gave my a large swede, a spagetti squash and a marrow
;D ;D ;D
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At the allotment, very busy today, met two new people. Lent one a fork and one a pair of shears. They seem very keen but not sure that they will last, think one couple will, not sure about the others. Seemed to get tired after clearing some weeds and asked if the Council would do the other half. Weeded, and picked broad beans, a few runner beans, and the peas have finished so weeded there. Am boiling beetroot. Did alot of walking around the site and talking to all my lovely friends, and the sun shone. Just off to cook pork chops, with MY pots, my peas, my broad beans, my psb (tiny bit) and the apples that dropped of the apple tree when I was weeding for apple sauce, so am very happy bunny. ;D ;D I forgot the lovely courgettes and the broad beans, pots and rhubard I gave to next door, and the sweet peas in a vase.
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Kev, u and me think 2gether. U beat me 2 the reply, lovely day today at the allotments. Just practising my text language. lol. Not sure what that means, lots of love, or laugh out loud, thought everyone loved me. ;D ;D Off topic again.
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I set off with all good intentions to weed paths and tidy up, but all I did was pick my peas , dig up some potatoes. water my tomatoes which by the way are very slow to set this year. Anyone got the same problem? loads of flowers on b ut few fruits. picked strawberries eat a few massive blackcurrants and very nice too. dug up onions which had gone over, not large but who cares? had good talk to other plot holders, thats the life just love being outdoors. just wish I had more stamina to keep going longer. Oh and I finish putting in all my flowers which were left over,shame to waste them. Ann
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If I'd planted out corn in May, they'd probably have been frosted. I'm a couple of weeks late, but there's still time.
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I did a casual weed but I didn't do as much as I should! But there is a public holiday Thursday and I will try and get a couple of hours in.
I tied up the cucumbers (ooooh they have widdle baby fruits! I am so thrilled! They are the first ones I have ever grown!!!) and the tomatoes, although they still need further tying in, they are completely rampant. Gave a feed to the squashes. melons, courgettes, cukes and gave them some Bordeaux mixture, as last year I had lots of mildew, and don't want the same thing again. I actually have melons! I did coddle them, they are fleeced, weeded and fed and looks like this was a good idea, there are at least 3 or 4 tiny fruit and the vines have loads of flowers.
Only harvested a handful of beans and a few onions, but I am almost ready for the main onion harvest (there are kilos and kilos of them this year!) and some beetroot, maybe the first tomatoes, and the first courgettes will be ready this week. Thank you goodlife, they are your italian courgettes! Last in and first to give fruit!!
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Cut another cabbage, Pulled some broadies, Cleared the strawberry bed for the new season, and finally removed the peas from their bed so as to put in another crop of veggie.
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weeded for 2 hours, still loads ???, picked the rest of the broad beans and pulled up the plants, cut back the raspberry rods, dug remaining earliers out and dug over the site, trimmed the edges, got rid of bolted lettuces, picked some runner beans. Had a cup of coffee, walked round the plot swapped some seeds, tidied up and went home. :)
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Too much to talk about, don't know why we bother with 'In bloom' competitions, always the same faces turn up to help :-\
worn out
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Watered tatties
Harvested beetroot, runners, french beans and my first pea. ;D
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Kev, my freezer is full of peas. ;D ;D ;D
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lifted spuds well a few roots ;D
(http://i691.photobucket.com/albums/vv277/GRACELAND_01/P1170017.jpg)
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Picked couple of buckets full of plums..half bucket of gooseberries and red currants, lifted some potatoes, cut several broccoli heads, spring onions, courgettes, mangetout peas...kitchen looks like veg shop and we've just been out for dinner... ::)
Everyhing got thoroughly watered so now it can rain.. ::)
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Harvested Peas, Runners, Onions, Shallots and Carrots
Was given, Courgette, Beetroots, Swede and Apples
;D ;D ;D
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Harvested Peas, Runners, Onions, Shallots and Carrots
Was given, Courgette, Beetroots, Swede and Apples
;D ;D ;D
did you say apples, Kev? WOW ;D
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Apples!...what variety..?
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The greeny/red tpye, :D
The lady whose apples I borrowed has injured her ankle at work, so I can't ask her what type they are for a while. ??? ;D
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The last couple of days I constructed a new compost bin with my Shreader fixed to the top, it's 5'x4' square and 5' high so it can hold quite a bit of garden waste, went to the lotty this morning to finish it off then the heavens opened, pub awaits, :)
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My Discovery apples are almost ready would expect them to be ripe in the warmth of the great metropolis. I have had a few already fried in butter OH likes them that way.
Been bailing out the waterbutts in a brief lull in the rain and giving some of the plants a good deep dowsing.
Planted out some more brassicas amongst the peas, and they will really appreciate the rain.
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Nothing - it's raining so I can have a day off!
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Our Discovery apples have at least 3 weeks to a month to go. Last year they were at their best in September/early October. In July they are just green and although they are billed as a July apple, definitely not the case here. We do live in a fairly cool part of the country and fairly high up, so things are often later than elsewhere.
Today I am doing nothing so far. Just delegating - the rain is doing an admirable job watering in the endive seeds which I sowed last thing yesterday in the ground where the potatoes were.
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Bugger all its piddling down. :'(
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Went to rescue our 3 caulis from the rain and spent the morning shelling the broad beans we picked yesterday and blanching them all. Glad it rained really
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Bugger all its piddling down. :'(
Same here - lovely, desperately-needed rain - but why at the weekend???
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Dug some potatoes and cut some courgettes- in the half hour when it wasn't raining!
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Well its not stopped raining most of the day (like most people) i have not been able to get out.
But a combination of 2 hours drying and Harriet going to bed soon means i will be out weeding and replanting very soon our spuds looks like there ready to harvest but might leave another day or two till i need them.
Off to put the hot water off for a soak in the bath later and heat Harriets bottle ... take care all xx
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.... further to post of 2 hours ago (seams like longer) i have gone a little mad with the chicken poop :) and given everything a good scattering and
Weeded Bed 1 (beetroot, parsnip, carrot)
Weeded bed 2 and transplanted in my PSB, b.sprouts and golden acre and savoy cabbages need to plant turnip seed tomorrow in 2 rows between them as i like to pull them when there small :)
Weeded Bed 3 (leeks, shallots and onions) and sowed some lettuce seed in a space i had left for over wintering onions to stop me using it :)
as well as taking all the rubbish out of house and garden as the bins are collected tuesday morning and i expect with the rain i am not going to get a chance to sort things out monday...
off to soak feet now :)
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I got wet inside ;D jet washed the 16ft greenhouse inside and out , failed to do it last year due to bad health so im ahead this year ;D
Hubby planted the last of the beans out.
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It's lovely to see you back Dawn. Hope things are on the up for you ;D.
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Went to the plot intending to hack a bit more of my hedges. By the time I got there it was peeing it down, so I just went for a walk round and had a chat with another plotholder.
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Nothing, but sowed some herbs, chard and beetroot in my greenhouse out of the rain!
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helped neighbour build there decking as they helped with relating patio in between trying to stay dry
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Got wet ;D
But, we have the site just about ready for the judging on wednesday, it'd be nice to have a bit of sun for it :)
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Dug up one Rocket plant as the rain came a tumbling. :'(
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Swam to open the greenhouses.
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DH refused to go down to dig up enough potatoes for dinner.So we haven't done anything mind you it is pouring down >:( >:(
X Chas
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Harvested spuds, carrots and shallots in between showers. ;D
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Showed the Wigan in bloom and North west in bloom judges around, came home for a cuppa until I stop shaking ;D
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We got the onions out and tied them up in bundles , got some courgettes now getting over run with them!pulled a few sad wee carrots ,just got home before the rain, forgot about the washing was out!well it might be sunny tomorrow.
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Weeded (after the rain)! Wish everything grew that well.
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very excited i did some actual gardening today :)
Husband cut grass for 1st time :)
I have sorted out the climber supports for 1/2 the garden fencing just 30 more vine eyes left to screw in and twine up. (http://www.screwfix.com/p/vine-eye-100mm-pack-of-10/17685)
Also done a load of weeding and have levelled out the large flowering boarder and covered 1/3 with weed membrane once i have done the other 2/3 i can get it planted YIPPIE
And to top it off Harriet woke up from her nap and had her 1st proper time in the garden bare feet on newly cut grass for the 1st time her face was a picture...
Husband was thrilled our lawnmower works (16 years old and probably only used 10 times hehe) On the slightly negative side does not look like our garden table has survived its very wobbly so were going to have a go at jerry rigging it :)
So we have put our feet up for a nice roast chicken dinner and having watched top gear husbands making a bread and butter pudding and i am going out to water :)
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In the last few days I've:
Dug up all my earlies, sorted them and layed them out to dry
Pulled up most of my Onions and Shallots and also left them out to dry
Transplanted leeks in old spud area
Harvested Runners. French beans, Carrots, Lettuces and Peas.
8) 8) 8)
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did nothing just sat and chatted.
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Weeding and more weeding. After a weekend away the weeds have become triffids and I can't find the carrots!
Had a quick walk about to see what to do next. Leeks to be transplanted or at least thinned out. Early potatoes to finish digging up. Never enough time, and always backache!
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picked a carrier bag full of peas and am
eating, sorry, podding them now ;D
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Sorted and bagged up Spuds
Hung up Onions
Laid out Shallots in trays
Watered lottie
Harvested French Beans and Carrots for my tea.
;D ;D ;D
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you all have so much energy. as l went to tatton park on sunday and caught the sun. but planning to go to my lottie on Tuesday. so there will not be weeds there will be triffid.
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We got our pots out today ,we put them very deep and pulled the soil up over them really high, trying to keep them damp, we go lovely pots some where massive must have go a cwt yee- ha
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I dug out the fennel herb, weeded, picked some runner beans, lettuce, beetroots, dug over a patch for my charlottes to go into fed the tomatoes and tied them up again...had a chat to neighbour, compared cabbages .... secretly happy that mine are doing well :) :) watered damsons.
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weeding watering picking
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Hacked hedges, planted out a few kale, picked a few peas. I'm getting a lousy crop from the latter, probably because of the dry weather. The rhubarb's looking miserable as well, but I got a fair bit off it. I've just received a plant of Taunton Deane kale from Goodlife, so that's two out of the three known varieties of Daubenton's. One to go, and it's going to be interesting to see how best to manage the plant.
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Daubenton
I thought these were bats. ;D
I have just been off with my hair clips to pot strawberry runners and pull at least 50 weeds. Got some more comfrey and will get some more tea brewing. Had a chat
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There is a Daubenton's Bat, and it would be quite something to have it on an allotment site. I think ours are all pipistrelles. I was thinking of Daubenton's Kale.
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We also have bats it is lovely to watch them in the evening, but they are not Daubentons which skim across water to catch the flies, hopefully not enough water on allotments. Presume that being small they are pipistrelles as well.
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Watered the poly and picked some figs. Not much but had 3 injections of steroids in [around] my spine yesterday and my legs are still a bit wobbly. Hopefully the results will be worth it. :) Not sure whether we have bats here or not. Definitely did when I lived in Scunthorpe but these are relatively new houses but there must be bats somewhere in the village. Must ask.
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Looked through and checked the 'seed heads' which I have picked and am drying for seed for next year - mostly wild flowers - musk mallow, red and white campion, ox eye daisy, corn marigold, corn cockle, red poppies, salad burnett, cowslips, cornflower, scabious but some herbacious cultivated seed like aquilegia, foxgloves, oriental poppies, dianthus, salsify. Sowed some of the cowslips and salad burnett seeds. Also checked how my cuttings were doing - pinks, penstemon, fuchsia, some of the pinks were well rooted so potted these up into individual pots - I took extra cuttings of pinks this year as I had poor results with my cuttings last year, but so far this year I've had around 90% success.
Husband came home from the allotment with yet another lawn mower - he's into 'old vintage and classic mowers' and has quite a collection now - this one is a 14 inch Ransomes Ajax (usually Ajax's are 12" so its possibly rare and a 'non production model' made for evaluation purposes - Ransomes is a local company)
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Just done a tomato, courgette, raspberry and Gage cull.... :)
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Strimmed, hoed and weeded. Picked a few raspberries and yet more courgettes and a couple of onions. Watered squash and sweetcorn.
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Picked 5lbs runner beans, 3 marrows, perpetual spinach, lettuce, raddish and fennel. MMMMM yummy !! ;)
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paint my fence
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Got sunburnt as hell while weeding out my cabbages.
On the plus side, my cabbage bed is beautiful. On the minus side, I could fry an egg between my shoulder blades. ::)
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Got sunburnt as hell while weeding out my cabbages.
On the plus side, my cabbage bed is beautiful. On the minus side, I could fry an egg between my shoulder blades. ::)
Greek yoghurt is fab for taking the sting out
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On Saturday spent 3 hours weeding, picked sweat peas, runner beans, lettuce, 2 cucumbers, 2 large marrows (fka courgettes), got lovely and brown, watered, watered and more watered.
Yesterday approximately half an hour too hot, picked a further 5 marrows, more runner beans, chillies, parsley, beetroot, measured my sunflowers - 8ft tall!! (if I can ever find a way to download my pictures from my phone I will post them) pulled my first 3 carrots...they were massive and had all the amusing knobbly bits on...did a bit of weeding and watering, then went home... :)
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bikegirllisa I got sunburnt to if it's any consolation! I was only out 2 hours.. hmm on second thoughts that's quite a lot.
I pricked out lettuces, watered everything, fertilised a few bits and bobs, weeded a bit too casually and picked: 3 courgettes, 4 tomatoes (the first ones! yay!), about 200g of beaut raspberries, some rocket and chives for salad, and a handful of green beans (beans are just s*** this year!!), and stared admiringly at my lovely pumpkins which are doing great. I then looked mournfully at the onions drying in the shed which now have to be tidied and bagged and the spud beds which are overgrown but full of spuds underneath (at least I hope so!). All that in a tank top in the blazing sun... not very clever for an Aussie, really!!!
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Spent the whole day treating the hen house for red mite - followed by a good shower!
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Just come in.... it went dark... :'(
Lots of watering... another cucumber, courgette, and tomato cull...
planted out some beetroot and beans.. shelled some peas for saving and 1kg of Magnum Bonum for freezing... :)
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noticed that one of my damson trees are nearly ready, so i picked a few ripe ones today but they were so-so tasting. are any of your damsons ready yet? a lotti friend gifted me some of his eating apples, but they still had a bit of a tart taste to them...
watered today for an hour, but then we had a bit of rain so i've been told (been at work all day so didn't noticed). said it'll be a downpour tomorrow - let's hope so!! it's been so dry here in notts and getting sunburned watering for more than a hour each time isn't good for me! :-\
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Picked some tomatoes (some had blossom end rot - bummer), TWO cucumbers, parsley, rocket and chives for the salad and a green Black Beauty courgette. And ate a few raspberries off the bush ;D ;D
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Walked around the wet lawn in barefeet.
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Cut 8 courgettes. Must make some courgette bread tomorrow. And maybe courgette soup. ::)
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Picked. runner beans, parsnips, tomatoes, lettuce,marrow, pumpkins,fennel and a few herbs!! What a great year !!! :)
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picked a trug full of discovery apples to give away, 2 to process into puree and juice, made 7 lbs of damson jam, brought home 9 sweet corn cobs, first of the season, yum ;D
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Dug up Kestrels and bagged
Harvested Carrot's, Runners, Peas, beetroot,
Given apples and Victoria plums
Borrowed a big swede
Weeded and Watered
;D ;D ;D
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Picked (more) courgettes, pattypans and dug up the Cara spuds.
Tasted a plum for readiness (was a BAD idea - sour as anything).
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Dug up our first Roosters...very yummy too,
harvested all of the beetroot, picket some marrows, chillies, runner beans and sweet peas, watered the tomatoes and did a bit of weeding :)
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cut the grass pathes,pick sweetcorn and cabbages, carrots,watered everything ,we had a coffee break and i picked wild flower seeds for next year,shard my veg with my nabour aged 98.
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i picked some tomatoes and some carol Leenstra benas my first one ( thanks jayb for the seeds) think those beans are going to be loaded, the plants are so prollific.
Wtaered everything one for it to rains seconds after I got in, oh well there can never be too much water hey.
Down the lottie with the boys later tomorrow see how thats doing.
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Weeded around my leeks.
Cut back the foliage on my potatoes because they didn't look healthy.
Picked French and runner beans, a cucumber, and some carrots oh and a few potatoes for a vegetable curry.
At home I potted on some basil and sowed some overwintering onion seed in modules.
Duke
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Laid some well rotted manure on the area's I've weeded and hoed over the weekend.
Watered the greenhouse.
Picked 1 red tomato ::)
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Dug potatoes, picked runner beans (again!) , picked spinach and cut a couple of marrows. :)
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Harvested the rest of my onions bar 4 which still have greenery on them
A lot of weeding
Mixed home compost in dalek
Listened to police sirens
:-\
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Harvested french beans, courgettes, ridge cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, raspberries and early leeks. As usual no time to weed, feed or dig over the potato patch for leeks to go in.
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Finished weeding old onion patch
Planted more leeks
Harvested carrots and a few figs
;D ;D ;D
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Weeded the front garden.
Cut all the grass at the back.
Dug a row of potatoes.
Picked a few more plums (& ate them!).
Watered all the pots.
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we made frames for our winter cabbage and cawli,picked more courgetts,beans,and watered,need tea and bicy.
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It poured down but these cuties hatched overnight (buff sussex bantams) so i cleaned out a new hutch for them and smoke bombed the old hutch and then went to look at them every 30 minutes becuase they were so adoreable.
(http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m592/Kathryn300/IMGP2099-1.jpg)
x sunloving
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They're beauties - congrats!
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i planted some green manure, and strimmed the paths a bit. Sadly the strimming along with the indoor job of making two cabin beds has meant im now laid up in bed with a bad back. Roll on wednesdayw when I can get to my osteopath.
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weeded, watered,had coffee and bicy,we then sivied two loads of compost,then we came home knaked.
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dug the final bed in my son's Swedish garden, sieving lots of soil in the process, then helped to move a great pile of stones into a raised bed he was building (drainage), then barrowed sevral loads of nasties to the tipping place round the corner-a comparitively easy day!
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You came home naked Clay, :o thats my type of allotmenting. :P :-*
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I tried to sort out my strawberry bed as it is full of weeds/horsetail/grass but the ground was so hard decided to wait until we have some rain. Planted some strawberry plants that I was given, as he had too many, and every time I walked past his plot saw that his were better than mine.
Cut some grass with shears, but disturbed red ants, all crawling up my arms and legs (ugh) so gave up. Just watched the raspberries going ripe, ate a few, and then watered. Tried to curb my enthusiasm of pulling up things to see if they are ready, and didn't pick the plums, as not ripe yet.
Decided that the old redcurrant and blackcurrant bushes need to be cut right back but need a strong man for that and a big bonfire so that will have to wait. Will have to get OH in a good mood, if that is possible. ;D ;D
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In the last few days, I've harvested Carrots, Runners, last 4 Onions, Purple French Beans, first big Cucumber, first Sweetcorn and more Kestrels. ;D
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Pulled 10lb. rhubarb for jam from 3 plants trying to take over the world. Hopefully give them pause before seeding asap next year. Dug some Pink FAs which are amazingly brilliant seeing the runts I planted and left them to dry in the sun. Ground bone dry and like sand so hopefully the tubers will be blight free although the tops are pretty spotty. As my back is duff that was it but well pleased with the spuds and have 3 potato berries picked and a few more on the ones left in to dig up later. Had a good day ;D
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Been up to the lotty and picked some Raspberries and Parnips, had a dig and a spray, off now for some Garlic seed bulbs, :)
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I'm off up the lottie soon.. (now Pop Master has finished on the radio) to pick the last of the apples/pears and damsons... check the toms and chillies and so on... might even dig out the last of the spuds.. :)
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Just back from another digging session and prepared one of my raised beds for the garlic, :)
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Yesterday was up and about on the plot at 8.30, after the initial exhiration of being there so early :), I realised my weeds have turned into triffids and are maurading all over the place :-\.
Not to be disheartened I weeded round the leeks, butternut squash, around all the herbs and tackled the mutent stingers at the compost heap (which if it gets any bigger I may need planning permission ::)) after 2 hours my back ached, I had nettle rashes up both arms and I needed a sit down.
So sitting having a cup of coffee on the step of my shed gloating only to be assaulted by the biggest blackest spider I have ever seen :o...so I packed up my bags and called it a day....and went shopping. ;)
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Watering. My garden is bone dry, having had very little rain since mid March apart from a few showers and one decent downpour in August so I've been out with the hose watering in new and recent plantings in the main garden.
The veggie beds masses of compost poured on in spring to help retain moisture but I've had poor crops - wizened broccoli, bolting salads, gungy tomatoes. The pumpkins look OK but are not plentiful. Jerusalem artichokes have been flattened by recent strong winds. Late plantings of red cabbage, cavolo nero, beetroot and winter lettuce are doing fine but need watering regularly even now.
Won't be long to the first nasty frosts so, since I can't get on with lifting and dividing or mulching, I've been pricking out babies to grow on and sell or swap - amethyst salvia, agapanthus, foxgloves and cavolo nero.
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Had heavy rain this morning in not so sunny Enfield, north London. Should be hot and sunny tomorrow. Might go to the allotment later and do some more weeding. Can't wait until October when I can have a bonfire, so much to burn, and don't say I should compost it cause some of it doesn't rot down.
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took 54 herb cuttings, sowed some sweet peas, took 54 plant cuttings and transplanted
26 verbena bonserias ? sp for next year's plant sale :)
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dug a bed put on some mulch, and am going to cover over for the spring.
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In the last week or so I've harvested beetroot and a few strawberrys
Planted Winter shallots and some onions in raised beds
Watered leeks and brassicas
Filled another pallet hold up thingy with council compost ready for more onions
;D ;D ;D
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What is a pallet hold up thingy?
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Its a thingy square of wood with metal hinges that slots on top of a pallet, then you can put anoter on top and so on, I'm filling them and using as raised beds, trying to combat white onion rot. ???
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Hmmmm..... I find alsorts of odd things to grow overwintering onions for that reason :(
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Its a thingy square of wood with metal hinges that slots on top of a pallet, then you can put anoter on top and so on, I'm filling them and using as raised beds, trying to combat white onion rot. ???
That thingy- wots-it sounds interesting.
Where do you / did you get them from? (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-confused009.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
I'm wondering if it's similar to the very old, square, hinged bottomless frame that I have 2 of on the plot. They stack together.
It is at a time like this that photos would be so useful
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I've been mentioning my pallet hold up thingies for quite a while on here and I thought someone would have enlightened me as to to what they are called be now, I got 2 from work and 3 from our site sec, I have no photos and don't know how to post them anyway, they sound like it Aden.
I hoed some weeds in the heat today ready for my onion feed to try and kill the white rot, then will sow some green manure on it. ;D
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Its a thingy square of wood with metal hinges that slots on top of a pallet, then you can put anoter on top and so on, I'm filling them and using as raised beds, trying to combat white onion rot. ???
I use them as a wood store outside the back door!
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Its a thingy square of wood with metal hinges that slots on top of a pallet, then you can put anoter on top and so on, I'm filling them and using as raised beds, trying to combat white onion rot. ???
I use them as a wood store outside the back door!
Have you got a photo to share? (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-bounce012.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
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Planted the last of my garlic cut the fruit canes back and the gooseberries, picked what I think will be the last of my Sweetcorn(rubbish this year) pulled half a dozen Leeks to have with my dinner today, :)
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planted 2 new dual fruit trees, a mini kiwi and transplanted a blueberry , all into the new fruit cage -to-be ;D
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planted 2 new dual fruit trees, a mini kiwi and transplanted a blueberry , all into the new fruit cage -to-be ;D
I keep considering two apple trees similar to my father-in-laws. He planted them when my two children were nippers and named them after them.
The trees are narrow columns and stand just a metre apart. Once knee high, like his grandchildren, now reaching for the sky.
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I cleared out the greenhouse. I think this winter, I'll remove all glass, clean and store it and let the frost do its duty with the soil in the raised beds.
(http://i981.photobucket.com/albums/ae294/Kleftiwallah/IMG_3375.jpg)
I planted a couple of pumpkin seedlings in the greenhouse rather than see them 'go to waste'.
Needless to say they took over. These are the fruits of a mistake. Roll on halloween. The bino's are just as a scale guide. Cheers, Tony
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they look beautiful :D so nice and clean as well
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Dug up the rest of my Blue Danube spuds yesterday- quite a good crop considering they were in poor soil and never earthed up. Today cleared some weeds and spread hops round my asparagus and artichokes as mulch for protection, and also round my leeks to see if the smell will keep the rabbits off.
Strimmed but found the grass was still a bit too wet after week of rain.
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Digging up Pentland Crown today nearly every one got a slug nibble, never again. :'( :(
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Rasp canes all cut down, runners plants cut down and composted (roots left in the ground) seed pods had all dried as far as poss on the vines so in the greenhouse for the final drying.
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Digging up Pentland Crown today nearly every one got a slug nibble, never again. :'( :(
I find the longer I leave potatoes in the ground the more damage. I try to have all of mine out by the end of September at the latest.
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I wrote in my diary to dig out by the end of Sept, but I obviously forgot, mind you going away for two weekends in Sept put me behind. :'(
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Have not made it to the lottie for a few weeks due to moving house, the OH say's it's a jungle up there...eeeek, will have to don my wellies and wet weather gear and get my **** up there this weekend. :-\ ;D
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I wrote in my diary to dig out by the end of Sept, but I obviously forgot, mind you going away for two weekends in Sept put me behind. :'(
I know just what you mean. I took early retirement and now spend fewer hours on the plot each week than when I worked full-time! :(
I am a carer for my parents in their 90s. By the time I actually get a few hours spare I often just want to sit down or catch up with jobs at home. I really must push myself back out to the plot - I love it once I get there. Nothing better for relaxation and a sense of achievement. ;)
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Freezing on the allotment this morning pulled up my Sweetcorn picked a few leeks and that's it till next year, :)
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Dug up more spuds today and will dig more tommorrow, borrowed some beetroot from my mates plot. ;D
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Really nice and sunny dug through another bed, bit behind but gradually getting things sorted. Watered the sprouts again. Managed to dig up a few nettles which had crept up on me. Put some nasturtium seeds to dry. Frost other night had got the plants.
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Weeded the onions and brassicas and finished edging the brassica beds. (grass paths) We had a work party today so we've cleared and burnt a whole load of stuff on the site.
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Enjoyed the sunshine lovely ;D prepped the new strawberry bed emptied the the well cooked leaf mould bin and dug over area were rhubarb is being moved to.
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We took delivery of 20 tons of very well rotted manure yesterday so Ray brought up our 16 barrowloads, filled up all the beds that needed it and filled the new strawberry bed and we planted it up. still got lots of tomatoes and peppers,the corno rosso have done really well this year ;D
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Finished digging the area for the cutting garden. Cleared out the greenhouse and drank two cups of tea :D
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Over the last few dyas most evenings have seen me pick up a trailer load of field-tailing horse manure form the local livery and (in the dark) empty it out onto the plots.... Getting down their pile now so hopefully one pickup a fortnight will keep them empty through the winter.... I've rotavated the bit that had spuds on and will try to get a rotavator over the rest of it tomorrow.... will need a big proper dig again this year but at least the soil is looking better...
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My day down on the plot didn't go to plan as we visited our new garden across the road. Then it got rather dark and the day was over. ::)
Click here..The weather was good though :) (http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,39731.new.html#new)
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Planted strawberry runners in a new bed - after sorting out Spaghetti Junction with all the leaders ::)
Ninnyscrops
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Moved my raspberries out of the fruit cage because they are taking over,
Cut back my globe artichoke.
Weeded some raised beds.
Planted some winter onions that I grew from seed.
Duke
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Cut back your globe artichoke Duchesss? Mine are still up and only clear away leaves that have gone over.
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All brown leaves and stems on my one Ninnys ???
Duke
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That's a tad sad as mine are still green, must be the Sussex weather! Just mulch them well over the winter then and here's to next years crop. :)
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I've still not got to the plot... the carrots are waiting. ::)
We went over the road to the new bungalow and chopped and dug and shredded and piled. Now there are two new empty flower borders in place of overgrown, dead and bedraggled hedges. The ivy is gone too! (I hope).
That's a tad sad as mine are still green, must be the Sussex weather! Just mulch them well over the winter then and here's to next years crop. :)
Which part of sunny Sussex are you in Ninnyscrops? A brilliant place to be. ;)
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Saturday was a good day, cleared away the runner beans got rid of the failed butternut squash did tons of weeding and started building a new compost heap, digging in the mulch this weekend feel back on top of things ;D ;D ;D
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Finnished digging up my ground spuds yesterday
Today hoeing the weeds while the soil is bone dry and watering green manure and pumpkins. :D
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Really nice day in Lancashire so I started early and dug up my beautiful trailing begonias, Refilled the pots and planted the bargain bulbs I bought from Poundland. Have stored the corms in the garage to dry off and I will then put them in dry sand.
I should get about three plants from from each corm for next years planting. No vine weevil's were found in them, Not seen one of the devils, I might have beaten them this year.
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Toddled out into my parents garden and cut the last yellow courgettes of the season. :)
Down on the plot my courgette plants arrived on the compost heap a couple of weeks ago.
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I started to lay the brick paths for my cottage garden
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Don't forget the pictures Pansy ;D.
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So glad you're enjoying creating the cottage garden Pansy!
I had a fantastic day in my house garden (as opposed to my allotment garden) today. I dug up a diervilla (thanks to Jennym for identifying it for me), collected another tray of quinces from my Chaenomeles japonica - they smell divine!! - potted up my pelargoniums and replanted the pots with red robin tulips, muscari and winter flowering pansies. I planted the lobelia in the beds at the front door and put violas in the vacated pots. The lobelia will be killed by the first frost but rather than composting them I thought I'd continue to enjoy them while I may. They are such a beautiful, vivid blue.
I pruned my American Pillar rose and the breath of life at the front door and transplanted a clematis - petit faucon - over beside breath of life. I emptied out a forgotten pot from last winter - rescuing a self-seeded lychnis - and potted up my little peach tree.
Finally I put a couple of sacks of manure on the abouttobearosebed and dug them in. Swept up dead leaves. All in all a satisfactory "job done" feel about it!!
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Cultivating my soil for the last two days,some of the soil is sooo dry I can hardly turn the hand cultivater in it. :o :D
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planted up another strawberry bed and moved the blueberries into a new one ;D
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Planted out the rest of my Winter onions at the weekend
Looks like rats have had my last few Sweetcorn that I was hoping to grow just enough to have a feed on, so I pulled them up and give the ground a quick cultivate
Harvested carrots
Took home my two pumpkins, no prize winners here. :'( :D
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Transported all the pear branches (that we had to tidy up after breaking due to the weight of fruit) down to the allotment. With the Jerusalem Artichoke stems and the cut offs from the triple bay compost pallet wood, we should have a nice bonfire in the daylight on the 5th.
"Those in Authority" say we can have a bonfire, but ensure the smoke doesn't bother the locals. Sensible really. :) Cheers, Tony.
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Weeded... weeded.....weeded
Tommorrow I will be weeding
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Stood and watched the rain.... before dasing back indoors. ::)
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Rain at the mo, I hope to tip my builders bag of Pentland Crown over the weekend. ::) ??? :-\ :D
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Transplanted some winter density into the poly and pricked out some more into modules. Realised this week that mice seemed to have removed all of my peas sown in the poly. Bright idea of sprinkling crushed mothballs along the trench didn't work ::) Modules for the next lot or guttering in the spring. Down to get some rodent dope to put in garage [where the potatoes are] and poly. When it gets really cold they start to invade the house as well. O the joys of the countryside.......watching the rain. The pansies that had self seeded are twice as big today. They must have been thirsty! ::)
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Well managed to get just over an hour done in the garden today planted up some of the plants i got an wilkinsons in the summer which have all done really well which surprised me as they were no more than 10-15 pence in the about to be binned section.
These have been planted into my large bed in the garden which has been rotivated with sand and some chicken poop and then covered in black membrane and covered in a thin layer of wood chip (large kiddy friendly play bark stuff) which is just there really to keep the membrane weighted down a little.
Trying to empty my mini greenhouse before the really cold weather hits and get the plants in the ground that need to go.
Have a tray of carnations but not sure where i want to put these yet they made a nice display in there plant tray and then inside an old kitchen tray on the garden table with some gravel.
I have also dig some holes and popped a empty flower pot into a few spaces for plants i have ordered as by the time they turn up the ground will be hard or at least pretty sodden so i can get them into some good soil :)
These include from T&M Buddleja 'Flower Power' says dispatch march, Lavatera x clementii 'Barnsley Baby' dispatch Feb.
My 2 replacement David Austin roses are soaking for planting tomorrow just have to clear out there new positions as i cant really plant them where i had wanted to as the 1st lot of plants they sent died and roses dont like to go into the places other roses were and i dont know what killed the 1st lot.
This week i need to look at weeding and cleaning out the other side of the garden were all my veggies are. African Marigolds are still going strong and my onions are still in the ground so i need to pull these up and let them dry out for a while in the garage. A lot will depend on the weather and Harriet who has my cold and not really having a nap :(
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Five hours on the plot - pleased to have achieved quite a lot!
And, while I was away, Mrs Roller chopped her way through a long 8' hedge. You should see the pile of clippings & prunings!! :o Brilliant.
Tomorrow I have to ask the neighbour if I can go round to retrieve the pruning shears! ::)
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Pulled the roots on the runners
Took net off onions and shallots
Harvested, carrots, s.onions, kale and hamburg parsley
Took home with some stored spuds.
;D
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Re-transplanting, just to keep the plants nervous.
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Dug. Mulched. Potted a score of strawberries.
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Knocked over 5 compost daleks and spread rotted contents and picked out bits which hadn't fully composted yet. Rebuilt 3 daleks from the old stuff, grass, nettles, rotten apples and torn cardboard. Quite tired now.
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Have you spread the contents ready for any particular plants next year Galina. ??? :-\
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Have you spread the contents ready for any particular plants next year Galina. ??? :-\
No, just in a general area around the daleks. My daleks are located directly on the growing area and get moved to places where the soil could do with a bit of improvement. These particular ones were located on compacted ground, which used to be a path, is very hard to dig and needs organic matter. When the worms have gone to work and the winter frosts, I hope this particular area will be in much better condition.
In spring/summer I target compost and mulch around plants or use it to improve soil for a second crop, after potatoes, peas, garlic etc. I really must get a bean trench going this winter - keep meaning to .... :(
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On the weekend, I planted the garlic! Woo hoo! and also about 8 echalotes, just to see what happens (I don't usually over winter those). Tidied up a wee bit, cut down some herbs for drying, generally pottered.
Still didn't see my neighbour to tell him that I took away the artichoke plant he desperately wanted rid of (God did I have a hard time getting it out! My brother helped me, luckily he has muscles, the roots were huge which made me a bit afraid of transplanting it but I just love artichokes.).
I would love to move my compost bin but a bit afraid it will fall apart if I do that! Also it's a bugger to rebuild, and by myself, almost an impossible task.
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Yesterday we had a truly massive bonfire. It was the first we've had this year. Delighted to see the back of an 8' heap of prunings that wouldn't go through the shredder.
Today:-
finished shredding
dismantled and moved a cold-frame
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Planted a Bramley and an Opal plum,Heeled in 3 gooseberries and some raspberries until the ground is ready to plant Laid a brick edge to my cottage garden path. Dug up a couple of parsnips and some leeks and carrots to combine with freezer stuff to make a soup tomorrow.
All in all a good day
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Yesterday I finished planting my bulbs, tidied the rest of the empty pots away, , put out my rubbish bag for collection, shut the back door & said I'm ready for winter - the gardening for this year is FINISHED!
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It's never finished until snow flies: now comes pruning, shredding, leaf raking, composting and more transplanting if one can beat the freeze.
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First thing - shredder back on (with sharpened blades) and a pile of shrub prunings ready for mulching a new flower bed.
The I planted up the long bed at my parents place (after the morning chores & doing their lunch). All sprinkled with the hose. (the flower bed.. not my parents)
After that home to cook a joint for their dinner and over to the bungalow to help clear more prunings and trimmings from the long (very long) privet hedge.
Ten minutes sit down here with a coffee then out again.
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Today I eased open the door of the greenhouse in the new garden.
It was like looking into the deepest, darkest reaches of the Amazon (European style). Out sprang some very thick, sharply barbed brambles.
They had completely filled the little 6x8 greenhouse forcing their way out through the roof and even between the frame and the glazing cracking some panes on their way.
Thirty minutes later I had cut and removed enough to be able to step right inside.
A lovely little greenhouse! Three hanging baskets hiding on the floor waiting to be used, pots and pricking out tools, a little home-made staging, a decent watering can as well as a stone path and a blanket of ground-cover weeds.
Obviously someone had worked hard in there over the years. I'm looking forward to getting it back into action again. :)
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sounds like you have a new project, Aden ;D
Yesterday we started our bean trenches and tidied up another bed. Dug up some leeks and heeled them in in the poly, just in case we get freezing weather ;D
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Had a look at my Garlic yesterday which is coming on nicely, I put another couple of bulbs of Garlic in the raised beds, the rough digging i did the other week is already breaking up, hopefully ready for next year, :)
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Got my winter peas out. Well covered in plastic bottles to keep the voles/pigeons/deer out. Bit worried I am rather late but still very mild.
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Harvested endive and winter radish from big cloche and sprinkled a pinch of rocket and cress seed in the empty spaces. Got red mustard leaves from another cloche and lettuce. Picked a Babington leek and a huge beetroot and the last few pears. Transplanted peppers into pots and transferred from the greenhouse to the conservatory, where they hopefully survive winter. Sorted the last mildewed tomato plants from the greenhouse and put in a compost dalek, then mulched one of the borders with compost from another dalek and a bag of coffee grounds, sowed lettuce and rocket seeds for early production next year. Greenhouse smells like Starbucks ;D. Checked on cold frame and the christmas lettuce and rocket are coming on nicely. Something else has germinated, but dumbo here has forgotten to note down what she sowed - rocket or mizuna or lambs lettuce most likely - looks like lambs lettuce perhaps, but still too tiny to tell. Hope it's not just weeds! Pretty cold and dark now :(
Did you sow the peas or transplant Digeroo? Garlic not showing yet, but it only went in a fortnight ago, also shallots.
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Nothing today; the house needed some attention ;) Friday I planted four rose bushes in the new cutting garden and 6 new Joan j's in the new raspberry bed - this one has better drainage and no bindweed (I hope). Lifted the old woodchip paths and added the now composted wood to the beds as mulch and new woodchips to the paths. Saturday winter pruned the apple trees and created new strawberry beds. Next we will have Maria des bois, marshmallow, darisilette and perfection. Can't wait ;D
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Raked and mixed Japanese maple leaves with pond algae and excess pond plants plus dirt and added whole mess to compost pile which will be a squash bed.
Started digging out dirt from a berm to lower and reshape it.
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Started digging out dirt from a berm to lower and reshape it.
I'd be interested to know what a "berm" is as I haven't the foggiest idea. ;D
My day was spent sawing and cutting to remove huge heaps of unwanted ivy, undergrowth and a dead fir / pine tree from the back and top (!) of a large shed. This was followed by a very warming bonfire. ;)
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Started digging out dirt from a berm to lower and reshape it.
I'd be interested to know what a "berm" is as I haven't the foggiest idea. ;D
My day was spent sawing and cutting to remove huge heaps of unwanted ivy, undergrowth and a dead fir / pine tree from the back and top (!) of a large shed. This was followed by a very warming bonfire. ;)
A mound of dirt.
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Picked a handful of back garden Tigerella tommies, not many left now. :D
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Going to the plot to get our pretty ;D pictures taken when the man from the council presents us with our Wigan in bloom certificate ;D
will try not to look like a bag lady ;D
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With new spade and fork (other ones stolen out of the shed :'() I spent 6 hours over the weekend weeding, am feeling very tender today :-\
I did sow a couple of rows of winter broad beans, thinned out my onions, planted some more garlic :) took some photo's
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(yesterday) OH moved the fruit trees,giving them a bit more space as we now have more space,whilst i pegged out where the brassica cage will be moved to,dug it over and gave it a layer of homemade compo.Oh,and picked up the wheel barrow to move it,and a rat jumped out,towards me,I nearly fainted but survived and lived to tell the tale over and over again to all the other women folk,am officially plot heroine for the week!
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nothing to day,never went near the allotment, it all ready for the spring, so will go down now and again to check for breakins ect. and to check my winter onions and garlic.
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I did sow a couple of rows of winter broad beans, thinned out my onions, planted some more garlic :) took some photo's
And where are those photos? We're waiting ;D
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Barrowed and spread four loads of old grass cuttings.
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Here we are in the middle of windy rainy November. . . I continued building the Bar B Q and Pizza / bread oven. Got to have a bash at making a mould and casting the reinforced frame for the oven doors. All good stuff. Cheers, Tony.
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Still putting carnations and summer flowering bulbs to dry and keep safe ,been cold in the nights but days not to bad. Put some straw around leeks dont know why just told to do so as a boy ;D Picked nice cabbage and swede for diner tomorrow got some broad beans in the freezer so big lunch then a snooze ;)
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First thing this morning we removed the grass in front of an 8' wide trellis covered with summer Jasmin and lightly forked the soil to make a more easily kept bed.
Mid afternoon I forked through my parents flower bed along their drive, weeded and readied it for planting. Next I lifted several plants to move to their new garden and then the rain set in.
By early evening three large lumps of Lilly of the Valley were safely transported ready for replanting as were two small mimosa trees and a dozen or more columbine (grown from seed a couple of years back).
It's a start. :)
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I did sow a couple of rows of winter broad beans, thinned out my onions, planted some more garlic :) took some photo's
And where are those photos? We're waiting ;D
I have a new iphone still trying to work it out..will get them on the site as soon as I can as I did try to post my sunflower ones too... :-[
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I cut the darn grass! Cut the grass for one of my customers yesterday! Come on mother nature, it's winter.
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Yesterday at last light, a dash to check and refasten the fleece on the radish and salad cloche, which had fallen off after the stormy weather. Just as well - we had our first proper frost last night. There have been several touches of ground frost and the squashes vines have been killed long ago, but this is the real stuff, ice scraping on the car included.
Can't complain, the long autumn meant that our outdoor grapes ripened and that only happens once in a while.
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It was a beautiful day today, and I had much fun with compost:
1. I spread 10 wheelbarrowfuls of compost all over one of the biggest beds :D
2. I re-sited my daleks in their new attractively landscaped compost-making area :) :)
3. I dug up my HUGE triffid-like rhubarb :o, divided and replanted some of the newer bits with lots of compost.
I now have a massive heap of old woody rhubarb roots (some as big as my arm!!) so (eventually) more compost ;D ;D
I also have a slightly sore back. Going to take it easy tomorrow.
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Just been to inspect the Garlic up at the lotty, all of it is growing well but only for the Solent Wight, digging down a couple of inches it as a massive root system, obviously not ready to pop its head through, :)
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Two days in a row - a quick dash to the plot and back returning with a cycle-trailer full of wallflower plants for the new bungalow. Planted around 50 large and healthy looking plants with soil clad root ball - late but it has been mild so here's hoping they'll cope with the winter.
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wrapped up well as it was tatters down here,found be weeding sponge in the shed,sat down and weeded all the garlic and onion beds....well overdue.
Cleared the GH of all our chilli plants as they are deff coming to an end,that said,the cherry bombs are still fruiting like mad.
sorted through all our seeds in the warmth of the shed and threw away some opened ones and bought the rest home to stay indoors.
Put up 2 x shelving racks in the new poly and zipped it up till needed.
bizzy day !!!!!!!!!!!!! and bloomin freeeeezin.
Gazza
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Braved the weather to finish wiring up the frame for the gooseberries. It was freezin.
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I've just noticed that the potting shed is nearly as damp inside as it is out. :( I guess it'll need more money to replace the roofing felt. For now it'll have to wait.
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Dashing about to cover precious plants , One pane of glass in the greenhouse roof has slipped and is letting in the rain ! Having to move everything around in there ....cacti and pelargoniums .....cant afford to use the electric heater anymore so covering everything with newspaper . Oh ! misery ! Drat ! Drat and triple drat !
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With gale force winds rattling round the house we're just tucking up and trying to keep warm!! :o :o
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Due to heavy rains I've had a reprieve from digging out too many ornamental grasses with their iron-like root systems.
Cooked an Italian sauce with our dried tomatoes. Next year dry more X 10.
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Did a bit of digging. It's really taking it out of me at the moment, but I have to keep going!
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Not been for a week, the weather has been horrendous. Must go tomorrow to make sure my geranium cuttings are ok and close the polytunnel door, giving -1 tonight :)
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Did some digging today and put in two rhubarb crowns that a fellow plot holder kidly gave me. Loooking forward to lots of lovely rhubarb next year.
Dug over the old potatoe beds again being that the tarp had flown off in the wind, and I found 5 more spuds we had missed. Finally found the AWOL tarp a bit tied up in the brambles near the fencing, thought that had gone forever.
Tomorrows job put the tarp back on and weigh it down better this time.
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greanium cuttings are ok so put them in the mini plastic greenhouse inside the poly and shut the flap on it ;D
brought some of the stored leeks home, heeling them in in the poly ok so far , been there 2 weeks and just as if I'd dug them today.
Didn't go below freezing last night :)
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Stared in horror at a tree than has blown down across the top of my plot. Not much there except for weeds and unproductive goji berry bushes. Are the council obliged to move it? Its a big heavy willow that has brought a lot of elderflower, brambles and ivy down with it.
It's baffling that it went - there are trees all round the field and this is the only one.....
Also dug leeks, artichokes, parsnips and beetroot, and pulled some spinach beet.
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greanium cuttings are ok so put them in the mini plastic greenhouse inside the poly and shut the flap on it ;D
Will the geranium cuttings survive the winter in the plastic greenhouse which I guess has no heat added? Or do you move them elsewhere?
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Are the council obliged to move it? Its a big heavy willow that has brought a lot of elderflower, brambles and ivy down with it.
If it's a Council plot, they probably are. Give them a ring. Birmingham were out very promptly recently to sort out a tree which blew down across the lane. They're not so quick when it's on someone's plot, but they get there.
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greanium cuttings are ok so put them in the mini plastic greenhouse inside the poly and shut the flap on it ;D
Will the geranium cuttings survive the winter in the plastic greenhouse which I guess has no heat added? Or do you move them elsewhere?
The mini greenhouse is inside the polytunnel, here's hoping we don't get -15 in there, like last year. I'll put fleece over if it gets very cold :)
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Emptied my builders bag which had 3 Pentland Crown seeds in, I got 38 spuds from them, only 2 being no good :-\
Also emtied 3 toy tubs which had Mira Sarpo in them, not very big but quite a few in them. ;D
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I have had a few good really busy week-ends of getting my bigger jobs done on the new plot.. my progress can be seen by clicking on my website link on my profile or signature.. Been working in the snow and sleet today.. see the last pics on my website.
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A nice little bit of sunshine but very cold. Planted out a purple raspberry and some sweet peas under a bottle cloche. Rather envied the sheep in the next field their woolley coats right down to the ends of their noses.
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looking really good Gavin. Just moving water butts for me today as I had them all in one place so I thought I would put one in every corner and one in the middle less walking me thinks ;) and securing some loose fencing
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Lovely pics on your website Gavin. Amazing amount of work.
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Today was spent in the garden in my head.
Well, it's the warmest place to be planning next years tactics.
I live not too ar away from Gavin. Just down the coast a bit.
It's freezing with some pretty intense hail-showers.
Not my thing at all. :)
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What a sense of satisfaction Gavin!!!
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I'm very envious of all the materials you are using - it looks brilliant. I bet you're, quite rightly, very pleased. ;)
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Thanks peeps for the kind words... I really like to do the best I can with limited finances. I see the lottie as a way of saving money and growing delicious home grown veg at very little or no cost where I can.. I speak to everyone I see with items that can be useful on the plot and people really are pleased to give stuff away.
Today I delivered 10 poly carb roof sheets to the frozen (no need for wellies today) plot from someones conservatory... they will make a huge cold frame sometime!!
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Gavin freebies around here seem to be in very short supply, things that I used to be able to get easily like pallets,spent hops,horse manure, polypipe off cuts cant get them any more, just think theres to many of us skip diving now ;D
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Hey Lottiman... thats bad news... Just keep looking... ;D
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I dug up quite a few jerusalem artichokes for sunday dinner. :o Cheers, Tony.
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Got the rest of the carrots up yesterday. was glad to meet a couple of people up there to lay some off.Less work for us.
Spent a couple of hours in the shed preparing and putting into sand boxes
Just got a few that were an awkward shape to fit in that will get chopped and frozen.
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Dug up some carrots and leeks from the lottie this morning. :D
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Dug up parsnips ready for Christmas dinner :)
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we are going the plot tmrw morning for our snips,brussels and a glass of bubbly to toast the plot and thank it for another great year. we always do this,its nice having a stroll there and back. Funny last year we saw another couple slinking about,looking faintly embaressed to be caught at the plot on christmas day!
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Just been out... dug and trimmed the leeks, dug parsnips, and pulled some carrots... :)
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Pulled some carrots and dug up some artichokes so madam can take them into work for her chums, 'specially those who don't know the special properties of this veg' . ;D Tee Hee, ;D Cheers, Tony.
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Pulled some carrots and dug up some artichokes so madam can take them into work for her chums, 'specially those who don't know the special properties of this veg' . ;D Tee Hee, ;D Cheers, Tony.
How very thoughtfull of you Tony. What with them and the sprouts they will definitely have a F*****g Christmas ;D
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Harvested some nice leeks, despite the rust which is worse than ever.
Sprouts haven't formed at all this year.
Wasn't able to get root crops in this year due to hospital stays Jan/June.
So, I've got leeks and my health back....not a bad harvest really!!
Happy Christmas to you all.
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Just got back with carrots, snips, a good stick of brussels and a handful of parsely..
d**n soggy underfoot!!
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Not been able to do anything for a week since I slipped on the ice last Sunday. Bit fed up about it as wanted to spend the day there today.
Never mind, sent Mr PKL to pick the brussels, I hope he went and got them off the right allotment ;D ;D ;D
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PKL, hope you will mend fast and hope the brussels were delish. :)
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Ever so busy today... built my rather large upright cold-frame. Used pallet wood and poly-carb roofing (my OH will kill me when she finds out there's no roof left on our conservatory) ;)
Paved the spot and plonked it on.. then drove some stakes into the ground and screwed it on to protect from being blown away. Here is the finished product.... still got to clean it up a bit..
(http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=70165.0;attach=21288;image)
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Very impressive, Gavin- well done you!
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Still to wet here the more you walk on it the worse it gets washed all my bean sticks in a bleach soak and then washed and rehang in the shed got a new greenhouse stored in there as well but to windy to put up yet.
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Ever so busy today... built my rather large upright cold-frame. Used pallet wood and poly-carb roofing (my OH will kill me when she finds out there's no roof left on our conservatory) ;)
Paved the spot and plonked it on.. then drove some stakes into the ground and screwed it on to protect from being blown away. Here is the finished product.... still got to clean it up a bit..
(http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=70165.0;attach=21288;image)
I still have to work out how to keep the doors closed or open at intervals... may resort to the good ol' faithful brick!!
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Just a quick raid for sprouts and parsnips. Wind too cold for doing much.
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Not allowed out, but tomorrow hope to go and do loads of weeding and lots of chat.
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Not allowed out, but tomorrow hope to go and do loads of weeding and lots of chat.
I think Saturday will be the day - set to rain Sunday! :(
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Finally planted the shallots I'd forgotten about , weeded the phacelia which had re-grown as it's been so mild and had a fry up and a cuppa and a laugh with our mates while paddling around all the water laying on the paths. Thank goodness for raised beds ;D
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Shoping with O/H but managed a hour thisafternoon scrubed half the green house down with jayes fluid but a good day work still to do Any good cheap grow bags about when you are all shoping give me a shout :)
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Finally cleared the tomato plants out of the greenhouse :-[ and filled compost bags with old compost ready to take to the plot.
Washed lots of labels and checked what seeds I need (not many!).
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Finally cleared the tomato plants out of the greenhouse :-[ and filled compost bags with old compost ready to take to the plot.
Washed lots of labels and checked what seeds I need (not many!).
Wow - you did well!! It'll be the first time I've left mine over to the New Year. :(
But I did get down to the plot once more this year!!!! ;D Did a bit of digging and the place looks OK.
Great to have a few hours free for once.
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Mulched, moved some raspberries, put my planting oca in a large pot full of damp sand. That should keep it going till planting time.
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I'm just back from the lotty after planting my 'Benidorm garlic', but normally this time of year my trench system for taking the rain water away is completely dry just shows the lack of rain here in the East Mids, :)
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Lovely bright breezy day here in the East Midlands. After yesterdays downpours I was worried it would be too wet to work on, but it was fine.
That's the advantage of having a lovely sandy loam soil over free-draining gravel sub-soil.
Spread some fantastic manure, 1 to 2 inches deep, over about 15sq.m., of this years legume patch. Took a bit longer than I thought as there has been so much weed growth in the last 4 weeks. Don't they ever stop!!
The up-side of the mild weather is that I was able to harvest a big bag of amazing parsley, all fresh growth. I'll chop that and loose freeze it before bagging it up.
Rhubarb shoots appearing already, and garlic showing strongly.
This time last year I was just about to start 4 months of chemo, not knowing what the outcome would be, and not confident of seeing 2012.
I'm looking out at a bright blue sky with some lovely flowering cherries in full bloom. Full sowing program worked out on the laptop for the year
So far so good, and let's hope it stays that way.
Hope you all have a very Happy 2012
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Hope that means you've turned the corner Pescador. Keep planning for the future!
I spent all afternoon on lottie, cleaning up the strawberry patch, (rather late :-[)
Picked tomatoes, leeks, parsnips,carrots, sprouts, kale and cabbage, and ate a few autumn raspberries and a tiny "Michaelmas Red" apple!!!!
Still light(ish) when I left at 16.20 Hurrah- nights are getting shorter ;D
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Picked some leeks, had a good walk around plot 2. Put the cloche over the hot bed, ready for ck's potato challenge ;D
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Put the Christmas tree out, it's a rooted one and it did take up a pint of water every other day indoors. Plunged it in a half bucket of water and will empty the surplus in the morning as I don't want to drown it! Next problem is where to plant it as I've already got one in the front garden from years ago.
Watered all the indoor plants with rainwater, I did it just before Christmas but with the heating on they needed another little watering.
Also did the greenhouse plants, but only a miniscule amount except for the PSB in the beds, gave them a good soaking.
Sweet pea seedlings are up and the pelargonium and lavender cuttings have survived the winter, so far.
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Put the Christmas tree out..................
That's just reminded me. We didn't have a tree at all this year so I will miss putting one through the shredder. I love the smell and look forward to doing it. Makes decent compost too when added in with everything else.
I hope yours survives for another year Ninnyscrops. ;)
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It was the first big fully rooted tree we'd ever bought, the other one we planted was a mere 18inch high, and must admit no lovely pine smell in the lounge this year :( I suspect we only get that from cut ones.
Picked it up three times today as that wind was having a wonderful time in the garden!
Ninnys
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It was the first big fully rooted tree we'd ever bought.........
..............Picked it up three times today as that wind was having a wonderful time in the garden!
Ninnys
We once had the same problem (3 trees in tubs) but overcame this with hefty chunks of paving slabs on the top of the tubs as well as keeping the base weight up by watering well.
The trees are doing well even after several years. :)
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well i looked out the window at my vegi beds (does that count) bit 2 windy to go out the door :)
Leeks are now the size of pencils, b.sprouts have appeared on the stem and the size of peas plus some of my cabbages are now bulking up. Cant quite see the final bed but suspect no carrots or parsnips as the local cats have been playing in the soil after i sowed the seed :( there is lots of beetroot (bulls blood) and some nettles which i have dug out and sprayed but it keeps coming back :(
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Gave the lottie a miss today and lurked behind the hedge in the garden.
I do hate digging out the bind weed.
When did you sow the leeks for them to be pencil sized now?
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Building a new raised bed for asparagus this afternoon :)
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replaced a pane off glass in the greenhouse got broken in the wind
and was suprised by how tall the leeks are,then lunch at the garden centre
and just had to buy some seeds(can never have to many)
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A bit of digging, and finished sorting out the raspberries. There's a tree down across the lane, and a large sheet of corrugated in the stream. Fortunately it was too big to go round the corner by the bridge and block the culvert, or we'd have been in dire trouble.
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Split my rhubarb and moved the results to (hopefully) better locations around the plot. Stood back and admired the garlic which has now broken the surface. Stood back and scowled at the spring cabbages - I've not had a good year with Brassicas.
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;D......got, a little winter digging & weeding done,...have been dis-abled......just about ALL MY LIFE,..was diagnosed with M.S,.when just 36. am now in my early 50'shad been managing to walk with elbow crutchs,..but have severe balance problems,...causing falling over all the time,..so now have to use a motorbility scooter,...which i find to be absolutly FANTASTIC,....brought home a little purple sproating brocoli for dinner...roll on the spring!! 8)
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We dug the rest of the leeks up to freeze just in case we get some really bad weather. Twas so nice up at the plot that we have decided to go again tomorrow
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Been clearing a rough / dumping patch at the back of my plot for the last couple of days, been like it for donkeys years so all the old timers say :o,
Now that's done I'm going to move my shed etc on to it tomorrow witch will give me an extra 7x4 meter plot of land to grow on, I know its sad but so excited about the extra growing land ;) ;D
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Watered the sweet peas which have been pinched out already and are going mental ;D
Did a stock take in the big storage shed before the new stuff comes, cleared all the communal pots and trays into 3 wheelie bins with no wheels and splits in the side.
Our mates brought stuff for a fry up, we're taking stuff for a stir fry tomorrow, making good use of the communal cadac ;D
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Dug up some leeks and the last couple of parsnips, then decided the soil was too wet for digging so cleared out the shed. Found a few onions that had fallen off the drying rack.
Had planned to sow broad beans but didn't get round to it. ::)
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Been clearing a rough / dumping patch at the back of my plot for the last couple of days, been like it for donkeys years so all the old timers say :o,
Now that's done I'm going to move my shed etc on to it tomorrow witch will give me an extra 7x4 meter plot of land to grow on, I know its sad but so excited about the extra growing land ;) ;D
Sounds a brilliant move - well worth the effort if you have the time.
Enjoy the space ;)
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Thanks Aden Roller, it's all moved now just been up to re-felt the shed roof going to have a cuppa now then back to dig it all over, The Mrs has already said she wants a strawberry bed there :-\
I,m lucky with my job as i work for 3weeks then get 2 weeks off ;) so i get a lot of time up the plot, BUT they are going to be changing the shift pattern in April looks like it will be 4 on 4 off :-\ not so bad but i love my 2 weeks off
Steve.
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The plot is now totally turned over, Raspberry canes sorted, delighted to see rhubarb making an entrance into 2012 :) dug up leeks bit disappointed not much to shout about but still yummy all the same. Had a great suprise as I thought my winter charlottes had bitten the dust and there was some survivers well enough for sunday dinner ;D
Had a chat to a few of the fellow allomentors and made a muddy retreat home ;)
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Got my new compost bin (600 litres!!!!) up, hope now that it doesn't blow away!!! Started breaking up the old one, and still have to sort out the old compost heap but getting there.
The garlic is starting to come through, brilliant! The transplanted artichokes are going great guns, I will have 5 artichoke plants next year!
Now before the first job (planting onions, usually start with shallots end of Feb), need to:
keep digging over the alium bed,
Cut down the raspberries,
keep spreading the manure that is still in pretty big piles all over the place,
start making compost trenches for the peas which I usually start off in March.
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Two weeks off Steve76...brilliant. Mine works the same but it's 2 hours off. ::)
Today, in the Little Pink Bungalow's garden I noticed the flipping squirrels had pinched the peanuts put out for the birds. Little r**s... as I was trying to encourage the birds into the garden ready for when my parents move in.
Perhaps they'll like squirrels? ::)
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Well i've now done all the digging on the new patch of land i've been clearing, planted a new strawberry patch there and started to plant a new herb garden as well as my dog who is 1 today :) love's to lay on the herb patch at home and eat them ???
Still got a nice size bit left so going to browse the seed catalog and see what else new for me i can plant there :)
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Still windy ,but dry today did a spot of cleaning around the garden.Sowed some swede, cabbage, and cauliflower , and leeks in doors soon as they are up they will go into greenhouse. The local school has a lot so sow early incase of any misshaps : :P Sowed Bogonia seeds it said sow in January fingers crossed with these says fill pot with best compost firm to the touch water ,sprinkle seeds on top firm seeds into the compost cover with cling film and keep moist O/H Said whats for lunch thought I was cooking Will sow broad beans tomorrow in 3 inch pots they can go into greenhouse as soon as they are up to ;D
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Dug and manured (is that a verb?) the last of the veg beds yesterday. Looking at today's frost, I think it may have been good timing...
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First time I've been on the plot for over 6 weeks properly
Harvested parsnips
Cleared up
Weeded
A bit of Winter digging
Me mate Robin came looking for worms.
:D
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took the afternoon of work and slumped off to lottie. beutiful sunny day in hastings, weeded fruit, dug another bed, listened to the birds.....if only all winter days were like this I'd be a very happy gardener!!!!
;D ;D ;D
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I fitted planks to the bottom of my greenhouse today and started leveling and laying concrete fence posts down for the GH to sit on.. should finish tomorrow hopefully..
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Had a look in the greenhouse, more happening outside with the tete a tetes emerging :)
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/Jan12th2011001.jpg)
Amongst some stray ivy that the birds have set too! Thankfully none of the bulbs flowering around the garden yet but the primroses are making a splash of colour.
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Went down yesterday with OH and got stuck in clearing nets and hoops ,got manure into the leek bed ,this year we will cover it up with net curtains to stop that moth getting them, OH clear old cabbage patch and nearly over done the digging he got carried away just a bit stiff :) I started cutting the rasp canes the Autum ones got one row done, my wee hands were aching will be taking my mean loppers today to finish the job!
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A few things done at the plot today... Got some of the greenhouse foundations sorted... I'm using concrete fence posts laid on top of a layer of blocks to raise it up 12" or so..
Then I made 2 runner bean climbing frames 8' high and 8' wide.. should get a good crop growing on those..
Also collected and spread 12 bags of horse manure that is given free to the site on occasions..
(http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=87513.0;attach=21649;image)
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Shifted some council compost
Harvested carrots and the last of the Hamburg Parsley
Sorted out some spuds and parsnips to take home
Met new lottie neighbours and they gave me a can of beer
:D ;)
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Putting in a new path and creating a bed for raspberry's. :)
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Got my rasp all cut down with my the mean loppers ;D gave them a fed to got over the shock ,saved the long canes for peas later on :) dug out a strawberry bed ,oh was digging in manure and weeding we met up for soup and coffee :D also got large bag of carrots .will plant seeds Tomorrow I need a wee fix ;)
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Re-covered my 4 shelf "greenhouse" with bubble plastic in preparation for some sowings next week.
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On Sunday while I fiddled about with jobs inside the new bungalow for my parents my OH disappeared down the new garden.
Then my son joined her..... so I had to investigate as the woodwork had come to a standstill. ::)
A few hours later, despite the cold, the three of us had managed to top four fairly tall fir trees that grew on the boundary of the garden. The neighbour (92) was quite happy to give me permission to "lower the trees - chop'em down if you like" when I said I wanted to grow veg at the end of the garden but it was very shady.
All the other neighbours were amazed as, in the past, no one has been allowed to even trim a little from his trees let alone "lower / chop'em down".
Net result - more light and a huge pile of long tree trunks as well as lots of branches.
Bonfire called for before he changes his mind!!! :o
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Not in the garden but for the plot...
I finally found a 1000 Lt. IBC storage tank for collecting rain water.. I have been eyeing it out for over 4 years now so today I knocked on and asked the occupier if they were ever going to use it.. The guy was only too pleased I could make good use of it. So peeps - my motto is as always "If you see something you could use lying around and looks unwanted ... just knock and ask". The worst thing that can happen is that they say no!
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I've been riddling. Perfect activity for a cold day. I now have about a builders bag full of riddled compost and this is where my carrots will be sown in a couple of months. They love it, unlike the rest of the soil on my allotment which is too heavy for them.
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Council dropped LOADS of leaf mould at the plot today so i helped myself to 5 loads ( the 1 ton builders bags )of the stuff ;) not sure where best to use it on the plot ??? was thinking about using some of it to mulch the potatoes in a couple of months and dig the rest in where the carrots are going this year ??? any ideas never had leaf mould before..
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Council dropped LOADS of leaf mould at the plot today so i helped myself to 5 loads ( the 1 ton builders bags )of the stuff ;) not sure where best to use it on the plot ??? was thinking about using some of it to mulch the potatoes in a couple of months and dig the rest in where the carrots are going this year ??? any ideas never had leaf mould before..
Steve its good stuff is it still in the bags??? If so i would just stack 3 of the bags up and cover and let it rot down a little more for summer mulching.
But you can pop it onto the beds to protect seedlings, dig it in :) pile it on thick as it will break down.
BUT DO CHECK WHAT TYPE OF LEAVES AS SOME ARE NOT SO HELPFUL
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Thanks cambourne7 ;) will take you advise and let it rot down more, not sure of the types of leaves i have seen some conifer trimming in there...
Thanks Steve.
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conifer is quiet acidly i used mine on my plot for paths as they also take a lot longer to rot down mine were popped into a cage made of rabbit wire which let the elements get to them and over time the full cage decreased in size to about 1/5 of the original. Another plot holder did the same but fitted it over a couple of baths he then had his water butt constantly drip though it to help filter the water into the baths - never saw the point but it did make a good wind break and helped him create a constant supply of water for his greenhouse.
Suggest you check the PH of a couple of samples before incorporating... that said i would follow this bit of advice i found
It doesn't matter what tree they are from if they are fresh.
You should only mulch with proper rotted old smells-like-compost gubbins.
Fresh plant matter as mulch invites nasty fungi & does little good for soil nutrients.
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The fresh stuff is good for mulching, though it blows about a bit. If it's dug in, it produces good crops of fungi, and takes far longer to disappear. There's not much nutrient in autumn leaves anyway, but it does boost the humus content.
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Had a busy busy today at the plot.. I fitted my IBC 1000 Lt tank to harvest rainwater from the shed and greenhouse.. Also finished the foundations for the greenhouse to sit on - just to the right of the new tank. All going well tomorrow I'll fit the GH in it's spot.!! ;D
(http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=87513.0;attach=21789;image)
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Took cambourne7's advise and built a new compost bin from pallets to let the leaf mould rot down more..
Thanks for your help cambourne7 ;)
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Looking good Gavin, when your finished there's a few jobs doing around mine. ;)
I did some digging, weeding and clearing up, and mixed the compost bins. :D
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Planted out some garlic I had in pots, made up an eke for one of my broodboxes, and did some pottering. My back's not up to hard labour right now.
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Sowed some more sweet peas, sowed 2 kinds of salad mix and a pinch of wild flowers to see if they germinate. cut back the manky bits on the rest oof the herbs and disposed of quite a few slugs which had taken up residence in my red bergamot cuttings in the poly :-\
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Dug up my Félicité Perpétue climbing rose in my garden and shifted it to my friend's allotment. Gosh I'm aching all over ... so many roots!
I was pleased to see that onions, garlic, shallots, broad beans, peas and overwintered brassicas are all doing well. Picked up the stuff redistributed by the recent gales. It was pretty windy today so I didn't hang about for long!!
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My overwintered broadies are a failure again; one remains alive, and it's looking pretty tattered. If I'm right in thinking waterlogging is a factor, then raised beds should help; they're one of my priorities for this year.
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Had a picker about and giving serious thought to turning our back garden into a wild flower mini meadow :D I've got the wild part taken care of already! ;D Wouldn't take that much planning as the garden's so small anyway but I do love to look at wild flowers :)
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I can't be a.......to put in overwintering broad beans. I start mine off in early spring and always get a good crop.
Duke
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My broadies are in root trainers[how posh is that ;)] hardening off in the garden but I've snugged them in the poly tonight in case they get broken by the gales. Going out as soon as I've managed to fix up [ie stain] the raised bed for them.
They say Sutton are good for windy sites! First time I've tried 'em so we'll see. Nothing like a good estuary wind tunnel for a test run.. ::)
Main crop of Windsors'll go in later
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Emptied 9 bags of donkey poo into the compost bin and covered it with some straw that was left from last year.
Fed the robin his mealworms.
We dont go more than once a week now cos there isn't that much to do now we only have 1 plot but he is still there when we do go. He had his lady friend with him this time.
We will be glad when things start growing so that we have more to do. I miss the excercise.
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Only just looking at this page. Gavinjconway - that is some shed!! We are only allowed a 6' by 4' shed so thats my excuse for not having anything as brilliant as that. Looking forward to pics of the greenhouse.
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Still to wet here will clean some pots ready for planting
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still too wet for digging here. Tried a bit, but was 6 inches taller within 15 minutes, so gave up and gave the shed a long overdue tidy out. ;D
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Only just looking at this page. Gavinjconway - that is some shed!! We are only allowed a 6' by 4' shed so thats my excuse for not having anything as brilliant as that. Looking forward to pics of the greenhouse.
The shed is 7x5 and the GH is 8x6... our limit is 8x8 I was told by someone..
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Another busy day today. Fitted the greenhouse in its place. Then deeply dug and turned the soil in the GH (no glass fitted yet), then added manure mixed with shavings and fertilizer and dug it all in. Then started to shift the extra soil adjacent to the GH outside on the pathway that will be flagged once cleared.. My back aches today!! My plan is to grow directly in the ground so all the big dig and preparation.. Worms please do your thing...
GH fitted - Manure with shavings added..
(http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=87513.0;attach=21808;image)
Shovelled more soil in from the pathway
(http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=87513.0;attach=21810;image)
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Your set up looks the bees knees
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Your set up looks the bees knees
It's getting there... Still got a lot of digging to do when the ground dries and is ready for digging. Although where I was digging in the GH and pathway yesterday it is fairly friable and only damp once you get below the sticky 2" on top.. But still got some other works to be done first... flagging and making a storage area lean to behind the shed.. watch this space. ;D
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Had a busy busy today at the plot.. I fitted my IBC 1000 Lt tank to harvest rainwater from the shed and greenhouse.. Also finished the foundations for the greenhouse to sit on - just to the right of the new tank. All going well tomorrow I'll fit the GH in it's spot.!! ;D
(http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=87513.0;attach=21789;image)
your new plot looks brill Gavin ,were did you get the monster tank from? it look great was it expensive? sorry for being nosey.i would love a weebit smaller one ! I look farward to your posts of your progress happy digging ;)
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Finished spreading manure on the legumes patch, (late, I know); weeded half the brassica patch, and burned some of the frame from the greenhouse that I'm taking down.
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Dug. I came home with my back aching, but fortunately I know when to stop, and its OK now.
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Had 10 strawberry runners from garden centre, not really into to them but the children always ask for them. So this time they will have there on small plot to do something. Caulis,Cabbage,s and swedes are all up in the greenhouse. Seed Potatos came yesterday they are in the back room chiting. End of next week will start Toms and Cucumbers
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GC thats a fantaistic looking new area youve made so much progress. Have plot envy.
Did the tour and thrillled to see things shooting and fattening up out there . I planted the onion sets in trays put the charlottes in to chit and caved in and sowed 5 seeds of 5 tom varieties for some early plants in the propagator
Windowledges are now spoken for until april!!
x Sunloving
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Did a bit of weeding and general tidying up, I have had plenty of spare time over the past few weeks and have done all the hard work on the plot ready for our first full growing season ;D
(http://i1256.photobucket.com/albums/ii484/iainrbanks/Allotment/2012-01-27131211.jpg)
Harvested; two January King cabbages, some leeks and cavolo nero
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where are you to get lovely dry soil like that mines a mud bath :o :o
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Had a busy busy today at the plot.. I fitted my IBC 1000 Lt tank to harvest rainwater from the shed and greenhouse.. Also finished the foundations for the greenhouse to sit on - just to the right of the new tank. All going well tomorrow I'll fit the GH in it's spot.!! ;D
your new plot looks brill Gavin ,were did you get the monster tank from? it look great was it expensive? sorry for being nosey.i would love a weebit smaller one ! I look farward to your posts of your progress happy digging ;)
your new plot looks brill Gavin ,were did you get the monster tank from? it look great was it expensive? sorry for being nosey.i would love a weebit smaller one ! I look farward to your posts of your progress happy digging
[/quote]
Hi Claybasket - I got the tank from a customer of mine.. My eyes and ears are tuned to Radio Lottie at all times.. If I spy something I may need or could use - I ASK.. They come in 500 Lt and 1000 Lt I think.. Mine is 1000.. Look in your local freecycle - I see them in ours occasionally.
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Not at the plot but been making my plans for the spud patch.. our potato day tomorrow so my shopping list is being made. Going to try a few different types to see what grows well on the plot. I spoke to some neighbours but they weren't very forthcoming about varieties that do well so got to do some trials.. Oh and I need 400 onion sets as well.. that'll see me through for the year!!
Thanks to everyone for the remarks about my plot.. I do really enjoy it and once the big works are finished I can get digging when the ground conditions let me.. Then a full plot of veg will spring up.. cant wait :)
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Went and had a look about 1pm It was freezing called into the pub had a swift pint of lager and went home told O/H forgot my keys :P ;D
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where are you to get lovely dry soil like that mines a mud bath :o :o
Southend, Essex - I think that picture makes it look drier than it is, lets say it's nicely moist - definitely not a bog ;D
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Shifted some more compost
Weeded and cleared the front of the plot where the runners go.
:D
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Potted up the rest of the chitted potatoes. Found the best window spots for the onion and potato seedlings, admired the hard work done yesterday in renovating the raspberry bed, covered the peas in the poly which seem to been found by a small creature :(rescued the broad beans and hope the sleet has blown over by tomorrow.
BTW our soil over here in the east certainly isn't waterlogged and we worked hard on it yesterday ;D
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Had a great day at our potato day...
I only bought 2 extra packets extra to my list I wanted and had to substitute 2 others for a different variety to my list as they had sold out on some - and I was there before official doors opening time as well!! ..
As I dont know what will grow well I got to test myself.. @ £1.50 for 15 tubers I cant complain!! Soooo I bought a pack of each..
Pentland Javelin
Wilja
Maris Peer
Nicola
Charlotte
Saxon
Nadine
Sante
Red King Edward
Desiree
King Edward
Pink Fir Apple
Cara
My spuds are now going to take up about a 1/4 of the plot.. 10mt x 5
Oh and I got 6 packs of onion sets!!
(http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=87513.0;attach=21960;image)
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What no Kestrel, :o and thats a hell of a lot of onions Gavin. :o :D
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Went to the allotment and did some weeding, it was easy to dig today, but my feet got cold so I came home. Not many people to chat to. Compost coming on 17 Feb so will try to get up then. Can't wait until the evenings get lighter and it gets warmer (but not too warm for digging). Dug up two baby leeks (they don't seem to be growing much, but will see if they get bigger, did plant 100 from seed).
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we collected rents in person for the first time this weekend,was great seeing everyone after the winter...most bought seed potatoes too and started work all excited.Shame the council are saying they will be getting rent direct from each plotholder from next year as we had a great weekend catching up with each other. Oh,and completely cleaned my shed too,failed in egtting OH to do his though >:( >:(
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Potted up my toms ready for the seed to be sown this week, Cucumbers will be sown as well. A lot of flowers seeds to be sown this month so must get on with that . Swede cabbage cauli,s all got all got 4 leaves on them local primary school should do well this year. Leeks are up about 5" but only done enough for myself this year could not give them away last year. Potatos are happy in the back bedroom should be ready to plant out begining of march ;)
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Dug over the spud area ready for the off
Started digging out 1/3 of the strawberry's and will start respacing them out in the clean bed. :D
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Took the kitchen compost and just walked around and had a look at all the other plots.
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I just walked round it and tried to stick my finger in the soil, it was frozen solid and so was I so a went in and had a cup of tea.
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Finger, I always use my bum. :o :P ;)
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Finger, I always use my bum. :o :P ;)
A soil thermometer would be less painful ;D
Ninnys
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Had last week off work. So I weeded, dug and planted two verities of rhubarb, a blackcurrant, red currant and a gooseberry bush.
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What no Kestrel, :o and thats a hell of a lot of onions Gavin. :o :D
Hi CornKev.. Sorry - No Kestrel... I'm told they are good so may try next time.. have enough for now!!
Re the onions - our family love onions and so do my neighbours. We love to BBQ them as eat a lot as green onions and white sauce so quite a few dont get to mature!!
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Putting up supports on new raspberry bed this afternoon unbelievably cold :o
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Sun was out for about an hour O/H put washing on the line said it was no good for drying, need to do a few things , but decided to look at holiday dates on line :) :) ;D
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put polystyrene under the overwintering geraniums and covered them with frost protection fleece, hope theyre ok. This time last week, they were putting up flowers :o
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Fixed a new tap on the big water butts - much easier since the 3000 litres or so has all escaped...... ::). gave the broad beans a few hours of fresh air, sowed chillies and peppers.. Went in and made a parkin- double quantity ;D ;D
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Fed the birds and shot indoors!! ;D
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Found out that a bag of compost that I was going to take down to the allotment had frozen solid,and that frozen bags of compost are very heavy to carry. ;D
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Finished moving a large load (a bout 75 Wheelbarrows) of manure that had been tipped on the end of another plot as the tractor could not get to my new plot. Never thought I would see blisters on my hands having worked as a gardener for over 60 years, it shows I have been slack lately since I had to retire. :'(
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:o..........wow,.......its SO COLD,.....but managed to drive my new motorbility scooter,....to my plot,....to cut,...with my new harvesting knife,...from Marshalls ,...some sprouting purple broccoli,...for my tea,....yum,yum ;D
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Bugger since Monday, it's toooo bloody cold, may give it a bash at the weekend. :-\
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Nothing either - too cold today, but hoping to get to the lotty early in the morning before the predicted 5 inches of snow for us gets here tomorrow afternoon..... >:(
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Went to plot 2 after being phoned about our shed, the little b*ggers have prised the door open, couldn't get the hinges or hasp and staple off, the padlock's still ok. Smashed the bottom of the door to bits to get in and pinch the generator, we only left it there while we were away, someone must've seen us put it in :-\
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With snow forecast for the weekend I went up to my plot to get cabbage and a couple of celeriac roots. The sun was shining and I was surprised at how warm it seemed, considering the temperature in my unheated greenhouse had been 2C before I left. There was no mud, and I dug a few rows from the celeriac bed before returning home. THe soil crumbled nicely, and didn't seem to be frozen. It was a shame I didn't have time to stay and do more.
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Sorry to hear about your generator manicscousers, theiving little.... >:(
I managed to get about two hours digging done, before the snow started...just a little so far, hope it stays that way
sheddie
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Dug out some more strawberrys but come home after an hour with frozen feet. :o
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Sowed some cauli, tomatoes and red onions. Bought some garlic and onion sets and will put them out when it stops raining. :)
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Just got back from pulling some brussels and some shallots from me shed stock.
slid the GH top glass back under the frame as were expecting snow tonight.
battened down the poly tunnel doors.
and came home quick as me feet are perishing.
Gazza
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More big work finished at the plot in the snow today... Fitted all the glass in the greenhouse. No breakages.. wow!! So all the big work is nearly finished now. I still have to level of an old sort of compost and shrubs heap of something and convert it into a covered storage area and lay all the broken slabs as a floor. Then the digging can resume. See the progress at my site link below this post..
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My only chance to go to the lot tie this week, so braved the freezing temp to go and clear up a bit as the ground was frozen solid! Decided to hard prune the willows as they were getting pretty big and wouldn't suffer being done in the cold. They look a lot tidier now, plus I have a load of cuttings as a result to replant.... Lasted 2 hours before I lost the feeling in my legs and came home to warm up!
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Looks like snowman later. :P
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Its been a long morning back and for the greenhouse, should I have sown seed so early ??? :-\ trying to keep a happy mediem between a little bit of sun shine 8) and my electic bill :( is thawing a bit but it looks like its more the same tonight ;D
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Not much in this part of the world but we went over to Anstey Nursery yesterday and bought my seed spuds they had well over 40 varieties, also my broad beans and some more garlic seed which was sold by the kilo, :)
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A shift at the allotment shop which consisted of path clearing,heaving frozen bags of sand and about 3 customers.
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Shovelled snow - 6 inches - then shovelled snow at mil's place. OH is clearing the conservatory roof and the pea and lettuce seedlings love the extra light.
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Planted some chillie seeds and found out afterwards they are sweet peppers... :(
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Took a walk over the allotments this afternoon and took photos, lots of blackbirds about eating the 'crab apples' on the trees in the wildlife area, all the Cotoneaster berries have now gone.
At home, checked the sweet pea seedlings in the greenhouse, also checked the broad bean seeds which are germinating on damp kitchen roll and awaiting planting into pots. Topped up the bird food on the feeders, put out a dish of 'cat food biscuits soaked in water to make them soft' for the blackbirds (who were there before I'd returned to the house) and put out a dish of water for the birds
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Well nothing in the garden and no allotment but did spend 2 hours helping neighbours dig themselves and there cars out and then fell asleep :) Harriet hates the snow and husband has a cold so left them indoors and i got lots of fresh air. Not amazingly cold and its melting nicely so lots of salt down tonight.
Having a PJ day tomorrow !!
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A lovely day here,10 degrees,very sunny, almost like Spring and no rain for almost a week so we went over and looked at our new plot next door to the other two, did a bit of measuring for wood ,and a bit of planning.. I should add John did the work, I was the seated cheerleader and pencil pusher but still it was good to get out..first time since New Years Day.
A good day.
XX Jeannine
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Found my cat "incubating" my seeds in the spare room windowsill today so had to take a pic... also got my Early spuds in their chitting trays..
(http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=87513.0;attach=22174;image)
(http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=87513.0;attach=22176;image)
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Did a few odd jobs in the greenhouse, a lot of flower seeds sown. Most of the cabbages, caulis swedes all doing well they can go out end of march local school will have all the spares. Got some new hand tools from home bargins yesterday O/H went shoping said to me you know what you have not done for ages I give her one of my best smiles , and she says (cleaned the bloody windows ) ;D
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:o......my plot is just 5 Min's walk away,...but as i'me disabled,...i can walk,...just not far,..anymore,..so,....just gotton a motorbillity scooter,.....too,.......have cognitive impairment ,........which often causes thinking problems,...so,..on using my scooter,...to go to my plot,.......to put a compost caddy full,...into one of the 3 compostbins........got stuck in the snow,.....which wouldn't stop wheelspinning,........took just under an hour,...to get home,...only just managed to get it out,... :-[.......thought,........i might not manage to get home, roll on,...the end of the dangerous situations,...of this winter,.....& planting time,.... ;D
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Plot's still under snow :( But my new engine for the rotavator came today :) so spent a couple of hrs swapping them over, just need some dry/ warmer days to try it out now..
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Potted up my new fruit bushes
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Raspberry canes came in the post today all i need is for the snow to clear off now >:(
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I escaped to the plot leaving my parents in the capable hands of a new carer!!!!
3 years of waiting for a whole afternoon has paid off. I didn't have to clock watch very much at all so I set off after having bought their newspaper, hung out their washing, nattered, explained what they would have for lunch, made a cup of tea and vanished......
I finshed filling my bean trench with 6 barrow loads of compost, recovered it with soil which was beautifully friable.
Next I cleared up around the last year's newly planted blackberries and added two large bags of well rotted stable manure. I have readied the space for the sweet peas and covered it with glass to heat the soil (when we get some more sun).
I wandered home unhurriedly with a bag of baby (sized) leeks from what had been a very late planting into the potato patch.
By 4:30 the chill had set in (to me) and, although the ice on the water butt remained throughout the day, I felt so much happier and more relaxed. Just me and a robin daft enough to be out but loving it!!!
Well done compostbin on your valiant outing and great escape. Pleased you made it home safely!! :)
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Just managed to grab a couple of sprout trees and net my PSB. It was bitterly cold and there was no one else there. The ground is as hard as a rock. Wanted some parsnips but they are well stuck in the ground.
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;DChecked on temps in greenhouse that was enough bitterly cold :(
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Collected some potting compost from the poly and brought it indoors to warm up before I use it tomorrow. Dug in some seaweed meal and wood ash into an end bed in the poly- when it warms up a bit I'll give it a good water and maybe put in the broad beans. As the ground sown peas have gone AWOL I put down some bait....
The first chillies are out of the propagator and the peppers will be out tomorrow. It would be good to have some sun. Temperatures don't matter once there's some glass or poly.
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I wandered.... about in the back garden.... and had a little think.
The 92 yr old neighbour has been taken into hospital and he had given us permission, weeks ago, to continue trimming the hedge.
I might just get out there and finish the job once I've worked out how to get into his garden without clambering through the undergrowth (there's lots of it!! :o) along the side.
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Potted on leeks into five litre pots then warmed my hands for a hour
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Looked out the window still about 2 inches of snow on the veg beds
All i can see above the snow are some leeks and some PSB and a few leggy b.sprouts which have a few small sprouts on them that i can see.
Did try getting some beetroot out last week but ground was frozen solid!
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We all cleared the space for the composting toilet shed which is being delivered tomorrow morning :)
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Potted on leeks into five litre pots then warmed my hands for a hour
I really must get my leek seed into a very deep tray as soon as the weather warms up!!
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Dug out 4lb of carrots and tucked the rest up in 4 layers of fleece.Suspect they'll go mushy if the freeze too hard. Never had carrots in the ground this long before. Lovely day cold but no wind, very bright. Filled brown bin for the weelly men on Monday. I'm the one that keeps them in business. Old raspberry roots this time.. ;)
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Watches our lovely new shed, 6x6, being put up ;D
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heeled in my new fruit bushes as the ground was totally frozen...as was my fingers eventually!
roll on March
;D
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Measured the temperature - could not believe the remote reading! - -13.6C! - and emptied the kitchen waste bin.
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Sowed 2 troughs for our son in law's birthday present, one with beetroot, spring onion bunches and radish, the other with mixed leaf salad and a herb mix. His birthday is march 2nd so they should be showing nicely by then ;D
Also sowed some beetroot and spring onion bunches in cells for us :)
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Nothing- still covered in snow. Did start my spuds chitting, though.
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The ground remains frozen solid so it was a good day to "trim" the neighbour's hedges and bushes.
We spent 4 hours out in the freeze - a huge pile of twigs and bits to burn but now the sun shines into the conservatory again. :)
Well, he did say "chop the lot down I don't care" and we've only trimmed them neatly.. finished his side off today as far as we can reach. There's still a huge, high tangle of brambles in the middle. ::)
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Hurrah! been to the plot.
Got leeks, parsnips, kale and sprouts. Red cabbage and celeriac- kind gift from Sunlovers next plot :)
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I planted some of my onion sets...brave I am... :P
The frost has finally melted, but - I was four inches taller when I left the lotty!
;D
sheddie
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Dug up some leeks from under the snow- tops had been chewed but otherwise ok. Thought someone had stolen something from my shed, then remembered I had tidied it last time I went down! ;D
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Went out to buy my seed potatoes.... later than last year but we have a great local nursery and a huge range to choose from. Also picked up some onion sets as well as shallots all of which are sold by the kilo.
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Started to clear my construction zone and what looks like the remains of an old compost heap (I think) from the storage area. I have also done a photoshop of the proposed area...
(http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=87513.0;attach=22287;image)
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Off to fix the shed door on plot 2 and plant some onions :)
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Gonna get the mantis out and run riot over some ground that needs a freshen up.
weed our onions and garlics
Gazza
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Ray fixed the door that was broken by the little *** who stile the generator. I planted the onions while he did it ;D
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Cut down the old (autumn) raspberry canes, cleaned out the hen coop and threw some manure onto 3 veg plots. Should be planting the shallots and 2 blackcurrant plants tomorrow.
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Just been on lotty and done some pottering about in GH...nice to see garlic bulbils have started to come up and Galina's walking onions and babbinton leek.. ;D I've started to do watering now.. ::)
I'm really itching get going with soil outside..but it is not ready yet..too cold and wet.
In mean while...more to sow indoors... ;D
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OH has done a lot of clearing... I was interrupted by giving blood and stuff...
Have dug some parsnips and leeks for tea.. :)
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In the greenhouse - sowed several lots of broad beans that will (if all goes well) be transplanted in a few weeks time.
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Came home and transplanted some more tomato plants and sowed some corno rosso pepper seeds ;D
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Tranplanted toms and cucumbers its been very mild here for the past 2 days and nights there is heating in the greenhouse just for frost protection. :) Lost half my broad beans was not going to buy any new seed this year will wait and see what happens and what weather does :(
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Bought some multicompost in readiness (I wont have enough of my own saved stuff)............has anyone else noticed the small print recently "not suitable for seeds"? That's because there will be so many lumps in it, soon sorted with a sieve ;). They really want to sell you pre-sieved stuff for 3 times the price! :o
Ninny
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oohh ninny,not noticed that,which brand are you using?
OH knocked a new raised bed together which we soon filled with our own compost and horse muck,ready for transplating eight asparagus plants tomorrow.Our lottie mate has given up her plot and donated the plants to us
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I've been sowing seeds into cocoa compost, the blocks you soak. So far, the tomatoes and peppers love it, don't think it's suitable for very small seeds though. We have 3 bags of mole soil I'm going to mix with vermiculite and try smaller seeds in that. Transplanted my minibel tomatoes and some of the smaller yellow ones a kind friend on here sent for my Neice's small plot ;D
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It's the Homebase own "multicompost plus". Hubby (not a gardener) and I had good look at all the different brands from the best to the worst and they all said it!
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Manics, I've not seen those, but I do prefer soils. :)
Ninny
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Says everything i think
(http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r111/stumpinsci/2012-02-17121611.jpg)
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From this to this, nearly there ;D
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Looks impressive!
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davyw1. Cool picture! It does indeed say everything.
I managed to move the pea wigwam without doing any damage to either me or it, and sowed just a few very early peas at the base of it. Just in case. :)
Did a bit of hoeing and tidying up around the onion beds.
Ooh! And I quarter-filled the wheelbarrow with mole-hill soil on he way back through the playing fields. :) I'll be sowing leeks and stuff in it as soon as the time is right. (http://www.the-gardeners-calendar.co.uk/moonplanting.asp?day=9&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+co%2FvgmL+%28Seven+day+moon+planting+guide%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher) 8)
I'm determined to give this Moon-planting business a go this year. It won't cost anything to find if it helps either, which is nice. ;D
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I wish I was on your site, Manics, it seems to have everything an allotment site should have!
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I wish I was on your site, Manics, it seems to have everything an allotment site should have!
Well, we're getting there, ;D
more for the special needs and people with a dicky bladder. The club shuts bank holidays, too so we had to do something
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Lovely work Manics.
This morning even though it was raining we planted three fruit trees and moved all of the rhubarb into its permanent position. had a cuppa and a chat in the pavilion.
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I bought a 50L bag of miracle grow, grow your own, fruit and vegtable compost for £4.99
I've sowed 4x Tigerella's
6x Yellow Bell Peppers
And 4x shallots in pots
After your post Manics, I had a look in my cupboard and found a Coco peat block thats been there for years will it be OK for Tommies when I plant them on into black buckits. :-\ :D
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Sowed the first seeds of the season (all inside)
Sweet peas
Violas
Gaura
Poached egg plant
Broad beans
Leeks
beetroot
peppers
Basil
Sweet Marjoram
dill
mint
I was a bit worried about the compost as it is from last year and I think it froze last week, but we shall see!
It feels good to have started. :D
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IAfter your post Manics, I had a look in my cupboard and found a Coco peat block thats been there for years will it be OK for Tommies when I plant them on into black buckits. :-\ :D
Not on it's own, Kev. not enough feed, I use it for sowing seeds (large) but my instructions say add sand and feed to it to pot on. I'm using mole soil/vermiculite mixed with a little bfb this year, just done some lettuce so will see how they go
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planted onion sets [ sturon ] in cell trays to plant out late march
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Nothing today (boooo to rain), although have managed to do quite a bit of digging this week clearing 2nd plot. Also yesterday we put up a 2nd raspberry frame. The main plot is dug ready for planting with just a couple of beds with crops still in. The 2nd plot LOL - 2/3 of it is fine. 1/3 of it is full of weed roots left by the previous tennants lack of cultivation. Will get it sorted though this year before spring.
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planted onion sets [ sturon ] in cell trays to plant out late march
i'm thinking of doing the same with my sets (piroska, sturon, stuttgarter and red baron) as last year (my 1st time) i had to re-plant them several times on my onion bed as those pesky birds just love my just-weeded soil that i was doing on a weekly basis ::) what's the consensus on this ppl, do you plant out or start them off first?
today on the lotti, got friend to fish out the v. big dead (v sad) frog that was found in my pond the other day. i couldn't do it myself as i'm such a scaredy-cat to all things dead and horrid mice/rats.. ::) ::) ::) and i was able to finish weeding the fruit bed that was too close to the pond for me to go near it... sounds embarressing i know! so beautiful the weather we've had in nott'm.. then, i noticed more and more of the fresh growth of nettle was up, so spent a couple of hours digging that. planted out Aronia and a freebie - gooseberry bush that i got from a nursery the other day, woohoo! my 4th plant this yr that i've planted... (5 more to go, but firstly have to clear/prep the space for it ::))
just seen the weather for tonight, gonna be a frost at minus 1 in my area.. just hope the new asian pear tree will be ok (better be, as it was quite an expensive purchase!) - well, should be as it's next to the sheltered part of the lotti next to the shed...
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I read somewhere that a person should always try to do 4 different things each visit to the plot so I am trying that now...
So ...
1.Yesterday I added my home waste to the compost heap along with a few bags of horse manure then gave it a bit of water and a half turning over.. oh and also added some BFB to activate it a bit..
2. Emptied the IBC so I could move it to cover all round with a couple of old builders bags to keep the direct sun away so the water doesn't go green
3. Started to dig up a heap of extra soil left by the previous tenant and moved 13 barrow loads to a lower depression part of the plot..
4. Sifted through all my ash piles from all my bonfires with a large magnet to remove all the screws and nails from all the pallets I have destroyed and the chicken coops that were left there.. Now I need to scrape some up to add some potash to my onion patch!!
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Irridium
sorry about the frog. I don't like dealing with dead animals either, but it is ok with a long handled shovel if I have to .... frogs are too useful but perhaps it was an old frog and its time had come .....
Don't worry about the Asian pear unless it is flowering. The tree is fully hardy, mine has come through several pretty grim winters just fine. The problem is the flowering period. It flowers very early, and this means that there are few other pollinator trees about (Williams aka Bartlett is a reasonable pollinator or another Asian Pear). And frost gets into the flowers most years.
My tree is now well established, nearly 20 years old and has been bearing well in the last few years. It seems to space its flowering over a longer period and so some of the flower misses the frost. It took a few years to get there. My husband wanted to cull the tree at one stage, because it took years before it produced.
Unless other pears are flowering in the vicinity with a time overlap, you may have to think about hand pollinating. They are well worth a bit of effort. Good luck with yours.
just seen the weather for tonight, gonna be a frost at minus 1 in my area.. just hope the new asian pear tree will be ok (better be, as it was quite an expensive purchase!) - well, should be as it's next to the sheltered part of the lotti next to the shed...
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Not much, biting wind, still can't get warm. And it is sad because this harsh frosty period has destroyed a lot of my winter salad garden. But a couple of black winter radishes and the last parsnips got dug, a bit of florence fennel too (surprised this thrives in the cold ...) and Babington leek. Checked on the garlics and shallots and weeded a little and dug a bit too until my fingers just hurt with the biting cold. Don't know why my finger tips get so bad these days, not just cold, but really painful despite gardening gloves. :(
Then I collected up muddy gardening gloves and capillary matting sheets for a gentle wash on the delicates programme, short wash cycle without washing powder.
Watered the seedlings in the conservatory, lettuce, peas, broadies, leeks and onions. Conservatory is unheated but got very nice and warm for a bit in yesterday's sunshine.
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1. Mixed dalek and council compost in a bed
2. Planted Shallots in the bed
3. Emtied one tub and one black bin of Spuds
4. Drank a can of beer
Well I got my 4 in
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On Sunday
1. Sowed Tigerella
2. Sowed Yellow Bell Peppers
3. Planted 4x Shallots in pots
4. Washed plant pots.
:D
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On Sunday
1. Sowed Tigerella
2. Sowed Yellow Bell Peppers
3. Planted 4x Shallots in pots
4. Washed plant pots.
:D
Have I started something with doing 4 things each visit..?? ;D
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think can only be a good thing if you have!
1.said hello to our neighbour aka Albie,our chum and guru
2.admired the woodchip paths I laid on Sunday
2.admired the decorative stone path I laid around the pond on Sunday
3.checked the greenhouse,had a brew and came home ;D
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Irridium
sorry about the frog. I don't like dealing with dead animals either, but it is ok with a long handled shovel if I have to .... frogs are too useful but perhaps it was an old frog and its time had come .....
Don't worry about the Asian pear unless it is flowering. The tree is fully hardy, mine has come through several pretty grim winters just fine. The problem is the flowering period. It flowers very early, and this means that there are few other pollinator trees about (Williams aka Bartlett is a reasonable pollinator or another Asian Pear). And frost gets into the flowers most years.
My tree is now well established, nearly 20 years old and has been bearing well in the last few years. It seems to space its flowering over a longer period and so some of the flower misses the frost. It took a few years to get there. My husband wanted to cull the tree at one stage, because it took years before it produced.
Unless other pears are flowering in the vicinity with a time overlap, you may have to think about hand pollinating. They are well worth a bit of effort. Good luck with yours.
well, when i discovered the frog on Fri. whilst wanting to weed the fruit bed, i noticed it's v. white underside floating on the pond surface.. i just let out a screeching "aarrrgghh!" and couldn't bear to go near that vicinity. in fact, i was that shocked that i wanted to leave the rest of the jobs till another day.. I'm v phobic off all dead animals, can't help myself. when my then partner was working abroad for 7mths the other year, my norty, norty cat brought home live mice, sometimes 3 times a week. i couldn't hang around the 1st floor of the house, till a friend came over the next day to deal with the offending item (imagine me not going being able to use the bathroom there as well :o :o??!!)
i didn't anticipate the pond being too deep as i thought with with being a preformed (if that's what they're called) pond i didn't think it needed a 'ramp' to aid any wildlife to climb out of it as it as it has 3 differing levels. the pond at home is just a sunken plastic storage box with straight sides that has a ramp with bricks in one corner, and noticed that the baby frogs were getting in and out regularly. tomorrow, i use the precious few bricks i have lying around the lotti and sink them in... atm, i put a piece of wood anchored on the diagonal as a make-shift.
re. the asian pear. it's a 2yr tree with lots of side branches and 5' tall - Shinseiko. What's your variety? I got inspired to grow one as my mum has hers growing for the past 5yrs or so (no feed, no weeding - shock, horror!) she's been cropping hers for the last two, and last yr's she didn't bother thinning the fruitlets, and got about 60 from two trees. of course, they're prone to bow with the heaviness of all that fruit that she's propped the branches with poles. not a good sight for one in her front garden, tho'!
as mine will be on the lotti, there is a new pear tree that was planted in autumn, but i'm not sure if it'll flower this yr or not as i think it's too young (an heirloom that i got from the lotti community orchard) i've recently bought one from Aldi last week - Doyenne du Comice which is actually bigger than the other one, so maybe that'll flower for me, and thus pollinate the Asian one. Do you think that they might flower at the same time, methinks not... ???
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Irridium, well you have certainly done everything you can to make the pond safe and this may not have been the reason for the frog's demise anyway. Healthy frogs can jump well clear I would have thought.
Anyway, my Asian Pear is Kumoi. The tree (which is on a dwarfing rootstock) is larger and the branches are more expansive than my other pears. Yes there is a small overlap with my Comice too, not as long as with Williams. The problem is that a young tree only has a few flowers, an older tree with a lot of flowers has a longer flowering period and bigger overlap. With two other pears in the vicinity you should have flowering overlap covered, at least in the long run.
ten minutes later ...
Scratch all that - have just read up on your Asian pear variety - which is self pollinating! :) Kumoi isn't but Shinseiki is. No problem, sorry if I have worried you there. Frost in the flower is the only issue and possibly lack of pollinating insects at flowering time. You can help with a small paintbrush and transfer pollien manually. When I bought mine, Kumoi was the only one available.
Good that your mum got fruit quite early. With a self pollinating Asian pear you are very likely going to enjoy the same. They are delicious, juicy sweet and still very expensive in the shops.
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Planted raspberry's today 6 x Joan j and 6 x malling jewel .
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Sowing time seems to have started already in some places so....
I put in one large deep tray of leek seeds (Musselburg, Giant Winter and Prizetaker) as well as a 1/2 tray of Swiss Chard.
The sweet peas have been up for weeks and weeks but look very healthy and ready to toddle into place anytime now. My climbing beans are snoozing in cells but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they'll put in an appearance in a week or two.
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Four things is good. Something to aspire to.
I cannot get car out to go somewhere without at least 3 objectives.
This morning (apart from shopping, returning grandchildren's DVDs after half term) I visited plot for first time in several weeks.
1. Dug 5 fat leeks
2. Repaired nets over purple and white sprouting broccoli (too young to pick)
3. Placed 4 bamboos and some netting over a huge rogue purple sprouting from last year - it has sprouted again and attracted pigeons, judging from the droppings and bare top....
4. Weeded onions and shallots and broad beans (not all of them)
5. Noted with astonishment huge paw and hoof prints and sheepswool all over the place. Sheep must have got into the site, and great heavy dogs must have galloped around on my plots to get them out!
6. Plan to start off early peas but have not yet.
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First trip the the lottie to actually DO something this year! Dug the Onion patch, weeded around asparagus and admired the crocus which are out!
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Transplanted sweet peas, sowed fuego and kalibos red cabbage, uncovered my son in laws birthday presents, everything is showing now. Moved some of the herb cuttings outside and potted up some oregano cuttings :)
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;D ;D.......got a raised-bed,...built,......only got half an allotment,...but got about 7 or 8 raised-beds.,......& seems like,.......this year,.........gonna get an awful lot more,......out of me half a plot,.......than i've ever been able to,..thanks to the raised beds ;D
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Finally made a start with sowing:
Peas
Pansies
Tomatoes
French Marigolds
Shoo-fly plants
We're off........................... ;D
Ninnys
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Got back from work early so made a new hinged timber lid for my cold frame. :)
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Got to sow some mixed salads,Radishes in our poly tunnel cloche.
planted another 40 banana shallots,plus cleared weeds from autumn sown onions.
dug up remaining chillies from GH and turned over earth.
planted 50 mixed flower bulbs in border pots.
had straighten up in shed.
got loads done this sarvo.
Gazza
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Yesterday I barrowed two loads of council and two loads of my own dalek compost onto my onion area making a raised bed to try and combat onion rot
Replanted and netted shallots as they keep disappearing and getting moved about
Sowed some Celeriac at home
3 Tigerellas are showing their heads
;D
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A bit of digging. A few yards more and I can take a break.
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Planted first lot of garlic 'pips'..many more to follow.. ::) Turned a bit of land over..just warming up for the loong task ahead. Carried loads and loads of water with cans..I'm trying desperately get load of straw wet and as we haven't had much rain that would have done the job for me, it is now desperate measures to get it wet and 'going' ready for late spring planting.
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Barrowed more compost for the onion raised bed. :D
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Planted broad bean seedlings - one bottle cloche over each one - and planted some pea seedlings - bottle cloche over 3 or 4. Pushed bottles down well and watered (soil is fairly dry) ioncluding into the bottles.
If it should get very frosty again, I can throw a bit of fleece over the bottles. This is the earliest I have planted peas, but it is nearly March (my usual planting out month) and the weather forecast for the next week is lovely. Should get them started ok.
Anybody planted a 'Kev' potato yet? CK? ;D
Also dug a bit more. Still hardly any weeds after that frost and the soil is dry enough to dig this early.
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Potted up blackcurrant prunings taken last autumn, now rooted and budding.
Found a margarine tub full of pansies that I'd sown, goodness knows when, and pricked those out.
Last year's hydrangea spring pruning stems have rooted too, a job for tomorrow. (Still have the dead
flowerheads on my plant so should prune those back to healthy buds soon and more to put in a tub ::))
Ninnys
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I put all the seed potatoes out in the potting shed to chit (slowly!) and then plonked a couple of dozen shallots into cells in the greenhouse to get them started before they go off to the plot.
Time to get busy in the time I have spare. ::)
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Cleaned out ower Tones chalet on his new plot. I feel very honoured ;D
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Planted the vanessa spuds in the long poly border, sowed some green nicotiana, transplanted some more sweet peas into buckets for the plant sale, sowed some express cabbages, sorted out the plant sales with some of the committee, ate a fry up and came home. put the rest of the potatoes to chit ;D
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digging ,weeding,digging, weeding repeat
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I bought some spuds today
1 Kilo of Cara, Desire, Foremost, Sante and 99p 300g bags of Charlotte and Red Duke Of York.
I finished of my raised onion bed with dalek compost and staked the sides
Planted out 3 earlies for the great spud challenge 2010.
:D :D :D
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I bought some spuds today
1 Kilo of Cara, Desire, Foremost, Sante and 99p 300g bags of Charlotte and Red Duke Of York.
I finished of my raised onion bed with dalek compost and staked the sides
Planted out 3 earlies for the great spud challenge 2010.
:D :D :D
2010, eh, Kev?
you going backwards? ;D
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Finished making hinged cold frame lid and took it to the plot,put up wire supports for raspberry's and planted a morello cherry tree. It was just one of those warm sunny days to day dream about the sowing and growing season to come ;D
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Isuppose that should be 2012 manics and I haven't had a drink today, it must have been the shock at losing to Whales in the rugger. :'(
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first time at the lottie for a few weeks, so enjoyed weeding the asparagus bed and the garlic- dug up rest of parsnips, some leeks and sprouts- noticed they're starting to look a bit mouldy so will need to clean them well. Council has cleared a huge plot on the corner (well, more like 3 plots!), removed what must have been several lorry loads of rubbish, and erected a lovely new fence. Also, the untended plot next to ours has been taken over by someone who digs, and he has chickens, so I enjoyed the friendly sound of clucking as I busied myself about.
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barrowed a million whellbarrows of wood chip around the rhubarb and fruit trees,paths too,just trying to minimise weeding of said areas this year so we can concentrate on the beds
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First time on the lotty this year really pleased nothing nicked or smashed up, rotovator started up after a dozen pulls not bad saying its been standing all winter, the soil was in good condiction to rotovate, it just pays to dig it over before winter, then six rows of broad beans went in, :)
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Hung out the washing and thought "What a nice drying day". Too busy making 'er dinner and another batch of pumpkin soup to do anything serious. ::) Cheers, Tony.
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Dreaming of being on my allotment (where I should have gone early this morning ::)) but "we" have been to the garden centre for some allium bulbs and arrived home with six pots of shrubs instead. :-X
On the plus side I did manage to cycle home with 3 lots of 75l of compost for £12 as well as the shrubs.
This afternoon "we" will be putting most of the original shrubs back where they were before "we" dug them out and adding the new ones.
Thank heavens for sunshine (http://www.tiptopglobe.com/skin/smile/s12665.gif) (http://www.tiptopglobe.com/free-smiles-smileys-emoticons-blog-forum-email)
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Had a good weed and tidy up, cut down and mulched the autumn fruiting raspberries, cleared my last years roots bed so had carrots and celeriac to harvest. Sat in the sun for a bit and saw my first honey bees of the year and then cut down my herb patch a bit much to the disgust of the ladybirds!
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Drank my coffee & read the papers.
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Made my Runnerbean frame.....had to coppice out the branches from the Hazel bush first to make the poles ..then dig the holes....then find the string...and then find the bean net ..and then spend ages unravelling and stretching it around...and trying to get it to reach the ground ..which (as you all know ) it never does ! Any way job done and looking good even though still too early to sow runners .
Also spent hours weeding out the buttercups and hairy bittercress from the veg beds...I cant believe how fast that stuff grows,flowers ,n,germinates ! :o
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Tidied up the house garden and took two bags to the allotment compost heap. Had a wander, mentally planned the rebuild of the fruit cage that this year collapsed under the weight of less than an inch of snow, but took everything that last year threw at it - go figure ???
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Finally got the potatoes in the hot bed for Kev's challenge, planted out some verbena bonserias? sp in the fruit beds to bring in the bees. Transplanted some golden cherry tomatoes for my neice's plot, weeded the leek bed and raked over one of the other beds ;D
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Isuppose that should be 2012 manics and I haven't had a drink today, it must have been the shock at losing to Whales in the rugger. :'(
I can't think why you should be in shock at losing to the Welsh Kev. ;D Nothing new there mate. :P
Sowed a few seeds to raise in the greenhouse then transplant to the allotment. Some Cabbage and a tightly-packed small silver-paper container of leeks. I'm sowing them like grass and will sort out /untangle the roots in a bucket of water in a few weeks when they are large enough and the soil is warmer.
FORGOT to 'plant' the early spuds for my no-dig challenge to Kev's Potato Competition, but you can bet I'll be down there in the morning to place it under the straw and cast my magic spell....
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Weeded through the garlic,put the roller over the brassica bed and tidied the storage compound, all enjoyed under a beautiful blue sky and sun on the back ;D
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Weeded the fruit plot and watered in a feed of bf&b around the blackcurrant and redcurrant bushes and a little under the grapevines. It's said not to do it too early but with the warm and dry March predicted, hedging my bets whilst the soil is damp underneath.
Lost half of my globe artichokes when I cleared the dead leaves away, hoping a few shoots might pop up from the roots, if not I'll have to dig those out and sow some more.
Raked over the veggie plot where there were slight cracks on the soil already :o
Put in one lot of Sturon and red onions yesterday, none pulled up by the birds today :D
Need to get one of my wheelie bins up to the plot soon to empty into the bean trench, the other is still producing feed so that will have to wait.
Ninny
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We were weeding ,O H cut the grass paths,I hoed the garlic bed and gave them a wee feed of liquid sheeps necter,it stinks so it must be good ;D picked sprouts and a masive leek for soup ,O H also turned the compost bin,coffee&bickys did 4hrs it was lovely.
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Been really busy... I dug and dug and dug... and barrower and barrowed and barrowed...
Dug the pile heaped of soil and dumped in the lower section of the plot - cant work out why there was a pile of soil there!!
Dug and prepared the new garlic bed. Took my pre-planted garlic to the plot and got them all planted - 4 rows, 104 plants... maybe a few toooo many?
Covered the IBC storage tank with a builders bag to stop the inside going green..
My Garlic... It seems so good and changed sense of feeling of owning my own plot now that I have planted something!!
(http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=87513.0;attach=22603;image)
(http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=87513.0;attach=22607;image)
(http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=87513.0;attach=22609;image)
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Put a brand new lock on my shed as some bar steward cut the lock off and nicked my tools ??? that's fairly mean in itself but why did they have to cut the top off my 4 year old orange tree off... :'(
Anyway on the upside found fab lock which hides the screws and has a big key all from Wickes for the bargain price of just over a tenner! it's called the Locking Gate Hasp -Product Code: 159676 ;)
and even better news is that there is a couple of nobbles on the orange tree which I think could be branches, anyway orange tree now outside the back door for safe keeping. ;)
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I planted the first onion sets and the first early spuds, and sowed a bit of radish and spring turnip (Never grown that before!). My neighbour kindly gave me some strawberry plants (more!!!) and a few thyme seedlings that had self seeded on his plot. Bless him. I also had a biscuit with the other neighbour which is a first time occurrence!
I have managed to keep the plot fairly tidy over winter so I just have to make regular efforts in the next few weeks and it will start looking good!
@Ninnyscrops : artichokes sometimes look completely exhausted by extreme winter cold but don't touch them, once it starts warming up you will see new shoots coming up, during March usually.
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@Ninnyscrops : artichokes sometimes look completely exhausted by extreme winter cold but don't touch them, once it starts warming up you will see new shoots coming up, during March usually.
That's what I'm hoping for too, Antipodes. I've grown them for some years but even after last year's harsh winter more shoots seemed to survive than this winter. There are a few shoots up on other roots so all is not lost. Fingers crossed.
Ninnys :).
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Transplanted more sweet peas, thats 24 buckets so far but, as we sold 50 last year, we've a long way to go .
Helped the special needs group to transplant their cabbages, one of their teachers has died suddenly so there wasn't any enthusiasm to do much, been a funny old day, what with our mate coming over, too :-\
Transplanted some bits of rhubarb into pots to sell, Ray finished off the spuds in the poly border with some Lady Chrystl :)
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Pruned the hydrangea back to good buds, we can now get in the garage easily again! Struck the top growth, after taking off the dried old heads, in pots for next year's plant sale.
Checked over and pruned last year's cuttings ready for this year's sale together with some potato vines (Solanum Crispum Glasnevin) and repotted a few lavender plants.
Ninnys
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Planted 4mt of double row peas in sections of guttering to get some earlys going in the greenhouse..
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Messed with the new watering system in the poly. Sowed turnips, radish and spring onions. Hope to get them up and done before the cues go in.Put the peas out yesterday
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Weeded , weeded and weeded , damned Nettles this time (my poor hands are stinging ! ) , raked it all over nicely , sowed Tender And True Parsnips and French breakfast Radishes . A glorious warm sunny day here in Cornwall today..got two loads of washing dry too . :)
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I'm exhausted from working hard on my plot, but it is still very wet here in Lancashire.I've weeded, dug some raked others and covered most beds hoping it will warm it up. shallots went in, but found more in hut so maybe tomorrow I will have time to plant more. I'm not starting any thing off early this year in the green house I am going to wait until the weather really starts warming up as I've found they soon catch up with those that are started earlier. Hope you all enjoyed your day on your allotment no matter what you decided to do today.
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Brought the stacking tables into the greenhouse and sowed mostly flower seed under lids and then fleeced them all for a bit of extra warmth.
Ninnys
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I really must escape to the plot - there's always someone who wants something doing.
Today the front garden had the finishing touches to a complete overhaul. Personally I'd sooner be busy on the plot. ::)
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Been busy collecting and ferrying planks today to the plot.. Scaffolding planks for pathways, other 3x2 planks for making a lean to roof structure to use as a storage area, pallets and other timber offcuts to burn to collect ash to use as Potash. before you say beware of the nails from the pallets .... I do have a large magnet to remove them !! :D More to be collected tomorrow and then dig and plant my 420 onion sets.. eeks ... Yes we do love onions!!
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Refurbished raised pallet Carrot bed,now reseeded.
same to 2 x plastic containers.
assembled whole bean frame and positioned over newly dug compost trenches.
Scrubbed pathway and nooks and crannies in GH,all glass cleansed.....spit spot !!!!!!!
Topped off 2 of our comp bins with 10 bags of horses doofers,covered and left to cook !!!!
Bizzy 3 hours this sarvo !!!!!!!!!!
Gazza
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On Thursday I completed my strawberry bed transplanting 72 plants in all. It was meant to be 6 x 12 plants but I got carried away! Hope the netting is big enough. ::)
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I dug, then dug a little more, then for the hell of it I thought I would dig some more.... :D
It is a new plot for me, only given to me at the end of January, so there is a fair amount of digging to be done.......... :D
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I dug, then dug a little more, then for the hell of it I thought I would dig some more.... :D
It is a new plot for me, only given to me at the end of January, so there is a fair amount of digging to be done.......... :D
Once you get the hang of it and work up a good rhythm it's amazing how much you can get done... especially if the soil is good.
(http://www.tiptopglobe.com/skin/smile/s5362.gif) (http://www.tiptopglobe.com/free-smiles-smileys-emoticons-blog-forum-email)
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Not very much done today except sown some of Jeannine's tomato seeds she very kindly sent.
Paid allotment rent and water. Drove 20 miles to call out AA man to see to my car as we thought the starter motor was jammed, only to be told battery was not holding it's charge so had to buy a new one. Had photos developed for Spring Show photographic section.
I'm hiding my purse tomorrow and staying in the greenhouse ::)
Ninnys
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Big day planned for tomorrow as I had a quick business meeting with colleagues today that lasted 5 hours...
oh boy ... but we achieved a lot.. I did manage to collect 5 pallets i had spotted going free the other day and deliver to the plot - then it rained so I came home..
So tomorrow i have a pile of timber and about 8 pallets to burn to make a pile of ash to use on my onions. So whilst the burn is going on i'll dig and prepare the onion patch and get them planted... all 420 of them!! Then when the coals cool down i'll sprinkle all over them and wait for the rain to do it's thing..
I also want to get more flags down by the shed..
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Moved potting station into greenhouse, awshed an epic number of module trays, had a bit of a clear up generally and after clearing the over-winter roots bed I topped up its soil with the big pots form the potatoes last year... they'll get refilled from the pepper bed in the GH, the pepper bed from the tomato bed and the tomato bed with bought-in topsoil/compost mix form the council scheme...
chrisc
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Planted out 190 yellow and a few red onions today. 8)
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I dug, then dug a little more, then for the hell of it I thought I would dig some more.... :D
It is a new plot for me, only given to me at the end of January, so there is a fair amount of digging to be done.......... :D
Once you get the hang of it and work up a good rhythm it's amazing how much you can get done... especially if the soil is good.
(http://www.tiptopglobe.com/skin/smile/s5362.gif) (http://www.tiptopglobe.com/free-smiles-smileys-emoticons-blog-forum-email)
Its quite hard work as the ground has not been used for a few years, but we are getting there.......... ;)
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Not enough done yesterday due to the rain, sleet, hail and a bit of snow.. I still managet to dig half the onion bed 4x2 mt and planted 12 rows.. now will wait a month or so before planting more.. I couldn't get my pallets burned down to make potash either.. maybe next visit.
Next is to get the Strawberry bed dug and prepared so I can toke my plants that are waiting at home to be planted out.
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Transplanted calabrese, sowed beetroot and the first 2 of my pre chitted parsnips , weeded around the onions, I'm amazed how many annual weeds are already showing their heads ;D
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After the working party yesterday we hadn't got much energy left so went up this afternoon and finished putting the spuds in . Sowed some parsnip..
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After the working party yesterday we hadn't got much energy left so went up this afternoon and finished putting the spuds in . Sowed some parsnip..
That made me smile Shirl- what do you do when you HAVE got some energy left ;)
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Planted a few pot grown Shallots. ;D
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done some more digging today, is there no end to it............. ???
Dug through the raised beds that were built by the previous occupant, on digging, I discovered masses of white root which appears to couch grass, looks like it could be a bit of a headache............... :o
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I cut the grass for the first time this year - two gardens looking neat and trim. :)
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Too wet to dig today...
So I delivered some poly carb sheets I found in a skip (I always ask) and made 2 kneeler pads from kids toy jigsaw type foam matting from the same skip.. Also found a fiberglass hole cover like contractors use to cover holes and trenches so you can walk over them - so cut it into 2 and made kneeling boards for using when planting and pulling weeds.. also covered them with the foam matting. So i can now burn the old bit of rotten plywood I was using to kneel on.!!
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Very little!!
Having put a tarpaulin over the newly acquired potting shed roof because it leaked I've now put a shower curtain under the potting shed roof because it still leaked!
One of these fine warm days (?) I will renew the roofing felt but until then I must keep my seed potatoes from swimming away. ::)
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Stage 3 :D of building a Cold frame, creosote with added wood preserver all over including me, I am preserved for posteritity forever more ;D.ian
Ian
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transplanted red fuego, kalibos and express cabbage, transplanted lots of dicentra and dianthus for the plant sale and made up some salad buckets, just need a tomato plant in them and they're ready for sale. We had to put the sweet peas outside, they're so big ;D
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As Mrs Roller was out for the day I pinched a space in the new garden, dug up a long strip of lawn and planted my sweet peas. :)
The bonfire from the night before was still hot this evening so I poked a few twigs in the ash and watched the last of the pine tree branches burn.
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Cleared out the shed, again
Sorted out canes
Put up a wigwam
Sowed Sunflowers
Tried one of them grow your own Mushroom thingies
Sowed Cuc's
Sowed Orange Bell Peppers
Sowed Carrots in a bath
Weeded some deep rooted weeds
All this week
:D
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I pricked out 170 geraniums. :)
Then I looked at the greenhouse piled high with things that were in the garage before Mrs R decided she needed the space for her junk important things..
When I've worked up enthusiasm (on my day off) I'll take out all the pots, trays, staging and pots and trays and trays and pots (I do need them all, yes.) then I'll be able to actually get in there! >:(
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Sowed the broad beans and then built a cage for them. Planted out a bed of strawberries on ower Tones new plot. Hoed in the fruit cage and cottage garden.
Came home had some dinner and have spent the afternoon cooking curry to freeze. Found my last Ichi Kuri sqash had a bit of soft at the neck so chopped in up and put in the freezer ready for soup.
Am aching like hell now I have stopped
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Sowed another load of saved sweet peas, they've done much better than the new ones. transplanted some costa something tomatoes, transplanted my blue agapanthus into a bigger pot, sowed some purple podded mange tout, should make it easier to see them ;D
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dug out 12 barrow loads of soil and pushed them up to the plot :o then layed 12 council slabs that's the 3foot by 2foot ones then fixed the fence and finally done a tip run with all the rubbish... every bone in my body is aching now, time for a beer ;)..... going to have an easy few hours at the plot tomorrow doing some weeding ;)
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I pricked out 170 geraniums. :)
Then I looked at the greenhouse piled high with things that were in the garage before Mrs R decided she needed the space for her junk important things..
When I've worked up enthusiasm (on my day off) I'll take out all the pots, trays, staging and pots and trays and trays and pots (I do need them all, yes.) then I'll be able to actually get in there! >:(
After a lot of crashing about the staging is out and in the little greenhouse which looks tidy & organised. (We'll not mention the state of the larger one :-[ )
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Nothing, but Birmingham Organic Gardeners had a stall in town, and I got a white currant for a quid.
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PbDYCav0XYY/T1uZLHOtCxI/AAAAAAAAAhA/sSdu1Vq-P98/s1600/DSCF1516%5B1%5D)
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d**n, forgot all about it. Had to start tidying the plot up after the big storm weeks back before I got a notice from the very enthusiastic committee (of which I am a member - would that mean I have to write a theatening letter to myself)
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Thursday dug the bean trenches and emptied the contents of the home wheelie bins after final draining of liquid gold. Back filled and erected bean poles, and cross struts (it'll take a really strong wind to move them) :)
Today, pricked out the Brandywine and English Breakfast toms and put them in the greenhouse along with a lit heater tonight. Sowed so many trays of flowers and veg that when I eventually sat down for 10 mins after 5 hours in the greenhouse and got up again quickly, I'd thought I'd put my back out :(
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/IMG_0200.jpg)
(Greenhouse 2)
Hope to get peas in tomorrow at the plot and I must remember to take the camera ::)
Ninnys
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Today,
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/IMG_0200.jpg)
(Greenhouse 2)
Hope to get peas in tomorrow at the plot and I must remember to take the camera ::)
Ninnys
Photos like this should not be allowed!!! >:(
Organised / well planned, tidy, clean, healthy, labelled and far better than my mess of a greenhouse. :'(
Seriously.... it looks lovely!! :) I'm depressed impressed. ;)
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(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/IMG_0216.jpg)
Just for you Aden, the messy workhouse of greenhouse 1! We always show our best profile ;D ;D ;D
Ninnys
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Thanks Ninnys but when it comes to explosive mess & muddle my greenhouse wins hands down. ::) ;D
It's going to have to be a quick fix tidy session when the mood next takes me.... and when I have time.
Presently it is difficult to get through the door :-[
Yours still looks good to me no matter which end!!
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Sharpened all my kitchen knives last night then used one to scrape labels of old jamjars and..... yes you guessed it. I cut a big slice into my finger.. >:( Couldn't move it today so no plot work today - maybe tomorrow.
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Sharpened all my kitchen knives last night then used one to scrape labels of old jamjars and..... yes you guessed it. I cut a big slice into my finger.. >:( Couldn't move it today so no plot work today - maybe tomorrow.
Why on earth a knife ??? ??? A good soaking takes off most labels and the stubborn glue comes off with WD40.
Just make sure you cover your wound well if you are plotting tomorrow............please, and hope it's better soon.
Ninnys
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Did very little on the plot today, but enjoyed myself just the same. :)
I sowed a half-row of early carrots, spent a good fifteen minutes just mooching about checking the garlic and onions before my mate from number ten dropped by and found a natural spot to sit and chat.... So we did. :)
We're considering asking the council if we can keep a few pigs..... It would be fantastic if we could.
......Sauntered off home just as the air cooled, walking towards a lovely sunset after watering the early sowings of peas (Meteor), onions and garlic, and after moving a couple of overwintered cabbages.
Loving it. :)
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I don't like being an early bird but I could just not let this fine weekend come and go, so in went my onions along with a new Gooseberry bush in my fruit cage which only cost me £3.00 from a local nursery, the last one I had off them last year was a cracker and gave plenty of red goosegogs, prepared several grow bags for when I get my toms, just want to get done what I can before Easter because it's three days up in Snowdonia with my new GPS, :)
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Bought some more Sante spuds
Bought and put in more Shallots
Sowed Pak Choi
Sowed Primo Cabbage
Harvested b.garden Carrots
Yesterday:
Sowed Hamburg Parsley
Sowed Spring Onions
8)
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Cleaned up the cat toilet lovely job ;D
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Sowed some early carrots, radish, little gem lettuce, pak choi and coriander under a cloche and turnips and 2 different types of beetroot ;D
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Remembered my camera, for once!
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/th_IMG_0218.jpg) (http://s158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/?action=view¤t=IMG_0218.jpg)
Rustic bean poles on their last tour of service :(
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/th_IMG_0219.jpg) (http://s158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/?action=view¤t=IMG_0219.jpg)
Broad beans sown last winter getting a move on
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/th_IMG_0220.jpg) (http://s158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/?action=view¤t=IMG_0220.jpg)
What I call "Lester's tall peas" planted in their loo rolls at 45 degrees, I'll mound them up more once the shoots are a little taller
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/th_IMG_0221.jpg) (http://s158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/?action=view¤t=IMG_0221.jpg)
Duke Ellington's purple podded peas on the left and Hurst Greenshaft on the right, the brassicas are PSB's removed from the greenhouse bed after planting there last autumn. They were not happy to winter in there, perhaps a bit late to put them out but better than composting them
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/th_IMG_0224.jpg) (http://s158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/?action=view¤t=IMG_0224.jpg)
Spring Hero cabbage to the rear and spinach to the fore, also planted last year next to the netted PSB . A bit of slug damage and a nibble or two from the pigeons but should hearten up.
Ninnys
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After cutting my finger the other day I managed 5 hours at the plot today..
Changed the leaking IBC valve then manured and dug a 4 mt x 2 bed for some broad beans, early peas and also for my comfrey.. Then carried on with digging my next bed 4mt x 1 1/2 for the second half of my onions. It takes quite a while as there are soooooooo many roots to pick out.. Big perennials, couch and mares tail. I have a pile of pallets to make a bonfire and burn all the roots I have collected lately - one wheelie bin full!!
(http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=87513.0;attach=22974;image)
(http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=87513.0;attach=22976;image)
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Not a sausage done on my plot this weekend but I did manage to cut and edge the lawns at my parents old bungalow, paint the shed, clear up the prunings (thanks son for trimming everything!) and advise on the careful use of a steam wallpaper stripper. :o
As well as do lunch and dinner and the bedtime stint with my parents.
(My sister dropped in for 15 minutes apparently)
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I put a new floor in the Lottie shed yesterday... :)
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I have a pile of pallets to make a bonfire and burn all the roots I have collected lately - one wheelie bin full!!
Burning pallets, I'd best not tell ray, he'll have a heart attack ;D
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I have a pile of pallets to make a bonfire and burn all the roots I have collected lately - one wheelie bin full!!
Burning pallets, I'd best not tell ray, he'll have a heart attack ;D
But I do collect the ash to spread on the onions... that is after I have used a large magnet to remove the nails.. ;D
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Hi, Im a newbie, can you tell my wood ash is good on the onions?
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It is, but collect it before the rain washes the goodness out. I've got a mountain of sticks to burn.
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Had a little bit of a tidy up as the green waste is collected tomorrow some of the beetroot is the size of footballs so i think might be 2 woody to use now. Still no sign of PSB producing although looking very healthy. B.Sprouts are looking really odd some have spouts forming on the trunks but the top 1/2 is full of lush growth and i would swear some of forming heads on top like cabbage?? Leeks and onions also looking good.
Well this morning my spanking new propagator (had to take the plunge as still no greenhouse) has turned up along with the £15 of free seeds so i can finally get started on sowing things for the garden.
(free seeds were Petunia choir of angels and colour parade mixed f1, Marigolds citrus mixed, Sunflower velvet queen, russian giant and the queen series mixed, Morning Glory mixed and Heavenly blue, Swan gourd & Jim Jam Gourd).
My laptop died in a fairly major way last week so i need to see if the husband can recover the data from the hard drive otherwise i need to start again with my seeds database.
Going to concentrate on getting some flowering plants started for the garden as i have a few weeks yet before i can clear out one of my veg beds for new plants. And i need to dig over the bed for 3 sisters (area which was going to be for greenhouse. Its been covered for months so am going to ask a friend for some well rotted horse manure to be delivered and dug in next month so its ready for the 3 sisters.
Mega excited although its going to be tomorrow before i can hit the gardening books and decide what to plant as Harriet has a pretty nasty cold so no nap today.
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I have a pile of pallets to make a bonfire and burn all the roots I have collected lately - one wheelie bin full!!
Burning pallets, I'd best not tell ray, he'll have a heart attack ;D
But I do collect the ash to spread on the onions... that is after I have used a large magnet to remove the nails.. ;D
If you can get hold of some chicken wire and stretch it out over a few bricks and use another brick on each corner then build your bonfire over it using the pallets to keep the shape and stop it collapsing on the mesh it will act as a sieve for your wood ash :) One of the family used to do this in a small dip in his garden with the mesh over it he also played with filling the dip with hay and other things like paper and straw under the mesh to start the fire if it was damp in fact i think that was how he started doing it think way to get the fire going also a way to impact the PH level:)
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cambourne7 - sounds as if you're going to be busy!!
I've had a "domestic" day as the carer was ill so spent my day (so far) looking after my parents & their visitors.
A short break coming up in which to sow some tomatoes before everyone else is picking theirs! ::)
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Had a dig. Pruned the new apple trees. sowed some beeetroot.Picked our first PSB.
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Turbo onions in, Golden Gourmet shallots in, weeded the snowball jap onions, garlic and crysants.
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Red and yellow shallots and Jerusalem artichokes planted and autumn rasps cut back and weeded (as far as it's possible to weed between rasps. ::)).
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Sowed some more Nantes Carrots, but direct this time
Sowed Golden Acre Cabbage
Dug up some wandering Raspberry canes.
8)
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Planted first earlies and eschalote gris shallots.
Sowed lettuce and onions, leeks and some herbs.
Mr PKL cleaned out the chooks and I caught them to give the red mite treatment. Cyril the cockeral got most upset and went to attack me for pinching his girls!
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Grand plans for a few hours messing about on the Lotti this afternoon after work, so up at the crack of a sparrows wotsit and the bloody van won,t start >:( :'(
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Hi, Im a newbie, can you tell my wood ash is good on the onions?
see this link here... http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,19106.0.html
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Cleaned up the cat toilet lovely job ;D
Did that today in the front garden, I like cats but.....................
Weeded the round bed under the willow and the diamond bed under the Christmas tree and gave both a good feed with my "pegmynose" brew from the wheelie bins, maybe that will deter them.
Second thoughts, the owners will probably throw them out into the night again if their paws smell the same ::)
Ninnys
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Got 3 hours in so far, built a 2ND green house that i was given (dismantled it and got it home yesterday)
moved my leaf mould bins as that's where it's going next to the other greenhouse, now I've got little one to look after as the wife has gone on a training course, should get back up there some time this afternoon to level out the ground and put the glass in it.... :)
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One long day's belt of sunshine and I was convinced Spring had arrived. ::)
Autumn here today - chill and grey. :( But..... if I can escape I'm off to the plot to cut the grass and get on with the winter spring digging & clearing.
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Most important gardening job has been done this morning (dont laugh) have managed to recover seed list from my dead laptop :) Really dont want to have to do that job again it took me 2 weeks to redo it last year.
Harriets in bed and i have an hour before i have to call and get her a doctors appointment so i am going to make a cup of tea pop the radio on and look though my lists and get my propagator planted up on Saturday.
Scores on the doors are that i have 167 packets of flower seeds and 460 packets of veg seeds although i know a lot of these seeds are old now and getting past there viability so i suppose i will just have to plant lots :) hehe
I also need to draw up a list of the seeds i dont have that i know i will need so expect a posting in the swap section next week :)
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Had a little bit of a tidy up as the green waste is collected tomorrow some of the beetroot is the size of footballs so i think might be 2 woody to use now. Still no sign of PSB producing although looking very healthy. B.Sprouts are looking really odd some have spouts forming on the trunks but the top 1/2 is full of lush growth and i would swear some of forming heads on top like cabbage?? Leeks and onions also looking good.
Well this morning my spanking new propagator (had to take the plunge as still no greenhouse) has turned up along with the £15 of free seeds so i can finally get started on sowing things for the garden.
(free seeds were Petunia choir of angels and colour parade mixed f1, Marigolds citrus mixed, Sunflower velvet queen, russian giant and the queen series mixed, Morning Glory mixed and Heavenly blue, Swan gourd & Jim Jam Gourd).
My laptop died in a fairly major way last week so i need to see if the husband can recover the data from the hard drive otherwise i need to start again with my seeds database.
Going to concentrate on getting some flowering plants started for the garden as i have a few weeks yet before i can clear out one of my veg beds for new plants. And i need to dig over the bed for 3 sisters (area which was going to be for greenhouse. Its been covered for months so am going to ask a friend for some well rotted horse manure to be delivered and dug in next month so its ready for the 3 sisters.
Mega excited although its going to be tomorrow before i can hit the gardening books and decide what to plant as Harriet has a pretty nasty cold so no nap today.
If the HDD died then it is a 'recovery' job for your PC shop, if not, then buy a 'Caddy' for the HDD and connect to your new laptop or PC.
Hope this helps,
Ian
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Transplanted ayr cauli, dianthus, heuchera and large dianthus for the plant sale. sowed red spring onions, red cos and webb's lettuce. watered everywhere as we're off to the edible plant sale and leicester this weekend. the weather was brilliant, made it a joy to be there ;D
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Snuck out of the house for a few hours today.. (the joys of working from home!!) Made a huge bonfire of pallets and weeds... will scrape up the potsh tomorrow..
Transplanted my 30 broad beans into their bed now that it is ready..
Finished digging and preparing for the second batch of onions, then managed to plant them all before it got dark... 6:30 and still just light..
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SOWED: Beetroot, PSB and Curly Kale. :)
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I got there at last! (The plot)
Lifted some leeks, cleared and dug the old strawberry bed and nattered (a little!)
A lovely 3 hour break :)
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Had a little bit of a tidy up as the green waste is collected tomorrow some of the beetroot is the size of footballs so i think might be 2 woody to use now. Still no sign of PSB producing although looking very healthy. B.Sprouts are looking really odd some have spouts forming on the trunks but the top 1/2 is full of lush growth and i would swear some of forming heads on top like cabbage?? Leeks and onions also looking good.
Well this morning my spanking new propagator (had to take the plunge as still no greenhouse) has turned up along with the £15 of free seeds so i can finally get started on sowing things for the garden.
(free seeds were Petunia choir of angels and colour parade mixed f1, Marigolds citrus mixed, Sunflower velvet queen, russian giant and the queen series mixed, Morning Glory mixed and Heavenly blue, Swan gourd & Jim Jam Gourd).
My laptop died in a fairly major way last week so i need to see if the husband can recover the data from the hard drive otherwise i need to start again with my seeds database.
Going to concentrate on getting some flowering plants started for the garden as i have a few weeks yet before i can clear out one of my veg beds for new plants. And i need to dig over the bed for 3 sisters (area which was going to be for greenhouse. Its been covered for months so am going to ask a friend for some well rotted horse manure to be delivered and dug in next month so its ready for the 3 sisters.
Mega excited although its going to be tomorrow before i can hit the gardening books and decide what to plant as Harriet has a pretty nasty cold so no nap today.
If the HDD died then it is a 'recovery' job for your PC shop, if not, then buy a 'Caddy' for the HDD and connect to your new laptop or PC.
Hope this helps,
Ian
Thanks its a control panel failure a new one is £110 so have decided to save and just get a new laptop. Yep i have the old hard drive in a docking station and am copying the content of the disk into a external hard drive. Buts its a long slow process and not going to help with recovery of mail etc. But thanks :)
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went up to admire the 2ND greenhouse as it was nearly dark by the time i got it done yesterday, then put in 4 rows of onions and a row of carrots, may try to put in a row of beetroot before i head of to work tomorrow :-\
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I shoveled up all the ash from my bonfire yesterday, coarsely sieved it thru some chicken wire on a bin and stored it. Then collected a few barrow loads of free manure from the entrance gate and spread it ready to dig in for my early spuds..
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dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig, and plant some onions, first thing i have planted this year!! oh yea and some more digging ;D
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dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig,dig, and plant some onions, first thing i have planted this year!! oh yea and some more digging ;D
I dig that!! :D ;D
(http://www.tiptopglobe.com/skin/smile/s5362.gif) (http://www.tiptopglobe.com/free-smiles-smileys-emoticons-blog-forum-email)
Keep at it.... you'll get there. ;)
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One allotment (I have 3) a total mess and am determined to get it back in order.....but it is SO heavy and wet and full of creeping buttercup. Spent several hours yesterday and today and have only dug enough ground to plant 20 potatoes. Plus starting to clear through my gooseberries and blackcurrants - creeping buttercup again, plus some couch grass and convolvulus.
I have this vision in my head of the most perfect, clean, raked earth, and refuse to be downhearted. It WILL happen.
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made and stained a low fence/shield to hold my rhubarb back and stop if flopping onto the grass verge that runs the length of my plot
sounds daft but when the rhubarb is in full growth and the council try to mow around it looks untidy.not anymore though ;D
watered my first sowings in the greenhouse,thats about all today.
will head over there after work and start on a raised bed for herbs,got all the materials so need to get it done
i can then bring plenty of old manure over and get it filled and get growing with it
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I took all my allotment rubbish to local tip, arnt I good? went back to plot scrapped all paths, swept up muck. Found more rubbish to bag up. Looked in my baths and yippi carrots showing through already. where does the time go when your enjoying yourself? or is it I'm getting older and it takes ages to do owt? I'm a happy bunny anyway when on my plot. Tomorrow intend on planting peas into troughs and put them in green house to grow. I have been reading the posting and was surprised that some have planted out beetroot already, or is the weather where you are warmer and better than up here N.W. Lancashire. A Happy season growing everyone.
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One allotment (I have 3) a total mess and am determined to get it back in order.....but it is SO heavy and wet and full of creeping buttercup. Spent several hours yesterday and today and have only dug enough ground to plant 20 potatoes. Plus starting to clear through my gooseberries and blackcurrants - creeping buttercup again, plus some couch grass and convolvulus.
I have this vision in my head of the most perfect, clean, raked earth, and refuse to be downhearted. It WILL happen.
Had you thought of giving a quick spray of weed killer once it gets growing well? A couple of weeks later it'll be clear.
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Hoed the weeds and had a natter. :)
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Sowed a line of Parsnips. ;D
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Absolutely nothing, but I am on my easter break. I might walk about it tomorrow if the weather is fine.
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Ace you have more breaks than our local fracture clinic. :P
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Pressure washed the patio and pathways as they were in a terrible state and very slippery. Plus OH bought me a nice new pressure washer for christmas after the old one let all the blue smoke escape and then went bang.
Also to beat the hosepipe ban coming at the end of the month.
Going to rotovate a small area and get my first earlies in tomorrow before the rain at the weekend.
It's all go, and I love it :)
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planted snow peas to-day,and lots of carrotts seeds,hoed a lot and pulled out the last of my swedes ans cabbages that had gone over ,knackered btu happy ;D
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nothing today :(
very long day at work and heavy traffic so headed home instead,also the fog hasnt cleared here all day and is a little nippy.
hope to get a few hours in tomorrow night after work,need a bonfire so this could happen with a few beers :)
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Planted a few maincrop and put some pea stakes in. Bagged up more leaves.
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Carried on getting the greenhouse ready for the oncoming season, placed white acrylic sheeting round the downsun sides to reflect the light and to the rear of my propagation table. Emptied out the water butt into the raised beds in the greenhouse and ensured the water collecting system was water tight.
Quite busy really. ::) Cheers, Tony.
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Put the potatoes in, Lady Christl, Cara and Desiree, today. Thankfully an overcast cool day for doing it.
Ninnys
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Ace you have more breaks than our local fracture clinic. :P
;D ;D
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We fed the wild ducks swimming on the plots !!
XX Jeannine
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Yesterday planted three rows of Shallots, no good today weather not very good outside and it looks the same tomorrow, :)
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Got some digging don'''' was way easier than I expected, massivley easier to dig out weeds this year than the ground-breaking dig was last year.....
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Got some digging don'''' was way easier than I expected, massivley easier to dig out weeds this year than the ground-breaking dig was last year.....
Keep at it and add as much compost as you can through the year as working the soil really does pay off. :)
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We fed the wild ducks swimming on the plots !!
XX Jeannine
;D ;D :D I laughed, initially, when I read this but....... are you truly swamped? ???
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Planted a line of earlies today, RDOY and Foremost. ;D
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transplanted verbascum and russian tarragon, made up pots of freesia bulbs for the plant sale, coming along nicely ;D
planted up my trailing strawberry runners, and put the rest of the freesia bulbs around the pond :)
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Loads of stuff... including ending with a beer on the pew at dusk... :)
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First cut of the year for the grass.
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Same as Gawrc - first grass cut of the year.
Lawnmower (petrol) refused to start until 3rd day of repeated attempts ::)
Debs
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Pricked out aubergines (Violetta Lunga 2) and lit the 4 wick greenhouse heater tonight!
Ninnys
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planted up our new gravel bed with lavender, thyme, oregano and basil-it looks lovely!
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Sowed some peas just for pea shoots.
Sowed lettuce and mixed herb and lettuce leaves.
Cleaned out my potting shed.
Potted on some pepper seedlings.
Duke ;D
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Topped up three water butts with water from the local stream which is close to overflowing after last night's rain but will be dry again within a week or so.
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Moved the asparagus seedlings, baby garlic and potato onions from the spare room to the greenhouse.
Potted up some leggy waterlogged cabbage, some tomatoes and some of OH flowers.
Planted more seeds.. Chillies and Anchocha for my son who loves them hot stuff.. and some beef steak tomatoes, leeks, cape gooseberries and lettuce !! Spare room AKA germinating room...
Oh... and more flower seeds for OH and some marigolds to companion plant
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re-secured my shed >:(
then set about striiming all the grass and collecting bracken for a fire im having this week
a liitle digging,hoed clear the pathway and finished off staining my raised beds ;D ;D
more sowing tomorrow planned and planting my spuds ;D
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Sowed 60 masterpiece green longpod seeds in teh GH this evening in 12-cell trays...THey're the maincrops for the 30 Express seeds that went in a couple of weeks ago (and are now showing through)...
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tied lots of plastic over the compost heap, dug up a few more leaks, stared blankly at the mess in the shed, locked shed went home ;D ;D
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More yesterday than today but I finished off my 20'x15' pumpkin house for a single AG plant. I'm hoping to get a 1000lbs pumpkin this year (about 71 stone)
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=175037
Should be fun getting in to bury the vines and water etc. May have to employ some umpaloompas to help :)
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Done naffall all week, been tied up at work on 12 hr shifts, so by the time I get home its dark already, hopefully put a few hours in up the plot next week................ ;)
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On the plot this morning I sowed some broad bean seeds, and planted onions and first early potatoes.
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sown my pumpkins and courgettes,some sunflowers and my sweetcorn
my sweet peas and morning glory have all germinated so need to get the wigwams prepared ;D
put off planting my spuds untill monday as i can plant my onion sets at the same time then having more time
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I've just sowed 20 sweetcorn indoors, I see you've sown the pumpkins early Gaz. ???
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yeah i got a little carried away lol
one seed per very large pot so have plenty of room if there indoors a week or two longer than ideal
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Back filled the bean trench and Ive put in watering pipes this time along the length, the old timers swear by this method so ill give it a go!!!
Planted 5 row's of 1st early spuds and finished of the digging
going to have a beer now while sat in the garden loving this sunny evening..
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Sowed Parsnips & flyaway carrots under my glass cloches also sowed resistafly carrots & 2 kinds 0f Beetroot. Prepared my new raised bed plots (anyone know how best to preserve softwood for raised beds which is not tanalized) AND chatted alot to my mates on the lottie, brewed tea,coffee,soup and listened to nature serenading me.
Ian
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Cut down the Autumn Rasps, weeded the fruit beds and overwinter onions.. put the canes up for the sweet peas.. :)
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My O H cut the grass paths and made a start digging a old strawberry bed out ,while I weeded ,and watered ,chatted to my lotty pals ,Idid spread manure over the raspberry canes and put chicken pellets on the new strawberry bed ,we had coffee ,then of home :)
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Still no visit to the plot but sowed:
- lettuce
- tomatoes
- cabbage
- peas
- salvia and ageratum
It's a start. :)
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Delivered some scaffold planks to use as walkways between rows of veg.. I wont have beds - I've gone for the cottage garden style with rows of veg either side of my main centre path which is flagstoned. Watered the broad beans and 4 rows of garlic as they were looking a bit dry. Carried a few bags of free horse manure from the main gate and spread where my potatoes will go in a week or so time.. Must get all my strawberry plants from the GH and roof to take to the plot for planting at the weekend.
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sown my pumpkins and courgettes,some sunflowers and my sweetcorn
my sweet peas and morning glory have all germinated so need to get the wigwams prepared ;D
put off planting my spuds untill monday as i can plant my onion sets at the same time then having more time
Gaz - isn't it a bit early for sweetcorn?
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Not indoors. :D
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Looked under the cloche and found the swift potatoes showing ;D
transplanted a couple of raspberry canes that had travelled across the bed, watered all the little seedlings that have come up and removed 4 small slugs that had set up home in them ;D
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Mulched strawberries.
Planted spuds! ;D
Went for a swim - arms aching like heck, now elbow hurts too (think I may have broken it in a fall last year - not just bruised it). Cuppa soon and early night methinks!
I love the way my lottie helps keep me fit! ::)
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sown my pumpkins and courgettes,some sunflowers and my sweetcorn
my sweet peas and morning glory have all germinated so need to get the wigwams prepared ;D
put off planting my spuds untill monday as i can plant my onion sets at the same time then having more time
Gaz - isn't it a bit early for sweetcorn?
in the greenhouse,i should have stated that :)..
popped in after work to have a bonfire,its only allowable in march or november so needed to get in sorted.was as late as possible and fully extinguished as i left but no doubt il have a complaint from a neighbour of the alotments,just like every year ::)
watered my seedlings and thats about it
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Prepared soil for peas at the weekend
Watered seedlings
Gave the rhubarb a good feed
;D
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Tomorrow I'm off to the plot...... but today:
cut four lawns, planted strawberry plants, nattered to relatives who visited my parents, did a big pile of washing as well as sorting out lunch & dinner but still haven't had mine. ::)
Escaping on Friday!!
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Planted sweet peas, Linda C :D, watered both plots, nabbed a couple of weeds and picked some PSB.
What a lovely sunny day :)
Ninnys
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I am off to my plot tomorrow ;D
Duke
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Planted some onion sets. I'm still recovering from a nasty bug and I struggled.
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Took the afternoon off and dashed to the plot... the joys of being self employed.. Started the strawberry bed for my plants I grew on from runners on my roof top garden.. manured, fertilized and started digging - removing all the roots which takes loads of time but worth doing it properly to start with.
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I planted out some chitted broad beans and peas covered with bottle cloches to keep the deer and voles off them. Dug up my ration of 100 weeds. Did a bit of hoeing the fat hen is already getting going. Dug four holes and filled them with compost for courgettes.
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My OH and I took our 3yr grandaughter over the lotty,I was chasing butterflies and looking for mamalade the magic cat? made a house for a ladybird ;D Then I came up with a good game called pick out the runner bean seeds from the dried pods i'd saved last yr ,that lasted all of ten mins but i got a wee bit of weeding done, I did ask if my wee darling would if shed like to help me weed, and was told NO am a wee bit tired Nan weres my doddy, am going to sunbath! coulden't stop laughing, ;D got nothing done but had a laugh O H did plant spuds while answering a hundred questions :D
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Finished off the fruith cage, sowed my pea's replanted most off the onions, back up there on Sunday with mi air rifle,
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Ate my sandwiches, tried to light a bonfire but it was smoking, and scared of nasty lady that lives in the garden backing onto the allotments, and she had her washing out, so did a lot of seiving, and got backache, planted carrots and beetroot, put fleece over carrots. Spoke to two lovely dogs, and gave one a big cuddle, he has his walks before allotment and then tied to tree. Good dog. As digging had two episodes of 'being here before' dejou ve or whatever, and got a bit scared and had been working for 5 hours, so thought it was time to go home. It was really strange, leaned down and smelt the earth, and two people came into my mind, then in a flash it was gone, it happened twice today, and thought perhaps I am not too well, better go home. The sun was shining so pehaps I got a touch of the sun. I just wish I could remember the memories, and it was like a camera, the smells reminded me and then I felt a bit strange and the memories had gone. Have cooked the first rubard tonight. Think I had better go to bed. Happy dreams.
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Ate my sandwiches, tried to light a bonfire but it was smoking, and scared of nasty lady that lives in the garden backing onto the allotments, and she had her washing out, so did a lot of seiving, and got backache, planted carrots and beetroot, put fleece over carrots. Spoke to two lovely dogs, and gave one a big cuddle, he has his walks before allotment and then tied to tree. Good dog. As digging had two episodes of 'being here before' dejou ve or whatever, and got a bit scared and had been working for 5 hours, so thought it was time to go home. It was really strange, leaned down and smelt the earth, and two people came into my mind, then in a flash it was gone, it happened twice today, and thought perhaps I am not too well, better go home. The sun was shining so pehaps I got a touch of the sun. I just wish I could remember the memories, and it was like a camera, the smells reminded me and then I felt a bit strange and the memories had gone. Have cooked the first rubard tonight. Think I had better go to bed. Happy dreams.
I know those feelings well - relax. Sounds to me as if they were probably good memories buried deep. ;)
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Weeded round my raspberries and divided one big clump. Mulched them with spent hops. Did a bit more digging/weeding, although it felt as if I was just lifting the wet stuff underneath to the top so that it will dry out, which can't be good?
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I sowed some Swallow peas,Early Nantes carrots and Ishikara spring onions closely watched by the cat who now has more places to dig. ;D
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Harvested, PSB, kale, leeks and rhubarb. (Price of Rhubarb on Tesco and Waitrose websites £10/kg!!!!)
Made Rhubarb and Ginger, & Rhubarb and Blueberry Jam.
Had this week of work so got most of the spuds planted.
Transplanted some onion seedlings and summer sprouting brocolli.
Sowed Broad Beans, Tall and dwarf peas.
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Ray sowed the first of the tall peas in milk cartons, I transplanted lots of flowers for the plant sale and labelled them all. Watered everything that needed it and moved all the cabbage, calabrese and cauli plants outside to slow them down a bit ;D
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Massive day today - 8 hours digging deep, removing all perennial and bad weeds and levelling. Then laying fabric and planted half the strawberries.. My back is aching now..
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popped in to drop some goodies off. ;D
quickly watered in the greenhouse,and watered my rhubarb and strawberries as the grounds so dry
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Planted out my Charlottes
Sowed 1/2 a row of peas
Mixed some home compost into the daleks
:D
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Planted Kestrels and helped my new next door plot holders chip the adoining path. ;D
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transplanted 160 french marigolds, tied in 24 buckets of sweet peas and sat down and had a laugh with our mates over a cuppa, really enjoying this weather ;D
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Treated loads of wood for making raised beds with, put new water butt in situ, had a brew, met next door neighbour for first time and the lovely chap gave us a greenhouse!!!!! Excellent day :)
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Hubbie still ill, But Harriet and I have shaken this bug off. So today i have cleaned the bottom of the house when Harriet was down for her nap popped out and did the shopping while Hubbie looked after her. And when i got back she was still asleep so i have filled up more trays with compost and left to warm in the sun. Hoping tomorrow i can get lots of things sown while Harriet is asleep. All her garden toys need to come out tomorrow as well and be cleaned fingers crossed she will be up for going out on tuesday for some play time :)
Discovered some nettled have appeared in one of my beds which i had tried to both dig up and treat with round up last year but its come back :( Any ideas :(
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Dropped in after work with some horse manure,some fresh and some well rotted
Fresh can be mixed in the courgette bed,rotted mixed in the onion bed.
Going to bring as much manure as possible and get a good stash as i may not be able to aquire it in the near future :(
Watered the greenhouse stuff,was going to chuck the spuds in but was tired from work so will wait untill tomorrow.
Happy with the way the allotment looks and the stage im at with this years growing,build my herb raised bed this week and il be a happy man ;D
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Put in a new path on second fruit bed and weeded, no rain bone dry but the weeds still grow ::). Gave a plot neighbour a hand drilling and bolting his new gate in place.
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Got a few bits and bobs sown in the GH in modules, and then after a break to do some electrical work adn plastering in my shed at home I nipped up the plot and managed to get a fair dent on the digging of plot 2 done.... sooo much easier this year compared to last... not much weed adn what there is has soft soil round its roots that shakes off easily....
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Finished planting the strawberries. Prepared the potato patch with manure and potato fertilizer.. Dug and planted 3 rows. Watered all the plantings so far. Strawberries, onions, broad beans, garlic, compost heap and raspberries.
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Planted about another 300 onion sets!
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Judy and I had a busy day,trimming ,titivating,seeding and planting.
We have 2 very large Lavender Bushes that needed attention so Jude got busy with that whilst I got the
Rotovator out to do the last row of spuds.
Pink fur apples were submerged under equal amounts of well rotted manured earth and some of last years compost that seemed to do the trick last year as we had a bumper crop of Tatters.
That done I went into the Polly and watered our salads that are thriving in their own little plastic grow tunnels,boy was it hot initially,31 degrees ......phew !!!!!!
Went back outside and sowed 50 Detroit 2,s then it was Herb time.
Decided that the Herb pots needed freshening up so emptied last years and put fresh compost in.
1st sown was some Capers,have not tried to grow this on the plot before so we shall see what happens.
Nest was Summer Savoury,another new Herb to hit out Plot and one im interested to see how it can be used in the kitchen.
Another 1st was Cumin, again weve not tried growing this so we shall see what happens with that too.
Oregano was the last Herb today....gotta luv this Herb.
I then planted 50 Keyna climbing beans that had been grown in our kitchen and the seeds were split nicely and ready to go in the dirt along the A frame.
I then sowed another 50 Radar red onions,to complement the 100 that went in last winter.
Last today was some Eskimo carrots that although get a good write up for winter usage we enjoy eating em mid year.
so Bizzy day !!!!!!
GazNjude
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Sowed some peas amongst another hundred jobs, also installed my Hawk decoy over flying my shed, :)
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More pricking out!
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/IMG_0247.jpg)
Had the radio in the greenhouse and listening to Radio Sussex had my request played whilst I was busy with my little dibber.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXDf9UwHGF4 :)
Ninnys
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As it was so nice we had to go out for a hike instead of gardening. But I still planted the last spuds, had a bit of a weed, shifted some manure round and watered a bit.
I also started pricking out the tomatoes which is a long job, I have got too many of them as usual.
I am going to pop down tonight to empty compost and take a few pics and maybe get the Alderman tall peas in, and maybe a row of spinach if I have time. Better leave work a bit early!!! It's a beautiful day, I am in short sleeves ;D
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Have nipped out and while Harriet is asleep got the following sown
- Marigolds - Crackerjack (thanks ninny)
- Poppys - Giant 'saved' (thanks Val)
1st lot of onions
- Shallots - Long Red Florence
And i know its early but i could not resist just one each of
- Squash - Sunshine F1
- Squash - Avalon F1
- Courgette - Early Courgette from Algeria
- Courgette - Jemmer
There all planted up and there bottoms are sitting in a shallow basin of water having a nice drink in the sun :)
Have prepared some more seed trays 2 more for onions and 4 more for various others veg and 2 for herbs.... Will have to wait for later as Harriets not allowed outside at the moment and if she seeds the seed box out she gets more excited than me !
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Spent a couple of hours after work double digging bed No 5 on our new plot, wheeled 10 barrow loads of manure to the plot and had a well earned drink in the evening sun :)
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Had a good clear up of one of my paths, clearing away cardboard,bricks, paving slabs, carpets, blankets etc
Potted on some Cucumbers
10 sweetcorn out of 20 have germinated
8)
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I whacked some water out onto the bird table for the visiting flocks, up-ended my mum's biscuit barrel to share the crumbs (rather than have them all over the floor again), hung up another load of washing as the sun was up and enjoyed the scene before toddling home across the road for very early morning tea at 6:30. :)
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Planted 'White lady' runners in toilet roll tubes. Sowed 'Hurst greenshaft' peas in home made paper pots and an old variety that grows to 5' tall. Prepared outdoor seed bed and netting.
Ian ;)
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Planted out my potatoes and onions.onions needed to go out as they were getting rootbound indoors.
Made and stained a raised bed,one of three needed.will build the others tomorrow.
Sowed leeks and peas indoors,and watered everything else.The toms have started showing themselves ;D
Fine dug a bed for carrots,the soil isnt great for carrots so will include plenty of sand before sowing.
Good day :)
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A couple more hours spent on the plot after work. More double digging, a continuation of the war with the weeds and a brew.
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Got a bunch more digging done... plot one will be finished on Friday evening if I get the same amount of time after work the next few days... PLot 2 doesn't need much more anyway so should be done over the weekend... then to get the rotavator fired up adn put the spuds in....
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WE went to the lotty 10-30am loaded with water butt, tools, plants,picnic ;D put in cabbages ,salad seeds, hoed ,OH bilut stand for the water butts ,dug out more strawberrys and at long last we got or water turned on,also got burnt by the wonderful sun. ;DA very good days work ;)
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Potted on Yellow Bell Peppers
Weeded and watered
15 out of 20 Sweetcorn up
;D 8)
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Due to pre-arranged late start at work I got up the plot for a shade over an hour first thing. Dug out a bit more than half of what was left on plot 1 to do.... hopefully that means Friday evening sees the end of the digging on there and I can start pushing manure around for the potato beds... Nipped home on way to work (to change boots and trousers) and opened up the GH and checked watering levels....
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I know what i'll be doing tomorrow!
I forgot to order some Jersey Royal seeds this year so told myself i'd make do with what I had UNLESS I found some locally! SO - I went into a newly opened GC and what were slap bang in front of me as I walked in? Yep! ....seems like i have more spuds to plant !!! ;D
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Watered and chatted
17 out of 20 sweetcorn up
My Corn, Tommies, Cucs and Peppers are all basking in the Sun in the back garden as we speak.
8) 8) 8)
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Checked the greenhouses and put in some spuds... but I was out at work until 3pm... :-\
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Quite chilly today but having spent most of yesterday throwing up and not going into work last night i needed some air. So wrapped up made a mug of tea and had a potter around the garden.
My tree Lillies are all starting to pop there heads above the soil and my bramley apple tree is in flower :)
Painted roundup onto the nettles (which now have pretty deep purple and pale yellow flowers) and other weeds i can see i am hoping to dig things over in the next few days and i though weakening some of these weeds 1st is a good plan :)
Planted up all the perennial plants i had delivered and the 3 Buddleja 'Buzz plants i got for a penny :)
sowed next batch of sweetpeas
Have started to move things back into winter protection for the forecast dip in temp and potential of snow.
Tidied up a little hubbie is going to cut the grass Saturday and give everything a good soaking with the hose before the ban kicks in :)
Working next 2 nights so not going to get a chance to get much more done now till sunday
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Didn't quite finish the digging but got close.... Need to get a rotavator running so I can turn in all the manure I have in heaps....
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Planted another line of Kestrels
Watered plot
Weeded and dug up Strawberrys and transplanted in back garden
Sowed Tigerella's and Sungold.
;D
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Covered the two lady chrytl spuds that had reared their heads in the polytunnel ;D
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Supervised & dug two wells on our allotment for my mates. Dug 2 trenches for spuds. Covered the plantlets in the unheated greenhouses with bubble wrap, ready for the frosts, sleet & snow :'(. Happy Easter everybody ;D.
Ian
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We made 2 raised beds, managed to get loads of good quality compost out of the heap we inherited with the plot despite triffids that have grown in it, a bit of double digging, wood chipped some of the new paths and came home shattered ;D
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ALmost made it through the digging on plot one... only came home cos I needed another cuppa, realised it was getting late and I need to sort out stuff in GH so won't be going back to plot tonight... hopefully early night tonight adn I can finish off plot one tomorrow....
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Got the last of the spuds in... apart from some going into a dustbin. Weeded the asparagus bed as it is beginning to show spears.. :)
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Mamoth all dayer.. got to the plot at 9 and left at 6.. planted 11 rows of spuds 165 tubers...
3 rows to go tomorrow.. Digging deep to remove all the horrors before I plant so very slow progress.. then still got to ridge them all up..
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Been out and picked up rubbish its cold and windy :( Needed to get some sleep so time very limited.
tonight is my last night at work this week so when i finish at 7am tomorrow morning i am going to grab some sleep then hit the garden :)
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picked nearly a bag full of purple and white sprouting, so looking forward to the sunday roast tomorrow :)...
Hope to get some seeds in tomorrow...
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I pottered about the gh,planted pepper seeds and potted on some seedlings will listening to radio Essex it was quite cool .
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I liberated my raspberries from large clumps of grass, watered and mulched them, hope they give me a good crop like last year :-)
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watered the greenhouse newbies after work,thats all
the dills pumpkins have shown themselves ;D no courgettes yet but shouldnt have any problems
sweetcorn isnt great tbh,got about 10 out of nearly 30 so far :( sowed them in peat pots as i had them spare but had no available modules.
il give it another week and sow more if need be.
sunflowers are all up now,just waiting for the leeks and peas to show to feel content :)
need to transplant the toms in the week,il pass a few on to fellow plot holders.
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Popped my tomatoes into their own little pots-note to self-buy a grow bag to warm up in the greenhouse. We're not growing so many this year as we were over-run last summer and being away for five weeks didn't help!
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Popped my tomatoes into their own little pots-note to self-buy a grow bag to warm up in the greenhouse. We're not growing so many this year as we were over-run last summer and being away for five weeks didn't help!
I'm watching my tomato seedlings carefully.... just beginning to show their true leaves so potting-on time not far off now.
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Dug over salad bed and finally stated to plant my lettuce seeds! Also put in some ra
ddishes. ;D
Psb still going strong so gave them a good watering.
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Recovered from migraine by sitting in the shade outside potting on tomato plants for our plant sale in May....
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Had another all dayer today.. 9 - 5
Planted last 3 rows spuds.. still got a wide row of PFA to do in a few weeks.
Planted my peas from my drain pipes that I started in the GH.. not too easy to remove - I think my soil was too moist and reckon if it was semi dry it would just pour out easily??
Gave away to to plot neighbour all the broken flags that I had dug up and collected around the plot..
Flagged the side of the shed and tidied up the adjacent storage area.. Also flagged the path to the compost bay.. 2 long fence panels came in really handy for this..
Manured half the last side ready to dig.. Watered the onions, strawbs, garlic and broadies. Also sprinkled wood ash over my onions.
Now I deserve a rest...
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Topping up raised beds with compost from the heap. Also found several horsetails on the plot :'(
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went to the plot holders meeting to day ,, grate granddad k and i granddad k got asked to go on the comity to day. we got more spuds in and some Brussels and Cabbages in,, cleaned out pound and lots of watering up,
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Sweet corn is up so sowed the dwarf borlotti and yin yng beans :)
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(http://i981.photobucket.com/albums/ae294/Kleftiwallah/IMG_3433.jpg)
Covered our plum tree to keep Jack Frost away. The bird table is for corvids, they don't like landing in our little garden. :D Cheers, Tony.
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Planted two rows of Rocket spuds. Still can't get my rows anything like as neat as the old chaps but never mind!
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Deadheaded some prims, polys and daffs, discovering the odd slug that went into the middle of the lawn for the birds.
Fleeced all the seedlings in the greenhouses and some of the plants outside tonight, plus put on the greenhouse heater.....again, but after all it is only the beginning of April.
Ninnys
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Planted out the sweet peas on the lottie and weeded,weeded,weeded....
Sowed courgettes and butternuts in the greenhouse at home and more black krim toms,
Brr it's cold tonight :(
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went to the plot holders meeting to day ,, grate granddad k and i granddad k got asked to go on the comity to day. we got more spuds in and some Brussels and Cabbages in,, cleaned out pound and lots of watering up,
Brussels is it that time already??
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Put up some wigwams for the future runner beans, sowed some more lettuce, picked a few radishes and watered the others (lacking rain here).
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Drained the water in the big tanks into the poly bins so any rain'll have plenty of room.
Planted out some parsley plants I reckon their roots'll be warmer in the ground than in pots.
Re potted some patio roses i should have done in the winter.
Covered potatoes with 2 layers of fleece as well as the French beans in the poly coz its definitely cold but no rain so far and the beeps maps are getting more and more vague about rain around here.
I wish, I wish...it would rain for 3 days and then the sun come out so I could sow my seeds without using a watering can ::) Wouldn't it be wonderful ;D
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FINISHED THE DIGGING!...on plot 1 at least.....thankfully plot 2 is a lot "cleaner" anyway and I won't need most of it until May cos it's tagged for beans, peas and sweetcorn.... so the Broad beans "Express" will be going out soon, followed by the Masterpiece Green Longpods and I've got a load of Telefono (tall) adn Hurst Greenshaft (short but gorgeous) peas to go out soon so need to sort out the frames/twigs for them this weekend and get them in.... starting to think we could do with some rain tho.....
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Digging again, almost got bed No7 done.
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Sowed my tomato seeds and 90 dahlias for the spring fayre. Am very interested how the late sown stuff catches up(if it does)
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A tiny bit of digging but had to give in as it was freezing and blowing a gale tonight :(
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Planted a new blackcurrant, covered the spuds up and put up some bean poles in the hope the weather gets warmer again at some stage ;D
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Went to look at how the plot had fared whilst away for 2 weeks. Amazing progress. Parsnips up Beetroot up. Tatties still keeping warm under the soil. pansy baskets in full flower. Picked a carrier full of PSB. Spent the afternoon blanching it and transplanting 160 begonias.
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Rotovated every bit of empty soil on Friday then, yesterday, planted three-and-a-half rows of potatoes as well as a double row of broadbeans and sowed a row of carrot seed.
Today: potted on 36 cherry tomatoes - Sungold, Bambino and Gardeners Delight.
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Bugger all, came home from work, laid on the settee, watched a bit of cricket and dozed off until the kids come in. ::)
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A full day on the plot today. 8 raised beds are now complete ;D
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Ray helped Callum put his wigwam poles up then Callum planted all his seeds, beautiful weather, although a bit cold ;D
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With the threat of frost, I constructed a simple plastic sheet covering over some 'special garlic' |I have and I popped a fleece over our plum tree! Cheers, Tony.
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Was out most of the day... but manged to check and water the greenhouses and prick out 150 snapdragons for the plant sale... :)
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I was transplanting nicotiana lime green :P and helichrysum for the plant sale ;D
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Weeding, burning stuff and planting up the flowers beds at the front of the plot.
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Planting asparagus crowns and spuds today :)
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Planted peas. Serpette Guilotteau, Salmon Flowered and Bijou. Went home feeling sick.
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Watered in the greenhouse after work
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Sowed 48 Sweetcorn
Potted on my biggest Tigerella
Sungolds are up
Emptield the shed ready for new one
Pottered about the garden in the Sunshine
8) 8) 8)
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Tonys leg is playing him up so he just filled the water butts while I dug the spare ground that runs alongside our plot ready for sowing the mixed annuals on Sunday.Also made room in his chalet for the cats cage that is arriving on Moday.
Came home and booked another holiday for October. We decided that October would be the best time for the next holiday when most of the harvesting is done. ;D. Thats my excuse anyway
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Yesterday I pricked out 80 marigolds intended for sharing if they make it.
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Not done anything today except sort though my seeds its very cold and windy out so am staying in have 2 more nights in work and lots of people are ill i can't afford to have another cold as i have just got over a chest infection and a sinus infection :(
So to make best use of my time i have been amending my gmail account calendar, well created a new one and am populating it with details of what i have sown and started to set up alerts as to next jobs and for next year to start ones i have already missed like planting chilli and pepper seeds in January whoops might nip down to defland nursery one day and pick some up to get me started :)
There was a link to a online planner one of the A4A people had done but all the information on that is on my now dead laptop :(
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Transplanted my big tomatoes and peppers, helichrysum and nicotiana and lots of different herb cuttings for the plant sale, tied up the ,now huge, sweet peas and moved some things outside to give me a bit more room in the poly ;D
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Painting wood for more raised beds, double digging, BBQ ;D, digging in manure and weeding.....long hard day, aching all over but very satisfying, the previously abandonded plot is slowly coming back to life :)
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Planted my potatoes ;D but didn't get much else done due to the appalling weather, tomorrow is set to be even worse :'( Garden centres here we come ;D
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Had a good few days at the lottie on Sat and Sun.. I double dug over the area where my currants are going 3mt x 5.. pulled out / collected about 2 wheelie bins of bad perennial weed roots and couch.. then found out the 2 black currant bushes promised by a neighbour turned out to be brambles... "but they do have black fruit he said!!" :P
Moved all the spare flagstones off the proposed tomato bed and gave away to a plot neighbour all the broken flags I've collected and dug up recently. He used them to make a floor for his shed.
Replaced my small lean to roof shelter with a stronger version which is over my doorway on my shed which was too weak and got ripped off by the wind the other night!! It protects me from the hot sun and rain when I sit under it to have a brew... It also directs rain water into the shed gutters..
Made a roof over the IBC area to catch more rain water.. I can now catch 60 gallons (270 LT) of rain from a 1" rain shower.. !! I now collect from the shed, GH, Cold frame and now the IBC roof.. How cool is that!
Planted a double line of peas (mange toute and some freebies from BirdsEye) in guttering in my GH as I have not dug their patch yet..
Sowed my gemsquash, courgettes, butternut and hubbards in my spare bedroom.
Manured most of the rest of the plot ready for digging in asap and collected and stockpiled more freebie manure we get delivered to site ready for the final parts to get dug.. Hope it dries up soon so I can dig, dig, dig!! I should be ready in time as I plan to plant out all my courgettes, sweetcorn, peas, cabbage and beans in mid May... I assume this will be the right time.. so 5 weeks to double dig 12 mt x 5... I'm double digging the whole plot as it was in a really baaaaaaaaad state.. Oh and I need to ridge up my spuds before they show through.!!
(http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=87513.0;attach=23606;image)
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Only managed a couple of hours after tea due the rain. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.
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Worked a 2/3 of a shift last night so 10pm to 4am so when i got up looked out the window and seen the wind and rain i decided i was just 2 tired to do any of my jobs.
Sneeked out later and moved my plants up so they got more of the daytime sun and poured a lot of the water out of the various plant trays into the ground so plants had were not so water logged (over an inch in most of them).
I am going to plant up my 2nd propagator up with peat plugs tomorrow so going to sit down with my seed list and work out what next to plant :) IF (big IF) its at all dry tomorrow for 20-30 min i will get some weeding done.
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-carried on clearing the lottie my daughter-in-law has just become a partner on-she's busy with house renovations so am tackling it for her. To be honest, it's the part I like best- I love taming the wilderness and seeing nice tidy soil emerge. It took two hours to dig out about 1 square yard- nettles, old raspberry canes and brambles, plus the usual couch grass-oh, and old metal mesh and posts buried in the roots-lovely!
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Nothing on the lottie for a week, I'll be over there this week, as the rest of the family are going up to Hartlepool today. :)
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Checked my plants outside and looks like another inch or so has fallen over night have emptied the trays again while its try although its very dark sky out.
Checked propagator and the poppy seeds have all germinated :) no sign of anything else though.
Planted up the 5 giant fuchsias which arrived a few days ago and left them to soak up some of the rain water and my daughter bought me (by sneeking into the trolley) 2 bleeding heart plants in the supermarket to her credit i do love them and have been looking for some and they were in the sale so only £2.99 for the 2 again these were left to soak up some rain water and have been planted up into larger pots so as to accommodate the size of the well looks like a dry twig but i am sure something will happen :)
I have (with the advice of ninnypoop/downtoearth) been though my seed box and now got a large bag of seeds to crack on with. Tonight i need to get the propagator sorted and tomatoes, chillis and peppers planted. I know i am a bit late but i am going to raise the chillis indoors to extend there growing season. Also got a nice list of things i need in the garden centre when i am paid :)
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Transplanted tomatoes and filderkraut cabbage. Got everything watered to last a few days, off to York on thursday until sunday for a break ;D
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Planted a short row of Stokesley Peas sent to me by a plotty friend.. I'm doing these at home so I can collect seed (and eat some!!) without them cross polinating at the plot..
Also found a kids swing being binned at the side of the road so i knocked on and asked if I could have it for my beans!! - it's now at the plot..
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Planted my last two Kestrel in a black bin
Earthed up and sheltered Challenge spuds
Earthed up a few later planted RDOY that are showing their heads
Weeded
Watered Rhubarb
;D
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Another trip to the tip with rubbish left by the previous tennant, finally emptied compost heap 1 and topped up 2 beds with it, far too wet to dig the new beds so made do with a couple of brews in the shed instead ;D
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In peat pots now have
pomodoro cuore do blue
marmalade extra
pantano romanesco
plum San marzano
plum fryer
egg plant
pepper mini mixed
pepper bullhorn
chilli Anaheim
chilli chololte haranaero
chilli bolivian rainbow
2 more trays to fill :) that's my job tomorrow :)
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Nowt....Had my daughter today and the weather was unpredictable so we shopped then she hogged the tv remote ::)
Will make up for it in the week though,few things need hardening off and a large bed needs fine digging :)
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Potted on about 200 Marigold seedlings in my Gh to plant on my potato ridges to try to chase them pesky slugs.. worth a try as I believe our site does have a slug problem..
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Just got back from lotty,we got rained off :(OH put in two lrg posts for our new tayberrys,I planted leeks and some flowers around my new mini pond (bucket size) ;D hoed about the place then the rain started OH through in the shovel ;D it was a bit heavy saved me watering :).
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Checked and opened the greenhouses, checked the mouse traps... :-X
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Potted on about 200 Marigold seedlings in my Gh to plant on my potato ridges to try to chase them pesky slugs.. worth a try as I believe our site does have a slug problem..
Gavin you sure you got that right about marigold and slugs. you may find that slugs are very much atracted to marigolds or is the idea the slugs feed off the marigolds and leave the spuds alone
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Put compost on the salad tatter lanes to build em up a tad.
Sowed another container with parsnips and another with carrots.
Sowed some Cues,Gherkins and bubble wrapped em in the polly.
replaced 6 panes of glass in me GH,dunno if its kids off school or wind damage but pished off either way.
sowed another 50 detroit beets.
gave me salads a sprinkle in the polly,nearly ready for a snack from em soon.
done enough,just home to get dinner ready for Mum Jude and I..... :)
Gazza
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I stood in the potting shed and watched the rain pour down whilst keeping an eye on just exactly where the drips were coming through the roof.
(Meanwhile avoiding my sister until she had gone!!) ;)
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Felted & boarded the main shed roof & creosoted. Planted swede and g/shaft peas in paper pots. supped tea & coffee with mate ;D
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watered and checked.
Greenhouse full of goodies,just need to get past this bad weather now.
Think my water collection system has a leak as my waterbutts are low on water,need to pull up all the hoses to repair/replace :(
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Planted a few more broad beans, some chantenay carrots, more beetroot, some purple sprouting broccoli, green chard and perpetual spinach. So didnt do very much really....... ;D
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Mixed the compost bins, adding some ash
Weeded and dug up bolted cabbage plants
Cleared and tidied canes, poles and caging
Dug up strawberrys that have drifted onto spud patch and the path and took them home for the garden
20 out of 48 Sweetcorn have germinated in 5 days
8)
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Felted & boarded the main shed roof & creosoted. Planted swede and g/shaft peas in paper pots. supped tea & coffee with mate ;D
No rain today where you are then. ;)
Apparently "we" are moving the potting shed to the far end of the garden before it has a new felt roof. ::)
But.....today it poured. :)
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Potted on about 200 Marigold seedlings in my Gh to plant on my potato ridges to try to chase them pesky slugs.. worth a try as I believe our site does have a slug problem..
Gavin you sure you got that right about marigold and slugs. you may find that slugs are very much atracted to marigolds or is the idea the slugs feed off the marigolds and leave the spuds alone
Ooooo... was told or read somewhere on tinternet that marigolds were good to grow with spuds to deter slugs... I'll google to check up....
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Potted on about 200 Marigold seedlings in my Gh to plant on my potato ridges to try to chase them pesky slugs.. worth a try as I believe our site does have a slug problem..
Gavin you sure you got that right about marigold and slugs. you may find that slugs are very much atracted to marigolds or is the idea the slugs feed off the marigolds and leave the spuds alone
Ooooo... was told or read somewhere on tinternet that marigolds were good to grow with spuds to deter slugs... I'll google to check up....
I've known slugs and snails eat marigolds.... perhaps it may depend on the variety?
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Potted on about 200 Marigold seedlings in my Gh to plant on my potato ridges to try to chase them pesky slugs.. worth a try as I believe our site does have a slug problem..
Gavin you sure you got that right about marigold and slugs. you may find that slugs are very much atracted to marigolds or is the idea the slugs feed off the marigolds and leave the spuds alone
Ooooo... was told or read somewhere on tinternet that marigolds were good to grow with spuds to deter
slugs... I'll google to check up....
I've known slugs and snails eat marigolds.... perhaps it may depend on the variety?
Looks like they do like Marigolds... oh well back to the drawing board..
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Took today off for allotment work as having to go to visit poorly inlaws for the weekend...
So planted 4 currant bushes, prepared for 2 more when they arrive and then a line of PFA spuds.
Stripped a kids swing for using as a runner bean frame.
Then work got rained off..
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Nowt did not get home till 7.30am (still 3degrees out but a heavy ground frost)
At a birthday party for one of daughters friends and now going back to sleep for a couple of hours :)
Did however come home to some seeds from T&M not looked at them yet but all seam like veggie ones :) i complained that there was no veggie seeds in my 'free' seeds i got with both propagator having been told it would be a mix :) i know i am cheeky!!
Still have a £10 voucher code to use up by mid april so am thinking i might get some seeds that last for next year or year after what would be good?? Parsnips? Carrots?? i need sprout seeds but am not stocked up for this year :) and want to get the most for my £1.99postage cost :)
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Only got a couple of hours in today but did get the sprouts out hopfully have more luck this year as they always seem to blow on me trying 3 different variety's.
Only went up there to clear my head as went to a civil funeral today a work mate of only 31 died of cancer, he was given a full service send of and i was proud to be in the guard of honor..
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Nowt did not get home till 7.30am (still 3degrees out but a heavy ground frost)
At a birthday party for one of daughters friends and now going back to sleep for a couple of hours :)
Did however come home to some seeds from T&M not looked at them yet but all seam like veggie ones :) i complained that there was no veggie seeds in my 'free' seeds i got with both propagator having been told it would be a mix :) i know i am cheeky!!
Still have a £10 voucher code to use up by mid april so am thinking i might get some seeds that last for next year or year after what would be good?? Parsnips? Carrots?? i need sprout seeds but am not stocked up for this year :) and want to get the most for my £1.99postage cost :)
Not parsnips, they need to be fresh pretty much every year or germination is very slow and very patchy....I suppose you could chit and only pot into rootrainer or toilet roll tubes or whatever those which get going...
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Afteer picking up my lathe from my mums place to get it into my workshop here I picked up a load of manure, spread on where the potatoes will be going, audited the potatoes to work out how much space and what sort of planting density I'd be looking at in space available.... hmm... 165... might try to find a home for osme of them in pots then....Sowed a couple of trays of peas (four strip modules per tray), a 24-module pack of toilet roll tubes with some sweetcorn (Swift) that will end up in the poytunnel, and did my rootrainer pack up with a mixed set of Gigandas. Half are selfsaved adn half are from a packet of beans I got from a greek deli... had to sort out the propagators too... 6 foot x 3 foot monster (150W soil warming cable) is now full, though onions will be out as soon as it stops getting that cold at night, all 8 tray propagators are full ... again....
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Late Saturday afternoon:
Planted 5 rows of shallots - 12 in each row and 2 rows of red onions.
Green already! ;)
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Nowt did not get home till 7.30am (still 3degrees out but a heavy ground frost)
At a birthday party for one of daughters friends and now going back to sleep for a couple of hours :)
Did however come home to some seeds from T&M not looked at them yet but all seam like veggie ones :) i complained that there was no veggie seeds in my 'free' seeds i got with both propagator having been told it would be a mix :) i know i am cheeky!!
Still have a £10 voucher code to use up by mid april so am thinking i might get some seeds that last for next year or year after what would be good?? Parsnips? Carrots?? i need sprout seeds but am not stocked up for this year :) and want to get the most for my £1.99postage cost :)
Just been though seeds i got sent for free :)
Tomato - Suncherry premium f1 hybid
Artichoke - Green Globe Improved
Tomato - Sungold F1 Hybrid
Salad - Salad leaves Speedy
Radish - Radish French Breakfast 3
Carrot - Carrot Flyaway F1 Hybrid
Beetroot - Beetroot Boltardy
Tomato - Tomato Vilma
Bean - Climbing Bean Cobra
Bean - Runner bean white lady
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Spread manure on the bit where spuds will go, manured and dug it in on a small strip on plot two adn planted out 30 "Express" broad beans.... will also act as ....a test on the pooh to make sure OK... if it is then all the beans will get it, if it isn't then it'll have to go to the sweetcorn
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Put in another five rows of spuds that's ten so far just three left,did a bit more weeding(there not going to beat me this year) and turned one of the compost bins,then back home and fired up the BBQ for lunch butterflied a lamb shoulder had that sliced in wraps with salad and a mayo and mint dressing. :P :-*
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,then back home and fired up the BBQ for lunch butterflied a lamb shoulder
:o :o :o BBQ where in oxfordshire do you live???? it's been bloody freezing in Bicester, my lamb went in the oven ;D
did get a few seeds in the greenhouse ;)
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Chalgrove Steve, it was a bit chilly with the wind but plenty of sunny spells though and it was worth it. :P
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Made raised beds 9 & 10, watered older beds, planted some marigolds, had a couple of brews, chatted with neighbours, got the ok for our greenhouse and new shed plans from the council chap and made plans for the rest of the plot.
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How gorgeous was the weather ! Spent 6 hours over the weekend, digging, weeding and I am pleased to say I have finally planted my spuds, Pentlan Javelin earlies and maincrop Romano. I have also managed to divide my onions and replant, plant some Jerusalem artichokes. Weeded all around the fruit bushes and feed them orangic manure and fish, blood and bone...bit smelly they they were not complaining.
Monday morning, can hardly move, and I look like I have been self harming ::)(gooseberries bushes! you just wouldn't leave a baby underone that's for sure ;D)
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Was away visiting inlaws for the weekend so snuck off Mon and Tue afternoons for a few hours. Started digging the final patch - I have a 14 mt x 5 till finished. I have given myself till mid may so should be ok. I'm double digging and painstakingly removing all the rots and weeds etc. so it take a while to do. Planted 2 Black currants and fitted cut tyres around all the currant bushes to make like a barrier to stop wood chippings going too close. I'm gong to lay weed fabric and cover with wood chippings..
Also started off some Sweetcorn and various beans in the GH...
(http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=87513.0;attach=23885;image)
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I put the leeks and pea seeds out into the open for a water before they go back in the cold-frame.
Then watched the rain from indoors. ::)
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Swim... :-X
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In between the rain........
I found the three large blue water butts in the new garden then I discovered every one of them has a hole drilled near the bottom. ::)
Someone had, no doubt, cleverly linked them altogether around the sheds then... someone else has not so cleverly pulled them all apart and lost the linking tubes. ::)
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Sowed some carrots and more brassicas. Took the bottle cloches off another batch of broad beans, used the bottles for the first of the chitted sweet corn and some more broad beans.
Got rid of 100 weeds.
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Only had an hour so transplanted some geraniums for the plant sale, moved the peas into the fruit cage to harden off and sowed some squash ;D
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Bugger all its piddling down. ;D
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Peeped through the fence at what will soon be my very own lottie! And looked at the puddles!
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In between showers we got ploythene and hoops,and fixed a ploy type tunnel over the raised bed for the tomatos,we did get wet but it was worth it . ;D
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Mainly move seed trays from the pricking out greenhouse to the holding and hardening off areas... :-X
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Well, an hour ago the Sun 8) came out with white fluffy clouds and blue skies
So off I popped to the lottie
I put up my new giant fleece tunnel over my Challenge spuds
Earthed up and cloched other spuds showing their heads
Then the rain came and I legged it home
:D
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In the garden? Not likely!!
(http://www.tiptopglobe.com/skin/smile/s4994.gif) (http://www.tiptopglobe.com/free-smiles-smileys-emoticons-blog-forum-email)Indoors......
... sowed the first lot of butternut squash and courgettes.
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transplanted cabbage, red and green, cauli, calabrese and walking stick cabbage outside, Ray planted the first gutter of peas out and i transplanted the first of the tomatoes and a cucumber plant inside. then, I transplanted more plant sale flowers and we watered everything that needed it ;D
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Spent the day looking up and then running head down to avoid the next hefty down pour.
Washing in and washing out... in, out, in, out, shake it all about....my parents seem to find something that needs washing everyday.
So apart from playing silly-s**s with the washing I've managed only to put a couple of boxes of chrysanthemums out for a water hoping they will shoot and give me some cuttings soon. (Back in the potting shed tonight... the chrysanths...not me!)
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Put sweet peas in borders ,then while OH was watching footy I went to lotty planted shallots ,put in the pea sticks,weeded ,and picked sprouting broc,and rhubarb,OH brought me coffee during half time !what a darling :-*
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Put sweet peas in borders ,then while OH was watching footy I went to lotty planted shallots ,put in the pea sticks,weeded ,and picked sprouting broc,and rhubarb,OH brought me coffee during half time !what a darling :-*
Mine was watching cricket and I didn't get a coffee >:(
planted out some "Bijou" mange tout and some lettuce then retreated to the greenhouse to pot on some chillies.
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Finished off the sweet pea buckets, transplanted the livingstone daisies, planted out my dwarf yin/yang and borlotti beans under a fleece cover. Had a fry up and finished off the afternoon potting up lots of soft herbs for the plant sales ;D
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not a lot because of the rain but ended up taking car to garage for estimate on some damage and picked up some soil on way back.
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Hired a digger and made a bigger car parking space so we can spin right around. The soil has been banked to plant hydrangeas all along in every variety. Also sloped a large bank to turf and might even have a chalk motif set in, something like the Cerne abbas giant if I had my way ;) but most likely a stupid horse if she has her way. :(
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Sounds brilliant Ace :)
Harriet and i went puddle jumping after the rain then filled some trays and transplanted the border collection which has been waiting to go outside all week. I picked up some bags of soil so there gone into council soil improver as it looks the same as the crappy wilkinson stuff.
She found it brilliant to get the little stick and pop it up the little hole in the tray of plugs and pop them out after i had made the hole. She's defiantly a gardening girl got hold of my spade and was looking to do some digging but thankfully the rain hit and the thunder so we popped back indoors for tea and a finger of twix each.
Looking at trays of things sown before the bad weather :-
Red Florence - Nothing
Squash - Nothing
poppys - Lots
Marigolds - lots but leaves going yellow now :(
Indoors were getting much better results got aubergine, tomatoes and a chilli plant popping through although no sign of parsnips doing anything yet.
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Planted 4 Clematis viticella and a fuschia that was a free gift with them!
Black clouds rolling in now so my dinner is calling me! ;D
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Hired a digger and made a bigger car parking space so we can spin right around. The soil has been banked to plant hydrangeas all along in every variety. Also sloped a large bank to turf and might even have a chalk motif set in, something like the Cerne abbas giant if I had my way ;) but most likely a stupid horse if she has her way. :(
Why not compromise on a horse with a big "member"? [adeptio me tunicam]
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After some fun and games with the rotavator refusing to start when I managed to food it whilst warm, I got 200 spuds into the plot .... 17 varieties... once I've had a cup of tea I'll nip down the GH and get sowing a bunch of stuff to get through the props before the tender stuff goes in next week....
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Planted 3 more seasoned Blueberrys,then a Loch Lomond Thornless Blackberry,plus 12 Maxim Strawberrys.
Cut our first mixed leaves salads from the Polly today.... ;)
Rain arrived and drove me home.
Gazza
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Planted some seeds in the greenhouse, unable to work on the plot.....rain, rain, and more rain :(
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Finished planting the spuds,put out some more lettuce under the frame and weeded, then seed sowing in the greenhouse this afternoon after collecting daughter from her friends gymnastics party.
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Finished transplanting cauli, cabbage and calabrese on plot 2, took the plastic off the spuds and re-covered with fleece, earthed some of the smaller ones up and gave all the fruit a feed ;D
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Planted out 26 Sante
Planted red onions
Resowed some peas
Plenty of weeding and hoeing
Took a load of home and garden waste for the daleks
Earthed up spuds
;D
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Planted out 26 Sante
Planted red onions
Resowed some peas
Plenty of weeding and hoeing
Took a load of home and garden waste for the daleks
Earthed up spuds
;D
Now that was early to be up and busy!! ;)
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Planted out 26 Sante
Planted red onions
Resowed some peas
Plenty of weeding and hoeing
Took a load of home and garden waste for the daleks
Earthed up spuds
;D
Been up all night?
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We transplanted the first of the colossus peas around a wigwam and got another ready for the end of the week. They had grown brilliant roots in the milk cartons. watered all the plant sale flowers with a feed to bring them on a bit. transplanted 50 soft herbs, everywhere is getting mighty cramped ;D
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Well it was over the weekend. :D ;)
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Saturday:
dug over 2 patches, raked them and sowed, (from the seed swap)skanse peas and telegraph peas, squeeky french beans.Planted 6 cauliflowers, made discs out of a broken recycling bag and put round the base to stop root fly. planted 2 rows of shallots, 1 row of golden burpee beetroot, 1 row of baltardy, 1 row of stripy beetroot. 1 row of simpson black seed lettuce (not sure what they are like so that will be interesting)1 row of radishes
Sunday:
dug over 1 and half patch, mind was willing body was like the wreck of the hespers by then, so in my seed trays sowed red cabbage and black kale and some broad beans and some tomatos and some corn on the cob and forgot the last one but lots of things to be keeping my eyes on ;)
Monday: thanked the gods for rain :)
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looked out the window is about all Harriets been a madam and thrown a massive tantrum so all my jobs are behind schedule and gardens had to be bumped.
Anya and Charlotte potatoes have just turned up so as its raining again i am going to pop them to chit for a week or two.
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Examined the bees, put some boxes of comb to sterilise with acetic acid, cleared a it of ground and barrowed a couple of loads of grass cuttings.
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Managed to do a bit of hoeing, sowed some seeds in the greenhouse, and watered everything in the greenhouse ;D
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Back-stroke.....
The rain is wonderful (even though we have no hosepipe ban here) but it would be good to have just a few dry hours so we can put something in at the plot. ::)
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Nothing yet, but will venture up a bit later and see what these 30mph+ winds have done to my broad beans >:(
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In these winds your having a laugh. :'(
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battoning down these plastic greenhouses minus thier covers!
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Finished my Cold Frames ;D 1st time I've had some. Plants hardying off as we speak :D
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Watered the plants in the poly.. Going to play leaky pipe games in there tomorrow ;)
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SNuck up the plot in a clear spell and got the main onions in , still got shallot seedlings comig through propagators as well as assorted pickling onions...thankfully in the other clear patch earlier this week I got my maincrop broadies in...6-8" tall plants in five rows....the Express early crops have been in a couple of weeks, have increased in size a fiar bit and aren't showing any signs of weedkiller issues so I thought I'd take a risk.... it'll be nearly a month before the shelling beans go out so hopefully that'll be enough time for problems to show before I manure the whole plot.... if it's got a problem then it'll just go under the sweetcorn....
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Had a mad half hour :D between showers to cut back some ivy, and when it was raining went to the garden centre and bought some new wellies and a red watering can :)
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Yesterday = a pedal to the plot for a 90 minutes rush around:
Planted another 16 shallots so they look as if they have been there for weeks
Planted a row of gladioli
Hoe, hoe hoed as the weed seeds are coming along beautiful... like a tiny emerald isle ::)
Then sank more paving stones into the lawn at the new bungalow.... just another 20 to go and that'll be another job completed.
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It's horribly wet and cold and has been all week. As there is no sunshine around, I am carrying seedlings into the greenhouse. They can adjust to the conditions without struggling with the much harsher light levels. Also (again horrible weather and dense clouds) mean no night frosts for the forseeable future. Seems the ideal time for transferring seedlings ;D
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Sat indoors during a shower looking through my French doors at the spuggies, blackbirds and robin alighting on the tools and wheelbarrow that I had to hastily abandon :-\
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Had to have a quick look at the allotment on my way home from shops, and potatoes coming up, weeds coming up. Bean frame has not been blown down, thank you OH. Sweet peas and peas all being eaten, so removed a load of snails. Think my plot is 10 poles as it was more than 30 paces long and 10 wide and if 10 poles is 10 x 30 yards, think mine may be a bit bigger, or my paces are too small. One pace a yard, anyone agree.
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Depends how long your legs are, Borlotti. I have to stretch just a bit to get to 1 yd. More accurate for me, my size 8 wellies are exactly 12" long, so if I "pigeon walk" I can get it almost spot on.
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Went out,opened blowaway,came in,went out,closed blowaway and came in again.
Exciting huh.
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Dry day but blustery, Had our meeting then there was quite a cold wind so I spent some time in the big greenhouse transplanting things for the plant sale, then in our polytunnel transplanting things for us ;D
Ray transplanted another wigwam of tall peas ;D
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Ran out to the shed to put washing in dryer - ran back in and shut door and put the kettle on! ;D
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Nothing home 8am and straight to bed up at 12.30 with a fry up and off to get hair cut back home and back in bed from 4.30 to 6.30 and now getting my self in gear for work :(
Steady rain all day and hard rain all night hoping i get a break in the rain for a short time so i can get some gardening done.
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So windy and cold here, never mind the rain. Turned the heating up,put on extra cardi and read a book infront of the fire. OH on holiday for the next week so hope theres a break in the weather so we can get something done. Lotties very cold, windy and wet.
This hose pipe bans a joke here. I'm going to make Rhubarb and ginger wine next week ;D ;D
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Lovely day here! Too nice too do anything too serious. Well, the warmth of the greenhouse and all that, sat planning my next moves and not doing any of them. Cleaned some panes. Mostly just soaked up the sunshine that seems to be on strict ration just now. A few pints of cider, a couple of pipes full of Clan and a book about veggie growing to revise. Bliss. Oh and I watered a pot of mint too :)
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I'm going to make Rhubarb and ginger wine next week ;D ;D
Sounds nice. is it one you've made before?
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Pottered round a bit and froze so gave up.
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Got my Beetroots planted - shored up my earlies although the ground was that wet I think it looks more like a mud hut siding! opened the polytunnel to let some air in, watered all my tomatoes picked some radish that I have just eaten in a lovely sandwich. Other than that - FROZE!!!
;D
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Ran....... well, to be honest, walked quickly.
(http://www.tiptopglobe.com/skin/smile/s12565.gif) (http://www.tiptopglobe.com/free-smiles-smileys-emoticons-blog-forum-email)
A wet and fairly miserable day so we went into town (I'd almost forgotten what the place looked like).
Bought a cheap pot of slug bait and a large bottle of tomato feed from Wil...not put the name as it could be advertising. ::)
Very blustery tonight so I'm hoping the rain will have blown over by the morning.
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Need to get leeks in for dinner and kale - just can't face it yet. This weather is horrible.
Ok, ok - I'll go and get it over with .........
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Been there and done some watering.. ::)..in GH ;) ..and fetched trays and trays of lavender outside..this rain is going to save a job watering them and tommorrow I can plant them...IF the rain stops.. ::)
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What did I do in the garden today?
I stood and watched the branches of a rather large shrub in a neibours garden thrashing about in the wind and threatening to take out a few panes of my greenhouse. I stood there and cursed myself for not cutting it back sooner. ::)
Top priority when the weather eases off. 8) Cheers, Tony.
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Came back from work and had did a couple of lengths backstroke in the puddle that is my lawn...... ::) :)
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Got a load of digging done yesterday... first time I could get to the plot for 10 days.. due to rain.. (i'm a fair weather farmer!!) I now only have a 2mt x 5 strip left to dig... double digging has proved a good idea as I have removed huge loads of perennial weed and grass roots.. had a few rather large bonfires lately.. but now I have 4 wheelie bins full and need some sun to dry them before I can burn!
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ground is now so water logged i can't walk on it to do anything :(
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Potted up the hosta (ousting a family of ants in the process:P), and scrubbed some 'pot' saucers in the puddle that is my lawn/paddy field...also tried to spike the lawn with a garden fork to try and get it to drain a little better... :-\
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Looked in dismay at all the leggy looking seedlings in window that should have been in the cold frame 3 weeks ago..........may actually go crazy after weeks solid of rain!!!!
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Ooops!! - just remembered what I forgot to do was wash my onions to remove some overspray from a gust of wind of round-up I sprayed on some weeds in the fence that I cant get at by hand to remove... :( :(
Hope they survive..
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Another glorious day today :) Just the sort of thing us gardeners like.... only we'd prefer it spread out over several months.... so little done.
(http://www.tiptopglobe.com/skin/smile/s10152.gif) (http://www.tiptopglobe.com/free-smiles-smileys-emoticons-blog-forum-email)
only it was heavier, faster and wetter...... ::)
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It stop raining at 2-30 sun came out ,we were off down the Lotty by 2-45 I planted shallots we grew from seed,picked 2/1/2lb of sprouting broc,and 3lb of rhubarb, weeded ,planted beetroot, netted around the peas >:( (pigeon's at it )then home,hope it's dry tomorrow . ;D
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Finished potting on tomatoes, they'll go into the ground from these pots, phew... sowed sweetcorn, popcorn, herbs, salads, most of this summers cucurbits (cukes, squash, a lot of melons for an experiment, gherkins) and a large number of beans...Flajoly, Canadian Wonder, CLimbing Pinto, Box, Yin-Yang, Soldier, Ernies Big-Eye, Minnesota Purple Mennonite Stripe, San Antonio, Egyptian pea-bean, Nubian pea-bean, Polish Climber, Bird Egg, Borlotti, Bridgewater, Cherokee Trail of Tears, Cobra
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Finished potting on tomatoes, they'll go into the ground from these pots, phew... sowed sweetcorn, popcorn, herbs, salads, most of this summers cucurbits (cukes, squash, a lot of melons for an experiment, gherkins) and a large number of beans...Flajoly, Canadian Wonder, CLimbing Pinto, Box, Yin-Yang, Soldier, Ernies Big-Eye, Minnesota Purple Mennonite Stripe, San Antonio, Egyptian pea-bean, Nubian pea-bean, Polish Climber, Bird Egg, Borlotti, Bridgewater, Cherokee Trail of Tears, Cobra
Wow you have been busy!
Once you've sowed the beans what temperatures do you keep them at?
I have french climbers and runner beans to sow as well as tomatoes to pot on... Not too warm right now and too wet to get on the plot for planting out some of the hardier things.
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Backstroke ..like DebP...
but much nicer start today... :)
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Finished potting on tomatoes, they'll go into the ground from these pots, phew... sowed sweetcorn, popcorn, herbs, salads, most of this summers cucurbits (cukes, squash, a lot of melons for an experiment, gherkins) and a large number of beans...Flajoly, Canadian Wonder, CLimbing Pinto, Box, Yin-Yang, Soldier, Ernies Big-Eye, Minnesota Purple Mennonite Stripe, San Antonio, Egyptian pea-bean, Nubian pea-bean, Polish Climber, Bird Egg, Borlotti, Bridgewater, Cherokee Trail of Tears, Cobra
Wow you have been busy!
Once you've sowed the beans what temperatures do you keep them at?
I have french climbers and runner beans to sow as well as tomatoes to pot on... Not too warm right now and too wet to get on the plot for planting out some of the hardier things.
The beans are in the big propagator which is currently set to about 25 degrees, as the entire area is covered the 150W a 40 foot soil-warming cable puts out doesn't have a problem maintaining that.
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y228/chriscross1966/30042012584.jpg) That's the bottom row in the propagator ATM, all the sets with lids are beans (lids help keep it nice and snug and by putting weights on them I keep the mice out)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y228/chriscross1966/30042012583.jpg)
This is the removeable deck that I built for the propagator, currently occupied by tomatoes plus the rootrainers of gigandas.... need to pot on the gigandas......
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Thanks Chris for the information - good photos too.
I have one thermostatically controlled propagator but it's not big enough to take all the beans. I think I might stick mine in a small sunny greenhouse and bring them in at night.
More walking up and down 2x a day ::) but I hope to have some ready to go out on the plot rather than be late so perhaps I'll try just a very few early ones and then be patient. ;)
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Well took Harriet out this afternoon and we have pulled up a brown sack of weeds (collection next week) and there is another 2 bags of weeds to go then i can dig the beds over and get planting. Had to carry her back in after an hour as we were both cold and wet ok Harriet was wet due to puddle jumping :)
She's in bed asleep now and i have my feet up have finalised the planting plan for the 3 main beds will post later :)
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Well today was quite productive - planted 2 dwarf stock apple trees that I paid £10 for each and then planted a whole load of bedding plants that Tes** were reducing so garden now full as well as waterlogged.
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Found the slug that had been nibbling my aubergine plants, canny whatsit was hiding under the table!
Emptied out the rainwater from the plants hardening off - I'd put them in gravel trays to conserve water and they were drowning!
Held the bottom of the ladder whilst hubby shimmied up to clear out the gutters - need to clean windows again with all that splattering ::)
Ninnys
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Emptied out the rainwater from the plants hardening off - I'd put them in gravel trays to conserve water and they were drowning!
Ninnys
Yeah, I had a mad scout around and managed to just about find enough for mine... I don't use them for anything so they've arrived when I've picked up pots form freecycle... now I'm reaching a stable state with what I grow (I reckon in a couple of years time I'll have completely stabilised how much propagation/pots etc I need) then I'll pass on the excess to someone else... although equally I have been wondering about growing a load of veg plants and selling at a car-boot or two...
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Emptied out the rainwater from the plants hardening off - I'd put them in gravel trays to conserve water and they were drowning!
Ninnys
Yeah, I had a mad scout around and managed to just about find enough for mine... I don't use them for anything so they've arrived when I've picked up pots form freecycle... now I'm reaching a stable state with what I grow (I reckon in a couple of years time I'll have completely stabilised how much propagation/pots etc I need) then I'll pass on the excess to someone else... although equally I have been wondering about growing a load of veg plants and selling at a car-boot or two...
Much better selling them at the local horticultural society, help raise funds for them and you too :) Have a look out for your local's one's plant sale - usually around May time!
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Well today was quite productive - planted 2 dwarf stock apple trees that I paid £10 for each and then ***planted a whole load of bedding plants that Tes** were reducing so garden now full as well as waterlogged.
I'm not sure which part of the world you are in but......
***Keep an eye on the weather forecasts.... you'll not want to lose those bedding plants in a late frost.
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Yesterday I earthed the spuds and weeded. :)
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I've transplanted all the squash, only have melons in the propagator now ;D
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Met office currently forecasting minimum of 3 degrees Sat morning and 1 on Sunday, for the Midlands and that's plenty cold enough for frosts!!!
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Well today was quite productive - planted 2 dwarf stock apple trees that I paid £10 for each and then ***planted a whole load of bedding plants that Tes** were reducing so garden now full as well as waterlogged.
I'm not sure which part of the world you are in but......
***Keep an eye on the weather forecasts.... you'll not want to lose those bedding plants in a late frost.
Got the fleece ready to cover over at the first signs but at the moment we seem fine
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weeded the garlic and earthed up a row of potatoes, had a natter then home
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Was up at my inlaws so started to weed their veg patch :D ...and ended up just dead heading a few dandelions ;) ....and also admired their now empty green house....it's always been full of bramble and grape vine since I've been around....
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Managed to weed the onion beds and flowers beds, made a change....first time in ages I've actually done some gardening, it's been construction work on the greenhouse for days.
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Weeded onion beds, planted broad beans,planted some spring onions, sowed mixed salad leaves, weeded around the raspberries. thinned and weeded the beetroot.
A day of weeding after all the heavy rain.
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Weeding. After the rain there seem to be simply millions and millions of weed seedlings.
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Weeding. After the rain there seem to be simply millions and millions of weed seedlings.
Same here.....weed wise.
I used a swoe around everything planted out and a (wish I knew its proper name) wheeled hoe through much of the vacant parts of the plot. Hoping it'll be dry enough (joke) for the little devils to die off.
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Snuck out for a few hours from work (working from home is great)... Now officially finished the main digging.. Just gotta dig between all the spuds and earth them up.. and hoed all the onions and garlic... chopped 2 onions off!! Ooops..
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Weeding. After the rain there seem to be simply millions and millions of weed seedlings.
Always a good sign........something's growing well at last. ;)
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Well I felt a bit stupid earthing up and covering potatoes in the warm-ish drizzle, but since frost is forecast here tonight I'd feel even more stupid looking at frizzled haulms in the morning....
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Covering potatoes and strawberry plants and french beans. Planting a few potatoes which were left in the bag.
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Got delivery of all the bedding, the most beautiful hanging baskets and standard fuschias. Really pleased with all the plants this year, just have to warn everyone to protect them from frost :)
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Carried all the peppers and tomatoes etc from the greenhouse benches indoors, don't want them to freeze in the next two or three nights.
Some are nearly ready to plant out in the greenhouse ::). Hope this will be the last severe cold spell for this spring.
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Been digging in drizzle.. ::)..had to start expand my this years squash bed as I have 'too' many varieties to grow..new bed is half dug now.. ;D..and tomorrow its going to be finished and layered heavily with compost, chicken's bedding and grass clippings. Then it can 'rest' until squash plants are ready for planting.
Mulched potatoes and archoke plants with another layer of straw..to keep that promised frost away...netted all peas with enviromesh against sparrows and it should give teeny bit help against frost too.
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Well I felt a bit stupid earthing up and covering potatoes in the warm-ish drizzle, but since frost is forecast here tonight I'd feel even more stupid looking at frizzled haulms in the morning....
You made a good choice - I would have done the same and have done in the past.
Let them "what want to" have a good snigger... but we know who will have the last laugh when your spuds are belting away and other peoples are still smarting from the set-back a frost can cause.
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Had limited time today for my own work as we had a workparty day to dig up an repair blocked and broken underground drainage pipes.. All sorted now so hopefully the top end of the site will now drain itself when it rains again. Some of the plots were were under about 6" of water... only fit for rice!!
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Sunday... I stayed in today to do the back and side hedges (12' high) and general tidy up of the back shed and greenhouse area.
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Cut some chives for dinner noticed how cold its got although its dry the grounds not had enough sun to help warm it up. Much 2 wet t dig but ideal for pulling dock and other long root weeds from the ground.
Lots of chive flowers though and rhubarb is looking good i pulled a couple of comfry leaves and popped them around the base 2 weeks ago with all the rain forecast i though it might help as a slow release feed :)
Tomorrow were going to pull all the garden toys out for harriet and i am going to dismantle and move my mini greenhouse and move it more into the sun and i have the shelving for another one somewhere in the garage but no cover so going to pop that up and make a frame for tomato growing.
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Got to the allotment for an hour, and planted out another couple of varieties of broadies.
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Got a couple of hours in this morning digging a new bed then it rained. Had lunch in the new greenhouse but it was raining harder, went home. Now it's dry so after an early tea we'll be back up there digging soon ;D
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Finished the broadies. Severn varieties adds up to rather a lot, but never mind.
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Put some Cara in, then it started raining. :'(
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Weed , weed , weed ...... boring I know ! ..but it has to be done , done and done again . ::)
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I cut the grass paths with my push mower then edged them.
Plonked in two rows of onions with whopping roots so hope they come to something despite being late.
Planted out lots of spring onions - also from modules
Planted out another lot of peas & covered them
Hoed loads
Strawberries are looking good..... here's hoping.
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Cut the grass in the back garden and took it to the lottie with all my kitchen waste, mixed the waste in the daleks and sprinkled the grass cuttings on the spuds and did a bit of weeding while I was over there. Potted on a cucumber plant and put it in the Summerhouse. :)
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Yesterday we cut the grass... checked everything as we had been away over the weekend.. loads of pricking out... :)
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Really busy yesterday. Got sun burnt face. Put out canes for the peas and beans. Earth very soft and wet so they went in nice and deep very easily.
Threw in a few runts from the potato packets in a arather weedy area. Started putting straw round strawberries. Horrible to do - I hate bending.
The rain has got the weeds very excited and there are loads of them.
Sowed some beans direct under bottle cloches.
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Finished the broadies. Severn varieties adds up to rather a lot, but never mind.
Did you get any from your Landrace that you put in the Seed Circle?
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Put my waders on to pick the rhubarb ::) My plot looks more like a lake :(
On the plus side got some rhubarb wine started 2 gallon some rhubarb schnapps and still got some left over for dinner tonight ;)
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Earthed up three rows of spuds, and planted my last row.....feels like planting the potatoes this year has taken forever.
planted out some broad beans, and picked some salad leaves, last of the white sprouting and some rhubarb. Was given a spring cabbage by a lottie neighbour ;D mine were eaten by mice last year, they were having parties in my green house and cold frame.
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Today I was called into work by the agency and now I'm back it's raining... :'(
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Mega weeding, pulling rhubarb, planting broadies and peas, chatting and planning what to put in my shiny new greenhouse!
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Belted outside between downpours and potted on some tomato plants as well as sowing more climbing french beans and runners. Plants and I weren't outside long.
Is there a variety of water beans or will the climbers be able to keep their heads above the floods? ::)
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WOOHOO ;D ;D ;D SUN 8) 8) 8)
going to run up the plot and do some weeding ::)
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Only thing Ive been able to do for weeks now is collect kill & dispose of loads of slugs! Ground absolutely sodden with all the heavy rain, would take days of dry warm sun to even start to make the heavy clay workable.
I am so behind with everything that I may end up using most of my allotment space for growing Winter Squash this year (covering with membrane first to kill off weeds that have taken hold whilst I havent been able to do the regular hoeing).
Thinking of moving most of my raised beds from the allotment to my small back garden as at least then I could dash in & out when there are gaps in rainfall (my allotment is a 40 minute walk away & I dont drive, no toilet on the small site either so just not worth risking a wasted journey in this foul weather).
If I didnt have such wonderful raspberries, blackcurrants, strawbs etc at my plot I would seriously be considering giving it up or cutting back to half a plot after this awful start to the growing year. I have severe arthritis so working in the rain doing useful things at the plot that dont involve standing on the wet clay just isnt an option for me anymore, sigh :-\
Sorry to drone on abit on this thread xJane
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Sowed my French and runner beans a bit late I know! Now just have general potting on and sweet corn to sow.
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planted some celeriac and red spring onions outside and some of my different tomatoes, including a lemon tree, inside ;D
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Planted out celeriac (I can hear the slugs licking their lips >:()
Planted out marigolds and cosmos (more lip licking)
Sowed Greenshaft peas ,my sowing of early peas yielded a miserable handful of plants.
shared coffee with lovely lottie chums,we've missed catching up in this foul weather.
Lovely day :)
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On a much more cheerful note the afternoon was actually dry at long last - managed to sow 14 squash plants before rain stopped play but at least its a start ;D yippee! Such a joy to be messing about with soil/pots/seeds. Hoping we have a dry night & dry weekend so I can get stuck in at lotty. Hope everyone has a great weekend xjane
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Finished the broadies. Severn varieties adds up to rather a lot, but never mind.
Did you get any from your Landrace that you put in the Seed Circle?
Yes, I've got a dozen of those in, renamed Dumont after the guy who sent them. They're among the most vigorous, a little behind Red Epicure.
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Mulched - it's hard going this time of year, but overall it's easier than weeding - and planted the last of the spuds.
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Spent a very happy day at my allotment at long last - trimmed the grass paths, prepared 6 raised beds ready for direct sowing, hopefully tomorrow ;) with turnip, beetroots, spinach, salad leaves. Gave the two compost bins a turning over.
Harvested the last of the swede, some curly kale, last 3 leeks & a lovely lettuce.
Lifted the cardboard I use to trap slugs - caught over 50 :o Snipped them in half with garden scissors & watched the birds having slugs for dinner :P
Had a nice chat with another plot holder...totally blissful day xJane
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Escaped to the plot at 4pm - better late than never.
- was amazed by how speedily the grass has regrown on the paths - cut them last week!
- hoed a lot
- sowed turnip seed and parsnip seed
- nattered to my neighbours as hadn't seen them for 3 weeks worth of rain
- dug a hole to accommodate the dead rat my neighbour discovered - better dead than not
Toddled home for dinner and the bed-time shift
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rotovated in between rows of peas and broadbeans to keep down weeds.also done a patch for more peas next week, got 3 trays to plant out-so its a busy jim next week.
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Got the last of the potatoes in... and some brassicas out.. and another two rows of peas... :)
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More slug murdering for me today ;D also got rest of my raised beds ready for direct sowing. Held off on doing the actually sowing as we are forecast very heavy rains yet again for a few days, will sow seeds in the next dry spell xJane
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Saturday
Got the last of my ground spuds in
Sowed more peas
Transplanted Cucumber
Weeded and watered
Sunday
Potted on and give away some Toms
Sowed Melons
Sowed French Beans in back garden
;D
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Just before the rain returned:
washing out and in again
raked up hedge trimmings & plonked them on the bonfire
(one day it'll be dry enough to light! ::))
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Transplanted some more squash and banana melons, watered everywhere inside :)
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Rushed out, covered everything in the greenhouse and got ready for the possibility of a frost tonight. :(
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OH cut the grass with the petrol mower, so well pleased, then it rained/hailed thundered so got home. He did a lot of moaning (as usual) about the grass had overtaken the beds, the peas were planted in the wrong place etc. etc. and I had no string for straight lines but he did do a bit of digging. He did mow some of the grass where my wild flower seeds were coming up, but it was a big help to get the grass cut, so kept my mouth shut. I just love my allotment disorganised and all hidley piggley, not all those straight lines and bare earth, I have so many things coming up that I have forgotten I have planted. Take some old tubs up from home and planted some bulbs (tulips, bluebells and daffodils), they will come up next year I hope at the end, under the trees where nothing else grows. Anyway we are still speaking, although he is moaning about his rhubard as it is my fault the grass grew round it, but I think it has been eaten by slugs or ants, and didn't want to put pellets or powder down in case it affected the rhubard and made him ill, but perhaps I should have. ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Pricking out mainly... to avoid the hail... :-X
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Earthed up spuds
Re sowed carrots
Weeded and spaced out parsnips and beetroot
More weeding and watered
Mowed the grass path at rear of plot
Pulled up and bagged a load of marestail.
;D
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Bet I have more marestail than you Kev. Perhaps we can sell it on EBay. ;D ;D ;D
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Bet I have more marestail than you Kev. Perhaps we can sell it on EBay. ;D ;D ;D
How much you charging? Potted or bare root? ;D
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Escaped at 7pm... ;D
Planted 10 good sized calabrese and covered the potatoes once again with grass just in case we do get a frost one fine night.
(To disappoint the pigeons the calabrese was covered with wire mesh tunnels)
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Earthed up the potatoes, mainly with earth dug out of a 4'x6' pond liner that the previos owners filled with rocks, slabs, soil, dog toys!!! .....Should get it totally empty tomorrow...if the weather holds. :)
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Actually managed to get some work done on our own plot today, planted out some webbs lettuce, celeriac and coriander. Some are surrounded with slug gone and a couple are left with none, going to see what difference it makes. Planted out some sunflowers,tagetes and helichrysum, planted some french marigolds in with the tomatoes :)
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Tied the sweet peas to their strings with wire, all 40 of them. I''ll be glad when they're a bit taller and I don't have to kneel or bend so far :D
Cheers, Tony.
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Planted Greyhound cabbage, and bit the bullet with plot planting toms, 4 x each Brandywine, Brandywine crosses and Britain's Breakfast. Aubergines and sweet peppers interplanted with French Marigolds and 16 Ambrosia Sweetcorn (saved seed). Weather forecast is for higher temps so had to go for it.
Emptied 6 sacks of spent hops over the potatoes, instead of earthing up - when will I ever learn to leave loads of space between the rows ::)
Edged the grass on part of the plot and found a pigeon's egg, obviously dropped by a magpie but it was totally cold so not worth saving. :(
Best news is...............I haven't killed my grapevines by overpruning as they are budding today :)
Ninnys
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Tied the sweet peas to their strings with wire, all 40 of them. I''ll be glad when they're a bit taller and I don't have to kneel or bend so far :D
Cheers, Tony.
You are kind to your sweet peas. I plonked some pea-sticks in when I planted them so they are gradually taking care of themselves and heading upwards. Treat'em tough!! ;D
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A lot of weeding today
Weeded and spaced out Brassicas
Give them a good watering along with beetroot, peas and snips.
:)
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Potted on asters - Californian Giants, courgettes - Soleil F1's, Romanesco and seed saved from Tondo (yes I know I shouldn't save curcubit seeds but I forgot to buy any round seed so having a go to see how they turn out!).
Also potted on Vegetable spaghetti squash, one of my easiest ways of getting squash into the family's diet as it will take all kinds of sauces.
Cucumbers are up and should be potted on next weekend.
It's getting exciting out there :)
Ninny
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Very exciting Ninnnyyyyssssssss.....things are moving at last!
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gave the euonymus a hair cut in the front garden-it was letting the side down!
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Planted out french beans on the lottie, The OH planted a dozen toms !! ooh :o these lovely plants the best I've grown are out there ! Alone ! scary ;D ;D ;D
Trouble is we plant 'em, nuture 'em and then have to surrender 'em to nature -scary! :o
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Had a great time yesterday.. Planted out my courgettes, summer squashes, my delicious Gem-squash (from africa) Hubbards and a few leftover garlic plants that were in pots.
Some small chillies, toms and egg plant that are not growing fast in the home GH so planted out in the GH at the plot which gets more sun. Hopefully they might grow now..
I also planted out some garlic into my nursery area that I have been growing on from seed (bulbils). This seed was harvested by a friend from seed last year and I planted a few months ago - potted on once and as they are all growing well I decided to plant them out to grow. They will take a few years of planting, reaping, drying and replanting again. They will eventually get big cloves after about 3 years of nurturing... well so I'm told!
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planted r beans out and sow peas
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Made a start tackling the jungle which has grown up in the garden over 3 weeks while we've been away! Mainly weeding and trying to tie in the tangle of perennial sweet peas. Too jet-lagged to visit the allotment which I'm sure will be very overgrown- it'll probably have to wait until the weekend. Checked out the stuff in the greenhouse- all loking good except something's chewed my french beans. >:(
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Planted out 20 broccoli (Tenderstem) for us and 10 sunflowers (for the birds).
Covered the brassicas with the smaller of two frames and moved the larger away from the spuds.
Tried to fit the larger frame's mesh to the smaller frame !
Cheers, Tony.
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Lifted the lids on 2 cold-frames disturbing the ants... sent them scurrying everywhere leaving their eggs behind.
Watered the strawberry pot and very little else - too busy with a list of things to do for others. ::)
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Yesterday I potted on Cucumber and the Tommies at home
On the lottie another weeding session, hoeing and digging out unwanted marigolds along my Runner bean frame.
Watering a few of the transplants. ;D
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I think I may have burned my courgettes and squashes today in the hot sun... they were loosley cloched with open ended plastic roof sheeting but still seem too hot... so I watered them, raised the bottoms off the beds with some planks and added some enviromesh to shade them a bit. Will check tomorrow.. May have to buy more seed quickly!!
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Weeding and a general tidy up
Courgettes,pumpkins and peas went out.Sweetcorn tommorow fingers crossed.
Good tidy up around the blackcurrants,fed them some blood,fish and bone and plenty of water.
Earthed up the spuds ;D
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Weeded strawberries and hoed over.Planted out some ganzias ( don't know if spelt correctly) picked out some self seeded pansies and potted on. I am amazed this year especially after all the cold weather just how many plants did self seed last/this year.I have sunflowers, pansies, cosmos and 1 more which I cannot remember the name.Planted my Dahlias.Made a small garden in front of greenhouse and put plants in. Doesn't seem a lot but it took me all afternoon.Thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon but now shattered.
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Fleeced the greenhouse roofs inside to shield the plants. Repotted peppers, chillis, toms, cucumbers and numerous other flower seedlings. Gave all the greenhouse plants a good dousing after the sun went off them.
Gosh was it a scorcher today!
Ninny
PS. All the windows and doors are open in the kitchen as it is so warm tonight, evicted a huge cranefly tonight twice into the back garden, third time it went out the front door :)
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Watered all the seed beds and a few other things besides - all with a watering can as usual of course. ;)
Planted two courgettes out.
Had one last bonfire at 9:30pm right at the bottom of the garden hoping that's the very last of Mrs Roller's shrub trimmings until autumn. ::)
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Yesterday I potted on my melons, earthed the spuds, hoe ed the weeds and pulled loads of marestail. :)
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Yesterday I planted up a few beans plants and put protective bottle cloches over them (mice, voles, slugs), removed some bottle cloches from lettuce plants that are now big enough to withstand a bit of slug nibble, watered greenhouse. Planted rooted kale (thank you Goodlife for cuttings) - please keep your distance pigeons! Admired the first pea flowers. Bought yakon tubers a while ago and they have sprouted well, planted them out next to the Jerusalem Artichokes (they are related and the JAs are doing well in this spot) and covered with large plastic bottles because apparently they are slug magnets. Found a volunteer potato plant with a tiny new potato - first this year. Starting to clear the overwintering salad plants from the greenhouse to make room for tomatoes etc.
The blue drum I use to make liquid fertiliser had slipped off its brick base (how???), so I had to drain lots of evil smelling brew before two of us could lift it and put it back. It was very tightly packed full with the first comfrey harvest and loads of nettles plus several gallons of water to start it off. Comfrey does not need water to get going, but nettles rot much faster with a bit of water added. Could not get the smell off my hands for hours ;D
Harvested one tiny potato, lettuce, rocket, cress, spring onion, a little bit of overwintered celery and Florence Fennel.
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So far I have watched the gardener cut next-door's grass. :D
(http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-chores005.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
And "No thanks, I don't want mine done... we like the daisies and I'll cut it later when it cools down after I've done the washing."
(http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-chores003.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
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Prepared a large plant pot for pumpkin #3..Potted up the candytuft seedlings into tubs...so now have 3 tubs full. Yesterday I Levelled the former pond and planted another wigwam of green beans , and prepared a third site for my pumpkin.
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Got VERY, VERY hot planting my tomatoes in the greenhouse that the thermometer read 120 degrees! I came out looking like a tomato meself!
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Got VERY, VERY hot planting my tomatoes in the greenhouse that the thermometer read 120 degrees! I came out looking like a tomato meself!
;D ;D ;D
Almost cleared greenhouse No 2 of seedlings and cuttings outside to harden off, that'll be my job for tomorrow Doris, the sun doesn't get around till about 10am in mine so a bit of time to get planting ;)
Ninny
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I planted out some dwarf sunflowers into pots in the front garden.
Planted cucumbers/tomatoes into the final position in the greenhouse.
Moved loads of plants outside to be hardened off.
A very sweaty afternoon spent gardening!
;D
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My small achievements were, after the visitors had gone, shook blue pellets on two courgettes in the back garden, watered at the plot and the usual routine for my parents.
Finally had dinner at 10:45pm.
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Potted on, watered and sowed some more bean seeds...........to order this time! A lovely lady and her (I think) Mum asked me to sow an order of 9 runners and 12 dwarf beans for them.
Had our first barbeque of the year tonight, both children home, and now sitting here in the garden chilling in the warm night air. Bliss :)
Ninny
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Planted out 16 Scarlet Runner Beans - hoed & watered - readied the strawberry bed for netting - hand weeded then a quiet cycle ride home in the cool of the evening. :)
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put the courgettes out to harden off, planted some more tomatoes and got watered by Matthew ;D
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Looked at my replacement seeds that I planted yesterday, watched Charlie (cat) do a wee on my courgettes in a tub (at least it wasn't on my new carpet, and he is blind and old). The snails have had a go and now wee, lucky I planted more, or no courgettes this year (I don't believe it). Think I have given up on my cucumber seeds, must have been too cold for them, may have to buy a few plants as replacements. Usually good with seeds, but think I jumped the gun this year when it was warm before it got really cold again. Hopefully allotment later, but yesterday I came home after a while as got all hot and bothered. ;) ;)
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I have a long list of planting out... and structural work like making compost bins etc... just having a coffee to psyche myself up... :)
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LAst night after work, I popped down, pulled out the biggest weeds around the onions, watered the peppers and aubergines and tomatoes, weeded around the Italian artichoke, pulled the last cloches off the tomatoes, had a little tidy. Looked mournfully at the grass growing round the edges (have to attack that with a spade on the WE), at the weeds attacking the artichoke bed, at the weeds in the dahlia bed (but the dahlias are now up so I can attack it to get out the weeds now. Also need to remove a feew wild flowers that are in the fruit bed, and move them to a better place (say around the edges of the potato bed.
Harvested a few handfuls of spuds, parsley, coriander, a small lettuce, a huge brace of rhubarb, and a cup of strawberries! And all that in about 45 minutes!
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I have a long list of planting out... and structural work like making compost bins etc... just having a coffee to psyche myself up... :)
Good to see the coffee comes first......... I really must work on firmly planting my priorities. :D
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Potted on my last two bell peppers this morning about 10 am and it was hot in the garden then, I'll be giving the lottie a miss today and may give the pub a go. :o ;)
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Planted 2 courgettes - the usual Black Beauty and a round variety.
Netted the strawberries as they are gradually ripening.
Watered the runner beans and anything else that didn't move and was edible.
Next time I must top up the water butts - allowed to as there's no hose pipe ban in my region.
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Weeded my parsnip rows, 4 by 10 foot, must be the worst job, which is weed which is parsnip. Watered all the seed rows, this was at 7.00am. Planted 2 by 10 foot rows of beetroot plants, yes I know could have planted them direct but my soil is heavy clay. Had to water to make the soil workable to do that. Hoed all around. Clay soil like concrete now, little else I could do. Went for a pint. Lots of plants in the holding bay, outside, greenhouse, garage ready to take up to the plot to plant out when soil workable.
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planted out cobra french beans watered and took some photos.
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Watched some dragonflies around my pond.
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well as a family we weeded strimmed watered and hoed. Oh and spent an age looking for my little hand rake that one of my sons decided to toss into the grass hubby had been strimming. We have come to the concludion that it has ended up in the compost heap. So aI am one rather annoyed mummy, with one rather regretful 4 year old.
I had only moments earlier told him off about leaving my tiny trowel lying on a patch of ground and told him when he had finished with anything he ahd to take it back to the carpet area where they have thier seats. So not as if he hadnt been told. I also had no idea he'd taken either out of my bag.
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well as a family we weeded strimmed watered and hoed. Oh and spent an age looking for my little hand rake that one of my sons decided to toss into the grass hubby had been strimming. We have come to the concludion that it has ended up in the compost heap. So aI am one rather annoyed mummy, with one rather regretful 4 year old.
I had only moments earlier told him off about leaving my tiny trowel lying on a patch of ground and told him when he had finished with anything he ahd to take it back to the carpet area where they have thier seats. So not as if he hadnt been told. I also had no idea he'd taken either out of my bag.
Ooooh, haven't we all made mistakes, even us biggies? Hope you find your trowel soon and your little one is only 4, so don't be too harsh. It is so easy to nip a budding gardener in the making, although just as important to teach them the rights and wrongs as a garden or plot can be a hazardous place.
Ninny :)
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Watched some dragonflies around my pond.
I watched one on the edge of my old metal bath on the plot. How it has survived as a nymph in a glorified water butt I don't know but the discarded skin was floating on the water.
Daft thing lost it's grip and fell back into the water just as it began to pump up its wings. I left it hanging onto a tuft of tall grass.
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weeded and thinned my parsnips and they are now looking as though they can hold their own. Planted some cobra french beans and moved a wind break to protect the beans as they are so tender and it was very windy up there
Yesterday, I set my tall brassicas out in a very tall cage. I want to grow lots more but have been careful this year and set out 2 x calabrese, 2 x psb, 2 x red russian and 2 doric sprouts. I have interplanted lettuces, thyme and marigolds
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Well Harriets in nursery today so its just me and i have managed to weed 1/3 of the 3 veg beds as there in shade in the morning and get the sun in the afternoon. Filled 2 brown bags of garden waste and have a wheelbarrow piled high.
Have harvested 1/3 of my onions and not impressed.
Moved all my potted plants into the sun disposing of those who have not survived so the shelving unit can be moved later when husband is home.
Moved all the chairs which are stuck shut to one side for going to the recycling a few are ok so might keep them for a while new stuff comes tomorrow :)
I have Harriet home with me next 2 days then she's in nursery again so i have 2 more days (of i am told cooler weather) to get the 4 beds weeded and planted as well as planting up main flowering boarder. If i can i am going to look at the idea of making up my own plant tape for some of the seeds going to look though the archive on here to find the instructions :)
Am in now and going to put feet up and watch something i have recorded with a hot cup of tea and have some ME time :)
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All chillies and peppers are FINALLY potted on and growing in GH..some of them are from last year and needed BIG pots..so carrying compost last few days is been major task. My fiery 'friends' have had their own greenhouse allocated this year, so I hope good return for my effords.
Sorghum is potted up and another couple of weeks its going to be planted.
Otherwise I've been carrying on sowing various seeds..herbs, cucumbers, brassicas.
Biggest job is to keep everything watered in this weather.. ::)..I even had to put some netting up on GH to give my young plants a bit of shade..shading up in MAY.. :o ::)
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Finally planted the courgettes and the rest oof the runners out, watered everywhere, took 2 hours with watering cans :o
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Don't you just love the sound of the dry ground after you water as it soaks up the water its almost a whistling noise :)
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well as a family we weeded strimmed watered and hoed. Oh and spent an age looking for my little hand rake that one of my sons decided to toss into the grass hubby had been strimming. We have come to the concludion that it has ended up in the compost heap. So aI am one rather annoyed mummy, with one rather regretful 4 year old.
I had only moments earlier told him off about leaving my tiny trowel lying on a patch of ground and told him when he had finished with anything he ahd to take it back to the carpet area where they have thier seats. So not as if he hadnt been told. I also had no idea he'd taken either out of my bag.
Ooooh, haven't we all made mistakes, even us biggies? Hope you find your trowel soon and your little one is only 4, so don't be too harsh. It is so easy to nip a budding gardener in the making, although just as important to teach them the rights and wrongs as a garden or plot can be a hazardous place.
Ninny :)
Get a feeling that the rake si lost and gone forever. Did another round of looking for it today. As you say it was only a rake and he does love to help. Perhaps I need to get him a set of his own tiny tools.
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planted 2 squash plants and watered.
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planted 5 squashes and 1 courgette, sorrel, 2 globe artichokes, bronze fennel, evening primrose and mina lobata and mulched. oh and watered them in. that took 1.30m all in the baking sun this morning. realise that i can't continue with much when i can only get there during the mornings. it got far too hot and felt quite jaded by it all (esp. walking up a steep hill to get back home!)
watered heavily yest for 1.40min in the cool evening, but can only do that at the w/ends when i can go as during the week, i work in the afternoons til late at night.
need to plant the toms and chillis out tomorrow.
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well as a family we weeded strimmed watered and hoed. Oh and spent an age looking for my little hand rake that one of my sons decided to toss into the grass hubby had been strimming. We have come to the concludion that it has ended up in the compost heap. So aI am one rather annoyed mummy, with one rather regretful 4 year old.
I had only moments earlier told him off about leaving my tiny trowel lying on a patch of ground and told him when he had finished with anything he ahd to take it back to the carpet area where they have thier seats. So not as if he hadnt been told. I also had no idea he'd taken either out of my bag.
Ooooh, haven't we all made mistakes, even us biggies? Hope you find your trowel soon and your little one is only 4, so don't be too harsh. It is so easy to nip a budding gardener in the making, although just as important to teach them the rights and wrongs as a garden or plot can be a hazardous place.
Ninny :)
Get a feeling that the rake si lost and gone forever. Did another round of looking for it today. As you say it was only a rake and he does love to help. Perhaps I need to get him a set of his own tiny tools.
That would teach him responsibility for his tools, a lovely idea, he will then copy what you do with his own, with a little watering can too he might produce his own crop even :)
Ninny
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Not a sausage done today.. :(
But yesterday I began removing the turf from what will become a kitchen garden once it's had a quick fork over, some compost added and been planted.
The plan is: bean sticks up & beans in followed by a row of lettuce and beetroot, a couple of courgette plants and then we'll see..... ;)
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I weeded the back garden today! I also sorted out the greenhouse keeping on top of the pinching and tying re the tomatoes. Planted some dwarf sunflower seedlings....and one of Jeaninnes tomato seedlings. We went to the allotment and did some watering.
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Translanted the rest of the sweet corn and some squash. Started planting the borders to decorate the site for Wigan/ North west/ Britain in Bloom ;D
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well now have 8 bags of weeds mostly cabbage and PSB which has gone to seed build 2nd shelving unit and moved all seedlings to this cooler spot.
dismantled table which is lop sided and disintergrating brushed the patio down and sprayed patio with weed killer to kill the moss and small weeds between the slabs tomorrow will attack them with a hoe and help Hubbie build new table :)
cleared the big bed (where the greenhouse will go) for planting up 3 sisters tomorrow :) soil nice and wet for planting.
looks like the rain missed us :( Hubbie drove home in the rain which stopped a few miles from home
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We planted beans and some extra spinach and we started building a grape arbour XX Jeannine
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We planted beans and some extra spinach and we started building a grape arbour XX Jeannine
For eating or brewing purposes Jeannine ;)
I've got a couple of young Phoenix vines and still to learn the pruning techniques, they are supposed to be for wine but as I've not done it correctly, yet, last year I let them go over and they were sweet enough to eat.
Garden today. Nearly cleared out greenhouse No. 1 (really my potting shed) of all the seedlings by potting on so I should be able to plant in there next week. Greenhouse No. 2 has been planted up with half submerged growbags with Brandywines, Britain's Breakfast tomato interplanted with french marigolds. Lettuces, Red Fire and Little Gem thriving. Runner and dwarf beans up and nearly ready for the plot.
One thing I forgot to sow this year was Cape gooseberries :-[
Ninny
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Well we now have rain hard and heavy :) Stood in the middle of the garden and got soaked BRILLIANT :)
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Well we now have rain hard and heavy :) Stood in the middle of the garden and got soaked BRILLIANT :)
Blow it down this way Cam, please! :)
Ninny
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Yesterday evening. I sowed all the lovely shelling beans that Galina and AJ sent me a few months ago. It was so nice to see all the different colours of the beans. I really miss AJ
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My first post, wooo! :) Yesterday was the firs time in two weeks I didn't have to water my patch. And yes, it was lovely to stand in the rain and watch my veg soak it up. Unfortunately, weeds also love it so I was in, back bent, picking out a zillions junior demons. Everything is growing so fast in the warm weather. Brilliant!;D
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Welcome to A4A Eamon
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Planted up half the long decorative border, put the soil in the boxes for the union jack flags ;D
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Put the bunting up for the weekend :)
Ninny
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Welcome to A4A Eamon
Cheers! Great site. Looking forward to picking up lots of good tips along the way. ;)
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Well we now have rain hard and heavy :) Stood in the middle of the garden and got soaked BRILLIANT :)
Blow it down this way Cam, please! :)
Ninny
Would love to but so needed it rained for 2 solid hours must this afternoon went out and Harriets sand/water table which was dry was soaked and the water side must have had 1/3 a inch of water in it.
Today i had a list of jobs to get finished got 3 done when i got a fall from a pregnant friend of mine to say she had fainted and could i pop over to her. So downed list and popped over. Taking her little one to nursery tomorrow so she can rest and am now cleaning house and trying to get back on track. Husband has built the new furniture for the garden which looks very nice and fingers crossed BBQ can come out saturday. Loads to do in the garden and now the soil is damp its easier to get things done just running out of hours in the day. Not going to be able to get out in the garden now till saturday :(
Did manage to get 2 brackets for my hanging baskets and we just need to work out where to hang them but looks like outside the back door is the preferred spot for now.
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A good watering all over the plot and pulled a few weeds while I was there. ;D
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Nothing again this Friday. :(
Returned from my pals funeral and straight to work making sure my parents had a meal, drinks, curtains pulled and tv on before flopping down with a coffee in peace and quiet for a while.
I did have time to take my dad down to the end of the garden to see his new runner bean frame and the beans. It cheered him up and helped lift my mood a little.
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We managed to get the netting on our 18x 24 fruit cage. Me fingers are that sore from putting the ties on and me neck is aching from looking up. Added to that I got some new glasses and the change in my vision was making me feel sick. We started at 10am and finished at 5pm.We were both asleep for 9pm.
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Busy day today....Had the help of DH.
Planted out 5 rows of brassicas (kale and purple sprouting).
sowed 3 rows of parsnips (very late I know, just see what they do).
Planted out 5 courgette plants, 2 butternet squash, 2 pumpkins, and put out the beans that have germinated (poor germination this year for some reason) and sowed some more bean seeds direct, (mice ate em last year, so I don't hold out much hope for them, but I planted 3 in each hole ::)
DH also put out the sumflowers and put in 2 logan berries we had been given.
We also weeded two brassica beds phew, I think I remembered everything ;D
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Finished digging over a patch ready for my courgettes and squash. earthed up my spuds. Hoed and weeded.
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Took down four raised beds so I can take them to my new small garden to grow salads etc outside my back door ;)
Emptied one Dalek of home made compost onto plot & got srea ready for squash plants.
DFug up 3 black ants nests & moved them to somewhere less annoying for me ;D
Ate first 2 strawberries :P
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Earthed up my spuds, hunted out a few juvenile weeds in both my patches, but best of all - I checked every cabbage leaf and took great delight in scraping off freshly laid butterfly eggs. ;D They lay their eggs so beautifully, tight together and in straight rows, like a yellow battalion on parade. :) Anyway, off the buggers came, but I'll be back again tomorrow, and the next... Now it's time for snail-watch. I think I'll fling these ones a bit further tonight, now that I know the beggars have 'homing' capabilities. :o
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Well little man has not been detttered from his enthusiasm for the plot after this loss of my best hand rake last week. He was very helpful at the plot and fullly rewarded with our first strawberries of the season.
his twin brother however was a pain in the derrier and as much use as a choocolate teacup.
Hope they are btoh good on our nest trip to plot
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Planted: french climbing beans, more broad beans, butternut squash, more peas and then pulled some rhubarb and picked 4 tubs of strawberries and a bunch of sweet peas.
Traded a bearded iris root that a neighbour asked for and was given some summer flowering iris (cut flowers) in return. :)
Presently pouring down with rain so all the newly planted things should all settle in well.
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Nothing today as I woke to a massive Migraine...
But over the last few days I've prepared the plot for the best kept plot competition and then planted out:
55 sweetcorn
30 mini cob sweetcorn
10 butternut
2 anchocha
6 outside + 6 inside toms
1 marrow
52 gem squash - (at the plot and home GH)
20 Cabbage
30 mixed lettuce and green salads
100 leeks
netted the brassicas
sowed 2 mt of beetroot
earthed up the potatoes
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Well it stopped raining long enough today for me to get a get jobs done planted up the 2 hanging baskets with help of Hubbie and Harriet.
Also put down loads of beer traps :)
Planted a few things in the big flower bed but ground so wet we had to stop.
Heading to garden centre at mo (Hubbie driving Harriet asleep in back) for drill bit to mount hanging basket as our last one broke this morning.
If it can stay dry a little longer I would like to break up the soil on the beds to let the rain penitrate down.
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Well, as always, as it seems, behind schedule. Weather yes but other things going on haven't helped.
So today at the Lotty have planted out all the things I had on hold until able to do anything with them. Bear in mind my soil is clay which loved the 4 - 6 weeks of rain, then enjoyed the few weeks of sun to bake itself.
So have planted out more peas, broad beans then some sweetcorn and french beans, Cobra, on a wigwam.
In between have planted a variety of lettuce. Also have sown another 2 x 10 foot rows of carrots, flyaway. Weeded a few beds, lots more to weed.
Then at home in my veg raised beds have planted more lettuce, a short row of spring onions and radish. Tomorrow's plan is to sort the veggie beds at home out, plant out the brassicas, including some swede I've started in modules, net the strawberries, vine and blueberries. Then it will be beer time or a glass of wine on the patio. BTW the patio needs relaying and the paths between the raised veggie beds need sorting but a man has to chillex at some time ;)
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a lovely sunny day and cool enough to dig and mattock out tree roots on my new lottie. We've managed to get one small corner double-dug, and it's taken hours, and several days in fact. It seems like a huge amount until I turn around and see the huge expanse behind me, nettles, thistles, brambles etc all growing like mad. "Parsnip Norman", next door, said I should put poison down or I'll be 114 before it's all done. I said I'm "not a poison sort of person". Anyway, I like buttercups-at least there's something beautiful to look at between digging!
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We sowed a huge bed of roots hopefully they will winter, some more beans and a couple more flowers.
XX Jeannine
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Yes mother nature has forgoten to take her pills again this season :(
Oh well at least the rain is needed :)
Only caualty today has been the parsnips and the poppys the parsnips got water logged and mushrooms were growing in the tray and the poppys look like they have been deep fried i might be 2 late to start again though :(
We picked up 4 bags of compost from homebase which was dry looks like it was just delivered and hubbie is going to move it into the garage for me tomorrow as i cant lift the bags when there water logged. Am going to mix a bag of the homebase stuff with a few handfulls of shreaded paper and 1/3 grass clippings & 1/3 a bag of soil impover from the council to dress the beds.
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Took a trip down to the plot after my daily work schedule... My son came down as well and we made a framework and netted over the strawberries... them pesky birds have eaten 2 massive strawbs that I was going to pick today..
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Felled six flipping big fir trees and was delighted that everyone of them fell safely in exactly the right spot missing the trellis and the greenhouse as well as the neighbour's fence on the far side of the garden.
So pleased that job is completed - I hate heights and put the job off for the last few weeks. But bonfire burnt well and the trunks are neatly sawn and stacked.
Tomorrow I'll ache like mad I'm sure.....more used to holding a pen than a bow saw up a ladder! :D
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Thanks to "Amazing rotovator" from here, I have this last couple of days made four of these brassica frames, 13 foot long and 40inches wide.
(http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c71/photocumbria/001-8.jpg)
(http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c71/photocumbria/002-12.jpg)
Steve...:)
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We had a day off!!
XX Jeannine
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great minds so did we ;)
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and another!!
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Have had a bit of a frantic day, I was dertermined to get the rest of my sweetcorn and banana shallots in the ground as I'm at work the next two days, so managed to do that plus put my outdoor tomatoes out as well...yeah, I know its a risk but I'm still seriously short of room at home. I have about 20 pumpkins and squash hardening off in batches, plus quite a few courgettes......I can't remember sowing that many!!! ::)
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Squashes went into the ground today, vegetable spaghetti and butternuts. Courgettes Romanesco, Soleil F1 and Tondo from saved seed. A) forgot to take up my ground eggshells and B) my organic back up slug pellets and it's slug heaven out there tonight :(
Brought back the dwarf beans as heaven opened.
Picked asparagus, nearly the last.
A big plus was that hubby came up picked the broad beans and edged one of my plots! He had a valid comment though, both side cutting and level cutting shears seem to be all designed for 4' people as his back was bent the whole time. That coming from an umpire who stands straight for many hours I can understand, any ideas?
Ninny
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well after just coming back from 2 weeks in Bonny Scotland the Plot needed some serious attention so before todays rain arrived I had a mad weeding hour followed by some planting.
50 Leeks were well dibbed in,then 30 Whole bean plants were transferred in toilet roll an all..!!!!
3 S Marzano Toms were planted in the GH and my only 2 surviving Zacs were given there spot in the Polly.
Another 50 Beetroots were scattered in a raised bed and earthed over,plus another 12 Leafbeet were planted.
Rain started hammering down mid day so I abandoned the Plot till the morro.!!!!!!
Gazza
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Well 10 bags of garden waste out for tomorrow i am going to drop another out soon but its just shredded paper and i don't want it to disintegrate in the heavy rain out there at the moment. 4 black sacks of waste (only 2 is actual rubbish the other 2 is plastics) and a large box of bottles for collecting tomorrow. I will get 4 bags back from them and then i can finish pulling up all the veg which has gone to seed and get everything re-planted.
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Murdering slugs. :o :o :o
Is it just me or is everyone plagued by them this year.
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Forecast was for rain today but 3 spots is nothing so.........
- I continued digging the Kitchen Veg Patch and planted climbing french beans there.
- Planted out some new chrysanthemum sprays for cut flowers later in the year
- shot to the plot and picked two containers full of strawberries (about 4lb)
- hoed between rows of carrots, beetroot and onions, around the strawberries and between the shallots
- picked a large bag of baby leaf spinach
Belted home, hitched up the bike trailer, and set off to my son's new place as he's away...
- netted his peas and strawberries
- loaded my garden shredder into the trailer and pedalled home again
Thanked Mrs Roller for making a great job of planting up my parents summer bedding at the back of their bungalow. Just one more bed to do asp and sit back and enjoy (an hour off maybe!!).
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Yesterday I worked round the rain... torential about 3pm. Sorted the squash for planting. Found the two huge snails that were savaging the Aubergines,, weeeding, sowing carrots, planting basil in the poly...
Not sure about the weather today but have a morning of other jobs... :)
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plan is to go with the b=oys to pick strawberries, put some more slug pellets down and to scatter some more beetroot.
If I think that im going to get lucky with the weather then I might plant in some leeks ansd some cabbage. Cabbage may be a job for the weekend as I want them neeted straight away.
Depite my little boys loss of my fave little rake the other week, he is as ever a very enthusiastic gardener but has learnt not to just leave things lying round. Wish his twin was even a teeny bit as enthusiastic as him.
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Thanks to "Amazing rotovator" from here, I have this last couple of days made four of these brassica frames, 13 foot long and 40inches wide.
Steve...:)
Well done Steve - they look great - given me an idea for next year :) :)
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Took delivery of some fibreglass sheeting for our raincatcher and learnt how to deter the rats from eating our corn cobs-thanks again Davy!
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Runner (Scarlet Emps) and Dwarf (Safari) beans in. More weeding. Slugs had taken one vegetable spaghetti squash and one Soleil courgette >:(. Gave beans and squashes a good covering with organic slug pellets!
Ninny
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Cut some thyme for a beef thingy and jumped to find 2 frogs- nearly cut one. guess there must be quite a few in that patch. At least they are enjoying the wet.... Otherwise emptied water from saucers/trays and went to the farmers market... ;D Day off!!
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Finally found out what had eaten my peas and cabbage plants. It was a tiny rabbit that had found a small hole in the wire netting fence in two locations.
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Trimmed the hedges out the front today, once the wind had died down, good job, tomorrow before the predicted rain sets in need to lop about 3 feet off the top of the holly tree, ladder + chain saw = ???
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paddled to the plot. Planted up the rest of the decorative border, some banana melons in the poly and sowed some more french beans to plant inside after the early spuds come out. Thank goodness for raised beds because all the paths are under water :)
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Briliant day warm and not much wind with great hope i headed out and was greated by yep you guessed it slugs have eaten the dailias again and my leeks have bolted :(
Birds have had a go at my runner bean bed - not much left :(
Out of the 4 apple trees 2 are at a 50 degree angle so now need to find a way to support the weight of the tree when they have fruit on and replant in the winter. Probably shock the plant if i try to fix it now :(
Came back in and got on with life and am now going to go back out and finish bagging up all the rubbish for next weeks collection and dig over a bed and contemplate pulling up my leeks i was thinking if i cut out the middle which will be the flowering stem i might have something left and if i cook it down it might freeze for adding to a chicken and leek pie in the next few weeks.
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A dry few days, so I dug my first first earlies yesterday and emptied home compost into the dalek
Today I did a lot of weeding, the strawberry's were first and seemed to take forever
The site sec gave me some celery and I planted that
More weeding and watered
Harvested about 10 onions and gave some away to two of the lottie neighbours
Nibbled on a few strawberry's
Mixed dalek bins with aerator tool
More weeding, the marestail went straight into a rubbish bag, the rest went into an empty dalek as there was some naughty weeds mixed in
;D ;D ;D
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THis weekend has seen the greenhouse finish planting up... 39 tomatoes, 38 assorted capsicums, 3 aubergines and 2 cucumbers....still got 20+ assorted cucurbits to go the allotment but not till the weather gets better.... had to put the two biggest pumpkin plants (Atlantic Giants) up a few pot sizes today... also pricked out into the pots they'll be planted from all the french marigolds... finished up with about 80.... most will go into the greenhouse, the rest will go around the brassicas....I reckon that will be the thing in a couple of weeks... next uyp get the sweetcorn (second batch) out a ploytunnel built, there's a ton of brassicas needing homes and I need to find a permanent home for the liquorice... Oh... demolished a load of ivy that was getting in my way on one of the fences too...
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lweve planted up all the brassicas and covered them in bird mesh and put little slug collars on most of them.
Oh and we found that little rake that J lost the other day.
Well I say we found it, I think one of the other plot holders found it and kindly left it somewhere we would see it as we had scoured the place it was found, but hubby and other son saw it easily yesterday.
One happy J as he got back some of the "treasures" he lost the other weekend. Our boys earn treasures for being good and extras for being helpful and doing extra things, which they save up to earn little treats.
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This weekend had me fixing storm damage, earthing up spuds and tying up sugar-snap peas. I stayed up a little later last night and hunted down a gang of slugs who had my cabbages in their sights, and today I scraped several sets of butterfly eggs off the same cabbages. Yesterday and today have been tropical, or as close as you can get in Sligo, so butterflies have been working overtime. I've also been keeping on top of the weeding, and am delighted to announce that my yellow and green courgettes are beginning to produce! Ok, they're only tiny specimens at this stage, but it's proof for me that they're 'working'. ;D
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Oh yeah, I built a wire mesh 'cage' for my strawberries. Ain't no birds getting any of them this year. 8)
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Potted up more french marigolds for the front garden plant sales, even in this wet weather they are being bought :).
Took some cucumber, courgette, tomato and herb plants down to my brother and sister-in-law, they have caught the
"grow you own" bug, at last. Surprised it took them so long considering they are vegetarians ::) ;D
Ninny
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sowed annual seeds to fill in gaps around the prennials in border around conservatory. Hope it grows well, will look beautiful & will attract bees & butterflies.
Will post a pic if & when :)
weeded two areas in preparation for lavender plants to make hedge to separate areas on patio (another one for the bees & butterflies!)
dug & weeded veg border in preparation for planting ( if seeds grow in all the rain ::) )
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Paddled through the shallows and skirted the deeper bits where we could. :(
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Took the last of the plants, that I still haven't planted, out of their puddles in gravel trays and put them in mushroom trays to drain.
Ninny
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I had to do the same Ninnys. It's a pain........one minute they need gravel trays...next minute it pours with rain ::)
Duke
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Floods update:
Kept an eye on the gold fish escaping up the path - brought the rabbit in as it too was about to swim off around the hutch... shopped/waded for an indoor hutch until the waters recede... dry indoors so we are lucky!
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Finally a decent day so we got leeks in the ground plus a ton of weeding.
Oh and I got 2 courgettes in which I HAD TO BUY!!
XX Jeannine
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I'm very proud of myself. I built a gate for my allotment out of an old pallet, some chicken wire that was left by a previous tenant and some reclaimed fence posts and fittings and it works like magic even though it looks a bit rustic.
It will beat stepping over the rabbit fence every time I want to go in. My 4 and 6 year olds struggled with that bit before!
Cheers
Squeezy
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Yesterday I weeded, planted alpine strawbs all over the place, planted squashes, mulched, sowed more beans, topped up tomato pots with compost and tied the plants into their canes, watered, carried potato buckets outside from GH, hunted..well tried to hunt recident mouse down from GH, emptied old planters from soil, started hedge cutting, organized plants around to fit more into GH, potted up some lettuce, carried compost bags into plot...and ...and.. ::)
But even all that was on top of being in work first..I thoroughly enjoyed my day and stayed on until I run out of daylight... ;D
Hmm..must add 'build new gate' on job list.. :-\
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Today I walked - yesterday even squelching was out of the question... wading was in.
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Bugger all,and it don't look very promising tomorrow.....will I ever get me runners in ???
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Bloody windy but a brief visit let me put in some more peas and beetroot. :D
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helped daughter-in-law with weed identification and planting out sprouts.
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I finally finished digging the Veg Plot / kitchen garden!!
Then I went off to the Lottie to harvest chickweed. It has done so wonderfully well!! :) Two whole heaped barrow loads from between the potatoes and I didn't have to do anything special to it this year.... it grew all on its own despite the heat/wet & cold weather we've had. :) :)
All I need now is a recipe to make use of it. ;D Anyone else growing it this year?
Oh... just remembered... whilst admiring my self-sown crop of blackfly I spotted a few broadbean pods that had swollen so I removed those very promptly!!! Didn't want anything edible to spoil the general appearance of my plot this year.
(Had to eat the broadbeans for dinner to hide the evidence... they were lovely)
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I finally finished digging the Veg Plot / kitchen garden!!
Then I went off to the Lottie to harvest chickweed. It has done so wonderfully well!! :) Two whole heaped barrow loads from between the potatoes and I didn't have to do anything special to it this year.... it grew all on its own despite the heat/wet & cold weather we've had. :) :)
All I need now is a recipe to make use of it. ;D Anyone else growing it this year?
Oh... just remembered... whilst admiring my self-sown crop of blackfly I spotted a few broadbean pods that had swollen so I removed those very promptly!!! Didn't want anything edible to spoil the general appearance of my plot this year.
(Had to eat the broadbeans for dinner to hide the evidence... they were lovely)
Lovely post ;D ;D ;D
Ninny
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Yep made me laugh Aden ;D ;D ;D
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We actually got in the garden today...yippee, no rain , we were still ankle deep im stinky mud on the paths but we managed to put up a hoophouse over the tomatoes and we planted some brassica plants..
I harvested all my garlic scapes .
AND.. it is not raining tomorrow....
XX Jeannine
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Over the past few days I have sown more beetroot, peas, French Beans, carrots and sweetcorn
Transplanted some celeriac
Potted on peppers
Watered last night, but looks like we have the rain back
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Last night I didn't get home until past 10 ..I just had to get last of the squash beds finished...before the rain arrives.
And its done now...poor plants in pots get into ground soon. I managed to dig loads of smelly chickens bedding into ground too, so when I plant, I'll have to make planting 'pockets' and hopefully the poo has mellowed down by the time plant roots start reaching the good stuff.. ;D
All was finished with good sprinkling of rock dust and now the rain will wash it in.
Another major job done...now my brassicas are in need of attention.. ::)
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Another glorious day.... :)
It started just as I fished the rake out of the garage and headed off towards my parents new veg patch.
Rain.
So that's saved the wear and tear on the tools. ;)
The rake is back in the garage and the seed packets stored for another day.
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Quick inspection of the beds, quickly tied 4 outdoor tomatoes to canes, tapped the tomato canes in the GH, ran back indoors.
Later picked some mustard greens and spring onion for stirfry. Still ran back indoors.
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Picked some strawberries and redcurrants for more jam making tomorrow. Picked some spinach, and some more peas. I seem to be doing well with peas, as first year only got about 3 pods, but must be doing something right this year, or maybe they like the rain. Did a bit of cutting grass with blunt shears, but it is my birthday soon, and as don't know where to get them sharpened and they are a bit heavy, think I will drop a few hints. ;D ;D ;D
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Spent the main part making my zero pounds shed on the allotment mainly from bits of fence and fence posts my neighbour threw out last winter. It's hideously over-engineered for a little shed but it gets so windy on our site that I figure it's worth it. I have no idea what I'm doing - but it seems to be coming together in a ramshackle kind of way.
Once it's done I can get back to the hopeless task of trying to hoe nettles and mares-tail to death through all my crops.
Got the first broad beans yesterday though - it was so worth it!
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Started some more cosse violette beans, plus some more dwarf french, borlotti and purple beans inside in the hopes they will catch up when I plant them out. Sowed some more modules, the seedlings sown direct are being eaten as soon as they appear so, back to my modules. Sowed turnips, mixed leaves, provence salad, spring onions, transplanted some savoy cabbage into bigger pots and some kohl rabi. Tomorrow I'm starting some more calabrese and romanesco broccoli. Going to be a later season but the peas, spuds and carrots/parsnips are loving it and we've had some lovely fruit already
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Put the beetroot seedling in modules under chicken wire cos the pigeons have been at them.... unloaded a trailer of manure into the furrows between the spuds... only a little bit left to go adn I'll have put a foot all through the potato patch this year, planted out my second batch of sweetcorn and two wigwams of borlottis.... fingers crosed there no manure contamination where those beans have gone....
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Harvested the last of my RDOY and on to my Foremost
Watered and slug pelleted the paths
;D
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Tied in more of the grapevines, as I still haven't got the knack of which bits to cut off and when. ::) Lots of little bunches forming though, so I did something right.
Tied up the tomato plants, most in flower now, just hope the weather is kind and we don't get the dreaded 'B'.
Took off the last of the broad beans put the plants in the composter. Planted the last of the cabbage but didn't have time to do the Autumn Calabrese so made a makeshift net tent over the pots.
................and weeded
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A bit of digging, mulching, and sorted out a swarm which had moved into one of my empty hives. (http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/s720x720/553903_411538485556822_95851230_n.jpg)
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more digging!
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Love those bees Robert!!
I picked a few pounds if strawberries but threw almost as many on the compost heap - they really don't like these cool damp conditions. :(
I dug my first new potatoes - quite pleased with the results but will have to wait until tomorrow to eat any as it was 9pm when I got home.
I pulled a handful of red skinned spring onions as well as the first beetroot of the season.
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Made a bit more of the shed ... weeded ... planted out second round of sweetcorn to replace the failed ones, final attempt of Borlotti Beans and tobacco plants.
Everything's so late I really hope these things work!
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A bit of tidying up; the flood's subsided, though I don't know what happened to that fellow I saw floating past yesterday, in a big boat with a load of animals. Planted out several varieties of climbing bean. The water's still there a couple of inches down.
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Dug up all the Lady C tats, as blight identified by a fellow plotholder (the one that found my watch!).
Any flowering thistles and fat hen weeded out of the Cara and Desiree tats.
Had a natter with a father-in-law of a neighbouring plot as she can't handle the whole one and suggested that perhaps she might like to share with someone on the waiting list.
Dug up more bindweed roots, after 7 years, it's still a problem >:(
Ninny
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Fetched my strimmer yesterday from the repair shop- fixed under guarantee thank goodness. Just had time to strim most of the long grass at my plot when the heavens opened and we had a massive thunderstorm. Sat it out in the shed but couldn't do any more. Had hoped to get sweetcorn and some more pumpkins in but no chance in sodden soil. :(
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Pulled up some Pentland Javelin,Red Electric Onions,Aquadulce broad beans and made some Borage tea.
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Dug top corner of new plot-that means we've gone right across the width - still loads to do though. Sowed yet more French beans as a green manure- we'd never be able to eat them all!
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Made a bit more of the shed ... weeded ... planted out second round of sweetcorn to replace the failed ones, final attempt of Borlotti Beans and tobacco plants.
Everything's so late I really hope these things work!
You can grow tobacco in the UK???!!! Is it legal? If so where do i get seeds?
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I have grown tobacco, really just as a curiosity, It is legal but the trouble is that it is very difficult to process, being very poisoness you have to get the curing just right. If you are still interested just google tobacco seeds and there are lots of sites that will provide them. Then google how to cure tobacco and I think it will put you off. They are magnificent foliage plants but need to be kept in the greenhouse.
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(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/brassicacage.png)
Not a good picture as taken from my ancient mobile, but erected tall brassica cage today. A little "Heath Robinson" with the old bamboo canes but will suffice for autumn calabrese, brussels and PSB.
Ninny
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Hmm a quick google shows curing to be non-essential. I generally laugh in the face of poison, but I'd like to grow tasty edibles in the greenhouse, not make room for the weed that my wife hates. No way would I be allowed to in other words ;D
More worrying is this: http://www.tobaccoseed.co.uk/Additives.html (http://www.tobaccoseed.co.uk/Additives.html)
Most are pretty innoccuous but there's one or two bad-boys in there (and i didn't get past "C"). Wow!
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Down on the plot today for 6 hours... relaxation (?)
Cleared an overgrown bed of brassicas, weeded and dug. Looks lovely and ready for the leeks (better late than never).
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Sowed some late peas , coriander, radish, Swiss chard and Little Gem cos it's quite cool out there. Potted on some divided perennials, corkscrew willow cuttings and some nicotiana seedlings.
Bawled at doglet prancing in the cavolo nero and purple sprouting bed.
Watered pumpkins and brassica babies and hosta pots.
Off for a shower now and then a gourmet picnic eaten on the hoof while rambling from post to post with dogs and daughter and some friends.
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Examined the bees. I didn't have that much time due to a church stewards' meeting, and I'm shattered anyway as I went to London to see my daughter yesterday, came back late, and didn't get much sleep.
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Picked strawberries, redcurrants, raspberries, few peas, spinach, dug up a few pots. Picked sweet peas. Too tired to make raspberry jam tonight, maybe tomorrow.
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Planted out sweetcorn and more pumpkins. Hoed and weeded and spread slug pellets.
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Nowt today, went to brothers house to celebrate my dads 90th birthday and mums 87th :)
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Nowt today, went to brothers house to celebrate my dads 90th birthday and mums 87th :)
Excellent use of your time in my opinion! I hope you all had a wonderful day. :)
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Got rather cross about my neighbour taking a broken paving stone without asking, and the rabbits trying to dig holes under the shed and ruining my weed control fabric, then sat in the shed eating cashew nuts until I felt better. Weeded all the beds, dug up the first of the potatoes and some garlic, and planted more beetroot and carrots. Then it started to rain so I came home.......
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Helped with one of our groups, taking side shoots off the tomatoes, weeded part of the path, starting to get ready for the judges. Dug up some lady c spuds, cut a couple of iceberg lettuce and some springeys for my daughter and picked lots of strawberries which are red and ripe looking but not very sweet so I'm having to cook them, first time in many years ::)
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Watched the rain fall then gave in and joined it for a while outside.
Squished the hoe / swoe through an island flowerbed and around the veg patch at my parents place, picked a long stemmed bunch of sweet-peas and dripped back indoors again.
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I planted carrots and beet yesterday where my cabbages used to be. I'm hoping my wild-flowers and sweetpea will keep the carrot-fly away. What's the chances?
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I made 2 more raised beds & filled with soil etc ready for sowing tomorrow weather permitting :-\ (rain forecast for about 10 days solid).
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Sorted out a hive which was preparing to swarm. I had planned to do something else after I'd checked it, but once I'd seen the swarm cells I had to do something about it.
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Me and matthew weeded, had a lovely time looking at worms and other creepy crawlies in the warm sunshine ;D
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Just sat nice and peacefully and thinned out the rat population
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Just been on holiday for a week. So it's weeding, weeding and more weeding. :(
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I lifted and hung my onions. I also planted a load of marigolds in and around my recently planted carrots. Spent time encouraging my strawberries. They're so big! Did a lot of potting on with flowers to ensure winter has a bit of colour.
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Just sat nice and peacefully and thinned out the rat population
Do you do foxes too?
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Cut all the haulms down on the lady chrystl, desiree, charlotte and kestrel spuds. Here's hoping we can get some potatoes out of them, the blight hadn't gone down the stems yet
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Cut all the haulms down on the lady chrystl, desiree, charlotte and kestrel spuds. Here's hoping we can get some potatoes out of them, the blight hadn't gone down the stems yet
Same here - set off to dig some potatoes for dinner - arrived home 2 hours later having chopped the tops off of 8 rows of spuds. This is becoming an annual event.
So what did you do with the the halm?
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Same here - set off to dig some potatoes for dinner - arrived home 2 hours later having chopped the tops off of 8 rows of spuds. This is becoming an annual event.
Bagged them for the tip, unfortunately, can't burn them at the moment. I hate tipping them as they'll probably be composted and put back into the stuff were sold
So what did you do with the the halm?
Put them in bags for the tip. hate doing it as they will probably turn up in compost that we buy as we're not burning at the moment
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Same here - set off to dig some potatoes for dinner - arrived home 2 hours later having chopped the tops off of 8 rows of spuds. This is becoming an annual event.
Bagged them for the tip, unfortunately, can't burn them at the moment. I hate tipping them as they'll probably be composted and put back into the stuff were sold
So what did you do with the the halm?
Put them in bags for the tip. hate doing it as they will probably turn up in compost that we buy as we're not burning at the moment
I rather thought that's what you might say and nearly everyone would agree it's the right thing to do but....
I had 8 rows of tatty tops which amounted to five cycle-trailer loads. The trailer holds, and I can pull, 100kg without a problem. My problem was I had to get back this evening to cook my elderly parent's meal...expected on the dot so...... there was no time for five round trips to the tip.
Now here comes trouble!!! :( I put all of mine on the compost heap :o and covered the huge pile with gradually rotting grass clippings.
Whoops....... stand back and wait.
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Hi Aden, could you cut them up & bag up in black sacks that are sealed tight & then put a few out for the bin men each week? Definitely better than composting them I reckon xjane
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p.s I mean better than composting them on your allotment ;)
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Hi Aden, could you cut them up & bag up in black sacks that are sealed tight & then put a few out for the bin men each week? Definitely better than composting them I reckon xjane
I'm sure you're right. The previous year I tired burning most of them as they dried pretty quickly. This year I need a nuclear power-plant to create enough heat. (There's a thought. ;D )
Presently, as yet again, it is tipping it down and I need to rescue the wet washing over the road, re-spin it and bring it home here, I think the "helm" will just have to stay put.
The grass clippings that I piled on top were so hot I couldn't handle them without using a fork - I'm hoping the heat will help kill off any spores. :-\
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Squelch - mud, squelch - slug , squelch -snail, squelch - more mud. Happy days.
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Harvested Peas, Spuds and 3 carriers of Winter Onions. ;D
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Inbetween When it was raining I planted another dozen french climbing beans.
I hope they can swim. :(
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After a 'phoe call to the Allotments team at the council, which reassured me that I could help myself to the gravel deposited on the lane to make paths, I hastened to get barrowing. One old chap demonstrated the best way to fill the barrow, with all the weight at the front (and he was right!). Then two more chaps came along, one with his own barrow, and proceeded to take over the job for a while. My plot is the furthest away it could be, but they carried on valiantly. How nice it is when people help each other! I was able to lend my mattock to another chap who was taking down his fence to rebuild. The sun brings out the best in people!
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What sun? However, there was a quick lull about an hour ago (pouring down again now) and I harvested a couple of pounds of gooseberries. Now topped and tailed and in the freezer.
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Typical had a day of work and its rained all day, did just get out with the dog for an hour and picked 4 1/2 lbs of runner beans, so not all bad...
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A slug and snail hunt!
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/IMG_0988.jpg)
I've just been down to the greenhouses and gathered some pals, not.
No salt or wellie booting, just launched with a bowling arm.
Ninny
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Omg ninny were they all in the greenhouse? I saw a large one in mine yesterday and fed it some pellets and was surprised to see it actually eat them. It's still there along with a few of his mates :)
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If it didn't eat them... they wouldn't work! Depends on the type as to how bad it feels today! :-X
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Typical had a day of work and its rained all day, did just get out with the dog for an hour and picked 4 1/2 lbs of runner beans, so not all bad...
You must have had a better summer up there in Oxford than we've had down here..
....................."picked runner beans" already?
Lucky devil!!!
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If it didn't eat them... they wouldn't work! Depends on the type as to how bad it feels today! :-X
???
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[/quote]
You must have had a better summer up there in Oxford than we've had down here..
....................."picked runner beans" already?
Lucky devil!!!
[/quote]
I did put them in very early as they were seed i had forgot about that i found again and was not sure if they would grow but every one did and i put extra in for those that would of failed but didn't...... so i have a double row 6metres long and most canes have 2 plants...... but they are my favorite veg...
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Could not get onto our patch today as some toerags set fire to derelict social club that stands next to our allotments. The building is unsafe. Hope we can get in by the weekend. >:(
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A slug and snail hunt!
I've just been down to the greenhouses and gathered some pals, not.
No salt or wellie booting, just launched with a bowling arm.
Ninny
Goodness that's a lot! ;D
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I watered the hanging baskets (some are partly under cover), opened, watered and closed the greenhouse.
Not the most exciting day until......... :o
Spotted a large white van parked at the end of my neighbours garden (he's away for a week or two) so wandered (as you do) quite speedily to see what was going on.
"It's alright mate, we're just clearing up the scrap metal." 8)
I told the bloke he couldn't take anything else as my neighbour wasn't in (although it would have been lovely to see the neighbour's junk cleared) and no they couldn't go along the rest of the lane to clear it unless they went round the front of each house and asked first. And... no I didn't want them to move the bike at the back of my garage or even think about my aluminium greenhouse staging inside the fence....which they seemed between them to be eyeing up.
The police said I did the right thing letting them know but I could ring 999 if I see a crime taking place. ::) I explained that I didn't think the "scarp man" and his two brawny helpers would have waited until Monday afternoon for the police to arrive without clearing every garden first and sauntering off.
As it was the van sped backwards at light speed - not at all helpful. >:( I had been given the "scrap man's" mobile number... very kind but I wanted the van reg too. Got it. :) So have the police.
They left, their tyres throwing up gravel all over the place and didn't get as far as taking the four aluminium wheels sitting next to the garage further along the lane... but I think they would have done if I hadn't wandered out. ;D
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Spud digging. ;D
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Put up flags, courtesy of The Oval ODI game, they just kept giving them away so saved mine and our pals ones.
Tied in more of the grapevine, it is a triphid! I've already taken most of the vines back to two leaves after a bunch and it just keep on going. The support is leaning backwards under the weight of the foliage ::)
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/IMG_1001.jpg)
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/IMG_1002.jpg)
Ishikuri bunching onions are have thrown up more seed heads and the bees are just loving them, not too much around for them at the moment so hoping they will do the business with my Scarlet Emperor beans, as they are starting to flower at the bottom. Very slow to climb this year though.
Spotted first tassles on the sweetcorn (still saved Ambrosia seed, Jeannine).
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/IMG_1004.jpg)
Cut down potato haulms, and took off more tomato leaves. Pictures taken before this was done.
Picked first courgettes and really the last of the artichokes.
Yesterday all onions lifted and in the greenhouse for drying.
More seed saving in the garden, Sweet William, Foxgloves, Shoo Fly plant, Pinks, Wallflowers and Delphiniums also drying off in the greenhouse.
Ninny
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worked like a navvy. Dug up all red and brown onions and dried them off. They are now filling a blue Ikea bag in my hallway.
Dug over the old onion and tomato (wwaaaaiiillllll) beds, stuckdown a bit of AlgoFlash fertiliser pellets and re-sowed beets, carrots, lettuce, French and shelling beans, mizuna, planted out my leeks and transplanted out the cabbages and Brussel sprouts. Treated myself to the 3 strawberries that were ripe ;D
Today I admit that walking is quite painful!
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Sighed at all the grass growing on my wood chip paths.....then cheered up by harvesting some huge spring onions and my first potatoes, came home and had potato salad....yum! 8) ;D
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Sighed at all the grass growing on my wood chip paths.....then cheered up by harvesting some huge spring onions and my first potatoes, came home and had potato salad....yum! 8) ;D
Bringing something home is always worth cheering up for. :) picked our first runner beans - just a handful but a taste for four of us. :)
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Cleaning and trimming onions drying on my mini greenhose racking. ;D
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Cleaning and trimming onions drying on my mini greenhose racking. ;D
I must get on with that job tomorrow but in my case it'll be shallots that need sorting out.
Today I just wandered up and down with a watering can. It was warm. :)
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A nice morning and lunchtime so sauntered to the allotment to pick broad beans, lettuce and carrots for a salad tonight. So I get a torrential thunderstorm about 8 minutes after I start. I retreat to overhanging hedges with a leaky brolly and watch the lightning then give up and start home. 10 yards away from the allotment gate it stops.
I can take a message.
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Well last week i sprayed the couch grass in my front garden and gradually over this week its all died and some new growth has popped up so i have filled a large brown bag of grass and will be spraying again next week.
I have to get the plants for the front garden i have been through the effort of designing and ordering all the plants TWICE the 1st time they all arrived dead and the 2nd they canceled the order so this time i am going to go to a local garden centre and just take pot luck bring it back and plant it straight away!!
Knee has been quite sore so not driving at the moment so will have to see if husband will take me :)
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Dug up more Spuds yesterday and cut back halums, harvested the last of the Red Winter Onions and Shallots. ;D
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Spent a lot of time repairing the polytunnel cover - seems it's stretched a lot and small holes appearing all over the place. Should last til the end of the season but will need to put some thought into what to do next year as I don't want to be replacing it annually.
Mulched the toms and melons again.
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Picked my first French beans at last! About 6 of them! Also raspberries, courgettes, broad beans, spuds, carrots and rhubarb. Strimmed. Cut down 2 barrow-loads of comfrey.
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Torrential showers ths morning, but it cleared up later, and I managed to finish the hedge on one side of the plot. Just the other side to do now!
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Today I managed 160' of path edging, pulled out any horsetail that dared show its head since yesterday, dug and cleared 3 rows in my new plotshare, fixed up a brassica tunnel that had collapsed on a neighbours plot, brewed up and found time for a chat and manged to not quite leave early enough to avoid a soaking on my cycle home.
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Planted out some Witloof Chicory from pots, sprayed the GH with fungicide (argh... blight) stopped an assortment of climbing beans and noted that I have a picking of CObras ready for tomorrow....
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Planted PSB, cauliflower and sprout seedlings under the brassica net cage, and watered the sun baked clay earth! Going to be a heavy job getting up the Desiree and Cara potatoes, even though they have a spent hop mulch.
Might have escaped the blight with the bigger tomato plants, having stripped them of most of their lower leaves earlier, fingers crossed.
The grass seed on the lawn has come up and is looking very lush, it was where we had a huge moss problem in the spring, who said grass seed doesn't germinate in summertime.
I love cats, but have a problem with one who will insist on depositing on the new grass, and found a dead goldfish on the front lawn. That will teach me to keep the pond clear of algae with watercress, sitting targets for the cats!
Cleared my Mum's old garden at the weekend, last time we visited was October and it was all bramble and bindweed, now it's ground elder! Hubby and I spent 10 hours on Saturday, his day off from umpiring, clearing it and, bless him, he didn't cave in.
Picked first of the french beans for supper and noticed the sweetcorn is taller than me now so here's hoping. :)
Ninny
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Sounds good Ninny!
In the evening I pushed the mower to the plot (again!) and cut the paths, cleared the broadbean patch, lifted some onions, watered leeks and wallflowers......
(Being retired I really should have more time for the plot but everyday it's a squeeze to find a gap when I can escape)
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Nothing today, processing everything we picked yesterday :o
Making cheese sauce to freeze with calabrese, chopping runners and freezing, chopping up discovery windfalls to freeze for juice, washing the 60 lbs of nadine spuds we dug up yesterday, new to us and prolofic ;D
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Managed a couple of hours between the rain. It was out with the old and in with the new. Dug up a couple of half buckets of spuds and replaced them with carrots. beetroot and green salady things. Carrots adelaide which says sow until august and nantes which says July so I am sort of stretching that one.
Sowed lettuce, Salald niche mixed and wrinkle crinkle cress.
Was pleased that yesterday I had scattered slug pellets on previous carrot sowing , seedling were showing in force this morning as were 9 huge slugs and at least 15 small ones who I suspect would have hooved them off without trace.
Found a large dog poo in my leek bed. Yuk
One patch of sweetcorn locking promising has tassles most of the plants are having twins.
Another patch has males so hopefully the ladies with appear soon.
Brassicas planted out last week loved the rain.
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More pulling out of any horsetail that dared show its head overnight, some hand weeding, dodged some rain showers by disappearing into my shed to brew up. More digging on my new plotshare and caught up with field gossip and politics.
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Removed horsetail also. Clearing plot of grass and weeds ready for mulching. bit of pruning. Got wet.
Good fun though
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Not alot so far but .....Weeded the veg plot out back.
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Sowed more mixed leaves, radish and spring onions, picked some runners, a yellow courgette, big beetroot, lettuce, cucumbers, springys and cherry toms ;D
All the leeks safely planted now, 60 lbs of nadine spuds from a 12x4 bed. They got blighted so we cut the tops off at the first sign so they've been ok
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So far.........Opened the greenhouses and watched the rain bounce off the roof!
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Horsetail patrol pulling out as much as possible of any that dares raise its head, turned two compost heaps, weeding around the cucumbers, put air into the wheelbarrow tyre, dug more of my new plotshare. Also found time for a social mug of tea. Homeward bound in the dark again.
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Planted the last of the annuals from the front garden sale that didn't go, deadheaded evening primroses every morning this week, and had a weed around the pond border. Spotted some dragonfly cases that had crisped up so we still have larvae in the pond. I just wish I knew what time of day they climbed up the iris or reeds to film one hatching on the camera.
Ninny
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Pulled up the rest of the garlic,onions and shallots then dug the ground over, pulled up 2 row's of beetroot then dug that over and then dug up the rest of the 1st earls and dug over that bit and then weeded the rest of the the plot!!!!! and loved the whole day being up there+ watering the greenhouses.... ;D ;D
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Mowed the paths then mulched beans and cucumbers. Hoed with some vigour. Drank tea. More digging of the new plotshare - past the halfway mark now. Found time for tea and conversation as the sun set and darkness fell.
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Weed, Weed and Weed again
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Not a sausage. :(
Had hoped to get back to the plot to do a bit more tidying up and pick runners and peas today but my dad's lunch-time carer isn't well so it's down to me.
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More of the same - horsetail patrol, a bit of hoeing, weeded amongst the leaf lettuce and threw down some snail bait, drank tea, dug on the plotshare. Homeward bound in the dark - my, how much sooner darkness seems to fall now compared to six weeks ago.
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Planted out last of the Celeriac
Harvested Peas, French beans,Carrots and Kale. ;D
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>:( >:( nothing today bl@@dy rain !!!
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I turned the air blue after stubbing my toe on the stair gate, i now have a black toe with half of it's nail broken :'(
Only watered the greenhouse's to wet for anything else, but that took long enough hobbling around :-[
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Fight the eternal battle with horsetail that dares show its head above the soil. Contemplated hoeing but the afternoon rain left the surface too damp to really make it effective. Pinched out some climbing beans - they're finally getting to the top of the poles. Made tea. More tensioned wires on the shed in an attempt to discipline the honeysuckle. More digging on the plotshare. Enforced end of play when my fork lost a tine. That's me seeking a replacement fork then. Mental note to cut back the jerusalem artichokes.
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Dug up a row and a half of Cara potatoes and had some of them with the roast for supper. Rest are drying out on the garden table ready for sacking tomorrow.
Ninny
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. Mental note to cut back the jerusalem artichokes.
Isn't it very early to be doing this? You'll miss the lovely flowers!
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Advice I was given was to cut off the flowers so that the plant put energy into the tuber rather than into seeds. Seems reasonable to me since I want the tubers to eat rather than the flowers for looking decorative - I've got plants for flowers to fill that role. I've always cut of the flowers before they're really formed and crop weight from my Jerusalem Artichokes has always been impressive.
No plot visit today - I've no working fork at the moment and heavy rain at travel time dampened my enthusiasm
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Harvested the first of my potatoes...my first attempt at potatoes, I have 9 ;D ;D varying from half an inch long to 3 inches long....from 3 plants...I have another 5 or 6 plants to harvest. Really quite proud of my harvest :) :D :D
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Measured my pumpkin then had a sulk as its not growing quickly enough :(
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Today I bought a new, I'm going to regret it but I kept the reciept, fork for a tiny price. After todays rain it was too wet for hoeing so I hand weeded and fought the ongoing fight with the horsetail. Put out trellis for the cucumbers and more rampant squashes. Drank tea. Grabbed some seeds from finished annuals for next year. Shifted a load of large stones. Took a stroll around the rest of the field. Happy to see runner beans flowering in my wigwams at last.
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Cutting hedges and pulled out ragwort and knocked over Himalyan Balsam....(thousands overhere)
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Today its been a little hot, not sure if anyone noticed ??
So today Harriet has been watering everything and saying hello to Mr Ant and all his friends we moved a bag of soil to plant up a bayberry and found a worm which must have been 2 ft long big and fat !! So harriet dug him a little hole and we popped him into the garden with a little soil on top and then Harriet watered him in to give him a bath in his new home.
Moslty i have been binning plants which have not survived being in water logged or parched soil and pulling a few more persistent weeds which have been sprayed a few times but they keep coming back :(
Am still off work monday and am hoping to rake over one of the beds and recover it for next year. Have 2 beds left to clear. I have 4 bags of soil which i am going to resist using and instead am going to use this as top soil over the beds when i uncover them in the early spring as there is a better chance in the soil being warm in the plastic than dug into the ground. :) Planning good things for next year :)
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What a day for a visit to the plot! Boy it was hot. 8)
Most sensible people would go early morning or later in the evening cool but not me. ::) We needed more potatoes and beetroot so I waited until I had a couple of free hours and set off.
Peace and quiet... the only couple daft enough to be out in a midday sun were just packing up to go home to the cool.
I plugged in the hose, topped up the water butts, lifted the potatoes (Charlotte I think), pulled some big beetroot, cut gladioli, picked beans runners & French then did 30 minutes watering (Leeks, wallflowers and beans) and finally scaddelled home.
What glorious sunshine and warmth!! :)
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Bit of a toastie one at the plot today got there at 7.00 turned on the site water and cracked on with jobs list early. It was one of those dewy misty mornings that I love but it didn't last long sweating buckets by 8.00. Had a good morning though picked runner and french beans , tidied up and weeded the asparagus bed , cut a cabbage , filled all water butts , dug spuds , picked the courgettes , clipped the hedge ,weeded and watered . Went back to turn off the site water at the stop valve at 6.00 and had a visit from a couple of passing chaps and a young lady, they are cycling from London to hereford in as carbon free way as possible so they were after a few goodies for tea and a top on water bottles so I loaded them up a nice bag full ;D
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After yesterdays all-day bonfire extravaganza in the hot sun I managed today to stay away until 6, then managed to water two greenhouses for other people, attack my own horsetail, pick a carrier bag of beans, take a little care of the plot adjacent who's been called away for family illness and water for myself things that I thought really needed it.
Two days of sun in row...when is the hosepipe ban due to restart, do you think?
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A bit of hoeing
Watered
Harvested some nice sized beetroots. 8)
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Got stuck into digging my onion/carrot bed. What a mess - fat hen and milk thistle and self seeded russian kale. Did not expect any crops thought the slugs would have eaten them but to my great surprise a good crop of onions. Plus 5 carrots and four potatoes.
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A nice contrast in productivity: I sowed spring onions soon after I took over a new allotment in mid April. Yesterday, I picked the first one! 4 months for something a bit bigger than a pencil!
I also sowed around the same time 3 X 4ft rows on one bed of Ruby Chard and later 2 X 4ft rows of it on another bed. I have made two cuts of it already, one cut garnering about 3lb of leaf and stalk. Yesterday I picked 8lb 4 oz of the stuff!
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Had a first ever since 2005! Daughter dug up my Desiree and half a row of Cara, needless to say I was at a loss for words! She picked beans, french and runners, dibbed holes for my late planting of leeks, put them in and watered, bless her.
There has just got to be a reason for all her activity ::) ??? ;D
Ninny :)
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Yesterday was my second longish stint at the plot this month.
It was dry and warm so I set to weeding around the long line of raspberries and piling weeds on the compost heap.
Gradually the plot is looking more the way I'd prefer it to after a pretty washed-out, unsuccessfully chilly year. Hopefully next year I will have more enthusiasm and better results weather permitting.
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Took photographs :)
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Nothing today but yesterday harvested lots of courgettes |(been away for 10 days!) and raspberries, and dug over my onion patch, which yielded a barrowful of bindweed and couchgrass. ::)
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Weeded every bed I have. Pruned blackcurrant bushes. Pulled up passed their best pea and broad bean plants.
My OH emptied the bottom of our compost bins .....the compost was lovely!!
After weeding gave the winter brassicas a chicken pellet feed.
Watered my Little Gem Lettuce and dwarf French beans.
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Yesterday I moved another raised bed ready for my Winter onions, filled it with council compost and Chicken pelleted and watered them both
Watered Celery, Celeriac and Sweetcorn
Harvested spicey salad leaves, 3 carrots and a handful of Desire. ;D
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Gathered in the rest of the Onions cut a cabbage,picked french and runner beans(thats another 5 bags for the freezer,dug some carrots picked courgettes and raspberry,s and dug some of the trial spuds we grew this time pentland javalin,Arran pilot, juillette,Milva,Marris peer,Roseval,Bintji,Pentland crown. Oh and a bit of weeding ;D
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Pruning pruning pruning. After not touching the back garden other than lightly weeding over the last couple of years, it has becoming a jungle and things need splitting and shrubs need taking back, so I am being mean and everything is getting a major cut down, and I mean major.
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Not in my garden but in that of someone I met as a result of my on-line search to buy a budgie or two.......
I went to the very edge of town to view budgies for sale and wow what a back-garden! The place was pretty ordinary from the front but like Eden once through the gate.
Although not large every part of the garden was filled: chicken coups, fish pond, a budgie aviary with two flights and a bird room, a finch aviary, small trees and a veg plot.
It was a real delight. I had meant to look closely at the aviary to see how it was constructed but there was so much to see... it was magical.
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Washed lots of pots and gravel trays. Dried and placed in the shed. It's a job a find very relaxing and I love the thought that are ready for next year. I have plant labels to clean tomorrow. the allotment shed needs a tidy too. I am the only person getting ready for winter?!!
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Waterproofs on and tried to salvage the damage from a much windier day than I expected, earthing up kale and calabrese and removing tipped over onions.
Cut down 2 toms that were blighted. Watered (!) my 3 plastic weave sacks of home guard, cursed the scallions for being way too lazy, inspected VERY early PSB with mouth watering.
Slug pelleted. Again. I'm starting to become convinced that they've become resistant to metaldehyde. Plenty about but not so many dehydrating, slimy ones.
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Had to sneek another carrier bag of runnerbeans into the house.
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Watered and weeded yesterday and harvested Carrrots, Beetroot, First Swetcorn and French Beans. ; :D
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Hung up the washing...... hoping to escape to the plot tomorrow though. ;)
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Watered, composted and harvested carrots, runners, F.beans and an assortment of different spuds. ;D
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Pulled up the sweetcorn all finished (boo) but it was very nice , dug some spuds,picked courgettes,weeded and watered and scoffed some raspberrys ;D
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Today, as every session I hunted down mares tail. I also failed to take a picture of the mega-squash that might be a pumpkin, picked cucumbers, hoed and watered climbing beans.
I spent some time on my plotshare, clearing away bonfire ash and weeding. Now waiting on the weather to be more neighbour friendly before I have another burn.
Darkness now falls much too early - it's difficult to approve of such an arrangement.
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Last night picked: 4 Sweetcorn, runner beans, pulled up a turnip, planted winter cabbage and weeded the raised bed than I planted winter cabbage in last week. My sweetpeas were also cut down and went in the compost bin.
Stephen
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Sounds a good haul carroteater.
Welcome to A4A ;D
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Yesterday I spent 3 hours tackling one huge winter jasmine at my parents old bungalow. My father was concerned about it. Despite keeping it trimmed for them the thing has grown out of hand. My mother planted a cutting (as she often does with anything green she likes the look of ::)) and it plastered the front porch almost concealing the front door and side window completely.
As the thing has begun to grow up and behind the guttering and fascia it needed a solid haircut. I filled my cycle trailer (a 100kg load job) and three large compost bags. Today I was supposed to be shredding the lot but it'll wilt and be easier to cope with tomorrow. ;)
I am pretty sure the jasmine will be back with a vengence. ;D
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Politician's answer - Well yesterday I picked all the dry and semi dry beans off the plants. Today the memsahib and I got stuck in and she removed the plants and I stacked the canes ready to bundle them up and dump them on the shed roof.
I cut back all the strawberry plants and transplanted a few large runners that had self rooted, well, they have two choices. My wonderful weeder got to grips with the salad bed. Now She's gorn orf to chat to 'er mate and I'm going to try and find out what to do with white,red and blackcurrants over the winter.
Best of all we got it all done in the dry and now the rain is peeing down. :blob7:
Cheers, Tony.
Cheers, Tony.
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A few days ago I checked the maturing pods of my purple mangetout thinking I could soon harvest them for seed for next year. Today I looked and they had all gone. My wife picking dwarf French beans alongside in the bed discovered a neat little pile of empty purple pods in the midst.
So that is why I pulled up all my red flecked borlotti beans whether they were dried off or not to take back home to safety. It gave me room to dig over the spot and lift the horsetail and get the ground ready for garlic planting.
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(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/IMG_2011.jpg)
Dried seeds packed and put on the seedboard to help raise funds for our local horty society. Gaps are for seeds not quite dry enough yet, or pictures I have to put above some of them.
Ninny
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(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/IMG_2011.jpg)
Dried seeds packed and put on the seedboard to help raise funds for our local horty society. Gaps are for seeds not quite dry enough yet, or pictures I have to put above some of them.
Ninny
What a great display, Ninny. A nice way to raise money.
I mainly studied my garden's weed collection today, waiting for cooler weather and death of the mosquitoes to pull them.
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What a lovely idea Ninny and the results of your hard work look fantastic :happy8:
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Very impressed Ninny, looks amazing.
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Just come back from the lottie with beetroots, mixed spicy leaves, carrots, a small cabbage, last two sweetcorn and a single spring onion. :blob7:
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I decided it was time to clean out the wee plastic type greenhouse took all afternoon ,found two very fat slugs with orange frill around them they were like stuffed golf balls so I sent them flying :happy7:but its all done and I was very happy with it :blob7:
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Ninny that's hugely posh!!
When I first looked at the photo (without reading) I thought you had organised your seeds by sowing month as there were 12 columns.
:glasses9: Now I've put my specs on and read = "Well done you. What a great idea"
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Dashed down to the plot to harvest my squash in case we get frost tonight. Just hope they will ripen in the kitchen!
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tackled one of the bramble bushes and had to use my first aid tin! :sad1:
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Plunged 68 pots of show daffodils. Hvae no garden to grow them in now so have to hope the flowers are left for me to cut.
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Pondered how to get rid of English Ivy that covers a rock wall and everything nearby. :BangHead:
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Whilst cutting up stuff for the compost heap I managed to slice my palm with my secateurs.There was blood everywhere.
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Looks super, Ninnyscrops.
:hello2:
Ouch Poolcue! Hope it heals fast - did you need stitches?
Here too, general bit of tidying and secateuring for the compost daleks. Also finding a few last beans for supper. Spread a few sheets of fleece too, as nights are getting just slightly frosty here. Tidied up a few bean supports and removed frosted bean plants. First frost always shows where the colder and warmer spots in the garden are - doesn't get frosted evenly. Took the last few pears off the tree too.
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I sat in the garden shelling borlotti beans that have been drying. I now have 1lb 12 oz of pretty mottled beans. There are more pods still drying too so the final count will be bigger.
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(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/nonrancher/th_lettucebed2012.jpg)
greens pickin' with grandchild.
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Cut and washed all my pumpkins and popped them in the greenhouse for the night and planted out four bulbs worth of early purple wight garlic cloves into ridges 9 inches apart with cut phacelia as a mulch between them. I have two more bags of garlic to plant out when the ground has been cleared a bit more - not a big job.
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Finally put the rest of my Winter Onions in after being rained off Saturday
Dug up spuds ( yes I know I am late ) The last of the Kestrel, Sante, Cara, Desire and a Cypriot type. :toothy10:
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In the end I had 50 lb of assorted winter squash from one bed. I put the second planting of garlic today - Carcasonne Wight, a hardneck. I have one more variety to plant still and will do that in the next two or three days, weather permitting. I've been planting the large cloves 9 inches apart, the smaller ones 6 inches.
After reading Joy Larkcom's comments on garlic planting, I planted them 4 inches down in low ridges.
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Still digging up spuds, Cara, Sante and Desire, also harvested spicy salad leaves, beetroot, cabbages and last of the French Beans. :toothy10:
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Far too wet today, it hasn't stopped raining but got a third planting of garlic in yesterday. 4 bulbs of Provence Wight g
ave me about 27 evenly fat cloves. I now have Early
Purple, Carcassone and Provence planted 4" and more deep under low ridges around 9" apart each way, altogether 4' x 14' with bunches of pulled up phacelia in the troughs between the ridges as a sort of mulch. I also sowed about 40 Aquadulce Claudia broad beans in toilet roll tubes to germinate safely before planting out later. I sprinkled some mycorhizal (sp?) dust over them first; not tried it before though I get it with my pine bonsai.
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Still digging up spuds, Cara, Sante and Desire, also harvested spicy salad leaves, beetroot, cabbages and last of the French Beans. :toothy10:
Pleased it's not just me - I've 1/2 a row of spuds sat sitting there awaiting attention..... if the slugs haven't had the lot.
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Today I pulled up my main bed of phacelia as I expect it will be cut down by frost before long and created a compost heap with it and sunflower stalks and ragged bits of pumpkin foliage and some weeds. I will supplement it with grass cuttings when it gets a bit dryer. We picked some more raspberries and we belatedly took the netting off the new strawberry bed so I can trim off the old leaves and weed it a bit. We had a couple of Mara des Bois from a pot near the house two days ago. I dug over a patch to get ready for some autumn broad beans but they wont be planted out for a week or two.
Also today I got four massive elephant garlic cloves that I ordered and paid for this summer at the Norfolk Show. I'd begun to think I'd been forgotten. It was from Delma's. Anyone come across her? She has been at the Norfolk Show a few times now. I got several other useful exotics from her too.
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Scrubbed algae off arbor; hope to repaint this week.
Pulled up more English ivy and started cleaning out the veg. garden and flower bed.
Am I stiff?
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Pulled beansticks, harvested rocket, cress, lettuce and carrots. Too waterlogged to do much else.
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Cut down a number of roses,collected 4 black sacks of leaves for leaf mould,pulled up my non bearing Tasmanian Chocolate and Dwarf Mr Snow tomato plants and planted up trays of Hollyhocks and Cornflower Blue Diadem for overwintering.
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Cleard all the wildflowers, cut down some more tomatoes and the rest of the beans, Ray's in the middle of digging out the compost bins and has mulched up 2 beds so far ad covered them up. brought some of the green peppers home to see if I can ripen them, covered the geranium cuttings in the big greenhouse with some fleece against the cold :happy7:
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Cut back dead and unwanted foilage on garden tommies hoping to get the last 20 or so to ripen. :coffee2:
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Yesterday, I finished planting daffodil and narcissus in my spring cutting bed. I finished digging over a small bed, which had had a three sisters planting on it (disaster). I trimmed edges, scattered over some BFB and decided to cover it down, until I read an article on overwintering peas. Hmmm, why not give it a go I thought, and am going to hoik out cloches and fleece toot sweet (English version, can't spell the French) I picked my runner bean wigwam clean, some for seed, some nice young ones for eating. Having already planted garlic and onions under fleece, took a peek, nothing doing yet. Didn't have time to finally sort strawbs, i.e. cut down foliage, good weed and feed (next time) Harvested Kale. Pulled first of my Guernsey parsnips. What a shock! Either thin, long (10 ins) specimens, but already rusted, or babies, hardly fit for the pot. Think I'll wait a while. Mega tidy up (what do you do with weeds, I am overwhelmed), and deadheaded last of the cosmos, gailliardas, statice on cuttings bed, and pulled out all the sweet peas, boohoo. Knackered still. Rested today
Caro
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This morning I joined around 50 other villagers to plant 8000 daffodil bulbs around the village verges as a lasting tribute for the jubilee , then thanks to the WI finished off with soup and a roll, tea and cake in the village hall. Well done all in Greystoke, Roll on spring
regards Ian D
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Still picking runner beans, and more to come as long as the frost stays away although things are noticeably slowing down now. Mercifully courgettes are slowing down too but I saw fresh flowers on them today. Started turning over soil to generally clear up for winter. I need to cut the grass but my little hand-push cylinder mower just does not handle wet grass at all well. Cleared away squashes now I've harvested them. Plenty of leaves to rake up but plenty more to fall too.
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Mowed mine and the neighbours grass at the plot today and the main service path,pulled up Marigold's courgettes and took down my three wigwams had a really good tidy up and did a little digging. :happy7:
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Weeded the paths
Mowed the grass at the front of the plot
Painted grease on my young fruit trees
Pulled some carrots
Removed the bottom leaves from my brussel sprouts
Tidied the shed
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Planted my precious 4 Elephant garlic cloves. They went in a generous 18 inches apart, on top of a deep hole filled with garden compost and well covered by a small mound. Just in case the shoot was tempted to venture out the side of the mound, I made a little cup sized depression in the centre. When the shoot appears I can earth it up a little. I bought some sulphate of potash to nurture it and all the other garlics in February.
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Inspected the greenhouse and decided I really must get in there the next time it rains to pull up the latest crop of mares tail but at least the bramble has gone (for now!)
Smiled at the trailing violas that are developing well and waiting to go into wall baskets for the spring.
If it dries off enough I might just give the lawns one last (?) cut before winter.
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Two weeks on and my garlics are starting to peek out of the ground.
I picked the last courgettes, harvested some ruby chard, picked a few chrysanthemums, pulled some more fly blown carrots.
My broad beans sown in tubes are peeking out and I just sowed 60 or so field beans - Wizard from Real Seeds. I coated them in inoculant and used a mixture of deep root trainers, toilet roll card tubes and home made newspaper pots. I will see which works best.
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Checked everything, all last year's sweet pea seeds are poking their heads up. Went for 10 bags of mushroom compost for the reedy feeders in the poly next year, got them for 1.25, usually 2.00 per bag but they were the last :toothy10:
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I dug this up...circumference 16"
(http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac224/gwynnethmary/P1040314_rs.jpg)
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Hi All,
I've split this topic for performance reasons ...
Continuation can be found here,
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,74459.0.html
Thanks
Dan