What did you do this weekend?

[Kerry]

gardening or rain stopped play?
myself, i am very pleased to have cleaned the greenhouse inside and swept the floor. had to be careful of the resident toad, who looked most put out at the disruption. still smelling of jeyes, even after several showers!
after a day to dry out, have bubblewrapped the greenhouse, very pleasing to use last years bubble wrap and find it still fits (krypton factor though it was) rather than start the roll again.
managed to tidy up all the bits and bobs that accumulate.

helped other half fit new external cover to kitchen fan, now we do not have a gale blowing straight indoors, no need for clambering on top of oven to fix a plastic bag to it!
yesterday went to leicester tigers for rugby, they won, i got soaked.
work tomorrow, 7am start :(

[Kerry]

[Multiveg]

This morning, went to empty the scraps bin into compost bin out in garden when I thought I'd look to see if there were any ripe tomatoes outside - zilch. No sign of blight and no sign of colour - decided the best thing for them is chutney.

Went also today to check on the allotment. Saw my supposedly April-heading cauli with a nice purple head, so thought YUM. Then, pulled 3 leeks, not big, but still.... Noticed that the remaining variety of Sarpo potatoes still in green leaf and no blight (but didn't get round to digging them up - might have slug damage, but started to rain again). One of the Florence Fennels is bulbing up quite nicely. Looked at the comfrey and thought - must give Mimi a THONG for Christmas!

Went to Capel Curig for lunch, then got some new walking shoes in Joe Brown's. Hubby likes a Sunday drive, so we went up and down narrow lanes looking at waterfalls and autumn colours on the trees.

Still reading back issues of Organic Gardening Magazine (found another potential use for horsetail - rich in silica and cucumbers want a lot of silica...). Must get round to googling on bracken compost as alternative for peat - that sounded interesting in a 1996? issue.

Yesterday, went in search of fleece and plastic - one of the big garden centres on Anglesey, is not much of a garden centre at this time of year - well over half their indoor space converted to Christmas (no ponds/aquariums/seeds/plastic pots/plastic sheeting/pond liners......) The big garden centre near my mum's is still a garden centre, but does have a large Christmas decoration area, plus external building used for Santa, so not really impinging on gardening.

[Roy Bham UK]

Today (Sunny Sunday) 8) I decided to prune back the honeysuckle that just won't flower (in too shady place) and then the Clematis that flowered last year but not this year, that too had a good chopping and finally the Grape vine that ran wild over the pergola the fruits on the vine were tiny this year alas the puppy dog seemed to enjoy them. :o
I'm wondering if I pruned too soon on all counts? ??? And also would like to know if the vine leaves would make a good mulch/compost for the Lottie if and when I get it? :)

Not as sunny at 3pm as it poured down ah well good excuse to stop work. ;D

[busy_lizzie]

Fantastic weather today considering the previous week has contained torrential rain and really cold Autumn days.  But today the day dawned with blue skies and sunshine.  We went off to the lottie this morning.  I picked up some seed/plant catalogues at the Lottie Shop, and back to my plot where I dug the old dwarf french beans out - so that bed is now cleared and dug over for the winter.

Had to strip off my coat and then my cardy leaving just my t shirt as the weather was unbelievably warm.  Then I weeded  and tidied the other beds I had dug over.  We have about half of our Plot dug over for the winter now.  Husband pruned an apple tree that did badly this year, for some reason, then he planted our Japanese onions. Sat and had some juice and surveyed our plot, which is looking good.  Will have to tackle the back bit of our plot as it has quite a lot of grass on it, but on the whole we are at a much better stage this year than we were last.  Husband dug up the last of his carrots.  We have left, lots of spinach, some cabbages, leeks, beetroot, parsnips and a few turnips and the brussell sprouts for Christmas.  Will browse over the catalogue tonight and make a plan for next year.

Has been a really nice day today, we were so very lucky with the weather, can't believe we will have many left like today, but today was just what I needed. Quite a golden day.   ;D busy_lizzie  

[Doris_Pinks]

Lousy weather here, so I did a great gulp and decided to attack, "the Loft"!! :o To be honest I am surprised I got out alive!! 5 trips to the tip and I can finally see the floor! ;D Did that both mornings, but had to stop at 1pm cos the tip is closed then for the rest of the day! (someones genuis idea!) So in the afternoon we watched old home videos, much to the kids delight! It is amazing how 15 years flies by and you tend to look a tad older! Nice to see our girlies as sweet babies again! DP

[busy_lizzie]

Watching old home movies is a lovely way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon DorisP.  This might sound strange, but after my Mam's funeral tea we all gathered round our TV and watched a video of Mam's 80th Birthday Party.  It could have been a really distressing thing to do, but it wasn't.  She looked so happy and we all had made a big fuss of her, that it was lovely, and a great way to remember how she really was.  Amongst the few tears there was a lot of laughter too, remembering the happy day.   :) busy_lizzie    

[Roy Bham UK]

How far back can you go? :) (this may give your age away) :o some of my film footage goes back to the early sixties, I have my Granddad, Aunts Uncles and Cousins on standard 8 silent film, also the old Bull Ring Shopping Centre here in Birmingham when it was new (and they are rebuilding again) and the M5 Motorway being built at Frankly services. :D
Then there's my cherished videos on Hi8 format when our Grand children were born, proud moments fond memories. I’ve watched those a few times over. ;D

To top all that I was filmed on national television in 1968 carrying flowers (that was a first) to my dear wife in hospital as she had given birth to our first child. 8)

Oh and finally (you may have seen this) my MIL had a minute of fame on You’ve Been Framed in a sequence when a ball smacked her in the back of the head and knocked her sun glasses off whilst on holiday in Malta. ;D ;D

Oh Happy Days. ;D

[SpeedyMango]

Spent a very soggy Saturday on the plot, nipping into the shed for cups of tea when the rain got really hard, but after a while I was so wet I stopped bothering!

Managed to prepare a couple of beds and plant garlic and broad beans, and sowed some grazing rye on one of my bigger beds that was sitting there doing nothing.

During a drier half hour also managed to plant some bulbs in the 'flower patch' which will hopefully put in an appearance in spring, if they don't float away first!

As the rain really started coming down in the afternoon I gave up and went for a session on the driving range (new hobby number 2 - golf lessons). Digging + swinging at golf balls = aches and pains for the rest of the weekend!

Sunday was glorious in comparison. My partner's Mum was staying with us for the weekend, so we took her to Wisley in the afternoon - the veg garden was an inspiration as ever. I am definitely going for fennel and chard next year - Bright Lights looks so fabulous in the autumn sunshine. Bought some more grazing rye seed and a bucket of chicken poo pellets while I was there. Yum.

[ken (69)]

Dug a couple of large soakaways  and filled with rubble prior to fitting guttering to this 1948 garage that Dad put up. Asbestos 10ft wide by about 15ft long. roof good most of the sides good , back gone but front  with up and over door good.Have a vague idea once stable to clad over the asbestos with featherboard but not sure if legal. Have been quoted £400 for asbestos skip and own labour then I've got to buy the featherboard. Slept well.

[Sarah-b]

Visited relatives in Leeds. Saw some beautiful allotments there with black, black soil - very nice. Started worrying about how I will cope with teenage children - but mine are only 2 and 4 - so have plently of time to keep on worrying.

Multiveg - I was interested in bracken as a mulch and then everyone scared me with stories of cancer producing spores. I think HDYRA do a leaflet about using bracken which I might send off for at some point - let me know what you find out...

Sarah

[Mrs Ava]

Saturday - picked up step daughter and headed to North Devon for the half term week.  Travelled the motorway instead of the A303, and we only hit heavy traffic at Bristol, so made the journey in real good time.  Arrive at wonderful farmhouse in the midst of a torrential rain storm but settled in and Ava got the log fire roaring!  Sunday was sunshine and showers.  Relaxing morning after a big full devon style cooked brekky (pixie, do you like Hogs pudding?) then off to Bideford for my sacred Hockings ice cream.  In to visit my elderly aunts, nice suprise, nan and grandad were there also.  Excellent start to what turned out to be a better than excellent week!  ;D