Week 16 - Sow - Sow - Sow

Sunday, 15th April 2006

Was on tea duty at church so afterwards shot down to the lottie with a whole lot of plants to put in the cold frame and greenhouse. Took the bucket of stinking seaweed with. Thank Goodness. It was stinking hot and as I was not feeling too well I managed to get a row of salsify in and went home and had a cold late lunch. Spent the afternoon in bed as my back was really aching. Ron put up the wires in the greenhouse for me for later in the season to string the tomatoes, cucumbers and melons on.

Monday, 16th April 2007

Managed to finally sow the following : Courgettes : First Sowing : 16/4 green bush; Jemmer; De Nice a Fruit Ronde. Squash/Pumpkin : Early Butternut; Pottimarron; Early Summer Crookneck; Rolet Gem Squash; Green Hubbard Squash; White Custard; Squash, Cherimoya, Custard Apple; Melon's: Melon 'Petit Gris de Rennes'; “Ananas d’ Amerique a Chair Verte” ; Minnesota Midget and Zatta (sim. To Brattoma Buana) - for curiousity - it looks ugly from Red Parcel. Also managed to get the curly parsley pricked out. Planted 18 mielie seeds.

Friday, 20th April 2007

Ron went down to the lottie and mowed the lawn. He also collected 13 paving stones that John Goddard had donated to the lottie and placed them around the greenhouse. It is looking good! It was a bit early for the daffodils but we could not live with it any longer as it was starting to resemble a jungle. It is looking much better now – a bit shorn but better. The lottie is really coming together again. Have been going down regularly during the week to do a little bit of digging and clearing of weeds to prepare the beds for carrots and watering the plants in the greenhouse.

Week 15 - Organised Chaos!

Sunday, 8th April 2007

Went to church in the morning and then after a quick braai before Ron went off the work went out to the Somerley Craft and Garden Fair. The weather was gorgeous and far better than the mud bath of last year. I sat in the sun eating my first ice cream of the summer. I managed to get quite a few unusual herbs such as tarragon, African basil, Woodruff (companion plant for the raspberries), and some more Egyptian walking onions. Also got two Monarda plants – one pink and one red – I do love them so – they remind me of flamboyant ladies out at a race day with floppy hats and they are perennials to boot!! Popped past the lottie on the way home and gave everything a good watering. Also got two unusual but pretty shrubs for the back garden. Managed to find a salt pig at long last.

Monday, 9th April 2007

Climbed into the front garden and got the chipped bark mulch down – hope it keeps those blasted cats at bay. The next course of action will be to buy some Catnep and plant it in the open glade just past their house. Maybe that will keep the damn moggies at bay. Grr! If it’s not Woody digging up my stuff it’s the damn moggies! Also managed to get all my delphiniums planted out (they were clambering out of their pots) into the ground. Just hope that the resident hedgehogs will keep the local slug population down and give them a fighting chance – might even get some flower spikes this year. Did managed to prick out all the pepper plants.

Wednesday, 12th April 2007

Managed to get down to the lottie after work and get another two rows of parnips in (not pre-germinated as before), as the success rate on the last one is pretty poor. I put htree seeds per station – so lets see what happens. Anyway I am not too perturbued if they do not all come up as how many parsnips can I roast anyway. To date I can only see one that has come up! The lettuce that I grew as a catch crop on the same rows has not even made an appearance yet? I can see a few Spring Onion, White Lisbon though. Also got in the Mokum baby carrots and the Paraster 4. Planted a middle row of onion sets to deter the carrot fly.

Thursday, 12th April 2007

Managed to get two trays of the tomatoes pricked out into pots the next size up. Good germination except for the Marmade. They are looking pretty healthy. Will not bother to resow as I have more than enough other varieties (approx. 12) this season!! Also managed to get the Morning Glory – Heavenly Blue repotted and into the greenhouse. The PTP6 and the Red Parcel arrived today and boy did I have a seed feast choosing new varieties to grow. Especially interesting was the black salsify (they say it tastes a bit like asparagus), curly sea kale (to fill the hungry gap in Jan / Feb and another variety of asparagus ??. There were some really lovely choices in the Red Parcel but I’m afraid that the PTP6 has become a bit of a dumping ground of the other members old seeds. Pity, as this was a good way of trying out things that you would not normally.

We are scheduled to glaze the greenhouse on Saturday so I will be moving a lot of the bigger plants onto the lottie greenhouse and give me a bit more room for the more iffy plants.

Saturday, 14th April 2007

Poor Terrence was in hospital with a grumbling appendix. So Ron and Nick got to the lottie about 9:30 and got all the glass in – only cracking 3 panes. Danny came along and ended up tying up all the broad beans and planting rows of marigold and poached egg seeds. Also sorted out the sweetpea wigwam – tidying up, tying in and replanting a couple. She seemed to enjoy it – time will tell…. It was a lovely day and I managed to get all the cabbages ?? in that I bought from the lottie shop and also sowed a row of early sprouting broccoli and calabrese. The First Early potatoes Epicure and Vivladi have poked their little heads out of the gorund – what a lovely sight – I was starting to give up hope. Also noticed the first pods on the broad beans – will have to keep a sharp look out as they can grow rather quickly and I want them young and tender. Cadged the neighbours hosepipe so managed to give the lottie a good dousing – hopefully give all the vegetables a well deserved drink which will do them no end of good. Ended the day by having a lovely braai – Nick came around and TD was let out of hospital.

Week 14

Sunday, 1st April 2007

Woke up with a headache and started searching the shops for breeze blocks to use as a foundation to hold the green house down before we put the glass in. The winds can get quite bad and the lottie is pretty unprotected. Spent the whole morning but could not find the right bricks but did get three bags of compost. When I got to the lottie I found that Nick had got impatient and started digging foundations for the greenhouse smack bang in the middle of the grass patch next to the potato patch. It really broke my heart telling him to stop. He really wants to help but hinders more sometimes. He never listens to what you want him to do so although he is willing he tends to get in the hair. But he helped a lot with the erecting of the frame. I was so mad when I got there I stood on a pile of glass and heard a pronounced “crack, crunch”. Lordly knows how many panes I broke. (Post Note : 6 panes in all!!)

Tuesday, 3rd April 2007

Ron managed to get the right breeze blocks from Travis Perkins and collected them. He went down to the lottie to get the foundation laid for the greenhouse and ended up nearly chopping his hand off. Two stitches at the surgery later. Lord that man is a walking accident just waiting for a place to happen.

Thursday, 5th April 2007

Got a day’s flexi off and had a bit of a lay in as I ended up reading until the wee hours of the morning. Managed to get to the lottie around lunch time. Went via the stables and picked up another load for the hotbox. Ron came with and finished the foundations. With the blocks being so heavy we don’t need to cement the whole thing in and only have to bolt the frame to the bricks. Don’t think a hurricane will lift it. Got two rows of the second early potatoes in - When I got home I found that my asparagus crowns had finally arrived so these are the first thing on my list for the day.

Friday, 6th April 2007

Went to the raising of the cross on Friday morning on the village green and did not even stop for hot cross buns and a natter. My asparagus crowns were waiting so it was off to the lottie. Ron was working and it was a glorious day. Managed to get another couple of bags of compost from the stables for mulching the raspberries. Managed to get the two trenches dug for the asparagus and was very glad to see that my hard work in the Autumn in digging in all that poo had really paid off and was now lovely and mature. It should make a lovely home for the asparagus. I can just say thank goodness this bed will last 15 – 20 years – don’t know if I have the strength to dig more trenches like that. Terrence commented “ are you going to bury Nick in there?” Out of the mouths of babes….

Nick managed to lend a generator so that he can screw the green house frame down and instead of just screwing the couple needed he ended up with approximately a dozen and burnt out his drill. Grrr!! That child makes me so made at times. He also started helping me build frames for my vegetable beds but instead of making them flush with the ground he made them knee high (I can just picture me going head over tit over them when I was staggering around with a huge bag of compost) - and when I pointed his mistake out he lost his cool, packed his stuff and went home. When he left I found out that he had screwed one of the borders to my plum tree. Grrr!!!!

Also got the gutter peas planted out and needed to replace the Feltham First peas which had been shredded to bits by the wind and replant them with Sugar Ann. Managed to finally replant the Bramley Apple tree into a bigger pot where hopefully it will stay until I decide where its final home will be. Planted out some Calendula under the Damson tree for colour. Now lost all my cabbage seedlings so cheated and bought a tray from the lottie shop. Will try again direct into seed trays.

I have needed to do quite a bit offhand watering which is quite strenuous – will have to look at investing in a hose pipe soon if this weather continues – where are those April showers that everyone carries on about.

Saturday, 7th April 2007

Spent the day at the Fun Day at the church and then cuddled up in front of the telly for the rest of the evening as Ron was on the late shift.

Week 13

Monday, 26th March 2007

I think that the hedgehogs have come out of hibernation because they seem to be driving Woody nuts. They have made their house under the shed in the back garden. I cannot make out if the hedgehogs are eating the food I am putting out or Woody. The slugs and snails sure seem to have dramatically dropped off - so I am almost sure that they are back in action.

Managed to get all the tomatoes seeds in – they are now snugly in the propagator – GROW little babies – GROW!! Must have about 10 varieties!! Lord knows where I am going to put them all. Also managed to get all the sunflower seeds pricked out and some of the Aubergine and Chilli plants done as well. Found a packet of cardoon seeds lurking in my collection – thought I had sent all of them away on swopsies and forgot to keep myself some – so a bit of a bonus. I believe you can eat the leaves – they taste a bit of celery but I think that I will grow one or two just for the flowers. Anyway put a few seeds in to see if I can get a couple of decent plants for the lottie.
Thank goodness that I checked the Cactus dahlia “Cerise Pink” stools on top of the fridge (they’ve only been up there for about a fortnight) - and they were fighting to get out of their container. Took a couple of cuttings to use for swopsies with Mikey and others on Allotments 4 All later on. The begonias are not doing much though so gave them a good watering and put them back on top of the fridge. The dahlia sttols are being consigned to the greenhouse. I will need to think about getting the flower bed dug and manured for planting out later in the season. Must make up my mind about whether or not I lift the Bishop of Llandoff and move to the lottie and make the back garden pick theme ??

I also still need to prick out the cauliflower seedlings – they are also reaching for the starts – maybe tonight after I come back from the lottie and planting the last of the first early potatoes “Vivaldi”. Also want to put in another row or two of carrots as it is a good time to plant root vegetables now.

Most of my cabbage plants seem to have bitten the dust. From two whole trays of pricked out seedlings they all seem to have died. Maybe I started them too late. Will have to plant a row on the lottie and see if I have any better luck. From my autumn experience with the cabbages that I planted I have a horrible suspicion that I have club root ! Fingers crossed it was only cabbage fly that attacked.

Tuesday, 27th March 2007

Went down to the lottie after work and got the last row of “Vivaldi” First Early Potatoes in. Did quite a bit of watering of the seeds planted. Can see some life in the pea patch where I planted the calendula as a companion plant. Otherwise no other real life showing yet.

Wednesday, 29th March 2007

Managed to climb into the lawn out front. Ron raked out all the old growth and I started making holes in the left side of the lawn. Will have to go and buy some fertilizer, weed killer to put on the lawn and hopefully it will come right and look good this year. That is if we do not get another drought as it currently being predicted.

Thursday, 28th March 2007

Got all the pepper seeds from Real Seeds so quickly went and potted them all up. Pricked out some Par-Cel seedlings – will have to leave the rest until they are a bit bigger. Will keep the Melon seeds until mid April to plant out. Ron and the boys are going to attempt to dismantle my new green house tomorrow. So fingers crossed it goes well and they do not break too many pieces of glass. Hopefully I will be the new owner of a lovely BIG greenhouse on the lottie by the end of this week-end.

Saturday, 31st March 2007

Ron and the boys managed to get the greenhouse down with only 6 panes of glass broken. Went down to the lottie after my ribbon embroidery class and helped unpack the glass panes. What a job it has turned out to be. Only hope that we get the damn thing together again!! Went and got Kentucky chiken for supper as a thank you to the guys.

Week 12

Saturday, 24th March 2007

The weather started out lovely and warm and then turned really ugly with icy cold winds. However I managed to get three rows of first early potatoes in, the rest of the Rocket, Epicure and Duke of York. Dug out a row for the new potatoe “Vivaldi” which I saved from shop bought packet. Will need to get them in this week during the “dark of the moon”. The Rocket potatoes that I planted on 11th March in the greenhouse is really doing well. Also managed to move the rhubarb crown that I had forced and a couple of Forget-Me-Nots that were smack bang in the middle of my new pathway (next to the potatoe patch). Planted out two healthy looking rhubarb crowns from the rhubarb in the two spots where mine had not taken and put the rest of the crown on the lottie table for anyone who needed one. Also moved the “canna” which turned out to be some unknown plant – will have to see what pops up – seems to be a kinda lily bulb. (Have now found out that this is a kniphophia plant.)

Did a quick stir fry before going out to the South African club and tasted Jerusalem Artichokes for the first time and liked them – they taste a bit like water chestnuts but with a nuttier flavour. Thank goodness Ron and I both like them as I have a row of them snugly planted at the top of the potatoe patch – although they have not yet poked their noses out of the soil.
Gerrard brought me three lovely bags of mulch and some lovely deep seed trays (industrial size) for pricking out. Pays to work for a nursery. Will mulch the back garden and front borders over the Easter week-end. Must go up to the site at Hurn Airport and see what they charge for mulch.

Sunday, 25th March 2007

With Marlize and Stephane arriving from France did not get much done in the garden. Had a thorough springclean of the corner of the kitchen that had started resembling a toxic waste dump with seeds, packets, plants, etc. I did however manage to pop a couple of plants that I bought into the back garden w (from the Jigsaw stand and the CGS plant sale ) into the ground – they were – Forget-Me-Nots, and a couple of primula’s – one gold laced. We ended up taking Stephane and Marlise around Stewarts with Ron and TD in tow- and not a peep out of either of them.

Week 11 - Has Spring sprung?

Tuesday, 13th March 2007
Left work at 16:16 as the weather was beautiful outside and could not sit in the office a minute longer to check on my newly planted seeds. Gave them a bit of a watering but they were still surprisingly moist for the hot weather we have been having. Also tried to work out that PH Soil Meter and check what the ph of the Asparagus bed is. Just cannot seem to get it to move of PH 7. Will have to try and pop it into vinegar to see if it works and registers Acid. The Sara Raven seeds that I ordered finally arrived – minutes the most important one – the Brandywine tomatoes and the Morning Glory seeds. Don’t think that I will be ordering from them again in a hurry.

Wednesday, 14th March 2007

On inspecting the green house this morning I noticed that some of the new lilies that I potted up on 1st March are already poking their heads out, as are the new dahlia tubers (which took a bit longer). Looks like spring has finally sprung. I think that when I close up the green house tonight I will bring the cucumber plants back in – they are really looking a sight for sore eyes- might be a bit too cold for them at night in the unheated green house.

Managed to find a tree surgeon that is prepared to deliver wood chippings that I can use on my paths, free of charge. The only problem is that it is in loads of 4 cubic metres at a go! Have put up a notice on the board at the lottie asking if anyone else is interested in sharing the load with me.

Friday, 16th March 2007

Managed to get a rain butt off the free cycle website. Yippee!!! Also managed to find a lovely big greenhouse from the swap shop at work. They only want £25 and we have agreed to dismantle and move it on 14th April 2007. So I will be able to grow lots of lovely things in it. In honour of the new greenhouse I ordered some extra special black chilli and melon seeds from Real Seeds. Lordy knows how much watering I will have to do as they are already saying that it is going to be a HOT summer so that means water, water, water.

Managed to get all the Granadilla, Hyssop and Chicory seedlings pricked out. The windowsills are starting to heave with the sheer volume of seedlings I am trying to grow on. Still a bit of space on Terrence’s windowsill but he keeps plonking the curtains on my babies and they are not doing too well there. Will have to start moving some of them into the cold frame at the lottie. But will wait until the cold snap has moved on.

Sunday, 18th March 2007

Woke up with a bit of a hangover this morning even though I had only hand 2 glasses of wine. I really am loosing my touch. Was on cleaning duty at the church this morning so could not even have a lie in or pop down to the lottie early. However, the weather was absolutely atrocious all weekend so did not even manage to go down to the lottie for a quick once over.

Wednesday, 21st March 2007

Nipped down to the lottie last night to check everything out and drop off some frames that I had saved from the skip at work. I am sure that I will be able to use them for something. The peas and sweetpeas are looking pathetic but then again the wind was blowing up a storm. Checked on the seedlings that I put in on 11th March but no sign of life yet. Watered the stuff in the cold frame. Then off to Stewarts who had the launch of their Rewards Programme. I was a bit disappointed as the queues for something to eat and drink were long and there were not such good specials around. I did end up buying a Sungold and Big Boy tomatoe plant, some Asparagus Peas and a packet of new delphinium seeds. Me, delphiniums and slugs – the battle rages on!!

Week 11 - My Spring Garden

Tuesday, 13th March 2007

Left work at 16:16 as the weather was beautiful outside and could not sit in the office a minute longer to check on my newly planted seeds. Gave them a bit of a watering but they were still surprisingly moist for the hot weather we have been having. Also tried to work out that PH Soil Meter and check what the ph of the Asparagus bed is. Just cannot seem to get it to move of PH 7. Will have to try and pop it into vinegar to see if it works and registers Acid. The Sara Raven seeds that I ordered finally arrived – minutes the most important one – the Brandywine tomatoes and the Morning Glory seeds. Don’t think that I will be ordering from them again in a hurry.

Wednesday, 14th March 2007

On inspecting the green house this morning I noticed that some of the new lilies that I potted up on 1st March are already poking their heads out, as are the new dahlia tubers (which took a bit longer). Looks like spring has finally sprung. I think that when I close up the green house tonight I will bring the cucumber plants back in – they are really looking a sight for sore eyes- might be a bit too cold for them at night in the unheated green house.

Managed to find a tree surgeon that is prepared to deliver wood chippings that I can use on my paths, free of charge. The only problem is that it is in loads of 4 cubic metres at a go! Have put up a notice on the board at the lottie asking if anyone else is interested in sharing the load with me.

Friday, 16th March 2007

Managed to get a rain butt off the free cycle website. Yippee!!! Also managed to find a lovely big greenhouse from the swap shop at work. They only want £25 and we have agreed to dismantle and move it on 14th April 2007. So I will be able to grow lots of lovely things in it. In honour of the new greenhouse I ordered some extra special black chilli and melon seeds from Real Seeds. Lordy knows how much watering I will have to do as they are already saying that it is going to be a HOT summer so that means water, water, water.

Managed to get all the Granadilla, Hyssop and Chicory seedlings pricked out. The windowsills are starting to heave with the sheer volume of seedlings I am trying to grow on. Still a bit of space on Terrence’s windowsill but he keeps plonking the curtains on my babies and they are not doing too well there. Will have to start moving some of them into the cold frame at the lottie. But will wait until the cold snap has moved on.

Sunday, 18th March 2007

Woke up with a bit of a hangover this morning even though I had only hand 2 glasses of wine. I really am loosing my touch. Was on cleaning duty at the church this morning so could not even have a lie in or pop down to the lottie early. However, the weather was absolutely atrocious all weekend so did not even manage to go down to the lottie for a quick once over.

Wednesday, 21st March 2007

Nipped down to the lottie last night to check everything out and drop off some frames that I had saved from the skip at work. I am sure that I will be able to use them for something. The peas and sweetpeas are looking pathetic but then again the wind was blowing up a storm. Checked on the seedlings that I put in on 11th March but no sign of life yet. Watered the stuff in the cold frame. Then off to Stewarts who had the launch of their Rewards Programme. I was a bit disappointed as the queues for something to eat and drink were long and there were not such good specials around. I did end up buying a Sungold and Big Boy tomatoe plant, some Asparagus Peas and a packet of new delphinium seeds. Me, delphiniums and slugs – the battle rages on!!