Grow Your Own Magazine

Got the majority of my spuds in today! The weather was glorious!

Planted 2 X 12 foot rows of Duke of York (earlies)
2 X 12 foot rows of International Kidney (Maincrop grown as early)
3 X 12 foot rows of Majestic (maincrop)
6 X 12 foot rows of Desiree (maincrop)
Still to go in are the Pink Fir Apple, Picasso and Indeterminates I have collected!
Sick of the sight of tatties today so had a late lunch sitting on my deckchair in the sun and promptly fell asleep! Woke up two hours later with sunburn on my face and no inclination to do any more graft for the day!
Done a bit of shifting round to make some room in the greenhouse, watered plants, lit the stove (forecast heavy frost tonight!) and toddled off home for bath/tea/supper!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

Finally caught to mouse eating my sweetcorn this evening

Earlier I ordered my new polytunnels cover which is being delivered tommorow and hopefully will be fitted on Sunday if the new tunnel is finished in time.

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Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated - Sunday 19th at 2100hrs

27 miles south of Snadger, enjoying the same weather, I potted on 60 strawbs, 36 cabbage, 36 brocoli and set the leeks away. I also looked at the pea and bean packets and put them down again. Measured some plastic piping to cut for the polytunnel I'm going to build for SWMBO. Trimmed the wicks in the heaters in my polytunnel and greenhouse, refilled and relit. Fed and watered the grape vine. Drove home and remembered I'd left my backie tin on the bench outside the polytunnel.

I sowed some free lobelia seeds I got at the weekend, fretted over my australian yellow leaf lettuce which has yet to appear, even though the over lettuce seeds I sowed on the same day are doing really well. I constructed a sort of chicken wire support thing for my pea plants which I am going to plant out tomorrow and protect with the tops of the water bottles I have been saving. this evening i sat out in my garden with a glass of wine and listened to the birds and felt pretty happy.

wow

you all put me to shame all I have done today (garden wise)

This morning looked in on my seedlinglings

sweeped the patio ready for cleaning in the next few days and watered my seedlings this eveing.

watering is a real problem at the moment altho I have a rose on my watering can its lets out far to much water and almost drowns my seedlings most days tho I have been spraying them with a water spray.

I have ordered a new watering can that is supposed to not drown the seedlings

Yippeee!

Collected an 8' x 6' shed from a great and very generous) 'Freecycle' Member!

Has taken me 5 hours to dismantle, drive across town in 2 loads and single handedly drag them to a pile on my allotment

I ache!

And Freecycle rules!

Planted leek seeds after receiving gift in the post from Haze. I think the seeds may originate in Manchester as the variety was labelled Dobby.

Had great fun rubbing the seed husks off and letting the semi-stiff NE breeze blow away the chaff.

Sowed Nigella (i.e. love-in-a-mist, not the Lovely Mrs Saatchi).

Worried over all my seed trays that were sown 3 days ago - can't wait to see the first shoots. Maybe tomorrow.

Took son and friend to the beach at Hornsea. Very cold. Found the leisure centre more inviting. Read The Alchemist Pauolo Cohello. His style is beginning to bug me (a bit self-assured/smug - like a lot of "wisdom" writers) still a classic read.

Recalculated value for money plot data see rent of your plots does it cost a lottie

__________________
it's written in the wind that we're two, carved out in the sand that we're real,
it's lit up in the stars that we're true, we're destined in the sky to be glad
Paul Weller
http://johntygreentoes.blogspot.com/

Yesterday was gorgeous, and we were both off, so lots got done, both at home and at the plot!

We planted up a long 'windowsill' type planter (8" wide, 8" deep by about 30" long) with some cut and come again mixed salad leaves, planted up 4 buckets (55l) with our heritage spuds (courtesy of Crazy Chickie), 4 varieties, and then rotated the indoor seedlings, bringing the larger toms into the kitchen windowsil (which is bare because the toms that were there are now in the plastic walk in greenhouse in the back yard), and checking / watering everything else in the windowsills (Biggest Big Jim is now 8" tall!) then had lunch sat in the sunshine in the back yard, then went down to the plot!

Got to the plot at about 1pm, hoed and perennials that were showing their heads, checked on the radishes in the greenhouse (some are going to be ready to eat very soon now methinks!), checked the tadpoles in the pond, then did some planting out and some sowing of seeds!

32 of PW's Banana Shallots were then planted out, and another 3 rows were sown direct, then we planted out another 12 of Earthbabes Parsnips that have germinated in loo roll centers and been hardening off for the past week.

Planted out the remaining 12 Ailsa Craig onions that we sowed (from seed) in January, and sowed another 18 (3 rows of 6), planted the 5 Iceberg lettuce that have been hardening off for the past week, and planted out another 12 carrots (loo rolls again).

After that we gave everything a good watering and came home to do some more propogating!

Sowed a tray of Musselburgh Leeks, 18 Parsnips (Tender & True) in loo rolls (have now run out of loo rolls! ), another tray of PW's Banana Shallot, a module tray of Ailsa Craig Onions and a module tray of spring onions (5 to a module), then went to bed!

Working now until Monday, so wont be getting too much done for the next few days, tho have got Yo (YoanBob) coming for some tea on Saturday, hopefully we'll get chance to pop to the plot with her then!

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Blessings
Suzanne (aka Mrs Dobby)

'Garden naked - get some colour in your cheeks'!

The Dobby's Pumpkin Patch - a blogspot work in progress!
Last updated 26th November2008 - more new piccies!

A friend dropped off 2 lengths of elderly guttering for pea raising. Can I ask all you lovely people who have done this before, do you make drainage holes in it? I would assume you do but have never heard anyone mention the fact. I eagerly await your instructions before pressing on!

I put a few Carnival Squash and Zuchini courgettes into 3" pots. Spent the rest of the time admiring my babies and counting and re-counting the 2 broadbeans which have emerged!

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 30th - Mr Stinky's Excellent Adventure (and a Christmas Cake)

spent an hour after work at the lottie, put 2 rows of spuds in, cleared round the strawbs and then sat and watched a fox for 10mins.
Last day at work today and all next week off so every day at the lottie

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The love of gardening is a seed once sown never dies ...

Yesterday - snatched 90 mins and planted a few more desiree spuds, forked over another part of the near half of the plot (only a couple of rows' worth - previously uncultivated heavy clay soil! - but gradually getting there) & weeded part of the far half. Noticed that the PSB has been eaten away. Grrr.

Today's plans - a couple of hours split between forking and weeding. Might reward myself with some planting - jerusalem artichokes and strawberry bed.

Just come back from spending about 4 hours down the lottie - started grey but ended in glorious sunshine.

I: re-dug 2 beds (got more horsetail roots out); weeded asparagus bed and poked about to see if I could find any signs of growth (not that it'll do me any good, as it's their 1st year so I can't pick any); planted out the crimson-flowered broad beans & yellow podded mangetout; planted some potatoes ('Bonnie'); and watched loads of fellow allotment holders appear out of the woodwork to fill a skip which had appeared. The skip was empty when I arrived and overflowing when I left - I've never seen so many people on the site! Water is now back on at the ste - spring has arrived!

Back down tomorrow, as I forgot to take my onion sets down & forgot the marker pen for labels, so couldnt sow any seeds (don't trust my memory!).

Some more seeds were delivered today 've now got enough to feed us for around 10 years

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http://inelegantgardener.blogspot.com
Updated 13th September

Today I sorted out 2 disasters (I hope!). Arrived at the lottie to find a beautiful water fountain - one of the water trough couplings had come adrift - so I shut off the water to the entire allotment and contacted the co-ordinator and as it was her husband who fashioned a repair 2 weeks ago, it's their problem, so the council can have the water bill.
Then I got down to my plot to find one of the parafin heaters had thrown a wobbler and the greenhouse was a black house and everything was covered in soot. I had to take 12 trays of seedlings and the grape vine out, spray the soot off the leaves, then set to and clean out the greenhouse.
Now it's fingers crossed that everything survives.

Decided to have a seed sowing and potting on day today. First I needed labels and couldn't find scissors so finished up disecting a plastic milk container with a stanley knife!
Guess what? Opened the packets of herb seeds I had recieved from Nicky's nursery, and in each packet there was a plant label!!!

Sowed, Anise,Bergamot,Thyme,Lavender,Marjoram and Marsh Mallow.

Pricked out tomato's Gardeners Delight, Roma, Marmande and now have 40 of each in trays. Pricked out Dahlia seedlings (Bishops children) as well! Started off the pricking out indoors in the greenhouse but because it was a nice sunny day decided to make an impromptu potting bench from an upturned dustbin with a wooden tray on top, and did most of the pricking out, out of doors. Much pleasanter than being stuck indoors on a sunny day!

Cold greenhouse at other end of lottie is now filling up as I move plants there to harden off. Made a makeshift bench from the same upturned bin with a wide long board on top. Moved quite a few plants, mainly onions and brassicas, to start the hardening off process!
John, who has the lottie along from me was just arriving with his grey Fergie as I was leaving, because it was a nice day he had donned his Fergie Owners Club hat and been out for a drive in the sunshine!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

Another pretty productive day - and what fantastic weather for spending the day in the garden!
I spent a couple of hours digging out couch grass and pulling out last years bindweed from various shrubs. Nasty stuff!!!
Planted a honeysuckle.
Did some garden tidying.
Sowed:
sweet peppers: big banana & sweet salad;
thai basil;
coriander;
cabbages: red cap, primo & shelta (red, white & green, rather than red, white & blue!);
gypsophila.

Also filled the pond - but that's pretty simple: hose in pond, tap on, leave for 10 or so hours - DO NOT FORGET TO TURN TAP OFF BEFORE BEDTIME! (It's been done before without adverse repercussions.)

I almost forgot - I also potted on 70 geraniums that arrived in plugs from Jersey this morning.

Almost danced for joy when I noticed a courgette seed had stuck out a root, a bit like it is testing the water.

Walked all over the Yorkshire Wolds (North Dalton & Huggate mostly). Found a dew pond full of toads in the most amazing knots. Attached.

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
it's written in the wind that we're two, carved out in the sand that we're real,
it's lit up in the stars that we're true, we're destined in the sky to be glad
Paul Weller
http://johntygreentoes.blogspot.com/

Had a stonking day:

Off to the brico shed this am and bought some supports/posts for the smaller fruit tress and got them sorted.

Also some decking boards and more boxes built for the fruit bushes.

Then two chums came round who owed me some time (sort of a time bank thing) and they strimmed the whole of the back of the garden, excellent job, really looks the mutts now and I can see what I need to do to put the nmew veggie beds in.

Sorted out some of the leaves from the oak trees and sorted out a few other bits and bobs in passing, like repairing the small water butt (300 litres) at the front of the house.

Weather glorious, over 20 degrees and set fair for the next 4/5 days.

Don't you just love days like this .........

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TonyF, Dordogne 24220

Managed to dig another half row of my 'garden to be' - very slow going at the moment. Not sure if I am finding bramble roots or if they are roots from the conifers which are now beheaded, removing them all to be on the safe side. Soil looks pretty good though, a nice rich brown and crumbly (is that how it should look?) most soil round here is quite red. Hope it will get the chance to show me if it will grow something other than brambles and nettles this year but if my energy doesn't allow a more rapid digging then it is likely that my growing will all be in pots again.

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

What a fantasic day - wonderful weather. I tidied the greenhouse and set up a raised bed in there to grow cucmbers in. Pricked out 'lemon' marigolds, poached egg plants and moved all the things from kitchen to greenhouse - covered it with fleece over night. Tidied the patio area, moved frame from old plastic greenhouse, complete with 2 grow bags, each with 3 strawberry plants in. Went to lottie with a loaded car with big cage thingy OH got from work will use it as a compost bin. 5 bags of would be leaf mould,leaves from MIL's garden last year and my 36 Broad beans and tray of peas. Time was against me so only had time to fork over area where I planted the broad beans, watered them and covered them with fleece. Watered area where Broad beans were sown direct about 3 weeks ago, they are just begining to show. Watered the rasberry canes and gooseberry bush, gooseberry is showing signs of life but nothing on the rasberries as yet.

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Denise xox

Learn from the mistakes of others because you'll never live long enough to make them all yourself.
-- Alfred E. Neumann
http://irchesterplot.blogspot.com

The northeasterly wind has abated and I broached forth (is that the right word... sounds good anyway!) at about 7.30 (Thursday). I raked over one of the raised beds and sowed two rows of Boltardy (beetroot) - it's great. Three rows of carrots, of three different kinds; I realised I hadn't bought any seed this year, so it's all old! Two rows of parsnips; which importantly, is new seed, of course.

I put almost all of the plants in the greenhouse outside into plastic trays and watered the pots from below. Interestingly, the zonal pelargonium plant leaves are turning a brilliant red in colour. I don't know why, but they look really great.

Then I started to tidy the greenhouse... but got interrupted. We had to go shopping, and the weather was fine... so we went on to Radipole Lake (Weymouth), birding - before the Easter grocks arrive in their hordes tomorrow and the traffic gets horrendous over there.

At lunchtime we returned home and 'dug in for the holiday period'. We are going nowhere EXCEPT in the garden! I sprayed some Coolglass onto one end of the greenhouse. I will put some more on tomorrow.

This evening I soaked recently planted pear trees x 2, and apples x3 with water from the hose. The lawns are showing quite large cracks now as there has been very little rain over the past few weeks. We don't get hose bans here, but I don't usually water the lawns. It seems like a waste... and disconnecting the sprinkler from beside the veg beds is too much like hard work!

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