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04-05-2007, 06:40 AM
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 Weather here is still changable to say the least, managed to get to chum's garden yesterday. Not much happened on the potager - a few things put in, just gap filling really. But spent the best part of the day building compost bins from recycled timber, will finish today while others are planting out my planting plan. Mayor of the commune dropped by as there is a public road through their private estate - it's a French thing - and was mighty impressed, somehow thinks what I'm doing is improving the commune! And chums have said this is just the start, can I source and 'manage' a large greenhouse for them - and they offered power and water for it - put in water saving systems round the estate and do I want a large ordinary kitchen garden installing close to the one they already have - so what could I say, would have been rude to refuse.
__________________ TonyF, Dordogne 24220      |
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04-05-2007, 07:38 PM
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| Put out a couple of planters with sweet peas, marigolds and nastursums(?) in them on my way to work. Very pretty. When I arrived tonight at 430pm Paddy, our site secretary was helping a chap who had chopped up some trees on the site. "Help yourself to the chippings" says Paddy. Wow! How fantastic! I've just spent an hour and half running backwards and forwards with my wheelbarrow - have now got lovely, bark chippings on all my paths! Also one big blister and one small one on my hand - and I'm knackered! Early night for me methinks! 
__________________ Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things |
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04-05-2007, 08:36 PM
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| Had a day off from the plot today, went to Tatton Park, visitedf their fab gardens, the highlight of which for ourselves was the wonderful walled fruit garden and walled vegetable garden! Wow is an understatement! Had a lovely lunch in their restaurant, Guinea Fowl that had been slowly stewed in a wonderful sauce, followed by a lovely pud! Came home and checked on Metcheck, which is showing a possible borderline frost for tonight, so we've just been down to the plot and covered everything thats not hardy with fleece / perspex . propogator lids, hopefully this will safeguard them for the night! The next predicted possible frost is on the 12th, so we'll be keeping tabs on things and see how it goes! I suppose having to run out and cover everything up with fleece is a small price to pay to safeguard early crops, just have a feeling I'll be popping to the plot before work tomorrow to check on our baby plants!
__________________ 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 12th September 2008 - updated balance sheet! |
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05-05-2007, 05:28 PM
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| Hey! taking my mates to Tatton Park next Sunday! Got lots of shopping in first thing for the 75th birthday party for my fab mother in law on monday and the 12 family members who are coming - all by 0915 am! Then my back went (again!) sat and fumed for half an hour then set off for lottie! Planted peas, beans x 2, swiss chard, lettuce, radish, sqaush, courgette and something else I cant remember! All in all, a good day - I fought the pea/bean netting - and we decided on a draw! 
__________________ Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things |
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05-05-2007, 06:49 PM
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| Today I took delivery of 22 bags of compost which me and my trusty wheelbarrow despatched at great speed. Then I sited and filled one large and two smaller raised beds, sited two more smaller raised beds (for filling tommorrow). Planted a small bed of peas, sowed one tub of arcoat turnips, beetroot, parmex and nelson carrots, red beard onions and a tray of igloo caulis. Moved tomatoes, chillies and peppers to a sunnier site. Put up more wire for the peas and put some copper tape round the bed to try and stop the snails. Now its time for a chinese and a very large glass of wine. |
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05-05-2007, 07:22 PM
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| Down the allotment today - weeded the asparagus bed - most of the plants have spears up now (well, more needle size than spear size); Mr HappyMouffe kindly dug some more of the new plot; lots of tidying and finally harvested some radishes - second thing I've harvested from the plot! |
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05-05-2007, 07:27 PM
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| Strimmed the roadside verges, potted on 400 tomato plants, gave shed second coat of Cuprinol, sowed PSB and Borecole Black Tuscany (300 of each) in plugs, spent 2 hours watering, laid base wire for new fence, came home and have just sent out my first ever invoice for young plants
__________________ Rat British by birth Scottish by the Grace of God Blog updated Wednesday 17th September |
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05-05-2007, 07:30 PM
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| Planted peas and netted them. Must remember to take the net off when they flower! Planted broad beans (and nasturtiums) to take over when the overwintered ones are finished. Planted parsnips, more in hope than in expectation. Planted out lettuce seedlings. Moved netting from the onions (now quite big so hopefully the pidgeons can't do too much damage) to the lettuces. Discussed with the neighbour which brassicas to go in which plot - decided on her romanesco first as the seedlings are big enough to go out now. Think my cabbage, swede and caulis need a bit longer in the plastic planthouse. Forked over the bit of plot that the neighbour weeded and pulled out more bindweed roots. Pulled up the leaf beet that had overwintered as it was bolting. Gave the brassica beds some fish, blood & bonemeal then spent some time whacking big lumps into small lumps. Pulled up the remaining leeks and left them on the neighbour's doorstep. Hoed between the tatties and JAs and the paths. Earthed up the tatties. Watered everything. Knackered now
__________________ You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. Max Ehrmann, Desiderata blog: http://allyheebiejeebie.blogspot.com/ and my (basic!) page: http://www.allythegardener.co.uk/ |
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05-05-2007, 08:08 PM
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| I had to go back to work today, but Mr D has been busy down the plot sowing seeds, not fair, glorious weather and I'm stuck in work! Grr! Mr D weeded most of both the plots, disturbed 2 ants nests on plot 2 (and put some organic ant powder down) planted out the rest of our onion seedlings, the spring onions seedlings that were module sown and then sowed 5 varieties of carrot, hes going to sow lettuce, radish, the germinated parsnips and some more carrots tomorrow! He also sowed into peat pots another batch of sweetcorn and 5 each of 4 varieties of squash / pumpkin. He's going to sow tomorrow into paper pots the rest of the broad beans, 2 types of dwarf french bean, some pots of herbs ready for planting out in the plot and another batch of sweetcorn! Oh, and he's attending the allotments annual committee meeting in the afternoon whilst I'm at work! Cant wait for my next day off on Wednesday!
__________________ 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 12th September 2008 - updated balance sheet! |
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05-05-2007, 10:17 PM
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| Too much waiting in for Free-Cycle "Takers" But I did mow the lawns and prune all the stuff that tried to snag me or take my eyes out as I mowed.
__________________ Always thank people who have helped you immediately, as they may not be around to thank later. Visit my blog at http://podsplot.blogspot.com/ I support http://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/ |
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05-05-2007, 10:49 PM
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| I sowed another twenty-two hardy annuals late this afternoon, under the careful watch of Trousers with his glass of whisky.... Girls, just don't bother.... Boys are just a nuisance, and they distract you.... I can't tell you how many times he told me that my underwear was showing above my tracky-bottoms..... I'm BUSY, don't ya know?! Give me strength........ Thankfully, he disappeared to watch sport and I was able to plant in peace. And now able to report 22 less plants in pots to water tomorrow.... Thank you for listening,
__________________ With Love, Wellie Give it some.... http://hollycottagegarden.blogspot.com Blog updated Thursday 9th October |
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06-05-2007, 06:26 AM
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| Yesterday was a no gardening day. Friday I put in bits and bobs at chums and finished their first two compost bins - they have up to 50 people a week in their complex and have realised the value of composting and water saving systems. Yesterday I had a day off, weather still very variable - down to town for the papers and magazines, nipped up to another village for honey and bread plus a long leasurely 10 euro lunch and then just read the papers and drank tea all afternoon, fussed the cat a bit, just walked round to check on the plants in the late evening. Market day today so will try to get out in garden this afternoon.
__________________ TonyF, Dordogne 24220 Last edited by TonyF; 06-05-2007 at 06:28 AM. |
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06-05-2007, 09:05 AM
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| Yesterday was a lovely day here, so I planted out some young flower plants (petunia, stocks & lavatera) in the garden then headed up to the lottie. Planted some dahlias and aquilegia there, moved the dalek to one side (I find it very difficult to stir the compost in situ in those bins), then re-filled it, adding some card, paper & grass cuttings. Then I spent quite a while constructing a brassica frame to hang my fleece on to prevent caterpillar damage - working out how to attach it while still allowing easy access for planting & watering is quite another matter... Vik |
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06-05-2007, 09:13 AM
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| Played 'guess the plant' with the seeds my daughter planted! She wants to plant a sink garden and, not unreasonably, want to do it all herself (she is ten) but when she sowed all her seeds she never labled them! Potted on the lambs lettuce, pottered around generally and mumbled rude words at the asparagus which is still nowhere to be seen! By the way GeordieVik, why have you got a picture of my cats? Your avatar looks exactly like Bourneville and Crunchy! Terry |
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06-05-2007, 10:02 PM
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| Today it was blowing a gale up here so didn't venture outside the tunnel much as the field was being blown all over Easter Ross. Potted on my heritage tomatoes (Thank You again Bramble), sowed 450 cabbages, 450 sprouts, 400 courgettes and 125 cucumbers for myself. Sorted out seeds, watered everything thoroughly, shifted plants about so it'll be easier to load them onto trolleys on Tuesday night, came home, produced monthly newsletter for gardening club, tidied house (it's amazing how much mess I can make on my own when Maggie and Iona go away for a few days), came on Vine and now having coffee and toasted cheese before I go to bed.
__________________ Rat British by birth Scottish by the Grace of God Blog updated Wednesday 17th September |
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06-05-2007, 11:43 PM
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| Well, today, I planted out tiny little seedlings of Black Turtle Beans between the Sweetcorn plants and popped a 'pop' bottle over each to make sure they are cozy and warm for a while yet..... They are dwarf bush beans, rather than climbing beans, and there's a huge root depth that they can 'tap into', so I'm rather hoping that we'll get a good crop off them for drying later in the season. I planted four Butternut Squash plants, two Sweet Dumplings and two Borlotti climbing beans and five Franchi big flat-podded yellow french climbing beans, three black sunflower seedlings, four more pot marigolds, some silver cineraria, a few white alyssum and completely SHED-loads more to speak of. More importantly, I collected up probably in the region of twenty or so slugs'n'snails for my 'Sluggery', which is a polite way of saying that I've killed them.... Sorry..... And I tried desperately to inspect my cat's left paw, all day, without success. She's limping AND one of her eyes is weeping green goo. And she's just got a tick or two and feeling really 'Mumsy'. She'll have to be really 'Trousers' tomorrow, as I've got to go do more for The Wedding Garden tomorrow in anticipation of Saturday... But you know what really 'blew my frock up today?' I actually got round to starting off my FlowerPotPerson's 'other half'..... which meant a quick sex change for Flobalob. So...... MRS. Flobalob has 'scrubbed up well' and the NEW Flowerpot person is now MR. Flobalob. Honestly, shut your eyes for a moment, and Wellie will pull the rug from under your toes to surprise you....! If you want proof, it's only a click away..... And seeing as Trousers and I are so WAY apart on choosing first names for Mr. and Mrs. Flob, why on earth wouldn't you want to have YOUR say?! Have a look.....
__________________ With Love, Wellie Give it some.... http://hollycottagegarden.blogspot.com Blog updated Thursday 9th October |
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07-05-2007, 07:19 AM
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| It's raining!! I might get the grass seed down today.
__________________ You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. Max Ehrmann, Desiderata blog: http://allyheebiejeebie.blogspot.com/ and my (basic!) page: http://www.allythegardener.co.uk/ |
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07-05-2007, 03:34 PM
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| Rescued a perennial walflower from the 'hospital' section at our local B&Q. Was £5.00 reduced to 50p! All it needs is some TLC and it will be a great plant. I love getting plants from this section in the Garden Centre bit and bringing them back to life. Not veg orientated I know, but I thought I'd pass this tip on as something useful? |
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07-05-2007, 06:25 PM
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| The rain has prompted rampant regrowth of horsetail, so the grass seed isn't down yet. Instead, after the weeding I pricked out seedlings of gardeners' delight tomato and ice king lettuce into modules, morning glory into 3" pots. Sowed some more ice king and red salad lettuce seeds, swede, snowball cauli, broad beans, nasturtium and sunflower into modules. Beans and nasturtiums one per module, everything else 2 (ish) per module for thinning later. The plastic planthouse is full again .Chatted to neighbour and plans to have raised beds or growbag supports made by her OH are underway
__________________ You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. Max Ehrmann, Desiderata blog: http://allyheebiejeebie.blogspot.com/ and my (basic!) page: http://www.allythegardener.co.uk/ |
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07-05-2007, 07:40 PM
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| What I Did Today I didnt do anything today as it was raining all day. Weather has cleared up now but too late to go down to the allotment. Yesterday I dug over a whole new section of the allotment and sowed some green manure, I think it's called Phacelia? anyway it has lovely blue flowers and bees love it. Also planted out 4 Russian Black tomatoes and sowed some tagetaes seed around them. Mulched everything with some lovely organic compost from my local amenity tip. Also planted some peas in a section of guttering. My mum and I looked liked a comedy duo carrying said guttering accross the allotments to the communtiy polytunnel. Went to local nursery and bought 3 marrows, 1 pumpkin and 6 sweetcorn plants. My allotment neighbour very kindly gave me a spare courgette plant. Does anyone know what bird sounds like 'Chif-Chaf Chif-Chaf' repeated, the nature reserve behind my allotment was ringing with their song yesterday. Pyewacket
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07-05-2007, 08:36 PM
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| Hi Pyewacket - the bird is actually called a chiff chaff. Does what it says on the tin, so to speak. Today I planted out my marrow and some pot marigolds, nasturtiums and pak choi. No rain!
__________________ Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson www.vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated September 29th - Bean drying. |
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