Grow Your Own Magazine

Weeded another flower bed - five trugs worth of cuttings, last years leaves and weeds but bed looks much better now. Cabbage & cauli sees have germinated - will be careful not to let these ones go like the last lot that ai sowed way too early in a fit of over-enthusiasm.
Went to pub, had dinner, went to work at Job No 2 (bouncer at local club) got glass thrown at back of my head, came home, sank 3/4 bottle of Spiced Rum, here I am !!!!!!

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Rat

British by birth
Scottish by the Grace of God

Blog updated Wednesday November 13th

Found my first ladybird today. Yesterday I found my first lily-beetle [now dead]. On Thursday I saw my first bumblebee, and for the last week and a half I have been sending snails to meet their maker, under the bottom of my size 11 boot.
Jax

Rat your gardening!!! I thought the tundra didn't melt for another 6 months

Today I took another batch of cuttings (Fuchsia's & Geraniums) Pricked out 120 Verbena, 24 Tagete's & potted up some earlier cuttings.Moved some of the chrysanths to the cold frame & put other stuff in there place in the little greenhouse. Then I went to the allotment did a couple of rows worth of digging, got some Leeks for Dinner (we like leeks ) and came home all before 11:30 !!

Yesterday I was in the greenhouse till 19:30 !! It's great this time of year.

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Today I finally transfered the last raspberries that were in the asparagus bed & moved them to their new bed. Managed about 4 hours digging & got the boys to help for a bit before they left me to go fishing. Pickes a small handful of purple sprouting & was given loads of advice & some leeks from Roy my neighbour.

Hoping to plant the spuds this week as on school hols for 2 weeks now !!

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Lets teach kids to cook.

Woke up with hangover - or rather, was woken by boisterous 4 1/2 year old daughter demanding breakfast. Drank copious amounts of black coffee, fed daughter, gave OH cup of coffee in bed and went to work at Job No 3. Lifted paving slabs and laid terram and fresh gravel round boss' house, prepared shed and pens for lambing which is due to start next week. Came home, weeded another of my flower beds (where do they all come from?), decided that flower bed closest to veg patch, which contains old apple tree, would be much more useful if incorporated into veg patch. Will wait til forsythia goes over before I clear it though.
ps Sick calf from last weekend didn't make it
pps Was I really on the Vine at three o'clock this morning

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Rat

British by birth
Scottish by the Grace of God

Blog updated Wednesday November 13th

Oh dear... sorry to hear about your calf Rat. Nature is really horrible sometimes.

I looked again at my chitted tatties, looked at the weather report and thought another week or two might do it. Planted out broad been seedlings under cloches, sowed a line of early peas and put some whitebeam seeds that I collected and stratified into the propagator with some onion seeds too. Starting to gear up now... in hope... am I being too hasty?

Pruned the honeysuckle and burnt garden waste, mainly woody cuttings so I can use the ash of garlic and fruit trees. And built wigwam for hops.

I also had to take up some comfrey from a pot and plant amidst my rhubarb so it can spread in a contained bed. I had broken a few roots, so took cuttings and put them directly into the ground, wonder if they will take?

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Best wishes
Andrewo
Harbinger of Rhubarb tales

Woke up to find that it was snowing again ! And there's supposed to be more tomorrow. What's going on - it's only 7 months til winter hits us again !!!!!

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Rat

British by birth
Scottish by the Grace of God

Blog updated Wednesday November 13th

I have three raised beds still to fill and did one of them today with 12 year old manure, its just like peat mixed with compost.

All of the raspberry beds, gooseberry beds and the fruit cage beds were all hoed to clear small weeds and top dressed with woodfire ash.

The onion and shallot sets are all showing green tips and the rhubarb is now about 6" high and doing really well as is the autumn sowed garlic. These were also top dressed with woodfire ash.

Another job out of the way was drilling holes in the bottom of a dozen 25 litre barrels ready to sow some show carrots in (well its worth a go).

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Kindest regards, David.

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

Spent the whole day in the garden today. Dug a big patch that has been overgrown with nettles for the past 15 years with roots like parsnips. Took the best part of the day to get it cleared but well worth it.
My OHwas working 2 miles away and he had hail and rain showers on and off during the day but I never saw a drop. Got another two rows of potatoes in and some more peas.
Plum tree in full flower and buds opening on the blueberries.
Plants in the greenhouse covered up with fleece as the forecast is for frost.
Ah well, spring WILL come soon.

Rat - yes, you were on at 3am.

Reminds me of myself just after Christmas when I went to bed shattered at 11pm to be woken 10 mins later by my little boy having a nightmare. He simply refused to go back to his own bed and after 20 mins of being kicked in the back of the head, I gave in and got up, wide awake. I got bored so logged onto work which was especially busy at the time as we were in the middle of our year end. Not thinking what I was doing, emailed a firiend in work with an answer to a question of his, at 3.20am. Needless to say when he got in the next day he thought I was a nutter [not far wrong really]

Hope you're head's better

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Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

Sorry, yes, today my OH started the off-spur paths on the other side of the main paths for me when he got in from work. Inspected my starwb tubers to see leaves - woo hoo! Went out for the second time in two days to dig up Spanish Bluebells Why can't they be English ones?

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Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

Shortie
At least you were sober !!!!!!!!! Not that I was drunk, oh no no no, perish the thought, as if, I mean would I................................................. ..

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Rat

British by birth
Scottish by the Grace of God

Blog updated Wednesday November 13th

Thought as much Rat

Maybe if I'd been drunk my work would have been more effective?

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Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

morning all. had the most beautiful day here yesterday, did loads of weeding, mulched my onions and asparagus. lulled into a false sense of security that spring had finally sprung I planted some spinach seeds straight into the ground. woke up this morning to a hard frost. maybe its not spring yet.

Unfortunately, spanish bluebells are everywhere and english ones endangered, it is now illegal to take them from forests. Further info here:
http://www.rhs.org.uk/publications/p...ewsgeneral.asp

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Best wishes
Andrewo
Harbinger of Rhubarb tales

Andrewo, any idea where I can (or maybe that should be if...) but English Bluebells from? I'm all up for conservation, and if they like the conditions in my garden, I'd love to grow them...

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Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

I have looked for english bluebells but with little luck, maybe someone else on here knows of a supplier. I have a feeling though that there are now tight controls on them.

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Best wishes
Andrewo
Harbinger of Rhubarb tales

Shortie you can get them from www.jparkers.co.uk £8.95 for 50 or £17.90 for 150. They are based in Manchester but have gardening leaflets inside magazines on a regular basis.

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[

Thanks LJ.... the super saver looks good there too... especially as they include snakeshead and snowdrops! Cheers

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Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

There are one or two places that sell them shortie. some nearer to you. They advertise in Garden News, nipp in to smiths & have a look then put it back on the shelf They'll advertise Snowdrops in the green as well. Failing that, you can grow them from seed, but it's a bit longer term. John Chambers used to do the seed.

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Shortie
Have a look at this site
www.eurobulbs.co.uk
They are advertising English Bluebells (Scilla non scripta) in the green for £13 per 100 up to £115 for 1000.
Also Snakeshead at £12.50 per 50.
Lots of special offers too .

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Rat

British by birth
Scottish by the Grace of God

Blog updated Wednesday November 13th