What I did today - 2015

[skeggijon]

Built another raised bed to fill the last space on the plot and filled with loads of well rotted farmyard manure and topsoil in readiness for my autumn planted onions.
Planted some Pak Choi and Cabbage seedlings and weeded around the Lettuces and Peas.

[bramble]

Well, that did'nt go too well, but you get the picture!!! Maybe not.

[bramble]

What I did today.

Checked all my plants after i went off and left them for the best part of two weeks.
I left the pepper pots standing in water, soaked the tomatoes then shaded the soil with black plastic and put the fuchsia plants in two old window boxes with a little water in a shaded area.
So surprised they lasted and just spent the last hour tidying them up.
Results,,,, not looking too bad.

[cheapskate chaz]

Lots of digging of my raised beds, pulled out the last carrots and spuds, only the Asparagus peas left in a raised bed, plus a LOAD of Parsnips still in the ground, I was well blessed with how many germinated as many other allotmenteers had said they could never get them to germinate in the ground. I did start to grow some in kitchen tissue rolls ( being longer and therefore better than toilet rolls ) but figured It would be quicker to sow them in drills, it worked!
The raised beds are now seeded with over-wintering manure crop.
Still have some Toms left in the GH with five plants of sweet peppers, those of which I have been freezing as it`s only me to eat them...I`m single and can`t eat that many!
Now snugged up in my Douvet with the latest GYO mag....ahh!

[Snadger]

This evening I potted up a Pennisetum 'Purple baron' that was a freebie from the local GC. Just popped in to get some Jap onions but couldn't resist this semi hardy perennial ornamental millet.. Potted it up into a large pot and hope to ghrow in on in the greenhouse/polytunnel.
Potted up some leek grass from a seed head of my own and re potted some bigger plants from another seedhead. Put some mesh over a hole in my broody hen coop to stop her escaping and being unable to return to her eggs.

Forgot to add I took home a bucket full of Desiree spuds and a bucket full of Japanese red and yellow onions grown from sets planted last autumn. I'll use these before my summer onions as they domn'y keep very well.

[Snadger]

One and a half hours hand weeding!

[Lisasbolt]

Finally got around to the chilli harvest, and picked the peppers for drying out to make pimento. Really sad as have had to take 3 weeks away from the garden so found about 15 rotten peppers on the floor they were meant for drying as well, luckily I have plenty of plants.

Don't know what I am going to do with all those aubergines, making a lasagne tonight but I'll still have 10 left over with more on the way soon!

[1Bee]

[Yesterday] Dug up another two rows of tatties (7 haulms, if you want to be precise). A few, incredibly randomly, are soft and rotting with blight, which is weird because they aren't the one whose foliage were showing signs. Due to 4year old assisting, we now know that this dig produced 127 potatoes. He likes counting... Also harvested another carrier of runner beans, and was incredibly proud of my usually impulsive, can be destructive, often hyperactive 4yo when he said, "No, this one's a bit small, we'll leave it to grow for a bit." *happy tears*

Today, said 4yo decided to wake up at 5.30, so since Daddy was on school run duty I abandoned them for an hour on the plot before work. Dug over, raked and prepped a seed bed for some spinach. Sowed and cloched it. Who knows, it might actually grow.... Picked a handful of late sown mangetout to have with lunch (which also features own beetroot and salads....).

(LOVE it Norfolk!)

[Snadger]

Lots of weeding. Dug a 'shy' of Elfe potatoes which look good. Broody hen now got some fertile eggs under her. Got her own water and food supply.......now its up to her.

^^^^^Here you go, have some virtual preserves. I also done swapsies today for some of my Dads pickled veg.



The mince pies will have to wait until after the weekend

[1Bee]

*arrives on Norfolkgrey's doorstep with a basket and a hopeful expression*

This week I have mainly been making preserves

Wednesday

4 x plum and apple mincemeat
3 x bramley sauce
3.5 x apple, pear and ginger mincemeat.
6 x mulled cider pears

Yesterday

3 x tomato and chilli jam

Hopefully today

6 x mulled wine pears

They look so pretty all lined up. I have a confession, I have already eaten one jar of pears - so much for winter stores

[maverick451]

Cleared out some Tomato plants that had finished
Ordered some winter green manure mix
Received and read through new suttons seed catalogue.

[1Bee]

Weeded a path edge, the onions and the PSB. Watered courgettes, pumpkin, Godzilla (should be a Crown Prince, but isn't) and swedes. Harvested some stuff. Talked to some butterflies. Apologetically squished their offspring.

[skeggijon]

Planted some Tulips, checked the Atlantic Giant Pumpkins - I'm going to need help to move the largest one come harvest time - I tried moving it and it didn't budge an inch!
Checked my Fenella Strawberries. They're swelling nicely and very prolific, but the weather's not being good to them. Still managed to get a handful of ripe ones from them today though.