What I did today - 2016

[Gillykat]

Looking good Johnny All ready and organised for the new growing season

[Gillykat]

First proper snowfall of the winter but still quite warm in the sun (inbetween the brief snow flurries). Only about an inch or so and it was starting to thaw by midday....but still, it was very pretty.

Walking up to the plot it was lovely to hear quite a few Greenfinch and Chaffinch that have decided to burst into song. A Great Spotted Woodpecker called and was heard drumming from trees beside the edge of Hulne Park.

Main jobs today were to pot up the Escallonia and Philadelphus shrubs so as soon as I got into the greenhouse ~ a tropical 13.2c compared to 2.8c outside ~ I plunged both into a bucket of water (from a bucket I keep in the greenhouse, not the water butts outside which were iced over) to rehydrate the roots before potting them up. I also potted up a Saxifrage 'Peter Pan' and Sedum 'Cape Blanco' which were looking a touch pot-bound and had been overwintering in the polytunnel - I think they'll enjoy the extra heat of the greenhouse! My various plug plants which I potted on last week are already looking a lot happier and showing signs of growth *excited bounce* Is it weird that I get a huge tingle of excitement when I look at these babies? The only ones I recognise are the wallflowers....the rest will be pleasant surprises when they flower.

I had also meant to check what seeds I had in a tub in the shed but when I went in I found nibbled packets with precious few seeds left so obviously a wee mouse has had a winter feast! Nothing 'precious' was lost - it was mostly half packets from last summer and a couple of swede and turnip packets. Funnily enough though the mouse left the pack of Hollyhocks intact which I was pleased about because I sowed a few in the autumn which are healthy young plants now (fingers crossed for flowers this summer) and will be sowing some more later this spring to flower in summer 2017.

I made a note of my labelled raspberry canes so I can work out which are summer & autumn fruiting and they've been moved into the greenhouse too. Finally I walked around the plot and took photos and just stood and stared and tried to visualise how the plot will look in just a few short weeks.

Ok, now I really DO need a bigger greenhouse!!!

[Snadger]

A bit snowy out and 4 degrees in the greenhouse. Went on the scrounge on the plot for bits of old timber to light the woodburner. Woodburner lit with old chip fat as an accelerant!

After it had warmed up a bit in greenhouse I set to re-potting my Monkey nuts into 4" pots. I then had a spell in the polytunnel digging, consolidateing and raking a bed down one side. I then planted half the bed with pointy spring cabbage plants that had grown in modules and half the bed with ball headed spring cabbage grown the same way. All were watered and and a sprinkling of slug pellets put around them.

[Nannysally99]

Well, I made a bread pudding with leftover/rejected bread, but forgot I'm only eating cake once a week.
That means I've had two bits this week ........
It tastes delicious

[susieq100]

Bought lots of compost and some perlite (not seen that at a DIY garden place before) and some cheap grow bags. Then came home and cut back the buddleia and a load of other rubbish, planted some broad beans in modules and moved shelving into the conservatory (my furnished and bijou warmest greenhouse). A productive couple of hours

[Snadger]

Well, I made a bread pudding with leftover/rejected bread, but forgot I'm only eating cake once a week.
That means I've had two bits this week ........
It tastes delicious

My Dad used to live in a village that got cut off from the rest of the world during heavy snow. In this case the villagers took all the coal they could muster and all the bread and other food they could muster. They all moved into the Village Hall, lit a big fire in the grate and lived on bread and butter pudding cooked in a cauldron over the fire until the weather got better!

Having said all that, I just can't stand eating Bread & Butter pudding.....yuk!

[Greenleaves]

Did battle with a stump, the stump won......but the war is not over yet!

My nan made bread pudding to die for.....never tasted the like since she past 30 years ago

[Small pumpkin]

I moved my tomato seedlings from heated propagator to up heated ( hopefully stop them going leggy).
I like bread & butter pudding............hint hint!

[Bigmallly]

Spent half the day tidying up some fencing Imogen decided to throw around, then came in to watch the rugger..............

[Bacchus]

Yesterday was really the first day I've done much this year. The trials of leaving for work when it's dark and getting home from work when it's dark too.

Nearly all activity was inthe poly tunnel and it was actually a lovely day too.

Firstly I got a new set of shelves to store rubbish, I mean trays and the like on



I can't quite remember what they were before they were put to this use - but they are perfect for the job. Something for chothes I think.

I planted quite a few broad beans and peas in trays and some are on another set of shelves to prevent any mice benefiting...



I had previously sprayed the ground around the bottom of these with agricultural week killer so that's what the brown grass is. I should really cover it with plastic but that will be next years task.

The other end of the tunnel got a bit of a tidy up. There's some overwintering chilies there - though I suspect last night put paid to those. A couple of cape goosberries manfully holding on - and a few carrots still in the ground but other than that I've completely emptied it.



A lot of pots stored there too which makes it look untidy - but they are easily managed later..

[Scoot]

Nothing at all i can do out in the garden today apart from feed the birds. There's an inch of snow on the ground.

[Gillykat]

*sigh* I think I'm in love with your polytunnel Bacchus Gorgeous! So much height and space!

[Small pumpkin]

Moved more tomato seedlings. Spread muck on 2 of my raised bed (only half a bed still to do, needs weeding first). Took down 2 net cloches (now in the tunnel drying, before they get put away). Found 16 flower buckets . Spent a bit of time fighting them apart and drilling drainage holes in them.

[maverick451]

Pricked out chillies
Starting cleaning up the greenhouse

[Snadger]

Watered stuff needing watering indoors. Harvested some PSB for my supper. Started breaking bricks in my polytunnel with a hammer to form a path. Hammer wasn't up to the job and its handle broke in half.
Now i not only need a spade shaft, but a hammer shaft as well. Never mind, no doubt VC will offer to send me an ash one to be posted through the letterbox!