What I did today - 2017

[Jungle Jane]

I've been potting on some more seedlings from when we did the alphabet sowings ~ foxgloves primrose carousel,josephs coat amaranthus,knautia red cherries,lavender French & some wildflower seedlings which are 2 pots of borage,2 tagetes,1 eschscholzia & 1 Iberis. Also potted on another balconi red tomato plant,I've got two but one plant is stronger/faster growing than the other & I potted that one on a few weeks ago. I took my hyacinths out the shed,the stems are only little,3 of them are ok & the stems are 2-3 inches but the other 3 (different variety in same pot) have tiny stems but I'm glad they've got stems at all because when we had that frost,I checked on them & one had pushed itself out of the pot & it was laying,roots exposed on top of the stones,like save me from this freezing pot,so I had to water it with tepid water,dig a little hole & repot it,the roots were very breakable I noticed,but we'll see what they look like soon,they're on the kitchen floor for now.

[bario1]

Butchered another pallet and gave my Spring greens in the polytunnel a nettle feed.

[Baldy]

Allowed out to play once more... so popped to Lidl for some cheap seeds.
Put up some guttering at the plot to grow *something* in....
Planted a few onion sets where they were missing from earlier planting out - rotted away or birds I guess.
Stuck some purple alliums in the ground. Got offered a few flagstones - have to 'pay' for them by transporting a few of them for the owner to their plot. Should mean enough to finish off one more path across the plot.
Back home in the GH sowed some of the chilli seeds Chris11 sent me - they are now tucked up inside in a heated propagator. Sowed last of my sweet peas - I've just gone for generic/cheap mixes this year. - and finally have vacuumed downstairs so SWMBO can't complain (too much)

[Nicos]

Change of plan!
I decided to repaint the bike shed and 4birdboxes, then helped OH build a trellis to hide the compost area.
( Old acacia fenceposts and our own Hazel twigs, so apart from a few screws and recharging of the drill batteries the trelliswork was free!)

[Bigmallly]

Transfer some branches into the log store to dry out before cutting up, went down t't plot, fed George & the kids, smiled at the frog spawn in the pond then decided to make 15 mounds in a dedicated Asparagus bed. Just waiting delivery now.

[lmayhow]

Potted up best Tomato and Artichoke seedlings, turned over one of my compost bins to make space and then continued to clear out/weed the old flower bed for my asparagus and artichoke when delivered or ready...

[Nicos]

Hand mowed half the field!

The idea of sheep is suddenly more appealing!

[Baldy]

Hit the plot for the 3rd day in a row - I firmly believe that Mrs Balders is unwell...
Anyhow - cut up some plastic sheeting and rearranged weed suppressant - things are looking a little more like a planned series of beds rather than a bomb site.
2 main beds left to sort out.
Sowed a few things I really shouldn't have in the plot GH, but the fine weather and high temps made it seem viable - I know I'll regret it when winter returns next week.
Sun was quite strong so will probably have a sunburnt forehead when I get up tomorrow,

[Muddy_Boots]

Replanted 3 x Raspberries and 3 x Tayberries from my old plot to my new plot in the dedicated soft fruit area then dug over the bed on the old plot they had come out of.

Harvested all my Parsnips and 2 x Swedes and made a start on the spring Brassica bed raking the weeds and hoeing it looks like they have over-wintered ok.

[cheapskate chaz]

Like a call at Paddington Station..."all change", so this year, I`m going to make a lot of changes. Last year was a bit of a disaster on many fronts, which turned to a negative reaction from me...oH! not like me to be negative, so the need for change.
Luckily in my job, as I have probably mentioned once or twenty times, I get lots of usefull stuff thrown out, and now have quite a collection of Pallett collars, five have become a new compost bin, the rest will go into making raised beds.
The `new` polytunnel will be re-sited, and a LOT of stakes will go into holding it firmly down.
I have started chitting spuds and getting seeds to germinate, next will be setting out plot two for chickens!!!!
As I`m going to be a grandad for the first time in July, I have lots to look forward to.

[susieq100]

Yesterday - planted shallots in modules, 20 broad beans in pots and a 5 foot length of gutter with peas and put them all in the greenhouse. Potted on some cucumbers and tomatoes and put them in the conservatory - it's not especially warm in there but it is light enough to stop them going all 'leggy'. Will they survive? Down to the plot later to drop off beer containers that my son has to dispose of from his beer shop. Ultimate recycling!

[Baldy]

3 incinerators worth of couch, brambles and goji berry burnt off. One more membrane laid down over this year's sweet corn bed. Will lift it in the week to throw down some compost and bfb before recovering.
At home sowed cayenne in propagator in GH. Did same with a few varieties of Tom's - I've got an excess to use up - hopefully can flog the young plants at the May Fair.

[Finley]

Today I foxed the mice in my shed (hopefully) by hanging the pea trays from nails rather than leaving them on a table by the window. I'd been wondering why only one had sprouted.. then found it uprooted and lots of bits of root in all the other modules. At least I think it's mice. Might need to move the bird feeders away from my shed wall!
Also filled an old drawer with compost and freesia bulbs and planted peas (Douce de Provence I think) outside under plastic bottle cloches and took the top buds from the PSB.

[Bigmallly]

Moved a few more barrows of branches into the log store for drying out. Then had a mosey down t't plot & decided to clean out the ponds dustbin filter.

[bario1]

Yesterday - another bin bag of coffee grounds, some chicken manure pellets and a barrow load of rotten leaves went into the leafmould bin. Planted out six Spring cabbages for a quick crop in my roots bed, which already has a mesh cover. Emptied my oldest compost bin, it contained the best, crumbliest compost I've ever made, which was spread liberally over my asparagus bed and two other raised beds.
This morning I dumped a barrow load of rotten leaves along with a generous sprinkling of chicken manure pellets into the soggy clayey pit at the centre of my asparagus keyhole bed. Hopefully this'll provide better drainage and a source of nutrients for the asparagus over time. I'll cover it with woodchip or something once the keyhole edging is in place.