What a week ! Last weekend was spent digging a hole in the freezing cold and wet, and Christmas shopping when the sun was shining bright ! Go figure !
My good friend has said that I've been uncharacteristically quiet on the boards this week. 10 hour working days has pretty much seen to that. Out of a team of 7, I've had one yet to start, two on annual leave, one (the boss) off sick and one seconded to another department. This has left me and my gem of a colleague carrying the whole department. Things have just been manic, and all I've done when I've got home at night is crashed in front of the tv too knackered to even think.
Good news about my recent promotion application though when I got an invite for an interview for next Thursday. Within 24 hrs that got changed to Wednesday (showing how flexible and accommodating I can be!). Tomorrow we fly to London about 4pm for our dear friend's birthday party on Saturday, returning on Monday evening. So that means, I had tonight to prepare my spare set of examples to be used at the interview, with some of Tuesday if I'm lucky.
So with lashing rain and gale force winds, I get home about 6 tonight, straight out to the greenhouses, only to find that one of the plastic sheets has blown out of the front of the small one. GERRRRRRATE ! Half hour spent getting soaking wet, before we both decide to call it a day (or night), prop the sheet up against the gap with a couple of rather large pots and to try again in the morning keeping fingers crossed that no other damage occurs overnight.
I had planned to pop to the post office in the morning to post some ebay stuff I had sold, fill the car up with petrol and buy some more paraffin for the g/h heaters. Guess what I'll be doing now ?
I think I passed hysteria about 4 hours ago, so now I've calmly cobbled together 5 out of the 6 work examples, packed, sent my apologies to the ebay guys for the delay in posting and finally got round to writing some blog.
Now the good stuff.
My calendula seedlings have exploded. They're pretty damn huge and doing well in the heated g/h. Same with the alstroemeria seedlings. Just hope I can keep the g/h warm enough when the big freeze hits. I think I've even got a pea poking it's wee head through. The solent wight garlic is doing well, but the runty elephant has yet to show. The onions and purple garlic are poking through the straw mulch nicely.
Everything has got well watered today and after the week of strong winds, we probably needed it.
So supreme being, what I need tonight is for the wind and rain to stop and the sun to be shining brightly about 8am so that I can get out and fix the g/h before running around like a lunatic getting everything else done before take off.
I'm looking forward to some enjoyable mayhem over the weekend meeting up with some very good friends, rush over to see the family on Sunday/Monday before flying back Monday pm. So, if I'm still alive, I'll see you all next week ... even stronger !
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Sunday, November 19, 2006
You know I said I hit my finger with a hammer ?
Bloody great bruise running from the tip of my middle right finger to the second knuckle !
It's skipped the slightly pink stage and gone straight for the dark brown !
Fuzzem fuzzem.
It's skipped the slightly pink stage and gone straight for the dark brown !
Fuzzem fuzzem.
Today I have ...............
Smacked my finger with a hammer ! It's stinging. :-(
Remember the ex-patio wall that the workies so kindly dumped in the side flower bed belonging to her upstairs ? Well I thought I'd move it. So I've been bashing around with a hammer and chisel trying to prize the mortar from the bricks. I misjudged it a couple of times and took a direct hit once. Still, the upside is that the wall is now in moveable pieces and is laid up the side of the house waiting for somesome to come and steal it. Any volunteers ?
So I took advantage of the situation and dug over the bed ready for whatever I feel the need to sow in it next season. As it technically doesn't belong to me, I don't feel inclined to improve it very much, so I've just given it a good old turnover and will leave good old mother nature to do the rest for me.
Have no idea what the bush is in the middle of it, but neighbour has two of them, so I gave them both a good haircut, as I did last year, and it didn't seem to hurt them then, just kept them under control. This has pretty much filled up the 4th compost bin. This is also the bed that was overrun with orange alstroemeria and quite a few roots got raised to the surface, so I've taken two and planted them up in pots, stuck a poly bag over them and will wait to see if anything happens.
This is the result of the digging. For solid clay, I was surprised to find that it was quite diggable, apart from close to the bush which was solid with roots. So a good workout by Mr Frost and another turnover and rake next year should be good for some annuals.
While I was out there, I put an overcoat over two of the more waterlogged fruit trees to stop them getting too sodden and also got rid of the early psb so now the far bed is empty and ready for the peas and beans.
The aquadulce broad beans are doing well in the cold frame. One has been nibbled already so I've surrounded them with the contents of my hairbrush !
Then the rain started so I've finished for the day now. I've had quite a profitable morning, and now have to do this damn application form for work (unless I can find something else to amuse me). :-)
Oh......... just remembered yesterday ......... spent most of the day digging out two seriously dead looking shrubs from the communual border (well another bit of her garden). They might have looked dead on top but once again the root system took a fair bit of hacking at before they came out. That bit of the border (just this side of the bath), is heavily waterlogged so I've covered it all in polythene in an attempt to dry it out a bit before excavating the whole lot and putting in a drainage layer. I found a pipe (gasp, thank goodness I didn't put the spade through it) and quickly covered it up again. When I've got a bit more energy, I'll remove as much sodden soil as I can, investigate the pipe a bit further and if it looks "live" will use some of the broken guttering to try and protect it from enthusiastic gardeners i.e. me ! I'm thinking "broad beans" for that particular bit of the plot.
Right, back to the form!
Remember the ex-patio wall that the workies so kindly dumped in the side flower bed belonging to her upstairs ? Well I thought I'd move it. So I've been bashing around with a hammer and chisel trying to prize the mortar from the bricks. I misjudged it a couple of times and took a direct hit once. Still, the upside is that the wall is now in moveable pieces and is laid up the side of the house waiting for somesome to come and steal it. Any volunteers ?
So I took advantage of the situation and dug over the bed ready for whatever I feel the need to sow in it next season. As it technically doesn't belong to me, I don't feel inclined to improve it very much, so I've just given it a good old turnover and will leave good old mother nature to do the rest for me.
Have no idea what the bush is in the middle of it, but neighbour has two of them, so I gave them both a good haircut, as I did last year, and it didn't seem to hurt them then, just kept them under control. This has pretty much filled up the 4th compost bin. This is also the bed that was overrun with orange alstroemeria and quite a few roots got raised to the surface, so I've taken two and planted them up in pots, stuck a poly bag over them and will wait to see if anything happens.
This is the result of the digging. For solid clay, I was surprised to find that it was quite diggable, apart from close to the bush which was solid with roots. So a good workout by Mr Frost and another turnover and rake next year should be good for some annuals.
While I was out there, I put an overcoat over two of the more waterlogged fruit trees to stop them getting too sodden and also got rid of the early psb so now the far bed is empty and ready for the peas and beans.
The aquadulce broad beans are doing well in the cold frame. One has been nibbled already so I've surrounded them with the contents of my hairbrush !
Then the rain started so I've finished for the day now. I've had quite a profitable morning, and now have to do this damn application form for work (unless I can find something else to amuse me). :-)
Oh......... just remembered yesterday ......... spent most of the day digging out two seriously dead looking shrubs from the communual border (well another bit of her garden). They might have looked dead on top but once again the root system took a fair bit of hacking at before they came out. That bit of the border (just this side of the bath), is heavily waterlogged so I've covered it all in polythene in an attempt to dry it out a bit before excavating the whole lot and putting in a drainage layer. I found a pipe (gasp, thank goodness I didn't put the spade through it) and quickly covered it up again. When I've got a bit more energy, I'll remove as much sodden soil as I can, investigate the pipe a bit further and if it looks "live" will use some of the broken guttering to try and protect it from enthusiastic gardeners i.e. me ! I'm thinking "broad beans" for that particular bit of the plot.
Right, back to the form!
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Poo!
I know I should have let it rot, but I didn't. I will go back and get more to fill No. 4 bin and let that do it's work for next year.
Lovely boy up at the stables let me have 7 big bags for 50p a bag, and straw bales at £2.50. I haven't quite worked out the logistics of cramming a bale into the back of a fiesta, but if you can fit four elephants in a mini, i'm sure i can manage.
There was something strangely sensuous about donning a pair of wellies and waterproof jacket, and shovelling shit.
In an inspired moment I removed the rosemary bush out of harms way to a pot and am disposing of the EPSB at the weekend. It really has come to nought, very disappointing. Won't bother again.
And the Solent Wight is peeping through.
Still figuring out how non-members can post comments. Everything seems to be set up OK. So I'll have a search through the FAQs a little later. I also seem to spend more time sorting out the pics layout than actually typing the post. Ah well, no doubt I'll get the hang of it, a bit like the gardening !
Just watching Mr Robin chasing Mr Dunnock. Like there's not enough food for everyone !
Laters peeps.
Lovely boy up at the stables let me have 7 big bags for 50p a bag, and straw bales at £2.50. I haven't quite worked out the logistics of cramming a bale into the back of a fiesta, but if you can fit four elephants in a mini, i'm sure i can manage.
There was something strangely sensuous about donning a pair of wellies and waterproof jacket, and shovelling shit.
In an inspired moment I removed the rosemary bush out of harms way to a pot and am disposing of the EPSB at the weekend. It really has come to nought, very disappointing. Won't bother again.
And the Solent Wight is peeping through.
Still figuring out how non-members can post comments. Everything seems to be set up OK. So I'll have a search through the FAQs a little later. I also seem to spend more time sorting out the pics layout than actually typing the post. Ah well, no doubt I'll get the hang of it, a bit like the gardening !
Just watching Mr Robin chasing Mr Dunnock. Like there's not enough food for everyone !
Laters peeps.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Best laid plans go awry
Day off today, to get the fresh poo and lay it on the border. Have you seen the weather ??? Nasty and awful, so I guess I'll be spending some quality time in the shed sowing some things and having yet another tidy up. Someone has just suggested a day of daytime tele. God forbid !Still we had a lovely rainbow long enough for me to get the camera out, closely followed by the next pic !
Waterproofs and wellies for me today !
Monday, November 13, 2006
Look who I found hiding amongst the Little Gems !
I pulled everything out of g/h No. 2 to put up the bubble wrap, and I found our little friend here snuggled up at the back of one of the Little Gem trays. She looked very dozy and not very wide awake, so I think I've woken her from her winter slumbers. I hope that she managed to get back to sleep after I replaced everything, although I really don't think it was the best place for her to be! I hope she survives the fumes. :-OApologies to those having trouble posting comments on the blog. Blogger have recently invited me to change over to their new version and I think some of the settings have got lost somewhere, so I shall have a wee play and see if I can't get your names back. Anonymous or not, I really enjoy reading your comments, so please feel free to post them and stick your name at the end ! It's got something to do with having a Gmail address. I shall investigate !
The weather was much better yesterday and even the OH came out to play and put a protective stain coating on the shed. There's me lugging bricks about and he reckoned he was doing the hard work. lol. I have now learned to ignore all the huffing, sighing, puffing and swearing that happens whenever he's asked to do anything ! I figure it's his little way !
Harvested a load of cayenne peppers yesterday which are now strung up like red and green fairy lights over the fire. Couldn't put them in the kitchen as it gets too damp in there, so will see how successful they are in the lounge. As I've got a brand new packet of Cayenne (thanks Lish) for next year, I've not bothered saving any seed and have consigned a couple of the plants to the compost bin. I've still got a few Numex Twilight bushes to harvest (literally hunnerds of fruit) and already have the freezer full of Cayennes, so there won't be a hungry gap next year and then I can start from scratch rather than trying to keep any alive over the winter.
I remembered at last to get the camera out, so now you can see the famous retaining wall. Everything to the left of the wall is the neighbour's but you can see that the carrot bath has jumped across and that's a spare black darlek of mine tucked away up the end. Actually all the rubbish you can see is mine but I'm gradually tidying it up for her upstairs and plan on having a border full of pretty delights next year. I replaced the washing pole that was dug up during lleylandi No. 1 excavation, in the hope that she won't mind me using it next summer!The lawn is in need of serious tlc, but then it always was !! I will have to try and read up on how to make it green and lush for little'un to play on. I was hoping that I could find truck loads of free poo just to dump on the border. The far end still needs considerable weeding and digging over though.
Here are the rasps and goosgogs in the infamous black buckets and if you look carefully you can see more BB in the cold frame which are housing the broad beans. These things are worth their weight in erm ........ black plastic !!!
And finally (for this morning), the inside of g/h No. 2! Remember right at the beginning Lish, when you told me to put an ickle one inside the big one ? Jolly good idea !!! It means I can leave the back vent open for fumes but the mini one provides enough shelter for things not to freeze. You can see the Little Gems and on the left is an unnamed chilli/pepper that is still growing it's fruit madly ! All the pots tucked away on the bottom shelf are the lilies and on the top shelf is a tray of calendula and other things that I hope will survive. The hanging basket is the mother Prince of Denmark fuschia. The babies are in the other g/h.So my luvvies, work calls and the garden is put to bed for another week. I had intended on doing so much more this weekend, sowing some peas for one thing, but I appear to have lost the packet roflmao. No doubt they will turn up eventually. The newly tidied shed, has returned to looking more like a bombsite but I have reclaimed the rear and side of the shed.
Not a bad weekend all in all.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
A woman's work is never done
Especially in the garden !
Yesterday was the foulest of foul days, which really made me crabbit. I sit there all week planning on what I'm going to dig, plant, move, tidy etd and when Saturday comes, it just pours !
Despite strong winds and the arrival of the promised hail, I managed to:
Now the front guttering has been repaired, I can sort out the front border a bit as well without fear of everything swimming in a lake of rain. The garlic seems to be coming up, but some of the bulbs seem to be coming to the top of the bed ! Perhaps they're bidding for an escape. I think I'll throw some more compost over them. The garlic and strawberry beds seem to be sinking ! I guess the layer of leaves is rotting down nicely.
Unless the fumes have got to them, the honeysuckle cuttings seem to have taken, as I can see new growth from some of the buds, the Little Gems are coming along but some seem leaves seems to be suffering at the edges from something or other. I'll have a closer inspection today. A couple of hollihocks have germinated but nothing from the Bear's Breeches yet which could be a bit problematic as they both share the same tray in the propogator.
I could see one broad bean poking it's head through a bucket and have stuck all 5 buckets in the cold frame for no other reason than to get them out of the way.
I'm using the bean/pea bed for mixing atm. Throw on a bag of multi-purpose, some bagged manure, sand, and grit and mix it all up with some clay and hey presto, I get some nice workable freeflowing, water and nutrient retaining soil for the pots. That's the theory at least !
And I'm going to pay a visit to bessie mate round the corner's place with a couple of black bags to nick his leaves. All this will take me until dark, so I'd better get a move on............... hopefully be back later with some pics.
Yesterday was the foulest of foul days, which really made me crabbit. I sit there all week planning on what I'm going to dig, plant, move, tidy etd and when Saturday comes, it just pours !
Despite strong winds and the arrival of the promised hail, I managed to:
- start a compost bin for her upstairs and tidied up her path (she'll thank me forever I'm sure)
- found some paraffin (never believe a B&Q sales person that says they don't stock it - they do !)
- bought a new mini paraffin heater for No. 2 g/h and from those instructions worked out how to use No. 1 as well (where DID those instructions go ?)
- planted the three Lidl raspberry canes
- found a source of horse poo at a local stables but at £2.50-£3 a bag they can swing for it
- couldn't find the local mounted police branch stables .... I'll ask at work on Monday
- pruned my standard fuschia in a pot as it kept falling over in the wind
- repaired the cold frame as one of the lids had come apart in the wind (same wind, bloody nuisance)
Now the front guttering has been repaired, I can sort out the front border a bit as well without fear of everything swimming in a lake of rain. The garlic seems to be coming up, but some of the bulbs seem to be coming to the top of the bed ! Perhaps they're bidding for an escape. I think I'll throw some more compost over them. The garlic and strawberry beds seem to be sinking ! I guess the layer of leaves is rotting down nicely.
Unless the fumes have got to them, the honeysuckle cuttings seem to have taken, as I can see new growth from some of the buds, the Little Gems are coming along but some seem leaves seems to be suffering at the edges from something or other. I'll have a closer inspection today. A couple of hollihocks have germinated but nothing from the Bear's Breeches yet which could be a bit problematic as they both share the same tray in the propogator.
I could see one broad bean poking it's head through a bucket and have stuck all 5 buckets in the cold frame for no other reason than to get them out of the way.
I'm using the bean/pea bed for mixing atm. Throw on a bag of multi-purpose, some bagged manure, sand, and grit and mix it all up with some clay and hey presto, I get some nice workable freeflowing, water and nutrient retaining soil for the pots. That's the theory at least !
And I'm going to pay a visit to bessie mate round the corner's place with a couple of black bags to nick his leaves. All this will take me until dark, so I'd better get a move on............... hopefully be back later with some pics.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Black buckets and fruit bushes
Do you think they would work ?
I've been sitting here humming and hawing about where to put the 3 raspberry canes and 2 gooseberry bushes and have figured out that I just don't have enough space "in the ground". Rather than waste my delicious bushes, I think I'll just black bucket them for now and move them to the lottie when the time comes (no response to my email to the lottie secretary - not a good sign).
Gave the neighbours border a bit of a dig last weekend, but it really needs improving 100%. I've put a couple of ads up on the various recycle sites that we now have in Glasgow in the hope that some kind soul can point me in the direction of a WRM supplier. I'll get the OH with his big digging feet out there at the weekend (weather permitting) to give everything another turn over. I think we're more or less hardcore free up at the deck end of the border now, but I'm hesitant to put the fruit bushes in there just incase the wean falls into them. I can hardly steal their garden and then plant kiddie traps can I now ? :-P
I hadn't been to the dump in a while, so three trips on Sunday morning, got rid of all the home made pallet retaining walls (too wet for a bonfire), the root of the second lleylandi which lovely Mr Deck man had considerately chainsawed into four pieces. I wish he'd had a go at root No. 1 as it's a heavy old thing and will need the two of us to carry it to the car. Cleared out behind the shed of various bits of MDF wardrobe no longer required, and started making a brick path around the compost bins so I don't sink into the mud !
So neighbours lawn looks less like a building site and more like a square patch of green now.
Mr Robin is still the first person to arrive every morning. I'm sure he gets up earlier than I do and often seeing him hoppng about in the dark, bless him. Infact I can hear him now, but he hasn't come to say hi yet.
Opened the two "full" compost heaps at the weekend to give them a bit of a stir and found they'd sunk to about 3/4 full. I take it that's a good sign. :-) Once again, dependant on the weather, I might give them all a bit of a turnout at the weekend and load them all back up again to get the heat going again. Trouble is, it's a bit squeezed behind the shed and it's a bit of a battle to get the bins off and out of the way. I could seriously do with some compost though, and I'm far too impatient to let it all rot down, so I might just shovel it into the bean/pea bed and let it finish it's work there.
Kindly girl in the office is bringing me the leaves from her garden. I like to think I'm doing her a favour by takening them lol. I have plenty out in the street, but don't know if I can be bothered sorting leaves from rubbish.
Another grey and wet day, but I suppose it's time to put on the cheery face and head off to the office.
Ciao for now.
I've been sitting here humming and hawing about where to put the 3 raspberry canes and 2 gooseberry bushes and have figured out that I just don't have enough space "in the ground". Rather than waste my delicious bushes, I think I'll just black bucket them for now and move them to the lottie when the time comes (no response to my email to the lottie secretary - not a good sign).
Gave the neighbours border a bit of a dig last weekend, but it really needs improving 100%. I've put a couple of ads up on the various recycle sites that we now have in Glasgow in the hope that some kind soul can point me in the direction of a WRM supplier. I'll get the OH with his big digging feet out there at the weekend (weather permitting) to give everything another turn over. I think we're more or less hardcore free up at the deck end of the border now, but I'm hesitant to put the fruit bushes in there just incase the wean falls into them. I can hardly steal their garden and then plant kiddie traps can I now ? :-P
I hadn't been to the dump in a while, so three trips on Sunday morning, got rid of all the home made pallet retaining walls (too wet for a bonfire), the root of the second lleylandi which lovely Mr Deck man had considerately chainsawed into four pieces. I wish he'd had a go at root No. 1 as it's a heavy old thing and will need the two of us to carry it to the car. Cleared out behind the shed of various bits of MDF wardrobe no longer required, and started making a brick path around the compost bins so I don't sink into the mud !
So neighbours lawn looks less like a building site and more like a square patch of green now.
Mr Robin is still the first person to arrive every morning. I'm sure he gets up earlier than I do and often seeing him hoppng about in the dark, bless him. Infact I can hear him now, but he hasn't come to say hi yet.
Opened the two "full" compost heaps at the weekend to give them a bit of a stir and found they'd sunk to about 3/4 full. I take it that's a good sign. :-) Once again, dependant on the weather, I might give them all a bit of a turnout at the weekend and load them all back up again to get the heat going again. Trouble is, it's a bit squeezed behind the shed and it's a bit of a battle to get the bins off and out of the way. I could seriously do with some compost though, and I'm far too impatient to let it all rot down, so I might just shovel it into the bean/pea bed and let it finish it's work there.
Kindly girl in the office is bringing me the leaves from her garden. I like to think I'm doing her a favour by takening them lol. I have plenty out in the street, but don't know if I can be bothered sorting leaves from rubbish.
Another grey and wet day, but I suppose it's time to put on the cheery face and head off to the office.
Ciao for now.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Another piece in the jigsaw
That's the retaining wall built a la stylee of the deck. Mud everywhere of course and no chance to tidy thing up until the weekend. But it's exactly what I wanted. My deck man is one of great vision as it was definitely the back of a fag packet design.
He also replaced the piece of broken guttering having tipped half a tonne of sludge all over him, his mate did the rendering round the patio doors, and he fixed the toilet seat.
What more could you ask from a deck man ! If anyone wants any windows replaced or deck type things built in the Glasgow area, let me know. I'd have no hesitation recommending my bunch.
I had a day out to Stranraer yesterday with the work. Someone was smiling on me as the weather was absolutely perfect. Bright sunshine all the way there and back. Such gorgeous scenery and I'll definitely drag the OH there for a day trip one day next summer and I'll take my camera as there's precious few decent pics on the net.
Back to the office today, so I'd better get a move on.
Cheery bye.
He also replaced the piece of broken guttering having tipped half a tonne of sludge all over him, his mate did the rendering round the patio doors, and he fixed the toilet seat.
What more could you ask from a deck man ! If anyone wants any windows replaced or deck type things built in the Glasgow area, let me know. I'd have no hesitation recommending my bunch.
I had a day out to Stranraer yesterday with the work. Someone was smiling on me as the weather was absolutely perfect. Bright sunshine all the way there and back. Such gorgeous scenery and I'll definitely drag the OH there for a day trip one day next summer and I'll take my camera as there's precious few decent pics on the net.
Back to the office today, so I'd better get a move on.
Cheery bye.
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