Glasgow Botanic Gardens, Kibble Palace, Glasgow

The OH read that there was an orchid exhibition at the Kibble Palace and thought I'd like to see it, so we toddled off up there yesterday for a peek.

I wanted to blog up the whole of the weekend now, but I think I'm about to fall asleep over the keyboard, so I'll just post the pics of yesterday and tell you the story about the auto vent tomorrow ! :-P

The orchids were fantastic. Such exotic flowers, strange colours and detailed markings. Anyway, hope you like the pics ! They say enough for themselves without me butting in.

See ya tomorrow !

Right, what happened at the weekend ?

How time flies when you're having fun (but back to work). I've been meaning to update this for days now, but the fresh air of the weekend and then the mugginess of the office has wiped me out for the past few nights.

So .... what did I do, let's put the tape on fast forward and see if we can't get through everything in five paragraphs or less ! (some hope lmao).

In no particular order :

Thursday afternoon, they let us run away at lunch time, so with the sun in the sky and a shovel in my hand, I made a concerted attempt at breaking up the borders trying to make the cricket balls of clay more like marbles. Lot's of people suggest smashing with a rake but I can get to grips with this approach. Instead, I just a chopping action from the back to the front of the bed, with the spade turned towards me bringing all the balls that won't break immediately to the front of the bed, where I pick them up off the path and throw them to the back. Repeat process until fine tilth ! lmao. Did this a couple of times at the side bed and then cheated and threw two bags of multipurpose compost on top where I'm going to sow some poppies and other wild flowers and annuals. On Monday, I planted out some marigolds, probably too early so out came the cloches. I used the entire stock in the shed so have gone on the scrounge for more !

The sun went in of course on Friday and was quite cloudy and chilly, but I got some Meteor Peas, Hestia Dwarf runners, Courgettes Defender, Astia, Black Beauty and All Green Bush (the Astia and All Green Bush have romped away and are through and out of the propogator already), and sowed another couple of short rows of Chantenay Red Cored Carrots in the bath. THEN I spotted that the Early Nantes in the bath are just coming through now !

Saturday (according to the diary but I actually don't remember it) the sun shone all day ! Did lot's more digging in the side bed and central border. Also worked on the front border and sowed: candy tufts, love in the mist, forget-me-nots, lemon zest calendula and some Lasy Daisy asters free with one of the mags. So that's the front bed done. Also planted out Mum's Acanthus Mollis which I hope will prove to be as purple as I've seen pics of. The grass needs a cut but all i had time for was to dig up some dandelions. Just hope the rain holds off till the weekend and I'll do it then.

Sunday returned to cloudy and chilly. So I satisfied myself by sowing three different varieties of Morning Glory, all of them purple or black: Purple Haze, Star of Yelta (from Georgie), Knowlians Black (from another v. kind A4Aer who's name slips my memory ! :-( ) the pictures on the packs look stunning, and I can wait for them to flower ....... but a long while away yet.

Sowed some more Lemon Zest Calendula in trays for the back garden, Brachycome and Limnanthes douglassi (still can't get to grips with these botantical names - so Swan River Daisy and Poached Egg Plants) from Trixibelle (I think - oops). I WILL have bees and butterflies this summer ! I WILL !






The lily house is going mad ! I've done nothing for these poor plants at all cept the occasional bit of water, but inside and out of the g/h they are just sprouting like mad. At least I have the g/hs to protect them this year when we have the odd mad hurricane !



The fruit garden is coming along and I've stuck some netting up over the blueberries(and currently a dead currant stick and the rosemary bush). The ends are still open so I hope it will allow the bees but discourage the birdies from getting in there. When I'm outside, I'll lift it up totally to allow the buzzing ones greater access. Must admit I'm impressed with the buds on the blueberries. Both varieties (Chandler and Sunshine Blue) have plenty of buds, one a pinkish tinge, the other blueish. The gooseberries are showing lots of green growth too, so no doubt I'll swap the rosemary for them at some stage. The only reason the rosemary is under there is to stop the perspex panels flying out when it's windy !! The arch in front of the fruit cage is destined to be for the sweetpeas. Both Lishka and I reckon this should provide some lovely natural shading for the g/h!

Right onto the toms ! They're bloody everywhere ! I've discovered during the week that Supersprout's Pineapple Toms are a potato leaved variety (which made me even more confused that usual), but everything is just going bonkers ! I tried to pot some up today (the pineapples being most important this year - Supersprout would never forgive me if I didn't get a decent crop). Actually I don't think she'd mind at all, she's not the type ! but it's important to me to raise her babies as she would like. Whatever else I give away, I won't be parting with my pineapples.

Biscomb's Muchamiel and Tres Cantos are going great guns. Quite a change from the sunny shores of Spain to the grey old west of Scotland, but I live in hope that I can replicate a bit of the med north of the Wall.

The skidded Tigerellas have recovered and are growing well. I'm running out of big pots fast, so have no idea what I'm going to pot up the aubergines or the rest of the toms in to be honest.

God forbid I should actually have to go and buy some bigger pots ! That really would go against the grain.

Right I think that's enough for tonight. Will try and get up to date tomorrow.

In between the panic, this is great fun but so much still to do ! No news about the lottie yet. No word from the secretary either ! Bad show if you ask me. I still haven't written it off totally, but I'm not at all sure that my wrists would stand up to a full lottie ! I've already decided that next year, onions will be surplus to requirements. My over wintered ones really haven't taken off as I hoped, and they're so damn cheap that it seems silly to give over masses of land space to them (although there is still the front lawn to dig up ;-P).

We'll just wait and see. If the plot offered looks like a wilderness, I'll think twice, if however it's beautifully manicured and well worked then it would be churlish to refuse. In the meantime Kay Pee's Plot is keeping me nice and busy thank you very much, and there are alway more pots to be sown.


Lishka's runty garlic is putting on a considered performance. i slung in a couple of Red Baron onions just to share the space.

Cut my first crop of salad leaves today, and had them with a few radishes and some bland old supermarket toms together with some grilled salmon for tea. Just the simple act of going out and carefully cutting just enough for something you're going to eat then and there, makes the whole escapade worthwhile.


Oh lordy ! nearly forgot the most important bit ...... the A4A gals carrit trials. Here is the treasured bucket ! No cheating now eh girls ??

Right, enough blethering. What I've missed tonight, no doubt I'll catch up before the next episode starts.

Moral of the week: never under estimate the amount of compost or pots that you'll need !!

T'ra fellow plottees !

xx

Time to roll my sleeves up

and get started !

Not long back from a week away leaving my babies home alone ! Everything survived, if a bit on the leggy side. It was glorious weather apparently while we were away. The bird bath was nearly empty when we returned.

All the vulnerables now to the twice daily march to/from the spare room/greenhouse but it's rather cloudy and chilly this morning, so they're sitting down by the patio doors waiting for the sun to shine before they go out to play.

Just noticed wee buds on some of my more advanced calendulas (in the g/h) and have plenty more coming on.

The gifts of home made fuschias that I took to Mum, Mamalion and Nan went down well and I still have plenty left for me.

All the Naughty Marietta marigolds are doing fine, nice sturdy little plants, but the Jolly Jesters and Mum's "brown" ones are still a bit wibbly. I'm keeping watering to a minimum and hope they'll take off once the heat is turned on !

Spent all yesterday afternoon, uncovering the borders next door and giving it a good old dig, smashing clay lumps, forking and raking. The ground almost looks friable now although my "breadcrumb" fine tilth resemble golf balls and marbles ! It really does need some improving.

The onion sets in planted a couple of weeks ago seem to have taken ok, but my overwintered ones look like they're really struggling.

Salad leaves now in a raised bed are really starting to grow. Won't be long before I can have the first cutting, and some radishes will be ready by then as well. Parmex carrots in the g/h pot are looking good, but the Early Nantes in the bath have yet to germinate.

Both types of broad beans are going great guns. Lots of blooms on the aquathingies. Now I just need a bee !

The blueberry bushes are budding well, but the raspberry canes still look like sticks ! One of the Ribena sticks has growth but not the other one (but I suppose that was planted later).

All the spring bulbs and flowering nicely, mostly in the front border. A lovely show of chinodoxa. I can see loads of new buds on one of the jasmin's from where i'm sitting which i'm pleased about as it looked quite weather ravaged over the winter. the standard hardy fuschia has plenty of green (that was the one i nearly drowned last year so i'm pleased there were no lasting damage).

The sparrows are pulling apart a hanging basket liner for nesting and this morning a blue tit looked at the bird box, but only briefly. I do hope we get some to stay.

Mr and Mrs Robin however have disappeared since our holiday. Perhaps they're in a huff with us for leaving them to their own devices.

Today I will mainly be sowing: Courgettes (All Green bush, Astia, Defender, Black Beauty), Chantenay Red Cored carrits, Hestia runner beans, Tomatoes: Santiam, San Marzano Lungo, Tumbling Tom Red) and I think I'll put sow some peas direct as the first lot of Twinkle don't look to be taking very well.

Got some Morning Glory's soaking so will sow them tomorrow.

The sky is clearing .... slowly .... so one last cuppa and then I'm off outside !

Have a good sowing weekend. Hope the sun shines for you all.

The big yellow thing was back yesterday !

And a lovely day it was too. I actually managed to throw off the fleece for a while. Never thought I'd hear myself say this, but we could actually do with some rain. Not with the accompanying gale force winds, but some nice warmish water if you wouldn't mind, please !

However, taking advantage of the sun, I got lots done.

Went to pick up the spesheel glass for the greenhouse vent, leaving the OH behind working out how to install the louvres. Came home to hear "it doesn't fit". Fuzzem fuzzem ! So we installed the new vent first cos we were SURE that would fit (were we?)but it did ! Had a grand opening ceremony to celebrate ! Then got down to the louvres. How can they NOT fit, it was a standard accessory kit for a standard greenhouse. OH was right though and there's a gap under the louvres of about 4". Definitely WASN'T going to go and order another bit of glass, so cut up a polycarb sheet (which is now drying off over the radiator to get rid of the condensation before we tape up the edges and install in place.

Sowed some Early Nantes in the bath, (Parmix in the g/h are coming on a treat - I've only had to thin a few as I sowed sparingly). Surrounded bath carrots with red baron onions that were sprouting well but seem a bit soft - hope it's nothing fatal ! Covered bath in fleece.

Transplanted some lettuce leaves from the g/h to an outside bed as they were looking a bit scorched. Same with some of the icicle radishes. Think it was too hot for them inside so now they're under fleece. Little Gems sown 18/3 have just popped through but no sign of the borage, sparkler 3 radish or bronze fennel which were all sown on the same day.

Mum had said that my brother's selfseeded candytufts were already a good few inches high down south, so I stuck some in the edge of the "under the hedge" border.

Threw some more peas in pots (sugar snap, meteor, twinkle). With a bit of luck i can plant them out after my journey darn sarf. The ones in the ground already are looking a bit scraggy. The meteor are definitely doing better than the twinkle.

Decided to plant out my senecio greyii cuttings to one of the neighbours beds so in future years it will be established and no need from me to do anything ! I've had a tub of aquilegia, sown last year, but never came to naught, but has sprouted again this year, so stuck that in a border too. Erected one of the rose arches in neighbours border just outside g/h No. 2. Am planning on running the sweetpeas up there to act as some shading. Need to feed the garlic I think. there is still yellowing edges to the leaves. it could of course still be the cold.

stuck some nasturtium seeds round the edge of the water barrel planter. too soon probably, so if they grow, they grow, if they don't - still got tonnes left from last year.

A pair of blue-tits are visited the garden regularly now but still no sign of action towards the bird box which is hidden round the side of the shed next to the hedge. I don't think the birdies can find it ! lol

I've decided to spend my birthday cash on two autovents for the big g/h which I could really do with installing before my trip, but that's not going to happen, so need to think about putting up some shading. The really vulnerables will come in and go on the spare bed, but there is still a lot of stuff I won't have room for indoors and I don't want it all burned to death while I'm away. Perhaps I'll tackle that today ..... after the homework which I'm going to have to do now.

Happy Spring people !

The sun is out and the sky is blue

and I've turned off the heaters in the g/hs. Didn't know what to do yesterday so left the heater in the big g/h on as the forecast was for rain and cloud and other nastiness. The max temp recorded when I got back from work was 110o !

Much watering was needed but doesn't look as if I've cooked much so today I'm leaving the babies to their own devices. If they get cold, they'll just have to snuggle up.

Have a good one fellow growers.

Tee hee hee. No. 3 on the "list"

This is just ridiculous. More torrential rain and blowing a gale ........ again !

So I cheer myself up by looking at the poor daffs in the front garden that are taking a battering.

I started today by washing the inside of the big greenhouse and finished it just in time to move everything in before the rain started.

We did have a wee bit of very bright sun for about an hour and then the heavens opened !

Still I managed to get all the grow bags inside to "warm up". That'll be a joke if it snows on Monday lol but I suppose they'd still be warmer inside that out.

Rearranged both greenhouse occupants and spent the rest of the day pricking out calendula, tomatoes and chillis ! There are literally DOZENS of the things !

Went up to the glass merchants and ordered my vent pane, then went to the stables who ........ no longer sell straw !! ffs ! was pointed in the direction of the park manager to see if he sold it, but same answer there ! tut tut !

While looking for him though, I found a bit of the park that was just filled with Great Tits, Blue Tits and Chaffinches so I stayed a while there and watched them. Back home all the Dunnocks and Sparrows were (in great numbers) battling against the wind trying to get to the feeders before being blown into the hedge.

I'm sitting looking at the fleece over the broad beans and peas hanging on for dear life. I REALLY don't want to have to go out and put more clips on, so I hope it holds.

Exciting bit of the day though was popping into the allotments on the way to the stables and finding that I am THIRD on the list !!! It's gonna be this season !!!!! The OH was less than thrilled with the good news lol.

Am shattered now though so am going to have a quiet read of Andi Clevely just to get into practice !! I'm already planning what else to start sowing so that I can get something in the ground this season. I know I'm being a bit premature, but don't want to be caught short when I get the email to come and collect the keys. Even if If it's in a state, I'll still manage to get at least one bed dug, so will need something to go in the ground pretty damn smartish ! At least I'll have enough calendula but will I be brave enough to put my climbing beans in at the lottie ! Suppose I'd better wait for the word go before I get too excited though !

Finally, a fond farewell to our Supersprout who was laid to rest on Thursday. We are so lucky to have "known" her and will be remembering her fondly and often.

Hang on to your hats people, it's a wild one out there this weekend.

Amaryllis - a year to the day - almost!

Just found last year's pics which said 13/3. This is today !

Today Part 2

Potted up a tray of brown marigolds and there were over 30 ! I'm running out of 3" pots FAST.

Weeded the strawb bed and found loads of Red Baron onions starting to sprout. I think I read somewhere that they were good companions (I hope) and I've got another 70 Red Barons to find a home for. I found loads of worms in that bed so I was very careful not to chop any up !

The over wintered onions really aren't putting on the spurt that I had hoped they would. The garlic in that bed really are doing well, but the onions are still looking a bit straggly. If they don't come to much by the time I get back from London, early April, I'll bung the new ones in there to fill in the gaps.

Had a good old clear out of the shed which had exploded again ! MORE washing of pots and trays (does it never end ?), took some of the insulation off the g/hs and LO ! there was light ! Am trying to move everything from the big one to the little one so I can give the big one a good scrub. Trouble is, I refilled the staging with the marigolds ! lol

Green Windsor broad beans are starting to poke through, as are the beetroot sown last weekend. Put loads of the calendula and pots of lilies in the resurrected cold frame but must keep an eye out for the slugs in there. Mr Sluggy has already got at my sage which was in the g/h. Wee swine ! Will read more tonight about pruning the fruit bushes and do that tomorrow.

I've grown two Potentilla "Monarchs Velvet" from seed and they look fairly hardy now so I'm going to put them in tomorrow, fleece at the ready in case it gets too cold when they've only just gone in.

I'm supposed to be doing some homework for work this weekend, but playing in the garden is a much nicer way to spend a day !

Hope you all had fun !

Happenings this week

Really blustery (but dry so far) morning here. Just sitting here watching the birdies try and land on the feeders without being blown into the hedge !

This week, I threw caution to the wind and sowed another tray of calendula (two cvs but no idea what !) and another tray of Mum's brown marigolds.

All the toms are up and some might be potted on when I get outside.



The third pic down are the survivors of last weekend's disaster with the Tigerella toms. They seemed to have coped quit well through their ordeal.


The cucumbers (in the bedroom) are massive and looking really healthy, but I'm now worried about growth checks. (pics to come but the OH is still asleep and how mad would it be if it was to wake up to find me taking pics of the cukes !).

The poor old peas and broad beans that are in the ground were taking a right old
battering from the weather this week, so during a dry-ish spell after work last night, I erected a more solid frame from old g/h staging poles and joints and covered the whole thing with fleece, held in place by a million pegs and mini-clips. From where I'm sitting, the rather elaborate construction seems to have held firm overnight.

I think I forgot to tell you that I sowed a tray of Wolan F1 beet, and Moulin rouge beet last weekend, but left them in the heated g/h rather than try and germinate them inside (running out of space fast). Nothing has appeared yet, but when I had a peek under the cover of the Musselburgh pot, they had all germinated ! So cover off !

My one Busy Lizzie cutting taken from last year has been blooming for a couple of weeks now ! A lovely cerise colour. I snipped off a few buds this morning to try and conserve it's strength and beef up a bit before I plant it out ! I have a feeling it may remain a house plant !!!

My Amaryllis continues apace and is very nearly ready to bloom. I think it is a little bit later this year, according to the dates on previous pics.

The latest sowing of sweetpeas are up and will give them a few more days of being protected in the house before I move them to the g/h.

I read that I should be pruning some fruit bushes just now, so will try and do that today as well as having a weed of the strawberry bed. I found a crocus and snowdrop in there, and then loads more shoots appeared. I certainly don't remember planting a whole load of bulbs so will have a prod and poke around today and give it a bit of a clean up. Might even pot up a couple of strawb plants to bring into the g/h for an early start !

My trays of lobelia are doing better than the petunias which largely appear to have succumbed to damping off. Don't know why I bother with the wee fiddly seeds as I'm never very good at getting them off the ground. Perhaps next year I'll just bite the bullet and go for plug plants rather than trying to grow from seed.

Things are definitely happening all over the garden now and it's such fun to discover something new has appeared. There are quite a few main daffs out in the front garden and my Gardeners World tulips are up and through. Just hope they're not eaten at the base of the stems like one or two were last year.

Right, I must away and go out to play.

Have fun !

A heavy night on Friday !

And boy was I suffering on Saturday ! Still, I managed to get outside and clear the cobwebs in the afternoon.

Planted out my autumn sown BBs (which was rather silly as I've now looked at the forecast for the next few days and strong winds have been predicted). However, poking my nose through the curtains reveal my fleece windbreak structure still standing ! I'll go and have a closer examination when I'm dressed !

In my stupor on Saturday morning, I skidded 8 baby Tigerella toms and a couple of Aubs across the carpet ! I managed to rescue some, but have sown some replacements just incase the shock is too much for them.

My miniature daffs are coming out and I've even spotted some Muscari poking through as well as the outdoor big hyacinths.

Some Icicle radishes went in and my sowing of salad leaves in the g/h are coming along a treat. The pot of carrot Parmex are just starting to germinate and everything else is just going great guns. The calendulas that I started ages ago are quite huge now, but I'm scared to put them outside yet. Their leaves certainly are quite stinky so one or two will definitely be going in the bath and perhaps a couple in pots in the g/h to protect the toms.

I raided Lidls on Thursday and bought 15 growbags, two rolls of weed suppressant fabric and some lawn shears. Yesterday's trip to B&Q was for the carrot bath. 1 1/2 bags of multipurpose with JI, and a bag of sharp sand were all turned in together, broken up the lumps and laid over a good depth of polystyrene chips for drainage. That's all been watered and now covered until next weekend at least. I'll get the old soil thermometer in there before I take a chance. Going to do little and often and sow "sparingly" this year !

The Red Barons that I dropped on the g/h floor last week don't seem to have suffered too much, and everything is sprouting nicely. I was going to put a ring of them round the edge of the carrot bath as a belt and braces measure against the evil fly. Where the rest of them are going is anyone's guess. I've heard that Red Baron are prone to bolting though so must ask my trusty friend at work when is the best time to put them in the ground.

Buds are appearing everywhere, blueberries, goosgogs, blackcurrants ..... all are looking hopeful.

Back to the g/h, Mum's Bears Breeches which were sown last year are doing well, as are the various cuttings of things taken at New Year. It was very cold and damp over the weekend so I left the heaters on all day just to keep everything at about 40-50o.

The trays of Naughty Mariettas should really be potted on. That's a job for midweek or next weekend depending on what time I get back from work this week.

A pot of chives inside have sprouted but were covered with greenfly, so I gave them a good squish and spray ! They were one of the pots just slung at the back with "ignore" marked on them, so I'm happy that they've come up !

Oh nearly forgot the Harbinger and Gartenperle toms ! How could I ??? and I potted on a variety of chillis. Exactly what I'm going to do with ten tonne of chillis at the end of the season, is anyone's guess! Con carne anyone ????

Ah happy days !

xxx

Supersprout RIP

Yesterday was an extremely sad day for my extended virtual gardening family.

We lost our very dear friend Sarah, Supersprout.

She gave so much to everyone, her humour, her wisdom and advice, her seeds and her Jerusalem Artichokes ! Most of the gardens and plots in the UK will have a little bit of Sarah growing this season.

All our thoughts are with Sarah's son Will at this terribly sad time.

Just when you thought spring was on it's way

It starts blowing a gale, throwing it down and temperature drops like a stone.
Before work I had to repair the fleece that had blown off the peas over night (it's them peas again what does it, i swear). The slidy window in the battered g/h needed repairing and one of the lids has blown off the cold frame again !

So put the broadbeans back inside to give them a bit of a break and put other black buckets outside the g/h doors to stop them from flying away. Got back tonight and everything seemed to be intact, so .... result !

At last I have some pics to show you.

The amaryllis has shot up. A good 2.5' now and one of the blooms is just about to be born. Don't think they will be as big as last year though.














I certainly don't remember planting this double snowdrop, but I'm glad I did.












This hellebore (variety unknown) is doing it's own little thing under the front hedge. That's twice it's surprised me now by flowering. I keep forgetting it's there !












Three times this poor honeysuckle has been uprooted, once when it was given to me, and twice since I've had it. I've put it behind ickle g/h to keep it's feet cool but hopefully it will grow up the side and onto the roof to get the sun. It suffered quite badly from mildew last year, so will keep it well watered again this year. No lasting signs of damage so far though.












Spotted Mr Robin having a nice quiet rest in the sun last weekend.














and found this little chap/chapette sitting right in the garlic bed. 5 mins earlier it was sitting in the hanging bird feeder enjoying the same sun as Mr Robin. I got quite worried as it let me get up really close to take this shot and I thought it might have been ill. It looked really healthy though and eventually flew off. I hope it comes back to see me next weekend.












These are two of the spanish peppers/chillis (origin and variety unknown - basically cos I cods up the labelling system last year). Seeing as it's the end of Feb, I think they're doing quite well ! There's still a few more to comes yet (although not as large) and there's still a couple of Numex Twilight STILL ripening.







The trays of petunias and lobelia have germinated and I'm willing them to get bigger, they're sooooooo tiny ! I heard that tea tree oil was good to prevent damping off, but as I couldn't find my bottle, I used lavender oil instead (well it's all anti-bacterial eh ?). One or two seeds have collapsed, but nowhere near as many as I was expecting. Maybe the lavender works !

8 more varieties of toms were sown last night:

Golden Sunrise (Lishka)
Marmande (Lishka)
Legend
Ferline (Lishka)
Cream Sausage (Mum)
Muchamiel (Biscombe)
Tres Cantos (Biscombe)
Pineapple (dearest Supersprout)

My Tigerellas (Lishka) have their first true leaves and are sitting in their tin foil box to catch some extra light.

The Masterpiece cukes took exactly 3 days to germinate, the Marketmores have still to show.

See what happens when the growing season starts ? The pages get longer !

This is going to be a terrific month ..... terrifically busy but so exciting.

Oh and I started the new job last Monday. Seems good so far and I've only bored two people to death with gardening chat ! One of the girls was even excited about Carol Klein's GYO. I think I might have made a friend (or at least found a home for some spare seedlings !)

There's a friend out there who's having a bit of a battle atm, so love and best wishes to our mate SS.

See you soon chaps and chapesses. Hope you're having a good a time as I am.

Yesterday all my troubles seemed so far away

and then I upturned a tray of Red Baron onions all over the greenhouse floor. DAMN !

They've got nice root systems on them though !

Before that I:

Cut back a big chunk of hedge behind the big g/h so one day soon I'll be able to get the new vent installed.

Generally had a tidy up and washed loads more breeding pots.

Sowed a pot of Musselburgh Leeks, and some of mum's seeds called "Garlic". Think they're garlic chives.

Tried to put together one of the rose arches to put around the side gate for the sweetpeas to grow up. Now I'm not an engineer and the box didn't have any instructions, but I've done one of these before and it wasn't hard. This one however, just wouldn't fit together. The uprights were fine, but trying to get the arch together was a nightmare. All the screw bits that were supposed to be fixed in the ends of the cross strut popped out - WITHOUT EXCEPTION. It's now lying on the deck in pieces. I'll have another go today and if it still doesn't work, the uprights will get used somewhere for something climbing.

The snowdrops are out in force in the front garden now, and I found one double ! Don't remember buying any doubles so that was a nice surprise.

Some of the crocus are going over now. They seemed to cope with the frost quite well, but this latest rain has made them go all squidgy.

My pair of robins are regular visitors and last Sunday a pair of coal tits decided to pop by. There are also a couple of male blackbirds that have been coming in the garden which is nice. They've been around previously but never in MY garden before, so I was well chuffed.

Got a letter from the council with a planning application for the house over the street as they're installing patio doors and a deck. Oops, I missed that bit out when I installed mine !

The trays of annuals I sowed a few weeks ago are through but so very tiny but one of the Spanish Palms that our good friends darn sarf gave me at New Year has germinated. Was thrilled with that.

Calendula and alstroemeria are still running away in the g/h. Really need to get them in the ground but suspect it's far too early yet. I put some of the loo roll radishes in the ground last week, had a peek under the fleece only to find half of them gone ! Mr Slug no doubt. So the survivors have all got pop bottle cloches now. See if that deters the little tykes.

Mixed salad leaves in the g/h keep on going. Now about 3/4" tall and starting to show proper leaves. I should really sow the next row today.

Got my Carol Kleine GYO book in the post yesterday and also got a book on sweetpeas this week from ebay. and KG mag fell through the letterbox. So I've plenty to read. Trouble is, I get one page read and then promptly fall asleep lol.

May go and try another page now as this really is too early to be up on a Sunday morning !

oh what a beautiful morning oh what a beautiful day

and it was, it really was. The sun shone all day and at one stage I had to take my fleece off !

Decided to have a good old dig and ended up digging out the kerb stones that are supposed to be keeping the shed base in place and raising them a few inches so that the soil stops spreading all over the slabs, and that was BEFORE the trip to B&Q.

Got a few bags of manure and planted Debs Delight Brighton rhubarb, a specialist variety - origin unknown.

Slung another bag over the Jerusalem Artichokes and spread the rest round my blackcurrant "sticks".

My Twinkle peas have been flopping over in the g/h for a while now, so I took a chance and planted them out. Surrounded them with fleece after this pic, which I've weighted down with bricks, so I hope they survive both the meeces and the cold. Got some more in reserve, just in case.

Sowed some Aubergine Calliope, Carrot Parmex, Gardener's Delight, Peas Meteor and Tomato Black Cherry. Top tip: the plastic carton's that "bargain" tomatoes come in, 3 fit nicely into a standard seed tray !

Will finished off tomorrow. Got a party to go to. :0)

The only thing of note this weekend.

As the weather has been horrid this weekend, cold, wet, unsuitable for anything, I've had to search indoors for something to write about and this is it !

My Amaryllis has started to grow.













And my Dionaea muscipula is throwing out new leaves all over the place.

Watch out bugs !

No snow here

but you can see the blue sky behind Mr Robin !

A bit Heath Robinson

but the wind tunnel now resembles a greenhouse again.



I took off all the green trim, cut panels from an old plastic walk-in g/h, replaced the trim over the plastic and screwed back on. It will last til the next breeze anyway !

It needs a good wash down and will never be as crystal clear as the glass g/h but I won't have to shade it will I ? :-D

Lots of yellow and purple crocus are through and blooming, and some snowdrops as well. They look so pretty, especially the snowdrop that appeared in the strawberry bed ! :-O

Weather - clear blue sky and big yellow thing in the sky and really warm until about 3pm when it got a bit chilly. I even managed to have an after work cuppa on the deck. Luvverly.

The weekend past there just gone

I should really write this up earlier shouldn't I ?

Weather - Saturday bright and breezy. Sunday not so bright and a wee bit of drizzle.

Stuff done:

Dug at/over/in improver to the remaining stretch of neighbour's solid border and redistributed piles of earth so that the whole border is pretty much level throwing unearthed rocks and stones in the bath as I went. Then covered the whole lot with various bits of cut up compost bags, black side up and cardboard boxes that I had saved for just the purpose. Underlay the lot with triple layers of newspaper (that was fun in the wind)and used my pile of patio bricks to weigh it all down. Thank goodness no one took me up on my offer to take them away.

Broke up all the polystyrene I had lying around into little chunks to act as drainage in the whisky/wine half barrel. In another moment of blinding inspiration, I cut a big circle of perforated clear plastic to lay over the drainage chunks and up the sides. The purpose for this was twofold. Firstly to stop all the compost mixing with the chunks (which happened last year and was a real bother when I decided to replace the compost, secondly to act as a moisture retainer. I figure it won't need watering quite so often (going to use this trick in the bath too). Then filled the barrel with a bag of JI multi-purpose. Nothing planted it in yet, but it's ready and waiting !

Retrieved two Spur shelving brackets from the OH's mum's loft and put up a shelf in the shed and did a bit of spring cleaning. I can now see the floor and laid another cardboard box carpet down. As this had a shiny printed pattern, I didn't think the worms would enjoy that particular box.

Tidied the g/h, cut off any deed looking leaves and generally cleared away any fallen leave and sowed a row of Italian Salad cut and come again leaves. The calendulars need potting up I reckon so will do that this weekend.

More washing of pots, big and small.

OH blocked in the ends of the path that runs between the garlic and strawberry beds and filled it with a strange mix of compost, leaves, more compost, topsoil. Will leave it to settle and throw in a bag of JI multi-purpose on the top. So now I have one big bed, split into 3 sections.

Dug up one of the JAs planted last weekend and moved it a couple of foot to the right. Had I read Supersprouts instructions carefully before planting, I would have known this ! :-P

Created a border under the privet hedge that runs down the side of the deck, but cutting away the lower part of the hedge and chucked in some of the spare clay from the newly cardboard boxed border. Threw in some spent compost from various pots. Will put some annuals in there. Mr Robin loved me for it and spent a long while hopping about getting bugs.

No. 1 aubergine has germinated ! Still got it in the nursery though.

Nothing yet though from Mr Stripey!

Hyacinths are now stinking out the kitchen. They really are strong and I'm not at all sure I'm all that keen on the perfume now but they do look lovely even if I've had to prop them up with a couple of chop sticks as they are so top heavy and keep toppling over!

This weekend I am definitely looking out the reinforced plastic cover of my very first g/h (that bit the dust a year ago). Going to cut appropriate panels and screw them into the frame of damaged g/h. Not sure how to fix the doors yet, or stop them disappearing down the garden again, but I'm sure we'll think of something.

KG mag dropped through the door so read most of that and in a timely fashion GYO came tonight which brings me up to date and is where I'm off to now.

Night night fellow sowers and growers. Dig well.

How could I forget ?

that I lived in Scotland !!! My good friend and much experienced garden type person Veggie Perrin has just reminded me, so the seed packets are going back in their basket while I drum my fingers for another month.

I'll just have to be patient and watch the 6 Tigerella toms (that I sowed a couple of nights ago) do their best and hope they didn't hear Veggie !

I had a tray of Sparkler 3 radishes cooking on the window sill but I'd obviously not planted them deep enough so they were toppling all over the place. Out came the loo rolls and compost and I spoon fed them all neck deep into their new individual wee homes. Never have radishes been so cossetted. It's a good job there's not much else going on, in a months time, there will be too much on the go to treat them with such tender loving care.

The spare room now resembles a potting shed which reminds me. The elves have been back playing havoc in the shed again. I want shelves NOT elves ! So that might be the job for the weekend along with a bit more digging if the weather holds. (Whispering) have I said it hasn't rained for a couple of days now ? shhhhh!

:-)

Yesterday was better

I managed to fork over everywhere that I'd covered in horse poo last autumn. The top bed (on my side of the garden) was surprisingly workable. I thought it would be solid mud but it appears that the bags and bags of manure/compost/improver/sand that I'd worked in last year is doing it's job. I found lots of nice fat worms as well which pleased me greatly as I thought I might have frightened them off with the wee in the poo (if you get my drift).

The neighbour's borders (where I haven't paid a fortune to improve) are still heavy apart from the one wee stretch which is more or less pure compost and I moved the clay that had come out of the wee stretch to the bed at the side of the house. No mean feat when it was soaking wet. At least neighbour's path is clear now, I feel better for that.

Two Jerusalem Artichokes went in, sowed some more Peas Twinkle, Sugar Snap peas, a tray of Campanula Cashmeriana (which is now in the main bedroom "nursery"), put my Red Baron onion sets in modules as some were starting to sprout, and two bare rooted Geranium Versicolor (y no u ?) in the front border.

Had a bit of a weed in the front border as lots of grass was poking through and I spotted my first snowdrop in one of the back tubs !

I removed the plastic bags off the rosemary, white flower bush, and willow cuttings I grabbed from Mamalion and had a bit of a sort out in the g/h of things that obviously weren't doing well.

So I was quite pleased with myself. I was going to sow some toms, then decided against it reading that it was probably much too early, but then read that some other impatient soul had sowed FIVE TRAYS worth ! So I'm going to sort through the packs this morning and look for the earliest and at least get a few sown. What I'd do if all 5 trays worth came up I don't know. So it will be half a dozen seeds of a couple of varieties just in case they all germinate !

No wind to speak of as I look out of the window this morning, but wet again (no ? really ???) and last night all the cars were covered in hail so I guess it's pretty nippy out there. The heater is keeping the g/h to a nice 50o or thereabouts but I was shocked to find the max temp had risen to about 80o at least once recently. I'm not very good at keeping a daily eye on it as it's dark when I leave in the morning and dark when I get back, so I only manage to have a good old inspection at the weekend. I can't leave anything open lest the door takes off and panes fall out, so I'm trying to keep an eye on bugs and mouldy things.

Bessie mate brought round a big bag of old pop bottles and some cardboard boxes and polystyrene that was on the way to the dump, so I'll be able to give the shed a new carpet and tidy up later. Oh and I had another good wash up of pots and trays. Doesn't matter how often you do it, there's always more washing up to be done eh ?

Right, off to research toms !

I've been so lazy

The lack of a broadband connection has really kept me away from saying much on here recently but as the wind and rain persist outside, I've told myself off and here I am!

Word of warning, if you've got a UK Online broadband account, don't ever try and upgrade or ask for anything to be changed on it. They have you offline for weeks. They missed their own timeslot for switching us over to 8mb and then couldn't even guarantee to have us connected by 30th January ! They blame BT, BT blames them. So now we've converted to Orange with a promise of a connection by the 28th! We'll see if they are as good as their word. Dial-up is just soooooooo tedious.

The "weather" has been driving us all barmy just recently. Reading everyone else's disasters in the garden, makes me thankful that my own are relatively minimal. The wee g/h took a direct hit at New Year but apart from that (touch wood) we've been lucky in this last round of gales/wind/snow.

Outside the Aquadulce broadies are looking like the slugs have been having a good munch. Despite taking proper precautions, they've still been shredded. I'll be sowing some Green Windsor's when I can get to do something meaningful.

Inbetween showers this morning (whilst re-erecting the bird table and retrieving the feeders from the onion bed) I dug around in the parsnip pot and pulled half a dozen babies. Will have those tonight to make me feel better.

The onions are looking slightly flattened and sorry for themselves but the garlic is standing straight and proud. The soil in the raised strawberry bed is sinking, I guess the worms are doing their job on the leaves that I stuck in the bottom of the bed !

In the (still standing) greenhouse, the sweet-peas got a bit nibbled by Mr Slug so I resorted to some pellets. They've left the actual peas alone though - bonus ! The calendula and altroemeria seedlings are still coming along nicely and all the fuschia cuttings appear healthy.

Mum gave me some Bear's Breeches (Acanthus Mollis) seeds and they are cooking nicely. She also nicked some hollihock seeds out of one of her neighbours gardens and I had them in loo rolls. The tubes went all mouldy so I buried them up to their necks in a large pot so I couldn't see the soot !

I've still got some pepper type of things in the g/h. One is actually turning red now. Lack of proper labelling means it will be guess work as to how hot (or not) it is when I harvest it !

Inside, I succumbed to sowing something last weekend and now have 3 aubergine pots in the leccie propogator on the spare room windowsill. I left it far too late last year and whilst I had fine plants, the fruits just didn't come to anything. I can always so a few more in a wee while.

I also did a tray full of Sparkler 3 radishes in an unheated propogator in the office. Just so I could see something germinating which they have done. Probably a bit lanky really but no real waste if they come to nowt.

My Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum) donated by Mum last year is producing new leaves at a rate of knots ! Don't think anyone has told it that it's supposed to be sleeping !

OH has just come home with a wireless router to play with, so I'm going to let him on while I brave the winds. I'm sure something else will get sown today. The sun has just poked it's head through, so all might not be lost !!

Keep safe with this awful weather people.

Cheeriebye!

Don't want to

go back to work! But I suppose I must !

Bought another 100 Red Baron sets yesterday just in case the 100 I planted the day before don't work and I succumbed to 3 Delft Blue hyacinth's in a tub.

A fair bit colder this morning, so on goes the bonnet as I go out the door.

Adios amigos.

Christmas has come all over again

Armed with my vouchers and Christmas cash, I toddled up to B&Q yesterday and got my g/h vent and louvres, some seed compost and found a big pile of onion sets to buy.

Now this confuses me, we all placed our orders or onion sets way back and my Radar and Swift have been in the ground for a good 6 weeks or more (did I note the date in my diary ? did I heck as like and it's far too dark to go out and read the labels atm) so what was the rush back then ? and what makes these sets any different ?

I restrained myself and bought one bag of 100 x Red Baron and I'm planning on planting them in between the Solent Wight garlic as there seems to be plenty of room.

Another thing that I'm wondering about is the strawberries. I prepared and planted out the strawbs back in the autumn as I thought that was the thing to do. Then I read in the Feb edition of GYO that you shouldn't put them out until after the frosts have passed. Well there's a whole bed of them, so i'm not likely to be potting them up and bringing them indoors and as soon as the frosts start, I'll chuck a cover over them, but all this conflicting advice leaves me scratching my head !

Anyone see Carol Klein on BBC2 last night ? How lucky are her mates ? Perfect growing soil with NO work. I think if I continued to dig for the rest of my days, my soil wouldn't look like theirs ! The OH has taped it for me so I can watch the reruns when I'm up at silly o'clock twiddling my thumbs, like now !

Bird feed barometer indicates low wind, so with a bit of luck I'll get the Red Barons in today.

Toodle pip!

We need more allotments !

I've borrowed this entry from Ziggiwigs blog. Perhaps if there were more allotments available we could encourage the neds to do something useful rather than trash them !

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to provide more land for allotments for people to grow their own vegetables

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/allotments/

This will do the following:

1. Allow people to save money.
2. Provide an area for abundant wildlife.
3. Help to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
4. Help to cut the amount of carbon dioxide in the world's atmosphere: people grow their own food instead of buying it all thus reducing 'air miles' (and shipping and lorry pollution).
5. Provide people with a community group to belong to and enjoy.
6. Provide people with a space to exercise while doing something worthwhile - it will benefit them in two different ways at the same time.

There simply aren't enough allotments around and waiting lists are ridiculously long in some areas.

Belated Happy New Year

Hi all. Safely back home after spending a fabulous week and a bit darn sarf with family and friends. We were due back up here for Hogmany but when we read the weather reports, we thought stuff that, don't fancy driving in 80mph winds, so we stayed.

Darling daughter has just moved to a lovely bungalow with a superb garden that needs some tlc, so we're going back down in March armed with secateurs, shears and I hope to have found her a cheap compost bin by then. I think her other half is more interested than she is though, but we can always try !

Got home to find roof slates all over the deck, one g/h took a major hit and needed some rebuilding yesterday, and the toughened glass one had lost a few panes, which thankfully were still intact.

Still can't get into the swing of things though and have taken the rest of the week off to get my head and the house back together.

Got loads of brilliant stuff for Christmas: Joy Larcom's Grow Your Own Vegetables, Botanica, subscriptions to Gardeners World and Kitchen Garden, new planting diary for 2007, funky purple gardening gloves, vouchers for my g/h vent and louvres and vouchers for compost. It pays to make a list !!

Also brought back with me four volumes of a complete gardening partwork magazine set that mum had found in the garage and a tray of rosemary cuttings and some other cuttings from Mamalion's back garden. Have also brought back lupin, poppy, garlic, and Spanish Palm (should be interesting) seeds.

Despite our dozy mate heating the wrong g/h, everything apart from one or two calendula seedlings have survived the cold and being bashed about by the wind. Will have a closer inspection out there today. Garlic is still doing well, onions don't look that healthy but am giving them positive vibes ! Numex twilight is still going great guns - how very odd ! Loads of spring bulbs popping their wee heads through.

Today I've got some odd jobs to do around here, and then tomorrow am going to spring clean the shed (again) !! I don't know how it got so messy. Those wee shed elves up to their usual tricks I think ! I found a good article on how to make a shelf that can be pulleyed up into the shed rafters, so I think I might get the OH working on that one. It would be so nice to have some shelf space to put all my gear.

Hope everyone had a good festive season, can't say I'm too thrilled to be back up north, especially in this weather, but once I'm back in the swing of things, no doubt I'll be fine !

At last, a picture !

Taken of the front bed, a lemony conifer and some shrubs ! The shrubs to the right were already planted, but lemony and the one to it's immediate right were put in yesterday.

LC is confined within a bottomless pot so hopefully will restrict it's growth.

At least we had some sun ! Hoorah !!!

I can see clearly now the rain has gone

but for how long ?

Will have a little walk around the estate later and see what's drowning and what's not.

Had to move some black buckets into the g/h as the rain just wasn't draining anywhere.

Got two Ben Hope blackcurrant twigs to plant today. A friend won a voucher in a Ribena compy earlier in the year and gave me her prize winning ticket. I'd forgotten all about my free bush until a twig dropped through the letterbox last weekend, and then another one when i got home from work last night.

Mr Robin has learned how to hang on to the feeders at last. He only ever hopped about the floor picking up the sparras left overs, but now he's found the knack of hopping from the ballustrade onto a feeder. Clever chap.

Was advised by work yesterday that the results of the interview won't be out till this week due to "delays". It was no less than expected (given that i know what the delays are) but slightly disappointing nevertheless.

Tuesday night saw me racing off to the quacks with a manky foot that was swelling up to the point that my slightly loose shoe was straining under the pressure. Doctor took one look, recoiled in horror and said "best you get up A&E, it looks like an abscess". So off I toddled to the hospital was back home within 2 hours. It wasn't an absess of course, just a really nasty blister, but ended up on antibiotics with a very sore foot. At least the swelling is down now. The surgery nurse couldn't fit me in until Monday so I did a DIY dressing change last night. I was quite pleased with my handiwork if i do say so myself. Rather a professional job and just a bit of stinging. So a big thanks to the staff at the Southern General ! Box of chocs coming your way.

Moral of the story, always dry between your toes but DON'T scratch that itch !

Christmas shopping today, so wish me luck !

And yet another day of rain

Me and the OH are sitting here talking about the weather. :-O

How ridiculous the weather we are having at the moment is. It hasn't stopped since we left for London. It's just shockly bad. Now the window frames in the office and bathroom are leaking, and i've given up worrying what's going on outside ages ago. You get through one day unscathed, only to find the next one is worse. lmao

Ah dearie dearie, you gotta laugh ain't ya ? :-)

Watch the birdie !

Weather same as a couple of hours ago. Sitting here watching the birdies take off from the feeders, getting blown sideways a couple of foot before being blown back again towards the fat balls.

Bless their feathered feet.

Lost and found and found again !

I had a good search of the garden for the aluminium strut to no avail and I was hoping it hadn't pierced someone's beloved cat or child !

So I put my mind to other things and potted up the hollyhocks, and alstroemeria, watered everything in the greenhouses, forked one of the borders and was on my way back indoors when I spied a bit of a glint off something tucked under the step from the veggie plot to the deck ! One aluminium strut ! Hoorah !!!!! So fixed the coldrame and put it's lid back on but looking out there this morning I wonder if I should have bothered. It's looking ghastly and is predicting heavy rain and 20 mph winds today.

To make matters worse, I don't think I closed the g/h vent last night. So fingers crossed it's still attached. I can see the big g/h heater from where I sit and the flames seem consistant and still there which would indicate no gale force winds blowing around inside the g/h. So let's join hands and all hope together eh ?

OH and me both had to visit the post office yesterday, arms full of ebay goodies to send off and after that we were going to B&Q to get paraffin and spray paint to stencil the bins (two weeks ago our nice new green bin was inadvertently knicked by them wot is next door and we got a crappy beaten up one with a bashed lid in it's place so when we got our new one back I thought it was time to ID the bins - sad eh ?).

Anyway, parrafin in the local store was £5.99 for 4 litres, and in B&Q £4.99. Opposite the post office was yet another hardware store (they keep jumping out at me now) so I popped in there and found it for £4.50 for 4 litres! Bargain and saved us a trip to B&Q to boot. Also got the spray acrylic paint in there too. I love local shops.

I thought I'd better get the OH insured in the jalopy as I didn't fancy driving all the way to London over Christmas, so he had his first trip behind a wheel for about 6 months and didn't kill anything or anyone. A good sign!

As today is so rubbish, I'm going to write some chrissy cards and do other indoor things that are sitting on the "must do" pile. Why does that pile never get any smaller ?? Anyone know ?

No pics of the garden taken recently unless you want to see more rain so I might treat you softie southerners to some of that later, just to remind you what it's like. :-)

Well blow me down with a strong wind !

And who hasn't had them this week eh ?

It's been another manic week so let's cut to the chase:

Plastic greenhouse fixed Friday morning before we flew to London, the OH got out of his pit just as the last screw was going in. It was so much easier in the daylight :-)

London was just superb. Had a fantastic weekend with my dear dear penshuner pal for her 60th birthday. Met up with some old football mates, and met some new ones. We had a riot.

Got back on Monday and the MIL warned me to prepare for the worst in the garden. They'd had shocking weather all weekend, so when I looked out and only found the cold frame damaged, I was made up ! I seem to have lost one of the bits of the cold frame lid frame, but haven't managed to look for it in daylight so I'm hoping it will be tucked behind a pot somewhere !

Work has been totally chaotic again but managed to squeeze in the promotion interview on Wednesday. Now I've either missed the point completely and totally bolloxed it, or I've done quite well and I almost enjoyed the experience lol. Don't think I'll have to wait very long for the results, as I think they're quite keen to get these jobs filled, so hopefully by next weekend, I'll know. To top it off, I have been temporarily promoted in my own department today as my boss is having to go and help out in another department for a while until two jobs are filled there ! You can tell we're organised can't you !

In the greenhouses I can see some peas have germinated and my poor wee lettuces were dying for a drink. I don't know how many have suffered, some were looking pretty droopy.

A couple of bear's breeches are germinating in the bedroom and the hollyhocks have to be potted up at the weekend.

The broad beans seems to have survived the gales despite losing their lid, but a few of them have been chomped a bit by A.N.Other slug ....... desperate measures are going to be taken tomorrow !

Right, off to lie down in a darkened room and read a magazine.

Hope all your roofs have stayed on, and that you battened down the hatches.

I think it will get worse before it gets better !!!

Disaster averted

Feeder found splat in the middle of the onion bed. Seeds all over the place so no doubt the onions and garlic will be sharing with some new neighbours soon !

Strategic pots saved the day and no further damage done to the g/h.

There's a clear blue sky so out I go with screwdriver and spanner in hand to make some repairs. At least it wasn't the glass g/h that took the hit.

One of my feeders is missing !

I use the bird feeders as a bit of a guide as to how hard the wind is blowing. This morning, even in the pitch black, I can see that one of them is missing in action. :-0 Guess it was blowy out there last night !

Just waiting for dawn to break before heading out to try and tackle the g/h.

If I'm not back in a few hours, send out the search parties. :-)

You know what they say, if it don't kill you, it'll make you stronger ...

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 !

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.

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!

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.

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 !

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. :-O


Apologies 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.

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:

• 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)
  

It's much calmer and drier this morning so I'll be planting out Lish's Runty Elephant garlic, checking that everything under the fleece in the g/h hasn't been fumed to death by the heaters, and doing some more digging/weeding of the main border. And I want to sow some peas. I'm probably too late, but I've got plenty, so am going to give it a go anyway.

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.

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.

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.