52 Week Challenge - week by week through 2013

[veggiechicken]

You're going to glaze it indoors or is it polycarbonate? Just thinking of the weight!

[Tripmeup]

You're going to glaze it indoors or is it polycarbonate? Just thinking of the weight!

It's polycarbonate VC.. don't worry..

[Ananke]

My challenges have pretty much been non existant the last few weeks. I'll probably catch up with them soon though.

[veggiechicken]

It's polycarbonate VC.. don't worry..

That's a relief. I thought your next challenge might be recovering from your injuries

[Hazel at the Hill]

They do say fools seldom differ too tho... but I won't mention that

Fools, schmools - I'm hapus being lumped in with VC.

[Tripmeup]

Fools, schmools - I'm hapus being lumped in with VC.

I already am.... Being a nutter and all...

[veggiechicken]

My challenge this week (for today) is to do a stocktake of my fruit trees. I have no idea how many apple trees I have and even less of a clue about what variety they are. So a list and a rough plan - by tonight

[bearded bloke]

It will be moved out shortly, once I get it glazed... Anyone know how to use them W type clips...

Was that serious question Trip ?????

Justin Case (the well known blue peter presenter ) here is one I photo'd earlier







put one leg in the,tip,twist,stretch & release the other one,bit like the hokey cokey

[veggiechicken]

Week 14 challenge completed!
To count, for the first time in 30 years, the fruit trees in the garden. They're not the same as they were 30 years ago though, some oldies have fallen over and some new ones have been planted.
There are 36 fruit trees:-
25 apple (including 15 that are at least 70 years old)
2 pears (one of which is 70+)
3 plums
1 greengage
1 apricot,
2 cherries
2 peaches

I didn't include 2 fig trees and an olive tree.........
This year, assuming that the apples fruit, I'll try to identify some more of the older ones and write a little history for each tree.

[Sheneval]

Let us know how much fruit you get from them and post some pics

[Hazel at the Hill]

Week 14 Challenge

Repair Mini-Greenhouse

I bought my mini-greenhouse at the beginning of 2008, and mindful if it's nickname of 'a blowaway', I firmly anchored it to the east-facing garage wall using bungy cords clipped to eyelets that I drilled into the wall.

It is very useful, especially at this time of the year, but the plastic covers do have a limited life span, and the current one developed a split in the top in late Autumn, which has been steadily getting worse through the winter.

I've found it tricky to locate a replacement - Wilko used to stock them, but no longer, and the same was true at a couple of local garden centres. I found one on-line, however, and that arrived this week.

I unhooked the mini-greenhouse from the wall this afternoon; cleared out all the assorted stuff that has accumulated in there; swept all the leaves/horse chesnuts/snails from underneath then popped the new cover on; and attached the whole thing back to the wall.

And then the fun bit - I started to fill it up with all the pea and bean seed trays from the kitchen windowsills.

Before:



After:



Marvellous! So week 14 challenge: done!

[veggiechicken]

Week 15 8th - 14th April

What are you doing this week? Something really challenging?

[chris]

What varieties of apple do you have then VC?

[veggiechicken]

The only ones I know for sure are the ones I've just bought. A few others have been identified at Apple days, most are still nameless

[PyreneesPlot]

Week 14
A bit of a cheat, but yesterday was the last day of the ski season and as there was a huge snowfall on Saturday we were able to ski yet another of the off piste routes. This bit of mountainside is normally spring flowers and marmottes by April and hasn't been skiable at all for the last couple of seasons because of lack of snow.

For those of you who are into cycling or the Tour de France, we are looking down on the Col du Tourmalet, one of the great mountain climbs. The road is the white track running away from the front of the cafe. It has about 2-3m of snow on it!

Week 15 might have to be grow webbed feet.