The 'What I Did Today' Archive - 2007

[Hazel at the Hill]

Went to the Canwell Show and genned up on 'how to show veg' for the Hill show next weekend.

Had a wonderful day.

Went to the Hill tonight and picked runners and carrots for tea. Watered tommies and Prize Pumpkin.

[heebiejeebie]

Made a bit more progress on the garden (Kill All Ivy! Kill All Ivy!) and never have I been more tempted to reach for the chemicals . However, any runoff would kill the pondlife so I resisted. Three hours of uprooting, chopping and trimming. It is now possible to see the waterfall in the pond . Updated blog.

Picked some PSB and a tiny cauli to have with dinner.

[rustylady]

Worked early shift (staff due on called in sick). Went to the lottie around 4 pm. Picked beans, runners and french, loads of them. Also courgettes. Son and grandson turned up, so I showed grandson how to pick beans. They took some home for dinner, I had some for dinner, gave some to my neighbour, and have loads left, so it looks like the freezer.

[wellie]

I had to, and I mean HAD to buy a new garden hose, and
whilst I was out doing that, Trousers made me a fabulous new compost bin, which I have spent most of the afternoon 'building the contents of' from my previous bins, and adding to with grass clippings from outside the gate, with any tiny droppings of Sheep Doo Doo that I could manage to 'hoover up' (see completely sad wellie....)

I also pricked out well over a hundred Stocks for next Springs' Garden, both here and Lottie Lulu to attract beneficial insect, and the rest left in the seedtray, I'll drop off to Janet Gannet from the Lottie on Wednesday, just in case she may want them.

I planted 10 or so Calabrese, and the same Mini Cauliflower seedlings in what was the first Sweetcorn Bed, along with a few 'David Beckams'? (Turnip 'Golden Balls') and also potted on another 15 mini cauliflower seedlings. This week I want to sow another load of Calabrese seed for 'last hit'....
Thank you for listening.

[sewer rat]

Weeding, weeding and more weeding. Tomorrow, I shall mostly be weeding. Tuesday, I shall mostly be weeding ....... can you see a pettern emerging ?

[Flummery]

Spent a gruesome half hour yesterday squishing caterpillars and scraping eggs off the purple sprouting and the cuddly kale. This is in spite of netting the bed. I shall ask Santa for some Enviromesh at Christmas. The net did have the benefit of keeping the birds off the slug pellets but now the plants are well big enough to fight their own corner I've removed the net. Helps with weeding and might allow the birds to pick caterpillars for lunch. Sprayed liberally with soapy water to wash off the whitefly too.

[heebiejeebie]

Spent another two hours clearing out ivy and dead shrubs and trees from behind the pond. Stopped when I had filled my neighbour's bins (they're on holiday and don't mind) as well as my own. Took pictures of the project-in-progress and updated the blog.

Picked a cabbage from the allotment and fed the outer leaves to the neighbour's guinea pigs who seemed quite happy. And so they should.

[multiveg]

I did a yucky job of emptying beer traps into compost heap - smell was revolting.

[seasprout]

Planted Leeks.

[Sebbster]

Squashed a load more cabbage white eggs and found a few caterpillars which I got rid of. Checky blighters have started laying the eggs actually on the purple sprouting now !

Harvested enough veg for the week, broke my runner bean slicer so ordered another one, although I have grown the stringless variety I still like to remove the sides and slice them, these tools work great.

Last carrots showing nicely now, as are turnip which I thinned for a first time. Swede's bulking up well even though they are surrounded by weeds.

Dug up some cara's. They are all red which is unusual as they are only supposed to have red eyes. Taste great though so not complaining. Still a little small and they are a late maincrop so will leave a couple more weeks before I dig them up.

Bright yellow chard at home is growing fast and the stems look great. When I water then they fall over though, and although they aren't leggy, they seem weak at this stage.

Next job, string the onions which are now dried out, that's for the weekend if it's nice.

Still no ripe tomato's.....

[Farmer_Gyles]

my kids came home today after 3 weeks at their mothers - hooray!!!!
daughter helped me out in the veggie patch ...
watered stuff in greenhouse
picked loads more cherry toms - first big toms growing nicely, still green
picked 3 green peppers
picked 3 pounds of plums and 3 pounds of runner beans and large handful of french beans and 2 pea pods
daughter helped pick up windfall apples and pears and plums and chuck them in the compost bin

took kids to my mothers for BBQ - my niece and nephew there too
donated green beans to mother in exchange for a quiche and pack of jam jar lids so i can finally make plum jam
mother roasted the peppers on BBQ
dad ate the peas raw

plan for tomorrow - my kids and my niece and nephew all here for dinner - and invited the girlfriend as well - doing quiche and salad with fresh lettuce and celery and toms and pepper from my veggie patch! got one ridge cucumber might be edible but not gonna chance it after the last 2 so will buy one from sainsburys!

[wellie]

Left my greenhouse doors closed today on account of the weather! There's a Cucumber ready to pick, and a fair few more ripe tommies. And I have a very respectable Baby Aubergine to harvest in the next few days!
And Trousers took a photo of a very rude tomato that I managed to grow....
Thank you for listening,

[Madasafish]

Picked more Sungold tomatoes. Mouses appear to be dead: no sign of any more in greenhouse.
Picked blueberries. (the few left after the magpies:-(
Cut up 2 blown sprouts and fed to turkeys.
Freecycled surplus dead mountain ash I cut down earlier this week.
Made 4 more moveable turkey pen panels.. nearly run out of wood and screws (Aldi have a very cheap deal.. waiting for it to come again... approx 280 6x1 1/4 for �0.99.)
Collected 30 metres of new unused wire netting for �15.00 - ebay - list approx �45+
Picked a few apples off ground - sour.

Mrs Madasafish gave turkeys their daily cuddle.. getting used to us and don't complain too much. We need to name them... but sexing is impossible until they are older:-)

Potted out some goji bushes with lots of slug pellets: some are rather scabby with few leaves left.

First giant banana pepper is ripening in greenhouse: won't bother next year.. too much hassle for little reward.
Sideshooted tomatoes as greenhouse becoming like a jungle....

It rained .. and rained...quails dislike rain.. still laying tho.

[groanathome]

Just registered for The Grapevine ... will find my feet here and workout if this is place rocks my world with incisive exchanges of veggie know how or is maybe some weird cyber meeting point for those who have only glyphosate and bindweed in common ... time will tell

[sewer rat]

Handweeded my dwarf french beans (4 dbl rows Cropper Teepee & 4 dbl rows Orinoco) which have just started to produce flowers - please let us have an Indian Summer !! Then hand weeded my celeriac bed.
Came home about 7, been doin paperwork ever since.