The 'What I Did Today' Archive - 2007

[kirsty b]

Sowed some carrots in a pot outside the back door (inspired by piglet's early carrots thread), sorted out the seed tin and found some tomatoes that could be sown so did them and a few more onions.

The onions I sowed last weeks have come up, as have the leeks. Getting all excited now, its motivating me to get down that lottie and get some beds marked out and start digging! Got muck coming this month, so need to get the front bit cleared ready for the heap.

Kirsty

[Digger-07]

I thought a Mouflon was the wild ancesester of our domestic sheep. They can still be found wandering the forests of Borneo and other areas of Asia. One of the wild species that don't always make the news but their habitat is as vital as the more exotic species. It's a pity the government doesn't do more about illegal logging mining and quarrying. - That's my rant over.

[Mrs Dobby]

Managed to get down the plot for a couple of hours this afternoon, once we'd dragged the teenage daughter out of bed, and until she was sooo chilled that I had to call it a day (Mr D is still down there now, we left him to it!)

Miss D managed to weed between the 40 garlic plants and the 96 onion sets for us, first time she'd been able to get to the plot and wear her new wellies (first pair she's ever had and something she got for xmas!)!

Mr D was concentrating on bagging up all the perennial weeds and roots that we've been clearing (and stacking to dry on one of the beds) ready to take down to the tip, as it doesnt look like we are going to be able to dry them enough to burn before we need to dig that bed ready for planting!

I concentrated on weeding out the asparagus bed, its one of the few areas we havent yet done anything with, but proved to be an easier job than I thought, so its now half weeded. The raised areas between the troughs were / are covered with grey plastic and carpet, but the troughs had got a bit overgrown with grass and a few weeds, so they are now clear!

One question, what should we plan on using to mulch the troughs with to suppress any future weeds? We've a steady supply of bark chippings for free, and although I know seaweed is supposed to be the best thing I dont really fancy driving to the seaside to collect some, its a bit far from here, so any other suggestions would be most welcome!!

I'm on hols this week (apart from Tuesday when I promised me ex boss I'd go and help with his stocktake, and Friday when my Area Manager has called a meeting, grr 2 days off wasted!), so hoping the weather will be ok and we can get a bit more work done! Still not been able to finish the digging or put in any paths on the raised bit at the back of the plot as the ground is still far too wet! )

[Bex]

I was supposed to be studying today as I have an assignment to hand in in just over a week and I haven't started yet Oops! But I did a quick trip to the lottie to take peelings to the compost heap, couldn't do anything else as it has rained all day. I then went to the garden centre and bough a Nortene Cloche, its like a see through tent, going to use it to hopefully grow aubergines in as I haven't got a greenhouse and then it will come into its own next winter. Came home and promptly fell asleep so much for studying.

[wellie]

Today I are Mostly......

Been sowing Onion Seed.....
I'm trying Bedfordshire Champion (white) this year, because my neighbour, who I affectionately call 'Elderly Next Door', coz he is..... He's grown them for a million or so years now, and says they're very good.
Then Brunswick (reds) as I've always grown Southport Red Globe until now, and they haven't kept well, they're beginning to sprout, hence Trousers is making a GORGEOUS Red Onion Soup today !
And, just because I can, I sowed two different varieties of Calendula Pot Marigolds. Piglet gave me some beeswax and a divine recipe for a Calendula Moisturising Skin Cream last year, so I'm determined to try the recipe this year.....
I also Potted Up a Red Goosegog 'Hinnonmaki' and a Whitecurrant 'Versailles' that I bought bare-rooted yesterday.
And now I are mostly going to pour myself another large glass of Pinot Grigio, and relax in the company of my man and my beautiful cat BC.
Thank you for listening!
Wellie

[Shortie]

Ooo.. thanks for the reminder Wellie... I need to get my onion seed started off

[Snadger]

Managed to get two consecutive days in at the lottie this weekend!

Yesterday I harvested, sprouts,turnips,carrots and checked my stored potatoes which had an odd one starting to sprout! Did a general tidy-up and planted some mixed daffodils in pots for cut flowers.

Today, went to an antiques fair in the morning (which was crap) although I did pick up a book on Plant Propogation. Called in at Morrisons afterwards and managed to control my buying urges and only bought one Blackcurrant bush!

Went to the lottie and was in the process of planting my blackcurrant when one of my lottie neighbours arrived with three gooseberry bush rooted cuttings he promised me months ago. Didn't have the heart to tell him I had already purchased two others! The tally now is 5 gooseberry bushes, 3 blackcurrant bushes, one redcurrant and one whitecurrant!

Planted some more mixed daffs in pot, and 50 flag Irises in two large pots.

Had a cup of coffee! Dug various areas that were devoid of crops and hoed garlic and onions.

Still to do, plant a Cherry tree I proccured and loads of small areas to dig at end of paths for companion planting.

Pleased with my achievements this weekend and I will sleep like a baby tonight!

[Mrs Dobby]

Todays progress, plus a couple of piccies!

Had to pop back to the Garden Center this morning before going to the plot (one of the propagators we'd bought had a crack in it when we took it out of the box), so didnt manage to get down to the plot before 12 midday, unfortunately, but the weather was quite reasonable (a few showers, bit of sunshine, tad windy and a little nippy, but not bad for January!) so we managed to get a fair bit done!

Started off with Mr D continuing to bag up all the weed roots we were hoping to burn (but are far too wet now) and myself working on tifying the greenhouse and removing the few weeds that had started to colonise it!

After we'd had lunch (butties n a flask of hot coffee) we decided to bite the bullet and reglaze the greenhouse roof, the glass has recently slipped down about an inch or two, leaving a gap at the center, so we had to remove it all and put some extra s clips (and more w clips) in to hold it a bit firmer! This seemed to take a good couple of hours, tho it felt longer cos it was cold when stood still working on the glazing and not being more mobile as you are when weeding / bagging up etc!

Managed to get a couple of piccies too, including one of Mr D and his amazing multicoloured wheelbarrow! He started to paint it with some left over black smoothrite, but ran out, so moved onto the leftover gold smoothrite, hence its rather strange interior! I hate to think what the outside will look like when he gets round to painting that!

Other piccies are the now much clearer pond, the half weeded asparagus bed and a general view of our plot, hope you enjoy them!

[supersprout]

Love those pictures Mrs D, your plot looks exactly like the illustrations in Pauline Pears' Bed book. Cor!



Your earlier question: I mulch everything with straw

[pete10]

Nice work Mrs D . Your plot is shaping up very nicely . Lack of progress at
mine but fingers crossed will put the raised beds together saturday

[Mrs Dobby]

Thanks for the kind words guys!

Not seen that book SS, will keep an eye out!

Will have to try straw for the asparagus, tho I am going near the seaside for a managers meeting on Friday, I'm trying to persuade Mr D to come with me and have a wander down to the beach (only about 10 miles away) and bag us some seaweed, but for some reason he isnt too keen!

[SueA]

Blimey Mrs D, I'm not surprised Mr D has such a big smile on his face if your new avatar pic. shows how you normally garden (when not naked of course!). Your plot looks as though it's coming along great guns. I'd be careful about bringing the seaweed back from the coast if it's round here though as you might get more in the way of 'manure' than you hoped for!

[Mrs Dobby]

Lol SueA!! You may well be right there, knowing the state of the NW's beaches! Have a feeling that we are going to try a straw mulch, though I also get the feeling that Mr D will want to roll in it or some such sillyness! lol!

[filthyrich]

took soil samples to send of for analyses,medwyn williams said it was a good move when starting on new ground to you,as it tells you all you need to know re soil deficiencies and what you have to add to improve things,cant wait for reply. still got a few tomatoes in greenhouse just about ready to pick ,i just can,t believe it.

[pigletwillie]

No gardening today but met up with Madderbat as they collected some barrels for potatoes from my place. You know how these things go, out came the rhubarb schnapps followed by the 4 year old damson gin, just tasters mind. What a fabulous couple. It was nice to put a face to a name.

As a bonus the homemade tunnel is holding up in the gales very nicely......so far!!