The 'What I Did Today' Archive - 2007

[shirlthegirl43]

Planted out some peas which were supposed to be eaten as shoots but I forgot and decided they could be planted out a bit generously to take their chances - can't remember what type they were either so will just have to wait and see what happens.

Also sowed some bloody baron sweetcorn and some minipop as well as purple podded mangetout (thanks Serenity). Sowed two buckets in identical conditions with purple teepee seed (again thanks Serenity if my memory is correct) - one bucket using Miracle-gro compost and the other peat-free compost from Focus - straight comparison here we come. I was going to transplant my module sown beetroot into the raised bed but decided it was maybe too hot and I will try to get them done in the morning. Have lots and lots and lots of 2 inch high celery plantlets and not sure what to do with them now - any suggestions welcomed - might just stick some into the garden and see what they do as there are enough to try this 5 times over!!

[madmax]

Planted my first three spuds today! Shirls made me do it honest!! They are Golden Wonder and are in an old dustbin. Can't wait to see them grow now - this gardening is addictive.

Also got dragged to see pullets for sale - now to get the ark we have been promised and work out how many of what size t-rex's we can fit into it. The bloke has some birds he called 'Dumpy's' - anyone heard of them?

[pigletwillie]

At last the cabbage are out, netted and watered in, a job that seriously needed doing before our hols. Later in the evening we met Nick the Grief and his son Mathew, who had arrived to collect an IBC that I had squirelled away for him. Another face to a name.

The last of the leeks came up today giving me space to extend the bean frame by a good yard and a half. The more canes the better as I am growing "gigantes" beans to dry for use over the winter.

Tomorrow is flower planting time with some 200 plugs still to go in. Lots of bunches of flowers though will come of it and with them the odd brownie point.

[JennieAtkinson]

Had cabbages I sowed last Autumn hardening off outside, so got those planted into the bed I have been walking over all week. I'd also used some left over blue piping to make a large cloche which is now covered with Environmesh - so Cabbage White Butterfly - I'm reading for you!

Desperate to get plants out of the polytunnel which overwintered but have just started a growing frenzy. So it will be lots of leeks for tea this next week, followed the following week by cabbage. Everything else just ticking along nicely in the greenhouse, some seeds "hardening" off in the polytunnel. Still far too early to plant anything.

[wellie]

Wot I Did Today.... All of us now start every day, and finish every day, accordingly, with watering! Until such time as we can plant into the ground, and then it becomes 'less frequent', and so today, I planted my three 'Sunburst' Golden Pattypan Squash plants into the ground.
So, three less to water tomorrow. And every little bit helps, day by day, chink away at it, and it starts to happen....
Keep at it folks. Now is the most labour-intensive time. Try and minimise it if you can, by planting out what is ready to plant. A few every day?
I'm Crackered, and I'm sure you are.
Thank you for listening,

[nick the grief]

Yesterday I went undercover posing as an old fat bloke round some lotties in Leicester and nicked a water butt off some young tyke. whilst my accomplice talked the chaps girlfriend ( hope his wife never finds out) into make us a cuppa

[shirlthegirl43]

Planted more spuds (now have 30 buckets each with a spud in - is that excessive?). Found my Lady Cristl seed spuds that I thought I had lost so that was a bonus! Spotted Swan squashes showed through tonight as I was closing the greenhouse. Potted on some Burpless Tasty Green cucumbers and found another spear of asparagus - hopeful of seeing ferns by the end of the season from three of the six crowns I planted.

Once again failed to sow my calabrese, brocolli, sprouts, red cabbage and cauliflower and failed to transplant my beetroot - oh well, will get there eventually Totally pooped now so enjoying a glass of home made chardonnay! Cheers all!

[Mrs Dobby]

Once More Unto the Plot my Friend!

Spent another glorious day on the plot today, weather again gorgeous, both Mr D and I are getting a very nice tan this week!

Today we sowed out the rest of the Mange Tout peas, soaked them first in water that was 'flavoured' with garlic (actually, we reused a tub that had garlic salt in it, so they took up a lovely garlicky smell, which may well help put the mices of the scent of them and stop them from being dug up!), and planted on the other side of the inverted pea supports we built the other week.

Next we spent some time on plot no2, which has now officially become known as The Beanery! Built 2 sets of climbing pea/bean supports, 7' tall and 7' long, 4' apart at the base (room in there for a catch crop methinks, or perhaps some caulis, any suggestions anyone?), with a lovely bend in the bamboo supports to form a nice gothic arch (yep, we cant do anything simply!), which was then clad either side with netting. We then sowed Victorian Purple Podded Pea on one side, with some Blue Lake climbing french bean on the other, and on the second bean tent we planted Carlin Pea on one side and Blue and White Beans on the other! The 2 sets of bean tent are located about 1/2 a plot away from each other, and fill about half a bed, the other half is going to have a single type of dwarf french bean in either one!

After that I finally got to plant my Paris Silverskin Pickling Onions, 2 long rows with about 400 onions in total, lots of lovely pickles planned at chez Dobby!

Tomorrow we're going to take most of the day off from the plot (last day of my hols, I'm back into work on Saturday for 4 days before my next day off), planning on having a trip out to Tatton Park, tho we have got to go and finish planting the carrots when we get back!

Going to have something to eat shortly, catch up on todays posts on the vine, then snuggle up with a glass of something cold and a film!

Hope everyone else has had another great day!

[wellie]

Well I had quite a nice day today actually..... I potted up some Lavenders into terracotta pots I'm 'lending' to the 'Marrying Couple', and some Marguerites at the bottom of their new magnificent stone steps, and saw in a delivery of two new fabulous sofas...... with enough time left to have a quality cuddle with their cat, and having a sneaky peek at the wedding cakes I iced the other day, and you know what? they're not half as bad as I'd anticipated. Only a quarter.... before leaving for the Hairdressers.

At Tesco (Hazel: rhymes with?) couldn't find June edition yet of GYO, so bought the June GOOD FOOD mag to read whilst having my hair cut.... Also did a tonne of ironing, planted ten pot marigolds, just beginning to flower (which means ten less to water tomorrow!), pricked out more Little Gem and Red Lettuce seedlings, potted up a sprouting bit of Ginger out of the kitchen, tied up the Bored Beans a tad to stop them sprawling where I don't want them, finding three adult Vine Weavils in the process. ( Phone the RSPCA if you have to, but I trod on them on the path, and now they're dead. Sorry.)

Oh, I forgot to 'breathe' in the middle of that sentence! In case you're wondering, no, I didn't do all that in the Salon..... I had my hair cut THEN did all that at home (!) My hair looks lovely by the way..., even Trousers said so.

Thank you for listening,

[TonyF]

Weather here is still changable to say the least, managed to get to chum's garden yesterday. Not much happened on the potager - a few things put in, just gap filling really.

But spent the best part of the day building compost bins from recycled timber, will finish today while others are planting out my planting plan.

Mayor of the commune dropped by as there is a public road through their private estate - it's a French thing - and was mighty impressed, somehow thinks what I'm doing is improving the commune!

And chums have said this is just the start, can I source and 'manage' a large greenhouse for them - and they offered power and water for it - put in water saving systems round the estate and do I want a large ordinary kitchen garden installing close to the one they already have - so what could I say, would have been rude to refuse.

[dexterdoglancashire]

Put out a couple of planters with sweet peas, marigolds and nastursums(?) in them on my way to work. Very pretty. When I arrived tonight at 430pm Paddy, our site secretary was helping a chap who had chopped up some trees on the site. "Help yourself to the chippings" says Paddy. Wow! How fantastic! I've just spent an hour and half running backwards and forwards with my wheelbarrow - have now got lovely, bark chippings on all my paths! Also one big blister and one small one on my hand - and I'm knackered! Early night for me methinks!

[Mrs Dobby]

Had a day off from the plot today, went to Tatton Park, visitedf their fab gardens, the highlight of which for ourselves was the wonderful walled fruit garden and walled vegetable garden! Wow is an understatement! Had a lovely lunch in their restaurant, Guinea Fowl that had been slowly stewed in a wonderful sauce, followed by a lovely pud!

Came home and checked on Metcheck, which is showing a possible borderline frost for tonight, so we've just been down to the plot and covered everything thats not hardy with fleece / perspex . propogator lids, hopefully this will safeguard them for the night! The next predicted possible frost is on the 12th, so we'll be keeping tabs on things and see how it goes! I suppose having to run out and cover everything up with fleece is a small price to pay to safeguard early crops, just have a feeling I'll be popping to the plot before work tomorrow to check on our baby plants!

[dexterdoglancashire]

Hey! taking my mates to Tatton Park next Sunday! Got lots of shopping in first thing for the 75th birthday party for my fab mother in law on monday and the 12 family members who are coming - all by 0915 am! Then my back went (again!) sat and fumed for half an hour then set off for lottie! Planted peas, beans x 2, swiss chard, lettuce, radish, sqaush, courgette and something else I cant remember! All in all, a good day - I fought the pea/bean netting - and we decided on a draw!

[Kimbo]

Today I took delivery of 22 bags of compost which me and my trusty wheelbarrow despatched at great speed. Then I sited and filled one large and two smaller raised beds, sited two more smaller raised beds (for filling tommorrow). Planted a small bed of peas, sowed one tub of arcoat turnips, beetroot, parmex and nelson carrots, red beard onions and a tray of igloo caulis. Moved tomatoes, chillies and peppers to a sunnier site. Put up more wire for the peas and put some copper tape round the bed to try and stop the snails. Now its time for a chinese and a very large glass of wine.

[HappyMouffe]

Down the allotment today - weeded the asparagus bed - most of the plants have spears up now (well, more needle size than spear size); Mr HappyMouffe kindly dug some more of the new plot; lots of tidying and finally harvested some radishes - second thing I've harvested from the plot!