The 'What I Did Today' Archive - 2007

[Mrs Dobby]

FrogsPorn

Mr D off work today, and I'm on holiday, so we spent 5 1/2 hours down the plot!

Weather was cool, but as the day wore on the clouds cleared and the sun came out, so it got a little bit warmer then!

Mr D was impressed with the frogs and toads in the pond, the amount of spawn has quadrupled overnight, and there's now about 32 of the ickle amphibians in the pond! I took a few piccies (below), so hope you can see them!

We got about another half of what as left in the last bed of our plot double dug, but it seems the closer to the pond we get, the more bindweed root there is! It seems to hide in every clod of earth, necessitating each bit being broken down by hand, both time consuming and bad on the back, but we are getting there, I recon one more day should see it off, hopefully this will be on Friday, as if my back feels like it does now, I'll be having a day of rest tomorrow!

First piccy is of the pond (sets the scene), 2nd piccy is of one of the toads / frogs, third piccy is of the frogspawn, fourth piccy is the frog orgy, we recon there's about 18 frogs in this piccy, and the last piccy is of the voyeuristic frogs! Hope you enjoy!

[Benacre]

Well I sowed some Brussel Sprouts in trays along with my favourite African marigolds, also tidied garden at home ready for dpring and split up and re planted some Pencilled Cranesbill.

Two sheds gave me some Foxgloves and Cornflowers so I put these around my new pond. (An old bath) I was also given Limanthes douglasii by another plot older which have also gone around my pond.
Going to bahs Poundland this week as they have some super bushes shrubs and roses as a pound each. Well for that price they have two chances.
Benacer

[Nicos]

Wow Mrs D!
just nipped out to check on our pond and there is one frog winking at me ( must be thinking about it!!!)
Also checked on a thread I started on frogspawn last year- and noticed it was 2nd April before I had any in my pond! Will be interesting to compare dates!

[wellie]

One of my clients is getting married in May, and she asked me to ice and decorate her wedding cake, so I went and bought all the cakeboards, marzipan and fondant icing for to do it this weekend whilst I'm away from home Dog Sitting for another of my clients..... never a dull moment in my life...!
And then AFTER breakfast (!) .... I planted out my chitted Jerusalam Artichokes, and then my Broad Bean seedlings.

Having filled the new borders in the Grown-Up Girls Greenhouse with very well rotten FYM yesterday, today I levelled and 'made good' the hardstanding Work Area by the double doors in order to lay paving slabs. To the right of the doors I've levelled the aggregate, layed a slab or two, raising the waterbutt with concrete blocks to 'above watering can level', and positioned the permanent potting bench.
So basically, it's taking shape at long last, and I really feel like I'm making a dent in it now....
Thank you for listening,

[Two_Sheds]

winter lettuce

I'm really jealous of your winter lettuce!

They were free with GYO - Arctic King I think. I also sowed Rusty, but I've eaten nearly all that. It was well worth protecting each plant with a cut down placcy bottle - its kept the slugs off.

[shirlthegirl43]

I found out what is wrong with my old pony!! Great - now we can get on with curing him so I may get to have another sit on him before he pops off the top of the escalator!

[Earthbabe]

I've also managed to get some broad beans in and just for the hell of it I've planted the random squash seed I found. I think it might be a pumpkin. Mrs D's Audrey II inspired me.

[Snadger]

Finished work at 3pm today so todled off to the allotment to make good use of a good few hours of daylight.
My new allotments have about a dozen water barrels spread around and all full to the brim of I -know- not -what?

I decided to tip them all out and start again! Glad I did, cos some had stinking concoctions in them with indeterminate origins. Some had bricks and broken glass in and just the odd one had good old fashioned clean water.
The lottie is now like a paddy field but in keeping with my Potager garden theme I have spaced water barrels up both sides of the lottie in an orderly fashion. Never new water barrels could look so ornamental when used this way? They are also closer to the raised beds and should make watering easier!
Some of the barrels were stored behind the greenhouse so once they were out the way I decided to have a good clearout. I found all sorts of useful plant receptacles including galvanised bins, stove enamelled bread bins, buckets and loads of plant pots. This are is shaded and will not grow anything worth while so I will site three compost beins there. Also found an old Dalec which I can use as an incinerator as it's not big enough for compost

Accumulating a big heap of brambles and weed roots which I hope to burn at the weekend!
I hoed off one of the areas I am going to be growing brassicas in (to leave the soil compacted, and applied three barrow loads of cow muck to it!

I am well on the way to completing my home made pot bellied stove (made from an old gas bottle) The two hinged doors are in, one for loading and one for raking out ash. The hole for the flue is in the top and I managed to find a bit of flat bar to make the door latches from and some heavy diamond mesh for a grate. Only the flue to fit then (hollow tapered hexagon shaped thingy I found, about 8' long. When I've finished I'll have a trial run in the open to burn the paint off and then off to the lottie with it to heat my greenhouse!

[Pippin]

I came across my first frog in the garden yesterday. He was just coming down the path next to my greenhouse. The picture shows her (it`s fat enough to be a her - because of the spawn I mean )against a deep raised bed I made this winter - I think I need to build a couple of frog ladders.

Pippin

[Jan]

not strictly speaking 'what I did today' as all I managed was to get myself back from Sheffield where I've been on a three day conference,;D but what I've done recently is; Saturday - beautiful day, sun shining birds singing, unfortunately couldn't get rest of my body to agree to work so had to spend most of the time sitting in the garden 'directing' OH about how we need our raised beds to look as we are giving the square foot idea a try. (For once he had the grace to keep relatively quiet about doing it all quicker/better/cheaper etc so all went fairly smoothly!
Sunday, body managed to get its act together even though weather was dull so managed to do lots of digging and mixed in all sand and compost into the two new beds consructed the day before. Raked everything out as luckily our soil is quite loamy. Had to replace all the onion sets under the polytunnel as something had lifted out and thrown every one - not sure what it is as tunnel seems to be secured all round, I'm dreading it being a rat!
Today, I have been trying to catch up on all the threads (very enjoyable) and wishing I could be out there this weekend to carry on the preps, so much to do, so little time! All I had time to do was put my seed potatoes out to chit .Unfortunately, it's my working weekend (1 in 4) so I'll have to carry on dreaming for now. Also, I need to start preparing some paintings for the summer exhibitions, I have had a thought about doing some work around the gardening theme, maybe charting the various aspects of GYO? Anyway, I'm really impressed with all the work you guys get through each day, and quite envious too looking forward to my first fully productive year this year - best wishes, Jan
ps what does Lol mean?

[Lesley Jay]

Jan LOL means Laugh Out Loud.

[Two_Sheds]

I sowed some sweet peas, to grow on the bathroom windowsill. My brother's are outside and 6 inches high already. I picked my daffs to bring indoors to cheer me up (it's pishing down outside)

[Mrs Dobby]

Weather isnt too good here today, so I'm having a day off from digging, done a bit of tidying in the house, started a lobby for tea and got our blog up to date, including posting links in to as many other 'grapes' blogs as I could find! If I've missed anyone, then please PM me and I'll add you a link, of course a return link would be appreciated!

Now going to completely redo our planting plan, as with the room on plot No2 I've got to look again at what we are going to grow where! Should be a fun time!

[Jan]

Yippeee - just discovered I don't have to work this weekend after all and last remaining daughter at home going off for 3 weeks hols - PEACE & FREEDOM!!! - so can get on with a bit of work. Just found out the shed roof has sprung a MAJOR leak so guess what's first on the agenda? (after bacon sarnies in bed for brekkie that is!)

[Two_Sheds]

This afternoon I have been teasing my birds who are nesting:- they are different varieties and both boys!

I might go and get dressed now