The 'What I Did Today' Archive - 2007

[Hazel at the Hill]

I've been up to the Hill in the blustery sunshine, missed the showers and put in two more short rows of Rocket early spuds.

I actually got round to measuring the plot properly (thus finding that my 4 even sized beds are actually 10', 10', 10' and 16'! ) so I can have a play with the Plan this evening.

I put in a short row of spinach and spring onion, and put down 2 plastic sheet paths - suspect I'd better get some pegs to hold them down.

Oh, and I also discovered that the broad beans sown on 20 Jan have finally started to show their heads so did wild dance round the plot!

[johnty greentoes]

Hazel I can't wait to have the successes that make you dance around the plot. Today I seemed to be getting a few steps closer to that particular vegetable tango.

I did the very thing I've been doing for far too long - dig out docks, and now cooch. But the organic soil improver and sharp sand put down last weeks seem to be doing their thing ad I forked over the whole patch dug last week in about half an hour. Last week it took hours as the ground was sooooooooooooooo soggy.

So I am ever more hopeful that the hard work will pay off.

Oh, and I also blogged on my own site about concerns of atmospheric pollution working its way into my organic verg. Se below.

[Frankiebaby]

We forked over a new bed and raised it (only slightly raised, more of a border maybe) and I got a bit carried away and sowed some peas. In North Yorkshire. Hmm, not so sure of the wisdom now .

Tonight I sowed my leeks to start off on my window sill. Loads of 'em!

[sanman]

Today I have largely been shovelling sh*t moveing the rest of the 4 ton that I had delivered. Let a few other allotment holders help themselves, just spreading a little.....love.

Planted some onion sets and mulched my rhubarb and fruit bushes with some of the manure.

[Ellasmum]

Today, I claimed yet another bed in our garden for the vegies.....yeah.
And then I dug and dug and dug....now I am just trying to straighten up...LOL

Sorted through some seeds (Again) and built some greenhouse staging.
Off for a beer now.....
Sam X

[Mrs Dobby]

Glorious day today, so we got down to the plot for 11am, and have literally just walked back in, cos it was too dark to do any more down there!

Now got lots and lots of frog and toad spawn in the pond, tho no sign of the toads or frogs any more, methinks they've gone for a rest after all that exercise!

Mr D managed to finally finish off double digging the last bed on plot No1, and planted up a 'screen' of JA's across the bottom of the bed next to the pond!

Miss D and I spent the day in the gloriously warm greenhouse, dug the borders over again, removing another barrowfull of weed roots in the process, and removing / squishing about 70 wire worms too, looks like we are in for a tough year with them this year! (Anyone any tips on getting rid of them?)

After that Miss D and I started planting some seeds in the greenhouse! We planted 6 lettuces (3 each of 2 types, iceberg and red salad bowl), 10 beetroot, 5 celery, 30 spring onion and about 20 of 2 types of raddish seeds each in the greenhouse. Hopes are that we'll be able to crop these as baby veg before we start transplanting the toms and chillis into the greenhouse in May.

Also caught a sight of the local wildcat in the plot, like a mini tiger, stripey and about twice the size of a domestic cat, lives in the woods nearby. I took a piccy of it, but dont know if I was quick or close enough to get it in!

Finally feels like we are getting somewhere!

[Bex]

Did nothing today, it rained all last night and the ground is once again waterlogged. Will it ever dry out?

[shirlthegirl43]

It was a gorgeous day here today, if a bit breezy. Due to be yuk tomorrow with high winds so no greenhouse work done!

We spent the afternoon getting our 'new' van to work - we found it on freecycle - looks like Madmax will be in his element - V8 powered LDV ex-police riot van - should suit him to a tee Hopefully this is the first step towards his new business venture - hope it works so the boys and I get to see more of him.

[Kimbo]

Today I bought a 6' x 4' plastic heavy duty greenhouse from instore at 34.99, put it up and I am very impressed it was really warm in there with the bit of sun we got today. I have put down some weed suppressant fabric and I am going to put some decking squares in there to keep things off the ground till the end of May when all frost risk should have passed. I am hoping to put some peas and red salad onions in pots in there tomorrow as it already has some intergrated shelves and move the pots of carrots I planted and put in the mini greenhouse in there too giving me more room in the mini greenhouses for the next lot of stuff.

My broad beans I planted on 3rd feb in my mini greenhouse have finally put in an appearance and so have the peas I only planted a couple of weeks ago.

If weather permits tomorrow I want to have a go at digging my potato patch, most of my spuds are going in pots as they are earlies and second earlies but I have some Maris Piper I am trying this year for the first time and from most peoples experience here on the grapevine they need to go in the ground to get a good crop.

[pigletwillie]

I am on shift till tommorow night so it was a quick trip to the lottie to dop off our guru's IBC ready for collection then into the greenhouse where much pricking out of leeks, tomatoes and agapanthus seedlings happened plus sowings of nobs, cabbage and some witkem vroma broad beans.

[shirlthegirl43]

I am on shift till tommorow night so it was a quick trip to the lottie to dop off our guru's IBC ready for collection then into the greenhouse where much pricking out of leeks, tomatoes and agapanthus seedlings happened plus sowings of nobs, cabbage and some witkem vroma broad beans.

Sorry, I know I am asking for a daft answer, but please explain nobs Piglet

[pigletwillie]

Brussels sprouts shirl, known as nobs here in Leicestershire.

[serenity]

sure someone on here calls them the devils nads

Day started off sunny and bright so began digging out the hardcore from bed 3 (am trying to reclaim the concrete jungle called my back yard ) filled 8 rubble sacks with the stuff and started digging the sub soil when it started to rain, carried on regardless. My daughter took pitty on me and came out and held the umerella over my head . Eventually gave up when puddles started forming over compacted soil and mud sticking to spade.

made some plant labels from an old ecover bottles. Got an urge to plant something so called over to B&Q and bought some guttering and sowed a meter length each of pea kelveton wonder and another of yellow mange-tout, golden sweet in the greenhouse.

[HappyMouffe]

We went to Ness Botanic Gardens this morning. It rained on us, but Mr HM got some nice photos of hellebores and camellias. We also had a wonderful view of a goldcrest flitting through the shrubs near us.

If anyone lives nearby (it's on the Wirral peninsula), I can recommend the coffe and homemade cakes, to help you dry out

[GeordieVik]

well, today I had a lovely potter about in our 'garden room' - now my shed!! I transplanted a few Cima Di Rapa seedlings into some loo rools - have fallen foul of the leggy seedlings curse ( ) and then put lots of summer bulbs in trays of compost to get them started off ready to plant out when they're bigger.

Had another quick read of Monty Don's Complete Gardener book - a lovely one, and the one which make me want to grow my own food.

Also sent OH out to cut me some stakes with his new mitre saw for some more raised bed sides. Bless him, he was out there a couple of hours, so am guessing he might have assembled some sides for me while he was out there....

Went up to the lottie to see if they've had the meeting about the annual rent yet, and am hoping that the plot behind ours might become vacant - I feel the urge to spread out a bit