The 'What I Did Today' Archive - 2007

[Hans Mum]

had to admit defeat on the lottie cause of the weather (sleeting as i type)instead spent a pleasant afternoon planting seeds (toms/cuc/carrots/peas/cauli) in the greenhouse, so all was not lost, glad I didnt give in to the urge to plant out last week.

[bramble]

what I did today.

Like everyone else on here, we are having the same awful weather. freezing cold winds and rain and sleet. Did'nt do any outdoor gardening today but spent an enjoyable afternoon potting on my tomatoes and peppers which are growing so quickly now. Peas still growing away in the greenhouse until the weather gets a bit milder but at least they have got a good start.

[shirlthegirl43]

No gardening today, too windy. Took OH to airport then sorted boys for school and went to do my horse - was met by the yard owner who warned me to be ready for a shock - stable roof had blown off at 3.30 am. Old pony not apparently bothered in any way - his heart is still strong!! Plenty more manure to come (sort of garden related there)

[Snadger]

I managed to carry on digging over a narrow bed (for beans and sweet peas) which was knitted together nicely with couch grass, but the soil was beautiful (best on the plot so far!) At the same time I buried some bags of kitchen waste that I had been taking down to the plot into the trench and covered it with cleaned soil. Could see a black, black cloud approaching and knew that time was tight. Managed to get a tub full of newly sprung nettles picked and covered in water (nettle fertilizer) before the heavens opened and the lottie was covered in a 'whiteout'. And so ended the days session on the plot but 3 more jobs ticked off the list!

Thats one good thing about couch grass, if you can get it all out, its roots breaks up the soil a treat!!!!

[LostthePlot]

Well, I can look forward to some more lovely soil to recover, as the rest of my plot (other half) is totally covered with couch - no other weeds - just couch! Bring it on!!!

[Mrs Dobby]

No gardening for me today, had to work, but Mr D did some OT this morning, then came home and started to pot on the toms, chillies and a few other bits n bobs!

We've now got 2 of the 5 beef tomato plants that are flowering already, both of which are about 14" high, cant wait for the frost risk to pass so we can get planting them out!

Went to the GC yesterday, and ended up with another 5 packets of seeds, just dont seem to be able to pass them by! Another 2 varieties of tomato (italian plum - not a type we already had and supposed to be good for sauces and cooking, and an italian beefsteak - another type we'd not got), another variety of cougette, some mange tout peas, some garlic chives and some gherkin! Looks like we are going to be pickling more than just onions this year!

[Two_Sheds]

woke to snow, yay!
Had all melted by lunch, double-yay! (it looks pretty but I hate being cold and wet)
the wood pigeons had been round and round in circles, as is customary, on the snowy lawn.
I've come down with yet another cold, so took the day off school and started writing an essay instead. Almost as cold indoors as it was outside (why didn't the Victorians know about building insulation? Or did they just prefer their houses draughty?)

[stigoftheplot]

no they had thicker curtains, high beds (above the height of the windowsill) and lots of thick warm clothes. Just think of the undies they wore for starters! I wasn't impressed with the snow either. Had chance to get up plot for a dig today but stayed home & did housework coz of that horrid snow. Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

[kirsty b]

Not strictly today...

Yesterday OH was thrilled to announce to me that we finally have baby chestnut mushrooms poking up their little heads in the kit we bought about 5 weeks ago. He was grumbling he was going to chuck it out as he thought it was a duff kit, hes glad he didn't now!
I have spent 2 days sat in a classroom at work finally starting my NVQ 2, but when at home I have pricked out more Tumbler, Roma and Supersteak toms.
Have also pricked out Candytuft, Calendula and various lettuces. Checked the propagator and see that a couple of my Marmande toms have germinated.
planning to sow some beetroot into modules tomorrow and also some Marigolds for the front garden.
OH has completely cleared the bottom end of the plot while I have been getting a numb bum, going to be extra nice to him for that.


Kirsty

[Two_Sheds]

My hostas and comfrey are alive, hurray! first leaves are just poking thru the soil. Today I picked up all my container plants AGAIN that had blown around the yard....the cordyline has a definite lilt to it now

[wellie]

I can't begin to tell you how many times I've picked up my containerised Box Balls in the last few days!!!
Oh my god! kirstyb has just reminded me that I didn't check out my mushrooms growing under the kitchen units yesterday or today!
I just did...... and given the hugeness of the mushrooms, I think there's probably a couple of families of Elf in there too! Trousers in going to DIE when he sees the size of them! And I'll take a photo tomorrow, naturally!
Where would we be these days without photos. An accurate record, an inspiration, a memory...
Other than discovering the above, I went to have a blood test done this morning at our local surgery, absolutely stinking like a Garlic Farm, because Trousers cooked dinner last night! Then spent a couple of hours weeding with Radio 2, then spent the rest of the day pricking out, potting on, and getting ready to sow yet another two troughs of Amsterdam 2 Sweetheart finger carrots, and still 'pondering' on a combination of PETER's 'greenhouse within a greenhouse' idea, and my idea of 'under-path soil-warming propagation', which I would simply LOVE to have your ideas and criticisms on when I manage to get my brain round it sufficient to 'Thread It'....?
Thank you for listening.

[madderbat]

Went down to the lottie today and rescued a rampant blue water butt (someone else's) a bucket, two plastic bowls and some water bottles blowing about in the wind. Most of our produce is doing ok, onions, garlic, beans and cabbage; need to get some beetroot and carrots started soon but not while the wind is so cold. Can't wait to get my leeks,Piglet Willie's shallots and potatoes in. Parsnips still not sprouting, even though they are on a wet tray in the kitchen...
Roll on spring!

[madderbat]

Finally got some seeds planted!!!

Today, for the first time in ages I was able to get on the lottie. We've (nearly) fixed the greenhouse, only three bits to cover now, and...
I planted some beetroot and carrot seeds - Yippee! It really feels like spring now, even if it will snow tomorrow

BW planted radish, spinach, cabbage, and peas, and we didn't argue (much). Great day. Now all I've got to do is plant the leeks which have all germinated and are about 4 inches long in the back bedroom. I get the feeling I should put them outside fairly quickly.

[Mrs Dobby]

We had to be in Londinium early this morning for an appointment, but thankfully were able to avoid all the usual pitfalls of driving into the capitol, missed the Congestion charge zone by about 50meters, found a cheap car park (£5 for 2 hours instead of the usual £12 an hour NCP (Not Cheap Parking) one), and missed rush hour by being there before 8am and leaving at 10am!

On the way back we had arranged to call round for lunch with the vine's very own Pigletwillie and Piglette! Got to them at about 12pm, to have a lovely lunch of bacon pitta pockets (gorgeous they were too), a tour of their lovely gardens (which look great and have a fab barbeque area) and a trip out to their plots!

PW's allotments are definitely worth a visit, the first one we saw has lovely well made raised beds, along with a lot of fruit inside a lovely fruit cage. Their second plot is one they've just taken over, and has just been ploughed, but all the effort in clearing it is very evident! Their 3rd plot is a bit away from the other two, and has an absolutely fabulous home made polytunnel, that has definitely got Mr D thinking along the lines of building one himself, lots of lovely leeks and a very comfortable and well fitted out shed!

Have to say we were both very impressed, not only with PW and Piglette, who are both lovely warm and friendly folks, but also with the standards of presentation and work that has gone into both their home and garden, but also into their plots, the paths and raised beds are absolutely fab, definitely done to a proffessional standard!

Thanks to you both for making us soo welcome, and for providing a very much needed cup of tea and some lovely food! I'm sorry we were both a bit frazzled from our journey and perhaps not as talkative or alert as we would normally be, but we both thoroughly enjoyed meeting you both! Hope to link up soon at the Spring Show!

[sewer rat]

Weather still cr*p up here so tunnel still awaiting it's cover. In the meantime, I have moved my propagator, cell packs and seed trays to my mates and am gonna start sowing tomorrow - don't think he realises how much space my GC order needs (13,350 seedlings take up a lot of space)
Still, the forecast is for brighter weather, so who knows, maybe I'll get my tunnel up and running by the weekend, and then he can have his back !
Scottish Water are playing silly b*ggers about my water connection too. They seem to think that when I talk about crop irrigation, that I wanna have a large reel mounted rain gun, not low pressure, drip-feed T Tape as stated in my application. So they think I should connect to a 6" main, 400 metres away (across a public road - the expense ) instead of the 2" pipe that runs right along the boundary of my field. Oh yeah, and it has taken them from 8th Feb to tell me this - and only 'cause I phoned them !!